The Leverage of the Letters

Count Roberts did not face the execution he had so dreaded. This was solely because the charges of attempted regicide and high treason had been omitted from his indictment.

Graham Roberts, his wife, and his two sons were exiled to a remote island. That was the extent of his sentence. Of course, the House of Roberts itself was not entirely dismantled. Grave as their crimes were, they remained one of the Six Great Families. Had the crown attempted to utterly eradicate their lineage, the Noble Council would never have stood idly by.

Instead, the succession fell to Graham Roberts's twelve-year-old nephew, William Roberts. Though the family was stripped of its countship and demoted two ranks to a mere barony, their vast fortune and merchant coalition remained intact. After all, the true power of the House of Roberts had never resided in their noble title, but in their bottomless wealth.

A twelve-year-old baron. It was only natural that a boy so young would require a guardian. Before departing for his exile, Graham Roberts had personally designated the new Baron Roberts's guardian. That guardian's name was... Sera Rustier.

That had been the final term of my deal with Graham. Even in his ruin, he desperately wished for the House of Roberts to endure. It was a delicious irony—the exact opposite of what Carmel had intended when she sought to bring the Roberts family under her thumb.

Today was the day I would meet William Roberts for the first time. He received me in the drawing room of the Roberts Mansion, which looked considerably emptier than it had during my last visit.

"It is an honor to meet you, Princess Sera. I am William Roberts, head of the House of Roberts."

Quite polite. William had lost both of his parents at a tender age, raised instead by a nanny hired by Graham. Perhaps his remarkably mature demeanor stemmed from that lonely upbringing. Personally, I would have preferred a brainless, spoiled rich boy—they are far easier to manipulate, after all.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Baron Roberts. As you are undoubtedly aware, I have assumed the role ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of your guardian in accordance with Graham Roberts's final wishes. I look forward to our association."

He rose from his seat, took my offered hand, gave it a polite shake, and spoke.

"Thank you for sparing my uncle's life and preserving the House of Roberts, Princess Sera."

"Did Graham tell you that much? No, I highly doubt he would have."

"It is highly unusual for a member of the royal family to act as a guardian for a noble house. Furthermore, for the very princess who exposed my uncle's crimes to step into that role... One cannot help but deduce that a transaction of some kind took place."

His reasoning was remarkably sharp for a twelve-year-old. This little boy is quite intriguing, isn't he?

"Hehe, I shall leave that to your imagination. Tell me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Baron Roberts, how do you intend to manage your house moving forward?"

William offered a faint smile, answering without a shred of hesitation, as if the matter had long been settled.

"I intend to entrust all matters regarding the estate and the management of the merchant coalition entirely to you, Princess, as my guardian."

"Yielding so easily... I doubt this comes without a price. What is it you want?"

"I ask only that you grant me two conditions. First, that when I come of age, you will return all of my rights to me."

"Of course. That is the very definition of a guardian, after all."

A guardian's duty was to manage affairs on another's behalf until they reached adulthood. Of course, history was rife with malicious guardians who refused to relinquish their grip on power even after their wards came of age.

"Thank you. Second, I ask that you shield the House of Roberts from the interference of other nobles to the absolute best of your ability."

This boy is truly something else.

A twelve-year-old child had suddenly become the head of a noble house—and not just any house, but the famously wealthy House of Roberts. It was only natural that the hyenas of the high nobility would begin circling. Some might even resort to violence to seize a piece of the pie. This clever little boy had calmly assessed his own lack of power and was asking me, a princess, to serve as his shield until he grew strong enough to defend himself.

Naturally, his request aligned perfectly with my own interests. It meant I would have free rein over the vast resources of the House of Roberts until the day he came of age.

"Did Graham instruct you to say this before he departed?"

"No. My uncle was in no state of mind to offer counsel... This was simply the only viable path I could devise on my own."

My, my. By the time this boy reaches adulthood, he might very well elevate his house to heights Graham could only dream of.

"Very well. We have a deal, Baron Roberts."

"Thank you once again, Princess."

As he offered me one last bright smile, he looked, for all the world, like the innocent twelve-year-old boy he was.

Thus, the affair of Count Roberts drew to a close, leaving me with the most exquisite outcome imaginable.

