“Greetings, First Queen.”
“Greetings to the First Queen, who works tirelessly for the kingdom.”
As Cecil and Arthur knelt and offered the highest respects, the First Queen slightly lifted her eyes and then smiled.
“Both of you, please rise. How can the future of the kingdom bow to me?”
“However...”
“It’s alright. Both of you.”
Once the ceremonial greeting ended, Arthur stood up and faced the First Queen, who wore a subtle smile.
She seemed to be preparing for action, dressed in armor, but the appearance of the armor was too pristine. She hadn’t participated in direct combat.
Had she come simply to show her readiness to respond?
“Are both of you alright?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you can see, we are unharmed.”
“I’m the same. I have no significant injuries.”
The First Queen listened to their words, inspecting their bodies, as though trying to determine whether what they said was true. Her snake-like eyes passed over Cecil and landed on Arthur, then paused.
“That is indeed fortunate.”
Seeing the slight smile at the corners of the Queen's eyes, Arthur was sure that she had noticed he was awake.
Before being the leader of the kingdom, the First Queen was a warrior.
If even my older brother noticed, there’s no way she wouldn’t have figured it out.
“Then, may I hear what happened within the barrier? I’m aware of the general situation, but I haven’t heard the full details yet.”
The Queen’s eyes, curved like a snake’s tail, locked onto Arthur, and he felt an oppressive weight on his shoulders. He did his best to stay calm.
There’s no need to panic. I’ll just tell her what I told my older brother. The First Queen can’t know whether what I’m saying is true or not.
“The situation is...”
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The First Queen listened quietly to Arthur’s words.
There were no questions or doubts in her demeanor.
If Arthur said it, she accepted it as the truth without hesitation.
“...This is all I know.”
“If what you say is true, then it seems the Third Prince met his end while fighting the followers of the Dark God?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Really?”
When the First Queen spoke her first question, Arthur nodded instinctively but froze when he saw her cold, icy gaze through her slanted eyes.
“Really? The Third Prince... did he not have any influence on resolving the situation?”
Why... Why is she pressing me so relentlessly on this part?
Does the First Queen really not know that I had no power to do anything against the followers of the Dark God?
...No. Calm down. I’m overthinking this.
Even the First Queen couldn’t know what happened in a place that didn’t exist.
These doubts are just paranoia!
“Third Prince?”
Arthur, who had prepared to nod, found his resolve weakening in front of the Queen’s voice.
His eyes, like a small beast before a predator, trembled.
Arthur had always found the First Queen, Kabati Soladin, difficult to handle.
She hadn’t directly pressured him.
Still, she didn’t try to bury him from behind the scenes either.
In fact, among the royal family, Kabati Soladin had been one of the few to treat Arthur well.
After all, Arthur was of royal blood, so he could have been a problem for her child, but Kabati Soladin supported Arthur’s desire for knowledge.
If she hadn’t allowed him anything, he wouldn’t have developed his talents as he did.
So, in a way, Kabati Soladin could be considered a benefactor to Arthur.
Yet, whenever he looked at her, Arthur couldn’t hide his discomfort.
It wasn’t logical; it was an instinctive rejection.
Beneath her perpetually gentle smile, there was an unsettling certainty that something else was hidden, which made him uneasy.
Even now, Arthur felt that sense of discomfort in the Queen’s smile.
There was a dagger hidden behind that smile, and he had no doubt about it.
“That’s right. The prince was useless and did nothing.”
At that moment, Freya, who had been standing silently beside Arthur, spoke in an innocent voice.
From the way she spoke to the content of her words, there was no polite way to describe it. Yet, Freya continued calmly, unfazed by the sharp glances from around them.
“While I was fighting hard, he was sound asleep. The useless prince.”
“Rude! Lady of the Kent family!”
“Show some respect to those of royal blood!”
The knights guarding the First Queen suddenly became alert, raising their voices, but Freya merely tilted her head, unbothered by their anger.
“Is that not obvious?”
“Huh?”
