Chapter 393 (2/2)

An uprising directed at a feudal lord or minister would be more serious, otherwise it would be like any commonly occurring quarrel, and that wouldn't make it to the ears of the feudal lord.

Rosario returns to her story.

Because of her beauty and popularity, the townspeople answered her call and dozens of people surrounded the mayor's residence.

「The mayor apologized in a hurry, lowered his head to my friend and swore in front of everybody that he would not commit any more acts of tyranny.」

The story up to this point would be a happy ending.

However reality can sometimes be ugly.

It turns out, the mayor was rotten to the core and never reformed his ways.

Unlike a typical storybook ending, her a.s.sociations and friends.h.i.+ps did not last forever.

Justice did not prevail over evil.

「Half a year later, I was suddenly accused of murder. Of course, I don't remember doing such a thing.」

In reality, an infant apparently died from an illness.

Although it was tragic, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

However, the town mayor accused Rosario of poisoning the child, and furthermore concluded that she did so out of spite after the husband of the family refused to continue having an affair with her.

「But that……」

Normally, there would be evidence that poison was used. The reasoning of such an act was also too simple.

The mayor was clearly framing Rosario who was more popular and loved than he was and that should have resulted in the same song and dance half a year ago.

「By the way, that didn't happen.」

That was when Goldonia unified the northern region of the Central plains and the development of lands accelerated.

Because of the requests for laborers and sale of goods, the small town experienced prosperity like never before.

And the one who distributed the profits for that prosperity was the mayor.

「The people who stood beside me half a year ago held their tongues and averted their eyes.」

In reality, not everybody was silent, but with the pivotal people not saying anything, the dissenting voices eventually faded away.

The entire town became unconcerned with her false charges.

「The elated mayor mounted me in the dungeon…… and the moment he entered me, I realized it. The looks I was somewhat proud of, the meagre amount of talent I had, the fleeting popularity, everything could be crushed by the mayor of a town in the countryside.」

Hearing a story of a woman getting treated horribly irritates me to no end.

Sensing my annoyance, Celia draws closer to me.

She closed her eyes and stuck her head out, so I fondled her a.s.s to my heart's content.

「Hyaun! M-my head. You were supposed to pat my head, not my a.s.s!」

「Hm, sorry. I've calmed down though.」

In that moment, the viewing window of the room opens again with a clank and Rebecca glares at me.

Rosario pretends to feel around for her cup with her eyes closed.

「……muu.」

The window closes again. It seems like they have their ears against the door. That means we can't speak too loudly.

Rosario gives me and Celia a reproachful look before continuing on with the story.

「For a while, I was treated as a plaything by the mayor and his flunkies until finally being sold to a slave trader. I was told that my life was spared out of kindness, but it was most likely a tip from the mayor…… and when I got on the slave trader's wagon, I saw my close friend. She turned away when the mayor wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Fufu, she had a large s.h.i.+ny ruby around her neck. It was at that time that I felt something break within me.」

How awful of them, I'll ask her for their names later.

I'll march up to them after the war and go wild.

The slave trader's destination was the capital, Goldonia―― which made sense considering the high demand.

Rosario would not let herself be sold though.

She exploited the slightest of openings, kicked the slave trader and escaped.

「I ran without thinking. However, being penniless with only the clothes on my back, I had no place to go.」

「Uuu……」

Feeling empathy towards Rosario's situation, Nonna takes out a handkerchief with gold embroidery that I've never seen before and wipes her tears.

Nonna was also sold as a slave after losing everything so she could probably relate.

「I didn't eat properly either so it didn't take long for me to collapse. That was when…… His Majesty stood right in front of me.」

「How lucky.」

What are the chances that Rosario would run into the king after choosing the same day to escape as the king chose to inspect the city?

It's cliched, but it can be considered fate.

