I'm on it—let's continue the translation from where we left off:
Damn it. I'm completely screwed.
Look at that smile twisting on her face.
Sigh. This is exactly why I didn’t want to run into the Second Queen.
Why is she here, instead of staying at the party talking with her faction?
It doesn’t make any sense.
‘Grandfather, what should I do now?’
No matter what I say, it’ll only make things worse, like during my speech earlier.
How am I supposed to navigate this?
I need the wise counsel of Sir Luel, the noble knight.
<Just do as you please.> ‘...Are you only saying that because it doesn’t concern you directly?’ <Didn’t I tell you before? She needs you, but you don’t need her. So it’s fine to treat her however you like.>
My grandfather insisted that titles like Queen or Duke weren’t all that important in this situation, but I couldn’t entirely agree.
Politically, he was probably right—if the Second Prince wants to compete with the First Prince, he’ll need me, so she won’t be able to push too hard, no matter what I do.
But here’s the thing: people don’t always act based on reason.
History is full of cases where people made ruinous decisions that defied logic.
What guarantee do I have that the Second Queen won’t join their ranks?
And on top of that, I have my Masochistic Brat skill.
Can the Second Queen really maintain her reason in the face of this destructive provocation, capable of obliterating even a saint’s patience?
“Really, Duke Patran wasn’t wrong. You are incredibly arrogant.”
Wow. So she didn’t become queen of this kingdom for nothing.
How did she manage to rephrase that insult so smoothly?
As I marveled at the Second Queen’s composure, she brushed back her disheveled hair and continued speaking.
“Well, fine. You have the talent to back up your arrogance. I’ll let this offense slide just this once.”
Excuse me, but I don’t think this offense is going to end with "just this once."
Now that I’ve dubbed you "Vile, Decrepit Queen," I’m going to keep calling you that unless something drastic happens.
“Why are you clamming up now? Do you think I’m not even worth a response?”
No, no! This silence is the best courtesy I can offer!
I’m biting my lip because who knows what disaster might come out if I start talking!
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
“So, 'Vile, Decrepit Queen' is the only thing you can say to me?”
Argh!
No, that’s not it! It’s a misunderstanding!
Please, with your queenly insight, read my expression like Karia does! Understand my true feelings!
<Child.> ‘What is it now?!’ <You’ve been smirking and provoking the Queen since earlier.> ‘...Seriously?’
I touched the corners of my mouth, realizing that one side was indeed raised in a smirk.
It’s true.
Yes, it’s true.
...
Damn this freaking Masochistic Brat skill!
“Hah.”
Hearing her exasperated laugh, I seriously considered leaping off the clock tower to escape.
Wouldn’t it be better to make a swift exit than to keep facing her here?
Sure, that would be a huge insult too, but it might be less insulting than continuing this conversation.
Yes, let’s do that. Besides, I’m not someone who’d get hurt from this height.
It should be fine.
“Like mother, like daughter—equally insolent. I wonder how long the Allen family’s glory will...”
The moment I heard the word “mother,” my cluttered thoughts disappeared, leaving a cold calmness in their place.
It wasn’t the calm born of reason but rather the frigid clarity that rises amid swelling fury.
I wasn’t sure why.
After all, the Second Queen had every right to complain. It wasn’t even much of an insult—if Lucy’s mother did something in the past, her resentment might be justified.
And I hardly knew Lucy’s mother, only that she genuinely loved her daughter.
But the rational part of me had no reason to be angry at the Second Queen.
Yet my heart, my emotions, my seething head, ignored reason’s proposal.
And all they shouted was one thing:
Pay her back.
Avenge her.
Make this wretched woman cry with frustration until she can’t hold back her tears.
If Fayvi were standing here, maybe I’d hold back and listen to reason.
But I’m not.
Ah, damn it. Who cares? I’ll figure something out.
My grandfather just told me a moment ago that it’s fine to act recklessly.
He’s experienced the noble and ecclesiastic worlds alike—if he says it’s okay, then what’s the problem?
“Pfft.♡”
I let a giggle escape and narrowed my eyes.
The Second Queen, who’d been muttering complaints, furrowed her brow, clearly waiting for a response.
As if daring me to say something.
Her posture, her attitude, was nothing if not confident. She believed that no matter what I said, it would be meaningless.
“Why are you so angry?♡ Is it already menopause?♡ Considering the Prince’s age, it must have been a rather late birth. That must have been tough on you.♡”
One line was all it took to shatter her calm.
“...Lady Allen, what nonsense are you spouting?”
Watching Senare’s forced smile vanish, I raised my smirk even higher.
Come now, it’s too soon to get serious. I’ve only just started.
“Nonsense?♡ What nonsense?♡ I’ve only spoken the truth, haven’t I?♡”
I tilted my head innocently, and I heard the grind of her teeth.
Senare had no idea.
She didn’t realize how many weaknesses she was revealing in her anger.
How many openings she was giving me.
In her mind, she probably thought she was maintaining her queenly composure.
But that’s not how I see it.
Not in terms of vulnerabilities.
