The Queenmaker's Gambit
Perlin Claire stood by the window of her private chambers.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, yet it brought no warmth. For days now, the crown prince’s gaze had changed whenever it fell upon her.
At first she had dismissed it as mere fatigue. But as time passed, she could no longer ignore the other emotion lurking beneath.
Suspicion.
It was the one feeling that frightened her most.
Who whispered in Leon’s ear?
Robento the Hero had never given her a clear answer to her request. That silence had likely reached the crown prince.
Everything she had shown Leon had been built on sand from the beginning.
One sentence claiming the Hero stood with them. The nobles’ supposed loyalty to the imperial family. The belief that Marshal Berhardt was ultimately the crown’s sword.
All of it had begun to crumble within mere months.
This cannot continue.
Perlin’s fingers tapped slowly against the window frame.
She had little time left. Before Leon’s doubt hardened, before her position wavered, before Marshal Berhardt made his move—she had to act.
Once she had moved others while remaining safe behind commands. Now no one moved for her. Not the crown prince, not the Hero. So she would have to go herself.
Marshal Berhardt…
The name she feared most. Now she would face him directly.
Perlin rose slowly. The mirror reflected her image—lavish dress, triumphant expression, the confident bearing of a future crown princess. She would have to set them all aside.
She turned from the mirror and took out a sheet of paper. Her pen moved across it.
Tomorrow. I wish to speak with you alone.
— Perlin Claire
In the office, Adjutant Raylin handed him a short letter.
“Lady Perlin Claire sent this herself.”
Arsens broke the seal and read the single line.
Tomorrow. I wish to speak with you alone.
He stared at the paper for a moment. Alone. Perlin had never made such a request before. The woman who had always hidden behind the crown prince now sought a private audience—this alone revealed her unease.
“She wants a private meeting,” he said.
“What will you do?”
At his adjutant’s question, Arsens gave a short nod.
“I’ll meet her.”
Desperate people made desperate moves. Perlin was doing exactly that. Very well. He would see what card she intended to play.
The next day, in the eastern corridor of the imperial palace.
Sunlight bathed the entire hallway. Flowers bloomed brilliantly in the garden beyond, yet the air inside remained cool.
Perlin Claire was already waiting.
Arsens studied her face. She looked different from usual. Her reddish-brown hair was neatly combed, her lips painted red. Even the light makeup could not hide her fair skin and striking features. Instead of her usual extravagant gown, she wore a simple, elegant outfit that somehow emphasized her beauty even more.
Standing alone in the corridor, she drew every eye by her mere presence. Now he understood why the crown prince and so many other men had been captivated by her.
Of course, such beauty held no power over him.
“You came,” she said, slowly raising her head as he entered.
“I have no intention of making this a long conversation. Get to the point.”
He stopped a few steps away—close enough to speak, yet not so close as to threaten. Perlin drew a steadying breath.
“I believe you already know why I requested this private meeting.”
“I don’t.”
“……”
“I was going to refuse. I only accepted out of respect for the crown prince’s dignity. So stop circling and speak plainly.”
Irritation flickered across her face, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Very well. There is only one thing I wish to know.”
She met his eyes directly.
“What is your true goal, Marshal?”
“My goal?”
“Yes. I want to know why you have changed so much.”
Arsens answered without hesitation. The question was not worth pondering.
“Preventing the empire’s collapse. That is my goal.”
“And I stand in the way of that goal?”
“You do.”
“Why?”
Her voice remained calm, yet desperation seeped through. Arsens regarded her for a moment.
“You tried to recall the northern reinforcements to keep me in check. You shielded the Northern Duke with personal sentiment and brought the Holy Kingdom into the empire without proper procedure. And above all—”
His voice dropped lower.
“You presume to judge and control imperial affairs from your position. On what basis do you make these judgments?”
Perlin could not answer immediately. She had relied on knowledge from the original novel, her connections, her influence over the crown prince. All of it was far too fragile. After all, her decisions had led to the empire’s destruction in the original story.
After a long hesitation, she spoke softly.
“I… I only want to live quietly and in peace.”
The words sounded sincere. So he offered her a path.
“Then I have a proposal.”
Arsens looked straight at her.
“If you truly desire only peace, there is one way.”
“What is it?”
“Let go of everything you hold. The crown prince’s side, your place in high society, your influence over imperial affairs—sever them all.”
Shock filled her eyes.
“Leave the palace and live as an ordinary noble. Or go to one of your many suitors. If you do so, I will guarantee your peace, wherever you choose to live.”
He paused, then added, “This is no lie. I swear it.”
Silence settled over the corridor. Perlin could not respond. No matter how long the silence stretched, she would never say “yes.”
Of course not. The peace she truly wanted was not simple tranquility. She wanted the crown prince’s favor, the center of high society, the power to move the imperial family with a single word—all of it kept while enjoying peace.
Perlin’s lips trembled. Finally she spoke, her voice low.
“…That is not peace.”
“Not peace?”
Arsens echoed her words.
“Strange. I offered you peace in any place you desired—any estate, any small villa—as long as it was not the capital. Why is that not peace?”
She could not answer at once. He continued quietly.
“The picture of peace you imagined already included standing beside the crown prince. It included the center of high society and the sensation of the imperial family moving at your command. When I told you to relinquish those things, even the same peace looked different to you.”
Her lips trembled again. Then her demeanor shifted.
“Marshal Berhardt. I know something about you.”
“……”
“You are not the kind of man who would treat someone like me so harshly.”
Her voice softened, the same tone she used with the crown prince.
“You may seem blunt before soldiers, yet you care for them more than anyone. You have never once questioned an imperial order. A man like that would never make such a cruel proposal. There must be some reason behind it.”
So this was her move. She appealed to Arsens Berhardt’s supposed character while subtly pointing out that the current man was different, hoping to win his favor. He had expected at least a proper negotiation. Perhaps he had overestimated her after all.
“Perlin Claire.”
“Yes?”
“Let me ask you one thing.”
His voice had grown colder than usual.
“Who exactly do you think I am?”
She faltered, stumbling over her words.
“That… well, as everyone knows…”
“What everyone knows are my actions, not my character.”
“……”
“I decide who I am.”
He took one step closer. Color drained from her face.
“How can someone who has never stood on the same battlefield as me claim to know me so well?”
Her lips pressed into a tight line.
“You said you knew me. But you do not. You are neither my comrade nor my friend.”
“But…”
“Therefore, you have no right to appeal to me.”
For the first time, her gaze crumbled. Silence fell over the corridor. A single bird called briefly from the garden.
Then Perlin Claire’s expression changed. Collapse turned to fury. Pleading turned to hostility. She stared at him for a long moment, her lips trembling.
“I see,” she finally said, her voice slightly hoarse. “I understand. I was foolish to come here today.”
She drew a short breath and met his eyes squarely.
“Marshal Berhardt. From this moment on, you and I are enemies.”
It was the first time she had openly shown him such clear hostility.
“Understood.”
Moisture briefly welled in her eyes before vanishing. She left him with one final sentence.
“Someday you will regret letting me go today.”
Would he?
The sound of her footsteps faded. Silence returned to the corridor. Arsens remained standing there for a long while. Beyond the corridor, flower petals trembled in the wind. A distant bell tolled.
Perlin Claire had left, carrying unmistakable enmity. She would no longer hesitate.
“Good.”
He turned and walked out of the corridor. Her last words lingered in his mind.
Someday you will regret it.
“Regret, is it…”
Perhaps he would. If he failed to prevent this world’s destruction, he might end his life filled with regret. But even that regret would be his own. He would never entrust his fate to someone else’s hands.