Merlin had left, heading off at Morgan's command to deliver her message to King Uther.
"Heh. Though Merlin's an old scoundrel, he won't mess this up. If he agreed, he'll see it through."
A smug smile crossed Morgan's face.
She wanted her father to value her more.
No matter how true Lot's thoughts were…
No matter if this supposed sister of mine exists or not…
If I can make the kingdom prosper, I'll be the undisputed heir to Camelot.
"I owe this all to Lot."
She murmured softly to herself.
Without him, she wouldn't have known how to strengthen Camelot—nor would she have known about this sister of hers. At least now, she wouldn't be caught off guard.
Unfortunately, she could only hear his thoughts three times a day, and today's chances were already spent. She couldn't dig for more information.
Thinking of Lot reminded her of something else.
What was his first thought this morning?
Something about… giving me a gift?
But he was too embarrassed.
What could it be?
I'm curious.
With that in mind, Morgan quietly made her way toward Lot's tent.
As she moved, she cast a subtle spell to keep the soldiers from noticing her.
A girl sneaking into a man's tent is less scandalous than the reverse…
But getting caught would still be humiliating.
I'm your future lady—and the future ruler of Camelot and Britain.
This kind of blackmail material must never exist!
Stealthily, she reached the side of Lot's tent.
Let's see what he's up to…
Inside, she saw Lot packing his belongings—holding a small, beautifully crafted booklet about the length of his forearm.
Is this… the gift he wanted to give me?
She studied it closely—then finally made out the cover.
Hmm?
Drawings?
Wait… Why does this face look so familiar?
After a few seconds, it hit her.
That's me!
Without thinking, she stepped right into the tent.
"What is this!?"
Her sudden appearance startled Lot.
"W-When did you get here!?"
He immediately hid the booklet behind his back, flustered.
Damn it, how'd she sneak up on me!?
Last night, what Lot had fished out of the River of Time was… an artbook.
Specifically, one featuring Morgan's 2D version—illustrations printed from Pixiv.
The production quality was impressive.
But upon receiving it, Lot had been at a loss.
Burn it? Too much of a waste.
Keep it? Hiding it would be near impossible—especially sharing a bed with his future wife.
Give it to Morgan?
Well…
While the artbook was technically SFW, anyone familiar with Pixiv knew the deal.
"Safe for work" just meant no explicit content.
There were still plenty of suggestive poses.
If Morgan saw this, she'd be furious.
So until now, he'd been agonizing over what to do.
But now, the choice was made for him.
Caught red-handed.
Seeing Lot's panic, Morgan's initial embarrassment faded.
Ah, whatever. I'm his wife-to-be. Keeping an artbook of me isn't that weird.
"Is this whole booklet filled with drawings?"
She tilted her head, feigning innocence.
"Y-Yeah…"
Lot nodded stiffly.
"I see."
A small smile played on Morgan's lips.
Lot blinked, confused.
Why is she happy about this?
As for Morgan's reason?
Simple.
"Judging by the art quality, a full booklet like this couldn't have been made overnight."
"That means he's been paying attention to me for a long time."
"And that flustered look of his… How cute."
She was already his fiancée.
Lot was exceptionally handsome.
And his inner thoughts had given her a favorable impression.
So instead of being upset…
She felt a sweet, fluttery warmth.
Proof that looks really do matter.
…
Meanwhile, With Uther
Lot and Morgan's party set off.
Meanwhile, Merlin had already met up with King Uther—delivering Morgan's proposal word for word, along with some additions of his own.
True, this might interfere with his prophecies…
But Merlin wasn't the type to cling to fate at all costs.
He preferred when people defied it.
After hearing the proposal, Uther looked stunned.
"You're saying my daughter came up with this?"
"Indeed." Merlin nodded.
"This is brilliant! Strengthening the army starts with enriching the farmers. We must implement this immediately."
Uther paced thoughtfully before turning back to Merlin.
"The cost is mostly bureaucratic positions—the nobles won't object too strongly."
After a few more laps, he stopped.
"It seems my daughter has a sharp mind for governance."
"Merlin… Did I make a mistake with my earlier decision?"