26. The True Will of the Great Yng Empire
At ten past midnight in Glamorgan Castle, compared to the evening when the crowds had gradually disappeared, only the eerie calls of birds and beasts remained. At this time, the tourists were no longer engaged in any “group activities” but were instead lost in sweet dreams, looking forward to the day’s fun ahead.
The bright crescent moon cast a shimmering light, illuminating the path to the remote areas of Glamorgan Castle as if it were a surreal realm. The servants working at the estate of one of Glamorgan’s nobles—Miss Elise—felt the sound of a vehicle passing by, but when they opened the window, they found nothing and yawned, returning to their rest.
No one noticed that a young girl had crossed the flowerbed path within the estate, finally stopping in a flowerbed adorned with various roses, her back to the crescent moon, bathed in the cold moonlight, gazing at the figure sitting at the table, waiting until the tea had gone cold, and gently parted her lips.
“What are you doing, Elise?”
Unfortunately, this was not a beautiful rendezvous under the moonlight but rather… a one-sided accountability from Her Majesty Queen Louise of the Great Yng Empire.
At this moment, there was not a shred of disguise on Louise’s face, and Elise did not appear to be the noble lady who would “kneel in fear upon seeing the queen.” In the solitary environment granted by the ethereal night, the two women, similar and understanding of each other, had no need to wear their respective masks.
“Well, as you can see, Louise, of course, it’s tea. The perspective of the elves is so short-sighted; clearly, rose tea is superior to herbal tea. After all these years, why doesn’t Ludwig understand this?”
“No one asked you that! I’m asking what you made Ludwig do tonight!?”
Anger—an expression that could never possibly appear on Louise’s face—was now etched there, driving her to step closer. Her gaze, looking down from above, bore down with absolute authority on the girl before her, Elise, who was almost her exact double.
“I told you before, do not touch my people. And what exactly did you make Ludwig do tonight? You understand, don’t you!?”
The reproach from the absolute NO.1 of the Great Yawn Empire, Her Majesty the Queen, would have terrified anyone else into submission, but…
The seated “noble young lady,” Elise, showed no sign of wavering. On the contrary, as she silently lifted her head, it was Louise who clenched her fists, her steps quietly retreating.
By the time Louise began to regret her reckless behavior, it was already too late.
“This is a question I should be asking you, Louise-chan.”
A smirk gradually appeared at the corner of Elise’s mouth, as if lamenting the ignorance and foolishness of the girl before her. “You already know what I intend to do, so why are you still unmoved? If you just find an excuse to stall Kephiel, everything would be resolved as easily as cutting through a tangle of threads~”
Their eyes met, and Elise’s gaze was like a mysterious, dangerous crescent moon reflected in the sky.
“Because of a boring thought, you actually wavered the will of the ‘Great Yawn Empire.’ Louise, you should reflect on that.”
【Swish】
In the next moment, a cold glint flashed; the blade hidden beneath Louise’s parasol had caught a hint of that chill and the anger of the girl, now positioned before Elise.
“I will protect him, and I will not let anything happen to him. Elise, don’t force me to oppose you…”
“…”
In response to Louise, there was only a sigh followed by silence. Could it be… that such a forceful threat might finally have some effect!? But just as a glimmer of hope sparked in Louise’s heart…
A laugh, seemingly mocking her own timid thoughts, rang out at that very moment.
“Ha… Hahaha~ Hahahaha! Oppose me?”
Elise, fully aware that she wouldn’t stab, stood up directly. In the next moment, a magic stone appeared beside her, seemingly bathed in the pure light of the moon, shooting “moonlight” at Louise, instantly knocking the sword from her hand!
“Louise, my dear child, your wings have grown strong~”
At the same time, Elise stood up and grasped Louise’s chin, who was too frightened to move. The crescent moon cast its shimmering light, reflecting in Elise’s eyes, filled with mockery, as if all thoughts, fears, and bluster could not be hidden.
“You’re merely playing with the toys I gave you, as if it were a game of house. Power, wealth, armies? These things that seem so impressive in the eyes of humans—do you really think they are useful?”
“Don’t forget, the true strength and trump card of our Great Yawn Empire, the power and tactics that can threaten those small nations, are held by whom. Who truly nurtured the Great Yawn Empire’s real ‘power’?”
“Just some practice props for you; a game of house relationship; a small accident like Kephiel. Don’t let that make you complacent and take it all seriously, Louise.”
In response to Elise, there was only Louise’s unwilling expression, and… her hands, which she had clenched tightly, began to tremble slightly as she turned away.
“The Queen of the Great Yawn Empire”—what a resounding and powerful identity, but… in this world, there are always some existences that are undeniably stronger in every aspect compared to one’s own identity. Just like a servant cannot defy their master, a daughter cannot resist her mother.
This is called… “natural enemy.”
In her mind, there was a blankness. After an unknown amount of time, gradually calming down from the earlier tension, Louise finally saw the helpless expression on Elise’s face.
Then, after a sigh, Elise released her grip on Louise’s hand.
“However, I’m quite surprised you could get this far. I’ll give you a chance, for who made us ‘us’?”
“……”
After a moment of surprise, Louise immediately pulled a long face, almost gritting her teeth as she squeezed out a few words, “What’s the demand…”
“Very well, now that’s my Louise, Her Majesty the Queen of the Great Yng Empire.”
Elise turned to leave, picking up the umbrella that Louise had just dropped on the ground. “After this, you go do what you need to do, enjoy your little games. As for me, I will teach you how to truly leverage his value, for the sake of our Great Yng Empire. This is the only way I can concede. Louise, even if your heart is filled with reluctance right now, you know how to respond to me, don’t you?”
“……I… understand.”
After a long while, even after Elise’s figure had vanished, Louise, standing in place with her head bowed, finally managed to utter this whisper.