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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Say, Lassiel.”
“Hm? Speak freely. It’s not like it matters to me.”
“What do you mean, ‘speak freely’? And what’s with that nonsense?!”
“My, my, someone’s angry.”
Rudrick flared up, and Lassiel playfully stepped back with a chuckle.
Honestly, she had been momentarily stunned when she first heard about it, but even Lassiel had gone through the process of acceptance.
Imagine having a hundred thousand gold coins.
You have a one in five chance of taking it all, but if everyone agrees, you can split it evenly and each get twenty thousand.
Most people would naturally choose the option that benefits everyone through compromise, rather than gambling everything on a low probability outcome.
Of course, this situation was a bit different.
Rudrick had already declared that there was no such thing as a one in five chance gamble.
That meant the only option left was to accept it.
‘If I don’t, I’m the only one who loses.’
Since someone had already agreed to Rudrick, she realized that if she refused, she would only be hurting herself and so, Lassiel easily came to terms with it.
“When did I ever say such a thing?! Who is spreading these rumors?!”
“The Grand Duchess told me herself.”
Lassiel replied nonchalantly, without missing a beat.
Of course, knowing Eileen’s personality, it was obviously a lie.
Rudrick grabbed Lassiel and shook her like a rag doll.
“That’s not what I meant! You’re making things worse!”
“Ahahaha, alright, alright! I surrender, I surrender! I won’t make those kinds of jokes anymore.”
“You shouldn’t be making those kinds of jokes, even if you’re just kidding. I’m the only one who looks bad!”
“Alright, alright, I understand. But have you told the Princess yet?”
“Ah, well…”
Rudrick trailed off, hesitant.
Even he had to admit that Elena was the biggest obstacle in this plan.
He still wasn’t sure if she would accept it, and that uncertainty made him hesitate.
“You haven’t told her yet, have you?”
“I knew it. Knowing her personality, I doubt the Princess will accept it easily. She has such a high opinion of herself. I mean, she started a civil war because she couldn’t accept that she wasn’t the Empress.”
“I’m starting to worry that she might actually start another one…”
“Really? I’m not too worried about it.”
Lassiel shrugged, then leaned in closer to Rudrick with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“After all, you’re here.”
“…Because I’m here?”
“The Princess has probably changed a lot since then. We’ve all changed.”
Lassiel whispered conspiratorially, her usual playful expression replaced with a more serious one.
“Trust me. In fact, I guarantee it. She’s already tried that path once and failed miserably, so she won’t do it again.”
“…?”
“To ordinary people, power is like a drug. Imagine having everyone fawn over you and having the power to rule this vast Empire however you see fit. You might not understand since you’ve never experienced it, but once you get a taste of that power, it can be incredibly intoxicating.”
“…Is that so?”
“For most people, yes. They might put on a noble facade and pretend they don’t want it, but most people would jump at the chance if you gave them power. But the Princess has already been there, done that. And she was living a pretty good life as royalty before all that, wasn’t she?”
“Ah, so you’re saying she won’t do it because she has nothing to gain and everything to lose?”
“It’s different, but similar. It’s difficult to calculate it in terms of gains and losses.”
A novel stimulus eventually becomes dull with repetition.
That was the gist of Lassiel’s argument.
Some people might become addicted to power, but others might find that the thrill fades with time.
Elena belonged to the latter group.
Sensing Rudrick’s disbelief, Lassiel spoke with conviction.
“Believe me. About three years after the rebellion, she confided in me that she was bored and that she should have just let her sister be the Empress. She said that even if her sister had become the Empress, the Empire would have been fine. And I said, ‘Isn’t that just a simulation game?'”
“…Really? I can’t imagine her saying that.”
“Well, that’s the gist of it. She basically said that being the Empress wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. She said it was just about developing the country. It was like a simulation game.”
“Ah.”
He couldn’t deny it now.
Lassiel had just used a phrase from his previous life.
Rudrick nodded, finally understanding.
“So, what’s a simulation game?”
“It’s… well, it’s like… you know… Never mind. I guess you get the idea.”
He couldn’t explain it to her, but she got the gist of it.
He sighed in relief.
“That’s a relief. I was worried that she might start another civil war if things didn’t go her way.”
“If I remember correctly, the Empress doesn’t have much longer to live. But don’t worry, there won’t be a civil war. I’m sure of it.”
Lassiel declared confidently and just as she finished speaking, someone knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
“Don’t come in.”
The door opened without waiting for permission, and Elena walked in.
Talk about speaking of the devil.
Rudrick flinched, and Elena glanced around the room.
Her eyes settled on Lassiel.
“I didn’t realize the Admiral was here as well. Were you having a private meeting without me? How disappointing.”
She held a glass of wine in her hand, swirling it gently.
Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
Rudrick, momentarily speechless at Elena’s sudden appearance, exchanged glances with Lassiel.
‘Should I just tell her now? Strike while the iron’s hot, as they say.’
‘I don’t think the Princess will react well… Are you sure about this?’
‘We’re just telling her what we discussed. I doubt she’ll run away or anything.’
‘…Well, I guess you’re right.’
They communicated silently… well, not exactly silently.
They were using telepathy, a high-level spell that Rudrick could now cast effortlessly and without incantation.
It was a testament to his magical prowess that he could cast such a spell so casually, but all he used it for was gossiping.
After a moment of deliberation, Rudrick spoke.
“Elena.”
“That’s unusual. You rarely address me so formally, unless you’re about to do something reckless.”
Rudrick gestured towards the door, and Lassiel slipped out discreetly.
Elena’s curiosity only grew.
Rudrick hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Elena, I’ve already spoken to everyone else…”
“Spoken to everyone? What do you mean?”
Elena’s expression hardened.
She sensed something ominous in his tone.
“I’ve come to a decision.”
“A decision? And what decision would that be…?”
“There’s no need to choose just one.”
“…Wait a moment.”
Elena cut him off.
Her sharp mind had already reached a conclusion.
There was no need to choose just one and he had already spoken to the other four.
That meant he wasn’t going to choose anyone.
If that were the case, the other four wouldn’t have agreed so easily.
There was only one logical conclusion.
She asked cautiously, hoping she was wrong.
“…You’re not suggesting…”
“I’ve decided to choose all of you.”
Crash!
The wine glass slipped from Elena’s grasp and shattered on the floor.
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[+5 harem members acquired]
Mind break tag added