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#10. Is this one of those R-rated obsession/kidnapping/ruin-type stories?
When Princess Eva opened the door and came in, I glared at her.
"What exactly are you trying to do to me? Are you planning to experiment on my body or something?"
Princess Eva wore a falsely sympathetic expression as she spoke.
"Sera, don’t say that... I’ve actually tried to make things easier for you. I even let your pitiful little friends go without killing them. Of course, they can’t leave the capital, though."
"…"
It was true that I’d been worried about their safety. Even if her decision was born out of a moment of whim or arrogance, the fact that they were spared was nothing short of a miracle.
Because if she wanted to, Princess Eva could kill them mercilessly at any time.
"…What exactly is your goal?"
I asked, barely managing to break the silence that had fallen between us.
"Now that you have me, are the others going to be free?"
"Hmmm…"
From the way Princess Eva fell silent, I realized she wasn’t going to keep her word.
Damn it.
Not that I stayed because I trusted her or anything but I still let my guard down.
"Now that I have you, I’ll prioritize you over those worthless things… for now. But in the end, I still need to take control of this continent. And after that, I’ll take over this entire world."
"So you’re planning to destroy everything in the end…"
"It's a pity that you're unable to leave the capital because of the power you used, but even from here, there's still much you can do."
"…Are you going to kill my friends in the end, too?"
"Well, that’ll probably happen eventually."
Princess Eva shrugged.
"But I don’t intend to go out of my way to hunt them down. Now that I have you in my hands, I’ve decided not to be jealous of them anymore."
"Letting them go was…"
"Even if they resist, they’ll never overcome my power anyway. It’s fun, isn’t it?"
Suddenly, I found Princess Eva strange. She’s an artificial being who consumed humans, so why does she speak as if she truly feels emotions?
"…Do you actually feel emotions?"
When I asked that, her eyes curled in amusement.
"Of course, I always feel emotions!"
"Really?"
"Though only to a faint degree."
Princess Eva continued speaking in a sympathetic tone.
"I did absorb humans, but I couldn’t fully replicate their emotional systems. Still, I think emotions are quite fascinating. That’s why I’m doing my best to feel them."
"You're... trying to feel emotions?"
It sounded strange. She’s trying to feel emotions?
"Of course, Sera. I’m trying right now."
Her violet eyes stared intently at me.
"I decided to love you. So I love you."
"……"
At that moment, I finally understood why Princess Eva was so obsessed with me.
She was simply using me to experience what it was like to feel emotions.
"…Why? Why do you want to feel emotions?"
It didn’t make sense. Someone like Princess Eva, who pursued only the highest efficiency, should have viewed emotions as something inefficient and useless.
"If we use emotions properly, we can create a more perfect world."
She smiled faintly.
"Some people may think emotions are inefficient and useless, but I’m different."
"Why… why’s that?"
"For example, if people feel joy while working, wouldn’t they all work harder? Then society would progress even more. Just like that, if we use emotions appropriately, we can create a more efficient society."
Damn it.
In the end, she was planning to use even emotions as a tool for her vision of an ideal world!
"So, Sera, let’s get along well here in the palace."
As Princess Eva said that, I could only sigh deeply. I wondered… are my friends really safe?
***
"Marquesss."
At the Monteverdi estate, the butler Marco knocked on the study door.
Ever since returning from the royal palace, the marquess had fallen into a deep slump.
It was the first time anyone had seen him like this, someone who always kept his composure no matter the situation, and not just Marco, but all the servants were shaken by it.
They instinctively sensed that something must have happened to Lady Viviana, a noblewoman the marquess seemed to hold special feelings for. But of course, no one was foolish enough to mention it out loud.
Then one day, the marquess suddenly snapped out of it and returned to his usual self. Just like before, he began moving busily again and started issuing orders.
Marco had just returned from carrying out one of those orders.
"Marco."
"Marquesss, I brought the communicator you requested."
"Ah, thank you."
The marquess took the communicator from Marco’s hands.
"Marco, you may leave… Ah, how are things outside right now?"
"It’s the same as always. Soldiers who were captured while fighting the automatons have been killed. Even beggars trying to run away were caught on the streets and taken."
The situation with the automatons had grown worse.
Now they slaughtered humans mercilessly, even when unprovoked.
Though food supplies were running low, the servants of House Monteverdi didn’t dare leave the mansion.
"I see. So, the same as usual…"
After dismissing Marco, Simone activated the communicator.
'Ordinarily, I would’ve just used a telephone…'
But all telephones within the capital, no, throughout the entire Kingdom of Boleno, had been disabled under Princess Eva’s control.
However, magical communicators were a different story. Princess Eva wasn’t a magician by nature, and even she couldn’t fully control magic.
