CH 34

(Past) The Queen’s Toy Game

A dull-witted husband and a foolish father trapped in a scheme.

She didn’t want to engage in such boring games like them.

Tia observed things while covering her mouth with her familiar fan.

Her eyes looked as if she were gazing at a board and playing a board game.

Born into the family of Count Danzes, Tia had always found her life uninteresting.

A father who never paid attention to his children, a mother who dressed up glamorously at social gatherings.

And a sister who boasted about marrying into a good family, which added another presence to Tia’s world.

Tia was not amused by this routine.

Tia thought that if she dressed beautifully, she would be able to enjoy every day like her mother.

Her father also told her that if she acted according to his wishes, she would surely be happy.

Upon closer reflection, it may have been her father who influenced her to think in such a way.

For a while, Tia participated in her father’s game as a mere pawn.

As Tia followed her father’s instructions and acted accordingly, she eventually ascended to the position of queen.

Tia thought that her father was very good at setting up games.

It was amusing to entrap the naive and ignorant prince.

Being someone who enjoyed observing people as a hobby, it was easy for Tia to play the role of a woman that men would be attracted to.

Even though Prince Gray had a beautiful fiancée, Rosemary, Tia knew that by showing her words, gestures, and charm, she could captivate him and win the game.

Moreover, Tia didn’t like the presence of a woman like Rosemary.

The privileged status, beauty, and everything that Rosemary possessed without any effort.

She wanted to take away all of those things from her.

Tia found more pleasure in scheming against Rosemary than winning over Prince Gray.

Rosemary always admonished Tia for manipulating the prince like playing a board game.

“If you truly love the prince, you should consider your positions and act accordingly.”

That’s what Rosemary kept saying, even defending her love affair with the prince.

That’s not fun either.

Tia wanted to see Rosemary’s face contorted in frustration after losing the game.

As a result, Rosemary, who suffered a major defeat in the escalating game, ended up being executed.

It was a little sad to lose a toy that she had played with so much.

Tia then fulfilled her duty and gave birth to a prince.

Her dull husband finally began to understand her, and he looked at her with resentment.

She acquired a new toy, her husband, to pass the time.

Having obtained the position of queen and having everything go as she wished, it seemed fine at first.

However, Tia felt dissatisfied.

Despite having obtained everything she had longed for since childhood, Tia was not content with the way things were.

There were plenty of enjoyable games rolling around in the palace, but Tia couldn’t find any interest in them.

She was loved by many men. She also adorned herself with an abundance of jewels and dresses.

She stood in the glittering world like her mother, but she didn’t enjoy anything.

What in the world did her mother enjoy?

Tia, who had no meaningful relationship with her mother, couldn’t understand.

After a while, Tia’s father, Count Danzes, was driven out of the royal palace.

Someone must have plotted against him. It seems that her father, who had once won the game against Marquis Hubert, had now been defeated.

Her father found himself in a desperate situation and sought help from Tia, but she rejected him outright.

Tia had no particular attachment to her father, and she wasn’t foolish enough to get involved in a losing game.

As a result, Tia’s position was somewhat shaken, but all the blame was placed on her father’s actions alone, leading to his exile from the royal capital.

Her father had lost the game.

She became intrigued by who might have orchestrated her father’s downfall and emerged victorious in the game.

And then, she was met with the piercing gaze of familiar emerald eyes.

There, she found eyes of the same color as Rosemary’s, a captivating shade of emerald.

Tia’s sadistic tendencies flared up.

She was delighted that her toy was back again.

It seemed that her boring life was about to become enjoyable.

Surely, the younger brother of Rosemary, the toy she had once played with, would come to take revenge on the royal family.

A new game is about to begin.

What an exciting game it is.

Tia quietly called upon one of her undercover agents and whispered to them.

Despite her status as a queen, Tia, who lacks any real authority, strives to devise the most entertaining pastimes she can think of.

Perhaps she’ll lose the game just like her father, but she doesn’t want to let it end with a simple defeat.

What kind of things will the new toy do for her?

What kind of challenge will those unwavering eyes bring to her?

In the past, there was a time when Rosemary gazed directly at Tia and advised her to reflect on her actions.

The memories of playing, yearning to darken those eyes, resurface.

It would surely be enjoyable to dim those eyes again.

While lightly covering her mouth with her fan, Tia secretly giggled.

With nothing else to find joy in, Tia turned to games as her only source of entertainment.