26. Madelle, the Evil Queen
“Over there! That’s our future queen, Lady Eleonora! Only she can make the fearsome Prince Lydian see reason!”
“Ah, I pity her! From what I’ve heard, Lady Eleonora agrees to be his bride with utmost trepidation!”
“…Yet, she’s still smiling. What a courageous woman.”
Eleonora garnered the blessings and sympathy of the people, held a grand wedding, and became the Crown Princess.
She truly felt like the happiest woman in the world.
…Her surroundings, on the other hand:
“—Such a noble sacrifice!”
The maids and royal guards of the royal palace were also touched.
“What a pitiful princess… I’ll protect her no matter what.”
Despite growing older, Eleonora was still the same old, same old. She’d throw her weight around, only for everyone to treat her warmly. After all, they believed she was putting up a front to ward off her fear towards the crown prince.
“Quickly, fetch me some berry water! Hey, watch it! The water in that lapis lazuli cup is distilled from Betaza!”
Restless, Eleonora would often throw a fit. Again, they’d only stare at her kindly
“—Lady Eleonora, it’s all right! We know what you’re going through. We’re on your side…!”
“What’s with these people… The more I yell at them, the happier they become? Are they all right?”
It got to the point that Eleonora was seriously concerned.
Contrary to the anxious Eleonora, Luna—her personal maid—had a blank look on her face. However, after her living conditions and salary were further increased, the maid was quite pleased.
In the meantime, tributes for the Crown Princess arrived from various countries.
Some countries sent envoys, while others went to court themselves. They were none other than Yurin—the crown prince of the Kingdom of Utentos and a close friend of Lydian, along with Madelle—the queen of the Kingdom of Aisha.
Unbeknownst to Eleonora, the Kingdom of Aisha was the homeland of Tigras, the mercenary who disobeyed her orders. The king was merely a pawn in Madelle’s dictatorship. An ageless beauty, Madelle turned heads among the guests.
“…How captivating. I never knew one could be so beautiful!?”
“She’s truly the flower of the nation…! No wonder the king let her run the place…!”
Unlike the enraptured guests, the people of Llahendia were visibly unfazed.
Over time, the people of Llahendia had become resistant to things that were beyond human comprehension, be it beauty or ugly. Even more so when they had an otherworldly beauty such as Lydian as their crown prince.
Instead, they were fixated on Eleonora, the woeful bride of the fearsome prince.
“Oh, how gorgeous Lady Eleonora is…! I consider this as an utter tragedy because she’s beautiful inside out…!”
“All we can do is support her. Let’s do our best for Lady Eleonora!”
Through the lens of tragedy, Eleonora’s beauty went from mediocre to unparalleled.
Unaware of the situation, Madelle was frustrated because the people of Llahendia were gushing over Eleonora, whose beauty was considered inferior.
“…What’s with the aesthetic sense of this kingdom!? That girl is so plain-looking! I don’t get what’s so ‘gorgeous’ or ‘beautiful’ about her!?”
In the guest room, Madelle flailed her peacock-feather fan, berating Eleonora without any reservation.
“Your Majesty the Queen, I humbly suggest you to quell the flames of your displeasure. Lady Eleonora is a powerful noblewoman who hails from the ducal family. Maybe, everyone is looking out for her. In this entire world, Your Majesty Madelle is the most beautiful!”
“I agree!!”
“Nobody else can hold a candle to Your Majesty’s beauty!”
One of her aides cheered her up, and others followed suit.
Gradually, Madelle’s insecurity subsided, and her flaming red flips curved.
“Hohohoho. Precisely. It is as you said. My beauty is unmatched in this whole world. …Come to think of it, the crown prince, Lydian, is also nice-looking. With my charm, I can try to seduce that brat and take over this kingdom? That doesn’t sound too bad.”
As her mood improved, Madelle thought of something reckless.
“Begin the necessary arrangement so that I can retire for the night!”
The secret to Madelle’s beauty was anti-aging beauty products made of special medicinal herbs. Be it moss that only grew in certain wetlands, grass stalks from mines, flowers of the desert, they all were effective for beauty. As such, Madelle made sure that the people of her territory cultivated and collected them.
When it came to earning foreign currency, the Kingdom of Aisha would export third-rated beauty products to other countries, including Llahendia. Of course, for Eleonora’s congratulatory gifts, they made sure to send new ones.
Eleonora, oblivious to it all, was fond of the products so much that she wanted to go on a beauty trip to the Kingdom of Aisha.
“My skin is silkier! I absolutely have to buy this in bulk!”
“I see. You seem fond of the Kingdom of Aisha. It’d be a waste to pay customs duties. Why don’t I make the Kingdom of Aisha a vassal state?”
