Chapter 2:
The royal capital of Nesland, Kamarilla. A metropolis of 8 million people that developed along the Selve River. The royal palace, the parliament, the supreme court, and the central government office. The city where many of the political powers’ central forces gathered was in second place in terms of population compared to Garfield, the central economic city, but was still a prospering city that had left behind numerous historical traces.
Within this city, at the central government office, the royal palace and the official residence of the prime minister stood as the two pinnacles of this country’s political influences, and were placed facing each other on the north and south sides of the Selve River.
Inside that central government office, in the official residence of the prime minister, Prime Minister Saion paced around the room, back and forth. Although he had a plump stomach, his face was well looked after, enough to conceal that his age was close to 60; he still looked as if he was in his forties. Though he was starting to lose his hair, it matched his subtle moustache quite well and thus, it was said that he had the air of a sedate and dignified gentleman.
However, right now, such profoundness was nowhere to be found and was instead replaced by restlessness that resembled that of someone who was about to pee himself and had finally found a toilet, only to find an “under repair” sign on its door.
“Still no news……”
He mumbled quietly to himself and flinched, closing his mouth.
‘What in the world is taking them so long?’
[Fledgling Hunt].
That was the operation codename for the Queen’s a.s.sa.s.sination, which had supposedly begun a while ago. However, a report of the capture of the Queen had still not come in.
‘Surely things haven’t taken a wrong turn.’
He nervously stepped on the high quality carpet that covered the floor.
‘No, there’s no way. The 300 bug soldiers that I received from that personcannot be easily dealt with.’
The normal, stipulated guns that the Queen’s royal guards were armed with could not even scratch their sh.e.l.ls, and there were 300 of these soldiers. There was no possible way for the other party to make a stand against them. The only thing that nagged at him was the possibility that she might have escaped through a secret pa.s.sage.
‘No, that’s impossible.’
Everything was thoroughly accounted for. All means of communication were cut, and radio connection was jammed. Even the customised bulletproof car that was prepared as an emergency escape method had been tampered with.
There was no possible way of successfully escaping.
At that moment, the door opened and his subordinate entered.
“Your excellency.”
“Ah, what’s the news?”
The Prime Minister stopped on the spot, hoping for the awaited news. However, his subordinate’s expression was not bright.
“That is…… It has been reported that she has escaped……”
Prime Minister Saion stamped his feet in rage. His moustache trembled violently.
“Say what?”
“That is…… It seems that her majesty has escaped by car……”
“That…… Are you telling me those idiots couldn’t even do that one thing correctly?”
“What should we do?”
The Prime Minister chewed on his moustache as he frowned and, in the end, declared defeat.
“Tch. We can’t leave behind traces that would lead to us. Withdraw.”
“Yes, your excellency.”
After sending back his subordinate, the Prime Minister entwined his hands and fingers together.
He had gambled his success on this plan, and yet the a.s.sa.s.sination of the Queen had failed. If things continued to go the way it was going now, his own life would be in danger for bl.u.s.tering to that person.
‘No. It’s too early to say anything for certain.’
He anxiously paced around the room, repeatedly clasping and unclasping his hands. It wasn’t over yet.
‘He said that they escaped by car, right?’
If so, a chance still remained. The 300 bug soldiers that he had borrowed was one thing, but he had another trap that he had prepared on his own. If that worked, the situation would be completely changed at the last minute.
The car that held both Kael and Yulia, or more accurately, the car that held all three including the backpack, sped straight down the road. Even though the road was situated atop a cliff that oversaw the ocean, the car drove at a speed that could well be 200 kilometres per hour. The bugs were no longer following them so they could have slowed down, yet the car kept darting forward.
The straight road came to an end, and a steep curved road appeared. They would really have to slow down now, yet the car continued rushing forward.
Moreover…… It didn’t even turn.
It ran straight down the curved road, and inevitably crashed into the guardrail. The rails were standing quite firmly, but they scrunched and became uprooted from the force of the gigantic, bulletproof figure that was moving at 200 kilometres per hour. The connecting metals snapped and the car flew into the open air along with them. The car dived into the water, drawing a curve with its trajectory. A huge column of water erupted.
Just moments later, an explosion happened underwater and a column of fire surged up. Nothing came up to the surface.
The Prime Minister satisfactorily laughed at the report that arrived approximately thirty minutes later.
“Hahahahahahaha. A black Thunder Bird crashed into the guardrail and fell into the ocean on 1872 Sallium Route?”
“Yes, your excellency.”
“Heavens, this is a grave matter. There are only a few cars of that model in this whole country. Could it possibly be the car of her majesty, who had been out of reach after leaving for a vacation?”
“It may be so.”
“My heavens. An emergency search should be conducted. Concentrate the police force in that area and ensure that her majesty is safe.
“Unterstood.”
“However, the parliamentary a.s.sembly is a national public affair, so it should not be cancelled just because of her majesty’s absence. Announce to everyone that it will still be held as scheduled, even if her majesty does not return.”
“Understood.”
It was only then that the Prime Minister relaxed into his chair.
‘Tampering with the car that was prepared in the vacation castle was worth the trouble.’
Since it would be too obvious that it was an a.s.sa.s.sination plan if the car had blown up right away, he had made it so that it would drive normally for a while and then break down – which turned out, thankfully, to be a success. After all, his faction and its allied factions took up 172 out of 299 seats in the parliament. The vote would be no problem if only that d.a.m.ned kid didn’t interfere.
‘Finally……’
The budget that was being wasted on the medical fees of pests that did not contribute whatsoever to the country’s economy could now be used on the delayed construction work. Tomorrow would be a meaningful day, marking when this country took a step towards the right direction.
‘The land that I invested in two years ago will finally make some money.’
He had been tied up for longer than he had expected. He did not think, when the previous King died, that the kid would be so stubborn.
Money was one thing, but he had been truly anxious since the deadline for the construction ordered by that person had been approaching fast.
“I should pull out the wine that I’ve been saving.”
