“Your Majesty! This is not what we agreed upon!”
Duke Arduan’s roar shook the room. His wrinkled face was layered with anger and suspicion.
Bellatris calmed him with a soft yet firm tone.
“Father, I know better than anyone the extent of your power. In the Kingdom of Sibern, aside from the royal family, you hold the greatest influence. But Marquis Alcradion is also a great noble of the south and a swordmaster. We must not provoke him rashly.”
In terms of sheer power, Duke Arduan was the kingdom’s undisputed titan. His ducal authority was not mere show—military might, wealth, connections, who could dare challenge him?
But—
‘Jin Alcradion. I only glimpsed him at the last banquet, but he’s dangerous. The moment you make an enemy of a monster like him, the entire balance of the kingdom could shift. It would be far wiser to bring him to our side…’
She turned her head and stared directly at her father, Arduan.
A greedy old fox. Called the pillar of the kingdom, but deep down, he coveted the throne itself.
“…Bella. You’re not entertaining other thoughts, are you?”
Bellatris gave a subtle smile and shook her head.
“Other thoughts, Father? I’m stopping you for a simple reason. We cannot afford to make an enemy of Marquis Alcradion right now. We’re in the middle of a state funeral. More importantly, if the marquis sides with the crown prince, that alone will cause us headaches. With Duke Baran’s neutrality still uncertain, do we really need to make more enemies?”
“Hmm… You have a point.”
Hearing his tone soften, Bellatris sighed in relief inwardly.
‘This old man, driven mad by his lust for power… Chasing short-term gains will ruin everything.’
In his youth, Arduan had been sharp and cunning. But over the years, he had become a monster consumed by stubbornness and ambition.
Bellatris pressed her red lips thinly, then whispered softly.
“Father, there will be plenty of opportunities. It’s not too late to act after my son ascends the throne and the kingdom’s foundation is secure.”
“But that man… Marquis Alcradion is too dangerous. If we don’t nip him in the bud now, he’ll block us at every turn in the future.”
Bellatris closed her eyes briefly at Arduan’s words.
She couldn’t disagree. But her judgment differed from her father’s. Alcradion was already a towering giant.
“An opportunity will surely come. For the sake of me and your grandson, please hold back for now. I beg you.”
Arduan narrowed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.
“Hmph… If you insist this much, I’ll hold off this time.”
“Thank you, Father.”
She bowed her head outwardly, but inside, Bellatris let out a long sigh. Her father seemed to support her, but his true intentions were different. Given the chance, he would eliminate both her and her son to seize the throne. Moreover, he saw the king’s sudden death as an opportunity, brazenly revealing his long-hidden desires.
‘I need to make the marquis mine… and take down Father at the same time.’
Bellatris resolved coldly.
She had heard that Alcradion was still unmarried. And though he once paid no attention to women, rumors now swirled in the capital that he lusted after noble ladies and wives. These rumors, confirmed by the parties involved, were no mere gossip.
‘Controlling an innocent man is hard. But a man consumed by lust… that’s much easier.’
Bellatris dismissed Arduan. Then, she turned and headed straight for Marquis Alcradion’s quarters.
‘He’s handsome… and I hear he’s well-endowed down there. Heh, I wonder how impressive he is?’
Her chest thrummed with an inexplicable excitement.
Since giving birth to her son Daniel, her relationship with the king had long been severed. The king had ignored her, showering more attention on Leonhardt, the son of his concubine. The insult and humiliation still burned vividly, etched into her bones.
‘Daniel… Where is that useless fool wandering now?’
At the thought of her wastrel son, her teeth ground together. She couldn’t fathom how such an idiot was born into her family.
***
Seeing Queen Bellatris barge into my room, I narrowed my eyes briefly.
‘…What’s her intention? Is she here to sway me?’
“Marquis, may I sit?”
“Ah, my apologies. Your Majesty, please, take a seat here.”
I stood from my chair and pulled one out for her. As she sat, a subtle fragrance brushed my nose—not too heavy, not too faint, a scent that tantalized the senses.
Bellatris sat with a coy smile.
“Thank you.”
I cut to the chase as she expressed her gratitude.
“I’m curious why Your Majesty has come to see me so late at night.”
“Simply… I was curious about you, Marquis.”
Bellatris licked her lips as she finished speaking.
“I came to see for myself if the rumors among the noble ladies and wives are true.”
‘Is she here to offer herself?’
An opportunity had rolled right to me. A woman at the pinnacle of power, the queen herself, was offering her pussy—what man wouldn’t salivate at the prospect?
But—
‘Tempting, but… this isn’t the scenario I want.’
