29. Holy War.

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“Here, have some.”

“T-thank you.”

 

 

Ayla served tea to Sprue, carefully observing Sprue’s reaction.

 

 

As expected, Sprue was extremely uncomfortable.

It could just be because she was in front of a Princess, but even so, it was too different from how she acted in front of Huanna.

 

 

Ayla guessed that Sprue must have heard something unpleasant from Huanna.

 

 

‘Well, who is Huanna-unni? She must have thoroughly prepared.’

 

 

To Huanna, Ayla was the woman attached to Aran, her sworn enemy. Huanna probably wouldn’t feel satisfied even if she chewed Ayla to bits.

 

 

‘Unni isn’t stupid. She’s not someone who starts things without thinking. She must be trying to do something through this woman!’

 

 

Sprue was a commoner and a former elite soldier (精銳兵). She was definitely lacking to be entrusted with such a huge position as the Viceroy of Subject Nations.

 

 

Nevertheless, the fact that Huanna had given her this role clearly meant something.

 

 

‘The Viceroy of Subject Nations is said to have the same authority as the Emperor over all subject nations… Since the only subject nations are Great Kingdoms, this is to keep Aran in check. The question is, how will she keep him in check…’

 

 

Ayla didn’t get the feeling that Sprue was particularly outstanding.

Just an archer who was a bit good at shooting arrows? At best, she might be a bowmaster.

 

 

Why on earth did Huanna choose her?

 

 

 

“By the way, it’s really fascinating.”

“Yes? W-what is it?”

“Huanna-unni, I mean. She used to be so picky about who she associated with, but at some point, she changed and started making so many friends.”

“F-friends? That’s… that’s impossible.”

“Unni always considers the Count as a friend, you know.”

 

Sprue muttered, “Is that so…,” and lowered her head shyly.

 

 

‘If she’s already been brainwashed by unni, she won’t answer even if I ask about unni.’

 

 

Ayla decided to target Sprue.

Specifically, Sprue.

She wanted to know why Huanna had specifically appointed her as the Viceroy of Subject Nations.

 

 

“Actually, I’m also interested in Sprue-ssi… Ah, is it okay if I call you Sprue-ssi?”

“Yes… of course.”

“I’m also interested in Sprue-ssi.”

“Yes? I-interested?”

 

 

Sprue’s face flushed red.

 

 

“Ah… not in that way, I mean I’m interested in you purely as a woman to woman.”

“W-woman to woman…?”

“Ugh… not in a sexual way. I mean I’m interested in you as a person.”

“Ah… I see. I misunderstood for a moment.”

“It’s true that I have those tendencies too, but I don’t feel that way about Sprue-ssi.”

“You have those tendencies?!”

“Anyway, the reason I wanted to meet you today is because I have some personal questions for Sprue-ssi.”

“Personal questions… what are they?”

 

 

Sprue became slightly wary.

She looked ready to get up immediately if Ayla asked about Huanna.

 

 

“Just… I’m curious what you see in unni that makes you follow her.”

“Your Highness… that’s…”

“Don’t misunderstand. I just want to know how other people evaluate unni. To be honest, I’ve been feeling sorry because our relationship has been getting so bad lately.”

“…Is that so?”

 

 

Sprue still didn’t let her guard down.

What on earth had she heard?

Ayla felt a little bitter.

 

 

“If you’re so reluctant, then tell me about Sprue.”

“M-me?”

“Yes. Whatever the reason, unni chose you. She must be using you because you have something special.”

“There’s… nothing special about me. I’m just a wandering person without a family. It’s just that Your Majesty is so kind.”

“Ah… you don’t have a family?”

“I… do have one person. It’s a bit ambiguous though… hehe.”

“?”

 

 

Sprue hesitated slightly before speaking.

 

 

“Aran.”

“Yes?”

“He’s my only family. I don’t know what he thinks of me though…”

“Aran… you don’t mean…”

“Ah! But he’s a different person from that b*tch… ah, I mean, that Great King in the Great Kingdom! He’s a completely different person in terms of personality!”

 

Sprue was about to curse Aran the Great King, but she quickly realized she was in front of Ayla, who was one of his people, and hastily corrected herself.

But there was no way Ayla wouldn’t have heard it.

 

 

“Hehe. You seem to have a strong dislike for that child.”

“T-that’s…”

“It’s okay. You can’t receive only good reviews from everyone.”

“Ugh…”

 

Sprue, looking like she had messed up, distorted her face and sighed deeply.

 

“By the way, what kind of person is this ‘Aran’?”

“Yes? Ah… Aran is… well…”

 

Sprue began to explain about Aran.

