After the commotion stirred up by Count Qiaonov and his daughter Clara, Erika finally managed to bundle the two of them away, and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, at least there wasn’t a spectacle in the Grand Hall. Whew.
Queen Evelyn la Calista stepped down from the throne, striding toward her bedchamber, and spoke lazily to the person behind her, “Erika, cancel the rest of today’s schedule. I’ve been diligently handling affairs of state for the sake of the people, and now I’m tired.”
Evelyn issued her orders in an easy, casual tone, not the rigid court language she had used just moments ago. Did anyone else know that this tyrant-like Evelyn could talk and listen like an ordinary girl?
Probably not, for in the end, the only one who followed her to the bedchamber to continue working overtime was Erika.
“I’m too exhausted, I’ll have to go to bed early today. Honestly, I’ve been working myself to death lately. Sigh.”
What are you mumbling about? All the important things are done by me anyway!
Even if she felt so wronged she could cry, Erika didn’t dare to say it aloud. All she could do was force a faint smile at the corners of her mouth, “As expected of Her Majesty the Queen! Wise and brilliant, Your Majesty’s grace falls upon Noael. The people shall live carefree, and the nation shall flourish.”
“That’s right, it’s partly your credit too, Erika. This golden age I’ve built—half of it is yours. You can be proud of that.”
“You flatter me.”
Even if others heard those words, would they really feel proud? The world Evelyn created was not an age of peace, but one of conflict and chaos. Just beyond a palace wall, stepping out of these flower-filled palace paths, there were probably masses of destitute commoners, bandits and rebels running rampant, and beyond the city walls, foreign tribes and monsters joining forces in a dire situation.
The most frustrating part was, half of that hellish chaos was actually because of herself. How could she be proud of it? It’s not as if she’s some sort of antisocial lunatic.
All Erika could do was quietly justify herself—she had done her utmost in her position to prevent and contain disasters, even risking herself to stop Count Qiaonov’s execution just now, all for this reason.
Even when the girl tried to use her position as the Queen’s closest attendant to start poverty relief efforts or aid the disaster-stricken, not a single person believed her, nor did anyone accept her help.
‘What? Just out of goodwill? Don’t lie! You witch, what are you trying to make me owe you? I’d rather die than become your dog!’
‘Please, take back this food. If people find out I’m involved with you, I’ll be driven out of the city and stoned to death!’
‘Disaster demoness! You must be from the succubus clan—so beautiful you can even bewitch the Queen!’
First impressions and stereotypes truly were terrifying. Erika was already branded as cunning and ruthless, as if she was a demon spy using the foolish tyrant queen to destroy the nation. No matter what she did, nothing could change that.
Dragging the long train of her palace dress through the corridor, the maids and guards all lowered their heads, not daring to look at her, but the whispers in their hearts had already grown into a tide of murmurs.
‘Look over there, Erika’s coming.’
‘Shh, don’t make eye contact. She might bewitch your mind.’
‘Who’s that behind her? Is it Clara? Poor Clara.’
See? Now even stray cats in the palace probably wouldn’t dare accept food from her, casting fearful glances her way. Truth be told, she had never once killed anyone, not directly nor by using others.
‘I heard she tried to make Clara and her father do unspeakable things in front of everyone!’
‘Erika, that shameless and wicked woman.’
……
Radical methods were easily misunderstood and gave rise to rumors. Before the maids’ whisperings could grow too bold and rowdy, Evelyn’s scepter suddenly struck the ground with a sharp “bang.”
It was like someone pressed the pause button. The sudden noise made the maids shut their mouths in a panic and scatter off to their cleaning duties.
“Erika, those maids who badmouthed you—I’ll have them stripped naked and put through the Expiation Parade tomorrow.”
Expiation Parade? That was a truly cruel punishment, especially for young palace maids. The so-called Expiation Parade meant making them undress, mounting them on carts, and parading them slowly around the marketplace outside the palace. The humiliation and psychological blow would be enough to break these naïve girls for good.
In fact, Evelyn had once wanted to punish a maid who tried to poison her like this, but after Erika’s repeated persuasion, that maid was only exiled in the end. Who knows what became of her now.
Erika couldn’t help but shake her head. “There’s no need to punish the maids. It would be beneath you, Evelyn-sama, to stoop to the level of such ignorant people.”
“You’re right, a noble soul shouldn’t be ensnared by the words of others—you’ve said so yourself. But Erika! I just can’t stand hearing anyone insult you. They have no idea how much you endure, how much you give!”
No, they just don’t know it’s because of you that I endure all this.
Erika managed a serene and graceful smile. “You can simply ignore the malice directed at me. After all, they’re only jealous that I have Evelyn-sama’s favor.”
“So that’s it. Erika, you really are a clever one.”
“You flatter me.”
“Oh, that reminds me—speaking of such ignorant talk, lately those filthy traitors have been saying you’re a bad influence, and telling me to keep away from you.”
“Oh?”
“But I certainly won’t listen to those treacherous fools. You’re second only to me—the wisest woman in the realm. As Queen, it’s my job to discern right from wrong.”
