Living As the Villainess Queen-Chapter 433.1
The dry season would end in just five days. Eugene smiled as she flipped through the spell notebook.
He should arrive before sunset the day after tomorrow.
Her thoughts drifted back to the day Kasser had crossed the mountain range and ventured beyond the border. Even with tens of thousands of troops at his command, no force could march fast enough to reach the capital in only two days.
There was only one plausible explanation: he must have ridden Abu at full speed, without a moment’s rest.
Having led his army into the kingdom, he had fulfilled the bare minimum of his royal duty. It seemed he planned to entrust the rest to his warriors, then push ahead to the capital alone. Since none could match Abu’s pace, Kasser would likely arrive by himself.
Eugene let out a quiet chuckle, thinking of the royals and magnates from her previous world—always flanked by security, never a moment unguarded. Those with much to lose constantly surrounded themselves with protection.
But in this world, kings moved with surprising freedom, despite the rigid class system—because they were the most powerful supernaturals alive.
“While Kasser’s away in the capital, everyone’s only worried he won’t return before his active phase,” she murmured. “Not that anything might happen to him.”
Even the Grand Commander, the Chancellor, and the ever-worried Marianne hadn’t shown much concern, despite knowing their king had gone to confront the strongest lark in the world.
“So I’ll see him the day after tomorrow,” she said, unable to keep the small hum from escaping her lips. Even two days felt far too long.
Ah, that’s right. I was supposed to tell them.
The Grand Commander had asked her quite earnestly:
“Your Highness, once you know the exact day His Majesty will return, please do let me know.”
Eugene summoned Lester. When she informed him that the king would arrive at sundown in two days, his eyes widened for a moment before he quickly bowed.
“Thank you for letting me know, Your Highness.”
Not long after Lester withdrew, a maid arrived to announce a visitor. The request for an audience had been submitted the day after Eugene’s departure for the capital, but with the queen absent, no response had been issued. Since her return, she’d been consumed with resolving the nomads’ settlement issue, so the matter had only now come to her attention. Eugene agreed to meet the visitor today.
“I offer my greetings, Your Highness.”
Though it had been quite some time, the man’s face stirred memories as vivid as if they'd met just yesterday. Eugene received the respectful bow of a stout, middle-aged man whose figure resembled a ball tightly wrapped in formal attire.
It was James—the bank president. She’d been curious when she first heard he’d requested an audience.
“It’s been a while. What brings you here?” she asked.
“Your Highness, do you recall issuing an order to freeze an account?”
“Of course. Has something happened? I specifically instructed that no promissory notes be honored, regardless of who brought them.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Since your directive, we’ve blocked all access to the account without exception. For a while, individuals continued to present notes, but none have come in quite some time.”
“Well done.”
James cleared his throat, his tone becoming more cautious. “The reason I’ve requested this meeting is nothing more than…”
As he continued, Eugene quickly caught on to his true intent—and couldn’t help feeling a stab of exasperation. He wanted her permission to manage the frozen funds freely, suggesting that allowing him to invest the money would be far better than letting such a large sum sit idle. It reminded her of how banks in her old world would always find ways to push investments or open new accounts during every visit.
Whether in this world or the other, banks all speak the same language,
she thought dryly.
She tried to recall the current balance in the account.
The imposter spent quite a bit… but wasn’t there still about a hundred billion left—if converted to the currency of the other world?
It struck her how casually she now regarded that sum. A hundred billion—as if it were a few thousand won. Not long ago, when she first uncovered the fortune, she’d nearly screamed with joy, clinging to it like it was her last lifeline.
It wasn’t that her sense of money had dulled—it was that money itself no longer held much meaning. Even a hundred billion, while objectively a vast sum, paled in comparison to the scale of the royal budget she now managed as queen.
After all, everything she ate, wore, or used was covered by palace accounts. In fact, until the bank president’s visit, she had completely forgotten the account even existed.
It’s a huge amount to leave untouched… but it’s not like I have any use for it—ah!
A purpose came to her.
“I’ve already decided how those funds will be used,” she said. “I’ll be making a withdrawal soon—possibly a large one all at once. Be prepared.”
“…Understood, Your Highness,” the bank president replied, visibly disappointed as he bowed and departed.
Once he was gone, Eugene summoned her aide.
“How are the cultists in the capital faring these days?”
“After the large-scale crackdown, many of their leaders were apprehended. They’ve been without centralized leadership since, and there haven’t been any notable incidents.”
Like the Paladins of the Heavenly Order, the cult’s upper ranks had possessed extraordinary abilities that inspired deep, almost blind devotion. That’s why, even in the face of persecution, their influence had only grown stronger.
But now, everything was shifting. Their leaders could no longer draw power from Mara’s seeds, nor receive false revelations. To them, it would seem their god had abandoned them.
And moving forward, the kingdoms will no longer persecute them
, Eugene thought.
Without that pressure, their religious influence may weaken even further.
With the narrative of victimhood gone, the cult would lose the very fuel that sustained its momentum. Still, it wouldn’t disappear completely. It would adapt, survive—perhaps in even more dangerous, hidden forms. After all, humanity and religion had always been intertwined.
“Investigate whether there are victims of the cult’s deception—people who were harmed, financially or otherwise. Focus on the capital for now.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Once the truth spread—that Mahar was no god, but a monster who deceived the world—chaos would follow. And in the confusion, opportunists would rise to prey on the vulnerable, especially those left lost and unmoored by the collapse of their beliefs.
That was why Eugene had begun considering a collaborative effort with other kingdoms: the creation of a specialized organization to support victims of religious deception. It would extend help to those who had suffered during Mara’s masquerade as a divine figure.
And the imposter’s wedding gift money? That would serve as the seed fund for it all.
.
!
Chapter 433.1
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