The World Is Mine For The Taking

"W-Wow, you really didn't beat around the bush," Trill said, her voice tinged with both surprise and a hint of admiration. Even she seemed caught off guard by Princess Myrcella's unapologetic directness.

"Well, I figured I shouldn't," Myrcella said, her lips curving into a confident smirk. Her eyes gleamed under the light, like a predator cornering its prey. "Considering it looks like I'm already in the way for the three of you."

We'd already planned to head home tonight, but it seemed like she'd taken this as some kind of nighttime date or something. I could see how she might think that. After everything that had unfolded today, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility to veer off course and end up somewhere unexpected. Still, Titania needed a break. Her shoulders were tense, and her usual sharpness looked dulled by exhaustion. Pushing her any further wasn't an option; she deserved better than that.

Titania straightened, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto Myrcella like a blade poised to strike. "Let me ask you something first, Princess Myrcella," she said, her tone cutting through the air like steel. "Why do you want to recruit us? And why us?"

That question hit like a thunderclap. It was the missing piece in this strange, unfolding puzzle. Myrcella hadn't explained why she was so determined to pull us into her orbit, and it was about time she laid her cards on the table.

"You've heard my vision for the school during the election, haven't you?" Myrcella's voice was smooth, but there was a weight behind it, an edge that demanded attention. "I said I planned to change how the academy decides who gets to graduate as a magic knight. Right now, only those in the Gold Class have that privilege. I want to rewrite that rule—to make it so students from the Silver Class, even the Bronze Class, can graduate and become knights."

That was true. Her vision was bold—so ambitious it bordered on impossible. Changing a system like that wasn't something you could achieve overnight. Her idea would essentially overturn a long-standing tradition, one that emphasized competition and rewarded those who performed the best academically and physically.

The current system already gave students a shot at becoming magic knights, but only if they could rise to the top ranks. Unfortunately, many students, despite their efforts, never made it to the Gold Class by their fourth year. Myrcella's vision aimed to give them a chance regardless of their rank, but in doing so, she was challenging a tradition that had been in place for over 100 years.

"Your vision... it's something I don't believe can be achieved in just two years," Titania said, her voice laced with skepticism.

Myrcella had two years left at the academy to make this happen—her third and fourth years. The odds were stacked against her. If she couldn't show tangible results in her first year as president, her chances of being re-elected for her final year would plummet. Words alone wouldn't be enough to satisfy people; they needed results. And without those, Myrcella's ambitious vision would crumble before it could even take shape.

"I agree with you that my vision is incredibly big and ambitious," Princess Myrcella said, her voice steady yet laced with a flicker of vulnerability. "And I won't pretend it's not practically impossible to achieve. But with your help, I believe it can be done."

Her gaze shifted to Titania first, and the air seemed to shift with it, carrying an almost magnetic intensity.

"Princess Titania," Myrcella began, her eyes locking onto Titania's with unwavering determination. "As someone who also ran during the election, I could feel your passion for change. And as someone who seeks to make things better, I believe you are the one most suited to stand by my side as Vice President."

My breath hitched, and I couldn't help but widen my eyes at her declaration. Vice President? Titania? It wasn't an unreasonable choice, but hearing Myrcella state it so plainly sent a ripple of surprise through me. I hadn't expected her to be so forthright and so unapologetically bold.

"Me? The Vice President?" Titania echoed, her brows knitting together in confusion. Her tone carried a note of disbelief, as if the notion itself was too foreign to settle comfortably in her mind.

"I need someone like you," Myrcella continued, her voice softening, almost pleading. "Someone who will always be by my side, someone who isn't afraid to challenge me or offer guidance when I falter. Even as a princess, I'll admit I'm still naïve about many things. Having a fellow princess like you could make all the difference."

Titania didn't respond immediately. She stared at Myrcella, her eyes narrowing slightly, as though trying to read between the lines. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She seemed lost in her own thoughts, weighing an invisible scale I couldn't hope to see.

Then, Myrcella turned to Trill, and the tension in the air shifted again.

"And as for you, Princess Trill," Myrcella said with a smile that was warm yet calculating. "I want you to be the treasurer."

"Treasurer?" Trill blurted out, her voice laced with disbelief. She blinked, taken aback, her expression shifting from confusion to outright shock.

I could hardly blame her. Of all the roles, treasurer seemed like the least likely fit for someone like Trill. I mean, Trill was about as financially responsible as a drunk gambler on a losing streak.

"I want you to handle the funds," Myrcella explained, her tone as calm and measured as ever, "and manage the financial aspects of my vision. There will be initiatives, projects, things that require careful allocation of resources to ensure progress."

"Um… but why me?" Trill asked, her confusion deepening.

It was a fair question. Trill wasn't exactly treasurer material, and even she knew it. But as I watched Myrcella speak, it became clear she wasn't choosing Trill for her financial acumen—because let's be honest, there was none. No, this was about something else entirely.

"Because I see something special in you," Myrcella said with a gentle smile.

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Bullshit. That was my immediate thought. There was no way she genuinely believed that. But as I glanced at Trill, her cheeks slightly flushed and her expression caught somewhere between flattery and hesitation, I realized something. Myrcella wasn't trying to convince Trill because she believed in her abilities—she was playing the game, weaving a narrative that made everyone feel included.

Clever. Manipulative, but clever.

As the thought settled in, I felt the weight of Myrcella's gaze shift toward me. My stomach knotted instinctively, though I kept my face neutral. I wasn't blind to her tactics, but I had to admit, she had a way of making you wonder—just for a second—if maybe, just maybe, there was something she could see in you that you couldn't see in yourself.

But no, I wasn't falling for it.

"As for you, Leon, I want you to be my secretary," Princess Myrcella said, her voice carrying a strange mix of confidence and something softer, almost teasing.

"Might I ask why?" I asked, keeping my tone steady.

Secretary? Out of all the positions she could have picked, this was the last one I thought she'd throw my way. Honestly, Titania seemed like the natural choice—she had the precision and poise for a role like that. So why me?

"I don't know, honestly," she said, and there wasn't a trace of pretense in her voice.

Huh? She didn't know? Then what the hell was this about?

"I just feel like I want you by my side. Is that not enough of a reason?" she added, tilting her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling sincerity.

Both Trill and Titania turned to glare at her, their expressions sharp enough to cut. Even though they were okay with me having more women, it looked like there were boundaries—and Myrcella was tap-dancing dangerously close to one.

"I don't think that's much of a reason," I said. "It feels more like you're planning to keep me as a pet than an actual secretary."

She laughed at that, the sound light and melodic, like she wasn't taking me seriously at all. "I was only jesting," she said with a playful grin. "The real reason I want you as my secretary is simple—I see something special in you. I think you're more capable than you let on, Leon. And that something, whatever it is, might just be the key I need to achieve my vision."

Her words hit differently. It wasn't flattery, and it wasn't manipulation—it felt honest, raw. She wasn't pulling any punches.

And I couldn't ignore the elephant in the room.

Myrcella knew who I really was. I was Leon. But I was also Christopher Faust. That was the name behind the massive empire of Leonamon. She both knew my identity, and she knew that they were only one person.@@novelbin@@

No wonder her impression of me was high. To her, I wasn't just some random guy—I was a capable, driven man who'd built something monumental from the ground up. That's what she wanted.

She wasn't lying, and I could tell. Not a single word of it was fake. Myrcella had her sights set on me, not for anything superficial, but because she genuinely believed I was the person who could help her achieve the impossible.