(AN: I edited Lesley Moriarty's nickname from 'The Great malevolence' to 'Queen of Queens.')
Once upon a time lies a young girl sitting on her father's lap while he tells her a story.
'The Queen of all Queens.' He said the title.
'One day, in a land far- far away, live two women.
One woman lives in a castle filled with gold and jewelry. She's the child of a benevolent Emperor, Jack Bulgury.
She grows up to become the sole heiress of the throne as she is taught to be cunning and ruthless by her tutor, who seeks the throne for herself.
The other woman lives as the daughter of a commoner that possesses no wealth. She lived through trials and obstacles and had zero education.
She was, however, taught to be kind and brave by the two of her parents.
A day before the coronation, Jack Bulgury suffered heart disease and died.
Her daughter, Emilia Bulgury, has no other option but to be the sovereign of the empire her father once ruled. She is to be a queen, and that appeals to her.
After her father's death, she began ruling with absolute tyranny, uncaring towards her people.
Many of her servants objected to the way she was ruling and retaliated against her. Yet, of course, through quantity, Emilia won the civil war. Many people are to be kicked out of the castle and exiled to the northwest village, where monsters creep and stalk every second.
Coincidentally, a young and intelligent woman lives there. Her name is Dominique Alexandria. She is the daughter of an everyday commoner who taught her to be kind and brave.
Dominique has always been more mature than what her young age suggests. She is strong, independent, and lovely.
Once she noticed many people tied up in chains sauntering towards her village, she dropped everything she was doing and came and helped them.
All the former servants, prime ministers, knights, and mages noticed a young lady approaching them, asking if they needed help.
This attitude reminded them of their previous ruler, Jack Bulgury.
After spending time in the village, aided by Dominique Alexandria, they realized one thing.
This woman orders everybody in the village what to do, and they never object to her.
Curious, they ask her, "O' wise woman. For what has't thee done to maketh the people obeyeth thee?"
"Hmmm? I has't done nothing but being kind towards the oth'rs." She said.
The exiled servants soon adored her and offered to make her the queen of this empire.
After hearing the terrible news that a tyrant seized her beloved land, Dominique finds resolve and marches to the castle with nothing but her wisdom and wits.
The people had no idea what could be her plan.
The exiled servants thought this was fool's bravery, yet they followed her anyways.
Once they reached the giant gate, all at once, they shouted, "I hath found a w'rthy queen! A queen yond can ruleth this empire with kindness and joy!"
The knights inside rejoiced after seeing their old friends. They let them in and continued chanting the same thing over and over.
Soon, the commoners, the merchants, and all people of the empire join the parade.
They defeated the tyrant ruler and made the empire prosper again.
The end.' The father closed the book in front of her five-year-old daughter before throwing it on the ground and stepping on it.
'Papa! Papa! What are you doing?!' the girl asks.
'Teaching you a lesson about the way of this cruel world. We can't live by only being "kind" or "brave" We need ruthless and cunning too. And thereby, I ask you, what lesson did you get from the story?'
'To be kind-
'NO! Now, answer my question.'
'Ah... um...' The girl started tearing up, trying to hold herself from crying, 'T- to be ruthle-
'NO! Now repeat!'
'To-to-to-- I don't know, papa!' She started crying.
'*sigh* How can one be so stupid?!
Listen, Lesley, to Rule. You need kindness and bravery. To take Action, you need ruthless and cunning.
Rule by trust, but take action through fear.'
--
"*gasp*."
Lesley wakes up on her bed, filled with sweat.
"Oh... You have awakened, Madame Moriarty."
"Otto..."
"Did you have that dream again?"
"Yes... How many hours has it been?"
"It's been precisely 12 hours after our meeting with Kenma. You are sweating, Madame. May I bring you something over?"
"A glass of water would be gorgeous, thank you."
Once Otto leaves the room to fetch Lesley water, she looks out the window and sighs.
"That dream again..."
--
It's been a day since our meeting with the Queen of Queens. Everything has been smooth sailing ever since, perhaps... too smooth.
I was brought back to the school, and everyone took a glance at me with fear. I don't know what's going on in the background of this world, but somehow I was permitted a pass to the school and was allowed to study.
'You're fascinating... Kenma. Truly.'
I remembered the words she said during our meeting. It was alluring.
'You will join me... Kenma. It's your fate.'
'If everything that happens in your life is predetermined, it means that our meeting today is also fated to be. It also means that you will join me in the future, for it's your fate.
Now, now... You can't oppose your destiny, can't you?'
It was seductive.
'Everything in your life has happened because I let it happen. The gangs are paid for by me. The four Rulers that you have beaten happened because of me. The Kirisu family capturing you. This event. That event.
It all happens because of me... Kenma. I control your fate.'
It was enchanting.
It was as if she was all-knowing. I know she's not. I know... she's not... right?
I'm doubting myself now. This is just... Urgh! Why do her words keep latching on to me?!
This is unbelievable.
Is it truly my destiny to join her rule?
Was she really the person who's behind all of that? All of my life has been a lie then.
The gangs invaded Honma city. Did Moriarty pay them?
The four Rulers... Is Moriarty also behind that?
I know that the Kirisu family incident was all her doings. But if that's so, then... Are all her statements about my life... also true?
--
"Madame... I'm sorry to intrude on you, but I don't think forcing yourself into Kenma's brain will work. He has three personalities, remember?" Otto said.
"Well... I know it won't. But that's the beauty of it. He doesn't know that I'm truly behind all the events in his life because I have no evidence, and I will never have evidence because I didn't do all the things I said to him.
But now that he requires knowledge of this information, he will think.
'Is Moriarty the one who's behind everything in my life?'
'Is my life a lie?'
He will ask those questions to himself over and over and over again. And every time there is a peculiar event, his thoughts will be drifted onto me.
I just want him to think, Otto. I told him those things so that he would think.
Sometimes... Human brains are the easiest to crack. Once they are exposed to informations, whether they are true or false, they will know about the existence of those informations and every time they see another information regarding the same topic. They will compare it to the informations they had received before this. And by then, the information they will believe is the one that is aligned to their philosophical way of thinking or, in other words, their common sense.
It doesn't matter if the information is factual because they will never know which information is true and which is false. And when that happens, they will rely entirely on their common sense.
The one I met is the Logical personality. His strength is thinking. So, I used his strength as a weakness. Otto, why do you think I mentioned his fate and destiny over and over in the previous meeting with him?"
"Because it's his common sense?"
"Precisely that. Let me give you a tip, Otto.
To defeat your opponent, you must think the opposite of him. However, To make your opponent kneel before you, then you must think like him.
We will be expecting him tomorrow. Prepare tomorrow's dinner for two."