While staring at the joyful expression of his precious crown princess, Lydian thought about something ominous.
However, it was simply a norm in the Kingdom of Llahendia.
The banquet began, with all three parties’ thoughts intermingled together.
In the splendid and extravagant hall, ladies and gentlemen gathered, dressed in their finest attire.
Soon, some of them became fixated at Madelle.
A ravishing beauty, she beguiled many noblemen, causing their female partner to stomp their feet in anger.
“Ohohoho. Congratulations on this joyous occasion! I’d like to express my sincere blessing on your marriage!”
Madelle greeted the king and queen, and then greeted Lydian. During the day, Madelle. could only see him from a distance. However, when she saw him up close, her heart was stolen by his dazzling look.
‘Flaxen hair that shines like silk, and that magnificent, sculpture-like posture…! How can one be this handsome…!?’ (Madelle)
Lydian was unlike any other men she’d crossed paths with before.
On the outside, he may look kind, but there was that ever-present scent around him. An acrid smell, similar to blood. A tingling sensation pervaded Madelle’s body, and her cheeks were flushed.
‘…I see, he’s dangerous! How wonderful—tch!’ (Madelle)
However, when she saw the woman who stood beside him, Madelle’s mood took a drastic turn. Eleonora, keeping up a charade, curtseyed to Madelle, showing her impeccable manners.
“Your Majesty the Queen of Aisha, thank you for visiting us. Your congratulatory gift was so wonderful, I greatly appreciated it.”
“Oh my! Ohohoho! I’m glad you liked it!”
—But to Madelle, Eleonora was nothing but a hindrance.
Madelle had to get rid of her somehow.
…Why, the quickest way to do so was to lure Eleonora to her home country, Aisha.
“I heard that Your Highness Eleonora is interested in Aisha’s beauty products. If you don’t mind, would you like to pay our kingdom a visit?”
The Eleonora from a few hours ago would’ve jumped at the chance. However, as a maiden in love, her sixth sense was tingling. What if Madelle was actually her enemy?
“I’d love to visit you on our honeymoon!!”
Eleonora smiled, while Madelle’s expression became stiff.
After having fought countless love rivals (and winning by default), Eleonora could easily discern who was a friend and who was a foe.
“I see… Ohohoho.”
Madelle’s temple twitched.
She could tell right away that Eleonora was picking a fight.
The two vixens were about to go at it. Meanwhile, Lydian had to leave his seat because he was called by an important guest. The battle of words only escalated from there.
“Come to think of it, doesn’t Your Majesty Madelle have a daughter who’s older than me? The makeup skills of the Kingdom of Aisha sure is impressive!”
To summarize, she took a jab at Madelle, laughing at her heavy makeup.
“Ohoho… Didn’t you know? The princess is a daughter of the former queen. She eloped with the knight captain before I moved in. By the way, Your Highness Eleonora seems more mature than her age. You’d benefit from our beauty products!”
Without all the embellishments, Madelle was basically telling her to shut up.
However, because of their cheerful demeanors, the others were convinced that they were on good terms.
Eleonora engaged in a conversation with other dignitaries, but her eyes were always trained on Madelle.
Madelle, on the other hand, went to the king and the queen.
“Princess Eleonora seems to be interested in our kingdom. I’d like to invite her.”
“Is that so? If the Crown Princess wants to visit the Kingdom of Aisha, there’s no reason to stop her.”
“Your Majesty the King, please give me your permission!!!”
Eleonora was quite belligerent. She wanted to resume their fight. Nevertheless, on the outside, she maintained her smile and appealed to the king.
King Xanagan was determined to grant Eleonora’s wish, despite all the troubles that’d come with it. Thus, Eleonora’s wish to travel to the Kingdom of Aisha became reality.
Lydian gave permission after the fact. Well, Lydian always makes a habit of fulfilling Eleonora’s requests.
Lydian, who visited the crown prince’s palace at night, stared anxiously at Eleonora, who was panting.
“As I’m busy with official duties, I can’t accompany you, but please take care.”
“I’ll be alright, Your Highness Lydian. I’m glad you’re concerned about me.”
Eleonora was so touched that she wound her arms around his back, pulling him into an embrace. Lydian reciprocated it.
The embrace of the dazzling couple was a sight to behold. For those who were oblivious, it’d be a heart-pounding scene between the young crown prince and his wife.
After all, even the Fearsome Doom Lord was a gentleman to the woman he held dear. Lydian and Eleonora had a wonderful time together. He only left the crown prince’s palace the next morning.
“I’m regretful that I won’t be able to see Your Highness Lydian for a while, but I have to finish what I started. Oh, why is it only a month away? I’m swamped with official duties!!”
Eleonora would be departing for the Kingdom of Aisha in a month. The reason for the precise scheduling was because it was jam-packed with local inspections, meetings with various associations, etc.
