15. I Have Fallen into a Trap and Cannot Escape

I don’t know if it’s just my illusion, but whenever I interact with Miss Elisse, the appearance of my script always seems to be “a beat behind.” However, I had already helped the queen, so there was no need to overthink it. Besides, I had more important matters to attend to—reporting my “achievements” to the queen.

Afterward, I explained to Kfir that Miss Elisse was merely a hired target; how was I to know she was a beautiful girl? Following that, I learned from Kfir that she would be leaving for a night to question Professor Moriarty about the illegal activities of Lord Glamorgan II.

This was a heavenly opportunity! Later, I stealthily made my way to the queen’s room, which was on the same floor of the Glamorgan Castle Resort as Kfir’s and mine. I assure you, this was not about “seeking thrills, going all the way, hello queen, how provocative,” but merely to report to the queen.

“Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion~”

At that moment, the one who opened the door for me was not the queen herself, but a young white-haired maid I had never seen before, with long ears that were distinctly elven.

Upon seeing me, she first scrutinized me from head to toe, but then, as if having some reservations, she awkwardly chose to leave, allowing me to be alone with the queen. The queen’s expression, which usually masked her true feelings with a cheerful facade, seemed a bit darker, but it was just for a fleeting moment.

“Welcome, O’Keefe.”

As the elven maid left, I looked up at the queen and saw her, as always, wearing a naive smile to conceal the various dangerous thoughts in her heart—Her Majesty, Queen Louisa IV of the Great Yng Empire.

“Speaking of which, you used to be more cautious, sneaking in only at midnight. Now you can brazenly barge into my resting place, O’Keefe. Shouldn’t you take some responsibility…?”

“Your Majesty… it’s getting late. Can we speak more directly?”

I didn’t even need to look at the script to know the purpose of the queen’s earlier words, and now it was clear: after realizing that her previous straightforward seduction tactics were ineffective on me, the queen showed a hint of mild reproach.

“Clearly, it’s such a romantic moment, yet you still, as always, don’t understand romance and atmosphere at all, you silly virgin.”

Ugh! How frustrating! I really can’t argue with that!

I sat back down by the bed. Today, we didn’t go to the beach; instead, the queen, who was in control of everything at our place, didn’t mind showing off her long legs in black stockings right in front of me.

“Moriarty has already told me, but I still want to hear from the person involved. Alright, O’Keefe, tell me how far you’ve gone with my request~ I can give you a corresponding ‘reward’ based on your efforts~”

No, let’s skip the rewards; you still think the atmosphere between us isn’t ambiguous enough!

I tried my best to keep my gaze from constantly drifting to the queen’s stockings, enduring various pressures as I simply recounted what had happened today.

As for dealing with Glamorgan II, given the ample evidence and the random draw on the spot, that guy wouldn’t be dreaming of being a lord anytime soon; he’d probably be too busy figuring out how to avoid being locked up. And as for helping Iris rise to power, realizing I couldn’t achieve everything at once, I chose to give those fence-sitting nobles a little push. With my skills, I knew when to stop; while I managed to extricate myself, I also helped Iris a bit, and from there, it was all up to her.

This wasn’t a trade of conditions, just a way to “help,” and I believed the queen wouldn’t have much to criticize me for.

“That’s about it, Your Majesty.”

That said, I still had some complaints I wanted to voice to the queen.

“However, there’s something I’m unsure whether to say or not. Is Miss Iris, who resembles you so much, really someone you arranged? If she’s an insider, isn’t that a bit reckless in every aspect? To put it bluntly, she seems like a complete… naive sweetheart!”

I managed to rephrase before blurting out “fool,” but it still couldn’t stop the queen from laughing uncontrollably by the bed.

“Hee hee hee~ Sorry~ O’Keefe~”

The earlier gloom that occasionally emanated from the queen vanished, replaced by a fit of giggles that would be hard for any man to resist. The queen’s demeanor shifted; outside, the starry sky sparkled, and inside, the lights were soft. The queen wore a charm I had never seen before, as if she were trying to draw me into this sweet, alluring trap of starlight.

“Could it be that you’re worried about me?”

This was definitely not a threat of “Are you teaching me how to do things?” but rather a genuine… temptation.

My body involuntarily shivered, but before I could respond, it seemed the queen already had her answer and began the next line on her own.

“As for Miss Iris, while she may be a bit reckless, she is definitely on my side, the great Tyrant Empire’s side. So, thank you for seriously helping me, O’Keefe.”

What followed was a long silence from the queen, her silent gaze fixed on me. In the quiet, I could even hear our breaths clearly. In such a situation, let alone clarifying my earlier question with the queen, I was already exerting all my effort to suppress the romantic impulses swirling in my mind.

Finally, the queen pressed her lips together, her fingers brushing against each other in a move that would drive any man wild, and she asked me.

“So, as a reward, would you like to? O’Keefe. You can do anything you want right now~”

“!”

The script, immediately unfolding!

【Louis IV is seducing O’Keefe!】

This was clearly a trap, yet it was also one that anyone would willingly leap into, knowing full well it was like a moth to a flame! If I had no other thoughts, I didn’t even know if I could withstand such a “trap.” Fortunately, this time, I wasn’t rejecting the queen to avoid the trap but for other reasons.

“Your Majesty, there’s no need for that. I told you, it was just a favor. And now, it’s your turn to help me.”

“…” The queen lifted her leg, “Really not going to touch it?”

“No… I won’t touch it.”

Just looking is enough; some things I want to appreciate more than experience.

The queen sighed softly, but when I mustered the courage to look at the queen’s… beautiful legs again, her demeanor was no different from the initial “disguise.”

“Speak, O’Qilid, as long as it is something I, as the Queen of the Great Yīng Empire, can know.”

【Louis IV has decided to help O’Qilid!】

Phew… now, even if the safety standards are met! Although I’m not quite sure why the Queen suddenly agreed to my request so seriously, the script is set, and at least I don’t have to worry about her delaying or misleading me on important matters.

So then…

“Your Majesty, I would like to know more about the other ‘self-disciplined fairies’ besides the Thunder Fairy.”

I straightened my face and looked at the equally serious Queen Louis IV, “You… should have some clues regarding this, right?”