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Chapter 92
Declaration of War
Treason.
Those about to be expelled trembled. Ironically, having been in the palace for so long, they remembered just how merciless Giskar’s blade was when it struck traitors.
Diana nodded in satisfaction at the answer and spoke coldly.
“I admit it. You did not respect the ways of the Kingdom of Rodbrock.”
“…….”
“You treated your actions as mere disobedience rather than treason and were far too lenient.”
Diana spoke with icy certainty. Those who had openly defied her—including the ringleaders—looked around nervously. Knights wearing helmets rested their hands on the hilts of their swords.
“B-but! Regarding such injustice…”
Yet, there is always a fool.
“Speaking out against injustice has value only if you reflect on whether your actions themselves are unjust. If there is no such reflection, there is no reason for me to show mercy.”
She looked directly at the one who had protested in front of her.
“Do you expect me to soil my mouth by uttering your sins aloud?”
“…….”
“I had hoped you would depart honorably. But do you think I am unaware that you’ve spent the royal treasury for your own purposes, sold off the crown’s property, accepted bribes by manipulating servant assignments, and pocketed salaries meant for the deceased?”
“…….”
“I have no tolerance for rot.”
With a gesture, Diana signaled, and Bill raised his sword.
“Do I even need to speak of how you took the bodies of women and young boys for your own pleasures?”
Diana shouted, and their faces turned pale. Having served in the royal household for so long, they knew everything about the palace and had used it as their leverage. The previous king’s queen had died early, and no consort had authority, so they had wielded their power unchecked.
But now, the true mistress of this palace had returned. They realized the gravity of their crimes. Ah, we should have served the foreign queen first! What a mistake!
All authority in the palace originated from the queen.
“Your Majesty, I beg of you—let them be tried and executed according to the law.”
Another knight knelt before Diana. She considered the knight’s words, then nodded as if in agreement.
“You speak correctly. Follow the laws of Rodbrock. Arrest all these shameless ones.”
At Diana’s command, the knights charged. Soon, screams echoed in all directions. Diana had no intention of holding a trial—too tedious. Giskar would handle the rest.
Whether it was treason or their other crimes mattered little. Diana would stop here.
So why had they defied her and made such a mess?
From now on, no one would dare interfere with Diana’s decisions.
“Princess, a word of advice.”
Diana smiled at Princess Lervian.
“Eh? What…?”
“Learn to distinguish between those deserving of mercy and those who are not.”
“…….”
“To sit in a high position in the future, you must know the difference, don’t you think?”
Though she hadn’t intended to, Diana quietly warned Princess Lervian. The princess bit her lip and clicked her tongue. Diana regarded her with a mixture of pity and disdain.
She realized that, in her previous life, she had overestimated how clever this young woman was—and had been unnecessarily fearful of her.
“I will remember.”
Princess Lervian forced a smile. Leaving behind those who screamed or begged for mercy, Diana approached the knight who had removed his helmet. It was Rogafl.
“Your Majesty! You are incredible!”
He spoke in his cheerful, characteristic voice. Diana smiled warmly in return, feeling an unexpected sense of relief.
“Everyone must have been amazed at your Majesty’s presence.”
“Yes! I was surprised too!”
At that moment, Princess Lervian chimed in. Seeing her eyes sparkle like Rogafl’s, Diana felt a shiver run down her spine.
“The helmet and the horse… why did you do all that?”
“Of course, we came in response to Your Majesty’s call.”
“…….”
“All the Barghati knights are ready to follow Your Majesty at any time.”
Still, Diana didn’t fully trust Rogafl’s words. Yet, she was grateful that he said them in front of Princess Lervian.
“Princess Lervian, I will leave the cleanup to you. Comfort the servants and investigate who incited this rebellion.”
“Eh?”
“I will expect a detailed report afterward.”
Princess Lervian bit her lip but bowed and walked toward the servants’ quarters.
As soon as she disappeared, Diana asked Rogafl,
“Before coming here, were you practicing combat in armor?”
“Ah… hehe.”
Rogafl laughed instead of answering. Clearly, she had guessed correctly.
“But when we heard that those men had defied Your Majesty, how could we stay calm? Everyone mounted their horses in anger and rode straight here!”
Unlike regular palace knights who only wore uniforms, they had come in full armor, which made the atmosphere tense—but it had worked out well, by coincidence.
“How many knights care about Your Majesty’s safety.”
“Thank you, Rogafl.”
Diana wondered why they didn’t seem to dislike her, but she was satisfied just that they had come.
Then Bill approached, bowing slightly.
“They have all been restrained and imprisoned. What should we do?”
“First, place them in jail and leave their fate to Your Majesty.”
“I understand.”
Diana tried to avoid looking at Bill. Perhaps he preferred speaking with Princess Lervian. She glanced at Lervian, then back at Bill.
But Bill was watching her.
“Um… Your Majesty.”
The same man who had harshly criticized her now looked at her with gentle eyes.
His large frame belied an expression that seemed to say, I will not harm you.
Honestly, Diana found that… revolting.
Like Princess Lervian, he probably had all sorts of thoughts behind that face: ugly, less worthy, unworthy of respect. She had encountered many like this in her past life and had no desire to meet more of these pretentious expressions.
“You’ve done well. I will return now.”
Diana spoke coldly and turned away. She was grateful the knights had come, but that was all. She did not trust Rogafl’s words. Surely, Giskar had warned the knights sternly.
Then Diana froze, startled by her own thoughts.
What was I just thinking?
Why did I assume Giskar naturally gave them orders?
Did Giskar really caution the knights for my sake?
What a ridiculous thought. Diana let out a sigh, gripping her skirts. Don’t close off all possibilities—Giskar is slightly different from my past life; he might have given such orders.
But when would he arrive? Without even a single letter, perhaps not much had changed from her past life.
Diana wiped the thought from her mind.
Diana’s palace reforms shone brighter with time: strategically placed personnel and a system promoting those who performed well.
Naturally, major reforms sparked discontent. But Diana overcame it using the leftover budget after expelling those resistant to change.
Even after several mass dismissals, chaos subsided easily. Servants and maids worked in more comfortable conditions. Promotions came from merit, not bribes or connections, so they became more diligent.
This is it.
Having dealt with Mirva’s misdeeds in her past life as well, she knew exactly how to handle things.
She felt a sense of pride, like seeing a clean house after tidying up, whenever she looked at the refreshed palace.
Perhaps it’s time to decorate this humble palace.
Though she had verbally claimed respect for Rodbrock’s culture, the palace remained modest. Thanks to Giskar’s military strength, the country’s dignity was intact, but the palace itself needed some level of refinement.
How should I decorate this…
Maybe invite some artists?
At that moment, an invitation arrived. It was from Countess Islag.
“We are well aware of Your Majesty’s renown.
It is a joy that someone as strong as you has come to this resilient country.
Women must have the strength to protect themselves, so we train and gather each winter for ‘archery competitions.’
It would be an honor if Your Majesty could demonstrate your strength before the gathered noblewomen.”
Diana read the letter. Archery… so they invited her to a bow-shooting event… She had never been invited to such gatherings in her previous life.
Diana stared at the letter. Somehow, it felt like a declaration of war.
