Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

She collapsed to the ground, her hands bracing herself against the earth, gasping for breath like a drowning person grasping at a last straw: "Wait, wait! You can't kill me!"

“I am the Queen’s candidate! I have political immunity! You have no evidence whatsoever, but killing me is blatant interference in the election! For committing such a serious crime, even if you were Villette’s daughter, he would still put you in jail!”

"Yeah……"

Cheng Cheng spoke softly, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers: "Freya."

In the corner, a small figure was crouching on the desk, stealthily reaching for the fruit plate on the table.

Upon hearing the shout, the figure trembled and nearly slipped off the chair.

"Huh, huh?"

Freya turned her head, still munching on half an apple.

She looked at Cheng Cheng blankly, then at the apple in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and handed him the half-eaten apple: "Do you want some too?"

"Later," Cheng Cheng waved his hand. "Take off your hood."

"Oh."

Freya obediently took off her hood, revealing her little face.

She has shoulder-length pink hair, light blue eyes, and chubby cheeks—it seems she's gained a little weight because she's been kept indoors eating, drinking, and playing for the past ten days or so.

Thankfully, the weight won't grow on my body.

"Did you see it clearly?" Cheng Cheng asked.

"Uh, what are you looking at?" Liu Ruyan was taken aback. "Your maid... is quite cute?"

"What maid!" Cheng Cheng slammed his fist on the table, furious. "Open your dog eyes and see clearly! This is the current princess, the rightful crown princess, Her Highness Freya Alvira von Konoma!"

Freya was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, but then immediately realized what she meant and proudly puffed out her small chest.

"Ah? You're a princess?!" Liu Ruyan exclaimed in surprise.

"Huh? You're a princess?"

Li Xianyu, who was applying makeup to the Corpse Immortal Wanye while leaning against the coffin lid, poked her head out from under the black robe, looking incredulous.

This seemingly silly girl is actually the missing princess of the kingdom?

The Genshin Impact cult that I joined... seems to have some substance!

"Ah? You're Princess?!"

On the other side, Paul was terrified.

No, Miss, the little girl you brought back from your last outing was Princess Her Highness? What a coincidence!

No, that can't be right.

The young lady has always been meticulous and calculating, planning three steps ahead for every one she takes. Even he, a servant for nearly ten years, dares not claim to fully understand the darkness behind the Claire family. Could it be that everything, from the princess's disappearance onwards, was orchestrated by the master...?

No! I can't think about it anymore!

Stop!

If I keep thinking about it, I'm afraid I'll be shot eighteen times in the back and the master will judge it as suicide!

Paul took a deep breath and suppressed his chaotic thoughts.

But Liu Ruyan clearly lacked his self-control.

She stared at Freya's face, and the more she looked, the more she resembled the princess she had seen in the newspaper.

Although it looks much smaller, perhaps it's just that Her Highness used some kind of magic to cater to the mainstream aesthetic of the kingdom's upper class?

After all, the kingdom's high society has a thing for little girls. A marquis once invited her to visit his island... well, I mean, a physical little girl.

But why is the missing princess appearing beside Sylvia, and seemingly obedient to her every word?

Ah, no wonder...

No wonder Earl Villette, the highest judge representing the kingdom's judicial system, hasn't taken sides among the queen's candidates for so long; he's playing a long game!

Kidnap the princess, use magic to shrink her, and then do all sorts of cruel things to her until she is completely obedient. Then, at the crucial stage of the queen's election, suddenly step forward and, on the grounds that "the rightful heir has been found and there is no need for further elections," openly and legitimately put the puppet queen on the throne!

To hold the emperor hostage and use him to command the feudal lords!

It's so damn black...

Liu Ruyan shuddered, realizing that a businesswoman like herself was better off sticking to finance. Getting involved in politics, trying to outwit these old foxes, she probably wouldn't even know how she died!

"Looks like you recognized me."

Cheng Cheng's voice pulled her back to reality.

The white-haired girl sat in the boss's chair, gently tapping the armrest, and said slowly, "She went on a secret trip, accompanying me to the underground city on a royal mission... and then she was attacked by your people."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"A candidate for Queen's candidacy attacked the Princess. I wonder what political immunity can protect you?"

Liu Ruyan's face turned deathly pale.

"I...I really didn't know the princess was with you!" she cried out immediately. "If I had known, I certainly wouldn't have dared to send someone to attack..."

"So you finally admit to sending someone to assassinate me?"

Cheng Cheng slammed his fist on the table! A murderous aura emanated from him!

"me……"

Liu Ruyan's mental defenses completely collapsed. She fell to the ground, her forehead pounding against the floor with a loud thud: "Please! Spare me! Spare me!"

