A Queen Stripped Bare
After returning from the Roberts Mansion, I was examining the Necklace of Truth. Resting on the table, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary necklace. But the moment it touched my skin, a faint, ethereal glow began to bleed from the sapphire. Princess Sera possessed no mana. This was an absolute, immutable setting established by the novel's narration. So why was this necklace reacting to me?
Of course, the novel's Princess Sera and I were not entirely the same person. There was a single, monumentally significant difference that had completely derailed the original plot. That difference, of course, was my presence inside Princess Sera's body. Was this discrepancy what allowed me to generate mana?
Princess Sera had no mana. If so, did the mana belong to me, the soul inhabiting her? Back in my original world, I was merely an overworked office worker, as far removed from fantasy and magic as one could get. Perhaps I had always possessed latent potential, just never the opportunity to manifest it? Or perhaps, just as Carmel's destiny to obtain the Book of Enekra had shifted, some grand, systemic change had occurred in the flow of this world.
Well, whatever. The reason didn't particularly matter. The crucial point was that I possessed mana. In other words, I could wield the Necklace of Truth myself. Furthermore, this meant I might have the opportunity to learn useful magic in the future. Expanding my arsenal of weapons was always a welcome prospect. My lack of self-defense capabilities had been one of my greatest vulnerabilities. Perhaps this would be the key to overcoming it.
Regardless, the Festival of the Sword was the immediate priority. Slipping the Necklace of Truth beneath my collar, I stepped out of my room. As the Queen, Carmel's windows of free, unmonitored movement were strictly limited. Her only chance to sneak into the knight barracks and weave her schemes was during those brief intervals. According to the schedule I had mapped out, Carmel would be making her move any moment now. I headed straight for her chambers.
Just outside her door, I ran into a slender maid.
"Is Mother inside? I have something to discuss with her."
"The Queen has just retired to sleep, Your Highness. She gave strict orders that no one is to be admitted except His Majesty the King. That includes you, Princess."
"Is that so?"
The maid bowed deeply to me and turned to leave. I watched her retreat down the corridor. Her name was Sophia, if I recalled correctly—a low-ranking maid I had seen around. Her duties were mostly limited to cleaning. It was highly suspicious for someone like Sophia, who wasn't even assigned to the Queen's personal quarters, to be emerging from Carmel's room at this exact hour.
In truth, I didn't even need to deduce anything. Through the power of the Necklace of Truth, Sophia's appearance was completely different to my eyes. I saw Carmel, dressed in a maid's uniform. It was quite a rare sight. There wouldn't be many opportunities to admire the proud Queen Carmel squeezed into the humble attire of a servant. Watching Carmel's retreating figure, I hurried down the stairs.
"We have apprehended her as you commanded, Princess." Filgret entered my chambers accompanied by two knights. He forced the captured maid to her knees before me.
"W-What did I do? Princess! I swear, I didn't do anything!" The maid dragged in by Filgret—none other than Sophia—pleaded with an expression of utter, desperate innocence.
To Filgret and the two knights, she undoubtedly looked exactly like Sophia. But to me, her true form was laid bare. The Necklace of Truth, which pierced through illusions, transformations, and all manner of deceptive magic, was proving its worth beautifully. At my whim, I could view her as Sophia, as Carmel, or even as a surreal overlap of both.
"Princess, ah... angelic Princess Sera! Please, have mercy on me! I truly didn't do anything wrong!" Watching Carmel play the part of a lowly, sniveling maid—so utterly contrary to her usual haughty demeanor—stirred something deeply sadistic within me. Carmel herself likely had no idea that she was making such a pathetic, tearful face with her own features. After savoring her expression to my heart's content, I turned to Filgret.
"Has she been searched?"
"She carries nothing that could be used as a weapon, Your Highness. However, a thorough search has not yet been conducted."
At the mention of a thorough search, Sophia's—no, Carmel's—face drained of all color. I offered her a sweet, gentle smile.
"Strip her down to her undergarments. Since she is a woman, I will conduct the physical search myself. Filgret, you may search the discarded clothing."
"What? W-Wait, please! What did I even do... D-Don't touch me!" Ah, her character was slipping. The real Sophia was far too timid to protest so fiercely. Of course, it only proved how utterly intolerable this situation was for the proud Queen Carmel.
"Be silent. This is the Princess's command." At Filgret's nod, the two knights pinned Carmel's arms. With her restrained, Filgret began to strip away her maid uniform.
"Do you... do you have any idea who I... ugh..." Overwhelmed by shame, Carmel nearly spat out words that a mere maid could never utter, but she bit her lip just in time. Her face was a mask of sheer indignation and suppressed fury. Then, her trembling, anxious gaze darted toward me. At this point, it was only natural for her to suspect that her disguise had been compromised. I casually avoided her eyes.
