10. You’re here? Have a drink.

The dog food offensive seemed very effective to me. Embarrassed as she was, Kephiel was so shy that she spoke with her head down for several days, but it worked!

Since that somewhat “irritable” moment in the meeting when Professor Moriarty quickly took me away, Louise IV seemed to have either retreated or lost interest in me. At least her behavior towards me had finally become “more proper,” and being a gentleman, I didn’t bring up that awkward topic with Louise IV either.

The death script from Louise IV was still present, but the surroundings appeared much calmer. In such an atmosphere, we welcomed the start of the parliamentary restructuring—a “Giant Yawn” gala.

The finest military band of the Giant Yawn Empire had been reduced to a BGM machine playing trumpets and drums; even the “royal” maids transformed into waitresses serving tea and passing plates. The flickering lights and the clinking of glasses reflected a luxury and nobility unique to the bountiful lands of the Giant Yawn Empire, completely different from the “everyone dancing around a bonfire with bottles of wine in the snow” vibe of the Rosia Empire.

This was the “Royal Gala of the Giant Yawn Empire” that Louise IV had announced earlier! The so-called VIPs in attendance were all candidates and nobles who might be elected during the upcoming parliamentary restructuring. Their presence was certainly not for feasting but to exchange intelligence, facilitate their candidacies, or perhaps for some other ulterior motives.

Today, Queen Louise IV was still as unconventional as ever. She had discarded all the long, waist-cinching gowns and was unapologetically flaunting her long legs in black stockings before the high officials of the Giant Yawn Empire, drawing the attention of men who were interested but lacked the courage.

This was also my source of distress; to the unknowing, the queen appeared to be a “teen idol,” so even though I was aware of how dangerous this teen idol was, I had no way to express it.

At this moment, standing at the highest point of the gala hall, before the queen’s “throne,” Louise IV had already risen with a wine glass in hand.

“Distinguished guests, friends, and my dear ministers and nobles, receiving an invitation to be here today signifies my significant expectations for each of you in the upcoming parliamentary restructuring. With the permanent members excluded, this year’s restructuring requires each of you to gather enough votes from your respective territories and the people within the capital. I hope everyone will give their all, and I also hope that the eventual winners will continue to support me next year~”

After delivering the formal speech with her usual smile, the queen gracefully declined to stay amidst the crowd’s pleas and disappeared behind the stage. Such a troublesome occasion for an ordinary person like me was as complicated as Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, not to mention that due to the large number of people, strange and dangerous scripts had been swirling in my mind since just now.

[O’Keefe is framed.]

[O’Keefe is assassinated and dies.]

I had no idea where these troublesome scripts came from, and at this moment, I wished I could immediately cling to Kephiel’s leg. But unfortunately, the esteemed Kephiel was also a girl with her own people to mingle with, and just like that.. . with one careless oversight, Kephiel was surrounded by a large group of seemingly invited young ladies.

“Miss Kephiel! I heard you got married, is it true!?”

Originally planning to coldly chase away these girls, Kephiel couldn’t hold it together upon hearing the word “married,” and soon a flurry of questions and gossip followed.

“What about the groom? Which prince is he from!?”

“I heard he’s just an ordinary person, is that true?”

“Holy shit! How could the lady Kephiel be interested in an ordinary man? What I’ve heard is that he’s a world-renowned powerhouse!”

Cough cough cough… If I could escape the worldwide manhunt for that charlatan Euclid, I would indeed be considered a “stronger” person renowned across the globe.

Looking at the script, it seems to be true.

【Kephir is entangled by the girls, unable to break free.】

I wanted to chase after her, but the environment was so filled with youthful exuberance that I couldn’t just barge in; even if I did, it would be quite troublesome.

Helpless, I could only give Kephir a glance at the moment she looked my way, signaling her not to be too nervous while I made my own escape from this place, which was fraught with danger for me.

Because this script… something’s off.

【Euclid is framed.】

【Euclid is killed!】

Since the start of the evening, these two scripts had been reminding me like a persistent alarm clock. Even more bizarre was that the usual background characters who had scripts about killing me didn’t show up this time with any “I killed him out of jealousy” narratives.

Quietly slipping away from the crowd, I planned to return to the quarters that Kephir and I shared within the palace. If I couldn’t provoke them, at least I could wait it out. Before Kephir managed to untangle herself from the gossip, I would just play the turtle and hide in the room; that way, I should be safe, right?

I left the hall and walked towards the passage that connected to the interior. Was it because of the evening event? There were quite a few people here whom I could “tell were impressive” guarding the area.

That said, the moment they saw me, they all stepped aside, which left me a bit bewildered.

As my hand rested on the doorknob and I turned it, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

It was almost as if… they were waiting for me to come over?

At that moment, the script appeared!

【The guards intentionally let Euclid enter alone.】

【Kephir is held back by the girls attending the event with rumors!】

I suddenly understood something, but it was too late! Just as I stepped into my room, a figure suddenly emerged from beside me and closed the door behind me without permission!

And this…

【Queen Louise IV has been waiting in the bedroom of Euclid and Kephir for quite some time.】

A wave of genuine dread crawled up my spine.

“Mr. Priest, next time remember to close the door, okay? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good if someone saw me here~”

Queen Louise IV’s voice was so close that I couldn’t help but shiver!

I hurriedly turned my head, but she had already glided past me, gracefully taking a seat at the table.

The smile of my dear queen remained as charming as ever, even slightly flushed from having had a bit to drink. But… knowing her true nature from the script, how could I possibly fall for it at a time like this!?

The framing… the betrayal in the script, was it because Queen Louise IV was still keeping an eye on me that it had always existed!?

I rushed back to the door, but…

“Mr. Priest, there’s no need to rush to check if the door is closed. I’ve already locked it with a special magical lock, so no one can come in~”

I wanted to run, dear Queen.

After all, the script had never been this clear and dangerous before.

【Queen Louise IV designed Oquider on the day of the party, and Oquider was secretly killed for not complying!】

It was as if it were saying: my time to die has come.