The Queen Villainess Eavesdrops on My Heart and Won’t Let Me Slack Off – Chapter 227

Chapter 226: Earth-Shattering Departure of a Young Girl

The ocean at night is not beautiful; it can even be terrifying.
On the dark, vast, and undulating sea, far from land, even the tallest trees are invisible, signifying Winsor’s escape from her mother’s control.
The sky is boundless, and so is the sea. In such moments, even a ten-kilometer-long giant ship feels incredibly small.
“But accumulated human effort can change the entire World.”
Winsor gazed at the thriving Naga city beneath the truly dark deep sea, brighter than the land. Dazzling lights illuminated the magnificent, unseen scenery as she marveled, her arm linked with Roger’s.
She knew the Naga were once a branch of the elves. However, due to Nicole’s choice, they had proactively pursued the path of the Unwavering Space instead of the Elysian Realm, leading to reforms and progress similar to Terra’s in recent years.
With the Empire’s covert technological support, the Naga’s speed in reshaping underwater volcanoes far surpassed the generosity of the Sea God’s power. Their city construction and population growth reached unprecedented levels.
Winsor asked Roger many questions as they observed, and he answered truthfully.
Being able to use the young girl’s rebellion to abduct her indicated that Winsor still harbored an unwillingness to accept her current circumstances. Compared to the nobles who had already given up, she had the potential for much more.
Just as Roger had initially done, he showed her many beautiful ocean vistas: bioluminescent jellyfish, sea anemones and coral reefs of various shapes, schools of fish that appeared like a storm, and suddenly fractured undersea trenches…
These were the most stunning aspects of the seabed, unseen on land.
Winsor was initially very interested, but soon she proactively told Roger that she was curious about what the underwater kingdom was like.
Although she resisted being the perfect princess of the elven kingdom, her education and sense of responsibility had accustomed her to such a role, and her thoughts naturally gravitated in that direction.
Rebellion was one aspect, but the education she received throughout her growth left indelible marks.
Even on the Eternal Night, Winsor had repeatedly rejected the Elven Empress’s magical communication requests, even throwing the related magical equipment out the window to signify her pursuit of freedom.
However, her resistance was directed solely at her mother’s excessive control and demands, not at rejecting her royal elven identity.
Similarly, her主动 holding Roger’s arm, creating an atmosphere of intimacy, stemmed from her mother’s restrictions on her interactions with males, as she hoped to secure a sufficiently accomplished son-in-law through her daughter’s marriage to maintain her perfection in all aspects.
Therefore, once the seed of rebellion took root in Winsor’s heart, she sought to experience everything her mother opposed.
Coincidentally, Roger had defeated her, his appearance and demeanor were not off-putting, and he appeared at a suitable time and place, making him a tool against her mother.
In Roger’s view, this was a very shallow form of resistance.
The Elven Empress, who exercised immense control over the Empire, immediately investigated the contact between Winsor and Roger. The directionality of the magical fluctuations from the teleportation scroll indicated the Eternal Night, outside the Leaves of Yas.
After all, the Eternal Night had deliberately revealed itself above the World Tree before its departure at Winsor’s request, ending its covert voyage and showcasing its might to the Elven Empress:
Don’t think of complaining; next time we’ll enter quietly and fire cannons!
Consequently, the Elven Empress was furious, knowing her precious daughter had eloped but feeling powerless. She dared not complain or issue threats to Roger.
Given the Elven Empress’s pride, she could not stoop to begging Roger. This situation left her extremely frustrated.
She could only discipline her daughter, hoping she would understand that all her current protection was for her own good…
Only for Winsor to promptly discard the communication equipment.
Thus, this round was an utter defeat for the old mother.
However, Winsor, after accomplishing all this, felt both relieved and empty and lost. The beautiful deep-sea scenery gradually lost its appeal, and she began discussing the Naga and Terra’s development with Roger.
Winsor had received the most comprehensive education as an heir and was exceptionally capable. Furthermore, many of the Empire’s past actions were now public knowledge.
“I think you are treating them differently,” Winsor said with a hint of complaint, carefully choosing her words. “You open up more technology to these countries and engage in deeper cooperation, yet you are guiding the elven empire into becoming a labor force.”
“You think this is unfair?”
“Of course. Elves are far more outstanding than these races; we will definitely do better than them. Why does the Empire export such dangerous technology to them… This is extremely unfair!”
