The Indictment and the Regent’s Rise

The atmosphere was as heavy and still as water.

Ophelia felt an involuntary pressure pressing down on her.

Vina, standing behind her, gently clasped her shoulders, offering a small measure of comfort.

Delores truly lived up to her reputation as a formidable matriarch.

Even in this tense moment, her expression remained composed, and her words were impeccably logical.

“Esteemed lords and ladies, it has been some time since the late King’s passing. While Prince Eli and Princess Hizeta indulge daily in frivolous pursuits, neglecting matters of state, you will find, upon easy investigation, that state affairs have not accumulated, a testament to the Queen’s diligent efforts.”

“It is said that one’s position should reflect their capabilities. Therefore, the Queen should, by right, wield true power.”

A murmur of discussion rippled through the assembly.

Many nobles exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.

“Next, let us consider our Prince Eli and Princess Hizeta.”

“The late King had a beloved younger princess named Vina, the very one standing behind the Queen. After the King’s death, this Princess Vina suffered various humiliations at the hands of Hizeta and Eli, even being relegated to living in the stables.”

“Our Queen, though not Princess Vina’s birth mother, did, in our presence, embrace the princess from those squalid stables as if she were her own child. More remarkably, she shielded the princess from a sword attack with her own body. Surely, you have all heard of this incident?”

The surrounding murmurs grew louder, swelling into a clamor.

Hizeta, who had initially worn an indifferent expression, slowly grew rigid with shock.

She cast a helpless glance at Eli, whose face remained impassive, radiating an unsettling coldness.

He did not return her gaze.

“Therefore, I question Prince Eli’s fitness to rule as King.”

“While we re-evaluate Prince Eli’s qualifications, allowing our esteemed Queen to serve as regent is surely the best course to stabilize the kingdom, is it not? A female emperor (TL Note: Referring to a powerful female ruler, not necessarily an actual empress, who poses a threat to the kingdom.) watches over our northern borders with covetous eyes, and the stability of our nation must take precedence above all else.”

The clamor subsided once more into an uneasy silence.

It was the quiet before a storm.

Every eye, to some degree, was fixed upon Eli.

Eli, however, covered his face and burst into uproarious laughter.

“Hahahahahahahahaha!”

‘What a chuunibyou (TL Note: A Japanese slang term for a teenager who acts like they have secret powers or a hidden past, often used humorously to describe someone with an overly dramatic or self-important demeanor.) youth,’ Ophelia thought, her toes curling with vicarious embarrassment for Eli.

“I am heartbroken…” he suddenly declared.

‘Heartbroken? About what?’

“Esteemed lords and ladies, as you all know, I am the next King. My daily concern is the affairs of the world; how could I possibly be aware that one of my sisters was tormenting another?”

‘…’

‘Well, aren’t you just washing your hands clean of all responsibility?’

“Look, everyone,” he announced, “this is the sword used in the attempt on the Queen’s life.” He produced a slender, distinctly feminine blade and tossed it onto the floor.

Hizeta’s face instantly turned ashen, like death.

“However, I do support Delores’s proposition,” he added with a casual air, much to the surprise of many nobles.

“My failure to notice my sister’s egregious behavior was indeed a dereliction of my duty. Therefore, I shall engage in self-reflection and, for the foreseeable future, will restrain and examine my own conduct, while entrusting the regency to the Queen.”

“As for Hizeta, who stands accused of all this… well, the law of the land recognizes no familial bonds. Let her be judged as the law dictates.”

“Ah, I truly am heartbroken,” he uttered, his face devoid of any genuine emotion.

“Oh, and regarding matters of state, I also have a suitable candidate in mind,” Eli said, clapping his hands together.

Hizeta instantly collapsed to her knees, her face utterly drained of color.

She reached out towards Eli, her mouth agape but unable to form words, yet Eli paid her no mind.

Instead, Luca stepped forward with an air of refined grace.

He bowed elegantly to everyone present.

“This is Luca, the late King’s brother,” Eli announced. “He possesses considerable talent and can perfectly assist the Queen in her duties.”

A sense of relief washed over Ophelia.

‘Finally, Luca has been revealed to everyone, signifying his entrance onto the story’s stage, hasn’t it? This means the narrative has returned to its proper track, albeit a little later than expected.’

‘But why is the protagonist consorting with the early antagonist?’

‘Wait! Could it be…!’

Ophelia turned her gaze to Hizeta.

In that instant, Hizeta’s face had gone utterly deathly pale, her eyes vacant as she knelt there, a truly pitiful sight.

A sudden surge of anger seized Ophelia.

The object of that anger was the very male protagonist she had always adored.

‘I forgave you for trying to assassinate me, and I’m even helping you groom the heroine, but by what right do you conflate right and wrong? Not only are you condoning Eli’s actions against his own kin, but you’re also advising him?’

While reading the book, Ophelia had been able to empathize with Luca, but now, she felt nothing but indignation towards him.

‘To ascend the stage, are you truly so unscrupulous? Even going so far as to aid a mere novice?’

****

“She has fainted.”

A noble cautiously remarked.

Eli stood right beside her, yet he completely ignored her.

His gaze held a hint of disdain as he nudged Hizeta with his foot, treating her as if she were a piece of refuse.

Ophelia was suddenly seized by a fierce anger.

‘The Eli in the book was an imbecile.’

‘Which meant this imbecilic Eli wouldn’t have conceived of pinning the blame on Hizeta.’

‘Only one person could have devised such a scheme.’

‘Luca.’

‘Luca, the male protagonist.’

‘I forgave you for trying to assassinate me, and I’m even helping you groom the heroine, but by what right do you conflate right and wrong? Not only are you condoning Eli’s actions against his own kin, but you’re also advising him?’

While reading the book, Ophelia had been able to empathize with Luca, but now, she felt nothing but indignation towards him.

‘To ascend the stage, are you truly so unscrupulous? Even going so far as to aid a mere novice?’

“Your Majesty, I know that your kind heart must be filled with righteous anger. Please, restrain your fury.”

Vina’s low whisper reached her from behind.

Ophelia paused, startled, as Emily rose from her seat nearby.

“I have no objection to the Queen’s regency, but concerning what Prince Eli has stated…”

“We take the attempt on the Queen’s life quite seriously. Therefore, I present two documents: at the time of the incident, Hizeta had an alibi, but Luca did not. Could you explain this discrepancy?”

Luca lifted his head, his gaze as sharp and predatory as a wolf of the wilderness, yet Emily met his stare with an unwavering, chilling intensity.

“I told you, Ophelia, leave everything to me, to us,” Vina’s voice drifted from behind.

It was like a poison, yet also like a whispered dream.

“Just leave it to me. You only need to be my Queen Consort, to bloom and be beautiful for me…”