Giving Every Yandere Villainess Her Happy Ending!

After five more minutes, the fairy queen was on her hands and knees, the perfect picture of someone who’d just been thoroughly played.

”H-How...? You answered everything in seconds. No mortal should be able to do that. You don’t even carry a trace of fey on you, so none of my kind could have fed you the answers...”

Titania pushed herself up, floating again with her wings beating rapid and irritated as she jabbed a finger into my chest.

”Y-You...!”

She huffed, then crossed her arms and reluctantly tossed me the Fey Core. For a queen, she was surprisingly bratty.

Then again, that fit the profile for powerful monarchs, so I couldn’t complain too much...

”Pleasure doing business with you.”

I caught the core, and Titania fixed her gaze on me as I examined it, clearly expecting me to fumble the next step.

She was going to be disappointed. The riddles weren’t the only hurdle. The Fey Core had its own activation mechanism, and I already knew how to trigger it.

”You may have played me, but good luck—”

DING!

The core chimed the moment I channeled mana into the right points, unraveling into threads of starlight that streamed from my palm straight into my chest.

To say she was livid would be an understatement.

”You’re not human, are you?”

Titania’s eyes flared with mana as she scanned me with magic eerily similar to the diagnostic spell I’d seen before.

”If I figure out you aren’t mortal, I’m going to—”

She stopped cold. The glow in her eyes faded almost instantly.

If I had to guess, her search definitely ended up with a huge disappointment.

”Seconds? My search only took seconds...? And all the results came back as human!?”

She was actually kind of fun. I’d give her that, if not for the fact that she’d probably turn me into a worm at the slightest inconvenience.

Too bad for her, I was currently protected by our deal. She couldn’t touch me until the agreement concluded and she returned to wherever she’d been summoned from.

Definitely one of the bigger reasons I’d chosen this particular ritual over the protagonist’s other options.

Fey were mischievous, but at least they played fair. Well, in this world’s mythology at least.

But now that I’d savored the victory, it was time to build some rapport before she got dismissed.

”If you’re that curious, why not ask me directly? I did say I’d answer.”

Titania’s brow furrowed, a dry laugh escaping her.

”Oh please, as if you won’t just lie. I’ve had magic running through you since the first riddle, and you haven’t spoken a single truthful word.”

She’d been running lie-detection magic the entire time? That wasn’t surprising...

And honestly, it might work in my favor.

I shrugged and stepped toward the edge of the circle, reaching down as if to break the summoning.

”Well, if you’re so certain, then I’m sure you won’t mind if I finish our deal—”

”Wait.”

Titania’s voice cut through before my hand could touch the markings.

”Fine, I’ll take the bait. But I swear, if you lie to me and waste my time, I’ll make certain you never lay eyes on another of my kind without being ambushed on the spot.”

I raised a hand to stop her. That threat of hers was not something I could just ignore. If I was going to let her have this, then I needed to make sure she understood I was the one calling the shots here.

”I’m doing this out of generosity. You get your questions, and I’ll even let your lie detector stay. But I’m not obligated to answer everything truthfully.”

Titania’s wings slowed their irritated flutter, her golden eyes narrowing as she processed my terms. The indignation was still there, but beneath it, curiosity had taken root and was stubbornly refusing to let go.

”Not obligated to answer everything truthfully.”

She repeated, tasting the words.

”That’s a fey bargain if I’ve ever heard one. Are you sure you’re not one of mine?”

”Already did the scan, remember? Unless, of course, you’re suggesting I have magic stronger than your majesty.”

She didn’t laugh, but the corner of her mouth twitched.

”Don’t push your luck. But... fine, I accept your terms. You’ll answer what you choose, truthfully when you do, and I’ll refrain from threats.”

”Generous.”

”I thought so.”

Titania settled onto the air as if it were a throne, crossing her legs and twirling a strand of white hair around her finger as she considered her first question.

”First question, then.”

She held up one finger.

”How did you know the answers to my riddles? And don’t claim luck again. I know that’s a lie. If you won’t give me the truth, skip it, and we’ll move on.”

I considered my options. The full truth, that I’d read about her in a novel from another world, was out of the question. But a partial truth? Something she could verify without understanding the full context?

That might work.

”I just happen to know you better than you think. That book alone was enough for me to understand you.”

Titania nodded at my response, satisfied.

”You’re telling the truth. I’m surprised.”

She pressed a hand to her cheek, genuinely impressed.

”I never imagined a human would grow so fascinated by my adventures in that children’s book that they’d deduce my riddles...”

Bingo. She’d swallowed the bait whole, assuming I meant the children’s book she’d commissioned, and not a literal novel told by an omniscient narrator.

Though, now that I thought about it, she’d accepted my answer a little too smoothly. But I supposed powerful beings like her were simply that confident in their own magic. My explanation must have slotted neatly into whatever theory she’d already constructed.

The possibility that she’d leapt to the wrong conclusion probably never even flickered across her mind.

But well... that was her problem, not mine.

”You flatter me, mortal.”

She actually smiled. So she was the type who was weak to compliments. And judging by her summoning phrase along with that detail, it seemed she hadn’t quite outgrown her ’theatre phase.’

”Then, let’s move on to my next question.”

✧ ✦ ✧

Ten questions.

That’s what it took for her to finally be satisfied. I didn’t even have to skip once, turns out being a queen meant she was sharp enough not to waste her time asking things I’d obviously refuse to answer.

Honestly, she was growing on me. If I wasn’t as weak as an ant compared to her, I might have actually tried something by now.

”Light magic, never been to my domain, normal human, son of a noble...”

Titania recited my answers one by one, clearly pleased, though three in particular had caught her interest.

The first was, of course, how I knew her riddles and the explanation I’d given. The second was whether I found her attractive, both her looks and her personality.

And finally, whether I knew her beyond what the children’s book had shown.

Every answer, naturally, had been a compliment in disguise.

”I’ve never met such a devoted mortal fanboy.”

She hummed, then summoned back the cloak she’d offered earlier and shoved it against my chest.

”Here, but don’t get the wrong idea; this isn’t charity. You were... entertaining. That’s all.”

”Then how about I summon you again sometime? You know, for more entertainment.”

”How about you get stronger first so you’re actually worth my time? But... I suppose you’ve earned a sliver of my favor. If you absolutely need something, I might consider answering. No guarantees.”

Her cheeks took on the faintest tinge of pink, the satisfied flush of a queen who’d been thoroughly entertained and was annoyed to admit it.

Well, would you look at that. Seemed I’d made an incredible first impression on her too. Maybe I really did have a talent for this.

”Anyways, I’ve overstayed my welcome. As a goodbye gift, I’ll even clean up the summoning circle. But don’t get used to it, okay?”

Titania snapped her fingers. There was no flash or sound; she simply vanished along the markings on the floor.

The only proof she’d ever been here was the cloak in my hand and the core now bound directly to my soul.

”I’ll definitely keep her in mind in my plans...”