Real empress

In a spacious study, Princess Allea appeared to be working on some documents, but in reality, she was sketching on blank pages. Beside her stood Duchess Lyranna, sipping tea from a delicate cup. Allea's drawing depicted her future ascension to the throne, and she quietly envisioned how far she could take the empire. She would likely attempt to conquer the entire continent first and then unite all species under the empire's banner. Of course, this would require bloodshed, but that didn't concern Allea. After all, people always died; it was their lives that truly mattered.

In this sense, Allea's similarity to her current fiancé, Neonidas, in ideology was ominous for the future.

"So, your little Neonidas came from the future, is that it?" Duchess Lyranna's question prompted Allea to look up and gaze out the window.

"I'm not sure, but it's likely true. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find a logical explanation for his behavior and new personality."

Duchess Lyranna smiled slightly as she brought her cup to her lips. "If he truly came from the future, perhaps you should collaborate with him. Perhaps what we call fate has given us an opportunity to strengthen ourselves."

Allea furrowed her brow slightly, pondering the duchess's words. Neonidas's recent transformation had revealed a colder, more calculating side. Once known for his selfish and arrogant demeanor, he now acted strategically and swayed people with his words. But this new persona could either conflict with Allea's plans or become an advantage.

"Neonidas's transformation interests me, but whether to collaborate with him… that's another matter," Allea said in a cold, determined tone. "Still, I can use him. If he's truly from the future, then he possesses the greatest power of all: knowledge."

Lyranna gently placed her cup on the table and nodded slightly. "Still, we must keep him under control."

"I'll come up with something for that..." Allea rose to her feet and approached Lyranna. "But don't even think about telling our father, Lyra. If he learns about this, he'll take Neonidas from us and use him as a weapon, potentially we losing the one with the greatest potential to become our most powerful tool."

Lyranna met Allea's stern gaze with calm composure and responded with a slight smile. "Don't underestimate me, Allea. I'm your ally, not your rival. It wouldn't benefit me if our father discovered this. If we can control Neonidas, we will hold the greatest power on the path to the throne."

Allea seemed satisfied with this response. She could trust Lyranna's intelligence, but she could never be entirely certain. Their father, the Emperor, was always a formidable authority. However, Allea's dreams of ascending the throne and uniting the continent clashed with the Emperor's more traditional methods. Neonidas could serve as a trump card in this conflict—or become a threat if he fell into the wrong hands. While both the Emperor and Allea sought to expand the empire's borders, Allea envisioned achieving it through bloodier means.

As for why Allea referred to Emperor Gredor as "our father," it was tied to one of the empire's greatest scandals. Duchess Lyranna's mother had an illicit affair with the Emperor, and Lyranna was the product of that forbidden love. Unfortunately, when Lyranna grew up and learned the truth, she had already killed her mother, who had betrayed her father, with her own hands a few years earlier and subsequently risen to the position of duchess. At the time, the emperor was suffering from a serious illness and was unable to address the situation. Despite this, Lyranna never chose to hate or distance herself from Allea. On the contrary, she was the one who told Allea they were sisters. Of course, all this was hidden from everyone.

"I want you to report every detail about Neonidas's transformation to me, Lyranna," Allea said in a calmer yet still resolute tone. "We need to keep him under control, yes, but we also need to gain his trust. If he's to become our greatest weapon, he must follow us unquestioningly."

Lyranna nodded in agreement. "Of course. But how can we be sure he'll trust you? It seems he has his own plans as well."

This question made Allea pause. Neonidas's gaze and words always seemed to conceal something. His new persona not only carried power, but also posed a threat. Yet Allea was not one to fear challenges.

"Even if Neonidas doesn't trust me, it doesn't matter," Allea replied, her eyes gleaming with determination. "To me, he's a tool. And you either control the tool or you break them."

---

Neonidas looked calmly at the beautiful empress before him. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak.