The following day, at the national a.s.sembly, the Prime Minister appeared on the platform, showing the news reporters a grief-struck face. The just under 300 members of parliament sat in front of him in the shape of a fan. Since the news that the Queen has gone missing had spread across the whole kingdom, tension uncomparable to any other occasions filled the a.s.sembly room. The reporters, who were standing off to one side, whispered to each other in a low voice, speculating on how the political situation would turn out.
“Does this mean that the Prime Minister will now rule supreme?”
“Who will be the King now…?”
“No, we don’t know for sure if her majesty has pa.s.sed away.”
“But, there is no reason to state that she is missing if she is alive.”
“It seems…… There might be a crisis. If her royal highness pa.s.ses away as well, they’d have to look to the collateral family line for an heir.”
The absence of the young, yet not typically young, queen was creating a giant hole in the balance of the national a.s.sembly. The Prime Minister held up the microphone and opened the conversation in a grave voice.
“This situation, where her majesty, who was on vacation, has gone missing and indications of a certain accident have been found, could certainly be called a crisis. I, of course, agree that nation-wide effort should be put into the search for her majesty. However, looking for her majesty is a separate matter; it is also the case that there is a mountain of bills to take care of. Her majesty would not want us to ignore our national affairs just to search for her.”
“Even so, how about we just delay it for at least another week?”
Though the Prime Minister internally scoffed at the suggestion made by MP Marco of the opposing party, he kept a dignified face. Delay it for a week? For whose benefit?
He was already at loss because his money had been bound to the empty land for two years. Yet they want him to drag it for another week? Moreover, the young queen would not return ever again.
“My, even the const.i.tution states that, should the Queen be absent under any circ.u.mstances, I, the Prime Minister, am to lead the regular parliamentary a.s.semblies.”
“That is true, but……”
“With the authority that the const.i.tution presents to me, I hereby announce the beginning of the regular parliamentary a.s.sembly of the first half of the year 2012.”
The opposing party could no longer raise any objection to the one-sided, but lawful, announcement made by Prime Minister Saion.
“Then as the first item, let us discuss the special bill to redirect the budget for medical welfare into the development of Mount Louvre.”
One of the privileges of the chairman was his influence on the order in which the bills would be discussed. When Yulia had served as the speaker, she had utilized that to put off discussing most of the bills suggested by the Prime Minister’s party until the end. However, as she was absent now, the Prime Minister immediately brought up the bill that he had been waiting and waiting for.
As predictable words continued in the a.s.sembly, the opposing parties gathered for a moment to exchange their opinions.
“Tch.”
“What should we do?”
“Realistically, there is no way to stop the bill from pa.s.sing, is there?”
“Just where in the world is her majesty?”
“Considering how the events are unfolding, I’m starting to wonder if she has been a.s.sa.s.sinated.”
“Shh, watch your mouth.”
“Anyway, right now, the Prime Minister definitely has over half of the votes.”
“Meaning we have no chance once the voting starts, huh.”
“Even the Gaverine Party seems to be wavering, due to the absence of her majesty. Since it seems like the Prime Minister is moving on to the final negotiation, if things continue the way they are going now, the bill will be pa.s.sed with over 200 votes.”
“Is there truly nothing we can do?”
“Rather, now that things have come down to this, how about we just consent to this and hope for concession on a few other bills?”
“Is that our only option?”
While the exchange took place, the Prime Minister moved the vote forward at lightning speed.
“Now, since there has been enough discussion, we will immediately enter the voting stage.”
“Hold on, what do you mean by enough? There has only been three speakings for and against!”
“There should be no problems, since the main points have been discussed in those three speakings. We should be efficient, since there are more than a few issues we have to cover in this meeting.”
Prime Minister Saion answered triumphantly. No matter what anyone said, this country was his, now that the child queen was dead. Though, he would have to make extra sure that the next king was more obedient and ignorant. Still, no matter who was throned next, they would not be able to bother him as much as this Queen had. He was finally free. This country was finally in his hands. Other political opponents would not be a problem as long as that person had his back. The only shameful thing was that he would have to wait until night in order to have celebratory drink.
At that moment, a clear, sweet voice rang out from behind the chairman’s seat that he was sitting on.
“A diligent att.i.tude befitting a prime minister of a country. I see no inadequacy in thee becoming a role model for others.”
Speaking objectively, it was a beautiful sound that would not lose to the sound of the Angel’s Bell, which had been created by Artisan Rubréc as an offering to the cathedral. However, to the Prime Minister, it was a voice that was the very cause of his hyperacidity and dyspepsia.
The Prime Minister’s body stiffened. His moustache rose up and sagged down. Without a doubt, she should have been dead. Yet, why could he still hear the voice that turned his dreams into nightmares and caused him stress-induced enteritis? Was it an auditory hallucination? It probably was. It had to be.
The Prime Minister turned around, his body frozen stiff.
‘It…… It can’t be!’
It had been reported just before the a.s.sembly that they had found the frame of a black Thunder Bird that had sunk and exploded.
G.o.d, why are you abandoning me!
Despite his internal cry, Yulia was standing there when he turned around.
“Her Majesty the Queen has arrived!”
A beat later, the salute of the a.s.sembly Hall’s Captain of the Guards echoed throughout the room.
“May the G.o.ds protect Her Majesty the Queen!”
Whether with joy or with curses, the members of parliament said that in chorus, kneeling for the time being. The Prime Minister was no exception. Yulia did not look too well.
Her expensive silk dress was creased and stained all over, and there were a few blemishes in her hair, here and there.
That body of hers was scratched, as if showing how rough her trip had been, and it seemed like she was exhausted after being repeatedly drenched in sweat.
However, such things didn’t matter.
A diamond was still a diamond, even when dripping with mud; it was the same for her.
“I could not possibly dream of delaying the sacred a.s.sembly that will decide national affairs, and hence could not dress more appropriately.”
That one statement was enough. No accessories or embellishments were necessary for the royal gleam to surround her.
Her upright body was small but daring, and her dirty silver hair that she had combed back once to shake off dirt served to emphasise her natural sparkle.
Most of all, her eyes that were wise and keen – the vigor emanated by those silver pupils, which seemed to see through everything, forced even the slyest, oldest politicians to bow.
