Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 174: Gilded (3)

"......."

I maintained my poker face and tilted my head ever so slightly to the side.

It was a deliberate gesture—subtly feigning confusion as if I didn't quite understand what she was implying.

"Are you referring to the outcome?"

Had Jinor not mentioned something similar before, I might have been genuinely startled by this point.

In a way, that experience had served as an inoculation against such revelations.

However, Serpina, rather than being frustrated, seemed utterly amused by my reaction, her lips curling into a sly smile once again.

...She really was breathtakingly beautiful.

Honestly, I almost wanted to commend my own self-control for not being utterly captivated by her.

And I swear, there wasn’t even a shred of exaggeration in that thought.

"I can't tell if you're feigning ignorance naturally or if you truly don’t understand... I'll admit it. Reading your expressions is the most difficult task I've ever faced."

Serpina was a truly enigmatic person.

Other rulers, like Lyn Brans, also employed similar speech patterns and mannerisms.

If Lyn had spoken to me in this way, it would have been pure torment—of that, I was certain. And I wasn’t the only one who would have thought so.

But Serpina...

There was no sense of rejection or discomfort with her.

On the contrary, I found myself ensnared by her words, as if drawn into the flow of her rhetoric.

Before I even realized it, she had carved herself into the depths of my thoughts.

And the most important part—

I didn't particularly mind it.

"Regarding the first rebellion, I initially thought you must have had inside information. The rebels, like rats in hiding, were swiftly eradicated the moment they revealed themselves. If you recall the Strategy Proposal Meeting, it made sense that you would deflect the conversation if you knew a rebel was among us. And the case with Janis? Well, he was your roommate—it’s not far-fetched to assume you could ‘sense’ something was amiss. I have no idea how, but it wasn’t in the realm of impossibility."

"But over time, your 'advice' began to apply to things no ordinary person could possibly know. You repeatedly rejected alliances until finally choosing Brans Army specifically. You even predicted that my journey to Brans would place my life in danger—something that couldn’t have been deduced from mere information. Tell me, how could you have possibly known whether Brans Army would come to me or not?"

"......."

"At first, I thought—maybe, just maybe, you could see the future."

Serpina’s golden eyes gleamed as she said those words.

Seeing the future.

It was a natural conclusion.

If one could see the future, then of course they would naturally know the outcome of events.

Jinor had believed the same.

And it made sense—he already knew that magic existed in this world, having seen it firsthand through his adopted daughter, Reika.

Thus, it wasn’t surprising that he had arrived at that conclusion.

So far, Serpina’s reasoning followed the same path as Jinor’s.

But then—

"However, if I assume that you can see the future... there are too many inconsistencies."

My gaze flickered, drawn to her slightly parted lips.

For a moment, I found myself distracted.

Perhaps, ever since that kiss, some part of my soul had already been ensnared by her.

I could feel it—a strange tickling sensation in my chest.

"If you could truly see the future, there would be no need for you to speak in roundabout terms. A seer would simply declare the outcome with certainty. Why bother saying things like 'it’s highly probable' or 'it is assumed to be the case'? If you had knowledge of the future, you would not hesitate. And yet, Swen, you never speak with certainty about anything except the outcome."

"At that moment, I realized—you and I are not so different."

"Because when I ask myself ‘why does this outcome occur?’ I have to deduce the answer, just as you do."

"And—"

"Every time you give a decisive piece of advice... for a split second, there is a flicker of surprise in your eyes."

"No matter how I look at it, that is not the reaction of someone who already knows the future."

"Rather..."

"It is the reaction of someone who, at that very moment, has just figured out what the outcome will be."

"!!!"

Serpina leaned in closer, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk.

Then, in a soft whisper, she murmured—

"That expression is quite adorable, Swen. Just like that. Fufufu...♥"

She had gone one step further than Jinor.

Serpina had come closer than anyone else to unraveling the essence of my ability—

The ability of 100 Intelligence.

Serpina’s in-game stats were, without a doubt, S-rank.

But I hadn’t expected her insight to be this exceptional.

After all, her Intelligence stat was lower than Jinor’s, who had 99 Intelligence.

Of course, her overall stats far surpassed his.

But in this world, intelligence was quantified as a statistic—it had a numerical value.

And yet, she had deduced this much.

Serpina was truly remarkable.

Even amidst the relentless rebellions in the northern continent, she had maintained overwhelming national power—proof that she was no ordinary ruler.

And now—

She gazed at me in silence for a few moments, holding that gentle smile.

Then—

"Swen. As I said, you don’t have to answer me. I won’t force you to confirm whether I’m right or wrong."

"Because if this is truly an ability you’ve kept hidden from me, I trust that you have your reasons."

"Besides, I am fully aware that half of what I said sounds like the wild theories of those obsessed with myths and legends."

"......."

