A Poisonous Provocation
The place I chose for my vacation was a village not very far from Lurie. It was a rustic countryside town with nothing special to see or enjoy. Its only unique feature was that hot springs bubbled up from the ground. But even that wasn't much of a distinction. Nearby, there was a famous resort town with much larger, grander hot springs. Unless you were a hot spring fanatic who absolutely had to soak in every single spring in existence, no one would ever visit such a minor, obscure place.
The fewer people caught in the crossfire, the better. If things went wrong, there was a chance the entire village could turn into a battlefield. I didn't know the exact location of Rika's unit. But considering their objective, they must have reached at least the outskirts of the royal capital. From there, this village would be well within their reach.
I hadn't disclosed my vacation plans to anyone except my escort guard. However, I did submit a detailed report to Pehart. Naturally, in Carmel's presence.
"Mmm, forget about state affairs for a while and get some proper rest, Sera."
"Yes, Father."
Naturally, Pehart raised no objections. Over his shoulder, I could feel Carmel staring intently at my vacation itinerary. She is probably racking her brain, trying to figure out how to exploit this opportunity.
After finishing my report to Pehart, I returned to my room. Before departing, I still had work to do. There was no telling what Carmel might pull in the palace while I was away. Of course, as long as I captured Rika, I could handle whatever minor moves Carmel made, but it was best to establish a bare minimum of defense just in case.
At this hour, Carmel would be with Pehart. Slipping a Recording Crystal into my breast pocket, I headed straight for Carmel's chambers.
"Ah, Princess. The Queen is not in her room at the moment."
"Oh, is that so? Well, I have plenty of free time today, so I'll wait inside."
"According to her schedule, it will take at least an hour..."
"Fufu, I don't mind waiting that long."
I slipped past the maid with an angelic smile. As I stepped into the room, the person I actually wanted to see was pressed flat against the wall, bowing her head deeply to me.
"Don't just stand there, sit down, Shinia. Keep me company while I wait for Mother."
"Ah, y-yes, Princess."
Shinia sat at the table with a hesitant, timid posture. The luxurious table looked strangely fitting with her maid uniform. I spoke to Shinia in a casual, conversational tone.
"You've already been working in the royal palace for eight years now. You used to be so full of mistakes... but your skills kept improving, and before I knew it, you became the Queen's personal maid... Fufu, you've really grown, Shinia."
"Ah, y-yes, th-thank you... It is all thanks to your generosity, Princess..."
Perhaps due to her lack of confidence, Shinia tended to get scolded much harsher than others even for the same mistakes. The kind Princess Sera had shielded Shinia on numerous occasions.
"But serving a new master must be very difficult for you. Especially Mother... Lady Carmel has quite a temper."
Shinia didn't dare to agree aloud, merely fidgeting with her fingers. I looked at her and said,
"Shinia... would you mind taking off your clothes for a moment?"
"Pardon? Princess, what do you mean by..."
"It's an order, Shinia. There is no one here but you and me. Don't worry, take them off."
Shinia's hands, clenched tightly on the table, trembled. A few tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at me. Wiping them away roughly with the back of her hand, Shinia stripped off the top of her maid uniform. Clad only in her undergarments, her upper body was covered in countless whip welts.
"Just as I thought... but this is even worse than I imagined. Sigh... Why must Mother be so cruel..."
Carmel's personality was wicked to the core. There was no need to recall the contents of the original novel to know how such a person would treat an overwhelmingly weak subordinate who could never fight back. With a look of deep pity, I gently touched Shinia's scars. Some of them were clearly fresh. The poor girl began to sob, her bottled-up emotions finally leaking out.
"Even this morning... she said she didn't like how I did her hair... Actually, it's much worse lower down... so bad that I wouldn't dare show you, Princess... *hic*, *sob*..."
"Shinia..."
Carmel whipped her maids over the most trivial pretexts. Along with the physical violence, she undoubtedly hurled verbal abuse that bordered on character assassination. Moreover, her mood must have been particularly foul on the days I paid her a visit. The primary scapegoat was likely Shinia, who was always closest at hand. Wrapping my arms warmly around Shinia's shoulders, I spoke.