“I wish for thy generous understanding.”
The voice, clear and sweet but powerful, filled and spread throughout the a.s.sembly hall. That one sentence, empowered with such charisma and dignity, exerted pressure on others, despite it being a request.
She did not need any decorations; her very existence was that of a Queen.
The heads of the members of parliament bowed down even further.
“We are much obliged.”
Yulia once again looked at the Prime Minister. The way she haughtily lifted her head up and looked down at him was confident and aloof, as if saying: I knew all about your petty conspiracy.
“I truly commend thee for leading the a.s.sembly in my place during my absence. Prime minister, I praise thy splendid effort.”
Although she was clearly aware that the other party had been behind her a.s.sa.s.sination attempt, she simply complimented the Prime Minister. She did not use any sloppy blaming words or anger, only her cold and elegant smile. Her tone of voice did not even have a touch of wavering emotions and was so perfectly concealed that a third party would not possibly think that she was, in fact, being sarcastic or furious. Her poise was unlike that of a child, and the perfectly suppressed emotions created a truly fearsome pressure.
“However, I shall take over now, so thou may return to thy seat.”
Her outright words that would not allow any objections seemed gentle at a glimpse, but were actually sharp. A drop of cold sweat formed on the Prime Minister’s forehead as her words bit into his neck.
“I…… I am much obliged.”
The Prime Minister answered, holding back a scowl. He stepped down from the chair, gritting his teeth.
“I see that the first bill is about the special law for budget redirection from medical welfare to Mount Louvre development.”
“That is correct.”
The Prime Minister clenched his fists as he replied. He didn’t know how she had survived, but nothing would change. A bill that was under consideration could not be altered mid-discussion. Whether it would be rejected or pa.s.sed, a vote had to be held. Although a Queen’s authority was mighty, it could not stand above the law. That was this country’s ground rule.
Also, should there be a vote,
‘The ballots for the bill have already been secured. Even that queen would not be able to do anything against this bill.’
“Most certainly. We shall discuss this bill until lunch. As soon as the afternoon meeting starts, we shall vote.”
Kael dumbfoundedly stared at Yulia, who had dominated the national a.s.sembly while overpowering the cunning old members of parliament, and was now sitting in the chairman’s seat with that tiny body.
Though he had thought that she was full of n.o.ble and elegant grace since the first encounter, to think that she had such spirit to overwhelm the parliament. She was not a mere eight-year-old kid, but a legitimate queen.
‘Just…… how many different faces does this kid have?’
He recalled, one by one, her expressions that he had witnessed from the end of the escape until now.
Inside the car, after they had shaken off all of the bugs and was driving soundly for a while, Kael felt a sudden premonition.
‘The car’s sound and movement changed?’
It seemed that Yulia, who was concentrating on driving, had not noticed, but he could sense it. He did not know anything about cars themselves, but a cacophony was mixed into the regular breathing of the engine.
“Yulia.”
“What is the matter?”
“Did you change how you’re operating the car?”
“No, I am in cruise-control.”
At that answer, Kael unbuckled his seatbelt without hesitation. He then grabbed her, opened the car door, and jumped out. He rolled on the dirt next to the road, wrapping his arms around Yulia so that she wouldn’t be hurt.
“Ah?”
While Yulia, taken aback, let out a short moan before she pressed her lips back together, the car rushed forward on its own, crashed into the guardrails, and dived into the sea.
“What art thou possibly thinking? We still have a long way to go!”
Yulia puffed out her cheeks like a squirrel that was holding a handful of chestnuts in its mouth and pounded on his chest with her fists. Kael explained, accepting the hits that felt like a weak ma.s.sage from the perspective of the person getting hit.
“It felt like there was a problem with the car.”
“What dost thou mean by that?”
Just as Yulia started to interrogate him once more, an explosion erupted from the sea. Yulia, who had turned and seen that, dropped her mouth open before closing it.
“Good heavens, for it to explode like that just because it fell into the water…… Did thou know this would happen?”
“Not the specific details.”
Kael shrugged.
“So he also tampered with the car. As expected of the Prime Minister. A formidable person.”
As if she had forgotten how fl.u.s.tered she was before, Yulia locked her fingers, making a melancholy smile. Her small, slender hands intertwined, creating an unsettled atmosphere. Her clear, huge silver eyes sank. Those eyes were composed, yet gloomy. That gloom was quite deep, unfitting for her young face.
“Hmm, what shall we do? There will not be many cars around here.”
“Then, do we just have to go to bigger streets where other cars are driving?”
“That is correct, but we will have to walk for a good 50 kilometres. I suppose it cannot be helped, although time is tight.”
“ Alright. Then, hold on tight.”
Kael lifted Yulia up by her waist and supported it with his arms.
“Aah! What discourtesy, holding an unmarried virgin in thy arms without her consent!”
Yulia once again flounced her arms and legs. She hit his chest with both of her hands, one following the other, while kicking his sides with her foot. Her fierce resistance, which had not been seen until now, could very well be called a full body ma.s.sage. Though, she lacked the strength to actually loosen his muscles.
“…… You realise that you were in my arms when we were escaping from the bugs, right?”
Kael protested, finding her belated complaints absurd.
“That was holding me by thy side, and this is actually being held against thy chest. This is a special pose that is only for married couples or solid lovers.”
A faint red hue, similar to the color of a semi-ripe peach, settled on her cheeks, and her eyes dropped slightly.
“ …… Ah, fine.”
Kael sighed and moved Yulia onto his back. Acting like a woman when she was only eight. She was only female biologically, so what meaning was it supposed to have?
“Then piggyback is fine, right?”
“Not completely, but I shall allow it, since it is an emergency.”
“Then hold on tight.”
Kael pulled her legs forward while holding onto them, wrapped both of her arms around his neck, and began running.
They pushed through the air, and it whooshed across their skin as wind. It was only about one fifth of the car’s speed of a few hundred kilometres per hour, but directly experiencing the speed gave it much more impact.
“Uuh.”