“Then, will Your Majesty forgive the foolish actions of the ignorant?”
“Mm… Yes. It’s not ideal, but let’s leave it at that.”
Evelyn nodded in satisfaction, and Erika silently thanked the heavens for saving a few more lives—without her, this country would be doomed.
Of course, none of them knew that the witch, the demoness they so reviled, was the one holding the last oxygen mask to the kingdom and its people. If Evelyn were executed and the kingdom’s order collapsed, true chaos would surge over the walls like a flood, and, aside from a handful of important figures, everyone would be swallowed up and become ashes in history’s fire.
The supporting cast with no names, the townsfolk, the maids—they wouldn’t even qualify as embers.
No one else knew these truths, and Erika would rather not know them either.
“Well then, Your Majesty, I have other business to attend to and will take my leave.”
Erika stood before Evelyn’s bedchamber and offered a brief farewell. Now, the Queen could return to her room, read a favorite book, or tumble into bed and roll about as she pleased. But as Grand Chamberlain, shouldering the national duties Evelyn abandoned, Erika still had countless things to worry about, working late into the night.
Perhaps the Queen really did understand her toil. Before entering her bedroom, Queen Evelyn yawned and said, “Erika, you’ve been swamped lately, haven’t you? But now that we’ve nipped the rebellion led by the Treasurer in the bud, you should get some rest too.”
“Well…”
She wasn’t wrong. When Count Qiaonov stepped into the Royal Palace today, he was likely prepared to die. One might even say death itself was part of his scheme. If such a loyal subject, loved by both commoners and nobles, were to die, the people’s rage would erupt like a volcano, sparking a tidal wave of rebellion.
—The spark for revolution, that was Qiaonov’s role. He understood his mission perfectly; in the novel, it was just the same.
But in the end, he hadn’t died today.
“Heh, the ‘Order of the Dawn’? Even I didn’t expect there was such a seditious armed group plotting on the borders. Thanks to Qiaonov’s confession, the purge went so smoothly.”
“It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s wisdom. With the bandits who tried to usurp the throne wiped out, the people can finally sleep in peace.” Erika spoke while bowing her head deeply.
The Order of the Dawn was definitely a band of rebels. In the original story, their defeat happened mid-novel, by which time they’d already wreaked havoc on the kingdom and Evelyn’s reign. But since Qiaonov survived, the Order didn’t even have a chance to appear before being annihilated.
Thinking of this, Erika felt a chill run down her spine. She frowned slightly—she had actually done nothing about the Order’s purge and gave Queen Evelyn no hints.
The matter of the Order was entirely something Evelyn unearthed herself while interrogating Qiaonov. To be fair, Evelyn was a tyrant and a poor ruler, but not an incompetent one.
So every time she made such an unexpected move, Erika couldn’t help but feel nervous and uneasy. For Evelyn suspected everything, never trusting anyone completely—who could guarantee she wouldn’t one day kick Erika aside?
“Oh, right, Erika.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
What now? Calling me back when she’s about to go to bed—could it be she found out I was badmouthing her inside?
“Tonight, to reward your hard work, I’ll give you a treat. Go heat some water.”
“……”
“Well?”
“Yes, understood.”
A reward? Please, academically this would be classified as torture—I’m no masochist!
“Well then, see you soon.”
Erika bowed and stepped away. At her side was a girl with her mouth gagged and body bound tight with rough rope—Clara.
Count Qiaonov’s daughter, the insurance that would keep him from betraying them. She was held as a hostage, made into a palace maid. This was the safety lock to keep Qiaonov from any wild ideas.
Most of the palace maids were in situations similar to Clara, and under mutual surveillance, hardly any could even dream of betraying the palace.
“All right, Miss Clara, let’s go.”
“Hmph.”
She was undoubtedly a prisoner, yet she retained a noble lady’s pride, glaring sharply at Erika. Ignoring her, Erika led Clara to the maids’ quarters.
“That’s how it tastes best, you idiot!”
“If you eat it upside down you’ll spill it everywhere!”
“Hey, hey! Quiet, that one’s coming!”
The maids, happily chatting away, instantly panicked and pretended to be busy when they saw her approach.
‘Hey now, your salaries all come from tax money…’ Erika wanted to say, but there were more pressing matters. She handed over the securely bound Clara, “This is Clara, starting as a maid today. Give her the dirtiest, toughest jobs, and teach her everything step by step.”
The maids eyed Clara with a mix of pity and a hint of schadenfreude. At the same time, they seemed a little comforted by having someone else dragged into the pit with them.
“Clara, everyone here is a noble lady like you. Get along with them. Come, Miss Clara, aren’t you going to greet your new colleagues?” Erika untied the gag with a swish, and Clara, as if she’d been waiting for this moment, shouted loudly,
“Erika—I’ll never forgive you! Curse you, witch! Parasite of Noael—Evil accomplice—!”
Let’s just treat that as her way of thanking me for saving her and her father’s lives.
Erika laughed softly, answering in a gentle tone, “You’re welcome.”
A year ago, accusations and misunderstandings like that would have sent Erika sulking in her room, but now it seemed she’d toughened up a bit. Still, this girl called Clara was no pushover.
