The Desire Bubble and a Queen’s Unforeseen Magic

Ophelia had always whiled away the hours by reading.

Deep in her book, a sudden knock at the door made her turn her head to find Hizeta standing cautiously at the doorway, peering in.

In her hands, she held a steaming cup of tea.

“Your Majesty, thank you for your care these past days. I’ve specially brewed this tea for you; you’ve worked hard, please enjoy it.”

‘Oh? Tea for me?’

‘It felt like a mother watching her child grow up! Such pride!’

Ophelia took the cup and drank.

‘A little bitter, the rich aroma hadn’t quite bloomed. She still needed more practice, it seemed…’

[What have you done!?] The system’s voice suddenly boomed in her ear.

‘Oh, come on. I just drank some tea. What’s the big deal?’

[I just detected that you ingested an avatar of an evil god. The name of this evil god is Desire Bubble.]

‘Desire Bubble? Isn’t that the god Mr. Fanatic worships?’

Desire Bubble, a colossal pink bubble, believed reproduction to be the ultimate beauty. She reveled in observing human reproductive acts, frequently producing avatars to bestow upon her devotees. These smaller avatars could be imbued with various effects, including [Hypnosis] and [Aphrodisiac].

[I helped you block the hypnotic effect contained within the Desire Bubble avatar, but I cannot expel this avatar. It now resides within your body. Be cautious in all matters.]

‘This is bad! Of all those entangled with Desire Bubble, only the male protagonist ever escaped unscathed! The rest of the girls turned into plush dolls, and the boys into bulldozers…’

‘Why would Hizeta put a Desire Bubble avatar in my tea? Where did she even get one? Could she already be a devotee of the evil god? Has she fallen already!’

‘But the evil god’s new followers in the kingdom are usually commoners; they can’t get into the palace!’

“System! Can you simulate a hypnotized state?”

While there was nothing to be done now, Ophelia at least wanted to understand Hizeta’s true motive for attempting to hypnotize her.

[Yes.]

Ophelia relaxed her body.

Outwardly, she now appeared to be in a hypnotic trance.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Ophelia feigned unresponsiveness.

“Your Majesty… please raise your hands…”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ophelia raised her hands.

Hizeta’s expression seemed fraught with hesitation; Ophelia observed her swallowing hard. ‘The book clearly stated that Hizeta preferred men, so her feelings for me couldn’t be like Marta’s,’ she mused.

‘Then why was she trying to hypnotize me?’

The room fell silent. Ophelia continued to hold her hands aloft, a task made increasingly arduous by the already heavy burden on her shoulders in this life. Hizeta, meanwhile, stood flushed and indecisive, her eyes full of conflict, leaving Ophelia in an awkward, suspended state.

“Put… put your hands down…”

‘Hmph, at least you have some conscience.’

For a moment, Hizeta seemed utterly at a loss.

The unnerving smoothness of her plan, devoid of any resistance, rendered her helpless. As she gazed at the Queen, whose eyes held no spark of recognition, Hizeta wavered.

‘What should I do? What should I say?’

‘Right, the parchment said to use gentle suggestions.’

“Your Majesty, a Queen should be with a Princess.” She began to repeat this phrase.

Ophelia maintained her poised posture, waiting patiently for what felt like an eternity, only to receive the suggestion, “A Queen should be with a Princess.”

‘Huh?’

‘Are you suggesting I should be with Vina?’

‘What a strange notion…? Vina and I are both girls, and I am the Queen while she is the Princess. How would us being together benefit Hizeta?’

‘Though Vina did kiss me, her dependence on me has only ever been ordinary, hasn’t it?’

[Host, please cease such thoughts about being with anyone. The Desire Bubble avatar thrives on affection and desire, gradually growing within your body.]

These words sent a shiver down Ophelia’s spine, and that tremor, in turn, startled Hizeta, who blurted out in a panic, “Your Majesty, are you awake!?”

Ophelia quickly resumed her feigned hypnotic state.