Yulia held onto him more tightly, as if she was afraid that she might fall. Kael continued moving forward in this manner, covering the whole 50 kilometres in an hour, and reached Highway 39, which was connected to route 1872. Like she had said, there were other cars driving along the road.
“Phew.”
While drenched in sweat and panting, Kael let Yulia down on her feet.
“If it’s this much, haaaa…… time’s been saved to some extent, yeah? Hoooo.”
“Splendid. Thou definitely overpower the general maintainable running speed of a human.”
“Even so, compared to that car thing, hooo… not even a quarter, hoooooo.”
“As thou said, ‘tis a very subtle power. To be a 5th-cla.s.s demon, I mean.”
Yulia agreed to Kael’s words. When purely discussing the power of his body, it was stronger than that of a human. However, if one was asking whether that level of power was incredibly strong, the machines that were made for individual uses had the upper hand.
Not weak, but not worth putting one’s soul on the line to summon. It was only about that strong.
However……
“However, it is thou who narrowed down the distance that would have taken up a whole day at my pace. A person dying in the desert only needs a cup of water to be handed to them, not some faraway lake.”
Yulia lightly patted his thigh. Her touch was gentle and rhythmic. Moreover, her words were dignified, but the smile that spread on her lips were full of affectionate warmth. She looked as if she was happily petting a big dog.
As her small hands continued to stroke him, his thigh muscles tensed up rather than relaxing, making Kael flinch momentarily.
‘Ugh. Get a hold of yourself.’
What was he doing, feeling pleased from a kid’s touch? He wasn’t a dog.
“Pristine, towel.”
“Here.”
The bag opened and a pristine white towel popped out.
“Here, wipe thy sweat with this.”
“Thanks.”
Kael wiped his face and hair with the towel, regaining his breath. While he did so, Yulia shouted at the pa.s.sing cars.
“This is an emergency! I shall procure thy car. The price will be specially rewarded to thee generously, so cooperate!”
Rather than signaling by doing something like waving her arm, she proudly kept her hands on her waist and raised her voice. She was filled with a sense of confidence and seemed to believe that the cars should come to a stop in front of her just by her vocal demand.
Of course, despite her command, none of the cars stopped to accommodate her. They merely continued to rush forward, while even exceeding the speed limit.
“I don’t think anyone will hear you while driving at high speed with their windows closed.”
Yulia flinched. Her ear, which was surrounded by strands of her hair, slightly tilted backwards before returning to normal. It was so subtle that it wasn’t visible. She put her arm back down, knitting her eyebrows together.
“Tchh. Thy comment is correct. I have overlooked that factor.”
That expression of hers was oddly cute, making Kael lightly scratch his cheek.
“However, for a situation like this, I have prepared a plan B.”
She remarked and laughed, regaining her confidence, and tucked up her skirt. Her thin leg, which had been hidden underneath it, was revealed. Neither her calf nor her thigh possessed a mature woman’s curves, but they had their own child-like tenderness and defenseless cuteness. Her pale skin that seemed soft, squishy, and warm made Kael feel like he wanted to touch them.
‘…… I couldn’t possibly actually touch it, though……’
Kael shook his head for a moment to shake off the unnecessary thoughts. It was only afterwards that he became curious as to why she was doing what she was doing.
‘What’s she doing? Is she planning to run on her own legs?’
It would be faster for him to just keep giving her a piggyback while he was running. Sure, he was a little exhausted, but he was confident that he could go much faster than a tiny kid.
However, Yulia didn’t run. Instead, she stretched her leg and placed in on top of the guardrail. The great hardship of separating her legs to that extent nearly revealed her underwear.
“Wha, what are you doing?!”
Kael pulled her leg down, fl.u.s.tered.
He couldn’t see it. No, he hadn’t seen it. He did not see anything white that had cat patterns imprinted on it!
“I have seen in movies that males stop their cars and let the female ride if she does this.”
“…… Hey, I think that’s a skill that’s limited to beauties.”
Kael mumbled without certainty. He wasn’t confident, since the era had changed, but during the era of his first contract, carriages only stopped when a ‘beauty’ used such tactics.
“What didst thou just say? Does that mean that I am not beautiful?!”
Enraged, she pointed at him with her index finger. The way she sulkily grumbled was just like a pouting eight-year-old would.
“The problem doesn’t exactly lie there……”
Kael, who had nearly stopped sweating, felt one more drop roll down his forehead.
‘Though I think that skill would be super effective in about ten years’ time.’
Right now, it was a little bit…… sure, she was beautiful, but it was the beauty of a child, so wouldn’t it be even more of a problem if there was actually somebody who fell for it and stopped the car?
“We have no other plans.”
“Yeah, true. But still, that’s……”
“Now shut thy mouth.”
Yulia held up her hand into a fist, as if to warn him.
“No, even if you tell me to shut it, I really don’t think such a plan would……”
As Kael ignored her and continued on, Yulia repeatedly hit his stomach with her fists.
“For heaven’s sakes, shut. I said shut!”
Since it did not even tickle him, let alone hurt him, Kael closed his mouth, dumbfounded. Only then was Yulia satisfied, and she rolled up her skirt once more. Her soft, tender leg revealed itself again.
“Don’t interrupt, unless you are going to suggest a plan C.”
With great effort, Yulia replaced her leg on the guardrail.
“No, even so, this is a little……”
Just then, a freight truck stopped at the shoulder of the road. A slightly chubby, middle-age man who seemed to be good-natured popped his head out of the window.
“Eii, are ya siblings stranded ‘ere?”
“See, did I not say that it would work just fine?”
Yulia bragged as she turned back to Kael, bobbing her fingers.
‘No, it really seems like he stopped out of pity, since we look so shabby.’
When he saw her smiling boastfully, Kael decided to hold back his internal reb.u.t.tal.
“I commend thee for stopping, citizen. Dost thou recognise me?”
Yulia turned to the truck driver again. She folded her arms in front of her, slightly leaned her neck backwards, and opened up her shoulders before speaking to him in an arrogant tone. The man widened his eyes and shivered his body.
“Ah, cou…… cou…… could it be? Your majesty?”