“Do you think your power will last forever? One day, one day you’ll all pay! Queen Evelyn’s tyranny is almost over! You, you don’t know anything! Ahahaha!”
Clara forced a few dramatic laughs, then puffed up her cheeks, preparing some sort of counterattack.
“Ptooey!” She even tried to spit at Erika’s pretty face—this was already the third time this week. Since this sort of thing happened so often, Erika had developed a special evasive step and didn’t mind.
But saying I don’t know anything? The nerve of this brat.
“Ah—!”
Clara was lifted easily by Erika’s seemingly slender arms and pinned hard against the wall. Erika grabbed her collar, almost lifting her off the ground, “Don’t know anything? Do you even have the right to say that to me? Clothed in luxury, wanting for nothing—don’t run your mouth here.”
“Ow! You… you damn—”
Her complaints stopped abruptly, for the look on Erika’s face had turned glacial. Silently, Erika raised her right hand in a threatening slap.
“Don’t—don’t hit me, stop—uu…” The once proud lady now shrank back, trembling under Erika’s aura.
There were so many things she wanted to say, but Erika left it at that.
“What are you all doing? Get back to work.”
She forced down her surging emotions and thought for a moment. For this young lady to shout with such confidence even as a captive, she must have something to rely on. And the source of that confidence was obvious—was it time to put those people in motion?
Originally, Clara would have been hidden away, keeping long-term contact with them and setting off a chain of events. Somewhere out there, a small band was sharpening their claws in hiding, waiting for their chance.
Would those claws ever reach this place? She would never let it happen.
[Report on frequent visits by border nobles, city wall repairs and maintenance costs…]
[Disciplinary bill regarding the Marquis of Lioness’s alleged tax evasion]
[Report on the Black Robe Band’s movements]
[Large-scale strike by the Spiderweaver, silk production falls, exports blocked]
[Mitchuri Bee swarms rampaging on the Eastern Plains, farmers lose crops, the people wail]
Scratch, scratch. After hastily dealing with these headache-inducing documents, the girl signed the last one, stretched her body, and revealed a graceful silhouette.
Erika suddenly chuckled, “I’m already used to this job.”
Only now did it dawn on her—she was actually sitting in this office dealing with affairs of state. That really was a novel feeling. She’d once thought of finding an office job, but who’d have guessed it would turn out like this? And…it was a pretty high position, too.
Court Gardener Erika—that was her current title. Although she ranked around seventieth in the palace, by now there was no one in the kingdom who didn’t know she wielded real power, second only to the Queen.
This beauty named Erika was, in the original novel, a villainess who only appeared in seven lines—five of which described her looks. Readers just wanted her to kick the bucket quickly; otherwise, she had no special role.
Her appearances were few, but every time she showed up, readers went wild. In the end, her life of villainy ended with a simple line: ‘One day, Erika was executed for her crimes.’
She couldn’t recall the exact wording, but it was something like that. The fate of this disaster demoness was so simple, it left a lasting impression.
After Erika’s death, Queen Evelyn gradually lost power, and in the end, the kingdom was destroyed.
Yes, following the story’s path, she might be executed. By whom, when, where, how—none of these were specified in the text.
‘One day, Erika was executed for her crimes.’ Her fate was left hanging on that vague line, with no time or manner of death specified. Even if a dragon’s breath blasted through the office window and roasted her now, it wouldn’t be impossible.
In truth, Erika had already brushed shoulders with death many times—she’d only narrowly survived a poisoning attempt by a maid recently.
So, had the swelling on her face from the poisoning gone down?
The girl rose and walked to a full-length mirror in the corner of the office, pulling back the heavy curtains. The dusty mirror reflected her face and figure—no, could this really be called “me”?
Long blackish-purple hair cascaded to her waist. Even in the dim reflection, her skin was snow-white and flawless, her eyes as vividly red as fresh blood—not so terrifying as a vampire, but rather carrying an eerie charm. Her nose was high and straight, her lips delicate and rosy; this face, mixing innocence with seduction, was unmatched even in her previous life.
“I’ve gotten used to this face after a year or so.”
It was a face somewhere between girl and woman, carrying a touch of youthful innocence. Strictly speaking, more a maiden than a woman—but age was indeterminate, for Erika was the disaster demoness of a ruined kingdom, and no one knew her origin.
Seeing such a pretty girl, the first thought was to hug her and call her “wife”—but remembering that it was herself brought a strange, inexplicable frustration.
If only such a beautiful girl had been my girlfriend in my previous life… Damn it, why did transmigration have to come with gender-bending?
“Mm.”
But after a year, she’d gotten used to it. After all, it was her body now—being cute was never a bad thing, right? The only flaw was the faint scar on her right eyebrow, which she purposely concealed with her bangs.
Was she some kind of martial arts delinquent? Well… maybe she really was a villain, and that was her mark.
Just as Erika was lost in memories, someone gently knocked at the office door.
“Who is it?”
“Lady Erika, Her Majesty the Queen summons you. Please go and heat water now.”
Erika: ……