Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy Chapter 174: Gilded (3)

"......."

I maintained my poker face and tilted my head ever so slightly to the side.

It was a deliberate gesture—subtly feigning confusion as if I didn't quite understand what she was implying.

"Are you referring to the outco?"

Had Jinor not ntioned sothing similar before, I might have been genuinely startled by this point.

In a way, that experience had served as an inoculation against such revelations.

However, Serpina, rather than being frustrated, seed utterly amused by my reaction, her lips curling into a sly smile once again.

...She really was breathtakingly beautiful.

Honestly, I almost wanted to comnd my own self-control for not being utterly captivated by her.

And I swear, there wasn’t even a shred of exaggeration in that thought.

"I can't tell if you're feigning ignorance naturally or if you truly don’t understand... I'll admit it. Reading your expressions is the most difficult task I've ever faced."

Serpina was a truly enigmatic person.

Other rulers, like Lyn Brans, also employed similar speech patterns and mannerisms.

If Lyn had spoken to in this way, it would have been pure tornt—of that, I was certain. And I wasn’t the only one who would have thought so.

But Serpina...

There was no sense of rejection or discomfort with her.

On the contrary, I found myself ensnared by her words, as if drawn into the flow of her rhetoric.

Before I even realized it, she had carved herself into the depths of my thoughts.

And the most important part—

I didn't particularly mind it.

"Regarding the first rebellion, I initially thought you must have had inside information. The rebels, like rats in hiding, were swiftly eradicated the mont they revealed themselves. If you recall the Strategy Proposal eting, it made sense that you would deflect the conversation if you knew a rebel was among us. And the case with Janis? Well, he was your roommate—it’s not far-fetched to assu you could ‘sense’ sothing was amiss. I have no idea how, but it wasn’t in the realm of impossibility."

"But over ti, your 'advice' began to apply to things no ordinary person could possibly know. You repeatedly rejected alliances until finally choosing Brans Army specifically. You even predicted that my journey to Brans would place my life in danger—sothing that couldn’t have been deduced from re information. Tell , how could you have possibly known whether Brans Army would co to or not?"

"......."

"At first, I thought—maybe, just maybe, you could see the future."

Serpina’s golden eyes glead as she said those words.

Seeing the future.

It was a natural conclusion.

If one could see the future, then of course they would naturally know the outco of events.

Jinor had believed the sa.

And it made sense—he already knew that magic existed in this world, having seen it firsthand through his adopted daughter, Reika.

Thus, it wasn’t surprising that he had arrived at that conclusion.

So far, Serpina’s reasoning followed the sa path as Jinor’s.

But then—

"However, if I assu that you can see the future... there are too many inconsistencies."

My gaze flickered, drawn to her slightly parted lips.

For a mont, I found myself distracted.

Perhaps, ever since that kiss, so part of my soul had already been ensnared by her.

I could feel it—a strange tickling sensation in my chest.

"If you could truly see the future, there would be no need for you to speak in roundabout terms. A seer would simply declare the outco with certainty. Why bother saying things like 'it’s highly probable' or 'it is assud to be the case'? If you had knowledge of the future, you would not hesitate. And yet, Swen, you never speak with certainty about anything except the outco."

"At that mont, I realized—you and I are not so different."

"Because when I ask myself ‘why does this outco occur?’ I have to deduce the answer, just as you do."

"And—"

"Every ti you give a decisive piece of advice... for a split second, there is a flicker of surprise in your eyes."

"No matter how I look at it, that is not the reaction of soone who already knows the future."

"Rather..."

"It is the reaction of soone who, at that very mont, has just figured out what the outco will be."

"!!!"

Serpina leaned in closer, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk.

Then, in a soft whisper, she murmured—

"That expression is quite adorable, Swen. Just like that. Fufufu...♥"

She had gone one step further than Jinor.

Serpina had co closer than anyone else to unraveling the essence of my ability—

The ability of 100 Intelligence.

Serpina’s in-ga stats were, without a doubt, S-rank.

But I hadn’t expected her insight to be this exceptional.

After all, her Intelligence stat was lower than Jinor’s, who had 99 Intelligence.

Of course, her overall stats far surpassed his.

But in this world, intelligence was quantified as a statistic—it had a nurical value.

And yet, she had deduced this much.

Serpina was truly remarkable.

Even amidst the relentless rebellions in the northern continent, she had maintained overwhelming national power—proof that she was no ordinary ruler.

And now—

She gazed at in silence for a few monts, holding that gentle smile.

Then—

"Swen. As I said, you don’t have to answer . I won’t force you to confirm whether I’m right or wrong."

"Because if this is truly an ability you’ve kept hidden from , I trust that you have your reasons."

"Besides, I am fully aware that half of what I said sounds like the wild theories of those obsessed with myths and legends."

"......."

