Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: How a Sheep Lives in a Lion's Den #3
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“ Aira, my cousin Isolde’s daughter. Great Queen of Angmar. Welcome. But I never imagined you’d come like this, without any escort or prior notice.”
“Why would I need notice or an escort to visit my family’s home, Duke Reinhardt?”
“I see. Well, since we weren’t informed of your visit, we haven’t prepared much, but please come in.”
The head of the Liones family, Reinhardt, presented a lavish feast to the unexpected visitor, Aira.
All the mansion’s servants rushed out, carrying food and dishes, bustling about until the long table was filled with mouthwatering dishes that whetted the appetite just by looking at them.
*Perfect, I’m starving.*
“Family head, today’s main course is an Orv종 pig raised solely on grains, roasted over charcoal—”
“That’s enough. You may go.”
Reinhardt waved off the butler who was explaining the menu. Only then did the butler leave with a relieved expression.
“So.”
Reinhardt added a few more words to Aira, seated across from him.
“If you’d given us even a hint that you were coming, I could have prepared a more splendid banquet.”
It sounded polite, but in noble-speak, it meant, *‘You weren’t invited, so why show up suddenly and bother us?’*
Aira received a pour of wine from a servant with practiced grace and spoke in a languid voice.
“My thanks for the hospitality, my great-uncle. As the rumors say, it’s a magnificent estate. Though I think it would be even lovelier with a few more flowers in the garden.”
“Flowers are no trouble. I’ll have some more planted to please Your Majesty. But what brings you here so suddenly?”
Reinhardt didn’t hide his discomfort.
In this world, who else but this man could express such displeasure toward Queen Aira?
Even watching made my mouth go dry, forcing me to gulp down plain water repeatedly. The servants standing at a distance nearby looked the same.
Unaware or uncaring of my thoughts, Aira picked up her knife and sliced the meat on her plate with light strokes before speaking casually.
“I assume you’ve heard from my man Theo about my succession issue.”
“Ah, that matter.”
“So, that child is your treasure, Young Lord Richard.”
Srrk.
Aira turned her gaze to the little boy sitting beside Reinhardt.
Richard, who had been listening to the conversation with great interest, stood from his seat and bowed.
“Esteemed Queen, I am Richard von Liones.”
“How clever. So different from Elga.”
At that, Elga—who had been eating from the dish on Reinhardt’s right—slammed her fist on the table with a bang.
“What’s that supposed to mean? That I’m not clever? You show up out of nowhere and badmouth the host…!”
Elga was furious for some reason.
Furious enough that it felt like steam was rising from her head.
Soon, her father Reinhardt scolded her with a “Quiet down,” and Aira dismissed Elga’s words as if they were of no importance.
“Young Lord Richard, how old are you?”
“Esteemed Queen, I am five years old this year.”
“I see.”
“May I ask one question?”
Srrrk. In that moment, everyone at the table froze in their expressions and movements.
They were tense, wondering if the young child Richard might ask something offensive to the queen.
Even the maids watching from afar covered their faces with their hands.
━God of light and salt, protect our young lord━.
━What on earth will he ask the queen…?
But unlike them, I could leisurely sip my grape juice this time. I knew Aira was endlessly indulgent with children.
“Very well.”
With Aira’s permission, Richard—now the center of attention—asked his question.
“Does Your Majesty sing songs like the other princesses?”
“Sing?”
When Aira echoed the question as if it were strange, Reinhardt—who had taken a dignified sip of wine—answered in her stead.
“Richard. The queen does not sing. Only princesses may sing. Now sit and begin your meal.”
Apparently so.
Disappointed, Richard sat back down.
“You’re so beautiful, I thought you’d sound wonderful if you sang.”
“Young Lord Richard. When I was a princess, I used to sing with my sisters. Birds and deer would gather to listen intently.”
Aira gazed into the distance, seemingly lost in memories. A singing Aira? Impossible to imagine.
“But queens cannot sing. No queen sings.”
“Not even one?”
The boy’s innocent question jolted through my mind.
A queen who sings.
One came to mind.
A mage who spat ice from her hands. She’d even lost both parents in an accident and become queen young, much like Aira.
If the original story had been Disney genre, would Aira have ended up like that?
Anyway.
Clack, clack.
The sudden banquet proceeded without any particular incidents.
“I’m not clever…?”
Elga grumbled midway, but it was so routine it wasn’t especially memorable. The real issue came next.
After the meal ended, with tea and cake placed on the now-empty table, Aira spoke.
“Then, great-uncle, you’ll need to start commuting to the court from tomorrow. There’s much to handle to make young Richard my successor.”
She revealed everything that had been kept confidential. Elga and everyone else listening were stunned.
“What? Aira, why make my little brother your successor?”
As Elga growled, Richard—who had been quietly listening—asked.
“Me, as successor…? Does that mean I could become queen like you someday, Lady Aira?”
Queen? What?
I felt the need to correct the child’s knowledge.