“Due to certain circ.u.mstances, I could not dress more appropriately. Don’t try to dig further.”
“Of course.”
As he stared at the trembling man, Kael thought: she was indeed the queen of this land.
“I must return to the royal capital in haste. Cooperate by giving us transportation.”
“If…… if it is okay…… in my humble…… car……”
“I am the one who was in trouble and asked for cooperation, so what reason would I have to nitpick? Do not worry; in fact, I shall reward thee generously later on.”
Words that were, apart from their clarity and sweetness, full of dignity. Eyes that looked down, gently sheltering the other. She naturally comforted the truck driver with the air of a superior.
They sat in the front pa.s.senger seat. Since there wasn’t any s.p.a.ce, Yulia sat on top of Kael’s lap. However, she squirmed around, probably in discomfort. Every time she moved, their bodies rubbed against each other, making Kael flinch.
‘It’s just a kid’s body……’
Even so, it felt nice.
It definitely felt nice.
It was soft, warm, and tender. It did not curve in where it should to curve in, and did not curve out where it should curve out, but it felt nice nonetheless.
“Mm. It is quite tight. But, I shouldn’t complain, given the circ.u.mstances. Would I be asking for too much if I were to ask thee to drive us to the National a.s.sembly Building?”
Yulia momentarily creased her forehead before straightening immediately, and looked at the driver with a gentle smile. However, her eyes were powerful, making the driver stutter under their gaze.
“Of…… of course. I will drive at high speed, no, at a comfortable speed while abiding by the law……”
Yulia lightly patted the driver’s shoulders.
“Do not be afraid. However, thou shalt keep this company a secret to those around you. And, until we arrive safely, any call to the outside is forbidden.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
The driver trembled as he drove the car. For a moment, Kael was worried that he might get into an accident, but decided against saying anything.
He didn’t know how to drive, and since this man drove a truck for a living, he would be better at it than Yulia.
Although the driver was trembling at first, he settled down as time pa.s.sed, though he was still stiff and mute. Around then, Yulia, who had been dozing off, fell asleep completely. As her head leaned against Kael’s chest, she turned quiet, and only the sound of her breathing through her nose remained.
Kael once again felt strange as he watched her sleep peacefully like a kitten. This tender life was resting in his arms, entrusting everything to him. What could he call this kind of situation?
As he looked at her peaceful, serene face, even his own heart felt warm. What was this feeling that made him feel even more comfortable than when he himself was drifting off to sleep?
There was no way for him to know.
‘Her eyelashes…… though she’s young, they’re so long……”
Kael just decided to think about something else.
Drip. A drop of saliva fell out of Yulia’s mouth, onto his clothes.
‘Tch…… dammit, I’ll overlook it this time, since my clothes weren’t clean to begin with.’
Such n.o.ble sleeping habits for a queen. Even as he grumbled, Kael sat still so that she would not wake up.
Five hours later, the truck finally arrived in front of the National a.s.sembly Building. Then, Kael shook Yulia awake.
“Wake up.”
“Mm? Haaaahm?”
Yulia opened her eyes and yawned heavily, with a blank expression. She blinked her eyes a few times, but she wasn’t completely focused. A grain of rheum hung on the corner of her eye, but she did not seem to realise it. A dried up trail of saliva lined her mouth, and her hair was stuck flat onto her head in various places. It was the defenselessness of a child who had just awakened.
“Where are we?”
“It’s the National a.s.sembly Building. Didn’t you say that you have some business here today?”
“Ah.”
Yulia straightened her posture, as if she had suddenly regained her consciousness. She wiped the rheum from her eyes and the saliva from her mouth. When she stiffened her neck afterwards, her eyes regained their sparkle.
“Thou hast done good work, citizen. This is a token of thanks. You could sell it or keep it as a treasure.”
She took off a brooch that was decorating her dress and handed it to the driver.
“M…… Much obliged.”
“Thou may go now. Thy cooperation has been a big help.”
Yulia hopped out of the car and stretched her waist. Her silver hair sprinkled shards of light into the air. She straightened her back, stiffened her neck and brightened her eyes. Even her smallest mannerisms were flawless, and there was strength within her voice.
The atmosphere that surrounded her completely changed. A powerful aura, or perhaps it could be called a presence or charisma, that was invisible, but definitely existed, emanated from her.
“Accompany me, Kael.”
She demanded in a proud and natural manner.
“Alright.”
Kael decided to do as she said for now and carefully observed her face. Just a moment ago, she had been asleep with such a child-like expression, yet now, she had that proud expression of a queen. Which one was her real face? Or, were they both real?
Lunchtime had arrived by the time Kael woke up from his reminiscing of the past. Yulia, who had announced a temporary adjournment, walked over to where Kael was standing.
“I apologise for making thee wait.”
“No, it wasn’t exactly boring. It was sorta refreshing to watch you work. Kinda cool, too.”
Kael waved his hand. Although he had sensed that she was a.s.sertive, he had not realised that it was to this extent.
“Is that so?”
Yulia’s eyes momentarily sparkled. Her ears p.r.i.c.ked up, as if she wanted to hear more compliments. However, she returned to her queenly self, keeping her dignity, and continued as she smiled elegantly.
“I should resolve my business with thee as well; however, right now, the situation within the national a.s.sembly is quite strained. Would you be so kind as to wait until the evening?”
After seeing the brief changes in her expression, Kael answered while suppressing his thoughts, which tried to whisper that she was cute after all.
“Sure. I’m also curious as to what the result of your effort will be.”
“So be it. Under normal circ.u.mstances, observation of the national a.s.sembly’s lobby is prohibited, but I shall make thee an exception and allow it. Just do not be a nuisance by interrupting.”
“Alright.”
Was she telling him not to bother her while she was resting? Kael soon realised that that was not the case.
Yulia did not rest in the lobby. On the contrary, she sat on a chair and, with her mask-like smile that prevented others from reading her thoughts and her sly gaze, faced her visitor.
“What is the current situation, Shafred?”
“Not very good. The Prime Minister has around 170 or 180 votes secured. On top of that, there seems to be an uncertain atmosphere amongst the Gaverine Faction.”
