Chapter 12 Part 4

This time, he seemed far more tense than before. The atmosphere felt heavier than when he’d asked to entrust the children to Tornado. Trying to ease the awkwardness, I gave a small cough, but his tense expression showed no sign of softening.

“What I said earlier about being betrayed was all true.”

“You mean the story about sending the children far away.”

“The person I asked to look after my children was Daisy Queenie. Yes, that Daisy Queenie of the Queenje Dukedom, whom you know.”

I steadied my face just in time and lifted my teacup to hide my trembling lips. Could this be Daisy Queenie’s trap? Or did Daisy Queenie make a mistake? My thoughts tangled, making it hard to maintain my composure. Locus, seemingly unaware of my hidden reaction behind the teacup, continued in a calm tone.

“I made a deal with Daisy Queenie to ensure my children’s safety. I believed that if I did as she wished, they would live comfortably somewhere warm, with full stomachs.”

“…Laen and Daien were captured by foreign traffickers and ended up here.”

“I knew that, too. From the start, Daisy Queenie never intended to keep her promise. She immediately put them on a ship heading abroad. She must have decided she didn’t care what happened to the children.”

With an angelic face, Daisy Queenie easily won others’ favor and wielded it as a weapon. Seeing that he had discovered her ugly true nature gave me a strange sense of kinship. After all, haven’t both he and I lived at her mercy?

“As a token of gratitude for saving Laen and Daien, I want to tell you everything I know, my lady. And please allow me to help you.”

I fell into brief thought. His offer of help was certainly appealing, as was the information he had about Daisy Queenie. Even so, I hesitated because of one last doubt: what if this is Daisy Queenie’s trap? What if all of this is just an act, and Daisy Queenie, upon realizing that Laen and Daien are here, is using Locus somehow?

But as though he sensed my reluctance, Locus held out his hand to me. When I hesitated, unsure of what he meant, he rolled up his sleeve to show me.

“If my lady cannot trust me, I can swear it upon my mana. My life is devoted to the children anyway, so a vow like this is no burden.”

“…I’d like to say I trust you for the children’s sake, but after what Daisy Queenie has done to me, it’s not so easy to believe anyone. Still, if you’re willing to make that vow, I won’t stop you.”

“I’ll do anything I can to help.”

Locus pressed the tip of his left index finger firmly against my right palm without a moment’s hesitation.

“I swear upon my mana that I will not utter a single falsehood to Lady Rose Knight.”

A blue mana ring formed around his wrist. Mesmerized by its radiant glow, I watched as Locus brought his index finger to the mana ring. The finger, cut by the mana ring, dripped blood, and the mana ring, stained with that blood, shone red before leaving a crest on his wrist and disappearing.

“That’s the Seal of Oath. If I break my vow…”

“The crest will shatter your mana, won’t it, Locus?”

I remembered this from Carib’s kindly explanations in the original story. Though I disliked the idea of holding someone’s life hostage in an agreement, the situation involving Daisy Queenie had put me on edge.

“Since you know about it, I can proceed with an explanation. In exchange for guaranteeing the children’s safety, I created magical potions that Daisy Queenie requested.”

“Magical potions, you say?”

“What Daisy Queenie requested most often from me was ‘the Perfume of Enchantment.’ As the name implies, it compels others to become infatuated with her.”

“…Then, all those men who fell for Daisy Queenie…”

“I can’t say it’s every one of them, but in most cases, they became addicted to the Perfume of Enchantment. The longer they’re exposed to it, and the longer they remain around its wearer, the stronger its effect.”

The fact that those passionate emotions directed at her were, in fact, fabricated—who could have known? The men who were head over heels for Daisy Queenie, begging for her attention day in and day out, were merely addicts, enslaved by a mage’s potion. The world I thought I knew, the world I’d been observing, was overturned, revealing yet another ugly truth.

“There’s something more important. Recently, she’s been obsessively stressed over the Crown Princess position, and today she told me to create a poison.”

“A poison… Looks like Daisy Queenie’s cornered. That’s not usually something she would resort to.”

“It seems it’s because of the frequent clashes she’s had with you, my lady. I didn’t hear the details, but apparently a number of her employees have died because of it.”

The more I learned about Daisy Queenie, the more horrifying her vile nature became. It was as if she was demonstrating just how far a person could deteriorate, how monstrous one could become. Locus, recounting these events, wore an undisguised look of disgust. Having been closest to her, he likely knew more than anyone, and so it was only natural.

“The poison Daisy Queenie intends to give you is colorless and odorless, making it very hard to detect. With three or more drops, it’s toxic enough to melt someone’s face.”

“Melt… one’s face?”

“Yes, it’s extremely potent. Six drops are enough to kill.”

“A small amount would already be fatal, wouldn’t it?”

Just imagining that poison being used on me made my spine tingle. If I hadn’t heard about it and been caught off guard… I recalled Daisy Queenie’s wish from the original story, the one she pleaded for from a mad mage.

‘Please make Rose Knight’s face melt so she spends her entire life in pain and suffering.’

And that mad mage, lured in by her temptation, waited for Rose Knight to leave her estate before killing her with magic. To be precise, he intended to melt her face according to Daisy Queenie’s request, but Rose Knight, already fragile from mental strain, couldn’t withstand that level of shock and collapsed.

Because the original story got derailed, Locus wasn’t a mad mage, nor was he seduced by Daisy Queenie. Instead, he ended up opposing Daisy Queenie because of Laen and Daien’s situation, and he was now trying to help me.

