A Maiden’s Unwanted Heroic Epic

Chapter 301 Reine II

――She was regarded as creepy by doing the obvious things the obvious way.

In a world where most people couldn't do even the obvious things, she quickly realized she was an outlier.

No one could understand her, so they kept their distance.

‘Father, I have been thinking about the trade with Nirse, but I still believe it won't benefit us in the future. In the future the iron ore――’

‘Shut up! Since when have you been in a position to give advice to the head of the family? Instead of that, you should learn to keep your harsh mouth shut so that the other nobles will like you! I'm telling you, Reine, don't say such things outside of the house. I'm the one who will be embarrassed by the nonsense of a clever little girl.’

‘…Yes. My apologies, Father.’

In her youth, she foolishly tried to bridge the gap, but it was futile.

Her father was born a king, with nothing but pride.

He had no intelligence, no wisdom, and no ability.

He was merely obsessed with maintaining the throne.

At the time, Alberan was a kingdom in decline.

The prestige that the founding king, Bazariche, had built up had lost its luster, and the power balance between the royal family and the lords had collapsed.

The feudal lord system that Bazariche introduced was not a bad idea――for the purpose of territorial expansion, which was an urgent need at the time, rewarding vassals with territory was not a bad idea, however, in terms of stability, it was clear that this outcome was inevitable.

There were occasional, seemingly trivial improvements, but there was a limit to what could be achieved.

At best, there would be twenty years, and at worst, within a decade, Alberan would be divided.

In a situation where a strong king was needed, her father was simply incompetent.

And that incompetence threatened even his own life.

She began to think about this vaguely when she was six.

She made up her mind when she was eight.

To protect himself, her father wanted Reine to marry a powerful nobleman.

The royal family may have lost its luster, but it was still a royal family.

To the powerful nobles, the title of royal family was still important, and if they obtained it, they could control Alberan in both name and reality.

If the heir was a princess instead of a prince, it would be easy for the noble to marry into the royal family. Especially if they were born into a duchy that already had royal blood, it would not be difficult for them to become king, disregarding the order of succession.

A royal family without a prince seems very attractive to them.

Her father was very happy that a princess was born instead of a prince.

A prince would be the first in line to the throne, and by custom, her father would have no choice but to nominate a prince as his successor, but naturally, that would not have pleased other nobles.

Many would prefer to crush the nominal royal family and establish a new dynasty.

In that case, there would naturally be no reason to keep her father alive, but if a powerful nobleman were to join the royal family as the princess's husband, it would be a different story.

Inevitably, as King of Alberan, her father's authority would be protected by that nobleman.

Therefore, her daughter's name was a shining one――the name Reine was a light to her father.

He could have chosen not to have a child and instead nominated someone, but he probably didn't want a civil war.

Currently, the first in line to the throne was the king's younger brother――but in terms of power he was fifth from the top.

Even if he nominated someone second or lower, the currently most powerful noble, the Duke of Gasre, was seventh.

It was difficult to find a reason to nominate him.

What her father wanted most was for the eldest son of the Gasre family to join the royal family as Reine's husband.

The facade was important.

Though fundamentally no different, there was a big difference between Reine and her eldest son coming together and marrying each other and nominating him directly as the successor.

Nobles value appearances.

It is natural for them to complain about a nomination that ignores the order of succession, but if a princess was to marry a nobleman she had fallen in love with, she must at least be blessed in form.

No matter how dissatisfied they were, they would lack a just cause to rebel.

Her father's conclusion was not far off the mark.

From then on, Reine decided to learn how to mimic in order to gain favor with the Gasre family.

Many people dislike clever women.

Rather, it was better to look moderately foolish, so she stopped speaking her mind and observed women who were considered attractive.

Fortunately, she had good looks, and the rest was only a matter of manners and behavior.

She transformed her lifestyle to appear charming, pure, and kind-hearted.

Her father, mother, and the servants probably found it creepy, but she told them that she had changed her heart, and by treating them that way and making them happy, they gradually began to accept her.

It was a very simple thing to do.

Sometimes she would laugh, sometimes she would look sad, and sometimes she would look angry.

Even if she was neither funny, sad, nor angry, when she acted like that, those around her would mistakenly think that Reine was ‘one of their kind’.

People fear what they cannot understand. They turn to her with hostility and loathing.

By acting in a way that was easy for them to understand, within the realm of what they could understand, many problems were solved.

She began taking action at thirteen.

The reason was that she finally felt she was being perceived as an attractive woman.

‘It's been a long time, Duke Gasre.’

‘It has been a while, Your Highness.’

‘Albel-sama had also heard about your recent exploits. I heard that you achieved quite a feat.’

‘Hah. A lucky feat… I am still no match for my father.’

‘That's commendable. Just like your father. …I also heard that Duke Gasre sustained an arrow wound in his arm, and I was worried. How is your health?’