"Shinia... I am always on your side. That's why I'm asking... if you could escape your current position, if you could leave the Queen's personal service... what would you want to do?"
"Pardon? Is... is that... possible?"
Hope sparkled in Shinia's eyes. Her face looked as though she would gladly sell her soul to the devil if it meant escaping her current reality.
"Of course, it's impossible right away. Unless the Queen herself sends you to me... But I have a way. A way to transfer you from the Queen's personal service to my own."
"R-Really? Princess Sera, I... I can't take this anymore..."
"Yes. But to do that, I need your cooperation, Shinia... Can you trust me and follow my lead?"
"I-I will! I can trust you, Princess...! You would never break a promise, even one made to someone as insignificant as me... Wh-what do I need to do?"
Looking at Shinia, who was desperately clinging to me for salvation, I gave her a gentle smile.
"While I am away from the palace, record every single person Carmel meets. Do not miss a single one."
Shinia nodded rapidly, like a broken doll.
"Then, I shall be on my way, Father."
The carriage was rather humble for a princess's departure. Just before boarding, I bid farewell to Pehart.
"Mmm, travel safely."
As Pehart finished speaking, Carmel, who had been standing beside him, suddenly stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me as if she were a real mother sending off her beloved daughter.
"What is the meaning of this, Mother?"
To be honest, the sudden rush of Carmel's scent made me feel incredibly good. Pressing her lips close to my ear, Carmel whispered.
"I'll make you regret leaving the palace, Sera."
"And how will you do that?"
With the nobles keeping a low profile and Shinia acting as my eyes, I had nothing to fear regardless of what moves Carmel made. However, Carmel's response was far from what I expected.
"I'm going to have sex with your father. Every single night."
"What?"
"Fufu, there's no need to look so shocked. It's only natural between husband and wife. Every single day, I will spread my legs and swallow your father's cock. I'll make sure to get pregnant with a child that will threaten your succession to the throne."
"Carmel... you...!"
Hot blood rushed through my veins. Watching my reaction, Carmel whispered in my ear once more, her voice dripping with sickening sweetness.
"Fufu, that expression... I love it. Are you frustrated? Even if that pathetic excuse of a man is your father, fufu, fuhaha."
Pehart and Carmel were King and Queen. It was only natural for them to perform their marital duties. I had already braced myself for that reality the moment she was welcomed as Queen. However, it seemed I had merely tolerated it out of necessity, rather than truly accepting it.
The moment I heard Carmel's provocation, my mind went completely blank. Just imagining Carmel tangled naked with Pehart made my hands and feet tremble with rage.
"I'm warning you. If you let Pehart touch you, I will make you regret it, Carmel."
I knew full well that such a warning would have no effect on Carmel in this situation. If anything, she would only be more thrilled to do exactly what I hated. But at this moment, I couldn't think rationally.
Carmel ignored my words. Instead, she put on a soft smile and spoke like an affectionate mother.
"Have a safe trip, Princess Sera."
With those parting words, Carmel stepped back to Pehart's side and naturally linked her arm with his. I stared the two of them down, my teeth grinding in sheer fury.
I turned on my heel with heavy steps and boarded the carriage, desperately trying to calm my mind and regain my composure. The carriage slowly began to roll forward. Filgret, riding on horseback, approached the carriage side, tapped on the window, and asked softly.
"Are you alright, Princess?"
"Leave me... leave me alone for a moment."
"Understood."
The more you tell yourself not to think about something, the more it consumes your mind. I clenched my interlaced fingers so hard it hurt. What should have been a lighthearted journey for a vacation felt incredibly heavy right from the start.
I couldn't turn the carriage back now. I couldn't afford to blow the perfect opportunity to resolve the issue with Rika. As for Carmel... since things had come to this, there was no way to stop her. In that case, I would just have to correct her misbehavior later.
Once I returned, I would make this lewd, wicked woman pay dearly for her debauchery. Yes, not with the half-hearted punishments I had meted out so far, but in a far more direct, thorough manner. That was the best course of action I could take against Carmel.
A heavy, dark emotion slowly dyed my heart. In stark contrast to my mood, the carriage rattled along cheerfully, heading toward the quiet, peaceful hot spring village.