A Rule Unagreed Upon
"You can deliver these safely, right, Shinia?" I handed two sealed envelopes to Shinia. She took them and immediately tucked them away inside her dress.
"Do not worry, Princess. I just need to deliver both to Lord Filgret, correct?"
"Yes. Please do."
Seeing the inscription on the envelope, Filgret would know exactly what to do and deliver it safely. What I was asking of William Roberts was to gather detailed intelligence on the Lorencia family. Though they had their share of troubles, the Roberts family was still a member of the Noble Council. There would certainly be information that could only be obtained through their channels.
The Lorencia family rarely engaged in public activities. While the one holding decision-making power within the family was undoubtedly the patriarch, Reid Lorencia, even the royal family did not have a clear grasp of their internal affairs. Shrouded in the prestige of the highest nobility, they merely watched the developments of the Luistie Kingdom with quiet, genteel observation. That was the impression I had of the Lorencia family.
Demanding information on such a family might be too tall an order for William, who, despite his cleverness, was still little more than a boy. However, this was also my test for William Roberts. A test to determine if he was truly a useful asset to me. Well, even if his results fell short of my expectations, I intended to reward him in proportion to the trust he had shown me.
Shinia tucked the letters I gave her deep into her bosom and left the room. Now, with the outside affairs left to those on the outside, I had to do what I needed to do. Even confined to this room, there was a way to extract information. And highly confidential information at that. After all, Carmel herself would know the details of her own schemes better than anyone. I waited for her return with a pleasant anticipation.
It was late in the evening when Carmel returned to the room. Watching her as she was dressed by the maids, her face tense with wariness as always, I spoke to her.
"You are quite late returning today, Mother."
"Hmph, that is none of your concern, Sera. Staying quietly in this room like an obedient lapdog is the punishment you've been given, isn't it?"
Her reaction was sharper than usual. In contrast, I replied with a gentle, serene expression.
"You shouldn't say such things, Mother. As your daughter, isn't it only natural for me to take an interest in your affairs? Besides, promoting mutual friendship between us was the very intent of His Majesty the King when he confined me here."
"Always so glib..." Dressed in more comfortable attire, Carmel grimaced and stretched herself out on the sofa. She didn't seem to realize it herself, but her posture was quite provocative to me.
"Your official schedule for today shouldn't have kept you out this late, Mother. Did you go to meet someone in secret?"
At my casual, conversational question, Carmel's expression shifted. Staring sharply at my face, she dismissed all the maids from the room.
"It seems our little Princess has quite a few rats at her beck and call. Well, they must be those leftovers from the royal guard. You're right. A plan you know nothing about is unfolding in a place you cannot see. So, what can you possibly do about it?"
It had been a while since I had seen Carmel look so triumphant. It seemed her secret meeting with the Lorencia family had given her a surge of confidence.
"Do you truly believe the Lorencia family will move according to your wishes?"
"Lorencia? Ah, those insolently arrogant fools? Well, feel free to imagine whatever you like."
There was not a shred of agitation in either her voice or her expression. It meant Carmel knew that, at this point, my only recourse was to probe her like this.
"This is merely advice for your own sake, Mother. The Lorencia family likely believes that they, not the royal family, are the true masters of this country. Surely you don't think they would sincerely ally themselves with a queen brought in from a foreign land?"
I said this to shake her, but it wasn't a baseless claim. The power of the Noble Council, rallied around the Lorencia family, was formidable enough to rival the royal family itself.
"Hmph, I know that much." Carmel sat up as she answered, but immediately furrowed her brow. She seemed to realize what she had done the moment the words left her mouth. Her response was practically a confession that she had met with the Lorencia family today.
"Another one of your insidious tricks..."
"A trick? Heavens, no. I am simply worried about you, Mother. Just imagining you being taken advantage of by anyone other than me makes my blood boil."
I wasn't saying this just to needle her; it was the absolute truth. The one to defeat Carmel had to be me. I had no desire to see Carmel stabbed in the back by those arrogant nobles. None at all.
However, contrary to my sincere(?) feelings, Carmel seemed to take my words as a provocation.
"Don't act so high and mighty, Sera. You're locked up here, unable to do a single thing. Just know that while you are wasting your days away like this, the place where you belong is slowly crumbling to pieces."
"The place where I belong..." I slowly rose from my seat and approached the sofa where Carmel sat with her legs stretched out.
"W-what...?" Carmel looked up, startled, but she clearly didn't want to lose the upper hand, judging by how she refused to shift her posture.
Meeting her gaze, I offered her an angelic smile and spoke.
"The only place I belong is by your side, Mother. No matter what schemes you plot, no matter what tyranny the nobles commit, even if this kingdom falls to ruin—that is the one thing that will never change."
