The Immortal Queen Cannot Escape the Lies and Obsession of the Demon — Not That She Wants To - Chapter 13

The next morning.

Ariana woke up earlier than when Nala would come to rouse her and prepared a letter. Then, before Nala, who had entered the room, could even greet her, she rapidly fired off instructions.

“Nala, make the change of clothes quick. A light meal will suffice for breakfast. On your way out, please call for Head Butler Anthony. Tell him I need my schedule cleared for this afternoon.”

“Understood. But this afternoon, is there something happening?”

“Yes, a situation has arisen that requires immediate action. After you’ve spoken to Head Butler Anthony, please have this delivered to the knight order.”

She handed over a letter sealed with the royal crest.

Sending a royal letter via the castle knights. Sensing the urgency of the situation, Nala respectfully accepted it.

“The destination is the House of Lyrical. Please also arrange for a guest carriage to be sent.”

“Understood. Then I shall first dispatch a messenger by fast horse. How many knights should be sent?”

“…Two escorts will be sufficient.”

Though it was a summons directly from the queen, making it effectively a forced appearance, the content was an invitation, not an arrest warrant. They were escorts, not captors.

(I might have been a bit too vague.)

Reflecting inwardly, Ariana shifted to a slightly gentler approach.

“Nala, please also prepare to receive our guest.”

By emphasizing how the person was to be treated, she noticed Nala’s eyebrow twitch slightly.

The queen, citing urgency, was summoning a viscount’s house as a guest. Unable to read the intention behind it, Nala paused for a few beats in silence but, adhering to her role as a servant, simply bowed with a “Understood.”

Her unwavering composure and trust were a great source of strength for Ariana.

“And one more thing. Please be careful not to let Valerio hear about this matter.”

“I will take note.”

She tackled the pile of accumulated miscellaneous tasks.

These were apparently not things a monarch would normally handle, but Ariana, still a novice, faced them as necessary experience.

As a result, she noticed that the estimated cost for the stone bridge repairs was written as excessively high.

“Chancellor William, this is…”

“Ah, so Your Majesty has finally reached the stage of noticing. This is something that cannot be mastered overnight, a splendid achievement.”

Having found the mistakes that Chancellor William had previously pointed out on her own, Ariana smiled with a sense of accomplishment and rising gratitude.

“It is not due to my ability, but the result of your guidance. Then, let’s return this proposal once.”

“No, let us approve it for now. If we don’t proceed now, it won’t be ready in time for the rainy season.”

“But if we don’t allow them to correct the mistake, won’t both the proposer and the endorser later be suspected of embezzlement?”

“Indeed. So, to distinguish it, please use this different approval seal. Once things have settled a bit, I shall reveal and explain the ‘Evidence of Suspected Embezzlement’ that I have been keeping.”

According to Chancellor William, this had been quite common since the previous king’s era.

Those who embezzle state funds tend to invite bigger problems and troubles later on.

When slightly unfavorable rumors begin to circulate, he would play the “suspected embezzlement” card he had kept, arresting the person. Simultaneously, a house search would confirm the truth of the rumors.

If, at that point, not only the embezzled funds but also fines could be collected, the national treasury would benefit. If multiple such cards existed, it could be judged as malicious, and even stripping of titles was possible, effectively sealing any schemes they might have been plotting quickly.

This was a move that could be used not only against the proposer but also broadly against endorsers.

If it was truly just a mistake, the funds would be returned later, and the fines would be minor.

She was taught that this was the best way to ensure smooth internal affairs, secure evidence, and manage it until the right time and Ariana trembled.

“Your Majesty. Those who mistakenly believe they can deceive the state will inevitably cause trouble later. They use clever, cunning, and underhanded methods. This is merely one preemptive measure, but one can never have too many countermeasures.”

“Yes…”

Unintentionally, the queenly mask slipped, and she nodded solemnly.

As someone who had been queen for about a year with the help of those around her, the words of her greatly experienced master, who worked harder than his age suggested, carried immense weight.

Softening his aged, wrinkled face, Chancellor William smiled.

“You are kind. But that compassion must not be used to correct mistakes. That is equivalent to providing an escape route for criminals.”

