It's truly remarkable how Morgan managed to warp a fairy who had been a pushover in previous lives into this current state. She's reduced the options to either slaughter or be slaughtered—what a binary mindset.
While this fellow's true nature leaves much to be desired, collecting shoes that still have feet attached... let's just hope fairies don't get athlete's foot.
"Who are you?"
Fairy Tristan scrutinized Jiang You. For the knights outside to have let him in, he must be someone of importance. After all, those Queen's Knights directly under Morgan's command weren't ones to take orders from just anyone. In her eyes, Jiang You was just an ordinary human, though his magical power proficiency was decent—only slightly lower than hers after her mother had bestowed a name upon her. "A human? No... not a fairy either."
"Me? I'm Jiang You, a servant for now. Just think of me as a human constructed from magical power."
Jiang You gave a simple introduction, seeing no need to hide anything.
"From now on, I'll be taking over Beryl's duties."
"Beryl!" Fairy Tristan sprang to her feet, knocking over the neatly arranged high heels she had carefully placed on the floor. Beryl was currently imprisoned in Death Row by her mother. "Why? What right do you have to replace him?! You—get out!"
Jiang You understood Fairy Tristan's feelings for Beryl. The child simply had no one else she could confide in. Though a noble lord, she lacked independent judgment and would do whatever Morgan commanded. When Morgan remained silent, she would follow Beryl's instructions, never questioning why, perfectly obedient.
"I apologize, but this is Her Majesty the Queen's decree."
Jiang You casually pulled out the tiger pelt, knowing Morgan had already approved it, so the outcome would be the same regardless of how he phrased it.
"This is my insignia as Her Majesty the Queen's Scribe. Naturally, I must relieve Her Majesty of her burdens."
"It is indeed the Scribe's insignia..."
Fairy Tristan glared at Jiang You. If he were merely a Scribe, there would be no reason to fear him. This suggested her Mother didn't hold him in high regard—the status of a Scribe paled in comparison to Beryl's, and there was no order requiring her full obedience.
"In that case, even if I kill you, Mother won't blame me. She told me to be more willful and ruthless! I despise you—I only acknowledge Beryl!"
Seeing Fairy Tristan draw her bow, Jiang You's face darkened. This girl has no sense of propriety at all. "Miss Royal Highness, do you have any brains? Or are you defying Her Majesty the Queen's orders? In your heart, do you value Beryl more than Lady Morgan? Don't continue to disappoint Lady Morgan!"
If Jiang You were truly just an ordinary Scribe, Fairy Tristan would have killed him without hesitation. In the original storyline, she had even assassinated the Scribe hosting Morgan's meeting. But now, even if it wasn't Jiang You himself, he represented Morgan's will. If she acted rashly, Morgan might not reprimand her directly, but she would undoubtedly be deeply disappointed. Even if Fairy Tristan truly wanted to eliminate Jiang You, this was not the time.
"How could I possibly defy my Mother's orders?"
As expected, once Morgan's name was invoked, Fairy Tristan immediately cowered.
"But Beryl, he..."
Jiang You didn't give her time to process. "That guy really is something. Why couldn't he just explain things properly? Why did he have to make things like this? Let's scrap the 'Caster' title and call him 'Riddler' instead! Listen up, Fairy Tristan: when she ordered you to kill Beryl with your own hands, it was out of concern for you! Beryl is a despicable liar, a man with twisted emotions who would kill for pleasure. The sorcery he taught you will rot your soul from within. You'll watch yourself decay from the inside out, and then he'll toss you onto a bed to die, not even glancing your way."
Of course, Fairy Tristan wouldn't suddenly doubt Beryl based on Jiang You's word alone. She naturally trusted Beryl more. Moreover, her own values were warped, partly due to Morgan's influence. "Isn't killing for pleasure a virtue?! Besides, you've never shown your face before my mother or me. How could you possibly know anything about Beryl's sorcery? Don't think being my mother's Scribe means I won't kill you! Swallow your lies and apologize to Beryl!"
"I see! You must have been slandering me to Mother! I'll twist your limbs off and plead Beryl's case before Her Majesty!"
Fairy Tristan grew increasingly agitated as she spoke, her magical power surging. The heels of her high heels began to glow a crimson red. If she hadn't feared displeasing Morgan, she likely would have crushed Jiang You's heart beneath her heel and spun around on it.
"Baobhan Sith!"
Jiang You suddenly shouted her True Name, causing Fairy Tristan to freeze rigidly.
"How... how did you know?"
A True Name represented a fairy's very essence. If other fairies discovered that she was merely a lowly, blood-sucking imposter, even Morgan's protection wouldn't shield her from the resulting ostracism. She would tarnish Morgan's reputation. Unless Jiang You provided a satisfactory explanation, she would strike.
"Morgan told me," Jiang You said, delivering a reply that made Fairy Tristan's mind explode.
"I thought I could resolve this with words, but I underestimated the depth of your devotion to Beryl."
Jiang You scratched his head. Mushrooms really do love this kind of thing, he thought. Too bad I'm about to become the ntr blondie—the kind who violates wives right in front of their husbands.
"It's a pity, really. He only ever saw you as a tool. I knew words would be useless—"
"So, I've already informed Morgan."
Jiang You was too lazy to keep adding "Her Majesty the Queen." It sounded overly sycophantic and seemed like padding.
"Next, I'll take you to meet Beryl. Let's prove my words with facts. A duel with him will tell you everything."
"A duel?!"
Fairy Tristan tensed. Morgan had previously ordered her to kill Beryl, and now this matter was being raised again.
"I would never lay a hand on Beryl! Never! I'll explain everything to Mother properly. Even if she trusts you completely, I'll persuade her!"
"Explaining would be too troublesome. Let's just settle this directly with a duel!"
Jiang You immediately challenged Fairy Tristan to a duel.
"?!"
Fairy Tristan had never seen such a strange contraption before. She worried it might be some kind of strange curse.
"My Noble Phantasm has already captured you within its influence range. Take a close look at its effects. Oh, and by the way, Morgan is definitely in your Deck. Only the most important people appear there. Morgan clearly cares deeply about you."
The mere mention of Morgan acted like a keyword, triggering Fairy Tristan's dependency pathways. Before Jiang You could finish speaking, Fairy Tristan had already accepted the duel.