Chapter 21: The Duchess’s Gambit

Levi glanced at Queen Isola in surprise. Queen Isola, however, remained expressionless as she picked up her spoon and continued sipping her soup.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on the Duchess’s lips. Leaning slightly closer to Queen Isola, she raised a hand to her cheek and whispered, “The situation isn’t looking too good, Your Majesty. If I may be frank, it sounds as though their relationship is far more than just ordinary friendship…”

“What does that have to do with me?” Queen Isola remained impassive. “Patra, I fail to see the significance of you specifically telling me this.”

“Must Your Majesty pretend not to understand?” the Duchess chuckled.

“Um…” Levi, who had been left waiting for a reply, finally spoke.

“My apologies, my apologies. Personally, I am quite supportive of your proposal, but whether it is adopted or not ultimately rests with Her Majesty.” The Duchess cast a mischievous smile towards Queen Isola.

“There is nothing that cannot be done.” Queen Isola swept a calm gaze over Levi. “If you are willing to assist me, what reason do I have to prevent you from reuniting with the person you wish to see?”

“Thank you…” For some inexplicable reason, Levi felt a chill creep up their spine.

‘Why does this room suddenly feel so cold?’

“Your condition is to seek vengeance against that local noble, isn’t it?” Queen Isola continued. “She sought your demise, so you certainly have reason to reciprocate. What do you wish for me to do? With my abilities, either killing her or tormenting her with a curse would be effortless.”

“You have already helped me eliminate Viscount Dumpty. As for the remaining enemies, I hope to resolve those matters personally,” Levi replied.

“Indeed, vengeance is truly best served by one’s own hand,” the Duchess agreed, then turned to Queen Isola. “Your Majesty, how about this: grant me two months. I will train her. You, in the meantime, can rest and recover your strength by removing the stigmata.”

Queen Isola nodded silently.

“Train?” Levi looked at the Duchess.

“I already have a plan for your future arrangements. First, let’s clarify the two main objectives of our current plan: one, for me to assist you in personally achieving your revenge, and two, for you to enter the Sacred Hall Academy to uncover the whereabouts of the holy relics. Am I correct?” the Duchess stated methodically. “To achieve these goals, you will need three identities, and I intend to train you to adapt to them.”

“Three identities?” Levi pressed.

“For your first identity, you must become a spy. You will gather confidential information for the church; exposure means certain death. You will need to learn the art of disguise, and I am an expert in that field.” The Duchess smiled confidently.

Levi nodded in agreement.

“For your second identity, you must become an outstanding witch. Whether for revenge or to fulfill our mission, a witch’s power can be your greatest asset. Over the next two months, I will teach you how to wield this power and, as much as possible, help you advance.” The Duchess explained.

“Honestly, apart from the gender change, I haven’t sensed any power within myself,” Levi admitted.

“Do not rush. You are currently only a ‘Witch’ of the ninth rank of ‘Sorceress’, possessing only weak powers that manifest under specific conditions. You are entirely unfamiliar with a witch’s power right now,” the Duchess patiently replied. “Rest assured, I will guide you well. Her Majesty Queen Isola was also my student back then.”

“Alright, and what about the third identity?” Levi then asked.

The Duchess revealed a mysterious smile, then delivered an answer that left both Queen Isola and Levi utterly dumbfounded: “You are to become my daughter.”

“Huh?” Levi’s mind momentarily ceased to function.

Queen Isola was also momentarily stunned, but she quickly composed herself and spoke, “Patra, what is your plan?”

“To arrange for her to transfer into a local Sacred Academy and participate directly in the upcoming entrance exams, I need to secure a noble identity for her. This will also aid her future endeavors within the Sacred Hall Academy,” the Duchess slowly explained. “Having her pose as Duke Liddell’s illegitimate daughter is the simplest and most effective method.”

“But I am not the Duke’s illegitimate daughter,” Levi said, frowning slightly.

“You are now.” The smile on the Duchess’s face remained undiminished. “You will also need a new name. Let me think… let’s keep it simple. How about… Alice?”

Levi blinked, their mind filled with the new name the Duchess had uttered: Alice, Alice, Alice…

‘From now on, I’ll be called—Alice?’

Yet, upon closer consideration, having transformed in this manner, there seemed little point in dwelling on it. Their old name was unusable anyway.

“Alright, Alice it is.” Levi let out a long breath. “But becoming the Duke’s illegitimate daughter… isn’t that a bit too reckless?”

“There is no issue whatsoever. From now on, you will be Alice Liddell, the Duke’s illegitimate daughter, destined to inherit Duke Liddell’s title, and I will be your stepmother.” The Duchess smiled. “According to the script, you are the illegitimate daughter I retrieved from the common folk based on the Duke’s will. We share no blood relations nor any affection, so you needn’t call me mother; simply address me as Lady Liddell.”

“Is this script truly without problems? A will and an illegitimate daughter suddenly appearing out of thin air—not many would believe it, would they?” Levi asked suspiciously.

“The nature of such matters is akin to certain public announcements—it doesn’t require belief, nor does it matter if it’s questioned, as long as no one overturns it, all will be well,” the Duchess slowly explained. “The power of this territory is, in essence, already under my control. Even if they perceive you as my instrument for controlling the domain, it will have no impact on us.”

“Speaking of which, what happened to the original Lord Liddell?” Levi inquired.

“Hmm, one could say I caused his demise. However, I didn’t treat him poorly; he personally told me I allowed him to experience the happiest period of his life. The fellow passed away with a smile.” Patra laughed without a trace of guilt. “The servants are spreading rumors that I poisoned him, but I never administered any poison. He died suddenly from excessive indulgence; I merely provided some potent aphrodisiacs and used my abilities to cast illusions for him daily, making him believe he was intimately involved with me—I did warn him that a lack of restraint was detrimental to his health, so this could also be considered his own choice, couldn’t it?”

“…” Levi was momentarily at a loss for words.

“He was merely a mediocre noble, prone to pleasure-seeking, whose greatest value lay in his disappearance,” the Duchess added. “We must fully exploit this value. The Sacred Hall Academy is a social arena for nobles; if you are to study there, a noble identity is best.”

“To be honest, I’m not very fond of nobles.” As Levi spoke, they recalled Camilla, who had wantonly bullied others.

“We are both nobles, you know, and Her Majesty Queen Isola is even royalty,” the Duchess replied with a smile.

“I…” Levi felt a touch of awkwardness.

“I understand your position.” The Duchess raised a hand, signaling that it was fine, and continued, “However, to criticize something, it is best to first understand it. You can play the role of a noble for a while, view the world from a noble’s perspective; wouldn’t that help you gain a deeper understanding of nobility?”

“You make a valid point,” Levi nodded sincerely.

“Patra is an excellent teacher; you can learn a great deal from her,” Queen Isola said.

“It has been a long time since I last taught; it brings back fond memories,” the Duchess chuckled. “Very well, lessons shall commence tomorrow morning, my dear daughter. For now, let us enjoy some dessert.”