I, A Shut-in, Was Proposed to by a Tyrant

“Your Excellency, why are you doing this?”

Harton’s complaint carried over from last night.

“What good can come of running into the Queen now?”

It was him, who had secretly followed his Master to the temple.

“Lower your voice.”

“……don’t you trust me?”

It’s quiet in the temple.

Leaving Flotty, who was finally met with the Queen, Harton hurried outside.

He rounded the corner to find the brazen Denver leaning against the marble wall.

“I don’t trust the Queen.”

“You know by now that Her Highness is not one to be trifled with.”

No one is unaware of the fierce war raging within House Noctis for the throne.

“Even if I did, I’m uneasy.”

“You’ve been very strange today. No, since yesterday.”

His empty black eyes, unreadable, stare into the temple.

Eurea Noctis.

The woman who took over as soon as Denver left the palace.

“Did you notice anything?”

“The temple is safe, which is why I’m here with Your Grace.”

“Go, just in case. You can’t expect common sense from the Queen.”

After all, it was Flotty who went to see the Queen alone.

A useful hand, an interesting captive.

No wonder Denver looked odd, following a woman who was barely more than that.

“I will follow your orders, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what you’re up to.”

Denver remembered the Queen’s face, which he hadn’t seen in a long time.

She smiled benevolently, her face almost angelic, and extended her hand.

“Think of me as your mother.”

At a young age, Entry and Denver had mistaken her for a real angel.

“If Flotty sends up any danger signals, you tell me right away.”

“Okay. If it’s something that I can solve on my own—”

“No. Tell me whatever it is.”

Denver cut off Harton’s words firmly.

She may be well-behaved in the temple, but she’s a troublemaker outside of it.

The Queen was a woman not to be reckoned with.

“As you command.”

Harton quickly disappeared into the temple.

The Temple of Hortu was no different now than it had been then.

Even the statue of the goddess believed to be the protector of the Orlan Empire was pristine, without a blemish.

“What goddess.”

After the long war, the unified Orlan Empire needed something to rally the people.

Thus was born Solar, the empire’s goddess.

The goddess of the sun, clean and bright.

“Nothing but dirty black lions.”

He ducked quietly as the priests came around the corner.

Not daring to enter the temple.

A black aura, hovering outside the temple.

***

“I wonder if I have offended Your Highness, the Queen.”

“Of course not, Grand Duchess. I am only pleased to see you here.”

I wonder if this makes sense.

It was only a moment ago that I had taken a seat a foot behind the pious Queen.

“I haven’t seen Denver in a long time, and I must say I’m quite surprised to see him all grown up and with a beautiful wife.”

“You are too kind. The Queen is very beautiful, too.”

Even though she knew I was coming,

The Queen did not stop praying.

With all her might.

As if she really wanted to touch the goddess.

I stared at her crystal-clear hair, and when she finished praying, I looked at her face.

I couldn’t help but open my mouth.

“Armédie told me about you, Grand Duchess.”

Eyes as mesmerizing as rubies.

Hair the color of flowing water.

Pure white skin.

And a smile that dazzled in the sunlight.

“What are you thinking?”

Ah, the power of first impressions.

I can’t believe I’m thinking about something else with the Queen in front of me.

I waved my hand and said nothing.

“I’m just happy to be able to share a cup of tea with the Queen.”

The Queen smiles at my pretense.

This is the woman who tried to assassinate me so many times to leave no stone unturned.

I can’t believe it.

“You have a funny way with words, so I think we’re going to have a good time.”

Her red eyes curve into half moons.

Even as she sips her tea with grace, she looks like a saint from heaven.

“……Thank you.”

A strange aura hovers near the tombstone, one that cannot be felt inside the temple.

An aura of impurity.

“I often come here with Armédie, but I don’t know if it would suit your taste.”

“It’s very tasty.”

In truth, there was nothing in her mouth.

How could I trust the queen despite her appearance of an angel?

I smiled wryly, wetting only my lips with tea.

“How is Denver? I haven’t seen him in a long time and I miss him.”

“He is doing very well. We were at the palace the other day, where the crown prince held a banquet for us.”

“Oh, I know, I heard something bad happened to you then. I hope you’re okay.”

They scrutinize each other slowly, intensely.

I don’t sense any unpleasantness like I did when I met Prince Omen.

But there’s a vague sense of…….

“As you can see, I’m fine. I heard that His Imperial Highness caught the culprit.”

“He’s a good-natured kid, but his only flaw is that he can’t stand injustice.”

