Swallow Her, but Struggle to Digest

No one knew that Queen Aurelia, the noble and graceful ruler of both Countries A and B, had a bloody path to the throne.

She had taken the throne out of necessity:

Her seven older brothers had turned into swans and flown away, leaving her as the only heir to Country A. The only heir to Country B had died suddenly of illness, leaving no one to inherit the throne, so it had no choice but to entrust it to her.

And so, in her twenties, Aurelia lost both her brothers and her husband.

From then on, she would presumably have to lie in tears on a 180-meter bed of goose down, clutching a pure-gold scepter.

Poor Queen.

Queen Aurelia merely smiled at such talk, then gently wiped her royal sword and sheathed its keen edge, still steeped in lingering spirits.

Never mind what happened in the past. All you need to know is that she is now in her prime and wields immense power.

When she raises her arm, her subjects answer with loyal submission.

Besides, nearly everyone who knew about her past is dead. There's only one exception:

The dark witch who struggled alongside her all the way to the present, Eva Lune Lin, might know her true nature.

But who could have guessed that Eva would be such a clueless airhead? Along with the people, she praised Her Majesty for being gentle and kind, benevolent and virtuous?!

And after all that, she dared to say she didn't care for power and wanted to live in seclusion in some remote forest?!

Trying to run?

Not unless she's dead!

Aurelia:

Oh, little moon, my little moon.

Would you like to live in a golden cage or a silver one?

Or perhaps a goose-down cage in my bedchamber?

**

Eva Lune Lin is a dark witch.

She's also one of the best students at Sinas Academy.

Before graduation, her adoptive mother warned her that she thought too little and did too much, and couldn't tell good from evil or right from wrong. So it would be best for her to get away from people and live in seclusion in some remote forest.

Eva thought so too.

But somehow she ended up being hunted all across Country B?! They even claimed she'd turned the princes of Country A into swans?!

That's the biggest load of nonsense in the world!

She was just passing through!!!

Fortunately, she met the kind Princess Aurelia. The princess treated her warmly and, despite the pressure, spared her life.

Eva's eyes filled with tears, and she decided to repay the princess.

Before long, the princess came to her for help: her fiancé had dared to mistreat her?!

Eva showed off her magic and fled Country B with the penniless princess, reaching Country A.

After that, they dealt with treacherous ministers and fought the queen, overcoming one challenge after another. Eva raised her head high: Brave Eva isn't afraid of difficulties!

Soon, the princess was officially crowned.

Having repaid her debt, Eva decided to follow her adoptive mother's advice: stay away from people and become a powerful, solitary witch!

But who could have expected that after she said this, her kind queen would suddenly become a different person?

By day, she was the familiar queen. By night, she turned into a villain! She even imprisoned Eva, and then, and then!

Eva blushed as she thought that, although the queen's behavior was awful, she might actually like it a little?

[Reader's Guide:]

1️⃣ The princess has a husband in name only (they never slept together) (they were using each other) (he dies early on) (the witch and princess only truly fall in love after his death)

2️⃣ The witch really is an airhead, but she's one of the strongest fighters around.

3️⃣ The princess is good at pretending. All that gentleness, kindness, and spotless purity she shows is an act. In truth, she's spiteful, ruthless, and scheming, with an overwhelming possessiveness. Unfortunately for her, she's fallen for a tough-as-nails little white rabbit.

4️⃣ The witch's world is a happy one with clear principles. She rarely dwells on negative emotions.

5️⃣ Yes, they have a child (this is a magical world!)

(One last thing: The original outline was a no-romance story about a princess's rise to power. But after I added the witch character, the princess snatched my keyboard and insisted on being deeply bound to the witch.

She also nags me day and night to hurry up and write about her little moon.

I have no choice but to obey the princess. Any issues with the story should be blamed on her /doge)

(Current relationship status: The princess is getting her way more and more, while the witch is in love without realizing it.)

Theme: Be content with your lot and keep striving.