BJ Villainess

Ding!

[Quest: Finding Euges]

▸

Reward: Increase in Euges’s likeability

▸

Failure: Significant decrease in Euges’s likeability

So, a quest has finally appeared.

As I headed towards the heart of the Sun Palace, it became harder to manage my expression. It was because there were hardly any servants in sight. That meant Euges had deliberately cleared the area of people, suggesting he was in a particularly sensitive state.

I glared at Bein, who was guiding me, and the court servants without making it obvious. Then, I quickly shifted my gaze forward. It was because they were all looking at me like a boy gazing at the last leaf.

Feeling burdened by their supportive gazes, I arrived at the heart of the Sun Palace, where the emperor resides. Bein stopped in his tracks and bowed to me.

“Our role ends here. His Majesty has strictly ordered that no one else should enter this place.”

“…Yes.”

As I answered with a hesitant smile, Bein continued. “I will announce the arrival of the lady. Please follow me.”

Considering the situation, even Bein could be in danger.

“Doesn’t that include Bein when His Majesty ordered no one else should enter?”

“That is correct.”

“I’ll tell it myself. After all, I need to see His Majesty directly.”

Even if it means risking death, there’s no need for both of us to be sacrificed.

“This is more efficient.”

As I finished speaking, the servants, including Bein, looked at me with similar expressions.

“…Is there a problem?”

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Haha Boss’ has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[I was born to see this!]

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Born From Theresa’s Heart; has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[Look at how she effortlessly cares for others… This is why I love Theresa.]

Bein asked me, “Are you really okay with that?”

“Yes. It’s okay.”

I had a reason for saying this.

The Sun Palace was a place where, except for the emperor himself, no one else could use magic due to a powerful magic circle. Therefore, I shouldn’t have been able to use magic here. But strangely, it seemed possible to use magic. No, it was definitely possible.

It was as if I had opened a coding window and could clearly see what source code this place was made of.

Bein and the servants were exceedingly polite. “Then, we humbly ask for your favor. Please let us know if you need anything at any time.”

“I will.”

I stood alone in front of the emperor’s bedroom.

Let me take a deep breath.

“Your Majesty, Theresa Squire requests an audience.”

But there was no answer from inside.

“Your Majesty, Theresa Squire requests an audience.”

I repeated it several times. Euges wasn’t the type to control people he disliked with violence. He wouldn’t have a standoff like this outside. That’s why it was strange.

Just in case something happened to Euges.

As I cautiously opened the door and entered, I smelled cigars and whiskey. But it wasn’t as intense as last time. Moreover, the indoor air felt chilly.

“Your Majesty?”

That made sense because there was no one in the bedroom.

“What? Where did he go?”

Confused, I glanced around and saw a wall with an unnatural gap in my field of view. Below, broken glasses and spilled alcohol soiled the floor. This was certainly a trace of Euges. I realized at once what it was.

“There seems to be a secret passage in the wall.”

This wasn’t in the game.

Pushing aside my rising questions, I first checked the area around the gap in the wall. Then, I noticed one of the paintings was slightly askew.

“Is this it?”

Curious, I touched the skewed painting, and as a mechanism moved, a secret passage was revealed.

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘I Know This One’ has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[Escape Room Game]

Following a path where lamps hung like streetlights, I saw a new door.

As soon as I pushed the door open, I momentarily froze.

“

…”

This place was a vast treasury. On one side of the wall, relics along with treasures of unique styles presumed to be from other nations were displayed. And on the opposite side, peculiar books were arranged on shelves with their titles visible. Magical tools, armor, artworks, etc., were placed, storing items that were obviously extraordinary.

Then, could there be the Squire family’s arcane magic book here as well?

While looking around, I stumbled over something.

Looking down, I noticed a book sprawled out. Not just books, the floor was cluttered with all sorts of things. And among them, Euges lay collapsed.

Ding!

[Quest: Finding Euges completed]

▸

Reward: Increase in Euges’s likeability

“Your Majesty!”

I rushed to Euges. Up close, he seemed to be grimacing in pain like someone tormented by a nightmare.

“Please, wake up, Your Majesty!”

Just as I was worried something serious might happen, I touched his cheek. Suddenly, Euges grabbed my wrist, eyes wide open as if pierced by an awl.

“

…

…” He breathed heavily like someone who had been running hard, then muttered in confusion as he recognized me. “…Theresa Squire?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Why here…” He couldn’t finish his sentence.

“

…” Euges grasped his forehead and laid his upper body back down on the floor, seemingly suffering from a chronic headache.

I took out a potion from my inventory and explained. “This is a potion that eases headaches.”

Euges didn’t even pretend to look at the potion. Instead, he clenched his jaw, enduring the headache.

“Are you wary because it’s from me, or do you think it’s not safe?”

There was a way to persuade him.

I opened the potion and took a sip, then offered it to him. “See? I drank it, so stop being stubborn and just drink it.”

Euges irritably knocked the potion out of my hand. Luckily, it didn’t spill much, but enough to dampen the hand holding the bottle. The effectiveness of the potion would decrease with a lower dosage. However, whether it worked or not was completely irrelevant to Euges.

Despite the excruciating pain that seemed to burn his brain, he struggled to get up and glared at me intensely. “How dare you pity me? You must really wish to die.”

Looking at his bloodshot eyes made me involuntarily sigh.

“Even if you want to kill me, can’t you at least take the potion first?”

“You…!” Euges was about to burst into anger but then collapsed as if his consciousness was cut off.

“Your Majesty!”

I hurriedly caught him before his head hit the stone floor, still holding the potion tightly in my hand.

“

, that was close.”

Internally praising my own quick reflexes, I looked down at Euges, who was sweating cold.

“You should have just taken the potion quietly, Your Majesty.”

I fed the unconscious Euges the potion. True to Reini’s creation, Euges’s expression soon relaxed.

“But now, do I have to stay here until Euges wakes up?”

How would I know when this person would wake up?

Euges was still in my arms… Honestly, he was quite heavy.

I had to lay him down on the floor. Struggling, I placed books like a pillow and carefully rested Euges’s head on them.

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Coward’ has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[Shouldn’t someone be called? What if something happens to the emperor?]

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Professional Trainer’ has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[No, no, this looks like a secret place. Calling someone carelessly might lead to death by revealing secrets.]

I also agreed with the words of the constellation ‘Professional Trainer.’

“It would have been convenient to use teleportation magic at a time like this.”

While contemplating whether to use a lightening spell on Euges to drag him back to the bedroom, a book scattered on the floor caught my eye. The book was quite large. And its cover, which was made of metal, was unique.

“It even has a lock on it.”

What caught my attention the most was the butterfly engraving in the center of the cover.

“Could this be the Squire’s arcane magic book?”

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Theresa’s Minion’ has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[But there’s no keyhole on the lock.]

As I touched the book to inspect it closer, suddenly, all the mana in my body drained away.

“

…!

It was a moment of dizzying sensation. The drained mana filled the engraved part of the cover with a brilliant light. As the central butterfly was also filled with mana, a clicking sound was heard, and the lock opened.

At that moment, the book opened by itself, and my vision went dark.