She naturally touched Drayle's arm as she asked, and he reacted slightly.

Albel was still young and had just finished his first battle. He was what one would call an honest, good-looking young man, nothing particularly noteworthy about him.

The important thing was his father, Drayle Gasre.

He was a hero known for his bravery, but he was also a sex maniac.

She knew that he showed interest in Reine every time they met.

‘Haha, an arrow wound or two is nothing. My body, hardened on the battlefield, even forgot about it until you mentioned it, Your Highness.’

‘Oh my. But please take care of yourself. A warrior's body like yours is priceless… Ah, pardon me.’

She blushed slightly and withdrew her hand, as if embarrassed.

Not flatteringly, but purely concerned for his well-being.

Most men were pleased by such a delicate and pure-appearing maiden.

Sensing that Albel was captivated by the scene and seeing a momentary lustful expression on Drayle’s face, she continued.

‘No, not at all. However, if Her Highness the Princess praises me like that, I'd like to take an arrow wound every time I fight.’

‘Hehe, thank you for your kindness. …Actually, my father told me to ensure that Duke Gasre, returning from a harsh battlefield, should be particularly well cared for… I kept thinking about your injury. My father rarely tells me such things, so I wondered if the arrow wound was a severe one.’

‘Oh, Your Majesty the King did?’

Drayle looked at her father.

Her father, who was talking to another nobleman a short distance away, noticed his gaze and raised his hand lightly in response, smiling.

Father didn't say it aloud, but if she said that, Drayle would automatically assume that it was her father's will.

At least, it was not a bad thing for her father.

‘I see. I would like to greet you again after the banquet.’

Reine smiled, pretending not to understand.

What Drayle drew from his father's intentions was that Reine was a tribute to Drayle.

Once he took the bait, all that was left to do was to win him over.

Reine did not doubt her own talent.

If it was a matter of whether this was desirable or not, it would be the latter, but the reward would be more than great.

It was worth more than that much.

'Yes, if Duke Gasre says so, my father will surely be pleased.'

As soon as Reine spoke, a voice came from her attendant, 'Princess.'

There was nothing more to discuss here.

‘Well then’, she greeted the two of them, 'excuse me for now,' and was led by the attendant.

His son Albel was entranced by Reine until the very end.

Both father and son seemed to be stupid, which was very convenient.

‘What's the matter, Venure?’

‘...No, sorry, I was just thinking about something.’

The older attendant, Venure, looked at Reine with worried eyes.

The servant who had been closer to her than anyone else now did not doubt Reine's ‘innocence’.

He probably thought of her as a pitiful princess, and smiled as if he didn't notice.

That evening, Drayle came to Reine's room to discuss something in private.

He explained the situation of the royal family in detail, explained the precarious position Reine was in, and stated his request, saying that he had received permission from her father.

When she nodded, pretending to be scared, Drayle pinned her down like a beast.

――On the surface, she was Alber Gasre's fiancée.

In reality, she was Drayle Gasre's lover.

She put on a brave face in front of the servants, but at the same time, she seemed to harbor deep feelings for Alber.

She had been giving her father medicine to weaken him for a while, but now he was no longer of any use.

The medicine was adjusted and he was bedridden with an unknown illness.

Perhaps as his body weakened his mind weakened as well, but her father, who had always been so domineering, called on Reine every day, regretting and apologizing for what he had done to her.

In those moments, she wore the face of a loving daughter.

Whispering that it was unavoidable and that she loved him, then he would show a relieved smile.

It was easy to manipulate him into making her the successor.

Drayle was also a sex maniac, but at heart he was cautious and cowardly.

When she whispered to him in bed, his feelings immediately gravitated towards stability rather than usurping the throne.

Drayle was satisfied with Reine's body, and although he had a slight sadistic fetish, by that time Reine had become accustomed to the act and had no trouble acting submissive.

After showing Drayle through words and actions that she could not resist him, Drayle, like his father, allowed Reine to become queen without much thought.

Even if he gave her real power, there was nothing she could do. He was under the illusion that she would do as he said, and Reine pretended to be his puppet.

Without realizing that he was being led by Reine, he poured the Gasre family's vast assets into the royal family in order to restore the rusted throne that he thought was his own.

At that time, he probably already thought of himself as king.

Both father and son were fools.

She manipulated Drayle into believing that Reine was his woman, and she manipulated Albel into believing that Reine was a poor wife being toyed with by Drayle.

She played the role of a tragic princess of a fallen royal family, shed tears as she apologized for her infidelity and said that he was the only one she loved. Albel easily believed her and whispered words of love to her, saying that he would do anything to save Rayne.

All that was stuffed in their heads were fantasy heroic tales――neither father nor son had brains.

Inwardly, it was so funny and unbearable.