“There is no need to worry about Gaverine. They will not be able to act rashly now that I have returned. Even so, I suppose we need at least thirty extra votes.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
“Tell Griel that I wish to meet.”
“At your command.”
After he exited the room, Kael asked.
“Are they on the side of justice or something like that?”
“Hah? What art thou talking about? As if there’s such a thing in a National a.s.sembly.”
Her silver eyes opened wide and round, emanating the hopelessness she felt for him.
“However……?”
“Shafred shares a deep relationship with pharmaceutical companies. If the medical budget gets cut, there will be less goods delivered to the country, which will then directly affect sales.”
“Is…… Is that right? Then, everybody else as well?”
“There is a particularly high concentration of poor people in the more locally oriented areas, so some face great risks to their position of power if they oppose these kinds of bills. Hah. Though, even they only care about their votes when it is just before the elections, after they have taken all that they could during the rest of their term. Their local elections are just around the corner, just in time.”
Yulia momentarily let out a cynical laugh. Her silver eyes embraced the darkness and reflected a cold streak of light. Those eyes were, without doubt, looking down at the “ugly truth” of this place.
“Ethederyn speaks for the doctor’s union. He opposed me when he was aiming to build another medical university in order to expand the public health centre, yet he cooperates on this issue, since his income would decrease. This is the kind of place the National a.s.sembly is. What is competed for is individual profit. Advocacy for justice is also merely a cover for that purpose. No more, no less. Thou dost not know enough about humans.”
She lightly clicked her tongue, as if she was pitying Kael’s innocence.
Kael shut his mouth. He didn’t know what he had expected, but had he heard a child tell him that he didn’t know enough about humans? He had watched how the world operated for much longer than this kid had. He was still not completely awake. That must have been the reason.
A few minutes later, a different member of the parliament took his turn to enter the lobby. He looked to be between 50 and 60 years old, and although his hair had been dyed black, he could not hide the wrinkles on his neck.
“I have come as you ordered, your majesty.”
The 50 year old parliamentarian bowed to her.
“Thou should be aware that there was an unfortunate accident during my vacation.”
“Yes, your majesty, although I was not informed of the details.”
“On my way back, the Thunder Bird malfunctioned and the engine was set on fire, almost burning me to death. If I had not escaped in the nick of time, I would have reunited with my father in the underworld.”
“How could that be! I am truly relieved that you escaped safely.”
“Indeed. However, to think that the Thunder Bird, which had been so proudly introduced by the Gyle Group, could not even guarantee the minimum amount of safety – I was very disappointed.”
She smiled elegantly as she tilted her head roughly fifteen degrees and leaned her chin against her hand. She was refined and full of grace, but her face did not reveal the slightest hint of “truth”, making it no different from a poker face, making her harder to read than if she had no expression.
“That…… That is…”
Griel could not finish his sentence, and his face sunk to the ground.
“Pardon my humble comments…… It is not yet completely sure…… Whether there was a defect in the car or if it was the job of an inscrutable criminal who should be accused of high treason……”
“Of course not. I am open to many different possibilities. However, as long as there is a possibility that the car may have had a defect, it seems very fair to concurrently investigate the model as well.”
Yulia smiled gently, and her voice became a little more courteous. However, those gentle words wrapped around Griel’s neck like a rope of silk, slowly suffocating him. Griel bowed even lower.
“Your majesty. Even so, an investigation will have a grave, negative effect on the company, regardless of the verdict. Please show sympathy.”
“I would like to do so, but since this issue is a grave matter……”
As Yulia gazed down at Griel, who had lowered his eyes to the floor, her mouth curved gently, looking even more graceful. Her left hand was lightly pressing on the armrest, creating the illusion of a bug being squished and popped.
“The executives and staff members of the Gyle Group all hold the greatest loyalty towards the country and the royal line. How could they have possibly been careless in the honoured delivery of a royal bulletproof car?”
“If thou sayst so, I shall watch for a moment to see for myself if such loyalty is truly evident.”
“Please bestow your trust upon us.”
“I shall accept thy expostulation and give it another thought. You may leave now.”
Yulia withdrew her graceful, mask-like smile and smiled a little more tenderly. However, her stare was still keen and she seemed to be holding a carrot and a stick.
“Yes, your majesty.”
Griel bowed once more before he exited the lobby.
Kael, who had been keeping quiet until then, asked without being able to hold back his curiosity any further.
“So cars made by humans are sometimes defective and explode in the middle of driving?”
In that case, weren’t they too dangerous, no matter how fast they were compared to carriages?
When he asked that question, Yulia looked at him as if he was a pathetic being.
“Hah? What kind of nonsense is that? Gyle is one of the three top car manufacturers. There is no way that there would be that kind of a manufacturing defect in a car that was delivered, not to leave a profit, but to raise their brand name.”
“……? Then, what was the conversation just now?”
“Griel is also a major shareholder of the Gyle Group. Regardless of the truth, if the Royal Inspection Unit is dispatched due to this kind of incident, business will be paralysed, and their stocks will crash. Their brand value would collapse.”
After finishing her sentence, Yulia slightly cracked the edges of her lips for a brief moment. She gently rubbed her thumb and index finger together, as if twisting the wings of a dragonfly.
“He has no choice but to be conscious of me until the incident is determined to be an attack from a ‘terrorist’. Fufufu.”
Yulia snickered in a low voice, covering her mouth with her hand. The corners of her eyes slanted upwards, making her look like a laughing fox. A dark aura hovered around her. Kael’s mouth dropped open when he saw her, a crafty tactician who could outshine a sly, old politician.
“What, then the human just now had no bearing on the incident?”
“Pfft. Just about the only one in this country who is bold enough to a.s.sa.s.sinate me is the current prime minister, Saion.”
“Then…… You scared him, even though you knew it wasn’t his doing?”
“I just happened to pick up whatever I saw when I tripped.”
After he heard her words, she felt unfamiliar to Kael.
“That’s somewhat insidious.”
