Chapter 08 - Flower of Evil
The second daughter of the benevolent Emperor Abellon, and the younger sister of the First Prince, Claudio Renart Abellon. And a political rival. The words that described Regina Eliade Abellon were diverse.
However, if the players of were to attach only one to her……. everyone would say it in unison.
Villainess.
Yes, Regina was the number one or two villainess in . She would plot sches to further her own interests, and in the process, she would often clash with the righteous or innocent main characters.
Although she gained popularity for her dignified and spirited appearance shown in the flow of the story, and her magnanimity in not judging people by their origin, she was essentially a villain.
An obvious evil person who did not hesitate to take what belonged to others for herself, without even a way to be redeed.
To express it using her in-ga title, the Flower of Evil. Looking back as a player, it was a na that fit her perfectly.
Her attitude of committing evil gracefully without a hint of wavering, her flower-like beauty, and her fleeting end.
Such an appearance, combined with the benevolent facade of the First Prince Claudio, created an excellent contrast effect, which in turn beca a factor that made the players completely trust Claudio.
But Claudio's benevolent appearance was a smokescreen. At the end of Part 2, Claudio reveals his true self as the worst villain in the world.
As a subordinate of the final boss.
At this point, you should be able to understand my intention in approaching Regina.
Not to confront her, but to join hands with her.
To defeat the great evil of , Claudio.
For that purpose, I am here now. In the garden located in a secluded corner of the backyard of Aurora Hall.
Because this was a place where Regina would consistently appear every night until she lost her life in the middle of Part 2.
***
Regina stood with her arms crossed and a faint smile, quietly looking at . It was more like she was analyzing .
Then, let open my mouth first.
“I greet Your Highness, the First Princess of the Empire, Regina Eliade Abellon.”
I recalled the lines I had seen in the ga and greeted her with the sa formality. I had simulated it in my head, but it was quite strange that it ca out so naturally.
“You are…… fufu, may I ask for a self-introduction?”
Regina said so, still with a smile on her face.
“……I am Rain Enlight. I have had the honor of enrolling as a freshman, just like Your Highness the Princess.”
Upon hearing my words, Regina raised the corners of her mouth into a grin. It felt like she had asked even though she already knew.
“The shut-in young lord……. oh my, excuse . What brings the young lord here? It doesn't seem like a place you'd arrive at by getting lost, does it?”
That slip of the tongue was definitely not a mistake. She was fundantally a twisted person.
Anyway, the situation wasn't bad. The fact that she was showing interest rather than being wary of who had suddenly appeared was a good sign.
“Do you prefer the direct approach, or the formal one?”
“Fufu, as expected, you had business with ?”
At such a direct way of speaking, Regina showed a positive reaction. Referring to my ga knowledge……. it felt like the conversation was going well so far.
“Then, shall we hear the business first?”
I gulped. Because this was where it truly began.
“……I have co here to beco your sword.”
Right after that, after a brief silence…….
“……Pfft, haha, ahahahaha……!”
At those words, Regina's eyes widened for a mont, and then she burst into a sweet laugh.
“A sword, a sword, you say……. fufufu……. You?”
“That is correct.”
I answered with a serious face. At that, Regina seed unable to hold back her laughter even more.
It was impressive how she wiped away the tears that had ford in her eyes from laughing with her finger.
“Fufu, excuse . This is not polite in the face of such a serious expression.”
“It doesn't matter. So, what is your answer?”
At my words, Regina asked back. Still with the corners of her mouth raised.
“But, why of all people? If you want to beco a sword that much……. wouldn't it be better to go and cling to my ‘benevolent and kind’ older brother?”
Haha, Claudio? Am I crazy? I said what I was thinking out loud.
“I'm sure Your Highness the Princess is not unaware of what kind of person His Highness Claudio is.”
At that one sentence. Regina's expression changed. Her relaxed deanor was still there, but the laughter she seed unable to control had stopped imdiately.
“This is…… quite unexpected.”
Regina said so and took three steps towards .
At the current point in , there were only three people who knew Claudio's true nature. Claudio's fiancée, Claudio's closest aide, and Regina.
The fact that I had seen through his true nature, which most people in the world, and even his father, the benevolent Emperor Abellon, did not know.
That one fact alone had already proven my worth to so extent.
Then let's drive the nail in.
“Let tell you. Prince Claudio preaches benevolence and philanthropy, but behind that facade, a monster lives. Unfortunately, he is also an exceptionally capable person, so he is able to act in secret without being found out by people.”
Am I wrong? I added. At that, Regina nodded with that sa subtle expression.
“I don't know how you found out, but……. you are perfectly correct.”
At those words, I shrugged and continued.
“Let guess one more thing.”
“Fufu, wouldn't a fortune teller suit you better than a knight?”
Regina jested and gestured with her hand. It ant, go ahead.
“Your Highness the Princess is in a very difficult position in the power struggle. There must be factors such as being the second child, and the abilities you inherited.”
There were two major factors that put Regina in a disadvantageous position in the succession struggle. One was her position as the second child, and the other was the nature of the mana she possessed. The latter factor was bigger.
“The latter…… is about the mana that is compared to His Highness the Prince's silver holy fla. The purple fla that signifies evil.”
