The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 245 - Treya’s Checkmate

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Two days ago, in the royal palace—

On a rainy day much like today, Treya and Carver played their “game of chess,” accompanied by the soft patter of rain and the delicate sound of crystal chess pieces being placed on the board.

“The power he holds is immense. For us humble merchants, it’s precisely the kind of thing we fear most,” Carver said, his words punctuated by a distant clap of thunder. He moved one of his pawns forward.

He didn’t deploy any overtly aggressive pieces, yet his moves were far from defensive. Every step was a calculated offense.

Treya didn’t immediately respond to Carver’s statement. Instead, she calmly moved her knight into the fray.

In this conversation, where chess served as a metaphor for their intentions, Carver instantly understood that her move was an invitation for him to continue speaking.

“The noble royal family is like a dark cloud looming overhead—sometimes bringing storms, sometimes revealing the sun. For people like us, it’s an unbearable existence,” Carver said as he advanced another pawn, hinting at his hidden strategies.

“Rain always stops eventually. No cloud can permanently block out the sun—it must make way for clear skies,” he added.

Treya didn’t move her pieces immediately. She quietly listened to the rain outside, resting her chin on her hand as she pondered her next steps.

Though she held the advantage on the board, Carver had never ceased his relentless pressure.

—Both in chess and in negotiation.

She carefully considered what her “next move” should be.

With a sigh, she moved her queen forward—a clear indication that her subsequent moves would target Carver’s king.

“The Entark royal family isn’t as you describe it,” Treya said, directly refuting Carver’s claims.

“Remember? Will is my fiancé. Three years ago, we sought to establish a partnership. I believe... maintaining that ‘partnership’ is enough.”

At the mention of Will’s name, Carver’s expression briefly faltered—a rare moment of unguarded reaction. His right eyebrow twitched slightly before he withdrew his bishop back into his territory.

Carver studied Treya closely.

He noticed how different this “princess” was compared to three years ago. If she hadn’t brought up the past herself, he might not have realized it.

She now possessed an intense and unwavering “goal.” It was this goal that had brought her to sit across from him at this chessboard—this negotiation table.

Her concessions and advances were unusual.

Carver had initially assumed she was here out of desperation, seeking his “support” as a last resort.

After all, everyone knew how fierce the royal family’s power struggles were. This beautiful princess had always been seen as someone who avoided getting involved—a peripheral figure afraid to enter the fray.

That perception was why Carver had ultimately abandoned her side three years ago, opting instead to delay any alliances with her faction.

In an environment like the royal family’s, if one couldn’t “stain themselves” to participate in the struggle, they weren’t worth supporting.

Even if she might be the last one standing in the end.

“Your Highness, I hope you understand that the Entark royal family today is not what it once was. Similarly, the Adventurer’s Guild is no longer what it used to be,” Carver said pointedly.

A threat.

Though his chess pieces indicated defense, his words carried an overt warning—a clear mismatch between his actions on the board and his rhetoric in negotiation. This dissonance was part of what made this meeting so fraught with intrigue.

Treya stared at the chessboard in silence for two or three seconds.

The next move was obvious—she only needed to continue attacking. But she refrained from doing so.

Instead, she seemed to analyze the significance behind Carver’s actions.

“Is this your move, Mr. Carver?” Treya asked calmly.

She understood now—this was exactly what Will had repeatedly warned her about: Carver’s cunning. He wasn’t just a top-tier merchant unwilling to relinquish his “interests” easily during negotiations.

For the first time, Treya’s icy expression softened into a faint smile.

She advanced her knight further into enemy territory.

“That may be so, Mr. Carver. But the seismic shifts caused by changes within the royal family are not something you can endure unscathed. Don’t you want a ‘win-win’ situation?”

After showing weakness earlier, she now displayed strength once more.

And with this move, she also avoided answering the question Carver had been trying to probe—what exactly was she after?

As a businessman, Carver knew that successful negotiations and transactions required understanding the other party’s “demands.” What did they want? Why were they sitting across from him at this table?

Carver castled his king for a short defense.

“Is that so? But perhaps... future adventurers might bring some surprises to Entark’s royal family,” he replied cryptically.

Treya moved her bishop forward aggressively.

Carver quickly countered by advancing his queen.

He could see it now—Treya’s playstyle had grown more aggressive than before.

It seemed she was losing her “patience.”

On one side, Treya sought economic support from Carver and the Hysterm family he represented.

On the other side, Carver found himself dissatisfied with Treya’s proposals—or perhaps he simply placed more faith in the Adventurer’s Guild and its “future potential.”

“What if there is no ‘future,’ Mr. Carver? What if everything happens now?” Treya said suddenly as she delivered another check against his king. Though it wasn’t checkmate yet, there were limited ways for him to respond.

“......”

Carver felt something was off.

She wasn’t as “detached” as others had described her to be.

Could it be...

Could it be that she not only had a backup plan but also possessed information that even he—Carver—didn’t know?

In negotiations, what was most terrifying wasn’t an undesirable outcome but...

The realization that your opponent held “unknown information.”

Treya was using this information as leverage against him now.

Her earlier displays of weakness—even over these past few weeks—had all been part of an act to conceal her true intentions?

Even now, deep into their negotiation, she continued to withhold critical information?

Especially with her confident tone just now...

Could it be that the recent upheavals within the royal family weren’t just “beginnings” but signs of an imminent “end”?

Strange—based on Hysterm family intelligence channels, even rumors should have hinted at such developments. Yet there had been no such information circulating.

What exactly was Treya so certain about?

What had transformed her from the person she was three years ago into who she was now?

Left with no choice, Carver moved his king back one step defensively.

Treya’s bishop advanced further, capturing one of his pieces.

