A Princess’s Quandary and a Queen’s Peril

Hizeta’s mind was still reeling from the mention of an impending war between the Empire and the Kingdom, her heart churning with a tempest of emotions.

‘It’s over,’ she thought, suddenly realizing her utter ignorance of statecraft and political affairs. ‘If the Empire and Kingdom clash, can we possibly win? What course of action should we take? We’re already surrounded by several hostile nations! How are we to defend ourselves?’

‘Perhaps I should postpone my efforts to separate the Queen and Marta?’

“So, Miss Fruit Candy, what’s the latest on your pursuit of the Queen?”

The Novelist was the first to inquire.

Her thoughts, already in disarray, suddenly converged on an idea: could she perhaps consult these individuals?

‘Though Mr. Clown serves the Empire, he shares such a close bond with Mr. Sailor. Despite their diverse allegiances, surely they can coexist harmoniously amongst themselves?’

‘Could she truly trust them?’

Her gaze swept over the group. The Sailor, Mr. Clown, and the Novelist were clearly focused on her, while Mr. Fanatic’s attention was fixed on the Queen and the God of Stars and Wisdom, who were engaged in conversation. Miss Swordsman, meanwhile, appeared lost in contemplation.

Clearing her throat, she began.

Mr. Fanatic’s attention snapped towards her instantly.

“Well, I, uh, obtained Mr. Fanatic’s potion, and upon trying it, I discovered its effects were remarkably potent. I merely wished for the Queen to cast more glances my way, and indeed, she did!”

“However, I haven’t managed to collect any decisive evidence, and… well, the nation is currently confronting a rather dire situation. I’m… I’m truly unsure if this is the right course of action…”

“A dire situation?”

Luca voiced his query, recalling Miss Fruit Candy’s intense reaction moments earlier.

‘The Kingdom?’

‘It couldn’t be Vina… could it be Hizeta?’

‘Miss Fruit Candy is Hizeta?’

“Miss, is your nation on the brink of war?” Luca probed cautiously.

“Yes, precisely! War is upon us!” Hizeta confirmed with a nod.

Luca felt reasonably certain it was the Kingdom she spoke of.

Luca found himself somewhat dumbfounded.

‘So, after my departure from the Kingdom, a series of events unfolded that I’m unaware of. In essence, Hizeta fell for Ophelia, and Ophelia is having an affair with Marta? Is that the gist of it?’

‘Preposterous. He was utterly flustered by the revelation of same-s*x romance.’

‘It appears my decision to leave the Kingdom was indeed the most prudent one.’

“I actually believe it’s quite feasible,” Luca stated. “Consider this: with war looming, you can seize this period of military preparation to expose the affair, thereby dispatching that knight to the battlefield.”

“Even if the knight distinguishes herself with illustrious military achievements, it will merely serve as atonement. Should she fail to gain any merits, she’d lack the audacity to ever return to the Queen’s side. The overall plan remains sound, Miss Fruit Candy; you may proceed with its execution.”

Luca concluded. ‘So, Miss Fruit Candy is the Kingdom’s Princess, then?’ the Sailor mused. ‘Wow, I’d heard the Kingdom’s Queen was an absolute beauty, but a lesbian? Who would’ve thought?’

‘It’s no concern of mine, anyway; I’ll simply enjoy the show,’ he chuckled internally. ‘Life at sea is far too dull; one needs a bit of amusement.’

“But… but if I expose this matter at such a crucial juncture, might it not destabilize the larger picture?”

‘What a remarkably kind princess.’

‘Hizeta, so unexpectedly thoughtful? Love truly does transform individuals, though she remains rather naive. I can certainly exploit her further for profit,’ Luca mused, a sly smile playing on his lips.

‘The Princess is so kind; it would be a shame not to take advantage of her generosity in the future. Indeed, it would almost feel impolite not to,’ the Sailor echoed Luca’s sentiments.

“How could that possibly be, Princess? Consider this: military preparations inherently involve finalizing various crucial matters. By revealing this now, you can actually provide a distinct advantage to your nation.”

“It perfectly facilitates sending the knight to the front lines, doesn’t it? Your nation’s esteemed nobles won’t even need to deliberate on how to address this issue; you’ll have presented them with a direct solution.”

The Sailor remarked, his smile widening.

