"Sorry I cried a little, that was... kind of weird of me," I say to Esther, wiping a tissue across my face.

"It's fine, I understand. You're overwhelmed, aren't you, Evelyn? You have so much work, so many lives in your hands, and you have to take back the reins of the situation. It's natural that someone as weak as you would crumble. Just like I said before, you're not fit to be a queen because you're too fragile."

"...Amanda, could you please leave?"

"Immediately, Evelyn-sama..." Amanda goes to the door, casting one last look at Esther before leaving. Esther says nothing, just watching this for a moment, until all that's left is this disconcerting silence.

"Esther... could you help me... deal with the outstanding issues? Without the Demon King taking care of everything, so many things piled up that as soon as I took the position, I haven't had a moment's rest."

"Even with the puppets I created, the accumulated paperwork still needs to be sorted out..." I swallow my pride and ask for help.

"You want my help, Evelyn? Are you sure? You're really going to give me decision-making power over kingdom affairs? Before, you said you wouldn't give me any power. Changed your mind? That fast? Pfft, hahahaha."

"...Yes..." I say, biting my lips. I have no choice. What more damage could she possibly do? We're at war anyway. I need someone to help me with this, and unfortunately, Esther is the only one I can trust who has the capacity to govern a kingdom.

"We can clearly reach an agreement here. So, you want me to open trade routes for you to move supplies, weapons, troops, and other things, and you want my help organizing the kingdom, right?" She speaks with an arrogant smile on her face.

"Yes, that's it."

"Hmm, and how far are you willing to go for this?"

"I'm willing to do anything."

"Anything, is it? Hmm... I want a few things... I can do your work in exchange for them, without a doubt. Wait a moment." She leaves the room while I stare at the ceiling.

'Why am I always surrounded by people like this in my life?' It's strange, isn't it? It's always manipulative people who want to take everything from me that are around me. The first was Arial, the second was Esther, and the third was the Demon King who had me imprisoned.

'Fate hates me so much...' I wonder if there's any way to make fate stop hating me. Is fate some kind of deity or sentient entity? Or is fate controlled by some kind of god?

'Speaking of Arial, I still owe her a body... that's... bad...' In the past, the best I could do for her would be a body of average quality.

Because I didn't have many resources, but now, as queen and with my increased power, any body I create will have to be good, or Arial could cause me problems. In other words, she's guaranteed to get a strong body.

'I hope she never calls in that favor...' Esther returns to the room, snapping me out of my thoughts. She places a paper on my lap, and I see the demands.

'It's... actually seems pretty fair...' I look at Esther, seeing that she hasn't put anything too absurd.

"You look at me with so much distrust, Evelyn, but I don't need a contract to force you to do things. And as you can see, there's a clause for immediate cancellation at my will."

"Ah..." So that's why it seemed so fair. It's "fair" as long as she wants to help, but the moment she doesn't, she can just stop helping and keeping the trade routes open.

"You're so mean, Esther..." I murmur, picking up a fountain pen and signing the papers, without even trying to negotiate because I doubt I can get better terms.

"Hahaha, mean, huh? Well, my queen, if I'm mean, then you're just as mean as I am. After all, you'll be using my effort, my time, and my decisions as if they were your own, won't you?"

"You don't want to reveal to anyone that I'll be making decisions, so you'll get all the credit for my work, and that's fine. I don't mind you using me."

"...We're done here. I need to go back... to do some things."

"Really? Can't even come up with an excuse? Running away from your wife with your tail between your legs like that is terrible for your image, you know?" She stares at me as I get up to leave.

"I'm not running away. I just have to return to the castle. I have matters to attend to concerning the war..."

"A slightly better excuse now, but I don't want you to leave my side. I want you to stay close to me. I'll give you some rest. Besides, I have a special request for you." She comes over to me, whispering something in my ear.

I blush with embarrassment and stare at her in disbelief that she's asking for this, but with little choice, I accept.

"Great, now, since you're so eager to go to the castle, I'll accompany you, my Queen."

...

...

...

"Raguion, look at this!" I show my dear brother the latest information we've obtained from the demon continent.

"Qyraen, you seem excited? What do we have... oh... OH!!? Is this serious!? Hahahaha, are they idiots!?" Raguion bursts out laughing as he reads the news that there's a new Demon Queen now.