After a flurry of fumbling, Hizeta observed Ophelia still seated elegantly in her chair, her eyes vacant, appearing like a plaything at anyone’s mercy.

She cautiously probed.

She extended a fingertip to touch Ophelia’s cheek.

A tentative poke.

Ophelia remained utterly still.

‘She hasn’t woken up yet! You startled me. The parchment warned against overly strong suggestions, lest the hypnotized individual snap out of the trance due to stress.’

‘Did my words just now cross a line?’

‘Does the Queen disapprove of a Queen and Princess? Could it be… only a knight would do?’

Her gaze flickered with uncertainty.

Ophelia felt two cool pokes on her cheek.

‘Such cold fingers, despite the warmth of today’s sun.’

Then, Hizeta ceased her movements.

‘Did she realize I wasn’t actually hypnotized?’

[Impossible. My disguise is flawless. Most likely, she was merely startled in that moment and is now hesitating.]

Suddenly, Hizeta leaned closer.

The scent of her perfume drifted over.

Indeed, girls carried pleasant scents. Vina had a milky fragrance, Marta exuded a floral aroma, and Emily possessed a subtle, refined scent that Ophelia couldn’t quite place. Hizeta, however, wore a perfume popular among older noblewomen in the palace: elegant, almost imperceptible, and wonderfully soothing to the senses.

Hizeta had previously used a rather pungent perfume, but after Ophelia once remarked on its sharpness, she had switched to this milder one.

She drew nearer, radiating warmth and fragrance, before collapsing into Ophelia’s embrace.

“Your Majesty, please, at least look at me… Could you, perhaps, look at Hizeta a little more?”

“I was foolish before, but now I’m trying so hard to be sensible! Why is Your Majesty so different with me compared to Vina, Emily, or even Marta…?”

‘Oh, dear.’

‘Damn it, I truly have been a little biased. I only showed Hizeta humanitarian concern, never really giving her much attention.’

Though Hizeta had a ‘nurturing value’ (TL Note: A game-like metric referring to a character’s potential for growth or development, often tied to player investment.) attached to her, Ophelia sometimes undeniably relegated Hizeta’s importance in her heart.

‘After all, she wasn’t a protagonist; she used to be a villainess.’

A pang of self-reproach struck Ophelia. This was indeed her failing. Having brought Hizeta to her side, she ought to have granted her the same treatment as the protagonists.

‘I’ll find an opportunity to apologize later and make amends…’

Hizeta then buried her face in Ophelia’s embrace, murmuring pitifully, “Look at me, Your Majesty,” over and over, her voice so wretched that Ophelia felt a sudden urge to slap herself.

Eventually, Hizeta, appearing to have composed herself, departed, casting lingering glances back, as if regretting something. She hesitated several times, seemingly torn, on the verge of returning.

Yet, in the end, she left.

Ophelia let out a relieved sigh.

Suddenly, the system’s voice echoed in her mind.

[Host, you have unlocked a magical ability.]

‘I’ve unlocked magic? Does that mean I can use magic now!? Excellent! I certainly don’t want to remain a mere ornamental figure!’ (TL Note: A direct translation of ‘flower vase,’ an idiom referring to someone who is merely pretty and serves no practical purpose.)

[However, please examine your magical ability closely.]

Ophelia opened her palm.

Magic surged forth.

The magic she wielded manifested as pink bubbles.

****

Within his private chambers, Eli seethed with rage.

He had lost everything. Luca had fled, Vina had declared her intention to challenge for the throne, and the nobles, upon hearing the news, were now harboring their own disparate ambitions.

‘I must find a way, a way! The throne *must* be mine!’

‘It’s all Ophelia’s fault! Damn her, couldn’t she just docilely remain my captive!’

He paced back and forth, when suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.

‘Magic is a symbol of nobility.’

‘I’ve got it! I’ll publicly and thoroughly humiliate Ophelia’s magical abilities before everyone! After all, she knows nothing of magic! As long as I can undermine her authority as Queen Regent, I’ll have my chance!’

‘I’m a genius!’