“Truly,♡ there’s probably no one worse at lying than me. Vile, Decrepit Queen, isn’t that so?♡” “...There are limits to what offenses I’ll tolerate.” “Why do you hate this shabby academy so much?♡”
I could see it now.
The distaste in her eyes every time she glanced at the academy buildings.
For whatever reason, she disliked Soul Academy.
“What kind of things did you do as a student here?♡ I suppose, being the mother of the Prince, you must have been just as bad if not worse.♡” “Enough.”
So, she’s even dropped the formal tone.
But I’m not done yet.
Not when this fire inside me is still burning strong.
“Is that why you’re so cold to the Prince?♡ Is it self-hatred, seeing a child who’s just like you?♡” “Hah. And what about you? For someone raised by such a hypocrite of a mother, you’re awfully straightforward. What, you didn’t want to follow her example?”
Seeing my fist clench, Senare sneered.
Fine. Got it. Let’s see this through to the end.
“Calling kindness hypocrisy reveals a lot about the character of the Vile, Decrepit Queen.♡ There’s a reason you couldn’t become the First Queen, isn’t there?♡” “Haha, yes, you’re right. Just as there’s a reason why someone like you, who looks so decent on the outside, can’t secure a single marriage proposal. It’s your personality.”
“Oh my,♡ you think it’s because I can’t?♡ Pfft.♡ I think I’m starting to get a picture of what your school days were like.♡” “Well, good luck with those empty hopes. I hope you’ll keep up that optimistic thinking when you’re old and alone.”
My brain worked faster than ever as I focused on bringing her down.
I didn’t know if it was the influence of the Masochistic Brat skill or just who I am as a person, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
What mattered more was shutting that damn woman up.
I recalled the details from when the Second Queen had arrived at the clock tower.
The rushed clatter of high heels on the stairs.
The dust-covered state she was in.
The disappointed expression she’d shown when she saw me.
And the words of a female adventurer I’d met in the game who’d told me about this clock tower before I became part of this world.
‘I used to sneak out of the dorms to watch the night sky with a friend. But due to the difference in our status, we couldn’t stay together for long.’
A strange certainty filled my mind.
A certainty that this line would leave her speechless.
“Don’t worry.♡ Unlike certain others, I’d never betray my friends for the sake of success.♡ I’ll never end up alone.♡”
And my certainty was confirmed by Senare’s shocked face.
“...How do you...” “Oh, come on,♡ Vile, Decrepit Queen, try thinking for yourself once in a while.♡ How could you get so high up and still be so clueless?♡” “Answer me! How do you know about that?”
“Are you that curious?♡ Really want to hear it?♡ For someone that desperate, your neck seems awfully stiff~♡” “This is an order from Second Queen Senare Soladin! Tell me!”
“It’s pathetic how you cling to power the moment things get rough.♡ But well,♡ I’m just a weak, fragile noble lady, so I suppose I should comply.♡”
Seeing the veins pulsing on Senare’s forehead, I sorted through my thoughts and chose the option I thought she’d hate the most.
“How do you think I learned how to open the door?♡ How do you think I know about the past of someone I couldn’t care less about?♡” “...Did you meet... her?” “Correct!♡ I happened to meet that dear, lowly adventurer, and she even left a message for me to pass on when I next saw you~♡ So, are you interested?♡ Want to know?♡”
“...”
“You remember what I just said, right?♡ If you want to hear it, what should you do~?♡”
I stepped right up to her, openly taunting her, and she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
“...Fine.” “Pardon?♡ I couldn’t hear you over the sound of your petty pride.♡”
“...Tell me! If you do, I’ll forgive all offenses and give you anything you want! Please!”
“Hmm♡ You do seem desperate.♡ But what a shame~♡ It’s such an old memory now, I can barely recall.♡ My apologies~♡ Pfft.♡”
As she stared at me in disbelief, a grey, ashen light began to gather in her hands, shifting into the shape of an axe.
With twin axes that looked far from fitting for a noblewoman, Senare seemed to find calm within her fury.
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. I still have things to hear.”
“Taking up weapons when words fail you.♡ So barbaric.♡ It suits the Vile, Decrepit Queen perfectly.♡”
Drawing a shield and mace from my inventory, I spoke provocatively, though I felt cold sweat trickling down.
She’s strong. Incredibly strong.
Not on the level of Benedict or Count Kent, but strong enough to crush me in my current state.
How long can I hold out?
Hopefully, someone from the party will notice something strange at the clock tower before I go down.
<...Child, can’t you just tell her?> ‘I refuse.’ <This is different from before! Now, your life could genuinely be in danger!> ‘Still refusing. Backing down now would feel like losing.’
Unless she’s the one to kneel first, I’m not about to bow my head to someone who insulted my mother.
<Lucy! For heaven’s sake, listen to me!> “Are you just going to stand there looking pretty?♡”
Ignoring my grandfather’s voice, I let out a laugh, and Senare returned it.
“Let’s see how long you can keep that smile.”
Under the moonlight, her axe gleamed with a deadly edge as it swung straight for my neck.