'What will happen to me now?'
Margaret closed her eyes tightly. She was certain that severe punishment awaited her...
“Hoo,” Elias sighed deeply, then said, “…I gave Miss the right to punish you. She said she would keep you by her side.”
“Yes....what?”
She expected them to claim her head immediately.
“The missus said she didn’t want to lose any of His Highness the Prince’s forces.”
“……!”
“So, go and thank her for saving your life.”
Elias conjured the image of his master in his mind and his body shivered. If Lillian hadn't asked to take charge of her punishment?
'What remains of Margaret's trace?'
Dominators had strange illusions about their master, perhaps because they always stayed in the back lines. They thought that Evren was a good person because he was always smiling, and that he carried a deep wound due to the tragic death of the First Empress.
'The problem is that he doesn't have such feelings at all.'
Benefit and lack of benefit; This is the only standard by which Evren views humans. He did not care about people's honesty or lies. Using force was enough for him.
It was unfortunate that Margaret did not understand this and tried to rebel against someone whose master had only just begun to care about him and try to explore him.
* * *
late at night —
Margaret's steps were very heavy as she headed toward Lillian's room.
“What brings you here?”
“Miss Lillian, I came to thank you for saving my life.”
“…….”
“And also...I'm really sorry.”
Margaret waited in complete silence. Lillian, who was standing with her back to her, turned half-turned, and her voice was as soft as the still night air: “I think anyone could feel that way, Margaret.”
“Yes?”
“When you are loyal to someone, sometimes you feel the need to intervene, even if you have to play the villain of your own free will.”
Margaret clenched her fist. Although the statement may seem like an excuse, it was expressing her truth. She had served this family since she was young, and had made an effort to be the best dominatrix to serve the commanders and knights, so she thought that a woman from a hostile family should not be trusted easily…
“So, I can understand you.”
“Ah...!”
Tears welled in Margaret's eyes.
'Play the villain of your own free will'
These words had a great impact on her.
'What a warm and giving person she is.'
She previously despised her as the "incapable" of the Tillard family, but perhaps she was in fact a victim who sacrificed herself for her family-
“But, will it end with just ‘sorry’?”
"Yes?"
“Hmm? If I simply accept your apology like this, I will find myself living in a future where I endure everyone’s harassment. I don’t want a future where I am a victim.”
“Yes…?”
“Margaret, Margaret, dear Margaret”
Lillian suddenly approached her, and smiled with her beautiful face in a chilling way: “If you’re really sorry, how about we do a little ‘arm support’ exercise?”
“……!?”
* * *
The view of the night sky from the sitting position was beautiful. The “sofa” moved up and down a little, but it was stable and sturdy.
'As expected from a great dominatrix.'
Her basic physique was amazing; To do push-ups with Lillian on her back, isn't that amazing?
“You know, Margaret, I've been thinking of something.”
“Yes..n..uncle”
The reply came from under Lillian like the sound of someone dying, but she ignored it.
“Since I was in control of His Highness the Prince, I couldn't just be in control all the time. I had a desire to contribute something.”
“Yes, yes, that's true”
“But for the sincerity of my feelings to be distorted like this... In fact, I was hurt a lot. Even though I look like this, my heart is very tender.”
“I'm sorry, I.. I'm really sorry.”
“And I thought too.”
“Why.. do you think.. so much..?”
“I always think, Margaret, ‘I think, therefore I am’.”
Don't you realize how hard I try not to die? No one here uses his mind as much as Lillian does.
“Margaret, your back is down.”
“Egggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhvola reasons” in hand?
“Okay, that's enough, I've enjoyed the view long enough.”
Lillian rose mercifully. As for Margaret, she fell onto the marble floor indifferently to her dignity.
"How? How will you treat me in the future?"
“M.. in the future, I will serve you.. with all sincerity.. and sincerity...!”
“Jesus, your words make me sound like I'm really bothering you. Right? You're serving me because you want to, right?”
“Yes, yes. With all my heart...”
“Yes, good”
Lillian smiled gently: “And I believe that those under your command will also help me with the same sincerity, right?”
“With.. definitely.”
They better do that if they want to survive.
'There is no complicated reason for me to forgive her.'
In order to compete for the position of crown prince, military force is certainly necessary. And if you face the worst-case scenario...
'War will break out'
And until that time comes, wouldn't it be better to have at least one extra brain? A person is valuable as long as he is alive, as long as he is not the type to abandon others.
* * *
After the storm calmed down -
Lillian began to enjoy a comfortable environment free of gossip, thanks to having an excellent maid by her side.
"Margaret. My drafts"
“There, miss!”
“Margaret, the pen presentation angle is wrong.”
“I apologize, I will fix that immediately.”
“Let's do it right the first time, the first time.”
“Your command!”
Margaret answered with the discipline of a knight's subservient, rather than a servant's. Since she acted like this, the others who had been looking at Lillian with hostility also became obedient, and even began to approach her warily.
“Miss, but you haven’t appeared in the field much before.”
“That's right”
“But last time, how were you able to create the remains of the butterfly spectra with the power of control?”
“This is part of the training in the Tillard family.”
“……!”
“And I know because I arranged the training records too.”
Ramio had left all of the family's training records to Lillian.
‘Ramio, these records were quickly requested by Brother Quiren… If I wrote them carelessly like that, then later-’
'Ah! You cry over trivial things. Do it yourself this time!'
Thanks to that, even though she was “incapable,” she preserved some ways of dealing in her mind.
'I was wondering when I would use those useless things.'
There is nothing useless in life. Even thrown dog droppings may be useful as medicine one day, so research and learning is a must.
As soon as she answered, the two controllers' expressions changed strangely, as if they had bitten off a piece of sour lemon.
“...even these things you were doing?”
"Hmm? Yes"
“But, such things are done by servants...”
“I just did it myself.”
“…….”
No one said another word. In any case, they came to follow Lillian's words of their own volition.
'I have earned the right to speak because of this situation.'
Since she was in charge of the villain, she realized that she could impose any strange order she wanted. But when entering the competition for the position of Crown Prince...
'Many people will be injured in this process.'
If it continues without results, people will be more likely to give up midway. Therefore, this amount of trust is sufficient to exchange benefits and end the matter.
Several hours later, Jean ran to tell her the news she had heard from the priest—
“Miss, the sacred piece designated for compatibility checking is ready for action!”