While very few had access to these rare magical devices, Simone was confident that the person he intended to contact would have one.
Because...
["What’s going on?"]
A voice came from the other end, It was Princess Alice of the Cassan Empire.
Seeing that the connection had succeeded, Simone gave a crooked smile.
"Greetings, Princess Alice. I am Simone Monteverdi of the Kingdom of Boleno. We’ve met once before."
["Ah, you’re with Lady Viviana’s group. So, the fact that you contacted me… does that mean you’ve found an answer to this problem?"]
"Yes, Your Highness. We’ve identified the cause of the issue. And to resolve this matter, we need the help of the Cassan Empire."
["You know the cause? What is it?"]
Simone quickly explained the situation to Princess Alice, that an artificial human had been consuming real humans and was now impersonating Princess Eva in the Kingdom of Boleno, and that this being was also controlling all the automatons.
["Then we should summon Cassan’s military forces and eliminate Princess Eva…."]
"No, Your Highness. Doing that could start a war. On the surface, it would appear as though the Cassan Empire was attacking a princess of Boleno."
Seeing that Princess Alice seemed hesitant, still organizing her thoughts, Simone decided to offer a clear strategy.
"The key isn’t to declare Princess Eva the enemy, but rather to announce that Princess Eva has been attacked by the real enemy. Please use your position in the Empire to publicize the truth, that a public enemy of the continent is hiding in the Boleno royal palace."
["Ah, so that’s why you needed my help. I received a message about this not long ago."]
"…Pardon?"
When Simone asked back, Princess Alice explained.
["I got a message from Antonio Benini, the record mage of the Kingdom of Erdi. He told me that if I heard from you, I should help you. Now I understand why."]
"…I see."
He hadn’t expected that mage to do anything, but apparently, he’d been moving in his own way behind the scenes.
["He said the capital of Boleno, Perez, is completely paralyzed. Only automatons and people implanted with something called a ‘chip’ are able to walk around."]
"That’s correct. Princess Eva has been using chips she developed to turn humans into beings no different from automatons."
["In the material Antonio Benini sent me, it said that the chips implanted in humans are functionally identical to those inside automatons. Be careful. Those people are already more automaton than human."]
"Yes. That’s why I need the Empire’s cooperation."
After securing Princess Alice’s promise to cooperate,
Simone ended the communication.
Everything was proceeding according to plan, and yet, he still couldn’t feel at ease.
How could he, when Seraphina was trapped in the enemy’s lair?
'Somehow, I must hurry…'
Clenching his fist tightly, Simone silently hoped
his companions would succeed in their respective roles as well.
***
"Major Raffaelo Nesta, returning from leave."
Raffaelo, dressed in a black and crimson military uniform, saluted. But his superior looked too overwhelmed to even return the gesture.
"Oh, Raffaelo, you’re back! I thought you might have deserted!"
"I’d never do such a thing."
"Otherwise, I would’ve thought you were caught by the automatons and killed."
"To be honest, I suppose you could say we all deserted together."
The current state of the military was dire.
Princess Eva had issued a command that the soldiers were not to intervene in the automaton crisis.
When some soldiers began to sense something was off, Eva began implanting them one by one with chips, the same 'behavior-controlling chips' she had once proposed using on prisoners.
Only after watching their comrades gradually become… strange, did the soldiers realize something was terribly wrong. They resisted, refusing the implantation, but those who did were forcibly seized by automatons and implanted anyway.
The surviving soldiers abandoned the military altogether, forming their own group to survive.
They were now fighting against the automatons, but it was far from easy.
The automatons had learned to wield firearms, and if they sensed defeat was imminent, they would self-destruct without hesitation, killing everyone nearby in the process.
"So, what exactly do you need me to do?"
"Even if it feels meaningless, we still fight. Fighting for our country is our duty, we must uphold our honor, even if it costs us our lives."
"You’re right."
"Raffaelo, come to think of it… You’re well-connected with the senate, aren’t you? Do you know anything about what’s going on?"
"This will be reported in the press soon anyway, so I’ll tell you ahead of time."
Raffaelo then revealed the truth about Princess Eva’s identity.
His superior looked utterly stunned.
"But still, we can’t try to kill her, can we?"
"I understand that sentiment. We can’t be the ones to strike down what looks like Princess Eva. But… we can protect."
With a bitter expression, Raffaelo continued.
"The automatons are attacking the homeless and the poor first. They’re eliminating anyone they deem worthless by their own criteria. We need to protect the weak."
"…Yes. You’re right. That is our highest priority."
As his superior briefed him on the upcoming operations, Raffaelo reaffirmed his resolve.
Yes, he would protect this nation's vulnerable, to the very end.
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