episode_0214

“Haah.”

A sigh escapes her lips. She feels nauseous, disgusted by her own stupidity and helplessness. She can’t even begin to figure out where she went wrong, where she made the wrong choices. Even trying to think it through makes her rage boil over. If she had to pick the biggest blunder of her life, it would be this very moment. A useless thought blooms: would things have been different if she’d listened to the Princess?

The Queen’s bedchamber. After the urgent matter was settled, she remained alone in her chambers to think without interruption.

She knows there are no right answers, yet she keeps thinking. Regret, a thought unbecoming of a Queen.

Forget the damned pink-haired one for now; let’s think about the nun.

She’s heard her story, and most of the investigation results proved true, but her motives remain unclear.

“Spreading faith? What kind of nonsense is that for a cleric?”

Not all sects make proselytizing their business, but it’s clear that more followers mean more profit. They have to live, too; considering things like donations, it’s only natural. Among them, there are surely some who truly believe in and follow the Goddess, but what about this Nun, Erina? No matter how much she thinks about it, she can’t see any evidence of true belief.

More than anything, she’s the one who summoned the high-ranking demon, the so-called “Majin,” to this land. Even if it wasn’t intentional, even if it was accidental, it’s a grave crime. It’s too massive to simply call a crime; it might require divine judgment.

“She said it was a Goddess statue. Making and worshipping statues is common, but…”

Erina said she’d already retrieved everything, so she plans to investigate nonetheless. That damned nun… whether intentional or not, whatever her intentions, it’s evil. Should she be defined as evil and eliminated? Should she call the Fried sect to take care of it?

She can’t help but sigh again.

Wilhelmina clenches her eyes shut. At least it’s a good thing this happened before her retirement.

“Shit…”

She tries to avoid swearing in public, but…

As she keeps her eyes closed, Erina’s body comes to mind. The youthful, plump flesh, the distinct scent of her skin. The large breasts, completely inappropriate under the plain black and white nun’s habit. Breasts that seemed larger than her face, seemingly sweating, the bottom clearly exposed in a lewd outfit. A wide pelvis that matched the size of her breasts. If she were wearing a cheap dress instead of a nun’s habit, countless ruffians would have harassed her.

Furthermore, she had long, beautiful legs, and her skirt was slit as if to show them off. A truly remarkable outfit, as if designed to tempt.

She doesn’t know the rules of religious dress, but it certainly wasn’t proper.

“Haah…”

Wilhelmina slowly removes her elegant dress. Usually, the maids would gently undress her, but right now, she wants to be completely alone. A hot sigh escapes her delicate lips. Her supple white skin, taut despite her age, is revealed along with her luxurious lace lingerie. Her skin, white rivaling black, was beautiful.

Her figure in the mirror was thin compared to Erina’s, but only relatively so; she was far from scrawny, and her muscles were well-toned, making her body beautiful.

Swoosh—. She lightly caresses her abdomen, feeling her abs. A warm, warm sensation flows through her body. Thoughtlessly, she lifts her breast and gently, softly caresses it. She unconsciously covers her mouth to stifle a moan.

No one can hear her, but it’s something she shouldn’t do. She knows that, yet her hand doesn’t stop. Touching herself while looking at her own body… it’s absurd, but she doesn’t even have the energy to care, slowly stroking herself.

“This isn’t the time.”

Wilhelmina mutters quietly. The kingdom, and indeed the world, is in danger, and all she’s doing is fondling herself. If her daughter saw her, she’d unleash a barrage of nagging. Even thinking that doesn’t suppress her lust. Hoo, a warm breath escapes between her glistening lips.

“It’s all because…”

Her hand hesitantly moves towards her genitals. Her slightly trembling fingers perfectly express her feelings. Her warm breath begins to grow slightly rough. More than her own reflection in the mirror, Erina’s wanton body keeps appearing in her mind.

Knock, knock. A bold knock on the bedroom door stops Wilhelmina’s movements.

“…Who is it! I said not to disturb me!”