By assuming guardianship over the young baron, the immense wealth and administrative power of the House of Roberts fell entirely into my hands. The Noble Council would undoubtedly attempt to interfere, wary of a royal seizing control of such a powerful merchant guild, but that would be a minor hurdle at best.

Moreover, I had a distinct feeling that William's sharp intellect would prove invaluable to me in the future. It felt as though I had unearthed a rare and precious gem.

And finally, there were the letters exchanged between Graham and Carmel. I now possessed the perfect leverage to squeeze my dear stepmother once more. Watching Graham's ruin unfold, Carmel was likely trembling in fear, wondering when the executioner's axe would swing her way. Tucking the correspondence safely into my robes, I made my way to her chambers.

"Your Majesty, Princess Sera has arrived to see you."

I could no longer slip into her quarters in secret as I once had. As the newly crowned Queen, Carmel was constantly flanked by her personal maids. When I stepped into the room, she received me from her seat at the tea table.

"Welcome, Princess Sera. What brings you to my chambers?"

It was truly admirable how she maintained such a poised facade when her insides must have been burning with anxiety. I offered her an equally pleasant smile.

"I have a matter of grave importance to discuss. Might we speak in private, Mother?"

As I spoke, I casually slipped a letter in a distinctive green envelope from my sleeve. Carmel's fragile composure shattered in an instant.

"...Leave us. I wish to speak with Princess Sera alone."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The moment the heavy doors clicked shut behind the maids, Carmel spat out through gritted teeth.

"...I told him to burn them immediately! That absolute fool...!"

"You simply didn't understand Count Roberts, Mother. At his core, the man is a coward."

I watched as Carmel's hands, resting upon the polished wood of the table, began to tremble. I pulled one of the letters from the stack and began to read it aloud.

"My, my. Your vocabulary is rather violent, Mother."

"...Do you have any proof that I wrote that?"

"But of course. We have the testimonies of the palace staff who witnessed the correspondence passing between you and Graham, Graham's own confession, and the handwriting on these very pages. Surely you aren't going to claim that all of this is a fabrication?"

I tossed the entire stack onto the table. Eighteen letters in total. Carmel stared at them with a mixture of fury and despair before looking up at me.

"What is it you want?"

It seemed Carmel had finally learned the rules of our game, quickly accepting her role. The role of the loser, destined to endure her punishment.

I fully intended to raise the stakes this time. Carmel was now the Queen Consort; even a minor misstep on her part could bring ruin to the entire kingdom. It was only fitting that her punishment escalate in proportion to her newfound status.

"To begin, please strip off everything you are wearing. Oh, do not misunderstand—this is not my demand, merely the basic preparation."

"Again...? You want me to strip again...?"

Carmel's eyes trembled with anxiety as the memories of her past humiliations flooded her mind. She struggled to master her agitation, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"Let us make one thing clear. If I submit to your demands, you will destroy these letters, correct?"

"Of course. I give you my word that every single one of them will be destroyed right here, in this very room."

"...Fine."

Closing her eyes in defeat, Carmel stood up. With slow, resigned movements, she began to shed her garments layer by layer.

Today, Carmel wore a gown that exuded the regal dignity of a queen. But as the heavy fabric pooled at her feet, the voluptuous, intensely feminine curves she kept hidden beneath were slowly laid bare. It was a sight I had witnessed before, yet it never failed to captivate me. If anything, the thrill was even greater now. Carmel was now the undisputed Queen of the realm—my stepmother. The delicious, forbidden weight of our transgression sent a shiver of pure ecstasy straight to my core.

Her hands hesitated when they reached her delicate silk underwear, held up by lace garter straps. Steeling her resolve, she slid them down her long legs. Standing completely naked before me, she tried to maintain a facade of dignity, but it was clear she could never truly grow accustomed to such exposure. In the middle of her lavish royal chambers, the naked Queen's face burned a deep, brilliant crimson.

"...I-I did as you asked. What now?"

Try as she might to control it, her voice trembled with a mixture of fear and arousal. A delicious shiver ran down my spine as I looked at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her.

"Today, Mother, I think I shall lay my hands on your body. And of course... you have no right to refuse."