10. Isn

* * *

 

 

 

 

Ttokak ttogak

 

 

A woman in monochrome shoes walked, her long hair fluttering.

Her pace was quite fast, and the maids followed almost running.

 

“Your Majesty! You mustn’t move so hastily!”

“Your beauty is drizzling away! At this rate…!”

“Everyone will be brainwashed by Your Majesty’s beauty, and this world will be destroyed!”

 

Whether it was flattery or sincerity.

The maids spoke in unison.

 

 

Ttuk.

 

 

Perhaps their words reached her.

The woman stopped.

 

 

“How foolish.”

 

And then, she said one word.

 

 

“Do you not know the word ‘Noblesse Oblige’?”

“Pardon?”

 

Utmost confidence.

And arrogance.

 

 

Those things gathered in one place and created the form of her.

 

 

Looking down at the maids, she said.

 

 

“It is precisely because I am beautiful that I must shed it even more. Only then can I purify this world, which is full of ugliness, even a little.”

“Ah!”

“Indeed!”

“Our thoughts were short-sighted!”

 

Expressions of genuine emotion.

It was like watching a religion.

 

 

She, Moae, spread her arms wide.

 

 

“Behold! The beauty that fills this area! From whom does it all come from!”

“It is from Her Majesty Moae!”

 

She spun around once.

 

“Even the splendor of this Imperial Palace, even the mystery of this space, are like fireflies under the sunlight before my elegance. Therefore, I must share my beauty.”

“Your words are most wise!”

 

 

Moae smiled contentedly.

 

 

“…What a load of crap.”

“Gasp! Mother!”

 

Seorae clicked her tongue and approached.

It was true that Moae was beautiful, but to be such a severe case. She was newly worried.

 

 

“A load of crap, you say! I was merely imparting a teaching about an extremely obvious fact.”

“Oh, really? Then you’ll be able to seduce Prince Aran well, right?”

“Ah, no, Mother! I told you I refused that!”

“It’s not for you to argue about. It’s a done deal.”

“This is absurd! I am a national treasure, no, a treasure of humanity! Do you truly intend to destroy a world cultural heritage!”

“How does the marriage of a prince and a princess destroy a world cultural heritage?”

 

Moae placed her hand on her chest.

 

 

“Because I am the treasure of all mankind!”

“….”

 

 

Seorae was momentarily speechless at her too confident words.

But she was not one to back down either.

 

 

“Is that so? Well, I guess we can give up one treasure and gain some practical benefits.”

“Hweeek?!”

 

Moae stepped back, reacting in surprise.

Her eyes became as big as marbles.

 

 

“Don’t misunderstand. You are the princess of this nation, you must think of the country before yourself.”

“……I don’t want to hear that from you, Mother.”

 

To hear such words from someone who had abandoned state affairs for 20 years, of all people.

It was absurd.

 

 

“I heard that Prince Aran has arrived at Soyul Port. He will arrive at the Imperial Palace around tomorrow.”

“Ugh…are you really going to do this? I’m your daughter. Your pretty, lovely, cute, adorable, precious daughter! Do you really have to sell me off like that!”

“If I put you in my eye, it’ll hurt.”

“Aaaaaaack!!”

 

 

Moae ruffled her hair wildly.

 

“Hehe. I was worried that the marriage might be rejected, but seeing your face, I feel relieved. It might work out well.”

“What do you mean, ‘work out well’!”

“Tomorrow, you will go out to greet him. Aren’t you going to be his wife?”

“I’m not!”

 

She shouted and disappeared.

Seorae’s playfully raised eyes gently lowered.

 

 

“…Are you really going to be alright with this?”

“With what?”

“No matter how strong the Vasa Kingdom has become, they are still barbarians. Sending the First Princess to a barbarian man is….”

“I’m not sending her off to marry. I’m bringing him in as a son-in-law.”

“Even so….”

“Well, if the nighttime activities seem difficult, I can help. Hehe.”

“….”

 

 

The eunuch’s expression was stained with pity.

 

 

‘Just tell her honestly….’

 

 

Seorae looked at his expression.

 

 

“You’re thinking strange things again, aren’t you?”

“Yes? Ah, no. Strange things? What do you mean?”

“I heard that prince is full of energy. How rare is a man full of energy in this day and age? Everyone is too busy putting on makeup to know how to move their hips.”

“….”

“In that sense, she might be happier. How important is it to be gentle during the day and wild at night.”

“Is…is that so.”

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clunk!

 

 

“Uwak! Hey!!”

 

As the carriage jolted, Hancock kicked the wall near the coachman.

 

 

“Can’t you drive straight?!”

“…Shut up! I’m doing it!”

“Hey, where did you learn to talk back, you pirate!”

 

Katarina was struggling to suppress what was rising from within.

She wanted to slice him up with a knife, but her body wouldn’t listen after being bitten by Aran.

 

 

‘Damn it…what is this!’

 

 

After being unconscious, she woke up with a sharp pain and realized that her body had begun to listen to Prince Aran’s words first.

To her surprise, he declared, “You are now my Vemgnir.”