At his murmur, Yulia suddenly pouted her lips and puffed up her cheeks. She looked like a squirrel that had stuffed its mouth full of acorns, and she complained while repeatedly pounding the armrest with her fist.
“It can’t be helped! If I don’t go to such measures, we will lose this vote.”
“Er, it’s not like I’m telling you to act a certain way.”
“Hmph. Even so, thou art criticising me for relying on such means, are you not?”
Yulia protested, folding her arms and turning her head to face the other way in order to emphasise the fact that she was sulking. However, even though her face was turned away, her eyes moved slightly to the side to glance at Kael’s reaction. Kael let out a ‘Pfft’ when he saw her adorable behaviour.
Once he had begun thinking that she was cute, she seemed distant; once he had started to think that she was far away, she seemed cute.
A child, yet a queen.
Eight years old, yet a tactician.
She trembled in fear at the sight of a corpse, yet was determined enough to summon a devil as her final card.
She slept peacefully, yet was daring enough to drive a car at a frenzied speed.
She tried to stop a pa.s.sing car with her little legs, yet was level-headed enough to take the enemy’s corpse whilst escaping.
A girl that possessed both the laughter of a child and the dignity of a queen.
He really could not hate her.
“Criticism, you say? That’s not true. You’re fighting to protect something, even going as far as putting your ‘soul’ on the line to summon me. I’m not gonna judge, even without being able to understand such desperation.”
“Dost thou speak the truth?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Hnn. So be it, then. I will trust thee. Right now, I have to lead the afternoon a.s.sembly, so we shall meet again afterwards. Ah, that’s right.”
She beamed brightly again.
“Go find some food from our world that thou would like to taste. I shall properly treat thee to dinner tonight. If thou wishest, it may include an expensive liquor.”
She left the lobby upon finishing her sentence. Kael, who was left behind, scratched his head.
“She really doesn’t need to treat me dinner, but……”
What reason was there to smile like that just because I told her that I wasn’t criticising her? As if it had been bothering her.
“Eh. Seems that I’m way too self-conscious.”
There was no way that someone with such a firm goal and philosophy would be shaken by the words of a guy whom she had met less than a day ago.
In the end, the bill was voted down, with 145 against 150 votes. There were two blank ballots and two absentees.
“Reflecting thy stances, a representative of our people’s stances, I hereby announce the rejection of the special law.”
Yulia lifted up the royal seal next to her, and slammed it down onto the rejection box of the bill, as if she was beheading the opposition.
‘This can’t be! Who the h.e.l.l!’
The Prime Minister looked around in rage. There were betrayers amongst the ones who had promised to vote for the ballot. Moreover, it wasn’t just one or two; it was almost a whole party.
Gavril, who had been saying that he would think about it in a positive light, also wiped his mouth clean.
‘Ughhhh.’
If things came down to this, according to the principle that a bill could not be subject to double jeopardy in the same term, the next time that he would be able to bring up this same bill would be at the a.s.sembly during the second half of the year, which would be held after half a year. On top of that, it was obvious that the Queen would waste time and push it to the following year because of the fact that it had already been discussed in the first half of the year.
A bill that had been pa.s.sed by the house of representatives had to be considered in the national a.s.sembly within two years, but in other words, it also meant that the Queen could always hold it off for those two years.
‘Do I truly have to wait for another two years?’
If I had bought a load of gold instead of a mountain with that money, my investment would have risen at least twenty percent! The Prime Minister chewed on his long moustache. As he rended his hair that was already starting to fall off, he lamented.
‘Tch. To think that she thwarted the development of my mountain to distribute medicine to hobos who would benefit the national treasury more if they were dead.’
This d.a.m.ned wench. If she wasn’t Queen, I would’ve already……
No, Queen or what, I should have sent her off this time.
What was the point of letting those hobos live, when they received more support from the government than they paid in taxes? There would be much more for him to take out of that budget if they would just be all swept off the land and into the ocean.
The land development had to be started now. Only then would the official land price, that was about twenty times the purchase price, be deposited into his borrowed-name account. How long would the money invested there be frozen for? He had worked so hard to borrow all of his relatives’ names in order to purchase all the land in that area, yet all of his efforts were for naught.
That wasn’t the only problem.
He had a.s.sured that person that he would definitely get rid of the Queen this time. He was in big trouble, since he had failed even after borrowing 300 bug soldiers. What excuse could he make to that person? When that person told him that they did not care how much extra profit the prime minister gathered as long the “work” was properly done, their voice was icy cold. It clearly emanated unforgiveness and impatience.
He had fought for this case even harder, since he sensed that their patience had reached its limit. Now that things had come down to this, would his head still remain on his body when the next day arrived?
The Prime Minister shuddered.
After the a.s.sembly, Yulia found Kael waiting for her.
“I thank thee for waiting with patience. Didst thou decide on what to eat?”
“Uh…… I did look at this pamphlet here.”
Kael held up the royal capital guide pamphlet that was placed in the national a.s.sembly building’s library.
“But I couldn’t choose after all. You can just recommend something to me.”
“Then, hmm……“
Yulia’s eyes sparkled, as if she had something on her mind. She lightly licked the tip of her finger that she was holding up in front of her lips, and her mouth watered. A drop of drool leaked out of her mouth, on the verge of rolling down. While Kael carefully watched for what would happen next, Yulia hurriedly lifted her head up and swallowed the drop just as it touched her skin. Her ear leaned back and returned to its original place in the blink of an eye.
She quickly dropped her hand and fixed her posture, once again finding her elegant, composed smile. Her eyes, which had be shining vulnerably, also regained their grace, neatly putting away their sparkle.
“Hm. Then let us go to the royal palace together. In fact, the court cook is also a very talented person with exceptional skills.”
“Sure thing.”
Kael readily consented to her offer.
‘It seemed like she wanted to eat something else.’
I don’t know why she won’t say it out loud, but I a.s.sume that there is no need to dig into the matter.
‘Well, I guess it was a rewarding day.’
He wasn’t able to sleep and his body ached, but it wasn’t bad at all, considering that he had saved a kid. If he were to be treated to a royal court dinner as a reward, this would become a memory to remember.