Seeing that felt like witnessing Daisy Queenie’s imminent downfall, and I let out a laugh as though I were watching a comedy. Of course, from Daisy Queenie’s point of view, there could be no greater tragedy.

“Could you possibly make that poison for me?”

“Certainly. I already have the ingredients, so once I brew it, I can bring it to you right away.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you. If you need any additional ingredients, please let me know. I’ll get them for you.”

“Understood.”

***

“Garnet, could you call Taryn here for a moment?”

“Taryn? What for…? Did Taryn do something wrong in the territory?”

“No, there’s just something I need her for. She has to come quietly, with no one knowing, just like when she went down to the territory. Can I count on you?”

“Leave it to me, my lady. I’m not sure what it’s about, but if it’s your request, of course I’ll follow.”

Garnet made a playful face and patted her chest as if saying I can rely on her, lifting her chin in a show of confidence. I was quietly amused, watching her, when Locus suddenly appeared from the corner of the room, the space between the bookshelf and the wall. Having not yet grown accustomed to Locus, Garnet was startled for the third time today and sank to the floor, while I greeted him with a calm expression.

“You’ve come again. Would you like some tea?”

“No, I have to go back soon, so I’m fine.”

“How’s the progress on the work?”

“I’ve finished making the poison and dropped by. It’s the drug you asked me to prepare last time.”

“So this is the poison… There’s no toxicity in the liquid you’ll be giving Daisy Queenie, right?”

“I was planning to fill hers with just water from the start.”

If it’s a colorless, odorless liquid, water fits perfectly… The serious look on his face as he spoke of replacing a lethal substance, capable of killing a person with just six drops, with mere water made me smile, picturing Daisy Queenie, tricked into thinking it’s poison. But for the sake of the plan, I needed a more dramatic situation.

“Regarding the liquid to be given to Daisy Queenie, there’s one more favor I need. It’s still just a plan for now, so let’s discuss it later. Garnet, how long do you think it’ll take Taryn to get here from the townhouse?”

“If she has to come quietly without anyone knowing, it’ll probably take about a week.”

“Then in a week, I’ll throw out the bait. Let’s hope the big fish bites.”

“It can’t help but bite.”

Seeing me smile with such confidence, Garnet nodded in emphatic agreement, and Locus let out a soft laugh.

“Now I see why Daisy Queenie harbors such an inferiority complex toward you, my lady. There are so many tasks you’re handling just for this party alone, it’s impossible to keep count. It seems you’re looking at a grander picture than anyone else.”

“I’m the one in charge, so it’s only fitting that I bring out the biggest canvas. Besides, since we’re bringing down the daughter of a duke, it’s not something to be taken lightly.”

“Even to a mage, my lady, you truly are remarkable, aren’t you?”

Looking quite pleased at receiving praise as though it were directed at her, Garnet laughed. True to his word that he needed to leave soon, Locus set down a sheet of paper he was holding and disappeared via teleportation.

Garnet, having finally calmed her startled nerves from Locus’s sudden appearance, grumbled at the spot where he had vanished, but Locus was already gone, far out of earshot.

“A party inviting only VIP customers needs some sort of event that will draw everyone’s attention. What could that be…?”

Sending invitations exclusively to VIP customers to emphasize rarity is all well and good, but the content of the party itself also needs something special to ensure plenty of attendees for the next one. I’d been worrying for days over what to feature as the main event, but couldn’t settle on anything and my head was aching.

“Garnet, what kind of market happenings make you feel good?”

“The market… Well, sales, of course! It’s always nice to buy things at a discount.”

But our guests would be nobles. They tend to look down on goods the cheaper they are, so lowering prices didn’t feel like a good idea. Seeing my disappointment, Garnet tried to help by throwing out various ideas.

“Publicity in front of a shop was fun! I saw a street performer for the first time, and he was a great dancer.”

“…”

“Also… oh right, I often went to places hosting new product trials.”

New products…? At first, I was going to brush it off, but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like a good idea. Launching a brand-new item from the company for VIP customers only, featuring it as the party’s main event, could be effective—it would also highlight the importance of the party. Admittedly, it might not be the perfect answer, but for now, this seemed like the best I could do…

“Thanks for the suggestion, Garnet. I should unveil one of the items the trading company plans to release this time.”

“I’m glad I could help! But what do you plan on unveiling?”

“I still need to think about it. Since it’s something to be announced at the party, I feel it should be a luxury item….”

Garnet offered me a macaron as I was pensively chewing on the tip of my fountain pen.

“Please don’t bite that; have something sweet instead. I think you’ve been overworking yourself today.”

“Since preparations for the party are in full swing, there’s not much I can do. As the one in charge, I can’t exactly take it easy, can I?”

The macaron was so sweet it instantly blew away the worries that had been making my head throb. Smiling happily, I reached for another one.

“Still, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed working this much. Before, it felt more like an obligation, so I usually worried about the growing workload rather than taking pleasure in it. It seems that if a person does something they truly enjoy, everything becomes fun.”

“It’s true that you’ve been in a good mood lately, my lady. You’ve also been spending even more time looking at documents… But I’m worried you might be pushing yourself too hard. You’ve been sleeping less, haven’t you?”

“It’s fine, really. I’ve been sleeping well these days, and I feel great.”

Ever since I began moving with the goal of bringing down Daisy Queenie, even the tasks I’d always done became enjoyable. Because I was in high spirits, my speed at handling paperwork had increased so much that even my aides were struggling to keep up with me. Just imagining that confident face of hers twisting has me feeling more energized—perhaps it’s only natural.