“Young Lord Richard. You cannot become queen. Only women can.”
“Sir Gospel. Why can’t men become queens? I want to be a splendid queen like Lady Aira.”
“Well—”
This was a deeply philosophical question.
Why can’t men be queens?
Even in the 21st century, with all its lively debates on gender roles, it remained unsolved.
As I hemmed and hawed without a good answer,
The magnanimous Richard let out a small sigh as if there were no helping it.
“What about princess, then? Princesses can sing as much as they want—it seems nice…. Actually, I’d rather be a princess than a queen. That’s possible, right?”
No, why is this kid so obsessed with princesses?
Elga the delinquent too, and now her son.
At this point, is there something wrong with the Liones family education?
Aira said,
“Young Richard, I’ll specially adjust the laws so you can become a princess.”
“Wow.”
...
I swallowed a sigh as Reinhardt rubbed his face with his hand and spoke.
“This… there’s just too much to deal with.”
Aira slurped her tea and replied lightly.
“You’ll handle it well, great-uncle.”
It didn’t seem laden with much meaning, but surprisingly, it made many fall deep into thought.
* * *
“Hey, Aira. What was that? My dad as prime minister? And making my little brother your successor? Why all these secrets I didn’t know about?”
After dinner.
Elga confronted Aira, who was touring the garden.
Probably only Elga could question Aira like that. But Aira remained nonchalant.
“Now you know, so that’s that.”
“That’s not it. Why were all these things happening behind my back without me knowing?”
Elga’s eyes—strikingly blue but somehow burning fiercely—now turned to me beside her.
“Hey, Theo. Did you know?”
“Well—”
Of course I knew. It was my idea.
But no need to tell Elga, so I hadn’t. If she knew, things might’ve gone sideways.
Elga didn’t stop, growing even angrier.
“Now my little brother might become a princess because of you! Don’t blow weird ideas into his head!”
Ah, that I swear I didn’t know. Fair to be mad about that.
“So, is it true you’re enrolling in the academy, Aira?”
“…….”
Even Aira didn’t answer this time.
Aira going to the academy.
It hadn’t been decided yet.
“Aira, the academy’s in the Gracia Holy Kingdom, right? You know how strict and harsh the rules are there. You won’t be able to act freely like you do now.”
“Elga, I’ve never acted freely.”
“Don’t lie. Anyway—think it over. Even for a year, can you really live that boring, dull life like the Radiant Flame cultists?”
“…….”
Aira’s brow twitched. Seizing the momentum, Elga said excitedly.
“Hey, you have to wake at 6 a.m. every morning for prayer. Make your own schedule and attend lectures daily—”
“…….”
“Daily runs too. Roll call before bed. If I’d been sent to war, maybe, but you? Dorm life on top?”
“…….”
Shadows crept over Aira’s face.
Elga’s whispering malice was turning Aira against the academy.
“Hey, and there? Neighboring princes, princesses, nobles, grand dukes strutting around and showing off. Think you can put up with that?”
“...Surely Kasim, that guy, isn’t coming too?”
“Oh, Kasim—if you enroll, he’ll definitely show. Same lectures as Kasim for a year. Imagine.”
“Mm….”
Aira’s expression darkened noticeably.
A chill ran down my spine too, like cold blood settling in my veins.
Elga, you wicked bitch.
She was trying to ruin my long-term plan!
In a dark hero story locked into an execution ending, twisting fate toward survival meant shifting genres—and nothing beat academy for that.
Academy was my top pick, purely subjective.
Every academy story I remembered ended in a happy ending.
Plus, this world had a real academy run by the church to train heroes and paladins.
Called Ark.
Even when the barrier fell and the dark forces invaded, Ark alone held as a defensive stronghold.
For Aira and my safety, nowhere better. Named Ark for that reason, probably.
So, no matter what, Aira and I had to go there.
“Aira, picture it: Kasim in your daily lectures, group, assignments. That greasy pig courting you every day.”
“Kasim…. That’s a bit…”
Damn it.
I resolved to deal with Elga grabbing Aira’s ankle somehow.
Execution as always: after Aira slept early.
“Sleepy. Where’s the bedroom?”
“Your Majesty—I, Theo Gospel, will guide you.”
I led Queen Aira to the most luxurious, secure room and watched until she lay in bed and fell asleep.
“See you tomorrow, Theo.”
“Good night.”
Exhausted from the sudden visit, Aira fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Snooore. Snooore.
Seems reckless to sleep so defenseless away from home, but top-circle mages like Aira always wrap themselves in magic, so it’s fine.
Even asleep, a mage is deadlier than a starving lion.
The problem wasn’t Aira—it was that one.
“Hey, Theo. I’ve got a lot to say about today. Better drop the sleep idea.”
As I stepped out, Elga cracked her knuckles with a menacing pop, ready for a fight. I had business with her too.
Tonight, I’d collar Elga.
By any means.
To survive.