Fake Survivor 82

Chapter 82

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 To convey the seriousness of the “Gem Snake” matter, Ms. Shirley from “Silver Orchid” revealed her true identity.

 This led to the discovery that she is the third princess of this country, Charlotte…

 ’It seems like this is going to be a complicated story, but let me say this first: just because you revealed your identity, don’t expect me to reveal mine, okay?’

 The idea that “if one reveals a secret, the other must do the same” only works if both parties agree beforehand.

 I don’t remember agreeing to that, and I don’t need to hear any complicated stories.

 Even without hearing them, I planned to prevent Ferris from being manipulated as much as possible.

 Well… as long as it doesn’t expose my own identity, that’s my policy.

 With that thought in mind, I said what I did, but at that moment, Shirley──no, Charlotte’s 2 female guards placed their hands on their swords.

 ”You! How dare you be rude knowing this lady is a princess!”

 ”That’s right! You should reveal your identity too!”

 Charlotte scolded the two who were shouting.

 ”Calm down, both of you. I revealed my identity because I wanted to, and I judged it was necessary.”

 ””Ugh… yes princess.””

 At her words, the two released their hands from their swords and returned to a standing position, but their gazes towards me remained sharp.

 Noticing the tense atmosphere from the two behind her, Charlotte let out a light sigh and apologized.

 ”…Haa. I’m sorry, even though we are the ones asking for your cooperation.”

 ’They must be very loyal. Well, they don’t seem suited for negotiations.’

 No matter who the opponent is, you shouldn’t give warnings that could affect their life during negotiations. If it’s just because I’m the one here, then they must be underestimating me.

 Either way, the two of them have done something serious, and just because the princess, who is the master, apologized doesn’t mean we can just forget about it.

 After thinking for a moment, Charlotte gives an order to the two of them.

 ”Both of you, take off your clothes.”

 ””‘Huh?’””

 The voices of the two and mine overlapped.

 Why is it coming to this? As I wondered, Charlotte explained her intention to the two of them.

 ”To show that you regret it and won’t make the same mistake again… you should at least be in a state where it’s clear you aren’t holding any weapons, right?”

 ”Th-that’s…”

 ”Wait, are you saying completely n*ked?”

 Since it also has the meaning of regret, Charlotte nodded at the two’s question, which they guessed from that point.

 ”Of course. What were you planning to do if Mr. Mose decided to cooperate as little as possible… or not at all, after what happened earlier?”

 ””Uhh…””

 The two could only fall silent at Charlotte’s words.

 Well, it’s not impossible that I might stop cooperating.

 There’s also the matter of Iris and the others… Even if we lost Ferris and couldn’t use the “Silver Orchid” base, since the mini tomato growing set wasn’t absorbed by the dungeon, I could build a sturdy lodging and have them stay there.

 But I need to experiment to confirm that.

 The two of them don’t know that much, but when they looked at each other…

 ””W-we understand…””

 They said, their faces turning red as they reached for their armor.

 ”Ugh…”

 ”Ugh…”

 The two of them stood behind Charlotte, completely n*ked.

 Although their physiques are similar, their facial features and chests are quite different.

 The cooler-looking one has a larger chest, while the cuter-looking one is more modest.

 Both have well-proportioned faces, which is a treat for the eyes… but they were reluctant to undress, so it’s natural that they feel embarrassed, covering their chests and groins with their hands.

 However, Charlotte showed no mercy in scolding the two of them.

 ”Put your hands down. By showing yourself, you can prove that you have no ill intentions, right?”

 ”” Um, yes…””

 Satisfied with the two of them lowering their hands as commanded, Charlotte nodded and looked at me for approval.

 ”What do you think? I think we’ve shown that we mean no harm.”

 ’Hmm, well…’

 While both of them have good looks, visually speaking, that alone is counterproductive for me right now.

 I’ve been keeping my energy levels topped up with energy drinks in case of any unexpected situations, and I haven’t been with anyone for a few days.

