The Puppet Show Begins

Ophelia felt herself floating lightly, adrift in the air, her consciousness hazy and indistinct.

Around her, countless orbs of light seemed to shimmer.

[Oh God, I pray to you. I love a girl, but someone like me could never have her. Could you grant me a way to win her over?]

[Oh God, I want to host an orgy at our school, and I heard you… my apologies. Can you give us a way to get girls? Please bestow your divine blessing upon us.]

[Oh God, she and I are both girls, but I harbor impure thoughts about her. Could you guide me? Or perhaps grant me a hypnotic potion?]

[Oh God, could you give me one of your avatars? Your form is truly beautiful.]

Countless murmurs and ravings echoed in her ears.

‘It’s so noisy, my head aches,’ Ophelia thought, growing somewhat impatient.

‘If I just agree to everything, the noise will disappear, won’t it?’

‘Take it, take it, take it all.’

Pink tentacles moved in response to her will, bestowing countless inexplicable substances upon them.

[Oh God, I will soon be entering the tea party of the God of Stars and Wisdom, who yearns for recovery. Do you have any instructions for me this time?]

‘A tea party?’

‘The God of Stars and Wisdom?’

‘My name is… Ophelia.’

‘Huh? Why am I here?’

[…Master]

[…Host…]

[Host! Wake up! Host! Vina has been by your side for ages! If you don’t wake up soon and something happens, I won’t be able to save you!]

The System shrieked with all its might within Ophelia’s mind.

The surrounding scenery shattered instantly, and Ophelia plummeted rapidly before her eyes snapped open.

“Good morning, Queen,” Vina said, standing beside her with a natural, innocent smile.

“Though I say good morning, it’s almost afternoon now. Were you exhausted yesterday, Queen? The sun’s already high in the sky~”

Vina’s expression remained unchanged, teasing Ophelia as she always had.

Ophelia tried to recall.

‘Yesterday, I was pondering some issues in bed, and I must have drifted off while thinking, then slept straight until noon. Could I have slept for almost fourteen hours?’

‘That’s preposterous. Even a pig couldn’t sleep for fourteen hours, could it? Yet, why do I still feel so weary and drowsy, wanting to sleep even more?’

“Queen, while your drowsy, half-awake state is quite charming, I believe you should rise. After all, the council meeting is this afternoon, and you cannot be absent now.”

Ophelia’s mind was still not entirely clear, so she instinctively asked an additional question.

“Cannot be absent now? Will I be able to be absent later?”

Vina smiled.

She blew a breath into Ophelia’s left ear, causing Ophelia to shiver instantly. Emily also enjoyed blowing into her ear, which usually brought a tingling sensation.

However, Vina’s touch was profoundly different.

It was as if an electric current had suddenly coursed through her body.

It had always been this way; with Vina’s slightest movement, Ophelia would feel her body inexplicably go limp, wanting to yield to her actions, wanting to…

‘…just become her toy.’

‘No! I mustn’t think like that!’

“In the future, once my plans are complete and I hold all the power, the Queen will no longer need to attend those tedious council meetings~”

“At that time, I shall build a new bedchamber for the Queen, filling the room with soft, white feathers and furnishing it with a vast, plush bed.”

“Then, the Queen can remain in that room for an entire lifetime, free from all worries~”

This pronouncement jolted Ophelia’s consciousness fully awake. She sprang from the bed and distanced herself three paces from Vina.

Still clad in her disheveled white nightgown, which revealed her delicate collarbones, she clutched the blanket to herself, shrinking into a corner as she watched Vina.

Vina, in turn, gazed at her with an innocent expression.

Both remained frozen for several seconds.

“Why would you even think such a thing!” Ophelia exclaimed, her face flushing crimson.

The crucial point was that she felt.

‘This method isn’t entirely unfeasible.’

‘Rather, what difference would it make compared to my life before transmigration? There’s no difference; I was always that kind of person, holed up in my room, unwilling to interact with anyone.’

Ophelia grew even more terrified.

The false demon, Emily, merely possessed a mischievous streak but was fundamentally a earnest child.

The true demon, however, was Vina. Every seemingly innocuous word from her could profoundly shock Ophelia, and a moment’s inattention would lead her astray. Even Vina’s most casual movements elicited a violent reaction from Ophelia’s body.

It was as if the person before her understood her body and soul better than she did herself.

“I merely wish to protect the Queen, you see? The Queen is not adept at socializing, and in a grand house, there’s no need to interact with anyone. Within this palace of hidden currents, the Queen might inexplicably perish due to some conspiracy, so it would be best for her to remain in her room.”

“I only want to protect you, Queen.”

Her gaze was sincere.

“Are you truly unwilling? Can you not be like this? I genuinely do not wish to lose you, Queen. Please agree, and stay with me always, won’t you?”

Vina leaned closer.

She pleaded incessantly, as if she had nothing to lose, her voice soft and tender. Ophelia, never one to handle requests well, always found herself unable to refuse.

‘Mmm… mmm-mmm…’

‘I’m almost about to agree, but living like that would turn me into a toy! Ophelia desperately resisted the urge to say yes.’

[Host, you can tell Vina that time is running out and you need to go to the council meeting. If you’re afraid of the request, then postpone it.]

The System spoke within Ophelia’s mind.

‘Wuwu, the world is so cold; only the System offers a little warmth~’

“Uh, Vina, time’s running out! We should hurry to the council meeting!” Ophelia quickly interjected.

Vina pouted.

From this angle, Ophelia suddenly noticed a gemstone around Vina’s neck, dull and lusterless, much like Vina’s eyes.

‘The book didn’t mention Vina wearing a dull gemstone, did it?’

Ophelia wanted to examine the gemstone further, but Vina had already stood up, and the gem was naturally concealed beneath her clothing.

“Since that’s the case, there’s nothing for it. Let’s go, Queen. Emily and the others are already waiting for us there.”

‘Huh?’

‘Emily and Hizeta aside, Marta always waits for me.’

“I told them I had something very important to discuss with the Queen and sent them away. After all, these ladies are all sensible people, aren’t they? They bury their personal affections deep within, wavering between obtaining their beloved and wishing for their beloved’s happiness. That’s why they’re all just over a hundred, or even less than a hundred…”

‘Over a hundred? Less than a hundred? What is she talking about? Affection Value (TL Note: In web novels, ‘yǎngchéng zhí’ refers to a character’s “development value” or “affection value,” often a numerical representation of their relationship progress or loyalty.)? No one else should know about Affection Value besides me, right? But what else could she be referring to?’

“I offered my advice, but alas, the Queen was unwilling to heed it. Ah, what a pity.”

Vina shrugged her shoulders.

Her face displayed a feigned regret, tinged with a hint of suppressed amusement.

Then, she extended her hand to Ophelia.

“Come, Queen, let us attend today’s council meeting.”

“It promises to be another fascinating puppet show.”