“We’ll spare no effort in helping you become a fine crown princess! Let me know if there’s anything you want to do!”
“I have a busy schedule, but don’t worry. I’ll be sure to arrange everything.”
Berthold and Theselius would escort her. Unlike before, they were friendlier towards Eleonora. At the same time, in some ways, they’d worsened than before.
Thanks to Eleonora’s brutally packed schedules, she had neglected sleep. She was physically and mentally exhausted from all the travels, dinner meetings, and having to entertain guests for long hours.
Although she did look forward to quarreling with Madelle again, the beauty vacation was where her heart lied.
Eleonora had to struggle with lower back pain (from traveling in horse-drawn carriages and desk work), stiff shoulders (from paperwork), sleep deprivation, and overwork. Nevertheless, Eleonora trudged on.
Eleonora may not be a prodigy, but she consistently overcame challenges with hard work and strong mental resilience (also known as flexing).
“It’s over…. Finally… Vacation will start tomorrow! Ah, vacation…!”
Having finished her last assignment, Eleonora went straight for her chamber. The moment she set foot inside, she collapsed. She was safe, though, because the floor was carpeted. The maids helped Eleonora out of her clothes, washed her in her sleep, wiped her clean, dressed her in a gown, and carried her to bed. Afterwards, Luna and the others also retired for the day.
Soon, the morning came.
“Oh no! I overslept! Oh, wait, I’m on vacation starting today. How could I forget? Ohoho… His Highness Lydian is going abroad to buy things, so I’ll be lonely. Well, why don’t I go out on my own?”
When she rang the doorbell, a maid came to help her prepare in the morning.
“How’s the preparation for my trip to the Kingdom of Aisha going? I want to sleep on the way there, so pack the bedding in the carriage.”
Her enemy, Madelle, resided in the Kingdom of Aisha. Nevertheless, their beauty products were another story.
Apparently, there were hot springs and spa facilities reserved for the queen, so Eleonora was thrilled.
“Since this is that woman we’re talking about, I’m sure she’s going to harass me anyway! Still, I’m going to make use of this opportunity!! I can even use it as an excuse to invade!!”
Eleonora was enthusiastic, but for some reason, the place she arrived at was basically a scorched earth…
The brick houses were destroyed. Remnants of the buildings were falling to pieces. The ground was turned upside down.
…Black smoke billowed into the sky as the cries of terror echoed in the air.
The sight, which was a total depiction of hell, rendered Eleonora speechless.
A cavalryman rushed to Eleonora’s side. The emblem of Llahendia was engraved on his armor—he was an allied soldier.
“Your Highness the Crown Princess, Eleonora. His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you. This way, please.”
Shell-shocked, Eleonora could only follow along. In the soot-covered hall, she spotted the formally-dressed Lydian.
Eleonora was surprised. Wasn’t he supposed to have gone to the Kingdom of Rubygardle, a neighboring country to the Kingdom of Kuzuf?
When he saw Eleonora, his face lit-up as he beckoned her to come.
“I missed you, Eleonora! Not a moment passed when I didn’t think of you while I was away!”
“I’m happy to hear that… But, uhm, what is this place? Wasn’t I supposed to travel to the Kingdom of Aisha?”
“But this is the Kingdom of Aisha? Here comes their queen.”
With a click of his finger, Madelle was brought in by the knights. She was beside herself with fear.
Although she wasn’t restrained, she prostrated herself, her hands clasped in front of her,
“Your Highness Lydian, the cleaning of the castle is finished.”
The person who came in was Desti, who was clad in armor. Eleonora was stunned when she saw the dark marks on his silver armor.
“Thank you for your hard work, Desti. You’re improving every day. How dependable.”
Desti smiled at Lydian’s compliment, his face turning crimson.
“Desti… Since when did you become friends with His Highness Lydian?”
Despite feeling somewhat missing out, Eleonora composed herself and turned to look at Lydian.
“A-ahem… Your Highness, what on earth does that mean?”
“You may not have known, but this wench attempted to assassinate you. I asked Desti to take care of her as I rushed over from the Kingdom of Rubygardle to this place. Desti, you worked hard.”
Again, Desti’s expression turned into a youthful, boyish one.
“No, it’s nothing… It was a perfect opportunity to train the soldiers. Also, the fire dragon and black wolf that I borrowed did an amazing job. What should I do next? Should I wipe this entire kingdom off the map or feed its people to the demonic beasts?”
With a smile, Desti asked Lydian.
…It went without saying that Desti had long surpassed Eleonora in terms of being a villain.
“Hmm, I do wonder about that. What do you think, Eleonora?” Asked Lydian.
Rather than being daunted by it, Lydian was thrilled at Desti’s remark.