 

In other words, it meant she was no different from a slave who obeyed unconditionally.

 

 

‘I, a proud Titan…a mere Vemgnir…!’

 

 

A sigh escaped her involuntarily, but what could she do? The deed was already done.

In this state, she might have to spread her legs like a sex slave whenever he wanted.

 

 

‘That’s good in its own…ah, no, that’s not it, anyway, it’s the worst!’

 

 

“Stay still, Hancock.”

“Ugh…Your Highness! Why don’t you ever take my side!”

“Because you’re doing wrong.”

“Waaah! As expected, my husband is on someone else’s side!”

“Why are you even crying….”

 

To be exact, he wasn’t her husband, but she couldn’t argue because of what she had done.

 

 

“T-t-to think we’re going to the Imperial Palace…the scale is amazing, yes.”

 

Muninn, who had only recently joined the group, was still nervous.

 

“Don’t be so nervous. We’re just going for negotiations.”

“A-aren’t you the one who should be more nervous, Your Highness?! The fate of Persia…is at stake!”

“I guess so. But strangely, I’m not nervous.”

“….”

 

 

Was he strong-hearted?

Or was he too nervous to even recognize it?

 

 

There were people like that sometimes.

 

 

 

 

.

.

 

 

 

A few hours later,

Aran’s group finally arrived in the capital, Yueun.

The towering walls and brilliantly shining buildings showed the appearance of a powerful nation at a glance.

 

 

“Your Highness, may I have a word with you?”

 

A nobleman knocked on Aran’s carriage door and asked.

 

 

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s someone who came to greet you…it’s a bit….”

“A greeting?”

 

 

Since it was an international diplomacy, a greeting was natural.

But why would he need to break out in a cold sweat because of it?

 

 

“Who is it?”

 

Aran opened the carriage door and stepped outside.

 

 

“I’ll go with you, Your Highness!”

 

 

Hancock also came out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You must be ‘Aran Persia’.”

 

 

As he walked forward a little, there stood an extremely beautiful black-haired woman with blazing eyes.

 

It was as if the world was brightening.

Aran was a man, so he couldn’t help but be amazed by her unbelievable beauty.

He could be praised just for not drooling.

 

 

“Y-yes…who are you?”

 

She was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

Her face, body, and even the haughty aura she exuded were so perfectly harmonized that he couldn’t even speak properly.

 

 

“I am Moae Yueun, the First Princess of the Great Mei Empire and heir to the throne.”

“I see…the First Prin…huh?”

“I am a princess. Are you so mesmerized by my beauty that you can’t speak?”

“That’s…”

“Indeed. I suppose so. As long as you are human, or even a dragon, you wouldn’t be able to close your mouth when you see my beauty.”

“Bullshit, you…”

“Hancock!”

 

Aran wrapped Hancock’s mouth with cloth.

In an instant, he became a mummy.

 

 

“Ubeubeubeu”

“We’ll talk later.”

 

Moae was dumbfounded by the sight of the two men acting strangely in front of her.

 

 

“…Why are you looking at other women when I’m here?”

“Pardon?”

“Even after experiencing my beauty, your eyes turn to other women? You’re a strange person.”

“….”

 

 

How should he react?

 

 

‘Come to think of it, the Mei Empire was pushing for a marriage with the First Princess…telling me to come as a son-in-law…could it be that they still haven’t given up? Is that why she’s saying this?’

 

It was plausible enough.

Wasn’t she speaking as if she was jealous?

 

 

“Could it be that you still haven’t given up your lingering feelings?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve told you, but I have no intention of going to the Mei Empire as a son-in-law.”

“Ha….”

 

 

Moae flared up.

 

 

“Who said anything? I’m declining too.”

“That’s a relief then.”

“You….”

“Your Highness, Your Highness came out to greet him!”

“….”

 

 

She was about to say something to Aran, who did not worship her even after seeing her elegance and beauty, but the nobles stopped her before she could.

Anyway, Aran was a prince and a foreign envoy.

Treating an envoy symbolized the dignity of the country, so there should be no flaws.

 

 

“……Anyway, welcome.”

 

 

She spat out words she didn’t mean and turned around.

 

 

“I’ll guide you. Follow me.”

 

 

Aran followed without complaint.

It was a bit strange that they weren’t taking the carriage, but he assumed there was a reason.

 

 

“…There’s one thing I’m really curious about.”

 

 

While walking, she opened her mouth with an expression that she was dying of curiosity.

 

“What is it?”

“How can you do that?”

“Pardon?”

 

She spun around.

It was like watching a scene from a musical.

 

 

“It’s a good thing for me, but how can you reject marriage even after seeing my beautiful appearance?”

“….”

 

 

Aran was speechless.

 

 

He had no idea what to say.

 

 

“Even flowers bow their heads in shame when they stand before me. Even the elegant swans are ashamed and plunge into the water before me. How can you say no after seeing me?”

“….”

 

 

Aran had a headache.

 

‘I’m sorry, Hancock. There’s someone even stranger than you in this world.’