"Queen, Are You Satisfied with This Ending?"

The aged ministers, their hair white with years, wept like children before the Queen.

"Your Majesty, thank you! If not for your wise use of the Magic Mirror, White Kingdom would not have come this far. In less than half a year, our kingdom will be restored to its former glory. Give it a few more years, and White Kingdom will be the envy of the entire Western Continent!"

"I always knew it! The past few years, Your Majesty deliberately neglected state affairs, making our enemies lower their guard. In reality, you were preparing for this moment, building up strength in secret!"

"Praise the gods for blessing White Kingdom with a ruler like you!"

Hearing the ministers sing her praises, the Queen felt a chill run down her spine. Her entire body tensed, her back went stiff, and her face burned as red as the poisoned apple she once used.

"What the hell? Why do I feel so ashamed today?" The Queen was bewildered.

She had heard all kinds of flattery before. The court jesters' honeyed words were nothing new to her. There were enough poems praising her beauty to fill dozens of thick books.

She had long since built an immunity to compliments, dismissing them like a passing breeze.

Yet today, these words of admiration felt completely different.

The Queen hadn't realized it yet, but this time, what she was hearing wasn't hollow flattery—it was genuine gratitude.

"But they're thanking me for things I never even did!"

Standing before the tearful, grateful ministers, the Queen felt her toes curl against the cold floor.

"Um… esteemed ministers, think carefully—was all of this truly my doing?" she asked hesitantly, trying to piece together what had happened while she was unconscious.

The ministers exchanged glances, their hearts swelling with admiration.

"Her Majesty is too humble!"

"She's the one who led us to prosperity, yet she still tries to downplay her achievements!"

One minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, you are right. The success of White Kingdom's reforms and its new direction—some credit must go to Sage Rhine as well.

"But at the core of it all, it was still your decision! Without your resolve, without your hiring Lord Rhine as your advisor, without your use of the Magic Mirror to guide our nation, none of this would have been possible!"

Wait.

Rhine?

The magician Rhine… is now White Kingdom's Sage?

What the hell happened while I was asleep?!

For a moment, the Queen felt as if she had been in a coma for years.

Gradually, she pieced together the situation—

To everyone else, she had never disappeared. Instead, she had been working tirelessly, ruling with wisdom, using the Magic Mirror to oversee state affairs, and leading a series of successful reforms.

"What kind of nonsense is this?"

"Did I sleepwalk through all of it? Have I been hypnotized? Am I losing my mind?"

With her head spinning, the Queen forced a mechanical smile at the ministers.

She had no idea what was going on…

But at this point, she couldn't exactly say, "None of that was me."

Her vanity would never allow it!

And so, she braced herself, maintaining her stiff smile as the ministers escorted her down the palace corridors.

Soon, she arrived at the King's chambers.

The King embraced her fervently, covering her with kisses—desperate to make up for the past two months when she had practically avoided him.

Even after years of holding him under her spell, the Queen had never seen him this obsessed.

"My love! Last night, I lay awake, thinking of everything you've done for our kingdom these past two months. I finally realized—I need you. I have always needed you!" The King's eyes brimmed with tears.

"I can't live without you. White Kingdom can't live without you! With the Magic Mirror in your hands, you are the true Sage-King of White Kingdom! You should be the ruler of this land!"

The Queen gave a somewhat awkward nod.

And then, a thought struck her.

Wasn't this exactly what she had always wanted?

She had spent years eliminating every woman who could rival her beauty—even going so far as to fear her daughter, nearly killing her—just to keep the King forever infatuated with her, to ensure he would never abandon her, that he would obey her every word, and that the kingdom would remain in her grasp.

And now, after two months of unconsciousness…

That goal had somehow come true.

The Queen felt dazed, as if she were still trapped in a dream.

She returned to her chambers in a daze, only to hear the Magic Mirror's voice.

It praised her—not just for her beauty, but for her wisdom as a ruler.

"Even the Magic Mirror believes I've been here the whole time?"

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Did I sleepwalk through it all?"

Lost in thought, the Queen circled the Magic Mirror and sat down on her bed.

She tried to recall if she had ever shown signs of sleepwalking before. But just as she was deep in thought, her gaze froze.

She nearly gasped aloud.

A silver-haired boy, beautiful as if he had stepped out of a painting, was seated at the edge of her bed, smiling at her.

Rhine?

When did he get here?!

The Queen almost cried out in shock—

But then she remembered.

The ministers had spoken of Rhine as White Kingdom's Sage. He was now her trusted advisor.

"If I react with surprise, won't that expose me? Won't that mean all those so-called achievements weren't mine?"

"No! Not!"

Forcing herself to stay calm, the Queen gave Rhine a graceful smile.

"Ah, esteemed Sage Rhine. A pleasure to see you."

She had no idea what role he had played in all of this.

For now, she could only assume he, like the ministers, had interacted with some 'other version' of herself—the one who had been ruling the kingdom these past two months.

Lifting her chin slightly, she studied him, carefully recalling everything she had heard from the ministers and the King. Then, with a perfectly composed expression, she said—

Sage Rhine, you must have worked hard these past few months. Thank you for your dedication."

Oh?

She's still pretending?

Rhine nearly laughed aloud.

The boy glanced toward the Magic Mirror in the corner, then at the sunlight streaming through the window.

Finally, he turned back to the Queen with a warm, gentle smile.

"Your Majesty," he said softly.

"This ending… are you satisfied?"

The Queen's expression froze.

A shiver ran down her spine, as if an electric current had jolted through her.

In an instant, she understood.

She turned sharply toward the Magic Mirror in the corner—

But it remained still, as if it hadn't heard their conversation.

The world around them had become eerily quiet.

No birds chirping outside. No rustling leaves.

Rhine spoke again, as if reading her thoughts.

"Don't worry. I've cast a soundproof barrier. The Magic Mirror won't hear a word of our conversation."

He paused, then continued—

"So, as far as the Magic Mirror is concerned, you are still the great Queen.

"You were the one who single-handedly brought White Kingdom back to its golden age.

"You were the one who uncovered every hidden enemy spy and dismantled every underground crime syndicate.

"You were the one who sought out the worthy, discovering talent among the commoners and elevating them to greatness.

"You were the one who purged corruption, punished the greedy, and restored justice to the land.

"In the eyes of the Magic Mirror—and everyone else—this is all your doing.

"From now on, the King will never leave you. The people will never abandon you.

"It doesn't matter whether or not the King formally names you ruler—you will forever be White Kingdom's greatest sovereign."

Rhine's voice was calm, as if he were stating an obvious fact.

But the Queen…

The Queen felt her heart tremble.

For years, she had been consumed by fear—fear of losing her beauty, her power, her control.

And now, without lifting a finger…

She had won.

Rhine smiled again, his voice gentle.

"So, Your Majesty.

Are you satisfied?"