Chapter 126: If Those Years Afterwards (Part 2)
“Romani Doctor.”
With a calm face, a hint of blush, and an almost imperceptible smile, the young woman answered so decisively that Her Majesty the Queen’s expression shifted just slightly for a moment.
That shift seemed to tell the young woman that she recognized the name.
And not just the name.
Thus, the girl felt enlightened within.
“…Oh right!”
Two seconds later, she suddenly changed the subject, stood up, and pulled Victoria’s hand, yanking her up too while saying, “Come with me, come with me~,” and dashed toward the lakeside. Her Majesty followed behind, not asking what for and letting herself be dragged along.
After running a fair distance, they arrived at a simple, worn-down dock covered in moss, next to which lay two equally dilapidated little wooden boats; one was completely wrecked, capsized in the water, while the other was abandoned on the shore, almost merging with the dry vegetation around it. However, it seemed someone had tidied it up a bit; at least the inside of the boat looked clean despite having holes in its hull—enough to still float, presumably.
“I cleaned the boat! The evening breeze is lovely now; come on, let’s go sail out on the lake!”
The young woman said excitedly, making the Queen seem somewhat speechless. “Now?”
“Why not?” the girl retorted.
She used ice to plug the holes in the boat, pushed it into the water with a ‘plop,’ and watched as it rocked for a moment. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she told the Queen, “Wait a sec,” and dashed off again. Shortly after, she returned hugging a bottle of wine.
“Get on the boat, get on the boat—”
The girl shouted, jumping on first, placing the wine on the edge of the boat, and with a flash of white light across her chest, she pulled out a blanket, spread it across the boat, sat down, and waved the paddle at the still-dazed Queen: “Come on, join me!”
After several moments of hesitation, Her Majesty couldn’t fight the girl’s enthusiasm any longer.
The two climbed aboard, and as they paddled slowly to the center of the lake, the old paddle cracked halfway through. The girl magically conjured another one out of ice, all the while humming an unknown tune. Victoria sat at the other end of the boat, looking disinterested, still holding the music box, her eyes fixed on the distant mountains silhouetted against the darkening sky, seemingly lost in thought.
“What are you thinking about?!”
Noticing her, the girl asked, though it didn’t seem like she genuinely wanted to know the Queen’s troubles. Almost immediately, she added, “Hey, what if we paddle over to the other side of the lake, then hike up the mountain and spend the night there?”
“There might still be wild game up there. I wonder if Ethanbel has any snow rabbits; I had snow rabbit meat once in the mountains, it was so fragrant!”
“But Ahamar Mountain doesn’t seem to have many trees; it’s full of Esham wood. If the wind picks up later and we can’t find any sheltered spot, it might not be too comfortable…”
The girl continued talking, while the Queen remained silent for a moment. Then she wound up the music box, and the soft melody started floating over the darkened lake. Taking a sip from the wine, Her Majesty listened quietly.
After a while, she suddenly said, “There’s a keyhole here.”
By the moonlight, the Queen noticed an inconspicuous small keyhole beneath the base of the music box—the base could be opened. She shook the music box lightly, faintly hearing something rattling inside.
“Hmm, I know that.”
The girl replied, looking at Victoria with her usual calmness, a sweet smile gracing her lips—a smile that made the Queen frown again.
“Don’t you want to open it?” Her Majesty asked.
“No key,” the girl shrugged.
The Queen furrowed her brows even deeper: “Is that a problem?”
“The person who gave me the music box—if she wanted me to see what’s inside right away, why wouldn’t she just give me the key along with it?” The girl explained.
“You respect her wishes then?” the Queen retorted, finding it hard to believe.
“Nope.” The girl shook her head gently. “I just don’t care enough but also feel it’d be a shame to just toss it away.”
“……”
The Queen chose not to continue that topic.
After a while, she tossed the music box to the girl and asked, “Who’s your informant over in the Holy City?”
The question seemed a bit sudden. The girl pondered for a moment and replied, “Minister Ramiel from the Choir of Saints, Sword Demon Annasiris, Tarlasya. Ramiel has gone missing recently; I sent the Sword Demon to find him, but no new updates yet.”
“However, in the mail from a few days ago, there were mentions of her meeting with Tarlasya in private. The latest intel suggests that Saint George is trying to open the gap in the Holy City seal. But his attitude towards the Temple Church has been a bit too lenient, hinting that the supposed reconciliation isn’t all fake but has a hint of sincerity; this caused dissent within the Williams Family, with some starting to oppose the reconciliation.”
“Tarlasya actually told you all this?” The Queen seemed surprised.
“He and his teacher seem to have some disagreements. They believe that to stabilize the situation, we’ll need some strong backup, and perhaps he thinks I’m the more suitable and reliable partner compared to the busy, limited King Ethanbel.”
At this point, the girl shot a proud glance at the Queen.
Victoria ignored her little scheme.
“You—”
She paused and gazed back at the distant nightscape.
“You really have changed.”
After a long silence, she finally expressed this thought.
It felt like a lament, yet also a bit of a release for some long-held concern: “You used to care about nothing but food; you’d never think about these things.”
“So, you didn’t want to tell me about any of this,” the girl interjected casually.
The Queen knew she was referring to how, during this visit to the Royal City, she had held back, not willing to disclose more.
“I just want you to stay a bit longer in the Royal City.”
Her Majesty contemplated before explaining, “The situation in the Holy City is still very unclear, and I’m afraid you’ll act rashly. It’s possible for you to storm over there; we can’t afford that risk—none of us can. You’re no longer Pope Knight Silvya; you’re Princess Peilo. Whatever you do now could drag the Empire, even the Kingdom, into turmoil.”
“So to you, I’ve always been just a reckless airhead.”
The young woman looked at her, pouting, and suddenly splashed a paddle into the water with a ‘splash,’ sending chilly droplets soaking onto Victoria’s expensive dress.
“That’s also your father’s intention.”
Her Majesty said, shaking out her skirt with a stoic expression.
You just sold out my dad?
The girl pouted, feeling somewhat defiant.
So Dad’s worried I’d go charging into the Holy City without a care in the world—like I’d do that! I mean, not even in the past!
“It’s not that you can’t take action.”
The Queen continued, “It’s just that we’re not prepared yet. You understand, on the surface, I still maintain a cooperative relationship with Saint George. Some matters, some choices, have not yet reached the point where they must be made because once they are, there’ll be no turning back. Before that—”
“Are you still worried about Saint George’s attitude towards me?”
The girl interrupted, “After all, the conservatives have always strongly opposed the Fate Plan. They’ve opposed the Church using the Mother Deity’s body for those cruel human experiments. Cardinal Nero was the first to risk his life over this; he was willing to bury the entire Royal City just to k*ll me.”
She said this with a laugh.
She noticed the Queen’s expression shift again.