To let them correct their mistake.

For Ariana, what seemed like a natural human action was not the correct action for a monarch.

—A monarch either forgives mistakes or judges them.

They cannot be erased. They must not be erased. Ariana learned this and deeply felt it at the same time.

(An escape route for criminals. It feels like I was scolded preemptively.)

Ariana nodded, but her resolve did not waver.

And so, she keenly felt once again the fact that she lacked the makings of a true monarch.

—On the way back to the office from the storage place of the ‘Evidence of Suspected Embezzlement,’ Nala and Fols were waiting in the hallway.

“Your Majesty, the escort carriage has returned.”

“I’ll head there immediately. What about Valerio?”

“He is hurrying to identify the toxin and is in his room. He hasn’t noticed.”

The investigation into the perpetrator, Grecia’s surroundings, was probably entrusted to others. Just as she had trusted in his research-oriented nature, her preemptive move had succeeded, and Ariana breathed a sigh of relief.

But she couldn’t let her guard down. The real problem started now.

Leaving the cleanup to the chancellors, Ariana took Nala and Fols with her to meet the guest.

“I handled receiving the guest, and I understand why you chose today’s outfit, Lady Ariana.”

“As expected of you, Nala. She is the same as us.”

On Nala’s arm remained the burn scars from when she had shielded Ariana in the past, hidden beneath the sleeve of her uniform.

Ariana also usually only wore high-necked clothes to hide the scar on her neck. Today, she wore a round-neck social dress with a thin silk stole wrapped around to conceal it.

Arriving in front of the reception room, the door opened with a knock. Nala stepped aside by the door, and Ariana and Fols entered.

Inside was one guest sitting on the sofa. She quickly stood up and performed a curtsy.

“P-p-pleased to make your acquaintance! I am Mary of House Lyrical. I am h-honored to be invited here today!”

(I expected it to some extent, but it’s worse than I thought.)

She began introducing herself before the royal could even speak. And she was stiff as a board. She had probably prepared her words in advance. Seeing this older woman, who seemed unsure even in dealing with high-ranking nobles, let alone royalty, stirred complex emotions in Ariana’s chest.

To keep it from showing, she tightened her composure even more with her queenly demeanor.

“…Welcome, Lady Lyrical.”

“I-I apologize for appearing like this. M-my person is one that should not even appear in public, let alone the royal castle, so I b-beg your indulgence!”

Mary was wearing a dark blue dress embroidered with flowers. Looking only at that, it was a plain but acceptable outfit for a castle visit, but she wore a black veil that covered her head and upper body.

Because of this, Ariana couldn’t see her expression, or even what her face looked like. All she could tell from her voice and posture was that she was probably bowing in fear.

“Then, let us move to a place away from prying eyes.”

When Ariana pointed to the door leading further inside, Mary nodded after a brief pause.

Her words were convenient. Ariana had intended from the start to dismiss the guards and enter the inner room with just the two of them. Since Mary hadn’t brought any guards, she could have sent Fols away, but it was probably better to stick to the original plan.

She let Mary enter the inner room first, and as soon as Ariana entered, she closed the door.

“Eh, eh…?”

“Please, have a seat.”

Mary, suddenly alone with her, showed agitation but obeyed Ariana’s words and sat on the sofa. Ariana sat opposite her, removed the stole from her neck, and revealed the scar that remained there.

“…!”

“Lady Lyrical, I have heard from Valerio the reason you cannot remove your veil. With my stole removed, can we not be equals?”

An action hinting from the royal: ‘I know your circumstances, remove your veil.’ The tense atmosphere in the silent room was so thick that the sound of Mary’s small gasp was audible.

Swish—the sound of cloth sliding down.

“…I apologize for this unsightly appearance.”

With her veil removed, Mary had chestnut-brown hair tied up, timid-looking blue eyes, and skin so pale it seemed sickly. A simple beauty overshadowed by burn scars spreading across half her face and her neck; a pitiable woman.

“Here, as fellow damaged goods, let us consider ourselves equals.”

They were utterly not equals.

Swallowing the urge to apologize for the absurdity she herself had created, Ariana maintained a haughty smile, suppressing the bitterness that threatened to twist it.