“Furthermore, the war cannot possibly endure for long, for you are well aware of the existence of the Sages. Is it not precisely because of them that the three great human nations have persisted throughout history? Whenever conflict erupts between human realms, the Sages invariably intervene to mediate. Otherwise, the Empire would have long since launched assaults on the other two nations, wouldn’t it?” Mr. Fanatic elaborated.

Hizeta nodded in agreement.

She secretly firmed her resolve: immediately following this, Marta would be eliminated!

She simply needed to unearth irrefutable proof of Marta’s affair with the Queen before the military council convened!

‘But could she truly find such evidence? Before the military preparations, the most damning proof of the Queen and Marta’s affair would be kissing, and… and that, wouldn’t it?’

‘Could she truly endure witnessing the Queen and Marta in such an intimate act, merely snapping surreptitious photos from the sidelines without uttering a sound?’

‘Nevertheless, no matter the cost, she absolutely had to remove Marta, this formidable obstacle!’

“You’ve thoroughly made up your mind, haven’t you?” The Novelist, who had been keenly observing the exchange, spoke with a faint smile.

“Do remember to inform us of the outcome at our next gathering, won’t you?”

Vina remained silent throughout the entire discussion.

A tempest of emotions raged within her own heart.

Time and again, countless times, she had faced the Empress, yet never once had she emerged victorious.

Though she had once harbored aspirations of defeating the Empress, that ambition had long since faded. Now, she simply regarded the Empress as an unstoppable force of nature, a calamity beyond human control.

The Empire’s governmental structure was vastly different.

Situated in the frigid north, devoid of fertile farmlands, the Empire subsisted solely through warfare and the relentless plundering of other nations’ resources to sustain itself—a brutal policy of ‘war to feed war.’

It was within such a nation that Empress Antonio had emerged.

A divinely blessed sovereign, she had dedicated her entire life to conquest. Only the enigmatic Sages possessed the power to curb her insatiable thirst for war. Yet, even with their intervention, this Empress had consolidated all state power, channeling the nation’s every resource into military development. With a populace entirely mobilized, she had, astonishingly, transformed the Empire into an unstoppable war machine.

Structurally, the Kingdom stood no chance against the Empire.

What’s more, Luca was currently commanding forces on the opposing side.

For the first time in this lifetime, Vina felt a surge of profound anxiety.

‘The Empress has arrived too soon. Has the altered timeline of this life accelerated her invasion? Hizeta hasn’t even managed to expose her opposition yet, and an evil god still lurks within the royal capital.’

‘Internal strife compounded by external threats.’

She let out a sharp ‘tsk.’

‘Regardless, there must be a solution… Even if it demands half my life, I must protect the Queen at all costs.’

Allowing Hizeta to expose the affair during the military preparations was indeed an excellent strategy. It would serve to eliminate all her opponents and, crucially, unite the Kingdom with a singular purpose.

For if the war were lost, the Queen would surely be claimed by the Empress. It was a well-known predilection of the Empress to conquer beauties from vanquished nations, and Ophelia, with her unparalleled charm, was precisely the kind of woman to captivate her at first glance.

‘And then, in a past life, despite expending every ounce of her being, the Empress had still managed to seize Ophelia…’

‘Therefore, the Empire absolutely could not be allowed to triumph!’

Vina’s brows furrowed deeply. ‘Upon returning, I must immediately initiate military preparations… and dispatch that evil god as swiftly as possible.’

‘After all, for reasons unknown, Ophelia was alarmingly susceptible to becoming a sacrifice for the evil god.’

‘I am like a legless bird, perpetually soaring through life, with but a single moment to alight—that moment being death itself.’

Her gaze fell upon the dull, lusterless gem adorning her neck.

‘Her opportunities for rebirth were dwindling. This time, could she truly forge her path toward her own happy ending?’

Coincidentally, at that very moment, Hizeta had also solidified her resolve.

Meanwhile, Ophelia, having concluded her discussion with the God of Stars and Wisdom, emerged from the shimmering barrier.

“Have you concluded your discussion? Then we shall disband,” the God of Stars and Wisdom declared.

Before Ophelia could even inquire about Miss Fruit Candy’s predicament, the meeting was adjourned, leaving her with a profound sense of regret.