 On top of that, I was teased by Ms. Monoka and Nina yesterday, so just watching isn’t enough for me.

 Sensing my mood, Charlotte even went as far as to say this.

 ”It seems that’s not enough. Well, as I said, ‘first’, taking off their clothes was just to show that we mean no harm, and it’s not an apology for our rude behavior. So… would you like me to be your ‘servant’?”

 ”What?”

 ””Lady Shirley!?””

 She made an even more shocking proposal to our surprise.

 ”If you wish… as a success reward, I’d be happy to be your partner.”

 ’Huh?’

 ””That’s…!””

 I can understand a superior taking responsibility for their subordinates, but…

 However, for a princess to make such a promise to a man whose identity is unknown… is the “Gem Snake” issue really that serious?

 The two n*ked people are trying to stop it, but Ms. Wendy, who has been watching the situation, looks like she has no choice.

 For now, let’s ask about the situation.

 ’Putting those 2 aside, if you say that, does it mean that if the “Gem Snake” gets Ferris, it will lead to something very bad?’

 ”Yes. Ultimately, the royal family will no longer be the royal family, and the new royal family will likely govern in a very biased way.”

* * *

 After hearing the whole story from Charlotte… well, it was clear that this was indeed a serious matter for the country.

 It seems to be a rough prediction, but to put it simply, the king’s younger brother is aiming for the throne.

 I thought this was a common story in the creations of my past life, but… I heard that similar things actually happened in reality back then.

 Now, about the king’s younger brother.

 The previous king had set a trial period for the current king and his younger brother to work in his position, and as a result, the current king was chosen while the younger brother became part of the Duke family, known as the Norland family.

 The younger brother was said to have taken in too many words from those who said nice things, and he completely ignored negative opinions.

 Furthermore, it seems he was overly focused on status… thinking that royalty and nobles should have an easier life, and that commoners should suffer more for that reason.

 As a result, the younger brother was deemed unfit, and the capable current king was chosen.

 However, because of his personality, he seems to have a strong sense of self-worth.

 The issue of being deemed unqualified to be king isn’t his fault; it seems they think the previous king, who didn’t choose him, is the one to blame.

 So, I’ve heard that they (the king’s younger brother) plan to control Dungeon City and the distribution of magic items and magic stones produced from the dungeons, to gain more allies and take the throne. To monitor or interfere with this, Charlotte and Ferris have been sent.

 They have already joined a small group of women called “Silver Orchid,” led by Lyle, and with Charlotte’s funding and Ferris’s power, they have become “co-representatives” to suppress “Gem Snake.”

 I thought Ferris was the only representative, but since being recognized as a princess by “Gem Snake” would be bad, Charlotte is also a representative but keeps it a secret.

 After hearing all this, I asked a question that had been bothering me.

 ’If you knew all this, couldn’t you, like… charge them with treason or something?’

 ”Unfortunately, no. There isn’t any decisive evidence, and the one actually moving in this city is the second son of the Norland family, Ulgar. Even if he is using an excessive amount of money for ‘Gem Snake,’ without being able to prove that his goal is to usurp the throne, the Duke of Norland wouldn’t acknowledge it.”

 ’I see. So, have you questioned why this Ulgar person is staying in this city?’

 ”I heard the royal family inquired about that, and it seems he is preparing to propose to the daughter of the lord, the Vermillion family.”

 The Vermillion family… that’s Frederica’s family, right?

 So, she’s the daughter of the lord.

 Let’s move the conversation along.

 ’Is it about an arranged marriage? Not an engagement?’

 ”Yes. Well, it seems that before the arranged marriage, it’s common to settle personal relationships, so I couldn’t point it out too strongly.”

 Ah… so by doing that before the arranged marriage, they make it harder for the other family to investigate.

 Well, it could affect the success of the arranged marriage and also influence the hierarchy after it’s established, so I can understand that.

 Hmm?

 So, Frederica being encouraged to have an arranged marriage might be to quickly pair her with a suitable partner and eliminate the reason for Ulgar to stay in this city?

