Conflicted Hearts: The Queen, the Knight, and the Princess

“I’m sorry, but I can’t say which country it is just yet.”

“But I have a strange feeling for my queen. Everyone misunderstood me, used me, but she helped me. I found her so gentle, so very gentle, and I became dependent on her.”

“I don’t know what this feeling is, just that I want to be with her, always. Seeing her smile makes me happy, and seeing her sad makes me feel lost. My emotions follow hers, and my world revolves around her.”

“Then, one day, I saw her kissing her knight! Her knight was even licking her!”

“My mind went blank. I wanted to cry and get angry, but I didn’t know why. She treats me like a daughter, but I don’t want to be just her daughter.”

“Yet, she was kissed by a knight, and all I can do is secretly smell her hair and feel the small thrill in my heart, cherishing it as happiness. I don’t know what to do! My heart is so conflicted!”

Fruit Candy Lady spoke all this in one breath.

Ophelia furrowed her brow; this was serious! The queen and the knight were having an affair, and the princess was watching from the sidelines!”

“There’s no doubt about it, you’re in love with your queen!” The novel-writing otaku girl chimed in, excitedly joining the discussion, unlike the calm observer she’s supposed to be in the books.

“I… I think so too.” Fruit Candy Miss spoke hesitantly.

“But the issue now is that the queen and the knight are having an affair, and you’re just watching, right?” Luca spoke calmly. “Fruit Candy Miss, I have a question: Are you content with things as they are, or do you want to take things further with your queen?”

“I…” Fruit Candy Miss was stunned.

For a moment, silence fell over the starry sky.

“Think about it, when you saw the knight and the queen, you felt angry and sad. Did you ever have any dark thoughts? Like wanting to possess the queen, or harm the knight?” The zealot spoke up.

Wait? Isn’t the zealot supposed to be quiet and reserved?

“I… I had some thoughts.” Fruit Candy hesitated before saying.

“My suggestion is to kill the queen and the knight, then preserve the queen as a specimen, so she never loses her beauty, and you can be with her forever.” The zealot spoke calmly.

What hidden yandere tendencies?

“Ah… Isn’t that a bit too much?” Fruit Candy was a bit startled.

“I think you should endure it. After enduring, see when you can overthrow that knight. For example, gather evidence of the queen and knight’s affair, then use that evidence to say the knight ** the queen, and get the knight expelled. Then you can comfort the sad queen. How about that?”

This suggestion came from Luca.

Oh! That’s a good idea! The male lead is quite clever!

“Or, Miss, you could inform your country, and I can lead the pirates to attack. Then you can use public opinion to pressure the knight into surrendering, and I can collaborate with the jester to kill the knight.” The sailor added.

Wow, two master manipulators.

Your methods haven’t strayed from your characters at all! You’re so sneaky!

“But… she’ll be sad…” Fruit Candy seemed a bit indecisive.

“She’ll be sad, and that’s when you can take advantage and win her heart.” Luca gently persuaded.

“This world is a place of great competition, Fruit Candy Miss. You have to fight to gain your happiness.” The sailor pressed on.

“I have… some special potions, similar to hypnotism, that can subtly influence your queen. You can use these potions along with your presence to make her unable to leave you when she’s sad.” The zealot added.

“That’s a great idea! Besides, the zealot, sailor, and jester have always been reliable! I think both of these methods are good! Possess your queen! Possess your queen!” The novelist, enjoying the spectacle, couldn’t care less.

What a solid four-person alliance, truly unbreakable.

Fruit Candy, or rather, Hizeta, was stunned.

These methods… are they really good?

Setting aside the idea of preserving her as a specimen, the other two methods seem easy to implement and are almost justified. The queen and Marta won’t stand a chance against them.

My past self would have chosen these methods without hesitation.

But now…

I can still remember that afternoon with the queen.

Her beauty was heartbreaking, as she gently kissed a rose.

In that moment, I understood her kindness and purity, like a white bird soaring over the ocean.

Does the bird mourn? Not stained by the blue sea or the blue sky. Such a beautiful queen—

“You’re hesitating.”

A soft laugh.

It came from the swordswoman, the cool sister who doesn’t talk much.

“You’re torn between what you think is good and evil, seeing your queen as a bird you want to set free, right?”

Hizeta, also known as Fruit Candy Miss, jumped in surprise.

“Y-you read my mind?”

“Read minds? Those things don’t exist. I just have similar thoughts and spoke up.”

“Fruit Candy, I think if a bird flies, it might get struck by lightning or knocked down by heavy rain. Even if you promise to always be with the bird, it might not be able to keep that promise.”

“It’s better to keep it in a cage, caring for it and protecting it, and the bird will always be yours, right?”

“Use their methods; I think they’re good.”

Wow! These people are so sneaky! I feel sorry for the queen and the knight; they’re being plotted against by these masterminds!

By the way, which country is Fruit Candy Miss from?

“Then, I’ll use the jester’s method, gather evidence, and pressure the knight to leave the queen. I think the sailor’s method is a bit too harsh…”

The sailor laughed heartily: “It’s okay, Miss. It just shows you have a kind heart!”

The novelist smiled: “I’ve got a new story idea! A yandere princess wanting to imprison the queen. How about that? I think it might be a bestseller!”

“Then I’ll definitely read your masterpiece and recommend it to my brothers. Oh, wait, my brothers can’t read!” The sailor joked.

After that came some irrelevant chatter. Fruit Candy’s situation brought everyone closer, but Ophelia didn’t join in. The zealot, sailor, and Luca were clearly paying attention to her, but they didn’t show it much, and it was only the system that noticed.

Later, Star God introduced a way to hide identities and communicate secretly, and everyone said their goodbyes. This time, the Star Tea Party disbanded, and in the end, Ophelia didn’t make any real progress in bonding with Star God. She was a bit frustrated, planning to prepare better next time, using the information from the book to directly start bonding with Star God.

But she needs to overcome her social anxiety.

Seriously, is it just me, or do I always feel like an outsider lately? Why is that?

Ophelia felt something was off.

There’s a feeling like I’m being isolated by someone.

This feeling is unpleasant, like a long time ago, in a vast world, I was alone…

On the other side, as the star cloud dissipated, Vina appeared in her seat.

“Ha, interesting.” She said softly.

That Fruit Candy is undoubtedly Hizeta. The sailor and Luca’s methods are truly cunning.

But I’m prepared.

Once there was a story about a powerful official who pointed at a deer and called it a horse. Anyone who opposed was killed, and those who agreed prospered. So, my task is simple.

The princess and the queen will inevitably face worldly gossip, so I’ll use some tactics to completely bind Marta to myself. Then, those who demand Marta’s removal will be seen as opposing me, and those who don’t will be supporting me.

Eliminate all dissenting voices, and I can ignore public opinion to be with the king and queen, right?

“Ha.” She chuckled lightly.

The king’s sword gleamed.

“You’re right, sailor. This world is a place of great competition.”

How will future generations remember me? A tyrant? A king who only uses force and is incompetent? A king blinded by beauty, even as a princess pushing the queen to the limit?

I don’t care what future generations say.

Vina closed her eyes.

It was the same bloody scene, with crows circling the battlefield, feeding on their greedy desires. She was laughing, and I couldn’t even cry.

“You know, Vina, the last sense to fade after death is hearing. So, don’t cry, whisper in my ear that you love me.”

Vina sighed and opened her eyes. Her unremarkable eyes reflected the golden light of the king’s sword.

In this life, this sword, this heart, is for one person alone. Even if I betray the world, so be it.