"So just think of this as nothing more than my childish indulgence. And..."

And then.

Serpina reached out, her pale fingers softly caressing my cheek.

"If I am right... if you can truly perceive only the outcome... then you have walked a fragile bridge alone, time and time again."

"All this time, you have given advice to Lyn, to Yuri, and to so many others—only for your words to be dismissed, fading into the air like echoes unheard."

"Even if the truth of your words was revealed later... well, I doubt those rulers had the capacity to accept such an unnatural ability."

"......."

"And so... there must not have been a single person who truly understood you."

"That must have been lonely, wasn't it?"

As her fingers traced my cheek, I met her gaze.

Her voice trembled ever so slightly.

And those golden eyes—

They were shaking, too.

"I know how it feels, Swen."

"Because I have been lonely as well."

"To carry a truth that you cannot share with anyone... to shoulder that burden alone... is a profoundly isolating thing."

"Lady Serpina..."

"That is why I worry for you, Swen."

"Perhaps it is none of my business. You may even call this meddling. But to me, you are quite a special person."

I had never really thought of myself as lonely.

At most, I had felt stifled.

But right now—

I found myself more concerned for her than for myself.

'She must be carrying something that she cannot tell anyone about.'

That was the only reason she would say something like this.

Beneath the charisma of an absolute ruler—

There was something fragile, something delicate.

A weight that threatened to break her.

As I pondered this, I found myself lured by the warmth of her voice.

And then—

"...Swen."

"Yes, my lady?"

She slowly pulled away from me and, in a calmer tone, spoke.

"If you truly can only perceive the outcome, as I have said... then this time, I’d like you to listen to my opinion."

"The final decision is always yours, my lord. I merely offer advice. How could I possibly presume to accept or reject your opinion? And... as for this idea that I can somehow ‘see’ the outcome, I honestly don’t know what to say. I am just an ordinary strategist who draws conclusions based on past and present circumstances."

"A remarkably humble answer for a man who can summon stones from the sky through divine rituals."

"It’s merely a trivial skill—reading the movement of the stars."

"Is that so?"

Serpina chuckled as if she found my response amusing.

I had only given her a vague answer because, no matter what, I couldn't let myself be swayed and break my promise to Luna.

With a soft smile, she smoothly shifted the conversation to the real topic at hand.

"I believe the rebels will rise again."

It was unlikely.

But—

Because I ultimately only saw the outcome and based my reasoning on that, I couldn’t completely deny her words.

"Of course, my reasoning is solely based on your advice—that 'moving the occupying army is unwise'."

"......."

"What do you think?"

I bowed my head deeply and replied.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"There is nothing for me to think about, my lord. If you make a decision, I will simply follow."

"I see."

Did she have some source of information that I wasn’t aware of—something that made her so certain a rebellion was coming?

Serpina sat upon the throne.

She had fought against the ghosts of her brothers time and time again.

Perhaps her instincts in this matter ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) had been honed to an extraordinary degree.

But ultimately—

Just as it had always been, these decisions were for the ruler to make, not the strategist.

"Swen. As I said, I will not force you to answer. I like you far too much for that."

"If you wish to keep your secrets, I won’t pry. You may tell me when you want to, or never speak of it at all. It makes no difference—"

"Because no matter what, I will always trust and believe in you."

"And one day—"

She leaned in close.

So close that I could feel her warm breath against my ear.

Her golden hair brushed against my cheek, carrying the gentle scent of yuzu.

And then, in a whisper, she murmured—

"I will claim your heart."

...Ah.

"Did I not tell you? Setting aside our roles as sovereign and strategist, at this moment, I am nothing more than a woman who wishes to be seen favorably by you. Fufufu...♥"

Her face was flushed, her golden eyes gazing at me with affectionate warmth.

And in that moment, I realized—

This is dangerous.

Truly dangerous.

This wasn’t a joke.

It wasn’t mere flirtation.

I could feel my heart wavering.

My heartbeat pounded relentlessly.

The overwhelming chemistry, the flood of hormones surging through me—

It was shaking my rationality.

'...Get a grip.'

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

I repeated those words in my mind.

But—

I couldn’t deny it.

I was drawn to her.

Yes, her physical allure was undeniable—

The soft fragrance that made it pleasant just to be near her,

Those golden eyes that gleamed like molten metal,

The porcelain-like smoothness of her skin,

The sheer presence of her figure beneath her uniform,

And the husky sweetness of her voice, like a lullaby that lulled one into ease—

But those were not what pulled me in.

It was something beyond that.

She seemed strong, yet beneath that strength, I saw a fragility—delicate as glass.

And that...

That bothered me.

Before I even realized it, I found myself thinking—

I want to protect her.

I want to be by her side.

This was the first time.

The first time I had ever wanted to protect a ruler—

A ruler who was not Lady Luna.