The final secret?
Cecilia felt that the pink-haired girl before her was full of secrets.
Elashia asked:
"Can you guess why during my coup, I had to wait until after you left the city to take action?"
"What?"
Cecilia was somewhat surprised.
She had thought it was just a coincidence.
"Don't you find it strange? How could I, a princess whom hardly anyone in Radiant Emperor City recognized, simultaneously gain the support of almost all Elasia officials and even regional lords under the power system carefully crafted by the old emperor?"
"This..."
Honestly, Cecilia had never thought about it.
She didn't understand politics, so she also believed that understanding how Elashia controlled these officials would be meaningless to her.
After all, she couldn't comprehend these matters anyway.
So when she first met Elashia, she only thought that hidden beneath Elashia's girlish appearance was a terrifying schemer, whose plots were beyond ordinary understanding, almost unimaginable.
But during their time together, Cecilia discovered—this pink-haired girl didn't seem to be like that at all.
She had given almost all power to Candice, barely involving herself in politics.
She repeatedly emphasized her own weakness to Cecilia, and had entrusted almost all military authority of Elasia to her.
She made public all the royal spells that were the foundation of the Elasia Empire.
If Elashia wasn't as powerful as Cecilia had imagined, then everything Elashia had done previously stemmed from one thing.
Having lived for so many years, she knew very well what this was.
It was a kind of almost naive trust.
This kind of unreserved trust in others was definitely not something a schemer could possess.
So, the current Cecilia was also very curious—how exactly did Elashia control Elasia?
Seeing Cecilia remain silent, Elashia spoke:
"Actually, there were no schemes or elaborate plans at all."
"The reason is simple—I possess magic that can control people's minds."
"Control minds?"
Cecilia had only seen such magic in novels.
"Yes, it's a... magic beyond your imagination."
"This magic can only be used by me, and the cost is unimaginably small."
"To explain briefly, I can control a person who has no magic power or 'Qi' with almost no expenditure of magical energy by sacrificing the controlled person's lifespan instead of my own."
"What?"
"Moreover, except for their gaze becoming somewhat dull, the abilities of those I control remain almost unchanged."
"Rather than 'mind control,' the effect of my magic is more like 'concept implantation.'"
"This is also why the political atmosphere in Elasia inexplicably improved suddenly after my coup—I implanted commands like 'loyalty' and 'integrity' into the minds of all the corrupt officials in Elasia."
Cecilia let out a gasp.
Even Candice, who was mentally prepared, showed surprise upon hearing about this unreasonable ability.
Imperial Sister's [Soul Capture] was already unreasonable enough, but Elashia's mutated version [Mind Control] that evolved from Imperial Sister's foundation was unreasonable to a ridiculous degree!
Fortunately, Elashia was on their side. (-_-;)
"So that's it..."
Now the questions in Cecilia's mind were completely resolved.
Elashia, with her mysterious veil lifted, finally appeared less intimidating in Cecilia's eyes.
"Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that after knowing all this, I won't fear you anymore?"
Cecilia asked puzzledly.
When punishment is unknown, its power cannot be measured.
Now that Elashia had shown almost everything about herself to Cecilia, as a ruler, she would naturally lose Cecilia's fear of her.
Elashia didn't speak, but merely smiled gently at Cecilia.
With that smile, Cecilia's heart nearly skipped a beat.
The pink-haired girl who had voluntarily removed her mysterious veil, smiling under the clear moonlight, possessed a kind of unassuming liveliness, effortless charm, and more... unspoken trust.
Elashia and herself had only known each other for a few months, yet not only had she given Cecilia almost all military authority of Elasia after meeting her, but she had also voluntarily revealed the secret of her [Mind Control]...
This silent yet not at all awkward quietness continued for a long time.
Cecilia didn't even notice—she was smiling too.
That naive girl who had just arrived at Radiant Emperor City, still harboring romantic fantasies and ideals in her heart, was revived at this moment.