Volume 1: Chapter 1, Part 1. Pieces on the Chessboard I

Translator: AdCaelum

Editor: Evelet

QC: Adel

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AdCaelum: I’m so happy to see you guys enjoying my translation. It’s fun making Andriam the snark troll he should be.

Adel: As I’ve been QCing I have been cross-checking the JP raws sometimes. I want you guys to know that Cael is doing an S-tier translation here, as the source text is extremely nuanced and Cael is attentively capturing those details to give you readers the real feel.

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Swapping out the priestess was unheard of, but I promptly left the fiasco in the throne room behind to take Julietta from the castle to my mansion on the outskirts of the capital. It must have come as a great shock to any onlookers as I tenderly held her in my arms both boarding and alighting the carriage.

But, could you blame them? After all, up until now, Andriam had never cared about his daughter, let alone looked after her.

The ambitious chancellor treated his daughter as an object—a pawn to maintain his connection to the royal family. This was common knowledge, and in the memories I inherited from this body, the man had never seen his daughter as anything more.

But not anymore. Julietta was my misfortunate daughter.

I felt this way too back when I played the game in my past life. Andriam had high-handedly made his daughter the dragon priestess when she was merely seven years old. Ten years ago, he had taken advantage of the previous priestess’ early death and continued to do so to raise his daughter’s position past just the crown prince’s fiancée.

Having already lost her birth mother at a much younger age, Julietta would also be separated from her father and forced to live in the temple. Although the temple attendants would serve her, it was by no means a lavish stay. Anyone could imagine her mental state, but the future where she would stand beside her beloved crown prince as his wife had supported her until the game’s protagonist’s sudden appearance threatened that. You could see why she had antagonized the protagonist, right?

Julietta, lacking chances to interact with other girls her age, knew her status and grew up selfish, haughty, and ostentatious. The temple priests and priestesses were all sick of her. Nevertheless, she never committed any wrongdoing that would invalidate the decade of training, education, and effort she put into her position and future as queen consort. This just showed how immoral the protagonist was for pinning after an engaged prince.

After arriving at the mansion, I put Julietta to bed, sat down by her pillows, and gently wiped the tear stains from her face with a towel soaked in warm water.

Her natural face, no longer covered by all the heavy makeup, was more endearing than I had imagined.

Julietta’s natural face was never revealed in-game, but I had bought and read the massive artbook from cover to cover in my previous life. That was how I knew the intricacies hidden within the game. Julietta, unsure about her looks, had hidden her lovely face under makeup so thick that it obscured all signs of the beauty she had been born with. Uncovering this aspect was the trigger to enter the “Reconciliation: Friendship Ending”. Additionally, the in-game graphics made Andriam look melancholic and cunning with the dark circles under his eyes and his silver-rimmed glasses. However, the artbook described him as “a stunning, jaw-dropping beauty when his glasses are removed”. Perhaps he was meant to be an unlockable secret route.

As I diligently wiped Julietta’s face, she softly groaned and regained consciousness.

“Julietta, have you come around?” I made sure my voice sounded gentler than usual.

“Fa…ther…?” Her eyes, the same jade color as mine, blinked several times. Large tears welled as she tried to focus on my figure by her pillow.

“Yes, my Julietta.”

Julietta jolted up from the bed with a start upon realizing I was really there. I softly pushed down on her shoulders to gently tell her to rest. She was dumbfounded for a bit before suddenly recalling the fiasco at the throne room. She buried her face in her pillow, shed tears, and repeatedly mumbled apologies.

“Father… please forgive this useless Julietta for her failure to secure Prince Vikram’s heart…”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“I am unworthy of your kindness and consideration…” Julietta grit back sobs and looked up at me with moist eyes. “Can I truly still be of use to you? I have been tossed aside by Prince Vikram. His Highness would rather have that lowly girl by his side as his fiancée.”

“Hmm.”

“Which means that my role and hers are now reversed, correct?”

“You are correct, my clever Julietta.”

I narrowed my eyes and lovingly caressed her forehead. I knew it; this girl wasn’t a fool. She would surely color the stage I’ve set up for us with greater and more beautiful flowers of revenge.

Julietta quietly closed her eyes. Her flat tone hinted at her resignation. “If there’s anything I can do to remain of use to Father and His Highness, I ask for nothing more.”

“My precious Julietta, up until now, I have seen you as a tool.”

Hearing these words from my mouth, Julietta opened back up her eyes and looked up at my face. Her expression revealed that she had already known that. She genuinely smiled in response, and I whispered my new role for her into her small conch-shaped ear.

“You are my beloved daughter.” I reminded her. “And starting now, you will be my most trusted accomplice.”

“Fa…ther…?”

“Rest easy, Julietta. In retribution, I shall have them pay severalfold for the humiliation you received.” I held out my hand and smiled. “Will you join me?”

My adorable daughter looked slightly puzzled, but she soon took my hand in a firm grip.

Our 12th grade vocabulary is enhanced by coffee. We would be elated by any philanthropic endeavors.

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