 

 

How they first met in the Srodia military unit, how he was violated by the villainess named Estelle, and how she handed Aran over to a knight in the battlefield where the Persian army was annihilated. And even that she was still looking for him.

 

 

“Oh my…”

 

 

Ayla was surprised.

Because he had lived a life so similar to the Aran she knew.

 

 

 

“There are several factors why I don’t like Aran the Great King, but Estelle is a big one. He’s not only protecting that b… no, that damned woman, but he’s even made her a knight!!”

“Hmm… I see.”

 

 

Ayla slowly began to smell something.

She felt like she knew. The connection between Sprue and Aran.

 

 

‘I’m sure of it. There can’t be two people who have lived such identical lives. Especially with the same name.’

 

 

She realized that the ‘younger brother Aran’ that Sprue called her only family, and the ‘Great King Aran’ that she cursed as the axis of evil, were the same person.

 

 

‘Come to think of it, Aran also said that he had been mobilizing the military to search for someone since he first became the Great King. If so, that person is probably…’

 

 

That person was probably the woman in front of her, Sprue.

 

 

‘And the woman who took Aran away back then was Theodora.’

 

 

Ayla felt like the puzzle pieces were falling into place.

And she also came up with a definite way to bring down Huanna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sprue-ssi. I invented something… would you like to take a look?”

“Yes? An invention?”

“Yes.”

 

 

Ayla smiled slyly.

 

 

“They’re called ‘Saver’ and ‘Viewer’.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Clang!

 

 

Huanna’s favorite glass cup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

 

 

“…”

“I-I’m sorry!!”

 

 

The maid quickly apologized and began to clean up the debris.

 

“It’s okay. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Ah… n-no.”

 

 

Huanna comforted her with a benevolent face.

Touched, the maid quickly finished cleaning up, bowed deeply, and left the room.

 

 

“…”

 

 

Huanna stared silently at the spot where the glass cup had broken.

 

Where a thick carpet was laid.

 

 

 

 

For some reason, she felt an ominous feeling.

She felt an ominous feeling as if the air had turned into a knife and was stabbing her lungs.

 

 

“…What is this feeling?”

 

She had felt ominousness and unpleasantness when she was with Aran, but it wasn’t to this extent.

Something felt alien.

She felt like she wanted to run out right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“…Is it just my imagination?”

 

 

After staring like that for a few minutes, she went back to her desk and sat down.

The ominous feeling didn’t go away, but she ignored it.

 

“Surely they’re not trying to use me as a shield in the Holy War… are they?”

 

 

She suddenly had that thought, but she didn’t think Aran would do such a thing given his personality.

 

 

“Please disappear from my life. I’m begging you, Aran.”

 

She quietly closed her eyes, hoping that the Holy War would be successful.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

“T-this… what is this…”

 

 

Sprue’s eyes shook violently.

 

Ayla grinned at that reaction.

 

 

“What do you think? My invention. Isn’t it cool?”

“What… is this…?”

“It’s a Saver and Viewer set. The Saver is an artifact that stores videos, and the Viewer is an artifact that allows you to watch the stored videos. This is a video that I secretly recorded.”

“…!”

 

 

Sprue, greatly shocked, couldn’t take her eyes off the video.

What Ayla showed her was Huanna’s sex video.

 

She was shamelessly twisting her waist and begging so lewdly that she could be called a slut.

It was impossible to think that she was the same person as the usual elegant and virtuous Huanna.

 

 

Moreover….

 

 

-Aheueung! Aran… haa! I love it so much… aah~!

 

 

She was moving while calling the name ‘Aran’ as if she were calling her beloved lover.

 

 

“N-no way… a lie… this is a lie! This….”

 

 

Sprue was extremely confused.

She had cursed Aran as a bad guy, so what was with that expression and behavior?

 

 

“Huanna-unni is in a very close relationship with Aran, and they love each other so deeply that they even have a physical relationship.”

“B-but… but she always… always told me he was a bad person! I even knew she was protecting that Estelle b*tch, and we cursed her together!!”

 

Ayla nodded.

 

 

“I guess so. You’ll find out the answer if you watch this.”

 

 

This time, she showed a video with Aran’s ‘face’ in it.

 

 

Still sex.

But a different reaction.

 

 

“…Eh?”

 

 

Sprue looked like she had been hit in the head with a hammer.

 

 

“A…ran…?”

 

Ayla put on a nonchalantly pitiful expression. Anyone who saw her would think she was truly sad and sorry.

 

 

 

“Unni just wanted to get rid of you, her ‘rival in love’. And she wanted to do it with Aran’s hands.”