"You all go attend to your tasks first," Rosen said, noticing Liya glancing at Robin and the others before hesitantly looking at him. He understood she had something to say to him.

"Understood, Boss."

"Have a seat." Rosen gestured to a nearby rock, sitting on the ground himself. Luxury or simplicity made no difference to him.

"Seven years ago, I was already by the Queen's side as her maid," Liya began. Recently, the Queen had been distracted, though her orders remained precise—she was clearly troubled.

"A maid? So, before the catastrophe, your Queen was a noblewoman?" Rosen was slightly surprised, though disasters changed many things. It wasn't particularly unusual.

"More than just nobility. The Queen was the illegitimate daughter of the King of Lantis. King Kade repeatedly invited her to the palace, but she refused. As a child, she and her mother were abducted by slavers. During their ordeal, she lost her mother. Though she didn't outright hate her father, she resented him. To her, if he had brought her mother into the palace earlier, the tragedy could've been avoided."

"King Kade, however, never discriminated against her. He found her in a slave market and provided her with a lavish life. That's when I began serving her. Though the Queen remained indifferent, she was severely injured and had nowhere else to go, so she stayed in the estate the King provided, recuperating under our care. Still, she refused to enter the palace, but at least she had shelter."

"But peace didn't last. The Celestial Dragons arrived and immediately took a liking to the Queen, dragging her and us maids to the Ninth Garden for their so-called 'Super Soldier Project.' We were locked in pitch-black dungeons, forced to fight each other and monsters as entertainment for the Celestial Dragons. The Queen was 16 then."

In just a few sentences, she summarized years of darkness. Rosen recalled that Queen Hathaway had emerged during Lantis' chaos in the second year of the catastrophe—four years ago.

Meaning, for three years, she had been a slave and test subject, fighting endlessly. The Celestial Dragons had arrived in Lantis seven years prior.

"Of course, I wasn't strong. I only survived because of the Queen's protection. Even before the experiments, her time as a slave had honed her strength and intellect. Rumor was, she killed every slaver she had. Maybe that's why the Celestial Dragons took interest—they needed powerful female warriors."

"Back then, the Queen was strong, but nothing like now. Young and successfully modified by the Lineage Factor, her potential was terrifying."

"Since you were all enslaved by the Celestial Dragons, that means you bear their brand?" Rosen frowned. If so, exposure could easily lead to recognition.

The Nine-Heaven Dragon Brand was infamous—just look at Boa Hancock's caution.

"...Yes." Liya's voice was low. Some memories were painful, but honesty was necessary.

Noticing Rosen's concern, she added, "Few have seen the Queen's true face. She rarely shows it. Even her former captors might not recognize her now unless up close. Her beauty was too striking, bringing only misfortune. When the lab collapsed, we escaped the dungeons. The Queen slaughtered countless, drenched in blood, masking her face. Since then, she's worn either enemies' blood or her own to paint a ghastly visage."

Beauty hidden beneath a war-paint mask. Rosen hadn't found the current Queen particularly striking—though her figure was unmatched.

"Hard to grasp. If it's such a problem, why not disfigure herself?" Rosen had suspected the mask was blood. Now confirmed, it wasn't shocking.

"She tried. But slavers, Celestial Dragons—any who saw her face became obsessed, healing her at any cost. The Celestial Dragons were worse. They reveled in her injuries, only to 'fix' her with genetic modifications."

Lineage Factor and genetic manipulation could heal anything short of decapitation.

"Twisted. But some find pleasure in seeing beauty suffer. Still, this doesn't explain how you know to make Lineage Factor serums or operate the facilities."

"The Celestial Dragons weren't always present. The lab was understaffed after failed experiments. By day, we were laborers; by night, fighters. I had a knack for materials, and they didn't hide things from us—probably thought we'd never escape." Liya smirked bitterly.

When the lab was destroyed by monsters and Charles' rampage, the enslaved warriors slaughtered their way out, venting years of rage. The look on their captors' faces was unforgettable.

Had the Celestial Dragons not fled, even young Saint Desmeniere might've fallen to the Queen's blade. Ironically, her painted face made her unrecognizable in the surveillance Den Den Mushi—only in death did realization dawn.

Rosen listened but still didn't see the point. If this was about the serums, such detail was unnecessary.

"The Queen's been distracted lately. I think it's because of you," Liya cut to the chase.

"Me?" Rosen was baffled. He hadn't provoked her. Since arriving at Floral Archipelago, he'd waited for her to finish her business.

"She's been rereading recent news and bounty posters," Liya explained.

"So? I've seen them too."

"If only. But when the Queen hesitates, her actions grow extreme. The first time was four years ago—stay or flee. The second was before Lantis' chaos ended: slaughtering kin to prevent civil war. This is the third time. I don't know what she'll do."

"You're overthinking. If she's decided something, no one can change it. Worrying won't help. Cross that bridge when we get there."

Liya paused. She and the others couldn't sway the Queen's decisions—even if they were suicidal. Most Lantisians would follow blindly.

"Boss, Revolutionary Army's No. 2, Sabo, is here. He's talking to Robin. Seems like he's plotting something," Valentine reported, descending from above. The most update n0vels are published on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

(End of Chapter)