As I looked at Luca’s face, filled with despair, I knew my victory was certain.
He had realized that the star which had made him ugly, the star he had created himself, had led him to collapse without even managing a false victory.
Though I did end up accumulating some debt with Yuden in the process... well, that’s something I can sort out with Benedict if I explain it properly.
"Can I hear the story too?"
I had intended to leave the cleanup to others and take a brief rest, but the voice that came from behind sent a chill down my spine.
The first queen consort of the kingdom—Kavaty Soladin.
She was someone I never wanted to meet and, at the same time, a person who I absolutely couldn't afford to be caught off guard by.
She was standing at the top of the clock tower’s stairs, offering a fake smile.
...How did she even get here!?
The area around the clock tower was sealed by the trickster fox, so only those who had permission should have been able to enter!
Even if she broke through by force, it’s unbelievable that the fox or the grandfather didn't notice her!
<...Sorry, I didn't notice.>
‘Grandfather, did you?’
<This is my first time encountering such a situation, so I'm also quite perplexed.>
The embarrassed voice of the grandfather made it clear that he wasn’t joking.
...Is there some kind of variable with the first queen consort? Something I don’t know?
“I think I have the right to hear this as it concerns the events at the academy.”
<Let’s save the details for later. For now, the priority should be to shake off the first queen consort.>
‘...Understood.’
The grandfather’s advice was sound. How the first queen consort ended up here could wait. The immediate focus had to be overcoming her sharp, observant eyes.
“Why don’t you just threaten me? Delusional queen consort?”
...Hey! Mesugaki Skill!!
How did this translate to “Hello, Queen Consort” into something so off-base?!
This isn’t translation; it’s distortion!
The content itself has changed completely!
As the cold silence hung in the air, I felt beads of sweat running down my back.
This is exactly why I didn’t want to meet the first queen consort. It was obvious this would happen, and I didn’t want to face her!
Why, of all times, is she showing up now? Damn it, Queen Trump, stay locked up in the palace and focus on making the kingdom great or something!
“Delusional?”
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.
In the suffocating atmosphere, the first queen consort spoke up.
She didn’t blush or get angry, simply continuing with an inquisitive tone.
“I’m curious. Why? I don’t seem to be a particularly delusional person.”
Oh. I see? Why is that? I’m not sure either.
If I were to defend my Mesugaki Skill, I’d say it’s probably because she’s delusional enough to think she’s irreplaceable in this country. But if I say that out loud, her sword might come for my neck, so let me just dodge that.
“Maybe you should think about it on your own? After all, you’re a queen consort, so you should have enough reasoning skills.”
“But you know, Lady Arlen, you once called me a mad queen consort. I wonder why the title changed. I’m really curious about why it changed, and why it’s now delusional. Would you care to explain?”
Lucy. So, you’ve already had history with her. I mean, she already called the king livestock, so I’m sure she said something to the first queen consort as well.
Huh... somehow, Lucy and Benedict are still alive. It’s a miracle.
I was still reeling from the shock of Lucy’s past deeds when the first queen consort gave a wry smile and continued.
“Anyway, it seems like you don’t want to answer, so let’s get back to the matter at hand. You say everything that happened at the academy was your plan. What exactly does that mean?”
I managed to get past one trial, but another one was waiting for me.
Where do I even begin to explain this?
No, wait. Is it even possible to explain this in a way that makes sense with the Mesugaki Skill?
It might actually be more convincing to hypnotize the first queen consort and make her believe me than try to make her understand on my own.
<It seems like things are starting to go in a good direction.> ‘...Good direction? Are you sure the foundation hasn’t shifted?’ <Yes. We have the right reasons on our side.>
The grandfather’s point was that the real culprit behind the chaos at the academy was standing right in front of me—the first queen consort.
The reason the followers of the Evil God were able to infiltrate the academy was because the queen consort had tried to force her people into the academy.
Without this disturbance, there wouldn’t have been such a huge uproar inside the academy.
And one of the culprits leading this incident, Luca, was also part of the first queen consort’s faction.
The responsibility for the events at the academy lies with the first queen consort standing before me.
I’m simply cleaning up the mess that resulted from her actions.
<The most troublesome part of this situation is that the other party is trying to suppress you with their power while ignoring your position, but fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the first queen consort intends to do that. Considering the people around you, that would be difficult.>
‘So what should I do?’
<Just do what you usually do and be stubborn. That’s enough.>
I roughly understood what the grandfather was saying.
Be stubborn? In front of this crazy woman?!
I’m not risking retaliation later!
<If she were someone who’d retaliate over something like this, she would have turned you in for your past actions.>
...Huh. You might be right.
Unknowingly, I accepted the grandfather’s reasoning and straightened my posture in front of the first queen consort.
“What plan? It’s a plan to clean up the foolish mess that the delusional queen consort caused in her power struggle.”
Mesugaki Skill isn’t really good for conveying situations properly. This skill messes up how my words get translated halfway, so how can I convince someone with this?
