A Queen’s Gambit: Power Plays and New Alliances

Ophelia felt a sudden pang of regret the moment she stepped forward, having acted on a surge of momentary passion without any clear plan for what came next.

Now, with all eyes fixed upon her, her palms instantly grew slick with sweat, and the mounting tension churned her stomach with a wave of nausea.

‘Right, when in doubt, just slander someone else!’

With this thought, Ophelia turned her gaze directly to Eli, biting the bullet as she began to reprimand him.

“Enough! Eli! Stop fooling around!”

She witnessed a flicker of contempt and brazenness cross Eli’s face for a few fleeting seconds, an expression that seemed to scream, ‘Who the hell are you?’ Yet, Eli was clearly not foolish enough to openly defy royal etiquette by reprimanding the Queen, so he swallowed his retort.

“Fooling around? I am not fooling around, Your Majesty.”

An expression of annoyance and simmering frustration etched upon his features, Eli offered a reluctant bow.

“I am a man destined to be king, and this Emily is utterly unsuitable to be my queen. After all, she is not like you, Your Majesty—weak and obedient.”

Eli gave a sinister laugh.

The way Eli’s gaze lingered on Ophelia made her skin crawl, a cold, probing touch that seemed to slither across her body, raising goosebumps and leaving her feeling utterly violated.

“I suggest you don’t anger me now, Your Majesty, after all, once I ascend the throne, you will still be my possession.”

Eli actually licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with the possessive glint of someone surveying their own property.

Ophelia felt bile rise in her throat. ‘This creature is actually lusting after me? Fine, Eli, I’d rather see Hizeta on the throne than you!’

“Disrespectful,” Marta’s cold voice cut through the air from behind them. “By what right do you speak to the Queen in such a manner? If this is the kind of person you are, I suggest the esteemed ministers and councilors re-evaluate your qualifications for the throne.”

‘Good job, Marta! My social anxiety mouthpiece!’

Eli glared back, and then Ophelia heard a clear, ringing clang of steel. Without a moment’s thought, she knew Marta had drawn her sword behind her, instantly escalating the tension to a palpable, knife-edge standoff.

Eli and Marta were confronting each other.

However, the eyes of many nobles were focused on Ophelia.

These gazes carried a heavy weight, making Ophelia almost want to retreat. She fought the urge to offer a sheepish, ‘Hahahahaha, I guess I’ll just leave you to it,’ carefully weighing her words before addressing Eli.

Eli clearly had no desire to marry Emily, and Ophelia certainly didn’t want him to change his mind. Her sole aim was to make the surrounding nobles believe Eli was at fault, thereby allowing her to take Emily away.

“Emily was the fiancée assigned to you by the late King,” Ophelia stated, “and you simply declare you don’t want her anymore?”

“So what?” Eli lifted his head high.

“Emily merely sought to guide you,” Ophelia pressed, “she has done nothing out of line. In fact, as a prince’s fiancée, she is quite exceptional. Even so, you wish to break off the engagement simply because she tried to curb your frivolous pursuits?”

Ophelia asked, subtly digging a pit with her carefully chosen words.

“So what? She wouldn’t let me play with other girls, that’s just jealousy! A jealous woman is not suitable to be my wife!”

‘Heh heh, he fell for it~’

The expressions in the eyes of the surrounding nobles had shifted to one of thoughtful consideration, replacing the former mockery directed at Emily and the scrutiny aimed at Ophelia. Being adults, they could discern right from wrong at a glance, and Ophelia felt there was no need for her to elaborate further.

‘What if saying more only convinced Eli to change his mind? Besides, Ophelia didn’t want to speak further; there were too many people here, and she felt a tremor of fear.’

“Since that’s the case,” Ophelia began, feigning a demeanor that suggested she could say no more, “Emily, with nowhere left to go, why not come and follow this Queen?” She turned to Emily, her gaze inquiring.

Emily had been standing there blankly.

Her eyes, which had lost all their vibrancy, now seemed to reflect Ophelia’s presence, imbued with a new hue. She parted her lips slightly, the facade of the perfect noblewoman’s composure teetering on the brink of collapse.

