Within the heart of the Arclesia Empire’s capital, inside the newly opened Nifty boutique, sat Empress Chris. Thanks to the potent Recognition Inhibition Magic active at every table, her presence as the sovereign did not cause even the slightest stir.
Chris observed the exceptionally high-quality black tea and sweets with an impressed expression before turning her gaze to the woman sitting across from her—her biological mother, Listia.
"But Mother... how in the world did you manage to get a reservation? I imagine the competition for the lottery was astronomical."
"Oh? Chris-chan, did you think I actually applied for the reservation lottery like a normal person?"
"I didn't think that for a second, which is why I'm looking at you with such suspicion. Whose slot did you snatch away this time?"
Nifty was a unique entity. As a brand owned by Kaito, the Singularity who existed outside the laws of the three nations, it was a place where imperial authority held no sway, even though it was physically located within Arclesia's borders.
Even for someone with the power of an Empress, it was impossible to secure a table through a royal decree; one simply had to win the lottery against overwhelming odds.
In fact, Chris had applied personally, only to fail for the opening day and receive a slot twenty-eight days into the future. Yet, Listia had suddenly appeared, claiming she had a reservation and inviting her daughter to join her.
"Calling it 'snatching' is so uncharitable. I didn't actually do a thing. I didn't order anyone around, nor did I use my Charm or anything of the sort. I merely sighed in front of a few acquaintances about how much I wanted to visit the Nifty cafe with my daughter. One of them, who just happened to win a slot for the opening day, insisted that I should be the one to use the reservation rights. I simply accepted the offer with grace. See? I didn't do anything wrong."
"..."
Chris stared at her mother, her expression one of utter disbelief. Listia made it sound nonchalant, but as the strongest succubus, she had a trail of people she had left utterly spineless. There were countless devotees who were so infatuated with her they would gladly risk their lives just to hear her say a single "thank you."
Between the women of the Inner Palace and the various nobles and wealthy merchants who worshipped her, Chris could easily imagine that an incredible number of people had flooded the lottery system the moment Listia dropped even a hint of her desire.
"Think about it, Chris-chan. As the Empress, you’re in the public eye constantly, aren't you? If you don't stay on top of the latest trends, people will start to look down on you. These things are all about timing and freshness. Honestly, instead of me, you should have been the one using your subordinates to apply for that lottery with everything you had."
"...I suppose you're right when you put it that way, but I still have a lingering aversion to using a powerful Charm to bend people to my will."
"Hmm, I think you might be misunderstanding something. I almost never use my Charm outside of missions, you know?"
"Is that true?"
"For me, the power of Charm is nothing more than a shortcut. Even without it, making people fall for me isn't particularly difficult. All you have to do is identify what they want or what words they long to hear, then naturally slip into their hearts. After that, you just slowly cultivate a dependency until they feel they can't exist without you. I use Charm for work because taking time is a nuisance, but in my private life, where’s the fun in that? I'm the type who prefers to savor my 'meals' properly."
Indeed, while Listia possessed an absolute Charm that was impossible to resist for those weaker than her, she didn't abuse it. To her, it wasn't entertaining outside of professional duties. Instead, she relied on her Art of People Manipulation—her mastery of conversation and psychology—to take others captive.
For her, making someone so dependent that their life revolved around her was a simple task. Given that her concept of romance was akin to dining, the process of enthralling someone felt much like the act of cooking.
Admittedly, compared to the past, she had mellowed out considerably. She no longer went so far as to systematically destroy a person's heart and leave them a broken shell of a human once she was finished with them, but still...
"This is all incredibly complicated. You make points that are actually quite educational, which makes it hard for me to flatly deny your methods. It’s a bit troubling."
"Well, I’m not saying you have to be exactly like me, but it wouldn't hurt you to learn how to make people dance in the palm of your hand a bit more. It would make keeping those conservatives in line much easier, wouldn't it? I’ll teach you some tricks one of these days. Compared to our King, everyone else is as simple as a child. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll control them with ease."
"Your benchmark for comparison is a person at the absolute pinnacle of the entire world, Mother..."
"Even so, dealing with Shaltier-sama is actually quite relaxing. It’s impossible to outwit her no matter what you do, so you can just be completely honest and give up on playing games."
Seeing Listia give a wry laugh, Chris found herself smiling as well. Despite the complexities of their past, their relationship had become genuinely good, and Chris felt a surge of quiet happiness that they could enjoy such a lively conversation together.