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Chapter 276 part 1

「My true intentions, you ask? Princess Asteria, it turns out, you are even more obstinate than what I had heard. And even more incomprehensible. She’s curious about things for which knowing makes no difference.」

After a brief pause, Regul, with his smile now gone, continued speaking. Amria, still mistaken for Asteria, gently shook her head in response.

「It’s something beyond help. Isn’t that a notion you harbor yourself? No matter what you think, you can’t change the ideologies spreading within the Roaring Sun’s Majesty.」

Such a bold and fearless stance was uncharacteristic for someone who led a force comparable to a nation. Amria’s words were practically accusing Regul of failing to control his own subordinates.

The guards, who had been growing increasingly restless behind Regul, finally stepped forward, unable to ignore this.

Amria’s slender body trembled as she faced their boiling anger and hatred for the Romal imperial family head-on, but she refused to look away from Regul.

Perhaps that was what made Reguel decide to speak.

「Stop. Whether she’s a princess or a defenseless woman, attacking her would disgrace our tribe. That’s beneath a warrior.」

「But this woman…」

Reguel frowned sadly at the voice that was squeezed out as if it were blood.

It was not irritation at his guards for disobeying him but sadness at the fact that they had to speak in such a voice.

Amria couldn’t help but widen her eyes slightly at Regul’s reaction, which was different from the image she had of him.

「I know. It’s not just you. Deep down, all of us want to do it. Me, you, Asya, Leko, even grandma Leora. The only difference is whether or not we show it. We all harbor hatred, but for now, don’t let it out.」

「If you say so…」

「Sorry about this. What I’m about to say next is something I don’t intend for you guys to hear and don’t want you to hear. Please, leave me and the princess alone here and wait outside. You can stay right outside the door.

And no objections. Don’t assume I’ll lose to the princess. And as unpleasant as it is to say, you’re my guards, but I’m stronger than you. Am I wrong?」

Usually, the guards should be stronger than the person they are protecting, but the strongest and finest warrior in the Roaring Sun’s Majesty was the young Lionfolk, Regul.

Even so, they hesitated to leave their leader alone with someone from a clearly hostile force, but considering their trust in Regul, the fact that Amria was not carrying any weapons, and the fact that they would be waiting right outside the door, the guards reluctantly obeyed Regul’s orders.

After the three people who had been guarding Regul and Amria’s backs had all left the room, Reguel sat up and turned to face Asteria, or rather Amria, again.

「So, this is what you wanted, but it’s really different from what I’ve heard about you. If I were to judge you by your words alone, I would never have thought that you were a woman with that human kindness or that you would want to hear such unreasonable things」

「I am aware of the rumors of my incomprehensible actions. If that’s true and the actions done so far were incomprehensible to you, I guess I’m living up to my reputation.」

「Hah, I guess that’s just your way of arguing. Your reputation for wordplay and eloquence is well-deserved.」

The key here was that Amria didn’t say that 『I』 did things people didn’t understand. She didn’t answer as Asteria herself but as someone who had heard the rumors.

「But still, I can’t help but think that this situation doesn’t suit you at all. Hey, are you really Princess Asteria?

Come to think of it, because your face is the same and you’re not using magic to make yourself look like her, we’re just assuming that you’re Asteria. You’ve never actually said that you’re Asteria.」

If Amria’s thoughts were audible at that moment, they would probably sound like a string of confused and bizarre exclamations like “Awaawawawa, ya, pya~~~.”

Just a moment ago, she had thought that Regul believed her to be Asteria without a doubt, but she had shown too much of her true self as Amria, and her words and actions had become too different from those expected of her older Asteria, who was often ridiculed as a lump of rationality and efficiency.

Regul, who noticed this shift, proved that even though he might have temporarily believed Asteria to be his arch-enemy and harbored resentment in front of her, he never lost his composure.

According to the information that Amria had gathered in Elkeney and the surrounding area, Regul of the Roaring Sun’s Majesty was supposed to be more passionate, impulsive, and direct. This was starkly different from what she had heard.

