Azphira Tales

[Guiscard] "Ann." Dianna turned around at the sound of her name. Guiscard walked toward her. She lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact. [Dianna] "Greetings, Your Majesty." Had travel fatigue completely vanished? Glancing subtly, his hair, once long enough to veil his eyes, was neatly trimmed, and his face appeared clean. Strangely, he looked different somehow. [Dianna] "Are you holding a banquet today?" The unexpected question brought a subtle shift to his face. [Guiscard] "

Dianna looked at the man reaching out to her. His gaze fixed upon her face. Her mind threatened to drown in those vivid purple eyes. [Dianna] "Why are you……" Her raspy voice cracked with effort. Breath hitched in her throat. Fury and anguish warred upon his face. Offering no reply, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. [Dianna] "Ugh!" However, blood poured from the wrist previously grabbed by the gargoyle. Releasing her hand, Guiscard lifted her into his arms. [Dianna]

[Revius] "The gargoyle nest sits atop a cliff, inaccessible to standard knights." [Dianna] "……" [Revius] "We require exceptional archers, yet few skilled bowmen remain in the capital right now. Experts possessing Your Majesty's ability are rarer still." Dianna listened to his explanation. Hearing it, she understood why he dragged her, the Queen, into this matter. Climbing the cliff proved difficult for knights. Yet gargoyles reproduced continuously, attacking travelers bound

Striking a small, swift gargoyle differed vastly from hitting a massive wyvern. The hundred percent hit rate left the knights utterly stunned. Even rubbing their eyes, Dianna remained the one shooting arrow after arrow. Regaining their focus, the knights readied spears and bows to attack the gargoyles. The gargoyles attempted swift retreats, but several fell with spears through their torsos. Inflicting instant fatal wounds on such nimble beasts proved difficult for standard a

Dianna recognized that the modest goodwill she had managed to build up completely crumbled under the noblewomen's resentful glares. She strove to refrain from glaring at Saruvia. She might have orchestrated this eavesdropping, or Duchess Islag might have dispatched a lackey. In this crisis, who acted mattered little. [Lady] "Your Majesty, will you not take responsibility for our safety?!" [Lady] "How could you send away the knights meant to protect us?!" Anxiety spread like a

If wyverns were mini-dragons, gargoyles were monsters resembling wyverns yet possessing distinct differences. Monsters boasting the body of a bird or jaguar paired with massive bat wings. In Panborough or the Holy Kingdom, people even referred to them as "demons." Unlike wyverns, gargoyles measured merely the size of a human, yet possessed high intelligence and lived up to their demonic moniker through sheer cruelty and wickedness. Some killed purely for amusement, cackling a

Before attending the archery gathering, Dianna practiced rigorously. Even after Leonie and Saruvia retired for the evening, she stayed in a corner of the knights' training grounds, repeatedly drawing her bow. [Logaple] "You must rest. If you continue like this, you will injure your arm." He pleaded near her with a distressed tone, subtly intervening in her practice session. Dianna ignored his warning; her body still held up. He released a heavy sigh. [Logaple] "Sir Inez, plea

[Dianna] "Archery……" It was a hobby unheard of among Panborough women. Archery instead of embroidery, raising songbirds, playing musical instruments, singing, or dancing the Tali dance? This felt entirely new. Dianna recalled hearing brief rumors about it in her past life as well—the women of Lodbrog were remarkable. In any case, were they not taking action to protect themselves? Though she held no particular thoughts on Lodbrog culture, she considered this impressive. [Leoni

Treason. Trembling seized those ordered to vacate. Paradoxically, having resided in the palace for so long, they remembered the ruthless cruelty of Guiscard's blade whenever it struck a traitor. She nodded at the satisfying answer, her voice turning cold. [Dianna] "I admit it. I failed to respect the ways of Lodbrog." [Protesters] "……" [Dianna] "I treated your actions as mere insubordination rather than treason, extending far too much leniency." She spoke with cold detachment

It occurred one month before Revius received the financial report. Why is she being so serious?! Saruvia squirmed in anxiety as she watched Dianna work. She excluded both Leonie and Saruvia, consulting directly with the maids regarding palace affairs. With mere maids! Panic seized Saruvia. Becoming queen stood as her family's long-cherished ambition, as well as her own. Yet the moment Dianna arrived, she feigned meek obedience while stabbing Saruvia in the back. Why? Why on e

Forced into the task, Dianna intended to do a half-hearted job. Yet upon observing the inner workings of the royal court, bewilderment seized her. A complete disaster. It was literally true. The royal court of Lodbrog was an utter disaster. That the palace somehow functioned at all was a miracle in itself. Even in her past life, Dianna considered the system of the Lodbrog royal palace strange. Despite the vast number of people present, the actual workforce remained tiny. Yet

Revius clearly didn't expect Dianna to admit to flattery so blatantly. Beyond his obvious displeasure, a fraction of curiosity emerged in his eyes. She continued calmly. [Dianna] "Lacking the intelligence and brilliance that Your Excellency possesses, I had no idea how to proceed. I didn't know how to win the favor of the distinguished figures of Lodbrog, nor how I should conduct myself." [Revius] "……" [Dianna] "Will the Prime Minister enlighten me? What should I have done in

Naturally, Dianna's position remained unchanged. The noble ladies responded favorably to her hospitality, but their goodwill ended there. In truth, no monumental achievement came of it. She formed no close ties with specific aristocrats, nor did she display grand dignity. Though the noblewomen happily accepted the shawls she presented, the gesture created no positive political shift. This outcome stood entirely expected. Dianna was a foreigner, and her status within the realm

Leonie's shawl looked marvelous. Fabric bearing a rainbow sheen was exceptionally rare. Once the daughter of an influential house draped it over herself, the noble ladies began trying on the shawls one by one. Dianna offered a pink shawl to Saruvia with a gentle smile. She accepted it with a pale face. How foolish. She locked eyes with Saruvia. Dianna knew she would pull a stunt like this, because she had humiliated her in the exact same manner in the past life. In truth, the

[Dianna] "Sir Logaple, I am not your sister." She spoke quietly, stating a truth that Logaple failed to recognize. That woman had a younger brother to help her, friends, and a family. But now, Dianna possessed no one. Even so, she pleaded with desperate earnestness. Looking into his eyes, her heart wavered. In her past life, absolutely no one had tried to convince her otherwise. Am I allowed to do something? Am I allowed to make something…… better? Guiscard didn't want that.

Suicide? What on earth did that mean? Dianna looked at Logaple standing before her. He squeezed his eyes shut as if struck by a wave of sharp pain. Then, his gaze flared with even deadlier bloodlust as he confronted Leonie. [Logaple] "Why are you bringing up that tragedy here?" [Leonie] "Because it looks like the exact reason you are acting like the Queen's lapdog." He moved to unsheathe and swing his sword without restraint, but Dianna raised a hand to block him. [Dianna] "S