My name is Leona Aceso, born and raised in Circle City. My twin sister's name is Leonie. I was born first, and she arrived a few minutes after me. As the eldest, I was destined to be the family head. However, fate had other plans: I lacked the [Holy Magic] skill. The Aceso family specializes in healing, and the head must wield both [Alchemy] and [Holy Magic]. Holy Magic not only heals but also serves as a potent weapon. In our family, it signifies the goddess's blessing to lead. My sister, blessed with both [Alchemy] and [Holy Magic], assumed the role of family head. Despite this, our bond remained unbroken. Some elders, however, disapproved. My mother, perceiving their discontent, suggested I leave temporarily until tensions eased. She advised me to keep a low profile and recommended settling in Eldorado, a remote town far from the capital. "Fine," I thought, "it's not like I'll ever overthrow my sister. Instead, I will support her." Disguised as a boy, I left under the cover of night with my bodyguards, servants, and intelligence specialists. I didn't want those old hags sending spies after me.
Upon arriving in Eldorado, I was neither surprised nor impressed. We settled near the apothecary, and I resolved to do nothing but relax. Life became challenging as the townspeople began to give me hateful looks without reason. The majority here were dark elves, followed by forest elves. Children threw stones at me in the streets. Before long, I was the town's gossip, dubbed the "Pitiful Noble." Rumors spread that I was the child of a high elf and a forest elf, cast out due to my impure blood. Ridiculous, right? I didn't care because I knew it wasn't true. I ordered my bodyguards to refrain from action.
One day, during a walk, two men blocked my path, spewing nonsense. I didn't even register their words, but when one tried to grab me, a stranger intervened, catching his hand and saying, "Don't you think you're too old for this, gramps?" He looked so cool, and I was captivated. First of all, I hold no prejudice against dark elves or forest elves. Mother always taught us to treat our patients equally. From that moment, I started following him around. He introduced himself as Elfan, and from that day, a god was born. He was a curious boy, always asking about things I didn't understand. One day, he explained democracy and dictatorship to me. Democracy, he said, is when people choose their own leaders, whereas dictatorship, like our queendom, is inherited, with leaders ruling through fear and the goddess as propaganda. I asked him which he preferred and would implement as a leader. He believed our queendom needed fair and competent leaders and would implement a combination of meritocracy and dictatorship. This world is too uncivilized for democracy. I wanted to call him "Lord," but I refrained to avoid seeming strange.
After three years, he volunteered at the apothecary, and I followed suit. In five years, he had made a name for himself. As volunteers, we handled storage and odd jobs, but he was already crafting remedies. Yes, he called them "medicine" and referred to alchemy as "chemistry." Perhaps he inherited this knowledge from his father, though he always credited his mother. Initially annoying, his constant references to "Mother this, Mother that" grew endearing over time. I wanted to make him mine, ensuring no one else could approach him. At the apothecary, women began to befriend him. How dare they? I ordered my guards to beat them and warn them never to approach him. If they saw him at work, they could greet him briefly but never hold a conversation. Should they dare report this to him, they and their families would meet the goddess.
He left the apothecary to work at a gold mine. I was disheartened by his absence but devised a plan. One of my spies from the capital, skilled at concealing his presence, was ordered to follow my man at work and report to me nightly. I documented everything. Did I mention I have ten full diaries about him? I'm now on the 11th volume. He would request information, and I would always demand money. Of course, I never spent it; I saved it in my treasure box. I wanted him to think I had connections and never suspect my noble origins.
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One day, he entered a sealed mithril mine. The spy I assigned didn't warn him. He had to pay. How dare he let my man enter such danger? After the report, I took a sword from one of the guards and slowly severed his limbs before ending his life. I wanted to send all the guards into the mine, but Anna opposed it. "If all the guards are gone, who will protect you? What if the elders make their move?" she said. Anna, a trusted family servant who had played with my sister and me since childhood, convinced me. I stationed someone at the mine entrance to inform me the moment my man emerged. Time crawled. I couldn't bear it. I longed to see my man. His father said he would return upon reaching adulthood, but he never did. Oh, by the way, my network discovered that his mother always talked about him to Eleanor, and she wanted to meet him. Eleanor couldn't because he was working at the mine, always tired after work. I ensured she was constantly busy, never having time for him. How, you ask? I paid people to fabricate reports of monster sightings or human slave merchants sneaking into town. As the eldest daughter set to inherit the title, it was her duty to address these issues. How dare she lust after my man? I wanted her to meet the goddess, but Anna objected. Killing the feudal lord's eldest daughter would cause chaos. I decided to help her sister win the succession battle, hoping Eleanor learned her lesson. She should thank me for sparing her.
I received a letter from home, summoning me back. Reluctantly, I complied. I sent another spy to the mine to live near the entrance. They were not to return until my man emerged. Upon his emergence, one would report to me, and the other would follow him, taking notes. These notes would help me complete diary volume 11. In the capital, the Eclipse family and Adams were vying for the throne. It struck me: the throne should belong to my man. I met with my sister, suggesting we refrain from supporting either faction to prolong the conflict. Without healers, the fight would be costly and prolonged. Since elders were involved, the battle would continue until my Lord returned. Before leaving Eldorado, I ensured to steal some of his clothes. How else could I sleep without his scent?
I met with Elmacia, seeking her support for my Lord to become king. I shared everything I'd learned from him about governance, and she was impressed. However, I despised her thoughts about my Lord. Am I a mind reader? No, but I can sense when someone harbors impure thoughts about him. I don't know how, but I can feel it. She suggested I marry him and become the queen, so he would have the power to implement his ideas while I served as a figurehead. I had no problem with that. Plus, I would see him every day. As queen, I could deal with any hussy that approached him. Or should I start calling him "husband" now?
I received a report that my husband had left the mine and was heading toward the capital. I wanted to meet him immediately, but Anna advised letting him rest. First thing in the morning, I went to see him, and it was the happiest day of my life in a long time. After meeting him, I fed him information about the elders. Being smart and curious, he wanted to meet Elmacia. Of course, husband, I'll let you meet her for free. Later, after revealing my true identity, I was relieved he wasn't angry. How could I live if my husband was mad at me? However, I resented Elmacia's proximity to him. Sitting next to him, I felt a heat I couldn't contain. When he said, "My condition is for me to be your only husband," I felt a thrill. After our wedding ceremony, I suggested we sleep early as we were moving to the palace the next day. However, I almost could contain myself at night.
"I swear by my name, Leona Aceso, any woman who approaches my husband will be dealt with, and any man who proposes to me will meet the goddess"