‘The kid ought to be proud, since she turned down the bill that she wanted to reject after all that commotion.’
Though, he still didn’t understand how evil the bill had been to warrant her going to such measures in order to stop it from pa.s.sing.
“The car is waiting at the rear door of the a.s.sembly building. Accompany me.”
“Alright.”
Kael followed her from behind, as if to protect her back. When they reached the rear door, a long and cla.s.sy sedan was waiting for them, just as she had said. A group of people were standing with pickets in their hands next to the sedan.
“Your majesty!”
One of the people in that group called out, running out. Kael reflectively jumped in front of Yulia to protect her. However, the guards in suits who were waiting next to the sedan grabbed the man first.
“Halt. Do not be rough to the man.”
Yulia raised her hand. Upon seeing that, the guards temporarily let the man go.
“What is your business?”
“I just wished to thank you. I heard that my daughter could continue to visit the public health centre……”
The man, who was now in tears, did not have a right hand – perhaps lost in an accident.
“Being a father…… Though it’s probably an embarra.s.sment to not even be able to afford my daughter’s hospital fees…… Because they say that this child’s disease requires a year of constant medication, or it will not be affected by any medication in the future……”
A girl who looked even younger than Yulia was holding onto the man’s left hand. Although their clothes were of low quality, their two hands were tightly held together.
“That’s a relief. If the doctor said so, make sure to take thy medicine regularly.”
Yulia spoke, looking at the child. A kind and gentle smile decorated her lips. Those silver eyes that looked like a dignified, yet sharp and cold crescent moon now sparkled like the tender rays of a full moon.
“We are much obliged, your majesty.”
The father, rather than the child, thanked her.
“I must go, since there is more work that I have to do in the palace. However, I do read all of thy letters that are sent to the Royal household.”
“Thank you, your majesty.”
The people holding the pickets thanked her together. Kael briefly scanned the words that were written on those pickets.
[Do not take our medicine away from us.]
[Guarantee our lives.]
As they traveled to the palace in the car, Yulia stealthily sidled over to Kael, who was sitting on the seat beside her.
‘What’s up with her?’
Kael flinched but managed to keep still. She held onto his arm like they were close to each other. She slipped her arms around his, as if his arm was a pillow or a teddy bear, and eventually tilted her body, leaning her face onto his arm.
‘Now look at this.’
On top of that, she slowly and gently rubbed her face on his arm. The way she smiled so broadly made her seem completely defenseless. As her downy skin tickled his arm, Kael became fidgety. How could it be described – it was not particularly intense and thrilling, but it was a feeling that seemed to softly caress his heart, like pieces of happiness were being neatly stacked on top of each other, layer by layer.
Embarra.s.sed, Kael purposefully asked in a blunt manner.
“What are you doing?”
Only when Kael asked did she stop rubbing and lift her face up. She was beaming so brightly that it revealed the amount of happiness that she felt.
“So, what dost thou say?”
Kael turned his head the other way, feeling somewhat blinded by her expressiveness – the total opposite of how she had acted during the national a.s.sembly. He nonchalantly returned a question while pulling out his arm.
“About what?”
“About how thou felt after seeing for thyself the people thou saved.”
“Nothing much.”
Kael looked out of the window, pretending indifference. One streetlight, two streetlights, three streetlights. He tried his hardest to blow Yulia’s smile out of his head by counting the streetlights.
“If the Prime Minister’s bill had been pa.s.sed, he would have set up a construction project in the mountain that he had invested in, using that child’s medical fees. If he had at least suggested investing in Port Louvlet, where on-water traffic is currently worsening, I could have understood ignoring the pros and cons.”
“Who cares. Stop the difficult talk. It’s all good, since you weren’t eaten by bugs. You do all that law and politics stuff by yourself.”
“However much thou art disinterested in such matters, it is not like thou didst not understand that it concerned that child’s medical fees.”
Yulia pouted, pushing out her lips. Although her face was reflected on the window, Kael pretended to not notice it.
“What do the medical fees of someone I don’t know whatsoever have to do with me?”
“Tch. Art thou really going to be like that?”
She sucked in her cheeks and puffed them out immediately after, sulking. After puffing them out until her whole face became round, she released all of the air in one go and pouted her lips again. Still, Kael continued to pretend that he did not notice and answered bluntly.
“What about me? I got you away from all the bugs and brought you here. Ain’t my job done?”
“Uuh……”
Yulia’s mouth popped out even more. She turned her head away and scooted to the other end of the seat.
‘She’s definitely sulking.’
Kael struggled to hold in his laughter.
Even so, he could not respond. Nothing good would come to a human who deepened their connection with a soul-terminating demon.
The reason this could become a memory was because it would end with this one occasion.
Any more than that, and only destruction would await.
‘The medical fees of a poor child, huh.’
She did not hesitate to become a hardworking queen in order to protect such a thing. He had seen many of her faces today, but the face that she had made when smiling to the child was the most important. Though, it was questionable as to whether she would be able to keep that admirable dream even after she became an adult.
‘It would also be a problem if she were to keep it ‘til then.’
If so, she’d just be a hopeless fool. Still, this kid could become a pretty good queen, so to speak. On top of that…… Perhaps a great beauty as well?
Kael glanced at the profile of Yulia’s face, who was still sulking. It seemed like there was a 99.9999% chance as long as she wasn’t involved in an accident.
Then again, that was a story of at least ten years in the future. He would part with her today, and they probably would not cross paths again. It would also be bad if the queen of a country was forced into a situation where she had to go to the extent of summoning a demon twice.
‘And even if she does, the chance that she summons me is close to zero.’
So let me remember what she looks like for the last time. Although she often showed her tough side, in the end, she was really just a cute, lovable kid. It was a relief to be able to part without taking her soul.
The car soon arrived at the royal palace. The Bersian Palace that was located slightly east to the centre of the royal capital, Kamarilla, embraced the night and flaunted its magnificent figure, sprinkling light in all directions. As they approached the front gate, the guards stood at arms, and giant water fountains in the garden that bordered both sides of the road spurted water. Many statues were scattered across the garden to e