“It is I, Princess. Mother.”

“What is it?”

“I came to check on you, Mother. I was worried you might be upset.”

Instead of the warm breath of arousal, a sigh of relief escapes her. Looking in the mirror, her flushed face looks unfamiliar. She takes a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

“…Come in.”

Julia politely opens the door. Her mother, in her underwear, stands before the mirror, elegant as always. Why is she in her underwear? Julia’s speechless for a moment, gazing at the luxurious black lace lingerie. It’s not like seeing her mother in her underwear is anything unusual—she’s always been beautiful—but seeing the two together creates a strange, heightened beauty, intensely feminine. She isn’t sure how to describe it, but it’s definitely breathtaking. An awkward silence hangs in the air before Julia speaks again.

“……Were you preparing for bed?”

“No. Just… a little. …I’m tired.”

“I seem to have interrupted your rest.”

“Come in, since you’re here.”

Sensing a strange atmosphere, Julia politely bows and tries to leave, but Wilhelmina stops her.

“I know you’ve been troubled, too. I’ve been neglecting you lately because of the situation. I’m sorry.”

“No, I understand completely.”

“…There’s no one around, so speak comfortably. Your formal speech is rather uncomfortable, even privately.”

“Really? Mom?”

Wilhelmina shakes her head slightly and sighs, and Julia immediately corrects her speech. The Queen wants her to be comfortable, at least during her rest.

“……What do you think of Erina?”

“The nun, you mean? Hmmm. I haven’t talked to her much, but I think she’s interesting.”

“Interesting?”

“Everyone who works here is so stiff, isn’t it? I suppose that’s because of their status, but they’re so dedicated to their duties, so precise and… well, it might sound rude, but they seem like dolls. I feel like a doll myself sometimes, although I imagine others feel the same way.”

Everyone is acting a role. Since childhood she has understood and learned the art of conduct required to appear as a proper princess. This was separate from her own willful nature; the princess was undeniably intelligent.

“You’re saying she’s a free spirit, my daughter. Innocence and naivety are different, you know.”

“Yes, I know. But…”

A full glass of clean water and an empty glass are not comparable. Innocent appearances should be cherished, but naivety is unacceptable for a ruler. Of course, the wise and intelligent princess would fully understand that.

“Do you know that she released a demon?”

It’s something the princess should know, since she too was destined to become a ruler. There’s no point in hiding it.

“What?!”

Julia’s eyes widen. Wilhelmina summarizes the story briefly. She relays only the simple facts, without interpretation or personal emotion. The words of a Queen.

After hearing the story, Julia ponders.

“She had no malicious intent? Honestly, it’s all hard to believe… but I’d trust Erina.”

“Why?”

“……To put it simply, without any personal feelings at play, she’s a controllable variable? The various sects aren’t all friendly with each other; they can act as checks and balances. Or we could just absorb them into the monarchy.”

“Yes, that’s logical. But that wouldn’t be perfect control. Erina’s actions were clearly proved, but it was absurd behavior. She’s unpredictable.”

It was difficult to ascertain exactly what she had done, but it wasn’t the behavior of an ordinary nun.

“But Mom also decided it was better to have the nun nearby, right?”

A twitch. Her breast softly trembled within her fancy lingerie. Julia had offered a reasonable argument, but she’d also wanted to hear Erina’s story directly from her. She looks forward to it already: how interesting, how dangerous, and how much emotion the nun felt.

‘Keep her close. Right. I’ll do as I first intended. Overthinking is fine, but it mustn’t lead to delay. For Julia’s sake.’

Wilhelmina smiles slightly, raising the corners of her mouth. Her daughter’s an adult now, she’ll soon understand.

“Daughter. I intended to give you some rest, but I ended up discussing work. I’m sorry. However, I think you’re right this time.”

“Really? Then, can I talk to her too?”

“Yes. But be wary. Stay close to Head Maid.”

“Yes, Mother♡”

No one saw her nipples harden beneath her bra.