“I…”

“Can I truly… According to etiquette, it seems… a girl whose engagement is canceled can only…”

“What are you talking about!”

Ophelia took one of Emily’s hands.

It felt cold, somewhat bony, yet her skin was remarkably smooth and pleasant to the touch.

‘Am I getting increasingly proficient at holding a girl’s hand?’ Ophelia inwardly exclaimed. ‘I’m a girl! Even though my soul is male, my body is female, so this doesn’t count as molesting!’ As these thoughts raced through her mind, she consciously softened her voice and gaze.

“I simply couldn’t bear to see someone as talented as Emily married off to a foreign land or left to languish. That would be an absolute tragedy!”

“Speaking of which, I’ve been absolutely swamped with reviewing the ministers’ documents these past few days, feeling utterly overwhelmed. I desperately need a helper. Emily, would you be able to assist me?”

Emily gazed at Ophelia with an expression that seemed on the verge of tears, a sight that sent a sharp pang through Ophelia’s heart.

‘In my own world,’ Ophelia mused, ‘a perfect noblewoman, a wealthy heiress like her, would be lauded and pampered wherever she went. How could she possibly wear such an expression?’

“I… if even a sinner like me can…”

Ophelia pulled Emily into a tight embrace.

“Good child, of course you can~”

She felt Emily stiffen in her embrace, then a sudden warmth spread across her chest as Emily buried her face there, beginning to quietly sob, her tears dampening Ophelia’s clothes.

‘Marta’s gaze was murderous. I’ll just pretend not to see it for now.’

‘The next step,’ Ophelia thought, ‘is to approach Emily’s family once more, declaring to those old fogeys, “Give your daughter to me!” Then Emily will officially become my woman—ah, no, my assistant—and I can beautifully nurture her.’

‘Look, Emily already has 15 nurture points,’ she mused. ‘These points are so easy to earn; I’ll be able to go back soon!’

Ophelia, still embracing Emily, secretly inhaled the scent of her hair while gently patting her back in comfort, when suddenly, a cluster of nobles swarmed around them, startling her.

These were the nobles whose beards and hair had long since turned white, their faces etched with an air of righteousness that immediately conveyed their deep concern for the nation and its people.

“Your Majesty! You said the documents we submitted earlier were reviewed by you? Is that true?”

Ophelia nodded.

“Of course it was me, otherwise, who else do you think it could be?”

These individuals exchanged glances, then, without a single word, astonishingly knelt before her, a sight that instantly stunned Ophelia, rendering her utterly flustered and at a loss.

****

Meanwhile.

Eli glared hatefully at Ophelia, his mind already plotting how he would ravage this woman once he claimed the throne, envisioning her face tear-streaked and flushed, desiring to smear his filth across her features (TL Note: The original Chinese ‘蛇满’ (shé mǎn) literally means ‘full of snakes,’ but in this context, combined with ‘ravage’ and ‘blushing and crying,’ it strongly implies a vulgar sexual fantasy, possibly a typo for ‘射满’ (shè mǎn), meaning to ejaculate. The translation aims to convey the intended vulgarity.). Just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.

“Prince Eli, hello.”

This startled Eli, who was immersed in his fantasies.

He glanced over, recognizing his Uncle Luca, a man he had always disdained. Just as he prepared to unleash a mocking retort to vent his frustration, he watched Luca execute a respectful bow.

“Do you still desire the throne?”

“Please pay attention, Prince Eli,” Luca continued, “the Queen has now secured Marta’s unwavering loyalty—the sharpest sword within the palace walls. She reviews documents, has taken in Emily, and will undoubtedly gain the allegiance of a host of those old traditionalists.”

“And don’t forget, Emily’s family has a large number of councilors and several ministers behind them.”

“The Queen already possesses real power.”

Eli, though undeniably a dissolute playboy, was not entirely foolish. He frowned, a crease appearing between his brows.

Luca smiled, a sinister curve of his lips as he remained cloaked in the shadows.

“The Queen has already become a threat to your claim to the throne,” Luca purred. “You require a more effective pawn to rein her in. Tell me, how do I strike you?”