VIP Chapter 236: Treya’s Gambit
After seeing all the portraits on the “Royal Family” paper struck through, Treya propped her chin on her hand and asked, “But, Teacher Will, you still haven’t taught me how to win.”
Everything Will had said seemed to be a “hypothetical scenario” — be it the struggle between the Fourth Prince and the Seventh Princess, or the duel between the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince. But where was her space to participate in all of this?
“Indeed, you can’t seem to participate. After all, your royal family’s affairs are the most complex, and you entered the game the latest,” Will said, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness.
“Mm,” Treya nodded obediently, her finger tracing her own portrait on the paper. She liked the portrait Will had drawn of her. Because her hair was silver, it always blended with the white of the paper. But when Will drew this, he had seemed to gently add a touch of silver to her hair.
“To achieve all this… Treya, as I told you before… you must be prepared to ‘abandon everything.'” Treya noticed Will was still looking at her left eye as he spoke. “You must be ready to witness everything being ‘destroyed’…” “And then you can be reborn from the ‘ruins’…” “The victor in this royal infighting isn’t the one who entered first, nor is it the one with the most power, but rather—the one who survives until the end.”
She didn’t quite understand Will’s words. To her, every sentence seemed to carry a “hint,” a warning, yet also genuine sincerity. It was as if he were speaking of an unpleasant past that had already happened in a tone of “predicting the future.” But what was undeniable was… the deep blue eyes looking at her, so similar to her own pupils, conveyed a genuine care for her. Yes, he was indeed the color in her world. Her Teacher Will would always, always remain the only thing left in her world of “everything can be abandoned.”
“When they have all exited and died, you must stand unharmed until the end. Do not be defeated by them, nor by what Entak might experience later.” “You must be better than anyone at hiding in the darkness, better than anyone at enduring, see further than anyone, and most importantly, understand better than anyone what unnecessary meaning to cast aside before stepping into that position.”
He leaned closer, stopping at the edge of the table, maintaining a respectful distance from her face. He temporarily set aside his playful smile, becoming exceptionally serious. “Promise me, Treya?”
Treya nodded. “Okay, Teacher Will, I promise.”
However, as soon as she finished speaking, Will seemed to shyly pull back, covering half his face with his hand. “Uh… it seems I was a bit too… too serious. Cough, cough… even for someone like me, it’s a bit hard to say out loud.”
“Is this the future you want, Teacher Will?”
“Hm? What?”
“Me taking that position, defeating all my siblings, and becoming the Empress of the Entak Empire. Is this the future you… want, Teacher Will?”
“…You… why did you suddenly ask that?”
“Because you seem to be looking forward to it.”
“How should I put it? For me… and even for the Hysterm Family, it might not be the best future. But…” Will looked up at Treya. For the first time, after gaining the power of a ‘demon’ that allowed her to easily see through facades and perceive the true emotions behind people’s expressions, she saw an expression that was consistent both “on the surface” and “within”… an expression of care for her.
“—As long as you can win, that’s all that matters. Everything I’ve said is for this point.”
“Understood. Teacher Will.” Perhaps the color was too dazzling; Treya averted his gaze slightly. “Then, at that time, will Teacher Will accompany me…”
“Next, we’re discussing a method you must consider to expand your influence… Hm? What did you just say?” Will seemed to want to return to the original topic, hurriedly throwing out the next lesson, thus interrupting Treya.
“Teacher Will will…” Treya wanted to finish her unsaid words, but seeing Will’s normal expression again, she suddenly… unusually felt a sense of “shyness.” It was her most direct “wish,” but expressing it made her feel so shy that… she couldn’t say it. She could sense the rapid beating of her heart in her chest.
“No, it’s nothing. Teacher Will, please continue.”
“Although there might be some personal bias in me discussing this, with you, you should unconditionally believe me, right?”
“Yes, Teacher Will has never lied to me.”
“Indeed. You should understand better than others that the Entak Royal Family and the Empire, as a nation that has stood for hundreds of years, are actually at the cusp of ‘reform.’ In the future… it will no longer be a royal family that holds nobles and power.”
“I know. It’s what Teacher Will told me before. The development efficiency of the dungeons has increased, allowing for the production of more goods than the grain and economic agriculture previously controlled by the Entak Royal Family.”
“Yes. Therefore, the person most suitable for you to win over is precisely…”
“The head of the Hysterm Family, the greatest controller behind the Adventurers, the former captain of a top-tier Adventuring Team, and my father…”
“Carver Hysterm.”
