The day of the tea party arrived. Recalling the last tea party I attended sank my mood into the ground.
“Oh, you look wonderful, Your Majesty!”
Once again, Alicia and Freesia assisted me in dressing up for the occasion. I wore a white gown that gradually transitioned into deepening shades of blue, and I paired it with a sapphire necklace and earrings.
“I’ll make sure to serve you to the last moment today!”
Alicia was oddly excited about this. Perhaps she was still sour that I’d left the last tea party halfway through.
“My, how reassuring,” I said. “And I must say, you two are marvelous at making a lady look her best.”
“Only because you’re so beautiful to begin with!” Alicia replied.
“Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to make some final preparations at the venue,” Freesia said flatly. Unlike Alicia, she seemed wholly disinterested. I had to admit, the contrast between the two was rather amusing.
“Please do.”
Shortly after they left, I was called to the party by the guards stationed outside my dressing room. I sighed, expelling the gloom and anxiety welling up within me as I exited the room.
It appeared the guests had already arrived, waiting in their seats. They seemed a bit cold, and perhaps nervous. The icy atmosphere was unusual. The mood didn’t change even after the party began.
“S-so, Queen Luxeria…I must say, the dress you wore to your coronation was simply fabulous,” one lady said. Her words confirmed my suspicion that these women had been present at my coronation. They’d seen me impale Wilhelm. Perhaps it had been too shocking a sight for these sheltered noblewomen.
“My, thank you. I am glad I could impress,” I said.
The lady of House Weston cracked a twitching smile in response.
No, you fool. Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve so carelessly. Smile in the face of fear. Show joy to the mirror of your sadness. Hide your emotions behind the mask of a puppet, lest the people around you pull the strings.
“By the way, Melania, do we have any surprise guests scheduled to arrive today?” I asked.
Melania’s shoulders twitched in response to my question. “Any, um, surprises? Uh…”
“Yes, surprises. We had one last time, did we not? I figured something similar would be waiting for me this time.”
“T-t-terribly sorry to fall short of your expectations, but we have no other guests planned for today,” Melania said. Her conduct stunned me. She was a demure little maiden compared to her intimidating father, Lord Slade. She was unlikely to change the topic like he would, nor would she inquire about who invited Barbara.
“I see. That’s unfortunate. Hopefully that can be arranged next time,” I said.
“Um, certainly.”
I kept an eye on her from then on. She was a golden child, doted on so heavily by her father. He didn’t just throw her extravagant birthday parties, but he also established many elaborate celebration days in her name: the day she took her first steps, the day she first said the word “papa,” among other dates. He’d made so many holidays out of her achievements that he ended up spending most of the year celebrating her in some way.
Slade might have seemed like a doting father—perhaps to a sickening extent—but he had the greatest political power in the land. He could and would do anything for his little girl. But perhaps this was exactly why she was so easy to manipulate, unlike her father.
The tea party proceeded normally after that, ending just before sunset. As everyone began to leave the venue, I called out to Melania.
“Y-yes? Is something the matter?” she asked.
I spoke using Heart Realm: “Melania, stand in place.”
The moment I used my magic, the color in her eyes faded. She was now utterly at my mercy.
I then cast my magic on the rest of the women: “All those present besides Melania, forget that I spoke to her. You will remember that she stayed behind to look for a lost item. Now, take your leave. Melania, come with me.”
Everyone followed my words to the letter. I escorted Melania to a different room.
“You will answer my questions truthfully,” I said, wielding my magic. Then, I spoke normally. “Why is your father gathering mages?”
“I do not know,” Melania replied.
Of course. The reason she lacked any escorts capable of resisting my magic was that she knew nothing incriminating. It was disappointing, to say the least.
“Then, Melania, answer me this: Have you seen any children with magical abilities around your living quarters?”
“No.”
“Do you know of any place in those quarters where children could be hidden? Someplace where people or objects could be concealed?”
“The manor has a basement,” she said.
“Have you ever been inside of it?”
“No.”
“Then we shall change the subject. How did you come to own that ruby necklace?” I asked.
“It was a gift from my father,” she responded.
“Who does your father meet with most often, and to whom does he send the most letters?”
“For personal meetings, his bureaucrats and assistants. He also sees Count Adcock and Count Scott, as well as members of the Cameo Corporation. He primarily sends letters to the associates I previously mentioned, and to envoys from the Celden Republic.”
Aha! I finally had some useful information. “Why is he in contact with Celden? Has he said anything about it?”
“Father says friendly relations with neighboring nations is a necessity for House Slade to prosper. He never tells me what is written in the letters. He has gotten quite close to the people from Celden, however. He told me this ruby was from them.”
It stood to reason that she wouldn’t know the contents of the letters, but learning that her ruby came from Celden was still an important discovery.
“Hmm. I see.” I finished our conversation by using Heart Realm: “I am done. Hold the article you ‘lost’ and go home. Forget all we discussed here.”
Melania did exactly as I ordered, and she left as if we’d never spoken at all.
“I assume you heard her, Tommy?” I said in the direction of a seemingly vacant corner.
Tommy emerged from thin air. “Yes, absolutely.”
“There were no records of a sudden influx of children over at House Slade, correct?”
“Mm-hmm. You don’t think…?”
“I do. If the children haven’t been seen in his residence, it’s likely he is selling them to the Celden Republic.”
“And you think he might be holding them in the basement until they get passed off to Celden?”
“Yes. He is most likely trading them for money and rubies.”
“What a vile man,” Tommy grumbled.
“Very. Investigating Celden and Étoile is now a higher priority.”
“All right. I’ve got several men snooping around Celden. I’ll give them the update as soon as possible.”
“Please do.”
Tommy disappeared again, and I returned to my private quarters.
“Welcome back, Your Majesty!”
Alicia’s presence alleviated my anxiety, finally allowing me to relax. With a deep breath, I eagerly sank into my sofa.
“Thank you for helping me today, Alicia.”
“I’m just happy it went without incident. It seems the ladies were better behaved this time.”
“You noticed that as well?” I asked.
“It’s heartening to see them start to understand how wonderful you are!”
Her praise brought a smile to my face. “Well, I had no intention of getting into any fights today.”
Alicia tilted her head to the side, puzzled.
“Never mind. Say, could you get me something sweet? I haven’t eaten since the party started.”
“Yes, Your Majesty! I’ll prepare something right away!”
“Thank you.”
I battled the dizziness that tried to take hold of me by focusing my attention on Alicia’s steadfast smile. That smile hadn’t changed, not even after she lost her memories.
I was worried that my physical state was deteriorating. I’d barely used my magic today, but I could no longer stand up. My mana veins were collapsing, and my condition would only worsen the more I used my magic. There was no hope of recovery.
Even so, I could not afford to stop using my magic. I needed it to exact my revenge. Please, dear body, hold on a while longer. Once I’ve finished, do as you will—just grant me a little more time. I took a few more deep breaths, begging my body to persevere.