Chapter 337 Honey Trap Operative (？)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I hear King William is due to arrive in a few days,” the Queen said.
It was the day after I had spent the night with Sera-chan of the Merchant Guild Tasogare¹. I’d been whisked away from the mansion where the interviews were held and brought straight to the royal palace. Queen Cecile dropped that news the second we were face-to-face.
I couldn’t help but feel she could have let me rest a little longer, but apparently, that wasn’t on the table. For what it’s worth, it seemed Muse the maid’s subordinates would handle the explanations to Sera-chan, but I’d definitely have to apologize to her later.
”His Majesty King William of the western Kingdom of Ferguson, right? He’s a bit behind schedule…” I noted.
”Yes. It seems he had some trouble navigating the trade routes that were cut off. Even though they’ve supposedly been reopened, monsters are still running wild within Ferguson’s borders,” the Queen replied.
Her words brought back our conversation from the other day – the day I was appointed Special Advisor and, coincidentally, became her lover. She had lined up five letters she’d received and started by explaining the one from the Kingdom of Ferguson.
King William had sent a letter to Queen Cecile immediately after the Stampede² chaos settled. He had even insisted on traveling to the Canaria Kingdom himself.
Within Ferguson, the trade route to the Canaria Kingdom had been severed because the wicked dragon Zil Meina had moved from the north to the south. It wasn’t just a trade route, though; the entire country had essentially been split in two.
King William was hurrying to restore things and headed our way. That’s how much he valued the relationship with the Canaria Kingdom. After all, Ferguson and Canaria were close enough to be called Twin Kingdoms. To put it another way, neither had any other significant allies.
Well, Ferguson apparently had some ties with the island nations further west, but nothing compared to a neighbor like the Canaria Kingdom, which shared a massive border and a similar culture. Plus, they owed us for the trouble the Stampede caused and for the fact that we were the ones who finally solved it.
Then there was the matter of the Ddo-Buddy Cannon³ I’d developed. No one could ignore a magical weapon capable of slaughtering a creature like Zil Meina.
Furthermore, Canaria had been deepening its ties with the Coalmine Kingdom to the north and the Kingdom of Sylvaol to the southwest lately. Yeah, King William must be sweating bullets.
”As we discussed before, you’ll be present at the meeting. Oh, and since Duke Badcage is returning home with them, you should tell Tina it’ll be soon,” Cecile said.
”Understood,” I replied.
This was all stuff we’d confirmed last time. I didn’t think we needed to go over it again, and I expected us to move on to the finer details. But then, Cecile opened her mouth as if the next part was hard to say.
”…Well, don’t get too worked up about the meeting. Just give me an occasional nod while I’m talking,” she muttered.
”That was the plan. I won’t say anything unnecessary. So, is that all?” I asked.
”No, there’s one vital thing left… Don’t you remember? I told you that a female relative would be accompanying King William,” the Queen said.
”Ah…” I breathed.
Right, I remembered now. Come to think of it, that was part of the deal. The shock of being dragged into Cecile’s bedroom right after that conversation had completely wiped it from my mind.
”If I recall, she’s from a house that left the royal family a few generations back,” I said.
”Yes. Her status is high enough that she’d be a suitable match for you, and she’s the right rank for Roland to take as a Queen,” Cecile explained.
In other words, she was a suspected honey trap⁴ operative. From Ferguson’s perspective, the current Canaria Kingdom looked like it was boosting its national power and shifting its diplomatic strategy. If they wanted to fix that, this was the quickest way.
If they could seduce me, they’d likely get their hands on info about the Ddo-Buddy Cannon. If they could land Prince Roland, they’d strengthen the bond between the two countries for good. We still didn’t know which one they were aiming for, though.
”We’re starting to uncover more about her identity,” the Queen said.
”Can I hear it?” I asked.
”Yes. Her name is Unia. She’s the third daughter of the house of Duke Greiter,” the Queen replied.
Lady Unia Greiter. Great, another Duke’s daughter. She was going to overlap with Tina’s whole vibe. Trivial thoughts like that floated through my head, but this wasn’t the time for that.
”A Duke’s third daughter, huh…?” I mused.
”Yes, it’s a calculated move. While I wouldn’t call her a flawless match for Roland, she’s within the acceptable range. Since she has no rights to the throne, the nobles back home won’t protest. And being a third daughter, she could even be a concubine without it causing an insult. It makes it easy for us to compromise,” Cecile said.
”And, uh, as for a match for me…?” I asked.
”Also calculated. She’s technically far above a Viscount like you, but with Tina as a precedent, it’s not unheard of. And again, as a third daughter, the Ferguson crown wouldn’t consider her a major loss,” the Queen said.
She definitely sounded like a honey trap. With a background like that, I couldn’t help but feel they were playing both sides, thinking it’d be fine as long as one of us bit the hook.
