Afterword
HELLO, EVERYONE. Lovely to meet you. For some, it’s been a while since we last met. Thank you all so much for picking up this book.
Now, the idea for this story actually came to me while I was writing my previous work, Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter. In that book, there was no magic—it was all about how to govern a region. But as I was writing it, I occasionally thought, What if there was magic?!
That’s right, magic: the core of fantasy stories. I wondered what kind of story would unfold if my main character could use magic—something everyone’s dreamed of at least once in their life.
Though I started writing with that in mind, I kept pushing the main character into more corners, thinking, Magic is such a convenient tool. She’ll be fine no matter what I throw at her!
As the author, I love all the characters who appear in this book…but that didn’t stop me from making them suffer. Yet they overcame my challenges and became even stronger. The main character in particular started out with a more “doll princess” kind of personality. As I witnessed her grow and develop, I found myself relieved and ended up thoroughly enjoying her journey.
Moving on… Evil Queen likewise features beautiful illustrations by the talented Futaba-sensei. They were so breathtaking that I froze up the moment I saw them. Futaba-sensei, thank you so much for the gorgeous art!
To my editor: I apologize for being so selfish sometimes. Thank you immensely for being so considerate of my schedule; it helped me a lot.
And lastly, to the readers: truly, thank you for reading this book. The thought of my book occupying your bookshelves fills me with joy. I’ll continue working hard so you can enjoy my series—even if just a little.
I hope we have the opportunity to meet again in the future.
—REIA