Was it an answer she hadn't anticipated? Carmel looked utterly dumbfounded. Her mouth parted, hovering as if to say something, before snapping shut. She then corrected her posture and adjusted her slightly disheveled clothes.
"You are insane..."
Ah, the ultimate compliment. Every time I heard those words from Carmel, a delicious shiver ran from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes.
That night, Carmel only came to bed after making sure I was asleep. Of course, I was wide awake.
In truth, I was merely lying still with my eyes closed, not sleeping at all. I waited as Carmel, who had been stealing glances at me from the sofa, crept into bed and drifted off, her breathing turning soft and rhythmic.
Well, it wasn't as if I had some dark, insidious intention. I was simply lost in thought.
Trading words with Carmel was always entertaining, but yesterday hadn't yielded much of a harvest. At best, I had confirmed that Filgret's report was indeed accurate.
Still, knowing exactly who my opponent was was useful information in its own right. But being unable to move freely myself was proving to be rather inconvenient.
The warning I gave Carmel yesterday had been entirely sincere. I had no desire to see Carmel fall prey to someone else's deception. Of course, I didn't think she would be so easily bested. In the original novel, even the Lorencia family had ultimately knelt before her.
However, it was also true that Carmel currently possessed neither the Book of Enekra nor Rika. I needed to prepare for any contingencies.
Come to think of it, it was a rather peculiar situation. Carmel was seizing the opportunity of my confinement to ally with the Lorencia family and bring me down, yet here I was, actually worrying about her.
Well, perhaps it was only natural. Though Carmel and I were adversaries, the goals we pursued were entirely different.
Carmel's goal was to seize this kingdom. In that process, she didn't care if I was ruined or if I vanished entirely. In fact, my destruction might even be necessary for her to achieve her aim.
But my goal, first and foremost, was Carmel's very body. Defeating her was a given, but I couldn't allow her to be destroyed too utterly. In essence, I was fighting with a self-imposed handicap.
'Well, I suppose I am using a cheat of my own...'
The advantage of knowing the novel's plot. Even though the timeline had drifted significantly, it was still a powerful asset. I had reaped its benefits in all my victories so far.
Then, a sudden thought occurred to me.
'...But what exactly does Carmel intend to do once she has this kingdom in her grasp?'
In the original work, Carmel had toyed with Luistie entirely at her whim. She had degraded the Princess to the level of a common whore, ruined the King with drugs, executed loyal subjects, oppressed the people, and even invited the Empire in to cede vast swaths of territory. What was the reason behind such atrocious acts?
The novel had never deeply explored Carmel's psychology. Her perspective was usually limited to foreshadowing future events or explaining the current state of affairs.
Why did Carmel seek to destroy Luistie? No clear reason was ever depicted in the novel. Was it simply because she was a villainess? Because she took pleasure in evil? Given the temperament I had witnessed firsthand, that might well be the case. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to simplify it so easily.
'Well, it's not as if I absolutely need to know.'
In this novel's world, the role assigned to Carmel was that of a venomous villainess. It might be nothing more, nothing less. To me, it didn't particularly matter. Whether she was born with an innate malice or shaped into a villainess by some tragic past... the only thing that mattered was that her current appearance and temperament suited my tastes perfectly.
"Mmm... nnh..."
Was she dreaming of being punished by me? Or had my dark thoughts somehow reached her? Carmel, who was sleeping with her back turned to me, suddenly let out a soft groan and tossed in her sleep.
Her robe was disheveled, and damp strands of hair clung to her neck... she looked utterly defenseless. To think she could sleep so vulnerably after being so guarded yesterday. Well, it wasn't as if she trusted me.
It was merely a form of trust built between enemies through our past clashes. An unspoken rule of engagement had been established, a mutual understanding that I wouldn't mindlessly cross certain lines.
But that was a rule no one had ever formally agreed to. If I reached out right now, I could grasp that exquisitely beautiful flesh. I could hold the supreme beauty I had memorized while she was changing. If I kept my touch delicate enough not to wake her, I could indulge in a nighttime play sweeter than any erotic dream. Yes, if I only reached out...
A fierce temptation billowed through my mind. A burning heat flared in my lower abdomen. Yet, I firmly pinned my right hand to my side, stopping it from reaching out of its own desire.
Not like this. I couldn't completely break Carmel that way. She had to be defeated on equal terms. She had to realize, deep down, that she could never best Sera. Stealing a touch now would only grant me a fleeting pleasure. It would never allow me to reach the heights of true, supreme ecstasy.
"Whew..." I forced myself to turn away, enduring the rustle of Carmel's skin against the sheets—a sound that was nothing short of pure temptation.