Which, honestly, is a terrible wartime move. After all, a large-scale war is being prepared; changing rulers at this moment is one of the worst things a kingdom can do.

"Exactly, brother. I never imagined demons could be so devoid of intellect, precisely for changing rulers now. After all, there are several risk factors involved in this."

"Unless the new ruler is an absurd strategic genius, the demon kingdom has just completely destroyed any margin of advantage they gained by stealing the [Bridge] from us!" Of course, I'm excited seeing such stupidity.

"Yes, aside from the fact that the demon nobility won't be loyal to the new ruler. That also destabilizes troop operations a bit. And on top of that, the new ruler won't have any real experience in mass leadership!" Raguion seems as pleased as I am with this news.

"Yes, they really shot themselves in the foot. So, brother, we should take advantage of this fact as soon as possible. Considering this, we can change the original war plan."

"You're right, Qyraen. That part about the small fake delay we were going to make is no longer necessary. Sacrificing those 20,000 soldiers is also no longer needed. And we also don't need to worry about retaking the [Bridge] anymore, considering they didn't use it well."

"Yes, brother. We can cancel all of that and use the resources differently. For now, all we can do is wait and see if the new demon ruler is someone fit to lead, or if they're incompetent."

"Oof!" I jump into his lap, giving him a brief kiss.

"You seem excited today, really, truly excited."

"Of course, a few more good things happened besides this news! It was just the cherry on top. Anyway, it's a secret, so I won't tell you the rest. But you, did anything good happen to you today?" I question, looking at some of the papers on the desk.

"Actually, yes, but I'm keeping it a secret too."

"Boo, you're being mean to me like that."

"Want to go on a date today? I'll have free time later. We can have dinner at your favorite place and then stroll through the city enjoying the night." He offers without telling me what good thing happened to him today.

"Now you've managed to win me over. I'll cancel everything I had for later. I'll see you tonight, brother." I get off his lap and head to the door to prepare for it.

"Oh, sister, before you leave, could you do me a favor? Some idiot nobles think their opinions have value just because I listen to them. They seem to have lost all sense and perception that me listening to their drivel doesn't mean I'll act on it."

"...I'll cut off their heads and deliver them on platters to their relatives," I say, smiling at him. He nods.

"Do whatever you want, sister. You're the best at handling repercussions and public perception. It'll be easy for you to show the 'problems' they caused and use that as an excuse."

"Yes, I'll manage somehow. After all, the general population loves me... ah, but all my love is only for you, brother." I flirt with him, closing the door and leaving.

"Hmmm, it might be good to send a spy to find out about the new demon ruler..." I won't underestimate them just because they're new to power. They could prove dangerous, an ugly, bloodthirsty monster!

...

...

...

"E-Esther, here is your meal. I-I made it with lots of love and care, Kyuun." I say, bowing slightly to Esther and making a heart with my fingers in front of the tray. Esther is sitting in the castle office, sorting out some of the problems with her ideas. I'm dressed in an elegant black and white maid uniform.

With various ribbons and details that make it elegant and sensual, and the garter belt gives a seductive air to my thighs. The tight stockings accentuate my legs, although the collar with my name on it is embarrassing to wear.

"You can put it on the table closer to me, Evelyn. I'll eat in a little while. Besides, you look adorable as a maid, 'my Queen' hahaha." The irony in her laugh makes me shrink.

"O-Of course... thank you for the compliment." I push the tray on the table closer to her, seeing a piece of my tail elegantly cut and detailed, forming a cute design.

This was Esther's request. She asked me to serve her, as if she were the queen and not me. And as embarrassing as it is, Esther has already resolved, in less than 30 minutes, over 30% of the logistical problems I was racking my brains over.

Esther's efficiency as a queen is monstrous. It's no wonder that in the game, she always managed to make her genocide succeed. With such a brilliant mind, it would be hard to see her plans fail.

"..." I sit on the sofa nearby, watching how Esther works, trying to learn so I don't become dependent on her doing my job. I don't even know half of what she's doing, but it's better to memorize.

"Evelyn, since you're not doing anything, I have a request for my cute maid wife..." She says, pausing for a moment from marking the papers with approvals.