「Realizing how important His Majesty was, I desperately told him of my troubles…… everything from the baseless false charges, the mayor's trap, and the injustice of the town.」

When Rosario lifted her head, she saw the king looking at her with cold, disinterested eyes.

「I knew at an instant. His Majesty didn't care about me or my life. There was no meaning in using my puny brain and pleading my case.」

Her own ability meant nothing.

With that thought in mind, she stopped playing to his sense of reason.

「I clung to His Majesty's feet, rubbed my face against him and pleaded repeatedly to be saved.」

As Rosario was being captured by the Royal guard in an attempt to remove her, she desperately clinged to the king and begged for mercy. It was a pathetic look that did not show a trace of intelligence.

In the end, she was saved. The king picked her up and took her back with him.

Everything from that point on was exactly as the miserable feudal lords and n.o.bles spoke of.

Rosario no longer displayed any of her own talents and simply devoted herself to winning the king's favor.

She sealed her personality, lowered herself, and praised the king with all her heart.

「The king should not be fond of such flattery though……」

「At first, he rained abuse on me, saying how irritating and unsightly it was…… even so, he did not chase me away.」

It can't be checked at this point, but something in the king might have went amiss as soon as he met Rosario.

Rosario did not disobey anything the king said and continued lowering her head, affirming all of the king's words and deeds.

Eventually, the king's att.i.tude towards her softened, and he began using her for various ch.o.r.es, voicing his complaints to her, and even inviting her into his chambers.

Rosario did not criticize the king. Neither did she give advice in an indirect manner. Nor did she demonstrate any skills worth paying attention to.

She focused on keeping herself alive more than anything, proving herself to be a weak existence that cannot survive unless protected.

Due to the days spent with her, the king might have become uncomfortable around other people―― those who implicitly criticize and protest him―― which in turn caused him to lose trust in them.

In that case, the n.o.bles and feudal lords might not be wrong in saying the king changed because of Rosario.

Rosario suddenly spoke in an emotionless tone.

「His Majesty treasured me. When I believed that to be so, I talked about my past a little.」

「「Ah.」」

Nonna and Celia ducked their heads. As women, they must have sensed something not good.

Natia tilts her head in confusion and wiggles her ears. I chose not to look at her since I would probably burst out laughing if I saw her face again.

「I looked into the distance with tears in my eyes and exaggerated the truth a little――」

The king should undoubtedly be in love with Rosario.

His beloved girl was betrayed by an entire town, raped and sold.

What would the man who heard this do? To top it off, that man happens to be the king of a country. The answer is clear.

「”Annihilate them.” It took only a single word from His Majesty to cause those who looked down on me, the town, the people, everyone…… to be completely wiped out.」

A single town in the countryside disappeared from the world and from the map.

「The paltry efforts and talent are futile in the face of a powerful man. An average person with a lack of talent like me would get devoured…… in that case, I'll rely on someone strong, cling to them, use them and survive.」

Rosario's eyes are completely open.

If I stared into those beautiful black pearls for eyes, it feels like I'll be sucked in.

「I pretended to lose my eyesight because I thought His Majesty would feel more sympathy for me, and that's the truth.」

Rosario sighs, recrosses her legs and says provokingly.

「Now then, are you going to tell this story to His Majesty? If you do, then I would have no other choice but to report that Hardlett-sama forcibly touched my chest and stole my lips.」

「Is that a threat!?」

Celia jumps up and confronts Rosario menacingly.

If she did, the king would believe Rosario.

It's not a bad thing. That's just what happens when you fall in love with a woman.

「Aegir-sama……」

I smile at the worried Nonna before addressing Rosario.

「You have quite the talent.」

「What did you say?」

Rosario's eye brow slants upward.

To a woman who denies herself and depends on a man, those words are probably the last thing she wants to hear.

I think otherwise.

「You have a knack for getting men to protect you.」

「Huh?」

Rosario looks at me like I'm an idiot.

