The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 236 - Treya’s Chess Match

—

Treya stared at the paper on the table, the one with all the portraits of the royal family members. One by one, each portrait had been crossed out. She rested her chin on her hand and asked:

“But, Professor Will, you still haven’t taught me how to win.”

Everything Will had said so far seemed like “hypotheticals”—

Whether it was the conflict between the Fourth Prince and the Seventh Princess.

Or the duel between the Seventh and Eighth Princes.

But...

Where did she fit into all of this?

“True, it seems like you can’t participate directly. After all, your royal family is the most complicated, and you entered the game quite late,” Will said, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

“Mm,” Treya nodded obediently, her fingers lightly tracing over her own portrait.

She liked the portrait Will had drawn of her. Because her hair was silver, it often blended into the white of the paper. But when Will drew it, he had taken the time to shade her hair with a silver-colored pencil, giving it a distinct hue.

“To achieve all of this... Treya, as I’ve told you before... you need to be prepared to ‘abandon everything.’”

Treya noticed that Will’s gaze was still fixed on her left eye as he spoke.

“You need to be ready to witness the destruction of everything...”

“And only then can you rise again from the ruins...”

“The winner of this royal power struggle won’t be the first to enter the fray, nor the strongest. It will be... the one who survives until the end.”

She didn’t fully understand what Will was saying.

To her, every sentence seemed like a “hint,” every word a warning, and yet each one was spoken with sincerity.

It was as if he were recounting an unpleasant past that had already happened, using the tone of someone “prophesying the future.”

But one thing was certain...

The deep blue eyes staring at her—eyes somewhat similar to her own—conveyed genuine concern for her.

Yes, he truly was colorful in her eyes.

Her Professor Will would always remain as he was now—the one thing she could hold onto in a world where she could abandon everything else.

“When they all fall or die, you must remain standing. Don’t let them defeat you. And don’t let whatever happens to Entark afterward defeat you either.”

“You must be better than anyone at hiding in the shadows. You must be more patient than anyone else. You must see further than anyone else. And before you ascend to that position, you must discard everything unnecessary.”

He leaned in closer across the table but stopped just short of invading her personal space, maintaining a sense of propriety.

His usual playful smile was gone, replaced by an unusually serious expression.

“Promise me, Treya.”

Treya nodded.

“Alright, Professor Will. I promise.”

But as soon as she said it, Will seemed embarrassed. He leaned back and covered half his face with his hand.

“Uh... I think I got a little too... serious there. Ahem... Even for someone like me, saying that out loud feels a bit awkward.”

“Is this... what you want for the future, Professor Will?” Treya asked suddenly.

“Hm? What?”

“For me to ascend to that position, defeat all my siblings, and become Empress of Entark—is that what you want for the future?”

“...Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“Because it seems like you’re looking forward to it.”

“Well... how should I put this? For me... and even for the Hysterm family, that might not be the best future. But...”

Will looked up at Treya.

Since gaining demonic powers, Treya had been able to see through people’s facades and discern their true emotions. For the first time, she saw someone whose “surface” and “inner” expressions were perfectly aligned—

A look of genuine concern for her.

“—As long as you can win, that’s all that matters. Everything I’ve said is for that purpose.”

“Alright, Professor Will.”

Perhaps his expression was too dazzling; Treya found herself averting her gaze.

“So then, when that time comes, will you—”

“Next up, we’ll discuss a strategy for expanding your influence... Hm? What did you just say?” Will interrupted himself as he hurriedly returned to their lesson plan, cutting off Treya mid-sentence.

“Will you...” Treya tried to continue her thought but stopped herself when she saw Will’s face return to its usual expression. Suddenly...

Suddenly, she felt something rare—shyness.

It was her most direct “wish,” but expressing it out loud made her feel so embarrassed that...

She couldn’t say it.

Her chest thudded with an unfamiliar sensation—her heartbeat pounding against her ribs.

“No, it’s nothing. Please continue, Professor Will,” she said instead.

“Well... what I’m about to say might sound a bit biased coming from me. But since it’s you, I trust you’ll believe me unconditionally.”

“Yes. Professor Will has never lied to me.”

“You understand better than most that Entark’s royal family and empire—after existing for centuries—are now standing at a crossroads for ‘reform.’ In the future... it won’t be a monarchy that thrives on nobility and power anymore.”

“I know. You’ve mentioned before that advancements in dungeon development have led to resources surpassing what Entark’s royal-controlled agriculture and economy could produce.”

“Exactly. So the person best suited for you to ally with is...”

“The head of the Hysterm family, the man who controls adventurers from behind the scenes, former leader of a first-rate adventuring team, and...”