“Mr. Carver, I’m not unwilling to compromise. Just as I offered three years ago—I can help you eliminate your competitors and make the Hysterm family the sole controllers of the Adventurer’s Guild. How about that?”

Treya seemed slightly... irritated now.

She was someone who rarely displayed irritation. Even during long chess matches like this one, she maintained patience—just as she patiently listened to Will’s lessons or trained tirelessly in swordsmanship...

Or laid out...

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This very game.

But now, she was losing some of that composure.

Perhaps it was because of the man sitting across from her—a man whose face bore a faint resemblance to Will yet repeatedly tested her limits.

Because she knew Will would never do such a thing.

Carver countered by capturing her bishop with his own piece.

“Oh? Are you implying that the Hysterm family isn’t already the sole controllers?” he asked slyly.

Treya sighed softly and advanced her queen to capture another piece.

“Not just in your current domain. For example... under your support, we could restructure existing systems and give you—not just your family—a seat at the table to enjoy a grand feast.”

Carver paused to consider her words deeply.

Her statement was thinly veiled—it didn’t take much effort to decipher its meaning. She was essentially offering him what he had sought three years ago through marriage alliances: legitimizing the Adventurer’s Guild as a political force equal to Entark’s old nobility and royal family...

Perhaps even rivaling them outright.

Carver moved his rook closer to Treya’s king—a subtle but clear offensive maneuver.

“It’s certainly an enticing proposal, Princess Treya.”

But agreeing to such terms would mean fully supporting Treya—not just politically but also...

Halting any plans for future expansion of the Adventurer’s Guild into a dominant force.

Treya observed his move and repositioned her king defensively to avoid immediate threats.

“If you agree, we can end things here today. Chess doesn’t always need to reach its conclusion,” she offered diplomatically.

But Carver responded by advancing his bishop once more.

The most pressing question remained: Why should they heed her words when they could capitalize on Entark’s current vulnerability and push for total dominance?

“But Your Highness... I think there’s still room for more concessions,” he countered smoothly as he pressed forward again with another piece.

Treya silently watched his move before advancing her rook aggressively in response.

As both players began deploying their rooks, it became clear that the game was approaching its climax.

“Indeed. But that’s in the future. Mr. Carver, did you know? The Seventh and Eighth Princes have already been eliminated due to injuries. And as for the Fourth and Fifth Princes... surely you understand whose side they’re on now,” Treya said pointedly.

Carver furrowed his brow as he picked up his knight hesitantly.

“...What?”

“Do the math. In just a few days’ time, with the Fourth Prince exiled... what you see as ‘clouds’ won’t leave Entark leaderless.”

Treya moved her queen forward decisively—her move carrying an implicit warning of Carver’s impending defeat.

Carver stared at the board in silence.

If both the Seventh and Eighth Princes were out of play—and if this information had been deliberately withheld from him...

Could it be...

Could it be that Treya herself now controlled most of Entark’s military power?!

Though other options remained on the board, Treya exuded overwhelming confidence at this moment.

If... if she had been victorious from the very beginning...

Why would she need this chess match at all? Why reveal so many benefits and seek his support?

Was it...

Was it all a ploy to extract his “cards” and gauge how much information he held?

He had miscalculated.

He thought this was a “negotiation table,” but in reality, Treya had orchestrated everything from start to finish—positioning him exactly where she wanted him while probing for any hidden aces up his sleeve.

If there truly were a “future,” Carver didn’t believe he would lose. But at this particular moment in time—when he wasn’t at full strength—he had no choice but to cooperate with her.

What did she want?

Her terms were generous—too generous for someone holding all the advantages.

“Princess Treya... what are you implying?” Carver asked cautiously.

“You’ve already understood my implications. All that remains is for you to make your choice,” Treya replied coolly.

Carver looked up and finally noticed something he hadn’t before—the way Treya’s silver hair had been slightly disheveled during their match. She had pushed it back at some point, revealing an eye partially hidden beneath it.

“I have no choice but to support you now, Princess Treya,” Carver conceded reluctantly as he moved his king defensively once more.

Even so, he knew this game was already over.

Facing an opponent who held all the cards at such an unfavorable time for himself—it was only natural for him to lose.

What puzzled him most was why—despite having suppressed him so thoroughly—Treya still offered him significant benefits. What was her true motive?

“Your Highness... I must ask: Why grant me so many advantages while revealing so much information during your moment of strength?”

For a brief moment, disappointment flickered across Treya’s expression.

“Mr. Carver... you don’t understand. There’s only one thing I want—something you can give me right now.”

She picked up her queen—the piece poised to deliver checkmate—and held it above the board with deliberate precision.

The white queen gleamed under the room’s dim light—a stark contrast against the gloomy overcast sky outside and the oppressive atmosphere within.

It stood as a symbol of power—beautiful yet subordinate to its king.

With finality, she placed her queen down on the board and rested her finger atop its crown without lifting it away. Her gaze locked onto Carver’s eyes unwaveringly.

“I just want to know... where he is.”

“He?” Carver echoed cautiously.

“You know exactly who I mean. If you don’t... then you have no right to sit here,” Treya said coldly.

“...Ahh... so that’s it. I see now—it all makes sense,” Carver murmured with a faint chuckle—not one of amusement but resignation—as he maintained a facade of calm composure until the end.

“In that case... yes—I know where he is. He’s here—in the capital.”

For the first time during their entire match, Carver saw genuine surprise and joy flash across Treya’s otherwise composed eyes.

“It won’t be long before he comes to see you,” Carver added as he stood up and bowed respectfully toward Treya—his opponent who had bested him completely in this match of wits and strategy.

“But Princess Treya... allow me one final suggestion...”

“If you want to surprise him... perhaps consider covering your left eye with an eyepatch.”