F-Rank Puppeteer!! But I'll be Queen, and I'm not a narcissist!!!!!-Chapter 180: An Anguishing Love

"...Esther-sama, this is for you," Elizabeth says as she approaches me, holding a letter. I take it, pausing my task of marking points on the map where our enemies have appeared.

"Okay..." I look and see there are two letters, one from the Demon King and one from Evelyn. I open the Demon King’s first; it’s full of content I hardly care about, along with a few pieces of information I do.

’Two points...’ I mark the two points the letter indicates on the map. They fit perfectly with the pattern I was tracing, confirming precisely where the angels are.

"Evelyn was the one who got this information..." I read this part, surprised. The Demon King always gives credit where it’s due, and I see here that it was Evelyn who discovered this.

"...So..." I open Evelyn’s letter and start to read. The handwriting is elegant but slightly shaky. I read quickly; the writing style is somewhat cute. She avoids detailing what she did but makes it clear she did it.

’So, it’s about the torture she performed on that angel...’ The Demon King’s messenger is incredibly fast, so covering absurd distances is easy for him. The letter is "fresh."

"I smell blood..." She wrote the letter before taking a bath to wash off the strong scent of blood, which is why her letter carries a faint metallic smell.

I look at Evelyn’s signature at the end of her letter. It’s genuinely cute because the signature itself is super elegant, but it has a small heart at the end. Reading the letter a few more times, I find several interesting signs.

’She’s seeking a reward...’ Her letter doesn’t have an explanatory tone, or an argumentative one, nor does it read like a simple friendly note. It’s a request—an involuntary plea to receive something for good work.

Her choice of words subconsciously asks for something from me. All the beating around the bush and self-praise about her work is a clear sign of neediness and desire for something. Nothing specific, but she clearly thinks she can gain something.

’Given the shaky handwriting, I don’t think she even realized she was blatantly asking for a reward while writing about what she did...’ I think about what to do. I’m still full of anger at her for what she did to me, for ignoring my efforts.

And this rage grows because she’s asking for a reward just for the simple act of torturing someone.

But on the other hand, it’s amusing to see her so desperately active, trying to mend the cracks she made in our relationship. It seems she’s realized she ruined everything by ignoring the obvious. That’s adorable because it shows she loves me just as much as I love her.

"..." I take a paper and pen, thinking of sending her a letter.

"Elizabeth, fetch my lipstick," I order as I start to write. Normally, I would ignore this or simply write a note thanking her for her good service in discovering useful things.

But...I stupidly still love her, and I also want our relationship back on track. Maybe...maybe we can still be a normal, loving couple... I think maybe we really can fix everything.

"..." After writing my thanks for her service, I add a short, gentle poem below. I also include a notice that I will be depositing a ton of gold bars for her in the vault of the mansion I built.

"This seems good..." I take the lipstick Elizabeth brought, a beautiful wine-red shade, and apply it to my lips. Then I sign the letter and plant a kiss above my signature for her.

"Elizabeth, what do you think?" I say, showing her my elegant, confident handwriting and the lipstick mark above my name—a small emotional gift for Evelyn.

"It’s perfect, Esther-sama. So...can I take a day off?" she asks, and I notice her restlessness. I know she wants to perform those disgusting acts she so enjoys.

"Tsk, go take whatever time you need. But first, deliver this letter to the messenger so he can take it to Evelyn," I say, sealing the letter in a white envelope with red wax and stamping it with my personal crest.

"Immediately, Esther-sama!" She leaves the tent happily, carrying my letter, as I sigh deeply. I guess I can forgive Evelyn for what she did before. I just hope she doesn’t step out of line again.

"I don’t think I’ll be able to stay so calm if she crosses the line one more time... Well, she wouldn’t. I’m sure she’ll find some way to deal with her own sadness without irritating me." I return my attention to the map I was working on before.

...

...

...

"Eve, could you bring me those papers over there?" I say while organizing a few things. Several days have passed since I sent the letter to the Demon King and to Esther. During these days, I’ve been adjusting to what I can really do now.

The standard puppets are insanely useful. All the housework is done in the morning. They know how to cook, wash, clean, dry, and everything else that’s basic.

Clarissa has practically been left without work. Now she generally only helps with food and my clothes. Other than that, she has a lot of free time. Of course, the puppets also take care of the prisoners, who will soon be sent to the Demon King’s castle by an escort.

This puts me more at ease. I don’t want these prisoners here; they remind me of what I had to do. The puppets in the camp are also helping the soldiers a great deal.

