While I was sleeping soundly, a faint rustling sound in my quarters suddenly drew from my slumber.
My brows furrowed slightly as I shifted, glancing toward the long, rectangular windows that were just beginning to let in the pale rays of early morning light. Propping myself up on one elbow, I turned to find the source of the noise and spotted Regina working with the utmost diligence.
She was busy replacing the sofa’s silk upholstery. A broom leaned idly against the armrest, and a pile of my discarded clothes had already been gathered into a large woven basket, while a fresh set of noble garnts lay neatly folded upon a nearby chair.
It was certainly a diligent display.
"Good morning, Regina," I finally called out, breaking the silence.
Startled from her intense focus, she jerked her head up in a sudden panic.
"Your Majesty! I deeply apologize if I have awakened you—"
"Do not worry about it. If anything, you are here quite early today," I said, pushing myself up and stifling a yawn.
"I was rather late yesterday... so I wished to make ands for my shortcomings this morning. Once again, I am so sorry," she stamred.
"It is perfectly fine. I was the one who ordered you to return ho and rest, after all," I replied.
"Yes..." She nodded, her fingers clenching the red silk of the sofa cover a bit tighter against her chest as she stared at .
"Would you be so kind as to draw my bath, Regina?" I asked, breaking her silence after a dozen seconds of her lingering gaze.
"A—Ah, yes at once!" She squeaked, imdiately scrambling toward the adjoining bathing chambers.
I smiled to myself, leaning comfortably back against the plush cushions of my headboard.
Tonight, Eleanor and I would be departing the capital. Obviously, it was not for a romantic honeymoon, despite the rumors I had purposefully instructed Sigor to leak among the court.
I simply needed to secure a couple of crucial items I rembered from the Ga. There would never be a better opportunity, and I needed to acquire them now, well before my eventual departure for Luminar. Besides, the hidden cache was located right here within Helios.
Leaving Regina to prepare the heated water, I slipped on a simple, loose shirt and decided to take a brief, solitary stroll through the halls of my castle.
Until now, I had rarely taken the opportunity to truly admire the royal palace. But seeing it with fresh eyes, the soaring architecture, the grand vaulted ceilings, the rich crimson and gold tapestries, and the imposing portraits of past monarchs lining the stone walls, everything looked magnificent.
And all of this grandeur belonged entirely to .
I had visited the Palace of Versailles once in my past life, and strolling through these corridors carried a very similar ambiance. Though, if I were entirely honest, even if my newfound kingly ego vehently protested, Versailles was an entirely different magnitude of artistic perfection.
Nevertheless, this stronghold was undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking structures I had ever laid eyes upon. Having lived my previous life in Arica, surrounded by towering glass skyscrapers and cold modern technology, there was sothing soothing about walking amidst such authentic, ancient dieval architecture.
After concluding my quiet rounds, I returned to my quarters and settled into a perfectly heated, relaxing bath.
Once finished, I dried off and dressed in the fresh, noble garnts Regina had so ticulously folded and prepared for . Stepping back into the main bedroom, I found her hurriedly stripping the heavy sheets and covers from my bed.
I took a seat upon the newly covered sofa, fastening the leather straps of my boots before reaching for Hyperion, my blade, which lay resting nearby.
Securing the scabbard to my belt, I turned to step out of my quarters. Regina imdiately dropped her task to escort out, but I held up a hand to stop her.
"There is no need to rush on my account, Regina. Take your ti," I said.
"Yes, Your Majesty," she nodded quickly, imdiately returning to her fervent tidying of my bedding and discarded clothes.
I walked calmly out into the wide corridors, graciously acknowledging the deep bows of the passing servants and the crisp salutes of the stationed knights.
"Leilah. Are you present?" I asked quietly to the empty air.
There was only a heartbeat of silence before she seamlessly materialized from the shadows directly behind .
"You do realize it is a little terrifying that I never know when you are present, or precisely how long you have been lurking in the shadows, do you not?" I said, casting a brief, amused smile over my shoulder.
She fell entirely silent, visibly unsure of how to properly respond to such an observation.
"In the future, simply announce your presence instead of lingering in complete silence," I said.
"As you command, Your Majesty," she replied with a curt nod.
