"Esther-sama, you look... dangerously... intense? I don’t know how to describe the look in your eyes right now," Elizabeth says, confused, while Adam stands beside her. I close the book I was reading and glance briefly out the window.

"I lost the throne," I tell them. They obviously must already know; if they didn’t, then their competence has dropped significantly.

"Have you read the official records?" I question, looking at them both.

"Yes, Esther-sama, we’ve read how the battle unfolded. We mourn the occurrence... unfortunate," Adam speaks, clearly being careful with his words so as not to anger me.

"...The truth is, I’m not sad, angry, or bothered by losing the throne," I say, knowing it’s not entirely bad, after all, Lucien and Marie, who would have been the biggest problem, didn’t get the throne either.

"In fact, I’ve never felt as light as I do now... Evelyn helped me accept something I was refusing." I had been fighting my ghoul instincts the entire time since they started becoming influential over my life.

I didn’t want Evelyn to see me as a monster. I didn’t want her to see that wild side. So I was holding back. But I don’t do that anymore. I’ve accepted that I’m a Ghoul.

Just like Evelyn clearly accepted she’s a dragon. Evelyn didn’t fight the desires and instincts to hoard wealth she can see, touch, and keep, so I should never have fought what I am either.

After ripping out Evelyn’s heart and eating it in front of her, I understood this. Fighting biology is useless. And from the point I tasted blood, I should never have tried to resist.

For the first time, I feel like I’ve returned to what I was before. I’m controlling my emotions better. The jealousy, obsession, and love are still here, but they’re not as explosive as before.

’I don’t need the throne... but... I need to get stronger... Evelyn exposed all our weaknesses.’ We were arrogant. Every candidate for the throne was so arrogant they didn’t properly prepare for unexpected possibilities.

Everyone expanded their domains. That means everyone knew they were dependent on a domain. And being dependent on one skill to deal with another is a weakness. We should have had at least three plans to deal with a skill we all knew the others possessed.

"Evelyn gave me a gift. She showed me my weaknesses. And if the cost of that was losing the throne, then so be it. I didn’t deserve the throne if I couldn’t even defeat someone as weak as Evelyn. But that won’t happen a second time." Losing intellectually to Evelyn isn’t entirely bad because it made me see I must no longer limit myself.

If you fail at something guaranteed once, it’s your fault. And if you fail at something guaranteed twice, then you’re an idiot. The throne was guaranteed for me, and I lost it through arrogance and underestimating how crazy someone’s actions at rock bottom can be. So I won’t make that mistake a second time.

"What do you need from us, Esther-sama?" Elizabeth asks, knowing I’ll want something.

"First, I want you to start buying every trade route available for sale. No matter the initial cost. I also want you to buy some lands that will become trade routes in the future."

"Also, I want you to kill the heads of the black market to slow down the power of certain nobles. And above all, I want you to buy all the dungeons near the kingdom. You can spend up to 30% of all the wealth I’ve accumulated on these purchases." When I say this amount, Adam makes a shocked expression.

A noble’s wealth is calculated by money, territories, and future profit margins. 30% of my wealth means I’m spending almost 80% of all the liquid money I have. This amount would bankrupt many nobles.

"Esther-sama, this is very risky... could you tell me your plans? Perhaps another approach..."

"Adam, your duty is to serve. Don’t forget that," I say, smiling at him as he recoils.

"Besides, I know exactly what I’m doing." To start, I’m barring Evelyn from having absolute power. If I control the trade routes, Evelyn will become dependent on my permission.

Soon my power as a noble will increase. Second, by killing some of the high-ranking black market bosses, I’ll destabilize the black market, and they’ll become more cautious. Soon, several nobles connected to it will try to leave, selling lands and places that have any connection, however minimal, to the black market.

And by buying all the dungeons near the kingdom, I’ll gain some control over the Guild. The Guild was always under the Demon King’s control, and normally, one couldn’t make the moves I’m making.

However, Evelyn is a novice queen. She’ll have to deal with the war and the nobility. So, she won’t have the leeway to defend herself and stop me yet. And by the time she finally realizes it, I’ll already have power she can’t take from me.