“My father...”

“Carver Hysterm.”

—

Whoosh—

The sound of rain grew louder as Treya turned her head slightly to look out the window at the steady autumn rain.

The rain had dirtied the glass windows of the royal castle—windows that were cleaned daily until they sparkled. Now they were covered in a hazy layer of water droplets, distorting the view outside as it trickled down in streaks.

Treya sat quietly in an expansive and lofty reception room, gazing at the heavy wooden door across from her and...

The black-and-white chessboard on the table before her.

Amidst a world seemingly painted gray by the rain outside, the chessboard’s stark colors felt perfectly fitting.

Creak—

The thick wooden door creaked open slightly. Treya’s pale blue eyes shifted subtly as she focused on the figure entering through it.

“Princess Treya, my apologies. The rain today was so heavy that carriages couldn’t climb the mountain quickly enough. I hope you don’t mind my tardiness,” Carver said as he handed his dripping umbrella to a servant behind him. Dressed in a sleek and elegant black suit without a single water stain on it, he removed his hat and offered Treya a polite bow. His gold-rimmed glasses glinted faintly as his eyes narrowed apologetically.

—Not at all alike.

—Carver is nothing like him.

—Even though they wear similar clothes... even though they both wear glasses... even though their eye colors are similar...

—All Carver exudes is an air of pretense.

Treya’s lips twitched downward ever so slightly as she regarded Carver with disdain—a man who seemed like nothing more than a walking embodiment of “false appearances.”

“Please come in, Mr. Carver. Your seat is over there,” Treya said as she gestured toward the chair opposite her on the chessboard.

The black pieces had already been set up for him—matching his attire today.

“I didn’t expect your secret invitation to involve playing chess,” Carver remarked as he took his seat.

“Indeed. Some matters are best discussed while keeping our hands busy,” Treya replied lightly as she moved one of her pawns forward—a standard opening move.

“Very well then. I’ll be your chess partner for today,” Carver said with a smile as he mirrored her move with another classic opening play.

Silence fell between them.

Though both seemed intent on using this game as an excuse to discuss important matters, neither spoke right away.

After several moves back and forth...

Carver finally broke the silence:

“How are things within your family? Though your engagement announcement has been postponed for now, if there’s anything I can assist with, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Treya watched his next move carefully.

The board had already begun to heat up with clashes between their pieces.

Notably...

Carver deliberately placed one of his pawns on d5—a move that seemed to invite Treya to capture it.

Treya picked up one of her pieces decisively.

“Well... first off, there’s the matter of the Fourth Prince being impeached by the Seventh Princess. It’s strange—much of the ‘evidence’ she presented had passed through her own hands before. This suggests they were working together... unless someone else hinted they were about to expose these secrets, forcing her to cut ties for self-preservation?”

She moved her bishop forward with precision—a sharp move that put Carver in check.

“You raise an interesting point, Princess. Unfortunately, I’m just a humble merchant focused on managing the Adventurer’s Guild—I wouldn’t know anything about such matters,” Carver replied smoothly as he moved another piece to block her attack.

Treya nodded slightly at his response.

“The royal family’s internal conflicts are indeed frightening, Mr. Carver. My siblings have plenty of methods at their disposal—not to mention external resources and allies.”

She moved another pawn forward casually but captured one of Carver’s pieces in doing so.

“Especially my Fifth Sister and Sixth Brother—they’ve handled royal business dealings and administrative affairs for years now.”

Treya studied Carver closely. She wasn’t someone who excelled at hiding subtext within subtext. However...

Will had taught her well: sometimes playing weak and lowering your guard could be an effective form of offense—leveraging the advantages of being perceived as a “victim.”

So now...

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How would Carver respond?

“I understand completely. But being part of the royal family does come with access to significant resources,” Carver said calmly as he moved another pawn forward—a calculated counterattack that reclaimed one of his lost pieces.

“For instance... take your mention of the Fourth Prince earlier...” Carver added with a faint smile as he toyed with Treya’s captured pawn between his fingers before tossing it back onto the board’s side tray.

“The power he held is truly immense—for us humble commoner merchants, it’s precisely what we fear most.”

Boom—

A sudden clap of thunder lit up Carver’s face through the window, casting half of it in shadow.

Treya understood his implication immediately.

What he cared about...

Was where military power currently resided.

As expected from Professor Will’s father—their concerns about Entark’s most critical assets were identical.

Listening to the rain outside...

Treya thought wistfully—

When will this rain stop?

I still prefer sunny days—days when I can sit in the royal garden with Professor Will, sipping tea and discussing Entark.

That was what she truly wanted.