I Was Reincarnated as the Prince in a Villainess Story, so I’ll Use My Cheat Knowledge to Create a Noble Lady Harem and Make Them All Happy - 54

Chapter 54: Interlude: The Voice of the Wind and the Heretic’s Daughter

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The fingertips covered in white gloves trembled ever so slightly. The queen’s gown was beautiful—so dazzling, yet somehow cold. The smooth feel of the silk had no form, like water, and it felt as though it might slip right through my palms.

“Yes, Reina-neesama. Please lift your arm just a little higher.”

Feril’s gentle voice reached me. Hearing her, I gave a small nod. The me reflected in the mirror was smiling properly. My posture, my fingertips, even the flow of my hair—perfect. Yet Milia and Feril, standing beside me, seemed to sense—or perhaps not quite sense—what lay behind that perfection. They stayed by me with that delicate, uncertain closeness.

Milia was always bright, always able to make those around her smile. But behind that brightness was a sensitivity that no one could match. Whenever I fell silent, she noticed before anyone else, and naturally changed the subject. That lightness of hers wasn’t an act. It was simply the shape her kindness took.

Feril, though she seemed reserved, possessed a will that would never break. Quietly, but with steady eyes, she always looked forward and when the time came, she had the strength to speak her mind without hesitation.

Truly, they were such good girls. That was why standing beside Valis, together with them, had been the greatest joy of all. Or at least, that was what I truly believed.

“Both of you… Thank you.”

The words slipped out naturally, yet within my chest, a faint ripple spread.

I remembered. The day I first met Valis. A boy just one year younger than me. Yet even then, his eyes carried a mature calm, and with a thoughtful gesture, he took my hand. I had been desperate. Just as Mother had taught me, I had to play the role of the “haughty young lady.” I had practiced my smile, my word choice—over and over again in my head. But the moment I faced him, everything I’d prepared seemed to vanish.

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“So, you’re the one who’s to be my fiancé?”

“You at least have manners. I suppose that’s… Acceptable.”

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What if he ends up hating me…?

With that fear in my heart, I squeezed Valis’s hand in return. Even now, I could still clearly recall the warmth of that moment.

I had no memories of my mother. But—her voice, I knew. Ever since I could remember, her voice had echoed in my mind. Even when I couldn’t see her, it had always been there beside me, teaching me what was “right.” How to stand, how to act toward Valis, how to speak—Mother had taught me all of it. But around the time I turned ten, that voice had slowly begun to fade. Almost at the same time Valis began to distance himself from me.

I had asked Mother again and again if I had done something wrong, but no answer ever came. When both Mother and Valis drifted away, I wondered how I was supposed to keep living. Even so, I thought I had to think for myself—if I was to be chosen as Valis’s queen. Yet, I couldn’t think of anything at all.

You cannot use magic.

That was what the voice in my head told me when I wished to study Archive Arts, together with Valis. It was then that a hand reached out to me, the hand of my mentor, His Majesty King Ars.

“My too-clever son won’t spend any time with me. Reina-chan, would you keep me company instead?”

He said it with a troubled smile and taught me the sword. At first, I only wanted to return to Valis’s side. But as I swung the blade, little by little, I felt as though I was regaining the shape of myself.

Even now, my chest still ached when I remembered the time I brought Milia back from the Holy Kingdom. After saying such self-righteous things, the truth was that my real motives had been far more selfish.

If I stayed beside that saintly girl loved by everyone, perhaps I could be loved, too.

She was the daughter of the god worshiped as Zai Arios, beloved by the Creator Himself—a truly special being in this world. And despite being such a special girl, Milia had even been willing to step aside for my sake. She was wonderful, thoughtful, kind beyond measure. There was no way such a person would not be loved by Valis.  And if she remained by his side, then maybe—I too could be loved along with her.

Yes, that shameful thought had undeniably existed within me. But that first night, when Valis told me, “I love you”— I had been truly happy. I fought back tears, and in my heart, I reported to Mother.

“Mother, it came true.”

When I met Feril, I knew instinctively. That this child, too, was special. And around her tenth birthday, that intuition turned to certainty. Her growth differed from that of ordinary children. That change reminded me of Valis in his younger days and I felt a flicker of fear. But that was exactly why I thought to myself.

She will surely be chosen as well.

Then it would be fine. It’d be fine if we were all loved together. If Milia, Feril, and I were together, Valis would surely choose me, too.We would all be happy. I believed that.

And at last, I became Valis’s queen and fulfilled my wish.

Blessed by dear Milia,by sweet Feril,by my poor father, and by my sinful mentor. Blessed by everyone, I fulfilled my wish.

Are you satisfied now, Mother? The daughter you gave your life to bear has come this far. I’m just a step away from realizing your long-cherished desire.

Yes, I already knew. No, in truth, I had known since childhood. That I was a being born from your obsession—an obsession like a curse—toward the royal house of Alveria. That the voice I heard as a child had been the echo of something unholy. And then…

At the Everett estate, when I tried to tear the journal from Feril’s hands… The moment I touched that golden flame… I realized that I was not a rightful being. Though that sacred golden flame held no heat, my hand alone burned with pain. That fear turned into certainty during the battle at Beltea.

The battle against the demon god Biblos. While many knights suffered from the miasma, my sword moved swiftly, my body light. At that moment, I felt it clearly. That whatever my mother clung to in order to bear me, it was a power of heresy.

That I was the result of my mother, Laura’s, obsession with the Alveria royal family and with my mentor, King Ars. She had stretched her dying soul toward the forbidden art, and I was the outcome. And Mother Laura, at the most “suitable” moment, sought to realize her wish—through me.

That was why she had kept me away from any magic that might disrupt that heretical power. But… 

How pitiful, foolish Mother. Your wish will not come true. Even if the feelings I carry were born from you, my love for Valis now belongs to me. As long as Milia and Feril remain by his side, I have no regrets. Turning my back on your wish… And on everyone’s kindness… I will fulfill my own wish.

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