Drayle poured large sums of money into the royal family, and Albel also enriched the royal family secretly so that Drayle wouldn't find out.

When Reine had gained enough power, she assassinated Drayle, and after absorbing the Gasre family, she also disposed of Albel, who was no longer of any use.

As expected by this time, some people were beginning to doubt Rayne, but the preparations were over.

No one could defeat Rayne, who had obtained the title of queen and the power that came with it.

There were plenty of opponents who would wag their tails just to sleep with her, and there was no lord who could defeat the army that Reine commanded.

She had crushed the rebellion by force, consolidated power in her own hands, and the royal family was solid.

Nothing in this world could threaten Reine anymore.

――It was then that she suddenly realized.

What on earth did she want in this world?

What did she want, living in this world?

"Mother, I've finished with these documents."

"Is that so? Great hob, Reine."

Sitting in a chair in her office, she smiled as Reine sat on her lap and clung to her, flipping through the documents she had brought with her.

She was not wrong. Reine didn’t doubt her daughter's excellence, just like herself.

It was simply a matter of memorizing.

When she was done looking, she picked her daughter up, hugged her, and stroked her back.

Something that shone. Light.

Her daughter, whom she named ‘Reine’ like herself, was just as intelligent as Reine, and in some ways even seems to be superior to her.

However, in some ways she was a disappointment.

Even though she was already fourteen, she was inflexible and her thinking was still childish.

It sounds nice to say she was pure, but she's a bit ‘stupid’.

Reine wondered if it was the same kind of feeling as a person keeping a pet.

It was probably something similar, but at least she found her clingy behavior cute, and holding her like this made her feel calm.

In some ways her daughter was inferior to Reine, but she didn't hate those flaws, she loved them.

It might take some time for her daughter to understand her.

Perhaps it was because, unlike Reine, she grew up in a safe environment.

But that didn’t mean she tried to force anything on her daughter.

It's strange, Reine thought.

Reine hates other people's incompetence more than anyone, yet that part of her daughter didn’t make her feel uncomfortable.

Her only good point was her intelligence, she had no wisdom, she was foolish and childish.

She clung to her mother, and showed her affection defenselessly.

Swept away by her desires in the moment, she was short-sighted, innocent and careless, but when she spent time with her daughter, she didn't think about anything else and was able to just admire her daughter for being like that.

It was as if a light had suddenly shone on the gloomy, dark emotions swirling in her head.

There was a knock and permission to enter the room.

It was the veteran head servant, Venure, who appeared.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty."

Venure, who was now an old woman, looked at her daughter with some concern.

Raine felt a little uncomfortable, but stroked her daughter and told her that her work was done.

"Okay, then, I'll go to Fili's."

"...,Yes."

Fili Nelas. From a branch of the Gasre house.

Her mother died of illness, her father died in the civil war, and she had no siblings.

She was beautiful and was meant to be a reward to a nobleman, but at Venure's request, who said that her talent was a waste, she was made to work as a servant, and it had been twenty years since then.

She would do a little research into the origins of her servants, but as long as they were white, she would let Venure do as he pleased, and anyone was fine as long as they were trustworthy.

As Venure had made a special request for her, she did a good job.

Venure trusted her deeply, and she was practically the second-top among servants.

When she was thinking about who to appoint as her daughter's attendant, that was the reason she decided on her, and she thought she was quite good, but now she regrets it.

A scheming woman she disliked.

She had separated her from her daughter, deeming her a bad influence, but her daughter still favored her.

She had taught her daughter nothing but trivial things.

‘Please don't tell her anything unnecessary. ...I will change her attendant from tomorrow. Be grateful that you won't be kicked out of the palace.’

‘...Thank you for your kindness. I will do as Her Majesty the Queen commands.’

Most of all, she didn't like her eyes.

She bowed her head and looked at Reine with pitying eyes.

‘What is that look in your eyes?’

‘...No.’

‘Tell me. Before I change my mind and no longer want to see your face.’

She didn't seem afraid of those words, but just looked troubled.

Her reaction made it seem like she didn't understand who she was in front of.

‘Then... Please forgive me for asking a question. What does Her Majesty want for Elsreine?'

‘What...?’

‘Elsreine is intelligent, but also dangerously pure. She is interested in many things every day, and istroubled by many things. If what I thought was good and what I answered didn't go along with Her Majesty's will, then of course it's my fault.’

She didn't even know her own position.

She was facing someone who could cut off her head with a single word.

'But if that's the case, then what does Her Majesty think... I would like you to tell me. I, Fili, swear on my name that I wish for Reine-sama's happiness, and am prepared to risk my life for it... It would be extremely insolent for a servant to question Your Majesty will. However, if it will lead to Lady Reine's happiness, I will certainly be of service to her and demonstrate my loyalty.'

What expression was on her face as she bowed deeply?