「You talk about relying and clinging like it's nothing, but you got His Majesty to protect you unconditionally and act for your sake. It's something even those with talent in politics or military couldn't hope to achieve. How else would you describe that ability than with the word talent?」

I'm not lying or flattering.

She isn't being dominated like a slave. She is being protected by a king.

At this point, it isn't clear whether she is dependent on the king or the other way around.

If Leopolt approached me in the same manner, clinging to my leg, rubbing his cheek against me and begging to be hired, then how would I react? I would definitely kick him out of the window and be done with him. I get chills simply thinking of such a scenario.

In other words, that guy doesn't have the skill to appeal to a person's emotion and get others to protect him.

She was accepted by the king because she has a talent to rely on people.

There's a possibility His Majesty's heart changed, but that could have been luck, and luck is also a talent as well.

「……what a strange thing you're saying.」

「Haha, that logic just now was stretched.」

I bend my body close to her.

「I thought of this as soon as I saw you: I want to protect you and dominate you.」

Those are my true feelings. Rosario emits a heavy aura which induces others to want to rule over and protect her.

This may be her true talent.

「Wha-!!」

「I knew it, you were aiming for her!」

「The treatment doesn't even matter then, huh? More importantly, there is an ink smell on my face.」

Nonna shrieks, Celia stands up and Natia rests her chin on her hands.

The viewing window opens with a clank.

「――I feel the pain in my eyes periodically.」

「I see, I see.」

Rosario quietly comments with her eyes closed and I nod in a believable manner.

「……I could feel some maliciousness though.」

Rebecca peeks doubtfully into the viewing window and then closes it―― as a feint, then checks on me again.

How much does she not trust me?

「Fufu.」

Rosario laughs amusingly.

That is the most attractive expression she has made so far. It feels as if I finally caught a glimpse of the face behind her mask.

「What a strange person. Now what is Hardlett-sama going to do after finding out about me? As I said before, if you try to rid me, I won't show any mercy.」

Yes, this is the main issue.

I wanted to remove the obstacle in the king's heart by healing the girl but there's a better method.

「I want you to act…… like you were cured by my treatment.」

「Haa, do you want a reward?」

I shake my head. Receiving a reward is fine as well, although my first priority is winning the war.

「You were completely healed. That's why I want you to light a fire under His Majesty and allow him to fight at full strength without any concerns.」

「I would prefer not to interfere with political matters. I don't want to fall in His Majesty's bad graces.」

She really doesn't seem receptive to the idea, which is problematic.

With that said, Rosario's current standing is higher than mine.

From our earlier conversation, she should have a mind as sharp as mine. I can get her to understand by talking to her logically.

「Do you know what the state of battle is like right now?」

「Not the details, but I know we are at a disadvantage.」

I gaze seriously at Rosario.

「Honestly, it's unsure how much longer we can last at this rate. Goldonia will suffer defeat.」

「……」

Rosario doesn't seem particularly shaken by that fact, though she puts a finger to her chin as if contemplating a difficult choice.

「You have the absolute trust and affection from His Majesty. But that is connected to Goldonia's existence, no?」

I press her even further.

「South Yuguria's ruler is Empress Wilhelmina, a person who you cannot curry favor with.」

「Fumu……」

Rosario ponders.

「It doesn't matter at which point peace comes about. If His Majesty loses his authority, what would happen to you?」

Rosario does not have any other influential people who adores her in Goldonia besides the king.

Even if the country remains, the girl is finished if the king is overthrown, and in the worst case she'll be tortured to death.

Of course, if that were to happen for real, I would save her and make her my lover.

「Umumu……」

Rosario seriously weighs what I said on a scale.

Just one more push.

「Besides…… you're getting tired of it, right?」

「I'm sorry?」

A mischievous smile forms on my face.

「I mean pretending to be blind. Say your true feelings. You are honestly becoming fed up with it, aren't you?」

There are plenty of ways to get the king to protect her.