I recalled scenes from the game where Bellatris was ravaged by monsters or demons. I had no intention of letting other men gangbang her, but I wanted to recreate those scenes myself.
‘It’s a pity, but I’ll hold off for now.’
With a neutral expression, I spoke calmly, playing my part.
“Your Majesty must be exhausted from the funeral and state affairs. There’s no need to concern yourself with me at this hour. Please, return to your quarters.”
At my words, the smile on Bellatris’s lips faded. Her blue eyes wavered for a moment but soon settled.
“I see… I didn’t expect such firmness from you, Marquis.”
Her pride seemingly wounded, she rose slowly with a cold expression. Just before leaving, she glanced back and shot me a sharp look.
“Marquis, let me offer you one piece of advice. You won’t be able to stay neutral for long. The day will come when you must choose whom to serve.”
“I’ll take Your Majesty’s advice to heart.”
***
The funeral lasted thirty days.
From the first day, the entire capital was draped in black. Black flags hung at the city gates, and nobles, knights, and clergy all donned black attire. Every morning, bells tolled, and even the citizens were forced to join the mourning procession.
I appeared at the palace daily. Queen Bellatris, always in a black dress with a sorrowful expression, showed no trace of sadness in her clear, cold blue eyes. Instead, she surveyed her surroundings with chilling clarity.
Crown Prince Lucian approached me several times, but I maintained my neutrality.
‘At least on the surface.’
The funeral procession circled the palace again today. No matter how I thought about it, repeating the same ritual for thirty days seemed excessive, but it was tradition, so I saw no need to protest.
And today, as always, the procession took place at the same time.
‘It’s about time.’
I opened the window and spoke to Marianne, who had entered the capital.
“Marianne.”
“Yes, Master.”
“It’s about to begin. Follow the plan.”
“Yes.”
At that moment, a shout erupted from the head of the procession.
“Enemies!”
“Royal knights, form ranks! Protect His Majesty’s carriage! Guard it with your lives!”
As the lead halted, the carriages behind it stopped in succession. Nobles cowered inside their carriages, too afraid to step out.
‘Let’s see how much chaos my daughters can stir up.’
In the distance, a group appeared, their faces and bodies concealed by masks and robes. They were my daughters, their identities thoroughly hidden.
This was all part of my plan.
To drive out the demons and take their place, I needed to make a mark on the continent first. And this was the start—my daughters’ grand debut.
It was also an opportunity to make Marianne’s name as a hero resound even louder. A hero who protected the kingdom from the demon army—her fame would soar, and I planned to manipulate things from behind using her renown.
‘If I play along with the kids and set the mood just right…’
***
Led by Sora Jin, the three sisters stood atop a building, glancing at each other. But before they could start, Lucy grumbled.
“Hey, Hayoung Jin… Do we really have to do this?”
Sora sighed, agreeing.
“Yeah… These tacky poses and lines like ‘Shiver of the Black Tiger’? It’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
Hayoung, hands on her hips, raised her voice confidently.
“Sisters! This is the scene Dad’s counting on! So we absolutely have to do it!”
“Dad?!”
“Papa?!”
Hayoung nodded with confidence.
“Yeah, that’s why we’re doing it. Dad said the demon army cadre debut pose is a must!”
Lucy blushed, covering one cheek with her hand.
“Well, if Papa wants it… I guess we have no choice♡”
“If Dad wants it… I’ll do it, even if it’s embarrassing.”
‘My sisters are too easy~’
Hayoung smirked inwardly.
“Alright, then on three, we land and shout! Ready?”
The three sisters exchanged awkward glances and nodded.
“Here we go!”
“One, two, three…!”
The three sisters leaped from the sky, diving toward the ground.
-Boom!!
As their feet hit the ground simultaneously, dust exploded outward, and thick smoke clouded the air.
Chaos erupted as nobles and soldiers began to murmur.
“A-An attack…?!”
“Enemies!”
Amid the confusion, the three sisters emerged through the smoke.
-Clap!!
They struck poses with synchronized shouts.
“Demon Army First! Shiver of the Black Tiger!”
“Demon Army Second! Nightmare of the Moonblood!”
“Demon Army Third! Ecstasy of the Soft!”
At that moment, a bang rang out behind them as fireworks exploded, scattering colorful sparks across the sky.
It was undeniably a clumsy performance.
The sisters exchanged awkward glances before forcibly raising their chins, feigning confidence.
“Ahem! Humans, it’s time to tremble in fear!”
“Humans! Your nightmare has returned!”
“Nahaha~!”
But the nobles and knights who witnessed it reacted differently.
“…Crazy bitches!”
“All units, maintain formation!”
“Protect His Majesty’s carriage!”
Most paid them no mind.