'My orders to you are not to insinuate anything unnecessary. ...Go.'

What a cunning woman. What an unpleasant woman.

She simply didn't like her. Even the servants who should have been afraid of her started treating her like a normal child.

They treated her casually, as if she were one of their ‘comrades’.

Her daughter also seemed to have that illusion.

It must be that woman's instigation.

Her daughter wasn’t clever enough to build relationships strategically.

The one pulling the strings behind the scenes was that woman.

It would have been more endearing if her goal in manipulating the princess was to gain power.

But it wasn’t, which made it all the worse.

“...What is it, Venure?”

Stopping her thoughts, she spoke.

Thinking about that woman only increased her irritation.

"...Ha. Sail-sama wanted to meet with Her Majesty the Queen."

“For what reason?”

“He wishes to speak directly with Your Majesty.”

“Didn’t I say I’m not interested? I'm not interested. Just find out what you want. Tell her I'll grant her some of her wishes."

"...Your Majesty."

Sail was the nominal first prince.

He was a son, but it would be more accurate to say he was the first failure.

Apart from special occasions, she never met her sons or daughters, she never went to see them, and they lived far away from her.

She literally had no interest in them, and although he let them live the life of a prince and princess, they were troublesome.

She had thought long ago about making them start a rebellion and getting rid of them, and even gave them a fair amount of territory, but they didn't take action.

"...Could you please give a little more of the love you have to Seyle and the others like you do for Elsreine? Venure feels so sorry for them. Sail and the others love Your Majesty――"

Reine shook her shoulders in amusement and looked at Venure.

"It's the same reason baby birds cry. They're just trying to please me, so that I'll feed them more. I've given them plenty of food, and plenty of shelter. If I give them more than that just because they cry, they'll just get more arrogant."

Venure shook her white, golden hair and lowered her face.

"They don't have abilities like Reine, and they're just creatures that seek food. And I’m giving them charity, so I think I’m loving them enough... but is that what you call love?"

"...Princess, you're mistaken."

Venure clenched her fist.

Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I've served princess since I was a child.... I know better than anyone how harsh a path the princess has walked, how she has had to kill her heart and give up so much because of it."

"Fufu, you're only under the illusion that you know, Venure. You guys are too convenient."

Reine pointed to her head mockingly, and Venure shook her head.

"At least when she was young, the feelings she had for the former king were not an illusion, but the truth. Knowing the princess at that time, I swore on my name that I would devote my life to her, and I am by her side."

"I was just begging for food, just like them. I was foolish."

"That's not true. It was not foolish at all. What the princess wanted was not something calculating, but the unmistakable love of the former king."

She laughed in exasperation, and Venure asked why she was laughing.

"Did you think that someone like the former king, who only thought about his own self-preservation, would give something just because YourMajest cried? The princess is a smart person, and she would have realized that it was meaningless right away. But she continued because she expected something, didn't she? That the former king would love her."

"Venure"

Reine sighed and glared at Venure.

"That's unpleasant. ... You are my servant, and I am the queen. No matter what you say, I will not do anything more for those children, and my opinion will not change. It was a roundabout way of saying I’m not interested. ... To put it bluntly, I find it unpleasant."

"... unpleasant?"

"Yes. It's a stain on my life that those losers were born from me. ... All I wanted was Reine. ... In a world full of fools like you, she was the only one who could understand me."

Yes, that child was the only one who would understand me.

My Reine, the one I love more than anyone else.

The only treasure in the world.

As long as she had that, everything else didn't matter.

"You should leave before you make me feel any more uncomfortable. ... If you plan on saying the same nonsense again, you know that you no longer have a place here."

After saying that, she looked down at the documents again.

There were still many tasks left to be completed.

There were sparks of conflict all over the place, including within the palace.

Before the upcoming invasion of the eastern continent, she wanted to set things ablaze once and wipe out any unsettling elements.

To that end, she deliberately squeezed the people and burned several villages that had failed to pay their taxes as a warning to them.

No matter how much she made the people suffer, Reine was the king, and all her subjects were asked to do was either follow her orders or not.

This would also eliminate many of the fools who would oppose her with such pointless arguments as justice or righteousness.

That was what Sail was talking about.

It was probably because the other princes would undoubtedly be at the core of a rebellion.

Perhaps because there was no chance of succession to the throne and they were not competing for the throne, the princes got along well, and it was clear to her that Sail was working to prevent a rebellion from starting.

He didn't realize that this would not solve the problem, it was hilarious.

All Reine wanted was a justification to kill the troublesome princes――if they didn't start a rebellion it would only drag on.

In fact, this would only prolong the problem, which was extremely troublesome.

"Venure, you're distracting me... I don't like having to listen to stupid stories."

"Yes..."

Venure, realizing that Reine had no intention of talking any more, left the room after a while.

She didn't even look in her direction anymore.