It’s about four years before the death of Duke Leto. Paul sits in his study reading about The Imperium (or Government). Reading how one of the royal members of House Corrino said “let them eat cake.” when questioned about how they feel about the limited resources of Arrakis. Although Paul’s status is high, it still angers him. He despises the imperium extremely, and it pains him to think about the poor people living on Arrakis.