But when it comes to picking apart the other person’s faults, there’s no better skill.
This skill, which automatically picks out words that will make someone angry, is perfect for delivering a truth punch.
“You let delusional fools, who think the chaos you created was nothing, into this place. And this perverted professor in your faction didn’t stop them; he helped them carry out their plans. If I hadn’t noticed their sloppy plans, things would have gotten much worse, don’t you think?”
As I spat out my complaints, Yuden, who had quietly stood beside me, added her voice.
“I don’t know all the details, but there’s nothing wrong with what Lady Arlen said. It’s because of her that today passed without any sacrifices.”
“I agree. Without Lady Arlen, we’d still be fighting the followers of the Void, having made countless sacrifices.”
As Yuden finished speaking, Prette added his support, and the first queen consort raised an eyebrow before offering a gentle smile.
“You two seem to be under some misapprehension. I have no intention of pressing Lady Arlen at all.”
...What? She has no intention of pressing her? But...
“I simply wanted to understand the situation. That way, I can help resolve things properly.”
“Then can we leave now? It seems like the delusional queen consort has heard what she wanted to hear.”
Shocked by the words that I never expected from the first queen consort, I tried to provoke her, but she simply nodded without changing her expression.
“My apologies. I know you’ve been fighting the followers of the Void until just now, so you must be exhausted. I took up too much of your time.”
This is really strange, isn’t it? She’s openly challenging me, but she’s saying nothing?
“Lastly, I’ll just take care of Luca’s situation and leave.”
“Why him? Are you planning to take him with you, delusional queen consort?”
“If Lady Arlen allows it.”
Seeing the first queen consort’s grin, I wiped all the thoughts from my mind.
I’ll think about the changes later. For now, I need to focus on the conversation at hand.
“To avoid any misunderstandings, I’m not planning to take credit for this. Lady Arlen.”
“Credit? I don’t care about that. What kind of credit is there in dealing with trash like this? Anyone who’s proud of such things is more pathetic than these idiots.”
I don’t want credit. It’s not out of humility, I just really don’t want to stand out.
If I get the spotlight, things will get annoying!
If the church of the Lord starts focusing on me seriously, that would make things a lot harder!
Why did I make all the attention focus on Yuden?
If the first queen consort claims credit for it, all my efforts will be wasted!
“Then?”
“What do you think? Delusional queen consort?”
I wonder how she interpreted my retort. The first queen consort walked up to me with a light smile and bowed her head to meet my gaze.
“Lady Arlen, I don’t know what you think of me, but I’m someone who would throw everything away for the kingdom.”
I know that better than anyone.
I’ve seen firsthand how crazy you can get in the name of the kingdom.
Maybe I understand your madness better than you do yourself.
“And Luca the professor betrayed my expectations in the worst possible way.”
Between her smile, I could see the cold, frozen look in her eyes.
Her gaze was so frozen, it seemed like it would never thaw.
“I have a duty to punish him.”
At this point, the most sensible option would be to just hand Luca over.
What happens to Luca in the first queen consort’s hands doesn’t concern me.
I have no interest in a pathetic failure of a person.
If giving her Luca would help me avoid the power of the queen consort, I would welcome it.
Had I not known about the first queen consort, I would have handed Luca over without a second thought!
Had I not known.
“Huh. I see?”
But I know exactly who the first queen consort is.
I know exactly what she’ll do when she has Luca, and I also know that she’s not a person who respects common sense.
“Then what does that have to do with me?”
That’s why I can’t hand him over.
Matching her smile with one of my own, I watched as her artificial smile began to change.
...
Wow. This is seriously chilling.
Maybe I should have just handed him over instead of acting all cocky.
But I knew better than to get complacent now. I wasn’t about to give up on my position or let her manipulate things to her advantage, not when I could see the hidden danger lurking behind her calm exterior.
The first queen consort’s smile remained, but now it had a sharper edge. She wasn't just playing along with my little act; she was calculating, waiting for the right moment to make her move.
I could feel it—a growing tension between us. There was no way I would let her get the better of me this time.
“Let’s wrap this up,” she said, her tone still as smooth as ever, but with a hint of finality. “I’ll take Luca with me, as soon as Lady Arlen permits it.”
“I’m not in the business of granting permissions, queen consort,” I replied, the weight of my words hanging in the air. “You take him if you wish, but don’t think for a moment that this changes anything between us.”
She tilted her head, as though savoring the moment, before nodding gracefully.
“Understood,” she said, her voice still light, but something about the way she spoke made me wary. “Then, I’ll leave you to your rest, Lady Arlen. You’ve earned it after everything that’s happened today.”
With that, she turned and began to leave, her entourage following closely behind her. But as they walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the last I’d be hearing from her.
The first queen consort may have left, but her presence still lingered in the room like a shadow.
As I watched her disappear into the distance, I realized just how much more complicated things had become. The game was far from over.