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*Swish—*
The sound of rain grew louder around her. Treya turned her head and quietly looked out the window at the continuous autumn rain. The autumn rain had dirtied the glass that the royal family cleaned almost every day, leaving a hazy layer of mist. The scenery outside seemed to dissolve in the raindrops, then flow down along their trails. Treya sat in the vast, high reception room, quietly gazing at the door opposite her and… the black and white chessboard on the table. In the curtain of rain that could dye the world gray, the colors of the chessboard were just right.
*Creak—*
As the thick wooden door was gently pushed open, Treya’s light blue eyes moved slightly, fixated on the figure entering from behind the door.
“Your Highness Princess Treya, I apologize. The rain today is too heavy; the carriage on the mountain dared not go too fast. I’m a little late; I hope you don’t mind.”
Carver, as he entered, handed his wet umbrella to a servant behind him. He was wearing a sleek and elegant black tuxedo, yet there wasn’t a single water stain on his clothes. He took off his hat, and his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses narrowed slightly, bowing to Treya with a hint of apology.
—Not alike at all.
—Carver and he are not alike at all.
—Even though they wear the same clothes, even though they both wear glasses, even though their eye colors are similar…
—But he is filled only with the falseness of ‘pretenses.’
Treya looked at Carver, who exuded an air of “putting on airs,” and her lips turned down at the slightest possible angle.
“Please come in, Mr. Carver. Your seat is here.” Treya extended her hand, pointing to the seat opposite her chessboard. On the board, the black pieces were already set up for the opponent, just like the clothes he was wearing today.
“Your Highness, I never expected that you would secretly invite me here to play chess?”
“Yes. Some matters are not suitable for idle chat without any hands-on work.” Treya’s reply was soft. As the first player, she had already moved a pawn, initiating a standard opening.
“Alright, if that’s the case, I’ll play along as a chess partner and play a game with Your Highness.” He said this as he sat down, also making a very classic opening move.
Silence. Although both seemed to be using this as an excuse to discuss important matters, neither spoke. After a few moves back and forth… Carver was about to break the calm and speak: “How are things going with Your Highness’s family? Although the announcement of the engagement has been postponed, if there’s anything I can help with, perhaps I can offer some assistance.”
Treya looked at his move. After the pieces had been exchanged, the game had begun to clash. Especially… Carver deliberately placed his pawn at d5, as if inviting Treya to capture it. Treya made her move, picking up a piece.
“It’s like this. First, the Fourth Prince was impeached by the Seventh Princess. It’s strange; a large part of the ‘evidence’ the Seventh Princess has in hand passed through her. This proves they should be allies… unless, another insider hinted that they were about to reveal this information, forcing them to cut ties and save themselves?” She raised her head, and after Carver’s enticing move, she very naturally moved her bishop forward. With a light touch, she made a highly aggressive “check.”
“What Your Highness says is interesting. Unfortunately, I am merely a humble merchant, my thoughts are all on the Adventurer’s Guild, and I certainly cannot be involved in this matter.”
Whether it was the game or Treya’s words, Carver paused slightly. After a moment, he moved a pawn on the board, resolving the crisis with a “rescue” move. Treya nodded, acknowledging his statement.
“The infighting within the Royal Family is terrifying, Mr. Carver. Many of my siblings have various methods and external resources and backing.” Then… she gently moved a pawn, capturing the piece Carver had just used to resolve the crisis. “Especially my fifth sister and sixth brother; they have handled commercial and political affairs with the Royal Family for many years.” She looked at Carver. She was not someone skilled at hiding subtext within subtext. However, Will had taught her a lot. For example, for intelligent people, you might use complaints and a humble posture to “attack.” Sometimes, exploiting the advantage of being a “weakling” is necessary. So, at this moment… how would Carver handle it?
“Of course, I understand. But being in the Royal Family, one does gain considerable resources.” Carver placed the pawn in his hand briefly in front of Treya before slowly making his move, capturing the piece Treya had just taken. “For example, like the Fourth Prince Your Highness just mentioned…” Carver smiled slightly, fiddling with the white pawn that Treya had captured before slowly dropping it into the plate. “He holds a considerable amount of power. For us ordinary merchants, who are weak, this is precisely the most frightening thing.”
*Boom—*
At this moment, a flash of lightning illuminated the sky outside the window. Half of Carver’s face was cast in shadow. Treya understood his implied meaning. What he cared about… was where the “military power” still resided. Indeed, he was worthy of being Teacher Will’s father; it was exactly the most crucial thing in the Entak Empire that Will had pointed out.
Treya listened to the sound of the rain outside. —When will it be sunny again? She still preferred sunny days, days when she could sit in the royal garden with Teacher Will, discussing pastries, tea, and Entak. She thought this.