”So, about this House of Greiter…” I started.
”Like I said, they branched off from the royals a few generations ago, but currently they’re involved in western trade,” Cecile said.
”The west? Not the east?” I asked.
That was a bit of a surprise. If they were bringing her here to deepen ties with us, I assumed they’d send an eastern noble. Western trade meant she was from a family with deep ties to the island nations even further west than Ferguson.
Honestly, it felt a little out of place to bring her to a diplomatic meeting with our country. It wasn’t like there was a regular exchange, and the cultures might even be different. No – maybe that’s exactly why she was a perfect honey trap. If she had no conflicting interests, she could act purely for the sake of her country rather than her house.
”Gathering info was a hassle because of that. If she were from the east, our western lords would have known her, and we know most of the big players in the capital. But to think she was from the west…” Cecile said.
”I don’t know much about Ferguson, but is it a particularly powerful house?” I asked.
”No, not at all. Apparently, the only reason they have land in the west is because the first head of the house liked fishing. Back then, they didn’t care about western trade; it was just a typical idle post for a noble. Well, they’ve grown into something of a local power in the west now, but still…” the Queen said.
The suspicion that Lady Unia was a honey trap just kept getting stronger. I’d never even seen her face, but I felt bad for her getting stuck with such a difficult job. Or maybe she was actually fired up about the chance to become a Queen.
”The only other thing we found out was her age. She’s just shy of twenty,” Cecile added.
Oh. That was the perfect setup⁵. For Prince Roland, she could just barely pass as an older bride, and for me, she was a little younger but still perfectly within range. The “aiming for both” theory was looking more likely by the second.
”So, basically, I just need to be careful?” I asked.
”Exactly. Especially you. Right now, there’s all risk and no reward in getting involved with her. Don’t you dare let her reel you in, okay?” the Queen warned.
”I’ll keep that in mind,” I promised.
”Good. If you dodge her successfully… you can expect a reward. I promise to entertain you with service that’s even better than the other day,” Cecile said.
As the Queen said that with a slight blush on her cheeks, my loyalty went through the roof. Honestly, she probably would have rewarded me either way, but still.
”However, I might consider her for Roland depending on how things go. I don’t want him being forced into anything, though, so keep an eye on him if you have the chance,” the Queen said.
I nodded. Roland was smart; he wouldn’t do anything to get in the way of his mother’s negotiations. Still, as his tutor, I’d make sure to step in if things looked dicey.
It seemed like we were done talking about King William and Lady Unia, and the conversation was coming to an end. But then, Cecile muttered one last thing with the most annoyed face I’d seen all day.
”One last bit of intel… Apparently, Lady Unia is a legendary beauty. I’m really counting on you, alright?” the Queen muttered.
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Summary:
King William of Ferguson is set to arrive in Canaria to repair trade relations severed by the dragon Zil Meina. Queen Cecile warns the protagonist about Lady Unia Greiter, a suspected honey trap operative accompanying the King. The protagonist agrees to help monitor the situation and protect Prince Roland from potential manipulation.
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Trivia:
- The protagonist just spent the night with Sera-chan.
- Canaria and Ferguson are known as ‘Twin Kingdoms’.
- The Greiter family is involved in western trade, which is unusual for this diplomatic context.
- Unia is the third daughter, making her a flexible political asset (concubine or bride).
- Cecile is explicitly jealous/possessive of the protagonist regarding Unia’s beauty
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Character Insight:
Queen Cecile shows a mix of sharp political calculation and personal jealousy. She is willing to use political rewards (her ‘service’) to ensure the protagonist’s loyalty against foreign seduction.
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Behind the Scenes:
The term ‘Yakuman’ used in the original Japanese refers to a maximum-score hand in Mahjong, implying Lady Unia’s attributes perfectly meet the requirements for a honey trap mission.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Cecile – A queen in the capital who possesses the authority to regulate business and commerce, particularly concerning moral or public order issues. She is currently investigating Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest.’ Have long golden hair, elegant, and wearing expensive white dress with gold accesories.
• Sera – A young, earnest salesperson from the Tasogare Merchant Guild, Kento’s supplier. She is characterized by her braided brown hair, large round glasses, and freckles. She’s serious about her job and easily flustered, especially by Kento’s adult goods business. Looks like Onodera from certain series.
• Muse – Cecile’s trusted attendant and chief maid, Muse handles sensitive, discreet tasks like espionage and product acquisition. Have sharp, black eyes, wearing maid uniform, and have expressionless face.
• Roland – he younger brother of Queen Cecile and the heir apparent to the Canaria throne. Clean, golden-blonde hair, same color as the Queen, innocent, beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl but dressed in a boy’s formal wear.
• Unia – The third daughter of the house of Duke Greiter. Has blonde hair tied in an intricate style, dol-like beauty, and expressionless face.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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