"So just think of this as nothing more than my childish indulgence. And..."

And then.

Serpina reached out, her pale fingers softly caressing my cheek.

"If I am right... if you can truly perceive only the outco... then you have walked a fragile bridge alone, ti and ti again."

"All this ti, you have given advice to Lyn, to Yuri, and to so many others—only for your words to be dismissed, fading into the air like echoes unheard."

"Even if the truth of your words was revealed later... well, I doubt those rulers had the capacity to accept such an unnatural ability."

"......."

"And so... there must not have been a single person who truly understood you."

"That must have been lonely, wasn't it?"

As her fingers traced my cheek, I t her gaze.

Her voice trembled ever so slightly.

And those golden eyes—

They were shaking, too.

"I know how it feels, Swen."

"Because I have been lonely as well."

"To carry a truth that you cannot share with anyone... to shoulder that burden alone... is a profoundly isolating thing."

"Lady Serpina..."

"That is why I worry for you, Swen."

"Perhaps it is none of my business. You may even call this ddling. But to , you are quite a special person."

I had never really thought of myself as lonely.

At most, I had felt stifled.

But right now—

I found myself more concerned for her than for myself.

'She must be carrying sothing that she cannot tell anyone about.'

That was the only reason she would say sothing like this.

Beneath the charisma of an absolute ruler—

There was sothing fragile, sothing delicate.

A weight that threatened to break her.

As I pondered this, I found myself lured by the warmth of her voice.

And then—

"...Swen."

"Yes, my lady?"

She slowly pulled away from and, in a calr tone, spoke.

"If you truly can only perceive the outco, as I have said... then this ti, I’d like you to listen to my opinion."

"The final decision is always yours, my lord. I rely offer advice. How could I possibly presu to accept or reject your opinion? And... as for this idea that I can sohow ‘see’ the outco, I honestly don’t know what to say. I am just an ordinary strategist who draws conclusions based on past and present circumstances."

"A remarkably humble answer for a man who can summon stones from the sky through divine rituals."

"It’s rely a trivial skill—reading the movent of the stars."

"Is that so?"

Serpina chuckled as if she found my response amusing.

I had only given her a vague answer because, no matter what, I couldn't let myself be swayed and break my promise to Luna.

With a soft smile, she smoothly shifted the conversation to the real topic at hand.

"I believe the rebels will rise again."

It was unlikely.

But—

Because I ultimately only saw the outco and based my reasoning on that, I couldn’t completely deny her words.

"Of course, my reasoning is solely based on your advice—that 'moving the occupying army is unwise'."

"......."

"What do you think?"

I bowed my head deeply and replied.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"There is nothing for to think about, my lord. If you make a decision, I will simply follow."

"I see."

Did she have so source of information that I wasn’t aware of—sothing that made her so certain a rebellion was coming?

Serpina sat upon the throne.

She had fought against the ghosts of her brothers ti and ti again.

Perhaps her instincts in this matter ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) had been honed to an extraordinary degree.

But ultimately—

Just as it had always been, these decisions were for the ruler to make, not the strategist.

"Swen. As I said, I will not force you to answer. I like you far too much for that."

"If you wish to keep your secrets, I won’t pry. You may tell when you want to, or never speak of it at all. It makes no difference—"

"Because no matter what, I will always trust and believe in you."

"And one day—"

She leaned in close.

So close that I could feel her warm breath against my ear.

Her golden hair brushed against my cheek, carrying the gentle scent of yuzu.

And then, in a whisper, she murmured—

"I will claim your heart."

...Ah.

"Did I not tell you? Setting aside our roles as sovereign and strategist, at this mont, I am nothing more than a woman who wishes to be seen favorably by you. Fufufu...♥"

Her face was flushed, her golden eyes gazing at with affectionate warmth.

And in that mont, I realized—

This is dangerous.

Truly dangerous.

This wasn’t a joke.

It wasn’t re flirtation.

I could feel my heart wavering.

My heartbeat pounded relentlessly.

The overwhelming chemistry, the flood of hormones surging through —

It was shaking my rationality.

'...Get a grip.'

I repeated those words in my mind.

But—

I couldn’t deny it.

I was drawn to her.

Yes, her physical allure was undeniable—

The soft fragrance that made it pleasant just to be near her,

Those golden eyes that glead like molten tal,

The porcelain-like smoothness of her skin,

The sheer presence of her figure beneath her uniform,

And the husky sweetness of her voice, like a lullaby that lulled one into ease—

But those were not what pulled in.

It was sothing beyond that.

She seed strong, yet beneath that strength, I saw a fragility—delicate as glass.

And that...

That bothered .

Before I even realized it, I found myself thinking—

I want to protect her.

I want to be by her side.

This was the first ti.

The first ti I had ever wanted to protect a ruler—

A ruler who was not Lady Luna.