Living As the Villainess Queen

“I see…” Eugene murmured, disappointment coloring her tone. Memories of Mara’s cautionary words resurfaced—the warning against overlapping magics, spoken when the secret storage’s magic was first activated.

Overlaying magics must be a very high-level technique. If Mara is cautious, it must be.

Observing Eugene’s despondent demeanor, Aldrit approached the delicate subject with caution. “While I may not possess Your Highness’s profound insight, I have come prepared with some magic,” he began, his tone measured.

Rummaging through the bag at his feet, Aldrit retrieved two small notebooks, each roughly the size of an adult’s palm, their leather covers worn from use.

“I realized that our current method of exchanging magical insights, with me shuttling back and forth, has its limitations,” Aldrit explained. “Especially when monitoring Anika from the hideout or when urgent information about Mara arises, a swift means of communication is imperative. Upon consulting the elders, they imparted a solution.”

Without further ado, Aldrit laid out the two notebooks side by side and demonstrated their functionality. As he wrote in the left notebook, the same script appeared simultaneously in the right one. Likewise, when he scribed in the right notebook, the writing replicated in the left.

Eugene’s eyes widened with realization as she observed the seamless exchange between the two notebooks. “Could it be… if two individuals each possess a notebook, they can communicate through written messages, even across vast distances?” she ventured, her excitement palpable.

“As expected, Your Highness grasps the concept swiftly,” Aldrit confirmed.

Internally jubilant, Eugene likened the magic to a modern messaging program. “Can multiple notebooks be linked together? So that not only two, but three or more people can engage in simultaneous written exchanges?” she inquired eagerly.

It’s like a group chat! Eugene eagerly seized the notebooks and experimented with their functionality, marveling as her writing seamlessly transferred between the two. With each stroke of her pen, her excitement grew, likening the experience to a digital group chat. “Oh my, oh my,” she exclaimed in delight.

“Aldrit, so if we each take one of these notebooks, even after you return to the hideout, we can still exchange written messages between the hideout and this kingdom? Without any limitations?” Eugene inquired, her tone tinged with awe.

“Yes,” Aldrit confirmed, a modest smile gracing his lips as he scratched his head in response to Eugene’s shower of praise.

“It’s amazing. Perfect. Truly remarkable, Aldrit,” Eugene praised warmly, admiration evident in her voice.

As Eugene continued to commend him, Aldrit’s shyness was apparent, yet he accepted the accolades graciously.

“But now that I see it, it’s not paper,” Eugene remarked, belatedly noticing the material of the notebooks. Not only the covers but also the inner pages were fashioned from thinly tanned leather.

“Yes. Paper wouldn’t withstand the magic. Unfortunately, due to material shortages, they aren’t very impressive in appearance,” Aldrit explained.

“No, you must have put in a lot of effort to create these. You mentioned bringing magic earlier? Does that mean you can produce more? If we provide these for the six kings, they would undoubtedly find them incredibly useful,” Eugene suggested, her mind already racing with possibilities.

“I am capable of replicating the magic, but there’s a catch,” Aldrit admitted, his expression growing serious. “While the magic itself isn’t complex, its efficiency is lacking. It was scarcely used in ancient times due to this reason. The activation of the magic relies on the user’s energy. As the distance between users increases, a considerable amount of energy is consumed during the exchange of written messages. Even a brief exchange could lead to exhaustion.”

“That’s not a problem at all,” Eugene dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand. She couldn’t help but think of the six kings who had tirelessly convened for three days and nights. She often wondered if there would come a day when Kasser, renowned for his incredible stamina, would truly understand the toll of exhaustion.

“Ah… Then what about these notebooks? The distance between the hideout and the kingdom isn’t that far, right? And there are no restrictions on usage,” Eugene pondered aloud, gesturing towards the leather-bound notebooks with a furrowed brow, seeking clarification.

“Those were crafted by the elders with some modifications to the magic… These notebooks don’t necessitate a separate medium for usage,” Aldrit explained, his tone tinged with a hint of reverence for the elders’ craftsmanship.

“Are there magics that don’t require a medium?” Eugene questioned, observing Aldrit’s hesitation and suddenly having an epiphany. “Perhaps… the medium could be Mara’s energy…?”

“The energy consumption for utilizing these notebooks is said to be negligible to Mara,” Aldrit confirmed, his expression betraying a hint of amusement.

Eugene couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the whimsical notion of surreptitiously utilizing the energy of larks. “Oh, I’m truly curious about these elders,” she mused.

As Eugene busied herself with preparing materials for the creation of additional notebooks, the warriors arrived with the wanderers, marking the conclusion of the lengthy meetings of the kings.

***

That night, Kasser returned to the bedroom late, greeted by Eugene’s warm embrace. It had been several days since they last saw each other, and Eugene couldn’t contain her longing as she rushed to welcome her husband.

“Even though you’re nearby, I couldn’t even see your face. It feels like we’re really separated,” Eugene lamented, her pout exaggerated for effect.

Kasser chuckled softly, reciprocating her embrace with tenderness, planting light kisses on her face before holding her close once more. Sensing his exhaustion, Eugene gently stroked his back, offering comfort.

“You’ve been through a lot. Did the meetings go well?” she inquired.

“Continuing the meetings here won’t solve anything. The kings will depart for their own countries by tomorrow,” Kasser replied wearily.

“As expected, they’re quick,” Eugene remarked, joining him on the sofa as they continued their conversation.

“The wanderers who arrived earlier, Aldrit met with them. I don’t know what conversation they had since only the two of them met. But Aldrit mentioned that they belong to a tribe with whom contact was lost after he left the hideout before he was born. They probably even held funerals in the hideout,” Kasser explained, recounting the information he had received.

“So, they pretended to be dead to their tribe?” Eugene mused, processing the revelation.

“It seems so. There are those who cannot bear the weight of the wanderers’ fate and choose to run away,” Kasser elaborated.

“I understand. I feel like I couldn’t bear it either. I don’t want to subject our child to such a cruel fate,” Eugene admitted softly, her gaze lingering on Kasser as she contemplated their shared future.