“But if we grant you the same level of access, is that fair to our comrades who have fought alongside us?”
“Uh, that’s…”
“We saved you. Is it fair to the citizens of the Empire who have been working hard to build it, endured countless hardships, and made countless sacrifices to achieve everything they have now?”
Winsor fell silent. She lightly punched Roger’s chest with her small fist and said weakly, “You’re not being a gentleman at all!”
“Before asking what you’ve gained, ask yourself what you’ve done. I’m not your father, after all.”
Winsor blinked her large eyes and, on an impulse, said, “Are you… asking me to call you Daddy?”
“Apologies, this isn’t the kind of transaction forbidden on Hedgehog Cat.”
Roger understood her implication but chose to refuse with an iron will.
Winsor couldn’t help but pout, somewhat relaxed and somewhat unwilling, her emotions a complex mix.
Women are beings prone to overthinking. She felt fortunate to be spared such sacrifices for her nation, yet it also felt like a failure of her charm.
So Winsor was genuinely indignant; *this princess is super beautiful, and he answered without a hint of hesitation!*
“However, if the elves wish to achieve such development, they can strive for it.”
Roger reached out and smoothed Winsor’s furrowed brow. “The Empire will not obstruct comrades who wish to progress. This Universe is vast enough to accommodate more ambitions.”
The flip side of this statement was that the Azurevine Empire had no obligation to awaken races that willingly stagnated.
Under the Empire’s guidance, the World would adopt industrialized production for the entire Eternal Night World. There would always be countries and races that undertake basic production work, not everyone at the top of the production line.
Roger and the Empress of Eternal Night once discussed when automated magical crystal machinery would completely replace Soldiers.
Roger’s answer was not a technical issue but a cost issue.
Only when manufacturing an automated magical crystal machine becomes cheaper than training an excellent Soldier would excellent Soldiers be phased out.
But if we could manufacture such Puppets, and their cost was high, exceeding the expense of raising an adult and providing them with relevant education and training, then such mechanical Puppets would be meaningless.
This was a brutal answer, where human lives became quantifiable resources.
But facing a World-ending war, such brutality was necessary and inevitable.
When necessary, even Roger and Her Majesty the Empress would be quantified and deployed as pieces on the battlefield.
Therefore, if the people of the Empire were so cruel to themselves, how could they afford to focus on the psychological counseling of people in other Planes who were enjoying blissful lives in the Elysian Realm?
For all classes to unite, this unity requires a corresponding educational foundation and ideological awareness. Organizing labor movements in a slave society would only be a waste of time and energy, leading to self-destruction.
With the unification ideology and national character passed down for millennia by the Rabbit tribe, it took several generations and nearly a hundred years, awakened through humiliation and bloodshed, not overnight.
In most races of this World, the upper echelons are unmotivated, and the lower echelons are complacent. Their responses to ideals, the future, and life’s pursuits are only indifference and numbness.
Therefore, it is better to assign them designated production roles, allowing them to develop expertise. As overall productivity increases, their living standards and treatment will inevitably improve.
As the quality of labor required by the entire World improves, even ordinary people at the bottom will receive higher levels of knowledge and education. They will think and have more capacity to aspire to a better life.
When this accumulation reaches a critical point, they might also undergo the changes experienced by the Empire and Terra.
Roger explained the Empire’s true stance to Winsor, also making her understand the limitations of the current elven empire.
It was the ordinary working people who were changing the World. Nobles might guide the direction, but they were not the fundamental driving force.
“So, the upper echelons must distribute profits and give opportunities to the lower classes. When they see Hope and strive for it, the lowest-ranking elves will truly be loyal to the nation…”
Winsor had never heard such a philosophy before. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Roger, exclaiming, “So Lord’s establishment of the Dark Night Guard and the bloodbath of imperial nobles were not the root of chaos, but a key step in the Empire forging its current power.”
“You cannot learn this move.”
“After all, I am merely a little princess, and I do not possess the strength of the Empress of Eternal Night. Even if the elven empire is in decline, it is impossible for me to resist the entire noble class single-handedly.”
“But you can reduce the rentiers and bring the day of Hope closer.”
Roger made a gesture across his chest, the standard greeting for Believers of the God of Nature.
Winsor, being extremely intelligent, immediately responded, “You want me to expel divine authority? That’s impossible! Mother is the most devout Believer…”
The implication of this was that Winsor was not a true Believer of the God of Nature.