 I don’t know the Vermillion family’s status, but if the partner is from the royal family and a Duke, that would be quite high up, making it hard to refuse.

 The talk about involving the Adventurers’ Guild staff might have been because they were okay with the worst-case scenario of pairing her with an adventurer.

 If that’s the case… even though it’s too late for this situation, something similar might happen in the future, so if what I did gets found out, the arranged marriage with Frederica could move forward quickly.

 I should try to stay away from her as much as possible.

 And then, Charlotte talked about the protection of women that she started afterward.

 Initially, the main goal was to keep an eye on the “Gem Snake,” but it seems they received information that those guys are capturing good-looking women to use as bargaining chips… so they started protecting women who are either targeted or aware that they might be targeted, regardless of whether the threat is from the “Gem Snake.”

 Well, that would also be a way to disrupt the “Gem Snake.”

 However, because of that, it seems there are financial issues with the operation…

 ’Since you, a princess, have been sent here, it means this matter is very important, right? Then, the funding should be sufficient, right?’

 ”No, the royal family is pretending not to notice the movements of the Norland family, so it’s as if I’m not here. That’s why we used the already existing ‘Silver Orchid.’ So, aside from the initial funds, we are getting by through a few merchant guilds in a small way.”

 ’Oh, I see.’

 I understand now why they couldn’t strongly intervene in the matter of Urgar, which they claimed was about a marriage proposal.

 I get it, but… after hearing that response, I decide to ask a fundamental question.

 ’First of all, why were you, a princess, sent here?’

 ”That’s because, in case of an emergency, I will hold all the authority of this city as the king’s representative. The influence of having a royal family present is very different from not having one.”

 I hear that in such cases, there is strong influence even over the Adventurers Guild and the church.

 To exercise that influence, proof of being royal is needed, but it seems that the Vermillion family, which governs this city, can provide that.

 ’But you weren’t the only royal, were you?’

 ”Yes. There are other royals, but I was the one who could move the most easily.”

 ’Easily? This is a city where adventurers gather, and there are many armed people, right?’

 ”This arrangement was made a few years ago, but the other royals have various plans already set.”

 There are 3 princes and 3 princesses, but it seems that only the third prince and the third princess──Charlotte──didn’t have any plans set, like being an heir or being engaged to a powerful local family.

 ’Why were you chosen instead of the third prince?’

 ”Brother… The third prince wasn’t actually engaged yet, but it seems he met a good match around that time. Considering their family background and influence, His Majesty was supportive, and I didn’t have any discussions about that.”

 ’That’s surprising. With someone like you, there should have been plenty of marriage proposals.’

 At my response, Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly.

 ”Oh, thank you. It seems like the reward won’t be a problem~♪.”

 ’Uh, no…’

 I panicked, thinking I had said something careless, but she returned to explaining why there were no engagement plans.

 ”There have been plenty of proposals. It’s just that there wasn’t anyone I was interested in.”

 ’I see… Even so, there might be future considerations, so you shouldn’t speak so lightly about offering yourself as a reward.’

 ”It’s not light at all, you know? This matter will affect the entire country, and it will also impact our relations with other countries that trade the products from the dungeon. If I can prevent that, then offering myself is a small price to pay… it’s really nothing serious.”

 Ah, so it will affect relations with foreign countries too.

 Still, for someone her age to be so resolute, I wonder if it’s because of the times or her position.

 I thought it was a feeling I couldn’t understand as an ordinary person in my past life… oh, but I was technically a noble in this life.

 Even if I was exiled.

 Well, since I have memories from my past life, that will be my standard, so I still can’t fully understand.

 While I was thinking that, Charlotte continued speaking.

 ”And… even if it’s just for a little while, the fact that you can withstand Ferris’s attacks means I can’t just leave you alone. Even if we’re friendly now, you might be my enemy the next time we meet… I want to make sure that doesn’t happen, okay? ♪”

 Her eyes, as she said this, were sharper than before, and to me, she looked like a beast that had found its prey.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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