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Chapter 50 Part 8 – Alisa and Scarlet in the previous「108 times」. The Queen and the Maiden of Salvation. Malice is like a burning fire.

If Bradd from the 「True History」 had been here, he would have been stunned speechless.
This was exactly the kind of 「Transmission」 that he excelled at.
Moreover, not only its power, it surpassed Bradd’s even in accuracy and convergence. The fact that Alisa was able to use it without changing her eyes to red color meant that she had already completely mastered 「Transmission」.

「…… Scarlet, you no longer need your father’s memento. Not even the dead can come between you and me. Now, instead of a kiss, let us exchange our feelings of love and hate.」

It was definitely not a feat that could be done by a human. But more than half of the bandit chivalric order looked at Alisa with euphoric expressions on their faces, instead of the frightened ones they had at first. They saw in Alisa not only fear, but charisma.

Small shadows are attracted to larger, darker shadows.

The shadows will grow rapidly from now on. And it will move to cover all of Hydrangea. Thrilled by the new queen’s accession to the throne, the people are still unaware that the kingdom has begun to move toward the abyss. Queen Scarlet who is greeted with shouts of blessing at first will be receiving cries of resentment and blame in a few years.

「…… Ahaha, I’ve got the hang of it now, thanks to the last battle where I got hit by 「Transmission」 so much that I’m fed up with it. Fufu, what are you going to do, poor Scarlet. If you keep muddling along, I’m going to get stronger and stronger with each loop.」

Looking fondly at the beautiful moonlit night, Alisa gazed happily at the far-away doom.

「I hope you will soon recover your memory of the『True History』. After all, only then would you have a slight chance of winning.」

…… The monster has yet to stop.

◇

「Ahh, should I just change signatures to a stamp?」

I was so frustrated by the stack of papers piling up in front of me that I ruffled my hair. I have been working and working, but my work is still not getting any easier. New cases are brought in one after another. It’s like a never-ending cycle.

As the glorious Queen of Hydrangea, I am staring at paperworks today as well.

When you think of a queen, what comes to your mind?
A glamorous ball? A gorgeous selection of garments? That’s absurd!!
I would rather devote my time to sleep than spend extra time on such things.

A meal has become a meal, socializing, negotiation, and entertainment event. Sometimes I wish I could eat alone at a leisurely pace, not with others. …… The plates of the course are sent out according to my eating speed, so I have to pay a lot of attention to it and I don’t feel at ease at all. My nature is that of a lower-middle class citizen.

I am always exhausted from hard work, so when it’s time to change my garments I give instructions on accessories and hairstyles, then after that I fall asleep immediately with half-open eyes and half-open mouth. Thanks to this, I have mastered the art of sleeping with my back and neck straight. I never move even when the back straps of the corset are re-tightened or when I am having my hair done …… It must have been a bizarre sight to see from the sides.

This is the behind-the-scenes of the 「Jewel of Hydrangea」 which could never be shown to anyone else.

I don’t remember ever playing card games, drawing, or playing a musical instrument in the past few months.
It was just a repetitive process of looking over and approving documents.

In the short time it takes me to go to the bathroom and come back, the chamberlain puts a new stack of documents that needs to be approved on a tray with a very apologetic look on his face and quickly steps out of the room. I had just finished my business, but I was almost choking with despair.

There is so much paperworks that I haven’t used the elegant writing table for a long time. Since the work space was not big enough. A large round table was brought in and now it has become the main battlefield. Still, the battlefield continues to expand and is out of control. To combat the increasing paperwork, I tried to bring a large, rustic kitchen desk into the office, but was stopped by my retainers as they cried that it was not dignified enough. I told them I would put a beautiful tablecloth over it, but it was no use.

I am a queen without authority.
With the great hope that one day I will become a dictator who can welcome a huge long table, I am still struggling with documents every day with my hair pulled back in a bun and dark circles under my eyes.

A table with tea to moisten my throat accompanied me. Tea is one of the few freedoms I am allowed. It’s a hassle to brew it every time, so I just dump the tea straight into the pot, then put lumps of crushed sugar in it for doping. Today I continue to abuse my body.

My fingertips were covered in ink. I forgot to take care of my fingers. I was more fashionable when I was a young lady …… The fear of tendonitis is ever present.

My butt and back ache from sitting all the time. My eyes are blurry. My eyelids are heavy. My neck and shoulders are stiff. My body’s condition is a mess. Even though I’m only in my early twenties ……

I feel like a prisoner forced into labor. I don’t wear pretentious dresses. I wear a thick shawl around my clothes to protect myself from the cold. My current species is the queen of bagworms.

My dream is to be picked up by a capable prince riding on a white horse. I’ll force the prince to take my place and make him do the paperworks, then I’ll escape while riding on the white horse under the blue sky. If I don’t get released from my work, I feel like the Grim Reaper is going to come for me soon.

…… Oh no, I’m starting to have weird fantasies. I’m too tired. It’s a terminal condition. I sighed.

It’s seriously tough when Sir Valentine, who always helps me with my work, is not here. It’s not funny for a queen to die of overwork from piles of paperwork. For the third time today, I have decided that I will never be a queen again if I am reborn.

「In the first place, what the hell is this?! This Maiden of Salvation!!」

I shouted angrily. This neverending busyness is all this person’s fault. This person is the instigator behind the numerous riots that have broken out across Hydrangea. Ethelreed is trying hard to figure out who this person is, but he still hasn’t found a lead.

「Why can’t this person understand that if they start a series of riots, the kingdom will be ruined? Does this person have a complaint against me as queen!? They want to restore justice in this kingdom!? And yet all they are doing is burning, looting, and colluding with foreign kingdoms. Are their brains rotten!? They should be ashamed of themselves as a human being first before they start insisting that they want to save the kingdom!!」

In a rage, I shouted all that at once and heaved.

Even as I shouted, my eyes scanned through the papers and my hands silently signed. My eyes and hands are me and not me at the same time, they are part of the Scarlet Independent Unit. Habit is a scary thing. From the side, this scene would be like a comedy that can’t be laughed at. Oh no, I am becoming emotionally unstable.

I sighed.

…… According to the investigation, the 「Maiden of Salvation」 is likely in communication with the four great kingdoms who are plotting to invade Hydrangea. This is the worst scenario where the traitor is devouring the country from within, while opening the door and inviting foreign enemies to come in. Moreover, all four kingdoms have military forces far more powerful than those of Hydrangea. If attacked from both inside and outside at the same time, the current Hydrangea would not stand a chance.