She had expected something like that after hearing about him in Uminal, but this was even beyond Amria’s expectations.

Even so, Amria was desperately hiding her internal turmoil and forced a relaxed, or you can call it, perhaps, an enigmatic smile.

「Oh no, Regul suspects me. I was so focused on asking him what I wanted to know that I forgot to pretend to be my sister Asteria.

And to think of it, I barely know anything about her. I only know about Asteria from what Gwandan told me!」

In this situation, Amria managed to keep her cool and showed almost no signs of panic. Her acting skills and courage in the face of danger were quite impressive.

After living a sheltered life in Arkrest Kingdom, Amria had seen and undergone many things in the Romal Empire, and this must have been what had made her this way. And the fact that she had been able to use this experience to her advantage was a testament to her own abilities.

「Then I guess I’ll just have to assume that I’m an impostor of Princess Asteria. A body double, or even more amusingly, a female con artist who’s using the princess name.」

Amria smiled in a way that made her look like a villainess, and Regul observed her with a look of utter contempt. If one didn’t have the ability to hear her inner voice or see through her act, one would be easily fooled by Amria’s performance. But what about this young man?

「Hah, you’ve got more guts than Asteria, I’ll give you that. Of course, I can’t rule out the possibility that you’re the real deal. That’s what makes this so annoying. But I’m sure you’ve already taken that into account and created this situation, right?

I’m not sure if you orchestrated this situation or if you’re acting according to someone else’s plan. but that’s also annoying. You could be a fake or you could be the real thing, and either way, you’re either smart yourself or you have a bunch of smart people around you. What could be more annoying than that?」

Regul was saying whatever he wanted, and Amria couldn’t help but agree with some of the things he said.

She knew that she had been asking Gwandan to do a lot of reckless things, and when it was pointed out to her like this, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of self-loathing, even though she had been the one to do it.

However, it was Amria’s choice to feel that way, and if she let it change her current course of action, then what was the point of asking Gwandan to do all those reckless things in the first place? (Although, from Gwandan’s point of view, they weren’t reckless at all.)

「I’m the type of person who likes to get rid of annoying things as quickly as possible, but this time, it doesn’t seem like I can do that so easily. By the way, I’ve heard about your goal, but what do you personally want for this country?

You’re asking me about my inner thoughts. Then it’s only polite for you to reveal your own ones. I’ll be the judge of whether you’re lying or not, so you can lie if you want. I’ll just think of you as a woman who’s capable of lying.」

「If I could allow myself to lie in this situation, I wouldn’t have sought a direct confrontation with you. You must know that. You’re being unfair.」

「You’re the one who’s being unfair. Remember this. People who do underhanded things can’t complain when they’re 『done』 the same way.」

Amria understood that Regul was implying that any repercussions the Romal Empire faced for its actions were simply a reflection of their own deeds.

「You really are unfair. …My goal, or rather, my wish, isn’t something I’d state so grandly….」

Regul raised an eyebrow in surprise at the change in Amria’s demeanor as she hesitated and stammered.

The mask of Asteria that she had been wearing until now had been peeled away, revealing the true Amria. For Regul, who didn’t know Amria, it was like seeing a complete stranger for the first time, so it was understandable that he would be somewhat taken aback.

「To put it very broadly, and to express my fundamental motivation in words, I want to make the future of this country better so that everyone can be happy.」said Regul

「…Huh? That’s too abstract. Judging by the look on your face, you seem to be aware of that, but does that “everyone” include the Romal people and those who have rebelled against the Empire like us? Is that it?」said Regul

「Yes. It includes everyone. As you pointed out, when I put it this way, it’s very abstract, and I’m ashamed to say that I don’t have a clear idea of the process for achieving that outcome yet.」

「You don’t have a process, but you’re already certain of the outcome? You look like you’re determined to see it through no matter what. However, if your purpose is all about the end and lacks planning, no matter how much you articulate, no one will listen to you.」

「So that’s what you think?」

Regul sighed inwardly, puzzled by her seemingly pleased reaction about that.