BBYW Vol. 3 Chapter 6 (WN)
Chapter 6 – The Villainess’ Plan
【POV: Marianne Rosais】
“Honestly, that father of mine!”
After being scolded by my father and taking refuge in my room, I leaped onto my bed.
I rolled around to let out the stress, not caring about any wrinkles and creases that would form on my dress.
“Does he really think that I enjoy doing that!? Something as vulgar as seducing men!”
I vented my thoughts out loud, then buried my face in a pillow. I wasn’t satisfied yet, however, so I turned face up and threw the same pillow at the wall.
Those men and father were the same…why can men only see things from their own perspective?
I could feel the stress building within me just by talking to them.
“Father is far too innocent to be a noble. He won’t be able to support the country in the next era like that!”
I respected my father from the bottom of my heart.
He was an upright, excellent person, ideal as the king’s guardian.
His way of doing things, however, would not be suited for the coming era.
After my former fiance was disowned, Prince Sulley was crowned king, but the young ruler’s reign was already on the brink of ruin.
There was little credibility about the legitimacy of Sulley as successor to the throne, in the first place.
Before falling to sickness, the previous king stated that Sulley was not his real son. For the central nobles, who value the royal bloodline among anything else, such words could not be forgotten or tolerated.
The great majority of the central nobles looked down on Sulley: the number of those who swore sincere loyalty to him could be counted on one hand.
Among the families with blood ties to the royal family, there were even some nobles who claimed to be the rightful successor to the throne.
Another grave issue was the disappearance of “Herakles”, national treasure of the kingdom.
That magic tool was a symbol of the royal family’s authority, and also a weapon the royal family wielded over the other noble families.
Its disappearance had caused a great loss of polarizing power for the Lamperouge family: it was not far-fetched to say that its actual authority was now close to zero.
And…
“The peace treaty with the empire…was the coup de grace…”
I turned over and looked up at the canopy.
In my mind, I pictured a map of the kingdom and its surroundings.
The threat to our eastern and northern borders had thus disappeared.
I did not trust the empire unconditionally, of course, but they needed time to recover from the recent battles, so for the next 10 years, any military conflict against them was highly unlikely.
“Which also means that House Utgard of the north and House Maxwell of the east are much more free to move…free to attack the capital when they please.”
The relationship between the Lamperouge royal family and the Four Houses, unfortunately, was rather poor.
The provincial nobles looked down on the central nobles as arrogant weaklings.
The central nobles despised the provincial nobles as lowbred barbarians.
The royal family stood as a guardian of the central nobles, so the rift with the provincial houses only widened over the years.
“House Maxwell is especially dangerous…because of the idiocy of my ex-fiance, their conflict with the royal family has become decisive…”
That idiot…because of Sullivan’s insane assassination plan of the Maxwell heir, House Maxwell now saw the royal family as an enemy.
This country had not a single moment to waste.
Father apparently planned to wait until Sulley became of age to start reform, but there is no way the kingdom will last that long.
Something must be done, and fast. With any means necessary.
“And that’s why I started playing the ‘villainess’…but even if I explained my reasons, I doubt father would understand…”
Those in positions of authority have to use both “clean” and “unclean” means at times, but my father leans a bit too much towards the “clean” side.
This country, however, cannot be saved with only “clean” ways. Not anymore.
The leader of the next age will be someone unafraid to sink deep in the mud, someone ready to stain their hands in order to rule.
“I will use everything at my disposal to unite the central nobles and take control of the kingdom, no matter what. I can do it…I have the talent necessary.”
Thanks to my relationship with Sullivan, that foolish bundle of pride, I could cultivate my skills in leading men in the direction I wished. It was not a talent I wished to have, but I was going to make full use of it too at this point.
The central nobles were split into several factions, but the group I created surpassed and overlapped them.
We had already started exchanging information in the group. I was going to use it to keep the factions in balance and gradually gain enough power in order to control the kingdom from the shadows.
“If only I could make him an ally, the foundations would be solid, but…”
Gaining control of the central nobles was gradually giving me the political power I needed. The next thing I had to obtain was military power. Yes, if only I could seduce that” womanizer hero”…
“You people will not do as you please with this kingdom. And you will learn that I, a woman, will be the worst fear for an enemy of women such as you are!!”
I reaffirmed my resolve and clenched my hand into a fist.
～
In the Kingdom of Lamperouge, which Dyngir Maxwell had temporarily left, all sorts of thoughts and emotions twisted and turned, writhing like a demonic beast.
But Dyngir would come to know of their existence only much later…