If she feigns her loss of vision, she can't open her eyes in public and she would require aid from others to do anything.

As a person who can actually see, that should be extremely tiring to keep up.

「……do you get it?」

The longer she drags out her feigned condition, the harder it becomes to declare it healed.

Using myself as an example, I was thrust into a banquet by Nonna and it was so annoying that I feigned a stomachache, although Celia cared for me diligently and I couldn't bring myself to tell her it was a lie, to the point that I had to take a suppository.

「That was a lie!?」

「You're horrible!」

I'll disregard Celia's and Nonna's protests.

「Fufu, that's the same as me. I should have chosen to be healed by either the ultimate wonder drug or the nation's best doctors. In addition, I was placed into this cage without windows.」

Rosario looks at me and nods.

「It certainly is exactly as Hardlett-sama says, it looks to be better if I rouse His Majesty. Then let us proceed with that. I think it will be hard to maintain how I'm currently treated anyways.」

Right on cue, Rebecca opens the viewing window and speaks in a slightly impatient tone.

「Rosario-sama, have you finished with your conversation yet?」

「Yes. The apothecary had the most optimal medicine.」

「Fueh?」

Natia wasn't paying attention after determining she had no role to play and was caught off-guard.

「……are you really alright?」

The information officer is suspicious.

「If anything worsens, Lord Hardlett will take responsibility.」

「It's fine. There's no need to worry.」

I stick my hand into Natia's medicine box and take out a random bottle of eyedrops.

「What is this one's effect? It won't do any harm, right?」

「Eh? Yes, that one is nothing special. The effect is insignificant and fades pretty quickly.」

That's good. We're going to be faking the cure so the best medicine to use is one with no effect.

I drip some of the eyedrops into both of Rosario's slightly opened eyes.

「Ah……」

Rosario holds her face and moves her head around aimlessly.

Then her eyelids slowly open.

「……I can see…… my eyes…… can see……」

Overcome with emotion, Rosario touches me, Nonna and Rebecca with partially-opened eyes.

「Famous doctors and the miracle drug didn't work, yet a simple eyedrop worked!?」

「I-in any case, we should call for His Majesty!」

The information officers run out in a flurry.

「She's quite the actress.」

Celia whispers softly so that only I could hear her.

Hey now, what would you do if she heard that?

「Rosario!!」

It took less than a minute for the king to rush into the room.

He must have been waiting all this time in a nearby room.

「Your Majesty…… I've really caused you to worry.」

「Ooh…… ooh……」

Seeing Rosario's open eyes, the king was deeply moved and practically tackles her for a hug before kissing her.

It seems he forgot Nonna and I were here.

「Light has returned…… you can lay your eyes on me once again.」

「Yes, Your Majesty, although you'll crush me if you hug me so tightly.」

The king releases her in a hurry, touching her like a fragile object and repeatedly planting kisses on her.

Rosario takes the knitted product left on the desk and hugs it shyly close to her chest.

「I thought it was made well, but it's actually like a caterpillar…… how embarra.s.sing, please don't look at it.」

「Rosario…… ooh, you can really see.」

Mm, it's scary to think that she didn't when she knitted that.

「Your Majesty.」

With how pa.s.sionate the scene is, the bed is likely to throw her in bed after, so I call out to him before that happens.

Realizing my presence, the king awkwardly clears his throat.

「Ahem, Hardlett…… well done.」

The king grabs my hand.

His expression is clearly softer, without any of the insanity which resided in the king until recently.

「Well, I didn't do anything. It was her efforts.」

I push the Natia forward who is fidgeting from seeing the king and Rosario kiss.

「Umu, I will grant you with any reward later, marvelous apothecary.」

The king's praise wasn't very enthusiastic.

His head is probably full with thoughts of Rosario.

I don't intend to get in their way, but there is one final thing I must say.