"Did Eleanor inform you of our journey tonight?" I asked.
"She did, Your Majesty," Leilah confird.
"Excellent."
Naturally, she would be accompanying us. Setting aside the two elite guards I had asked Arges to prepare, it certainly would not hurt to have another trustworthy individual watching our backs, especially soone as devoted as Eleanor’s adoptive sister.
I was not entirely certain of the full extent of her capabilities beyond hiding flawlessly and rendering herself invisible, but I supposed we would soon find out.
As I continued down the hall, I glanced out the tall windows and spotted Dorothy below. She was situated in the very sa square-shaped courtyard, seated upon the exact sa stone bench with a stack of large tos, just as she had been the other day.
Did she truly spend every single day out there like this?
Instead of vaulting out of the window like a weirdo again, I decided to conduct myself like a proper, civilized human being this ti. I walked to the far end of the corridor, descended the grand staircase, and gracefully stepped out into the sunlit courtyard.
The mont my boots touched the cobblestones, Dorothy caught sight of from the corner of her eye. Panicking slightly, she hurriedly placed her book upon the bench and scrambled to her feet.
"Y—Your Majesty!" She squeaked, hastily bowing her head. However, I could imdiately detect a rigid tension binding her shoulders, and a distinct wariness written across her delicate features.
She appeared far more anxious and stiff than during our previous encounter.
"Good morning, Dorothy," I greeted her, stopping at a respectable distance. I was acutely aware of that bizarre incompatibility curse that flared between us upon physical contact, and I had no desire to trigger it.
"G—Good morning," she stuttered, wringing her hands nervously.
"What is the matter, Dorothy? You seem even more skittish than before," I observed, raising a brow. "Did my brutal duel against Morgana frighten you, by any chance?"
A visible shiver ran through her fragile fra at my blunt question, before she timidly looked up and vigorously shook her head.
"N—No..."
That is a resounding yes, then.
In truth, any ordinary woman would feel so kind of fright after witnessing a man ruthlessly beat another woman to a pulp. Given my past life experiences, I was perfectly positioned to understand such fears. It was not as though I actually enjoyed striking a woman, nor did I derive any twisted, sick pleasure from it.
But it simply had to be done to ensure my survival.
Therefore, I could hardly bla soone as inherently pure and sweet as Dorothy for being terrified. Well, sweet so long as she did not spiral into her obsessive, dark tendencies toward the Ga’s ’Protagonist’, a chilling path I rembered vividly from the academy arc. But here and now, she was just scared.
Honestly, the vast majority of the court should have felt terrified of , save for those who knew my true heart intimately, like Cynthia and Lenora.
Regina, for instance, had seed quite frightened last night, but her fear stemd from a different source than just the re sight of violence.
As for my other wives, I could not say for certain how they had reacted, as I had not yet spoken with them. However, I doubted won like Asthenia or Ravenna would feel genuine fear. Ravenna might have actually thoroughly enjoyed watching the haughty Morgana get knocked down a peg. anwhile, Asthenia likely rely viewed it as a necessary lesson, hoping it would be enough to permanently deter Morgana from showing her face at court again. Considering Asthenia’s father, I doubted the girl feared much of anything in this world; she was raised to be a Queen, not so ordinary, fragile noblewoman.
"Are you truly afraid of , Dorothy?" I asked, my tone dropping its casual edge to beco entirely serious.
"I—I am not afraid, Your Majesty!" She retorted, her voice trembling despite her best efforts.
I simply stared at her in silence.
The man she was fated to fall in love with in the Ga, the so-called ’Protagonist’ was entirely different from . He was excessively kind, hopelessly attentive, and painfully clumsy. He certainly was not the sort of man who would ruthlessly beat a woman to a pulp, as I had done to Morgana.
In fact, during their interactions in the Ga, he was the one constantly getting his ass handed to him. It was not that he was weak; rather, his misplaced, naïve chivalry strictly forbade him from raising a sword against a woman. Naturally, this caused quite a stir with the proud Morgana. She viewed his reluctance as a deep insult, assuming he was underestimating her solely because of her gender. And what happened next? Well, it followed that wonderfully overused plot device: the fierce, untamable warrior girl ultimately falls for the ek, altruistic saint.