It was something her mother favored, and being a devout Believer was one of the perfect images she had to portray from childhood, leading Winsor to despise the entire system.
However, what Roger said was a feasible method. The elves had many devout followers, and the annual tithes to the church were a massive expense. Now, due to Faith Power, it could incite pointless wars.
The division between secular and divine authority was increasingly growing. But because the Elven Empress was a devout Believer, the power of divine authority in the elven empire could not be altered at least until Winsor’s succession.
Roger chuckled playfully, “Your Highness, who do you think is more important in your mother’s heart: you or the gods?”
Winsor froze. Her immediate thought was that her mother never cared about her opinions; it must be the gods.
But the next second, she recalled many details from her childhood and realized that while her mother was domineering, she never lacked care for her.
The Elven Empress loved her daughter dearly, but perhaps because of that excessive love, she interfered too much in her life, providing all-encompassing protection and pouring countless efforts into her, subconsciously molding her into her most perfect creation.
This was the source of conflict between mother and daughter, but no matter how rebellious Winsor was, she could not deny her mother’s love.
Roger handed her a handwritten document: “Utilize this love, and you can gain control of the elven empire earlier and do things that benefit the people.”
Winsor took a step back, not taking the document, looking at Roger like a startled rabbit, her face full of disbelief.
She was just a rebellious young girl who had run away from home to get some fresh air due to the immense pressure of her daily education.
But Roger was telling her, *Come, overthrow your mother and become Empress yourself!*
This was far bolder than Winsor had ever anticipated. Even though she had imagined countless scenarios of life without her mother’s constraints, she had never dared to contemplate directly overthrowing the reign of the current Empress.
Her mother’s political acumen was flawless, making it impossible for her to have such an opportunity!
Roger was not surprised by her reaction. He looked provocatively into Winsor’s beautiful eyes: “Of course, if you don’t dare, the Empire can protect you until you die of old age, enjoying freedom from your mother’s control.”
“Who do you look down on… Hmph, devil!”
Winsor’s pretty face turned red with annoyance. She snatched the document from Roger’s hand and gritted her teeth, “You do things that provoke family relationships every day; don’t you have nightmares from guilt?”
“I’m truly sorry. Thinking that because of my hard work, the Empire’s people are living happier lives, I’m eating well, sleeping soundly, and my weight is increasing uncontrollably. It’s so sad!”
Winsor rolled her eyes and suddenly felt that this legendary imperial killer, cold-blooded and ruthless secret agent supremo…
Was so detestable that she wanted to beat him up!
…
…
The next evening.
After Roger had taken her to many places again, Winsor finally returned to the Leaves of Yas.
Roger did not accompany her, as Winsor said it wasn’t necessary; she could handle everything herself.
The Elven Empress learned of her daughter’s whereabouts immediately and found her without hesitation. She dismissed all her subordinates, leaving only the mother and daughter in the room.
The Elven Empress’s gaze was icy, yet the worry behind it was undisguised:
“What did you and that Imperial do?”
“Mother, that is my private life and does not require your reporting.”
The usually obedient Winsor mustered her courage, defying her mother’s command.
“What did you say?”
The Elven Empress’s gaze sharpened instantly, staring at Winsor with utter coldness.
Winsor’s hard-won courage almost faltered, and she began to regret not having Roger accompany her to complete his planned drama.
But at this point, she could not retreat. She replied as calmly as possible, “I was merely doing what an adult elf should do. After all, I should have my own life.”
The Elven Empress nearly spat blood. Since hearing last night that Winsor had lost to Roger, she had been busy with damage control to salvage her perfect princess’s reputation and cover up her unexplained disappearance.
She had finally managed to handle everything perfectly, only for her daughter to return and display such extreme rebellion.
If she could defeat him, she would truly want to smash Roger’s dog head!
Did this guy cast some kind of mind-control spell on my daughter to turn her into this?
However, considering that Winsor had at least returned to the Leaves of Yas and hadn’t directly run off to the Azurevine Empire, she felt it best not to provoke her further at this moment.
“Never mind. Let’s not discuss this further. You will perform well at the upcoming ball to clarify that you did not disappear but were on an inspection trip following an accident in the south…”
“Apologies, Mother, we have no time to attend that ball,” Princess Winsor stated calmly. “I have convened a meeting of the Executive Council; we are in a hurry.”
The Elven Empress: “Are you telling me how to do my job?”