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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Friederika Harzen Erbezt.
Empress of the Harzen Empire, though only her closest guards and a select few advisors knew she was a woman.
Many still found the idea of a female ruler unpalatable, so she presented herself as male to the public.
“So, why did you kidnap me?”
Friederika glared at the two witches who had abducted her. While questioning them, she was also analyzing the magic they had used.
The ability to manipulate space. She had encountered witches before, but none possessed such incredible power.
With that magic, she could bring the entire world under the Empire’s control… She was calculating how to win them over when Evangeline chuckled.
“So, Your Majesty? We brought you here because we have some questions.”
“…No one kidnaps someone just to ask questions.”
“We just wanted to talk, but you ran away. We knew you’d keep running, so we just… brought you here.”
The Emperor stared at Evangeline, dumbfounded by her logic. Evangeline simply shrugged, as if there was nothing wrong with her reasoning.
The Emperor sighed and nodded. She shouldn’t expect witches to think like humans.
“—What questions do you have for me?”
“First… why did you employ a witch?”
“…Why? Will there be… repercussions if I answer truthfully?”
“Hm? No. We’re just curious.”
The Emperor, wary of the potential consequences of answering a witch’s question, hesitated.
They claimed to be just curious, but what if, after hearing her answer, they decided to punish her for using a witch?
As she remained silent, she felt something nudge her foot. She looked down and saw the man sitting across from her grinning.
“We’re not going to kill you. We don’t intend to harm you. Master is genuinely curious about your reasoning… In fact, if you keep quiet, she might get annoyed and do something.”
“…Witches possess exceptional abilities. There’s no reason not to employ them.”
“Is that why the neighboring kingdom persecutes witches? Because they don’t realize this?”
“Don’t compare me to those close-minded old fools. Faith should serve humanity, not the other way around. Clinging to faith at the expense of human well-being is foolish.”
Evangeline nodded, seemingly satisfied with the Emperor’s answer. Then she turned her attention to the man.
Friederika, wondering if that was the only reason for her abduction, was about to protest when the man raised his hand and called for the waiter.
“Can I get you something?”
“No, I’m busy. I’d like to return to my duties.”
“Someone will come for you eventually. It would be rude not to order anything. It’s one order per person here.”
“…Then bring me a menu.”
Resigned, the Emperor ordered, then enjoyed the coffee and dessert that arrived shortly after, savoring a rare moment of relaxation.
She hadn’t realized how long it had been since she’d truly relaxed. Every minute she wasted prolonged the suffering of her people.
‘Was it always this… pleasant?’
To simply… relax.
Friederika glanced at the man sitting across from her.
“You. What’s your name?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Johan.”
“Johan—a fine name.”
While Johan tilted his head, wondering about the sudden question, Friederika considered how to seduce him.
As far as she could tell, these five witches were all subservient to this one man. Not through any physical restraints, but through a bond stronger than any chains.
If she could seduce him, she could gain control over all five witches. Having made this calculation, the Emperor began exuding her charisma—
“Hey.”
“…?”
She turned at the sound of her name and froze, meeting Evangeline’s cold gaze. Like a frog before a snake, she couldn’t even blink.
Evangeline leaned closer and whispered,
“If you try to seduce Johan… I’ll kill you.”
A primal threat. As the ruler of the most civilized nation, she shouldn’t have felt fear, but a wave of terror washed over her.
Trembling, she lowered her head, and Evangeline, satisfied, moved away.
“…Master, what did you do?”
“Hm? Nothing～?”
Johan chuckled, watching Evangeline feigning innocence.
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“Oh, right.”
While they were enjoying their tea and cake, Evangeline suddenly looked at the Emperor and spoke.
“Come to think of it, there aren’t any witches in this city—where are they?”
“…Witches?”
“Yes. If you employed Machina, there should be others. I haven’t seen any.”
“…There are three witches in the Empire. One is Machina, as you know. Another is currently guarding the northern border, and the third is… on vacation at an Imperial resort.”
“Why is one of them on vacation?”
“She’s not on vacation. They’re taking turns guarding the border. They’ll switch places eventually.”
The other witches were impressed by the Empire’s seemingly effective utilization of witches. The Emperor, seeing an opportunity, suggested that Evangeline join the Empire.
“And the doors of the Empire are always open. If you ever change your mind, come find me. However, next time, please enter through the proper channels and submit a formal request…”
“Hm? We did. Your soldiers just decided to press that strange device on us.”
“…Anyone moving within the palace without an escort is considered an intruder. If you had entered through the gate, you would have been escorted, and the guards wouldn’t have reacted that way.”
“Really? That’s inconvenient.”
Friederika stared at Evangeline, who had dismissed the Empire’s security measures as merely “inconvenient.” Of course, for someone who could casually bypass those measures and kidnap the Emperor, it probably seemed pointless.
While she was wondering when her guards would find her, the teahouse suddenly became noisy.
She glanced towards the entrance and saw her guards.
“Your Majesty. We’ve come to retrieve you.”
“…You’re late.”
“Our apologies. Locating you wasn’t… straightforward…”
The guards bowed their heads apologetically. The Emperor reassured them, telling them she was just joking. A witch appearing out of nowhere and kidnapping the Emperor wasn’t something they could have anticipated or prevented. It was practically an act of God.
As she stood up to leave, the Emperor looked at the group, a hint of regret in her eyes.
“The doors of the Empire are always open. Come find me. You don’t have to officially join the Empire. There’s plenty of work that requires your… unique abilities.”
With those parting words, the Emperor left with her guards. The group, seeing the commotion they had caused, realized it was time to leave as well.
They quickly paid and returned to the cabin, feeling as though they had returned from a long journey, despite having only been gone for half a day.
“Master.”
“Yes, Johan?”
“Are you… thinking of joining the Empire?”
“Why? Do you want to live there?”
Johan chuckled and shook his head, seeing Evangeline prioritize his opinion over her own.
If he said yes, she would probably swear allegiance to the Emperor without hesitation. Whether or not she would actually remain loyal was another matter.
Johan didn’t want Evangeline’s future to be decided this way. He wanted her to choose her own path.
‘I won’t be by your side forever…’
He would die. Within a hundred years, for sure.
But Evangeline and the other witches wouldn’t.
They were witches, and witches didn’t die of old age.
‘So…’
He wanted Evangeline to be strong, independent.
To be able to live without him.
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I doubt that Evangeline and Ritz will allow Johan to die of old age.