I almost burst out laughing when I saw the Queen smiling graciously.

How could those words come out of her mouth?

“I can only thank him. The culprit almost got away.”

“…….”

“He didn’t hesitate to cut him down, even though he was one of his own. He must have a good heart, as you say.”

Armédie’s face twisted at my words,

Not the Queen, but Armédie.

She looked uncomfortable the entire time, my words treading a fine line between rudeness and flattery.

“Denver, even as a child, would not spare anybody for injustice.”

“Even now, he can’t stand the sight of injustice.”

To anyone else, they would have looked like an amicable Queen and Grand Duchess.

Smiling faces, friendly voices.

Seemingly polite, with a lovely tray of refreshments in front of them.

I looked into the Queen’s eyes, my eyes turned a silvery gray.

Very carefully, so that she wouldn’t notice.

BANG-!

And that moment,

I felt the impact of a blow to my head.

It felt like a large, heavy hammer had struck down.

My vision flashes white.

“Madam, what’s wrong?”

The pristine voice of the Queen rings in my deafened ears.

What the hell?

I can’t read Omen, and neither does the Queen.

Why can’t I read their future?

Barely able to keep my dizzy head under control, I forced a smile.

“Excuse me……. I’m sorry, I’m getting dizzy.”

“Oh, no. You don’t look well.”

The Queen looked at me with concern.

I was fine except for the dizziness, but I was puzzled by the unexplained phenomenon.

‘How is it that I am unable to see only Omen’s and the Queen’s future?’

I asked, wondering how this could possibly make sense without some sort of trick.

“I think it’s time to call it a day, Grand Duchess.”

Then I saw clearly.

Looking at me me struggling to catch my breath,

the Queen broke into a fit of laughter.

“Next time, I’ll invite you to the palace, and I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much.”

“I would be honored to be invited.”

The Queen walked away with Armédie.

In their wake, I was the only one left standing, slumped in exhaustion.

“Your Grace, are you all right?”

Harton, who had been waiting outside, rushed over and put a hand on my arm.

“I’m fine, let’s go back to the mansion.”

“I have a carriage waiting for you. Take my hand.”

It was strange, to say the least.

As if someone had deliberately blindfolded me.

I can barely see the faintest afterimage.

I can’t see more than that.

“Flotty.”

I was slowly making my way to the carriage due to the blow to the head that hit me from earlier.

An unexpected figure stood outside.

“…… Denver?”

“Why are you like this? What did the Queen do to you?”

“No, nothing happened, I’m just dizzy.”

What the hell is this guy doing here?

It’s as if he followed me out.

The Grand Duke helped me into the carriage, taking Harton’s place.

My throbbing head relaxes a bit as I sit down on the plush seat.

“Are you sure everything is alright? You don’t look well.”

“I was going to ask you at the manor, but do you know anything else about the Queen?”

“What part exactly?”

“My abilities don’t allow me to foresee the future of the prince and queen.”

“…….”

The Grand Duke was lost in thought for a moment.

“Do you have any idea?”

I hadn’t expected such a challenge.

Not that I was overconfident in my abilities.

Still, I thought I could play it safe with my eyes scanning the future and past.

“Did I not tell you? For a long time, the Queen was an enemy of me and His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Yes. You said they became enemies when she was pregnant with Prince Omen.”

“Probably since then.”

“…….”

“The Queen was said to be the embodiment of the saint.”

The empress and the temple.

The manifestation of a saint.

Solar, protector of the empire.

I wonder if they’re related.

“If your powers come from a god, then my guess may be correct.”

Grand Duke Noctis told me what he had learned from his years of prying into the Queen’s mind.

Astonishing,

shocking stories.

⁂

“Mother.”

“Welcome, Omen.”

The Queen, a neat figure in a white cotton robe, greeted Omen.

Very deep, very low in the palace.

The basement was illuminated by a monotonous light.

“You met the Grand Duchess today.”

“Ah, her.”

She looked nothing like she did in the temple, her clear eyes blazing.

“She’s a very interesting girl.”

Silver eyes that glow and see through people.

Her shoulders don’t flinch at the vague sensation of her aura.

A mind game that circles around the outside, probing.

“I like her, too, Mother.”

Omen raised a hand to shade his own red eyes.

Soon, a sun-like red glow emanated from his hand.

“I think He likes her, too.”

The light quickly engulfed the crypt.

As the light hits the darkness, the great statue before the Queen is revealed.

“Even our god, Eden.”

Beneath the red glow, a serpentine statue bared its sharp fangs.

It was their god, to crush the black lion.