[FMMIKA] Chapter 285: Live to the Fullest

Ritsuka had been wandering around Japan for a few days, attending various tea parties and gatherings where the so-called nobles, imperial family members, and powerful families would fawn over her.

Those people seemed to have misunderstood the relationship between her and the Dragon Emperor. They seemed to think that she was the emperor's favored lady or something, which led to their attempts to both please and look down on her.

At first, Ritsuka found it quite amusing. After all, before becoming the Master of Chaldea, she was just an ordinary person. She had always regarded these legendary figures as mere myths, never imagining that one day she would become a legend herself.

However, as time passed, she began to grow bored.

Sitting around with these 'nobles' who had nothing better to do, talking nonsense all day, felt like a complete waste of time and life.

"Mash, if there's nothing else to do, how about we head back to Paris?" Ritsuka finally suggested one day, after one of the poetry gatherings.

"What's wrong, Senpai? Can't wait to see His Majesty again?" Mash half-jokingly replied.

"Haha, of course not! I'm just worried about you, little eggplant." Ritsuka retorted, refusing to admit her true feelings.

If it were in the past, she would have probably already moved closer to Mash, teasing and flirting with her in various ways. But now, she couldn't physically do much.

"I'm not one of those people close to him, but you're different. You're fond of him, but you haven't had any special moments with him in these past two years. You haven't even seen him. And to think he's surrounded by all those women... has he forgotten about you, Mash?" Ritsuka said while narrowing her eyes, trying to provoke her.

"Two years is just like a snap of the fingers for someone like His Majesty." Mash replied nonchalantly, despite her words appearing rather detached.

"Meh, he should meet you at least. Isn't he the mighty Dragon Emperor? Can't even teleport..." Ritsuka retorted with a mocking tone.

"Don't try to understand the power of the empire with your limited knowledge, Senpai." Mash responded with a smile, causing Ritsuka to feel irritated.

It was as if Mash considered Ritsuka an ignorant villager, an existence that should only concern Jeanne.

Speaking of Jeanne, Ritsuka wondered how she was doing lately. She hadn't heard anything about Jeanne for quite some time. In fact, ever since she reluctantly agreed to become the Dragon Emperor's special envoy two years ago, there had been no news about Jeanne.

"And... who told you that the empire doesn't have teleportation capabilities?"

Mash revealed with a smile, causing Ritsuka to fall silent, her eyes welling up with tears.

"You... you... you..."

Ritsuka thought about how her relationship with Mash had deteriorated over the past two years, making it impossible to get close to her.

The long, lonely nights without sleep, filled with self-inflicted torment. There were even a few accidents caused by her untrimmed nails. {T/N: Is she fingering herself?}

All of this left Ritsuka feeling extremely frustrated. Especially during these two years, her lusts had grown with age.

The only thing that gave her even a shred of comfort was that while she endured her struggle, Mash was also enduring her own. This way, they were on equal footing, and Ritsuka was content.

But now, Mash was telling her that the empire could use teleportation.

When Ritsuka was burning with lust in the middle of the night, Mash could simply teleport back to Paris with a snap and have her way with that narcissistic jerk however she pleased.

Thinking about this, Ritsuka's sanity broke down completely.

She couldn't even spare a thought for the two years of cold war with Mash. She stormed forward, thoroughly exasperated, and laid a hand on Mash.

"Damn it, eggplant! You dared to do naughty things with that guy behind my back!"

"No wonder your character has become more and more despicable. Is it his doing?! This big marshmallow! Is it his doing?!"

"Kyaa! Senpai, don't touch there~"

After two long years and a series of various incidents, the little boat of friendship between Ritsuka and Mash had tilted slightly back in their favor.

===

"Isn't this nice?"

Inside the Palace of Versailles, Artorius watched the intimate scene of Mash and Ritsuka in the magical mirror, a pleased smile curving his lips, as he offered his evaluation.

"Your Majesty seems quite interested in Fujimaru Ritsuka."

The one who spoke was Marie.

The unexpected sweetness of a magical girl and the mature charm of a queen made Marie irresistible. While most believed that magical girls should be girls under 14, the fact that she was a lightly mature woman in her thirties dressed like a magical girl had its own appeal.

This was what they called 'gap-moe'.

"Umu." Artorius replied nonchalantly, "She's talented and very useful."

"Your Majesty always seems to be lenient towards talented people." Marie remarked.

"Do you have something to say?" Artorius asked, noticing there was more to her words as he playfully tapped Marie's soft cheek.

"I can't hide anything from Your Majesty..." Marie replied in a gentle tone, hesitated for a moment, and finally mustered the courage to continue. "I mean, what are Your Majesty's intentions regarding Miss Jeanne...?"

"Jeanne, huh..."

Artorius muttered as he gazed at Marie and was convinced inside his heart.

'Sure enough.'

As expected, this Marie was not the historical queen from his previous life but a queen from the proper human history of Nasuverse, with a bit of a Jeanne complex. Although she was Austrian, she always acted from the perspective of the French, as if she saw herself entirely as a Frenchwoman.

Artorius had modified her attributes to align more with his 'empire' but he couldn't entirely change her since she was just a Servant. Her true soul as an entity in the Throne of Heroes still existed.

It was a multi-dimensional existence beyond the reach of even the King of Demon Gods, Goetia. Artorius, with his current strength somewhat similar to Goetia's, couldn't do much either.

"Which one are you asking about?" After thinking about all those, Artorius calmly inquired. "The black one or the white one?"

"I'm curious about both." Marie answered gently.

"Hmm, the black one is doing fine. She hasn't found her own path yet. But she's doing what she wants."

"An army, and war, I presume?"

"Yes."

Artorius nodded while crossing his hands on the chest.

"She doesn't have grand ambition, and she can't fully understand my ambitions. She isn't even loyal enough. But that doesn't stop her from being an outstanding general. Right now, in this singularity, I need more manpower. Apart from Mordred, she's the one I can rely on."

"Oh, I see..." Marie nodded, thinking that the discussion about Jalter would end here.

But it didn't.

"Of course, this can't go on forever. If she doesn't improve when the time is right, I'll give her another chance."

"Another chance..."

Marie couldn't fully grasp Artorius's words, but she knew there was no malice towards Jalter, and thus, the topic ended there.

"So, what about the white one..."

"The white one is outside Orleans, in a pasture." Artorius spoke of Jeanne with a happy smile. "Just like a regular village girl. She prepares hay, herds sheep, and takes care of lambs. After a fulfilling day, she goes to bed and sleeps."

"U-Um... that..." Marie stammered.

"Isn't that wonderful?" Artorius smiled at Marie's wide-eyed astonishment.

"She's doing what she loves. It's her wish and her dream. Compared to the confused Jalter, Jeanne is the one who lives her life to the fullest, right?"