"I'm very rich! I can give the Claire family any amount they want! A hundred million? A billion? Just name your price, and I'll transfer it right away!"

As she spoke, she crawled over on her knees, grabbed Cheng Cheng's foot, and held on tightly: "Just spare my life, I'll do anything!"

"You really only think about yourself!"

Cheng Cheng tried to pull his foot away in disgust, but after a couple of attempts, he couldn't get it free.

Huh? Isn't that enough to consider your feelings?

Liu Ruyan was stunned.

I've already offered up the most precious, lovely, and beautiful credits in the world, and Sylvia still won't let me go? What is she after?

If it's not about money, what other impressive assets do I have... to sexually assault?

No, Sylvia is a woman too.

That means seeking power.

He was currently the most promising candidate, and if he were to be used by the Claire family, he could exert some political influence to help them achieve their conspiracy to manipulate the royal selection...

In that case, there's only one answer—

"I will be loyal to you!"

Liu Ruyan abandoned all pretense of dignity and began to take off Sylvia's little leather shoes, saying, "I'm willing to lick your feet to swear my loyalty!"

"Wow, congee! When did it arrive?"

Cheng Cheng kicked her away, sending her rolling twice on the ground before she crashed into the sofa leg, clutching her buttocks and screaming in pain!

Ha, I haven't even had a taste yet, and you dare to eat first?

Dream on!

Cheng Cheng snorted coldly, opened his arms towards Liu Ruyan who had been kicked away, and slowly began to control the invisible threads on Liu Ruyan's head...

Puppet Flame!

I didn't use this tactic before simply because I was afraid of killing the wrong person and lowering Sylvia's favorability. But now that you've admitted it yourself, why should I still need your loyalty?

Nothing is more trustworthy than a puppet!

This is also Cheng Cheng's plan to enter the Queen's election and expand the power of the Primal God Cult—to turn all the officials and nobles with criminal records into puppets and secretly build his own power!

Rather, this is the correct way to use puppets, rather than simply using them to forcibly control monsters or enslave powerful individuals to fight for you.

After all, this puppet was a high-ranking demon. After descending into the world, it was besieged and attacked by the church many times but still got away with it. It had secretly manipulated countless powerful people. If it hadn't been killed by Cheng Cheng's game system, this demon would probably have stirred up trouble during the Queen's election feast!

As soon as Liu Ruyan got up from the ground, she felt her thoughts becoming sluggish, like a rusty spring or a machine filled with lead. She instinctively tried to struggle—

The next moment, several gun barrels were pressed against her forehead.

"Stand still," Cheng Cheng said coldly. "Don't move."

Liu Ruyan froze.

But the feeling of stagnation grew stronger and stronger, as if something was invading her soul—

Twenty seconds later, Cheng Cheng withdrew his hand and nodded in satisfaction.

Liu Ruyan stood motionless in front of the desk.

Her eyes were still open, she was still breathing, and her heart was still beating, but those eyes had lost all their luster, leaving only an empty, submissive look. Although she still possessed the memories of the past, both her soul and body had been transformed into a puppet, capable of carrying out Cheng Cheng's orders and doing the work of the past, but essentially dead—that was what a puppet was.

"Why did you want to kill me?" Cheng Cheng asked again. "What is your relationship with the Primordial God Cult?"

“The Obsidian Bishop asked me to kill you in exchange for the votes of the Church of the City Builders,” the puppet said, bowing his head. “In addition, he is the Gold-rank leader of the Church of the Primal God in Silvershine City.”

Obsidian Bishop?

I think I've heard this name before.

Cheng Cheng recalled that he seemed to have heard it from that church traitor named Luo Ao, who had taught him to be humble and not arrogant.

I don't care.

But then he heard a gasp of astonishment from beside him, and Paul's eyes widened: "The Obsidian Bishop? The Silvershine City Bishop personally appointed by His Holiness the Pope?!"

In her mind, Sylvia's voice trembled as she said, "Obsidian Bishop... he was so devout, how could he betray his faith..."

It seems he's another two-faced villain. Since this person already covets Sylvia's life, we need to find a way to get rid of him.

According to Sylvia, this Obsidian Bishop was a long-serving Gold Saint with extremely high social standing, making it difficult to bring him down through a report. After all, crimes committed by bishops can only be adjudicated by the Papal Court, and Sylvia's father couldn't help with that.

Moreover, all we have now is Liu Ruyan's testimony; more evidence is needed.

However, you could try attacking him and turning him into your puppet as well.

Now that he has the materials for the chicken, tiger, bear, wolf, and dog, Cheng Cheng doesn't need to refine any Nascent Soul Pills like Li Xianyu does to level up. He just clicks a couple of times on the system, the materials disappear, and Sylvia and Freya both level up to level 41, officially breaking through to the Gold rank!