「Your Majesty, there is one thing about Rosario-sama that I would like to provide a warning for.」

「A warning?」

The king's gaze s.h.i.+fts to me.

On one hand, he felt irritated, and on the other, he felt fear.

I give Natia's back a light slap.

「Her vision was temporarily restored by the power of medicine. However, this kind of dark room will not allow her eyes to get accustomed to light and it's possible they may go blind again. That is why I recommend periodically…… if possible, to go outside everyday and expose her to the sunlight.」

The king's gaze on us narrows for an instant after Natia finishes saying what we arranged in advance, but he quickly turns to Rosario with a troubled look.

「I gratefully accept all the concerns His Majesty has for my body. However…… and I know this is really selfish of me…… I want to continue being able to see His Majesty's face.」

With the fine performance from the actress, the battle is settled.

The king will no longer shut Rosario in a cage.

「Well then, I will take my leave.」

We finish what we had to say and exit the room.

The moment we were outside, I could hear Rosario start gasping…… it looks like they didn't waste any time.

「That's a relief.」

The thorn in the king's heart has been dealt with and Rosario should spur the king to act in bed.

Let's go home for today. I'm sure I'll be summoned again after the king finishes his love session.

「Pfft!」

A servant bursts out laughing as we pa.s.s by.

I wonder what that's about.

「It feels like I've only been telling lies today.」

「I did you wrong.」

I'm really sorry for what I did to Natia.

She was totally motivated to help and even brought a large box of medicines with her, yet she couldn't do anything after finding out the important patient Rosario was feigning her condition.

On top of that, I had her lie, something she detests doing.

「Try to accept the fact that lying is also an effective means to achieve a goal. It doesn't bring sorrow to anybody either.」

「Muu.」

Natia's ears fold down diagonally, telling me she isn't very happy.

Although I want to grab them, doing so would surely make her hate me.

「Bff! Look at that, there's something awful.」

「What the heck is that!?」

I hear the guards fussing about something.

Right now, my priority is Natia's feelings.

I should divert her attention away from her unpleasant emotions.

A topic she would be excited about…… is definitely medicine.

「By the way, what kind of effect did the eyedrops used on Rosario have? Insignificant could mean many things.」

As expected, Natia jumps on the topic.

「Mm, it really isn't a very interesting effect. It's one that allows the user to see in the dark.」

「Isn't that an amazing effect!? It's perfect for night battles! I want to use it too.」

Celia leans over after hearing our conversation.

I agree that having night vision is pretty amazing. It shouldn't be cla.s.sified under 'insignificant' as she describes it.

Natia shakes her head.

「It doesn't grant you night vision. It allows you to see in the dark.」

「I don't get what the difference is.」

Natia forms a circle with her fingers and puts it up to her eye.

「The eyedrops make your eyes s.h.i.+ne like a lantern. With a sparkle. ……that's how it lets you see.」

「I take back what I said. It's useless after all.」

If two circular lights shone like lanterns in the dark, it would stand out too much in a night battle and would attract a concentrated barrage from the enemy.

In fact, it would expose our presence before we could even attack and therefore slow us down.

「What did you use this for?」

「When I was bored, I played around with it…… making my eyes glow by myself.」

「I'll pay more attention to you from now on. Sorry about that.」

I pat Natia's head and stroke her ears as we exit the royal palace.

Speaking of such trivial things also seems to have improved Nat.i.ta's mood, and we return to our dwelling place happily, buying and eating from a street stand along the way.

「Ahaha! Look, look, that girl is weird!」

「T-that's terrible…… ppkuku……」

「Mama, her face is funny.」「Shh! She's an unfortunate person!」

「I don't know if she's brave or pure to walk outside with a face like that.」

I feel like I forgot something important.

Afterwards, when Dorothea's children bluntly pointed out the scribbles on Natia's face, she went into a fit of burning rage and injected me with an extra strong laxative as I went into the bath with Celia.

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