“You can’t wipe the kingdom out!? If you were to reduce this kingdom into ashes, there won’t be beauty products or human resources!”
Despite her dislike towards Madelle, she highly appreciated the woman’s usefulness. Both Desti and Lydian were intent on killing her, and that was something that must be stopped at all costs.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince! I beg of you! Please give the Kingdom of Aisha to me!”
Kneeling, Eleonora desperately entreated Lydian.
Her courage didn’t surprise only Lydian but also Desti, the surrounding knights, and Madelle.
‘Why would this woman bend her knees for the Kingdom of Aisha…? Why would she hope for the salvation of the kingdom I so loathed!?’ (Madelle)
Eleonora, who was once a proud woman, kneeled without caring about soiling her dress. When she begged Lydian to have mercy on the Kingdom of Aisha, she truly looked the part of a benevolent goddess.
—Or at the very least, that was how Eleonora looked in Madelle’s eyes. Or the eyes of her surroundings (except Luna).
Desti widened his eyes as if he’d been caught off-guard. Lydian, on the other hand, looked troubled, yet happy nonetheless. Just looking at the charm of his beloved already brought joy to Lydian.
“Hehe, you’re as gracious as ever. But is that really alright? What if I just make away with the main culprit?”
Lydian glanced at Madelle, who was shaking like a leaf.
…Just looking at Madelle’s current appearance already brought joy to Eleonora.
Soon, Eleonora’s lips curved in an unladylike manner.
“…Rather, please allow Madelle to become my maid. Her knowledge is difficult to come by.”
Madelle couldn’t believe her ears. Her expression was akin to that of a lost puppy, with a mixture of fear and anxiety.
However, when she eventually grasped Eleonora’s words, Madelle tearfully bowed her head.
The reason Madelle learned magic and medicinal herbs was because she once suffered from a severe skin disease. At first, she genuinely wanted to use her knowledge to help others. Unfortunately, she succumbed to greed and became a despicable monster at heart.
…That was where she differed from Eleonora, a bona fide villainess.
Eleonora’s twisted nature would never be cured, even during this moment.
However, it became a turning point for Madelle. Along with her newfound admiration towards Eleonora, she’d become a physician and a maid who served her people.
Lydian grew even more infatuated with Eleonora. “Truly, what a wonderful person you are.” Of course, there was no concept of ‘turning over a new leaf’ in his book, either. When it came to someone like Lydian, such a concept was an utter waste of time and effort.
Naturally, Madelle’s knowledge in beauty products didn’t interest Lydian in the slightest.
“…To forgive a poisoner with that level of ability, Eleonora is truly kind.”
Desti, in the meantime. “If Lady Eleonora’s popularity rises, it’ll serve as a good camouflage for the duke’s evil deeds. I shall actively spread positive rumors about her.” Thus, he began to spread the word about how merciful a woman Eleonora was.
He’d definitely grow up to be an evil duke someday. Nevertheless, he was infatuated with Lydian, so he wouldn’t go out of control anytime soon.
Furthermore, Desti’s role was to cooperate with the mafia and remove threats to the kingdom.
Lydian even said, “In an ideal world, he’d either been a mighty hero or a cold-blooded killer. I can’t help but praise both his talent and cruelty.”
Thanks to Desti’s secret maneuvers and the support of the knights and people of the Kingdom of Aisha, Eleonora came to be known as the ‘Merciful Goddess.’
A bronze statue of her was displayed in the Kingdom of Aisha, and the country began to call itself the ‘Land of Goddess Eleonora.’
If popularity had been her objective, Eleonora would’ve basked in the compliments. But it wasn’t.
To her, the nausea of being praised for what she didn’t and never intended to do was just indescribable. It was just repulsive.
She was bitter and frustrated that nobody saw her true self.
Thus, Eleonora decided that she was going to trample on the Kingdom of Aisha from now on.
But just as she thought that—
“—Lady Eleonora, this is the finest lotion we have produced. Although we grow the materials all over the country, only 1% of them are of good quality. We can only refine a bottle. Please try it.”
Eleonora received the vial of lotion from Madelle and applied it to her skin. Soon, her dried skin became elastic and tight. Her acne disappeared overnight. Their makeup made her look much prettier.
Okay, maybe she could let bygones be bygones and help the Kingdom of Aisha.
—As a side note, Tigras, whom Eleonora wanted to assassinate, was born in the Kingdom of Aisha. His wife was none other than the aforementioned princess of Aisha.
Now that his sworn enemy, Madelle, had joined Eleonora’s faction, he couldn’t lay a hand on her. As such, he could only grit his teeth.
Unbeknownst to Eleonora, her revenge on Tigras was successful.
Translator’s Note:
guys its tigras
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