The World Is Mine For The Taking

Chapter 1316: Epilogue 24 - The Virgin Queen And The Mad Woman (2)

"Do you know the King never truly wanted to rule?" the Queen continued, her voice steady, though there was something faintly distant behind it, like she was recalling something she had already come to terms with a long time ago. "Well, he did, at the very beginning. There was a time when he actually wanted it. But after seeing how people constantly tried to use him, twisting his authority for their own selfish gain, he slowly lost interest in ruling altogether. Bit by bit, that sense of responsibility just... wore off."

She shifted slightly where she sat, her expression calm, almost too calm for the kind of story she was telling.

"That’s when he started indulging himself in all sorts of debauchery," she went on. "He went around impregnating countless women, not even bothering to hide it, and eventually built a harem for himself. Creating a harem isn’t exactly prohibited for a king, so technically, no one could openly stop him. Still, instead of governing, instead of leading, all he did was bury himself in those pleasures. Day after day, that’s all it became."

"You sound jealous," I said, watching her closely.

"Me? Jealous?" she replied, letting out a soft scoff, almost amused that I would even suggest that. "I’m sorry, but I never had even a single ounce of affection for the King. Not even a drop. We both understood that about each other from the start."

"I just think he could have done a better job if he hadn’t gone down that path," she continued. "That’s all. But then again... he was already tired of sitting on that throne. He was completely fed up with it. So in a way, I can’t really blame him for ending up like that."

That made me pause for a moment. It wasn’t hard to imagine. Someone starting out with ambition, maybe even some kind of ideal, only for it to rot over time. Years of dealing with people, politics, and a lot of expectations. Anyone could get sick of it eventually.

Even the most determined person could reach a point where they just stopped caring.

"So you’re saying he got tired of everything... and just wanted out," I said.

"Well, if you want to put it that way, then yes," she answered without hesitation. "The King wanted to die. That was his reason. That was his wish." Her eyes didn’t waver. "So I granted it to him."

"I see..."

The words left my mouth, but they didn’t carry much weight. It was still hard to fully wrap my head around it. People could be like that, sure. Fragile in ways you wouldn’t expect. Reaching a point where staying felt worse than leaving. Still, hearing it said so plainly felt strange.

"I still remember his voice," she said after a brief silence, her gaze lowering just slightly. "When I made him drink the poison."

Her voice softened, though it didn’t break.

"Right before he died, he looked at me and said, ’I always hated you.’"

She let out a faint, hollow laugh, the kind that didn’t carry any real humor.

"I couldn’t even say anything back to him," she continued. "Not a single word. Funny, isn’t it? We were married for over twenty years, and that was the last thing he chose to say to me."

Her lips curled into a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

"Then again, I suppose it made sense. I was his curse. As long as I remained the Queen, he would always be the King. There was no escape for him, not while I existed. To him, I was nothing more than decoration. Something to complete the image, nothing more."

Her gaze drifted downward for a moment, as if she was looking at something far beyond the present.

"I couldn’t even tell him that I hated him too," she said quietly. "Even if I tried, the words wouldn’t come out. I just stood there... and watched him die."

She paused.

"I felt nothing. Not sadness, not relief, not even anger. I thought I would feel something, at least a little. But there was nothing at all."

She turned her head toward the window, her eyes settling on the light pouring in from outside. The brightness should have softened her expression, should have made her look more alive, but somehow, shadows still lingered across her face, clinging to her features in a way that didn’t quite make sense.

"The King wanted to die, so I granted his wish," she continued, her voice returning to its usual calm tone. "After that, I took on the role of Queen myself. I’ll remain like this until Myrcella takes it from me."

A small smile appeared on her lips again, this time a little more natural, though it still carried a hint of something restrained.

"Right now, I’m nothing more than a pawn in a much larger game," she said. "There’s nothing I can do to change that. So all I do is smile for the people, act the way they expect me to, and make sure they stay satisfied. That’s my role."

She let out a quiet breath, almost like she was releasing something she had been holding in.

"Now that I’m the one sitting on the throne, I finally understand why the King wanted to escape it so badly," she went on. "If you think ruling is rewarding, then you’re setting yourself up for a huge disappointment. It’s exhausting in ways that aren’t obvious at first."

Her eyes softened slightly.

"But Myrcella... she’s different," she added. "She’s capable, and more importantly, she has a selfless heart. She genuinely wants to help the people of this kingdom. That’s not something you can fake."

There was a quiet certainty in her voice now.

"I believe she’ll become one of the greatest rulers this kingdom has ever had."

Hearing that, it was clear she truly believed it. There wasn’t any hesitation in her words. Out of all her children, Myrcella was the only one she spoke of like that. Julius didn’t even come close.

"So?" she said after a moment, shifting her attention back to me. "Is that all you wanted to ask me, Leon?"

"You probably already know this," I replied, keeping my tone steady, "but since you killed the King, the foundation of this kingdom is already unstable. It’s fragile right now."

She didn’t interrupt, so I continued.

"People are going to start resenting you. Slowly at first, then all at once. It won’t take long before that resentment turns into something bigger. An insurrection is bound to happen."

I met her gaze directly.

"And when it does, you’ll be right at the center of it. That puts you in serious danger. There’s no way around that."

She remained silent, listening.

"But if you’re willing to hear me out," I said, "I have a plan."

"A plan?" she repeated, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes," I answered. "A plan."

I let the words settle for a moment before finishing.

"I want to grant your wish, Your Highness."