Before long, her outer garments were completely stripped away. Carmel was left standing in nothing but black lace lingerie—far too luxurious for a low-ranking maid to ever own. I gestured to the knights to release her.
"I am sorry, Sophia. With the Festival of the Sword so close, I cannot afford to leave any room for doubt. Please understand. This will be over shortly."
"Ugh, hng..." Watching Carmel squirm in absolute helplessness was the ultimate delicacy. Normally, no matter how humiliating the circumstances, Carmel would try to maintain some semblance of her pride. But now, forced to play the role of the pitiful Sophia, she had no choice but to lay bare her fragile, trembling vulnerability.
I approached her with a warm, reassuring smile meant to put her at ease. Stepping behind her, I leaned in close and whispered softly into her ear.
"Stand up straight and spread your arms, Sophia."
"...Yes..." Ultimately, Carmel seemed to resign herself to her fate. Without further resistance, she raised both arms to shoulder height. Reaching around her from behind, I began my search.
Naturally, there was no point in searching areas that were already fully visible. I slid my hands directly inside her bra, grabbing and kneading Carmel's bare, plump breasts.
With trembling eyes, Carmel forced out Sophia's meek voice. "P-Princess... this is..."
"Bear with me for just a moment. I want to believe you too, Sophia."
Aside from Filgret, who was busy rifling through the discarded maid uniform, the other knights kept their eyes trained on us to guard against any sudden threats. Refraining from staring directly at her nakedness was the bare minimum of chivalric courtesy they could offer. Even so, the shame must have been agonizing. For the Queen—a woman whose pride towered above all others—to be stripped nearly naked in a room full of men was a humiliation beyond measure. Carmel had to be drowning in mortification.
But I had no intention of stopping there. Considering the sheer audacity of her schemes, no amount of humiliation would ever be enough to pay her back. My heart raced with an uncontrollable, wicked excitement as I slid my hands to her back. With a swift flick, I unclasped her bra, stripping her upper body completely bare.
"...Ah...?" Carmel spun her head to look at me, her expression one of sheer disbelief. She looked utterly paralyzed by shock and terror.
I casually inspected the discarded bra, turning it over in my hands. "Hmm, it doesn't seem like there's any hidden pockets here... Nothing suspicious. Here, you can have it back, Sophia."
"Ah, h-hng..." Carmel's heavy, anxious breaths made her magnificent breasts heave up and down. To the knights, this exquisite display of flesh remained invisible; they only perceived the flat, meager chest of the maid Sophia. I gently pressed the bra back against Carmel's breasts and fastened it.
Only one place left to search. I slid my hand down toward Carmel's lower body. But that, it seemed, was a line she absolutely could not bear to cross. Violating my instructions, "Sophia" reached out and grabbed both of my wrists.
"P-Princess... please, not there... I beg of you..." Seeing Carmel shake her head with a tearful face, still desperately trying to mimic Sophia, made my heart swell with a dark, intoxicating warmth. But before I could fully savor the sight, the knights lunged forward and violently twisted her arms behind her back.
"Ah! Ahhh!"
"How dare you lay your filthy hands on the Princess! You worthless wench!"
Carmel glared at the two knights with eyes burning with genuine, murderous intent. I offered a gentle, placating smile and spoke to the guards.
"Stop. Do not be so rough with her. It is only natural for a lady to feel frightened and ashamed in this situation. As a fellow woman, I understand her feelings completely."
"B-But Princess... this wench..."
"Did I not just say it is fine? Release her. That is an order."
At the word "order," the knights immediately let go of Carmel and stepped back to their positions. Carmel ground her teeth, her body trembling with a rage she could barely contain. Well, she had no one to blame but herself. This was all her own doing. Sneaking around disguised as Sophia to weave her little conspiracies was entirely Carmel's own choice.
I leaned in and whispered into the ear of the shivering Queen. "Do not worry, Sophia. You couldn't possibly hide anything substantial beneath such thin fabric anyway. Instead of stripping you... I will simply use my hands to make sure."
Carmel's eyes remained wild with confusion. Did I know her true identity, or was I simply a sadistic princess taking pleasure in tormenting a helpless maid? But whatever the truth, she had no other options. She had to endure this. Finally, Carmel gave a microscopic nod and squeezed out a reply.
"...Yes... P-Princess..."
Ah, I couldn't hold back any longer. Feeling a dark, intoxicating thrill surge deep within my chest, I slid my hand directly between Carmel's thighs.