Page 14 of Villainess's Redemption
I smiled ruefully. That version of Ilyana had died a long time ago. “I suppose I’ve grown up a bit since then, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed,” she studied me. “Tell me, what do you think of the Elentharian trade agreement?”
Queen Felicia wasn’t only a pretty queen who sat on the throne. She actively took part in running the kingdom. It was rumored that the king valued her advice more than Chancellor Darian’s.
I took a deep breath. “It’s… complex, Your Majesty. While the increased Aetherian steel exports would certainly benefit our metal industry, I worry about the impact on the safety of our kingdom.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You’ve given this some thought.”
Of course, I was the idiot who tried to steal the closely guarded secret of how Aetherian steel was made and trade it with Elenthar to help me get rid of Rosalind. That’s how I got leveled as a traitor.
“I believe a lady should be informed about matters that affect her country, Your Majesty.”
She nodded slowly. “A commendable attitude. And what would you suggest?”
“Perhaps instead of exporting raw Aetherian steel, we make whatever they want and then export those? It would give a boost to our many guilds, maybe even find new markets and enrich the economy.”
Queen Felicia quirked a brow. “An interesting proposal. I must say, you’ve surprised me this evening, Ilyana.”
“I pleasantly hope so, Your Majesty.”
Queen Felicia nodded, her expression still frosty. I stood there awkwardly as she proceeded to ignore me, engaging in conversation with other important nobles and officials. The urge to flee was overwhelming, but I steeled myself. I was determined to win her over this time.
Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself rather quickly. I overheard the Queen discussing the recent surge in pirate attacks with an official, lamenting how badly sea trade had been affected.
I cleared my throat. “Your Majesty, if I may offer a suggestion?”
Felicia’s piercing gaze landed on me. She nodded, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
“I’ve been studying the attacks lately,” I began, silently thanking my future self for the knowledge. Defeating the pirates was such a big deal that even in the exile I heard all about it. But I couldn’t say that. “I’ve noticed a pattern that might have been overlooked.”
The Queen’s eyebrow arched. “Go on.”
“The pirates must have a den or meeting place where they gather,” I said, trying to sound as if this was a new revelation and not information I’d gleaned from my past life.
Felicia nodded. “Yes, we’re aware of that much.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” I continued smoothly. “But consider this - they can’t be staying on the mainland. It would be far too easy to spot them, and someone would surely notify the authorities.”
I paused dramatically, watching as the Queen leaned in slightly, intrigued.
“And?” she prompted.
“That means they must be using one of the smaller islands in the southeast as their base,” I concluded.
Vincent Hargreave, one of the officials Felicia had been speaking with earlier, scoffed. “There are hundreds of such islands. It would be impossible to check them all.”
I suppressed a know-it-all smirk.Oh, if only you knew.Bowe’s island was their base. “That might be true, Lord Vincent, but there’s another crucial detail you’ve overlooked.”
By now, I had the attention of everyone in the group. Even Queen Felicia seemed genuinely interested.
“During high tide, most of these islands are submerged,” I explained. “I’ve researched this thoroughly. Only fourteen of them remain above water, and out of those, only six are actually habitable for a pirate crew.”
The Queen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You seem to have done your homework, Lady Ilyana. Which islands?”
As I listed the names of the six islands, carefully including Bowe’s Island among them, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. This was it - my first step towards changing the future.
“An intriguing theory,” Queen Felicia mused. “I’ll have General Arthur look into these islands.”