"To put it as briefly as possible, Your Majesty, I come from the future. I know what will happen. Though I don't understand the reasons, a power—a kind of deity—sent me back in time. Perhaps it pitied you and your daughter, or perhaps it pitied me. Who knows?"

Velriona's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but the regal mask on her face remained intact. She processed Neonidas's words in silence, sipping from her goblet. Then, fixing her gaze on him, she spoke carefully.

"You claim to come from the future," she said, her voice tinged with curiosity and doubt. "What awaits me and my daughter in this future? And can you prove your claim?"

In this world, people's reactions to extraordinary claims differed significantly from Neonidas's original world. In his old world, someone claiming to be from the future would likely be dismissed by most and only believed by a few with specific issues. Even with proof, many would remain skeptical. However, in this world, with the existence of magic and many supernatural phenomena, people were more inclined to believe in extraordinary possibilities. After all, in a world where people could conjure fireballs with their hands, someone claiming to be from the future could very well be telling the truth.

"You're probably aware that we're currently investigating a mana stone mine. I can guarantee you that we'll find a massive deposit there. Beyond that, if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them."

Velriona listened intently, her expression contemplative. She placed her goblet on the table with graceful hands, leaned back in her chair, and gave Neonidas a sharper look. She could ask more questions, but something else mattered more to her at that moment.

"Let's assume I believe you. Why, according to you, will my daughter and I suffer in the future?" the empress asked.

"Well... This isn't easy to explain, but I'll try to summarize. In a few years, another monster war will break out. Before that, Princess Avelina will rise as a prominent princess within the empire—"

Velriona abruptly interrupted him. "Wait... Princess Avelina?"

"Yes, Princess Avelina. With her immense talent and public support, her beloved father will declare her a princess. This will mark the beginning of your daughter's downfall. And ultimately, the moment for her to take revenge on you and your daughter will arrive."

Neonidas's words seemed to shake Velriona, though her composed facade didn't falter. She remained silent for a moment before her lips curved into a bitter smile.

"Princess Avelina…" Velriona murmured, deeply contemplating the name she had just heard. "If this is true, it would be quite ironic. I never imagined that Avelina could be the one to kill me and my daughter. But what you've said so far still isn't enough. If you claim to be from the future, what do you hope to gain from this, Neonidas? What can you offer to earn my trust? If Avelina is destined to win, as you say, why not go to her and make an agreement?"

Neonidas paused when he heard Velriona's question. His expression hardened, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to drift into a dark memory. However, he quickly regained his composure and spoke in a calm yet resolute tone.

"Your Majesty, this requires some explanation. In the future, Princess Avelina's victory was made possible by filling the power vacuum created by your and your daughter's deaths. Replacing a noble and strong leader like you with someone fueled by hatred, like her, led the empire to disaster in the long run. While Avelina's victory may have appeared as a legend to the people, it ultimately caused the empire's collapse. Chaos spread, our enemies grew stronger, and the unifying force that controlled the continent disappeared."

Velriona listened attentively to Neonidas, but the suspicion on her face remained. "And does what you've told me make you my ally?" she asked coldly. "Why don't you take Avelina's side and cooperate with her in the future? What binds you to this moment?"

"Because I hate him… Princess Avelina's future lover, the hero Roman. I hate him with all my being… the man who ruined my life. He's also the one who stole the woman I loved, Allea, from me in my previous life. One of the reasons I want to help you is this: I want to kill Roman. You may think I'm arrogant for saying this, Your Majesty," Neonidas said, rising from his seat, his face twisting into a ruthless expression.

"I will kill Roman, no matter what. If Avelina refuses to be my slave, I will kill her too, and I assure you, I will soon gain the power to do so. Not just them—I will tear apart anyone who stands in my way. Because, Your Majesty, no one can be sure I'll live a third life. I didn't return to this life just to watch things unfold as I did before. That is why, perhaps for the last time in this life, I will say to another person please: please stand by my side.... Let me make you a real empress."