“I’m terribly sorry,” I apologized.
“Oh, please don’t be,” the queen replied. “Unlike your country, Little Mary, our kingdom is rather lax when it comes to formalities. I’m sure you know that. And I’m sure that you wouldn’t have imagined a trapped queen baking snacks here.”
For the second time in my life, I fully prostrated and begged for forgiveness while Queen Belletochka Relirex, who looked great in an apron, calmly forgave me.
“H-How do you know my name?” I asked.
“Hee hee, even I’ve heard of the feats of the Argent Holy Woman,” Her Majesty replied. “You look exactly as the rumors described you, and your friend with you is the divine beast, am I wrong? Plus, when I see you speak so casually with my little Emilia, it’s not too hard to piece things together. And, well, there are other things, but we can leave those aside for now.”
In stark contrast to my panicking so bad I’d even forgotten to introduce myself, Queen Belletochka spoke to me at complete ease with a smile. I could hardly believe that she was confined to this place given she was so knowledgeable about the outside world. It was no wonder that Lady Elizabeth was cautious about her—and speaking of whom, the queen had the same ominous aura seeping through her calm exterior that Lady Elizabeth did.
“And who might they be?” the queen asked. Even she didn’t know about my Kairomean friends, and she tilted her head to one side, perplexed as she looked them over.
While Emilia introduced Sita and Rachel, I glanced at Noa. I’d expected her to be socially anxious and shy, but she spoke with the queen normally. After she had all those unpleasant memories in Eneres, she always hid behind me whenever she met someone new. Does she know Queen Belletochka, then? Is it related to how we were able to come here somehow?
Shockingly, the queen herself seemed unfamiliar with Noa, and acted as though the two had never met before. “Little Noa, I see,” Her Majesty said. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. Oh dear, you’re so shy! How very adorable. ♪”
The queen’s laid-back attitude and smile made Noa lower her guard, and she mumbled around sheepishly as she spoke with the queen. Wait, is she acting shy around strangers or not? I can’t really tell now...
We all enjoyed some snacks and tea as we took a quick break. This is so relaxing... I began to doubt we really were in the Prison Tower.
“Emilia, this is the Prison Tower, right?” I whispered to the demon princess beside me.
“Yes, it is,” Emilia replied. “We don’t blame you for incorrectly thinking that she isn’t confined. It’s the air that mother exudes, we suppose.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our mother is self-proclaimed to be confined.”
“Pardon?” What’s with this crazy twist she’s dropping after we’ve come all this way? I tilted my head to one side with confusion as I glanced at the queen.
“Oh dear, Little Emilia,” Her Majesty said. “It’s not self-proclaimed. I am the very person who betrayed my kingdom and guided the Dark Lord to his defeat. I’m the rebel who forced the alliance to be created and prevented the Relirex army from advancing. The citizens would never have accepted allowing me to remain alive and live life normally. And yet, they all... I have to at least be confined, even if it’s just for appearance. Both Vrammie dear and my older sister tend to spoil those close to them.”
V-Vrammie? Is she referring to that musclehead— I mean, the current Dark Lord, King Vram? Though we were in the midst of a serious discussion, my stupid mind latched onto the most useless of details.
“Mother, time has passed since,” Emilia said. “We’ve told you countless times that the citizens are grateful for your actions and will never resent you for them. That power allowed all to be liberated from the shackles of tyranny, and as we traded with Aldia, we regained much of our prosperity. Even the subjects rely more on you than father, since frankly, he’s not one to use his brains— We mean, er...”
My simple question seemed to have touched upon a sensitive topic, and the two demons began to argue, leaving me at a loss over what to do. Emilia in particular seemed to have a lot to say—she rambled on at her mother, and her thoughts didn’t seem very organized. Sita did tell me about Relirex’s past. I wasn’t well-versed in the histories of nations besides Aldia, but every kingdom had its dark history. I felt it was best not to pry and switched topics.
“Um, may I tell you why I came here in the first place?” I asked.
“Ah, yes,” Queen Belletochka said. “Please, do enlighten me. Why did you come to meet me?”
Emilia had still wanted to talk, but the queen ended the discussion and turned to me.
“Uh, it’s about the, um...Argent...Knight,” I said.
Craaaaaaaap! Damn it, Mary! That doesn’t change the topic at all! I internally writhed in agony, realizing I’d said a phrase that I shouldn’t have.
“The Argent Knight?” Her Majesty asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Sita said, her eyes glimmering. I was too busy scolding myself over my stupidity, so she took the wheel. “Lady Mary is investigating the life of the Argent Knight! As we offered our aid in her endeavor, we learned that you’re knowledgeable about the subject, Your Majesty. Hence, we’re here to listen to your story.”
“A person of Kairomea personally offering their assistance?” the queen asked. “My, oh my, Little Mary, you’re quite impressive, aren’t you?”
“That, she is!” Sita cried. “The Argent Holy Woman is a hero who saved our Grand Archival Tower—”
“Ahhhh!” I shouted. “Enough about me! Let’s get to discussing! Come on!” It was a small saving grace that the slight change in topics dispelled the heavy air, but Sita’s praise embarrassed me, and I knew she’d exaggerate some points. Please, just stop!
“The Argent Knight...” the queen said. “It’s been a long while since we last met, so I might not remember all the details.”
“How did you meet with the Argent Knight?” Sita asked in my stead, her curiosity driving the conversation. She was reliable, but I also wanted her to learn to read the room—in any case, all I could do now was nervously listen.
“Many years ago, Relirex once considered invading Aldia,” Queen Belletochka started.
“M-Mother?!” Emilia gasped awkwardly, flustered to discuss something like this in front of an Aldian citizen like me. However, the queen seemed unfazed.