They work day and night without rest, felling trees and cutting the wood to make it suitable for construction. The soldiers even seem pleased the puppets are doing the jobs nobody wanted.

And when I went to the camp to announce everyone had three days off before training began, they were all very excited. Now I’m adjusting the soldiers’ supplies and training routines while checking the security of some areas.

"Here you are, Evelyn-sama" Eve says, handing me my papers. She seems to want to say something but stays quiet.

"...Evelyn-sama, are you okay?" she asks, looking at my face before biting her lip.

"Yes... I’m great..."

"I see... If you need someone... you know, at night... to distract yourself, you can call me..." She tries to help, but I shake my head. I don’t want her to see me crying.

"No need, I’m fine..." I feel Faye approaching. Since I started using my Puppet Master powers more, my connection with all of them has grown stronger.

"Lyn! Lyn! A letter for you! The messenger is back!! With a letter!! And money from the Demon King as a reward for your good work!" Faye runs through the door to my desk, handing me a letter.

"Thanks, Faye... By the way, how is the garden? You’ve been taking care of it. The mansion has been looking prettier with the flowers..." I murmur, taking the letter.

"It’s all great! The plants have been growing well, and Syl’Vyr and I have been doing a lot together... while you... have been alone." She seems somewhat uncomfortable about something, but I ignore it, opening the letter.

"Hmm..." I recognize it’s from Esther by the handwriting. The beginning is generic with insincere praise, until I reach a part that catches my attention.

[Like a Sea of Red Roses, your beautiful image painted in crimson draws me in. Amidst screams, tears, and pain, I feel you are still all I can hold in my mind.

Even if separated, we are still united, and even amidst conflict, love still exists. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

In this false world where nothing holds value, you are the only truly valuable thing I have ever found.

And your existence alone is already a reward for me, even if you hurt me with some of your words; I still made space for you in my heart.

So, for the beautiful purple flower as perfect as the reddest rose, my gratitude for what you’ve shown me is delivered as a poem.]

"A... poem..." I see right below the short poem a notice—a reward in gold, a reward given to me by Esther. Reading it, I practically melt into my chair with a strange relief, as if a giant weight is being lifted from my shoulders.

"Signed... Esther..." I see the lipstick mark on the signature. A kiss. Seeing this makes me smile. My heart beats faster as if I’ve achieved something wonderful. I grip the paper so tightly the edges crumple slightly.

"S-She praised me... for real... s-she gave me a reward..." I feel a comfort I never thought I could feel after what I did. It’s as if all the evil I caused is being washed from my body, while a gentle embrace comforts me.

"..." The feeling of validation makes all the suffering I went through worth it. Even though I know it’s wrong, I feel so happy for what I just gained. Euphoria invades me like pure ecstasy.

"E-Evelyn-sama!!?"

"L-Lyn!!?" The two speak at the same time, surprised, staring at the top of my head. I suddenly feel a weight there. I look at the mirror in the room—I’ve been putting mirrors in several rooms where I spend a lot of time lately.

"W-What..." I see my head. Large horns, similar to a ram’s, have grown from my skull. They are large and thick, with the tips pointing forward and tilted upward. They are extremely sharp, and the horns are thick with a very wide base emerging from the sides of my skull.

They slightly resemble what an adult ram’s horns would be, but in a different position, and with completely different thickness and color. They have a deep, dark purple tone, darker than my hair.

"Urgh... my head." I feel a slight pain. They just appeared out of nowhere on my skull. My mother said the draconic parts would emerge on their own as I matured.

’My instincts...’ I realize it. The feeling of hoarding something, even if it’s love, is as if a deep part of me is becoming complete. And it scares me because my mother told me not to hoard love.

The horns are large, but they aren’t just a piece of bone. They contract, tremble, and pulse as if breathing with me, expanding and contracting slightly.

"..." I didn’t get a tail or wings, but I got horns. So, I’ve matured as a dragon, at least a little. But it was the worst possible maturation—it came from hoarding, the eternal problem that accompanies every dragon.

’W-What if I start becoming obsessed with Esther?’ My heart races with fear—fear of how attached I’ll become to Esther as time passes, fear of what my mother said happens to dragons who let love become their safe cave.

[Esther’s Favorability +20 (Total = 20/100) / Mark of Hatred = 60/100]

"..." I see the system appearing. Esther’s love has increased. Seeing this number makes me blush like a lovestruck teenager. Faye and Eve look at me strangely, staring at my horns as I hold the letter firmly—a "proof" of the love I’ve received again.

The feeling that torturing that angel truly gave me the sweet reward I was seeking.