As I ntioned that, Regina's eyebrow twitched for a mont. Though she soon regained her poker face.
“Well, that's enough. Regarding the ‘information’ you have.”
Since the princess had just appeared at the academy, the information about her mana was not known to the general public. This too must have served as proof.
“However, if you know this much in detail……. I can't help but be suspicious, you know?”
The princess smiled again and took another three steps towards .
“If you are the shut-in young lord as rumored, you wouldn't have a route to collect such information, would you?”
It was a very good point.
“From my perspective……. wouldn't the hypothesis that ‘you approached under the orders of the pro-prince House of Enlight’ be plausible? And the House of Enlight even has the current crown princess?”
Now, the second hurdle. The princess is now telling to prove that ‘I am on your side’.
But this was a trap. Because there was no way to prove it in the first place.
“Well, I believe Your Highness is in a very difficult position at the mont……”
“Fufu, you're direct.”
“Does it bother you?”
At those words, the princess grinned. I recognized it as a noticeably favorable attitude. In the original work, the princess liked people with a bold attitude.
“……If I were Duke Enlight and Prince Claudio, I wouldn't use such a cumberso thod. The situation is already clearly in their favor……. it would be enough to just grasp the trends without making the first move.”
Clap clap clap!
As I finished my answer, the princess smiled brightly and clapped. I thought this would be a better way to appeal my confidence than making rambling excuses, and it seed to have worked well.
“Hmm, good, good. I'd say it's enough to give a passing grade?”
That princess then took another three steps closer. The distance between the princess, who had been quite far away, had now narrowed to about four steps.
“But, the most important part is missing.”
The princess was still smiling sweetly. However, because of this close distance, I could feel sothing else hidden behind that smile.
“As a strategist, that's decent enough. But you said you would beco my sword, didn't you?”
At those words, I nodded.
“That ans you want to beco my knight……. but do you have that much martial prowess?”
After passing the first and second hurdles, I had finally reached the final one.
In this part, there was no need to rack my brains to prove it. Because I had already prepared everything.
“I will prove it.”
“Hmph? How so?”
As I answered without a mont's hesitation, the princess tilted her head and asked.
“Tomorrow, you will see at the entrance evaluation. You can give your answer to my request then. ……is what I will say.”
At those words, the princess did not give any answer.
She just silently closed the distance by another three steps.
And, after looking at my face for a mont, Regina said this.
“You are a frightening person, aren't you?”
The incident that had happened at the training ground during the day must have already reached Regina's ears. It seed she had said it knowing that it was also my intention.
With the distance between us narrowed to just one step, Regina, who was looking at my face, opened her mouth again.
“Yes, if you prove it tomorrow……”
Deep, deep purple eyes, as if they had personified the abyss. Those eyes were staring at .
“We might be able to beco not only sword and master……. but also ‘friends’.”
Fufu, Regina added with a laugh.
On a night where the moonlight quietly settled. I had thus taken the first real step to change the world…….
And at the sa ti, I faced the Flower of Evil.
***
In the late-night garden after the uninvited guest had left. Princess Regina was still strolling in that place. It was to organize her thoughts about the events that had occurred today.
“Kilt, Aisa. Co out.”
As Regina said that softly, two people instantly appeared in the garden. They were a woman with a nimble physique and a man with a huge build, respectively.
“Here.”
“Here, Your Highness.”
The princess glanced at the two of them out of the corner of her eye.
“……Is the information about the shut-in young lord known to the public, Rain Enlight, really accurate?”
“Yes. According to the report from the informant within the House of Enlight, Rain Enlight has indeed been living a reclusive life befitting a shut-in.”
Upon hearing those words, the princess turned her back on the two and fell into thought.
“……A person with such insight, skill, and spirit is a shut-in.”
It didn't make sense. She had heard that his spirit had been broken at the ti of the middle school evaluation, but he had a perfect grasp of the political situation and had even laid out all the plans to prove himself.
“And……. his face was better than I expected. He was quite handso, wasn't he?”
The princess said jokingly with a grin, but it wasn't a story about physical attraction.
Rain's face had a gloomy impression as rumored, but there was a spirit and vigor that seeped out from between. This was about him.
To the extent that she felt a value equal to……. no, even greater than the two knights kneeling beside her.
The princess thought about it so more, but soon concluded that it was a aningless thought. It was clear that inferring the truth with the current information was a waste of ti.
“What do you two think?”
Regina asked the two knights. Loyal and competent knights whom she could call her closest aides.
“It is true that he is suspicious……. but if he can prove himself, he is worth considering for recruitnt.”
The nimble-bodied female knight answered so.
“…….”
The large-bodied male knight remained silent.
Seeing that reaction, Regina let out a sigh. Yes, the young lord's words were correct. The current competition for the throne was in a difficult situation. To the extent that even the vassals who had served her family since her mother's generation, nearly half of them had sided with the prince's faction.
“……I have no choice but to use him.”
Do not trust, constantly doubt, but use. These were the sentences that perated the princess's life.
The princess looked up at the sky where the faint moon was hanging again.
The moon was covered by clouds and was shining faintly and gently, to the extent that one couldn't even tell that the original moon was sothing that shone brightly.
…….
And, after that dark night passed…….
The day of proof had dawned.
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