It’s simply a game of speed, and I’ll start ahead because I know how to handle this better. It’s risky, indeed, but I’m absolutely certain it will work because I’ll use Evelyn’s image for the purchases. After all, if the wife of the Demon Queen wants to buy something, most won’t have the courage to try and refuse.

’Let’s play, Evelyn... let’s see when you’ll notice my pieces closing in around you.’ I will never let Evelyn have total control over anything. She is mine, and I will chain this queen and keep her on a leash.

A Demon Queen Evelyn is an Evelyn who threatens to slip out of my control. So I’ll clip her wings before she learns to fly and bind her with chains she can never remove.

In the past, I would never have done this to the girl I love. But now? Now it doesn’t matter anymore. If this is what it takes for her to never escape me, then so be it.

"Hehehehahahahahaha." I laugh, thinking of the face Evelyn will make when she realizes everything depends on me. If she wants to move troops, she can only do so with my support. If she wants to move food, weapons, or anything, she’ll need to use routes I control.

And my plan is perfect because Evelyn won’t even be able to try creating new routes. After all, routes need to follow a pattern; they need to be safe, defensible, economically viable, and fast. And I’m already buying the lands where future routes could pass. So, if Evelyn wants new routes, they’ll still pass through territories that are mine anyway.

Evelyn can have all the power she wants, but she can only move that power if I allow it. And even the Guild will be partially under my control because the Dungeons are very important.

The truth is, Evelyn probably chose to protect herself from current problems, but unintentionally ignored her own control over the kingdom. Most Demon Kings need to focus on defending the power they have.

That’s why certain routes, territories, and dungeons are forbidden from being sold. And before Evelyn can give orders to stop these purchases, I will have already bought everything.

And unlike other nobles who would cede routes out of respect, fear, or payment, I’ll have no reason to cede them if I don’t want to. After all, she won’t kill me.

This is the same weakness we both have. I would never kill Evelyn, and she used that to become queen. But she would also never kill me, and I’ll use that to trap her in this sweet snare.

"Now go quickly, Adam and Elizabeth. Gather many of my servants and start buying everything as soon as possible. Buy as much as you can," I say, throwing a map to them, with key points they must buy no matter what.

These points are in various cities, locations, and areas. Not just in this kingdom, but in cities across the continent. Cities used as strongholds, or trade routes. The kingdom is the main pillar of the continent, but there are hundreds of smaller cities across the continent for various purposes.

"Understood, Esther-sama..." They both immediately leave to carry out my order. When they leave, I keep staring at a painting of Evelyn that I had made some time ago.

"An invisible prison for my sweet, cute dragon... that sounds sweet, don’t you think, Evelyn?" I should have done this much sooner. Made a prison she could never escape. I tried the normal way. I tried to love like a normal person.

But I never could. And now I realize that was a mistake. I’m not normal. So now, I’m going to love her the only way I know how: by controlling everything so it stays the way I want.

And Evelyn won’t be able to try and take this power from me. After all, I’m a noble who bought everything legally. If she tries to confiscate the assets I’m buying now, all nobles will be riled up, generating revolt and disobedience she can’t control.

In other words, either she accepts the control, or the kingdom will collapse from disorder and chaos. And that is the political shield that protects me from the little power she’ll have left. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Three powerful chains are encircling Evelyn to trap her. An economic chain with the trade routes. An institutional chain that comes with control of the dungeons, since the kingdom gets 41.3% of all its resources from dungeons.

And the third is the political chain: a political dependency where attacking me becomes too expensive and costly, forcing Evelyn to silently accept that she no longer has the power to override me.

"Evelyn, Evelyn, Evelyn, I’m going to crush your audacity." She became too presumptuous. She became queen and already thinks I can no longer do what I want. I can see it in her eyes. She thinks she’s more ’safe’ from me now than in the past.

I’m going to prove to her that, in truth, everything has only gotten worse. Because now the control doesn’t just come from marriage, but from the very power she has that shackles her to me. The title of Demon Queen is now just a pretty collar adorning Evelyn.

"My Queen... only mine." I’ll stay away from Evelyn for a while. I’ll stay in my mansion, waiting, to not give any signs of my movements. I’ll let her deal with the kingdom and think she has power. When she finally realizes how trapped she is with me, it will be fun.