“Shouldn’t you be apologizing immediately instead of responding?!”
Seeing the knights step forward with fury, Freya didn’t flinch. Instead, she smirked, the corners of her mouth curling upwards.
In this escalating situation, it was Arthur who felt confused.
This crazy girl...
Did she provoke them, using me as an excuse? She wanted to fight with the knights?!
I was touched for a moment, but I was wrong!
Arthur muttered to himself while exchanging glances with Cecil to deescalate the situation, when suddenly, a voice as sweet and clear as a fairy’s rang out, suppressing the commotion.
“What are you doing over there?”
Standing under the sun, Lucy Allen appeared, her battle-worn appearance unmissable.
Her hair tangled with blood.
Her skin marred by various scratches.
Her eyes showing the signs of exhaustion.
Her armor, wrinkled and battered.
She looked a mess, and yet, no one would call her ugly.
The beauty she possessed made even the scars on her body seem alluring.
Arthur, who had been staring at Lucy like everyone else, suddenly felt a flush rise to his face.
He had always known Lucy was beautiful, but to this extent?
Could he not take his eyes off her?
How beautiful was Lucy Allen?
“Mystic Queen...”
What?
“Are you still struggling with your delusions and tormenting my friends? For someone who’s the Queen of an entire nation, your mind is quite narrow. How pathetic.”
Lucy’s words were so cruel and inappropriate that even the knights beside the First Queen, as well as the students, professors, and even Arthur and Cecil, froze in shock.
However, Lucy seemed quite familiar with this kind of atmosphere. Silently, she walked through the tension and stood directly opposite the Queen.
“Why don’t you go do your job? Tormenting others won’t make up for your failure in stopping anything. You should at least clean up the mess you made.”
With her challenging tone, even the knights, unsure how to respond, remained silent, but the First Queen was unshaken.
She simply smiled at Lucy’s rudeness and took a step back.
“I didn’t really torment anyone. Even if they’re not my children by blood, I treat them like my own.”
“Haha. Your children? Not grandchildren? Aren’t you a bit too shameless?”
“I’m not that shameless. I married young, after all.”
The First Queen replied with a smile, raising her hand to stop the knights from stepping forward.
“My apologies. Now, let’s focus on resolving the situation.”
With that, the First Queen and her knights quickly left.
The people who had been guarding the First Queen looked at Lucy with disdain, but since the Queen didn’t mind, they didn’t speak up.
“Hey, Lucy Allen. You...”
After the commotion passed, Arthur, who had nearly had a heart attack, tried to say something, but Lucy immediately interrupted.
“Shut up, you useless perverted prince. If you wanted help, just say thanks and stop frowning. Are you trying to be criticized? Is that your thing?”
“What nonsense.”
“Forget it. Just follow me. I’ve got work to do. Or should I keep insulting you? Should I whisper in your ear until you can’t take it?”
“...”
Noticing that continuing would only make things worse, Arthur raised his hands in surrender.
Laughing at his defeat, Lucy shoved Freya aside with one hand and turned away.
“Lucy Allen, wait.”
At Cecil’s call, Lucy stopped.
She frowned, sensing urgency in Cecil’s tone, and his expression seemed to be urging her to speak quickly.
Cecil thought of the things he had wanted to say—the event that had helped him regain his sanity last year, the things related to his mother, and many other matters.
As he gathered his thoughts, he smiled slightly and bowed his head.
“Thank you.”
“What for? I didn’t do anything for you. Don’t tell me you’re thanking me for just existing.”
“It’s a long story, but... I’m grateful in many ways.”
Lucy Allen silently looked at Cecil, then lowered her eyes as she spoke.
“Even though you look like an animal, your words have some weight. You really are a clumsy, naïve prince.”
Laughing softly, Lucy turned her back and walked away.
After she left, Cecil’s companions muttered about her arrogance, but Cecil, smiling slightly, didn’t mind.
Has he really turned from an idiot to a fool?
At least, this isn’t so bad.