Chapter 234: The Queen Dowager’s Revenge
“…………”
Shoko—or rather, Queen Dowager Frederica Aiwood—revealed her harrowing past.
(The Queen Dowager had her family and fiancé murdered, forced to become the tyrant’s concubine. I had known that much, but…)
I never expected to hear it directly from her lips. As Rest silently gazed at her, Shoko pulled out the lollipop she had been sucking on and held it up to the blue sky.
“Honestly, I thought victory was assured. Born as a noble lady with a kind family and fiancé, and capable of reading the future. I was overly confident that I would finally find happiness this time. So… I underestimated it. The malice of humanity.”
“…………I see.”
“I’ve always been dull when it comes to these things. I’m good at attracting men, but at the same time, I also get hated and hurt. I felt like I was pushed from behind when I had my accident in my previous life, but maybe that was also a murder? Was it Yamada, who confessed to me and got rejected?”
“I don’t know about that… but couldn’t you have avoided it with Future Prediction?”
“That ability is active, you know? I can’t use it unless I want to. I had no interest in the king’s movements.”
Shoko sighed and popped the lollipop back into her mouth.
“But… I should have seen it coming. I shouldn’t have said it would be boring to read the future too much; I should have properly looked into it. If I had, neither Papa nor Mama nor Dar-chan nor Ruu-kun would have died. Ruu-kun was only ten years old, you know?”
“…………”
“So, I took my revenge. I fully utilized Future Prediction and flirted with men without holding back. And in doing so… I killed that king.”
She crunched the candy loudly, the sound echoing in the air. She tossed the remaining stick toward the trash can.
“That man was extremely hated, so it was relatively easy. I successfully achieved my revenge. A happy ending… or not. I guess.”
“…………”
“That’s the end of my story. Ah, it feels good to have shared it.”
“…………Not yet.”
“Huh?”
“I still haven’t heard why you spoiled Rodel and let him fall into depravity.”
That was something I absolutely needed to know. Rodel was a despicable man, but… if he hadn’t fallen, perhaps he could have become a comrade to Rest. I had felt a connection during that battle.
“Tell me. I want to know that.”
“Ah… right. I guess I have to talk about that too.”
Shoko smiled awkwardly, playing with her wavy hair and wrapping it around her finger.
“I treated Ruu-chan like a ‘fool’ as part of my revenge.”
“Revenge? Against the tyrant?”
“No, no… Revenge against this unreasonable world.”
“…………?”
Rest raised an eyebrow at Shoko’s words. Revenge against the world. He couldn’t grasp the meaning behind those words.
“Well… back then, I was a bit unhinged. All my loved ones had died, and my targets for revenge were gone. All that remained was a child born against my will by a man I loathed. The child bore no guilt, but… I couldn’t love him freely. Despite his personality, he looked just like that detestable king.”
“…………”
“Even if I had allies, there was no one who understood my suffering. Yet, they still expected me to be a splendid Queen Dowager and relied on me. It drove me to the brink of madness.”
Shoko sighed wistfully and shifted her legs.
“So… I succumbed to temptation. Those people, ‘Takufir Kahein.'”
“Tak… what?”
“‘Takufir Kahein.’ Another group of Reincarnators opposing the Council of Sages. They wish for the end of the world.”
“Such people existed…? The destruction of the world…”
It sounded absurd. Could there really be an evil secret society like something out of a fantasy?
“Yeah, I can see why you’d react that way. Those people believe that we reincarnated in this world… to put it more bluntly, that we died unjustly in our previous lives because of this world’s god. So, they seem to think that destroying the world is revenge against the god.”
“That’s ridiculous…”
“Well, it’s a gathering of delusional individuals… It seems Frederica got swept up in their rhetoric and acted foolishly.”
Shoko laughed self-deprecatingly, bringing her hands together.
“In the original future, Ruu-chan was supposed to be a hero who helped many people, but I twisted him and raised him like a tyrant. I left dangerous elements like Aiger-san within the country. I made Ceres-chan, who was supposed to be the ideal queen, Ruu-chan’s fiancée, ensuring she could never become queen… I scattered many bombs throughout the Aiwood Kingdom.”
“…………”
“Perhaps some of those bombs were collected by the Council of Sages. I don’t know what happened to them since predicting the future of Reincarnators is difficult.”
Shoko stood up and walked away, looking down at the sea from the bus stop.
“I indulged in my revenge, satisfying myself… and then, when I sensed my time was near, I spent my days in this villa. I stumbled upon this land during an inspection, and it resembled my hometown so much. I gazed at the sea, painted as a hobby, and then I died. I asked Verloid to be my caretaker.”
“Verloid…?”
“My classmate from school. A close friend of my fiancé, who treated me well because of that connection. It was he who sealed Zanryushinen in a box. I believe he’s now a teacher at the Royal Academy.”
“A teacher at the Royal Academy? Could it be… Verloid Harn!?”
The Headmaster, a member of the Council of Sages, Verloid Harn. If that man, known as the greatest magician in the country, could seal human memories in a box, it was entirely possible.
“While it was my own doing… I was a bit scared of dying and falling into hell. I wanted to leave at least my pure self from my previous life behind. I know it’s selfish, but…”
Shoko gazed at the sea with a melancholic expression. She let out a long, deep sigh and slowly shook her head.
“In my previous life, I wanted to leave this countryside behind and get to the city as fast as I could… but after reincarnating, I found myself longing for my hometown. I really am so selfish, aren’t I?”
“…I see.”
“Yes, this time, my story is truly over! Thank you for listening!”
Shoko clapped her hands together with a loud “bang!” Suddenly, the scenery around them began to waver, as if everything was turning into a mirage.
“Wha…!”
“Thank you. I’m grateful you listened to my story… This is my gift of thanks.”
“Ump…!?”
Something was shoved into my mouth. Sweet… it was the lollipop. The sweet and sour taste of strawberry filled my mouth.
“Now then, Uppy, live a life without regrets, unlike me. Until we meet again!”
With that, she announced her departure unilaterally… and in the next moment, the scenery completely collapsed.
“Ah…”
And then… when I came to, Rest found himself standing in the same study as before.
――――――――――
I am pleased to announce that I received a special award in the Other World Fantasy category at Kakuyomu Contest 9! A book publication and comic adaptation have also been decided. My deepest gratitude for everyone’s support!