001 – Evil Flower Aira #1
To me, a Queen only exists in the media.
A woman who wears a beautiful jewelled crown and never loses her noble dignity.
That's the image that comes to mind when I think of a Queen.
There was a Queen that I came to know recently.
Aira Von Tarantera VIII.
Quick-witted people would have already guessed by her name that she's the Queen, though not in reality, rather she's a villain character in the novel 'Villain Hunter.'
She's a villain character.
In the story, she is a tyrant. She's someone who's the farthest away from being a good Queen.
According to the description in the novel, Aira was a beautiful girl with black hair and eyes.
Although she was very pretty and outstanding, she had a low position in terms of succeeding the throne.
That was until one day, her brothers and sisters, who were above her in status, suddenly died for a variety of reasons. Ultimately, she became the Queen at a young age of 17.
She had 17 brothers and sisters, but who knew what their fate was, as they all died in a year. The novel didn't describe that part much.
As a result, the child, who was supposed to be the last to inherit the throne, became the successor because she was the last remaining descendant of the Royal Family.
Now, what would happen when a young, foolish girl of the Royal Family, who knew she would never ascend to the throne in her lifetime, suddenly came to power-.
"Guards, off with his head-!"
I was watching the scene unfold right in front of my eyes.
"Please, Your Majesty-!"
Belmott Douglas, the Finance Minister at the Court, was terribly perplexed. He pleaded that the amount of tax levied by the Royal Family was too much and that it would cause a backlash among the lords.
"Your Majesty-! Please, listen to me just once."
No matter how foolish of a Queen she was, how could she not know what 'off with his head' meant towards him, who was trusted by many nobles and people?
In fact, the people around who were watching were also making a fuss.
━She wants to behead him?
━Heu, no-. Someone do something-.
━Someone say something to that crazy Queen-.
It'd been about three years after Aira became the Queen.
Although she had issued many bizarre orders during her reign, this was the first time she had ordered an execution that ignored legal procedures, so it was natural that people were perplexed. ℝ𝐀𝐍օ₿ËṢ
━I don't know. What are your plans?
━No-. She's not beheading a thief, that's Lord Belmott-. How can we do that-?
The Royal Guards could only look at each other. Their hands were on their swords, but not moving.
"What are you doing-? I said behead him-. If you won't do it, then I'll do it myself!"
Unable to bear such a sight any longer, Aira groaned and drew a sword from the scabbard of the Guard who was standing next to the throne.
"Ahh, this cool feeling. After wearing the crown, it's been a long while since I've used a sword."
The sword in Aira's hand vibrated, seemingly eager to taste blood.
Aira would then cut the head off the old man in one graceful swing, with a skill comparable to the Kingdom's Sword Master.
After taking her first blood, Aira would continue on before finally getting deposed. She would then later be hanged on the gallows.
The scene where she struggled and died was very exhilarating to me as a reader, but not to the current me.
"Belmott-. Since this Queen is merciful, despite your audacity to speak nonsense, I'll let you leave your last will."
Aira put her sword on Belmott's neck. However, she did not behead him immediately.
"I will give you time to leave a will. Because I, Aira Von Tarantera VIII, is generous."
Belmott was kneeling with his head bowed down. At this time, when he lifted his head, one could see a detached expression on his face. It was the face of a person who was prepared for their death.
I'd seen quite a few people with that kind of expression lately…
The words that came out of their mouth were usually as follows.
"A glorious Kingdom and 500 years of history is being brought to ruin by a foolish girl and a demon. I have no face to show my ancestors. So, upon my death, keep my corpse away from their graves."
Aira's expression darkened.
The gap between this look on a pretty woman's face and her beauty was so sharp of a contrast, it was scary.
"Alright then-. As you wish, I will tear your corpse to shreds and sprinkle it as fish food-!"
She raised her sword high while everyone either closed their eyes tightly or covered their faces with their hands, knowing what was coming. Everything was over.
They thought that the blood of an old and loyal servant would warm the Court floor at that moment.
And that no one could stop this tragedy from happening-.
However, in this funeral hall-like Court, there was one person.
As I opened my lips, the Queen's hand suddenly stopped in its tracks. She then looked at me with a wrinkled brow and asked.
"What is it, Tae-oh?"
"With all due respect, I reckon that executing Lord Belmott wouldn't be a good example. As a wise Queen, Your Majesty should know."
I could see the power receding from the Queen's hand that was holding the sword.
I saved Belmott from dying a dog's death.
It could be said that I was half successful in preventing the nobles' rebellion, where they united under the pretext of Belmott's death.
"Tae-oh, my gardener. My only confidant. Yes, unlike other idiots, your words are worth listening to."
"So, Tae-oh, why did you stop my execution?"
I could feel the mad queen Aira, whom no one could control, actually listening to me.
At the same time, the resentment and hatred-filled gazes of the people in the Court could clearly be felt.
However, it couldn't be helped.
Because the character 'Tae-oh', which Lee Seong-eum possessed about a year ago, was originally the 'idiot.'
The villain, Tae-oh, along with the Queen, led the splendid kingdom of Angmar to destruction. Yes, f*ck me, that was my current identity.
Oh how I wished someone could explain to me why this happened.
Alas, this was not the time to seek answers, but to give an explanation.
So I decided to say the lines that I had memorized beforehand in case something happened today.
"Finance Minister Belmott had sinned, for not only daring to oppose the absolute power of the Queen, but also debasing the Royal Family by bringing up the history and ancestors of the Kingdom-."
"Hmm, okay-. Continue."
"If Your Majesty personally executed the person who challenged the Queen's authority—. Rather than a punishment, it's more like a reward for them."
"Death by my hands is a reward?"
"Yes, as they had made the Queen's hands be smeared with their filthy blood. What is a reward if it isn't that?"
It was sophistry. However, it did make the Queen's wrinkled expression loosen.
Quality checked by: faker