I saw it coming miles away when I first saw it.
Regardless, I had not anticipated Dorothy’s reaction to my ’cruelty’. I had annulled my engagent to Morgana for the sake of her own growth, to knock her off her high horse and because our personalities were wildly incompatible. But looking at Dorothy trembling before , I realized she might be just as incompatible with , albeit for entirely different reasons.
I had no desire to force a terrified woman into a royal marriage, especially a gentle soul like Dorothy. Initially, I had planned to cultivate a romantic relationship with her, given she was my betrothed. Now, however, forging a purely platonic, friendly bond seed a far wiser course of action.
I was certainly not going to cast her aside, she was the Moon Witch, after all, and far too valuable an asset. But maintaining a respectful, friendly distance might allow her to finally breathe, easing her nervous tension so she could act freely. If I simply offered her my support from the shadows, stepping in to aid her a few tis when she needed it, she would naturally develop gratitude toward . And strategically speaking, that gratitude should be more than enough to ensure her loyalty.
Perhaps I was overthinking the matter, but the position of a Royal Wife was far too important to be squandered. I could not simply retain just anyone out of misplaced obligation. A Queen must be valuable; she must provide political or magical support for my reign. Naturally, it would be ideal if she also loved , but Dorothy currently provided none of those strategic advantages. She was rely the daughter of a minor Baron from Radhamantia right now.
I understood that my father had arranged the match simply to protect his old friend’s daughter, but there were far better ways to ensure her safety without sacrificing a seat beside the throne.
"I see," I said, lost in my own thoughts, before finally turning away from her.
For the ti being, I would officially maintain her status as my wife. But I needed to carefully consider how to handle her once she inevitably crossed paths with that Protagonist at the academy.
Perhaps I could utilize her to indirectly manipulate him. The boy was naive, so it should not prove too arduous a task. I was no monster, of course; I simply needed them both as pieces on my side of the board, rather than allowing them to be weaponized by Luminar or the Lunarian Empire. I had to outmaneuver them all.
Fortunately, I already held the advantage, as Dorothy harbored a baseline gratitude toward Helios and my late father. I rely needed to redirect that loyalty entirely toward . Opportunities to do so would definitely present themselves in Luminar.
This realization brought actually a pressing issue to the forefront of my mind: I had a trendous amount of work to do regarding my wives if I wished to maximize their potential.
Currently, the most indispensable ones, the ones I would secure without a shadow of a doubt were Eleanor and Asthenia. Beyond the military might of her father’s army, Asthenia’s brilliant, ruthless mind was simply too valuable to lose. Alongside those two stood Cynthia, though that was more a personal choice. She was my family, and knowing she was bound to as a wife provided a quiet reassurance. And she had royal blood and she was important in case to provide a child with thick royal blood.
As for the others... Diana’s eyes were currently fixated entirely upon Gardenia. Not to sound overly cruel, but in the grand sche of my survival, she was almost useless to .
Then there was Ravenna. She was a massive gamble, double or nothing. I desired to bind her to my side, a decision born of both personal preference and necessity, given her terrifying magical potential. However, winning her over would require so investnt of ti and effort.
So, as it stood, only Eleanor, Asthenia, and Cynthia were definitively on my ’must-keep’ roster.
It was, quite frankly, a dismal situation. I was not criticizing my late father’s decisions; from his perspective these matches might have made sense, and he lacked the omniscient knowledge of the future that I possessed. Still, it ant I needed to fill the remaining vacancies to secure support Helios so desperately required.
I already had a few pri candidates in mind whom I would encounter in Luminar. Selenia, in particular, was at the very top of the list. She would be astronomically difficult to conquer, but she was the perfect candidate. Not only was she my personal favorite character from the Ga, but from a purely political standpoint, she was flawless: the Imperial Princess of the Lunarian Empire. An alliance between our nations seed politically impossible right now, but if I could sohow orchestrate it, having such a breathtakingly beautiful, intelligent, and powerful wife would save an endless amount of future turmoil.
It was a terrible sha, truly. From a purely personal, masculine standpoint, I would have loved to simply keep Dorothy and Morgana especially, by my side. But thinking with my dick would only lead to an early grave. I had a Kingdom to rule, and a family to protect.
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