25. Escaflowne.

“You’ve got a look on your face like you’re about to say something incredibly uncomfortable.”

“Ne?”

 

 

An unexpected remark from Hancock.

Even though she’s a bit of an idiot, Hancock sometimes shows surprising insight, which made me flinch.

Especially the part about ‘uncomfortable words.’

 

 

She pressed her temples hard with her index fingers, frowned, and stared intently at Aran.

 

 

“I see it. You’ve definitely got the travel bug. You’re planning to go somewhere again, aren’t you?”

“Euek?!”

 

Just what the hell is this woman’s deal?!

To figure out my deepest secret so easily… it’s enough to give you chills.

 

 

“R, really?! How can this be!!”

 

 

But it seems she just guessed.

Hancock gasped in shock, covering her open mouth with her hand.

 

 

“This can’t be happening! You just got back, and now you have to go somewhere else again!!”

 

And then, the attack.

The three women watching also joined in the assault.

 

 

Aran had been away on an expedition for three months and had only just returned, and before that, he had gone down to Persia.

 

 

In other words, aside from a few days in between, he had spent almost four months or more abroad. And he’s supposed to be a king!

 

 

“You’re so irresponsible, -hasineyo. You just keep adding wives and now that they’re yours, you don’t even care about them!”

“It’s not like that. It’s all for the country and for you all.”

“Oh my, did you hear that? That’s the typical excuse of nobles exploiting the commoners.”

“But it’s true…”

 

 

It’s true in its own way.

The problem is, it just looks like it’s all for Aran’s lust.

 

The reason he’s going all the way to the distant Mei Empire to deal with Yuri Yuri is because she’s the only existence he can’t handle right now.

If she gets any strange ideas and overthrows the Mei Empire’s imperial family, or turns Seorae into a Vamgnir, it’ll be a huge headache. He might even have to sacrifice her altogether.

 

 

And furthermore, she might become a threat to the Great Kingdom and Aran.

 

 

Therefore, dealing with her is, in the long run, also for the sake of the Great Kingdom and the women.

It’s just that it’s not obvious on the surface.

 

 

“Heueung… really?”

 

 

The women glared at Aran with disbelieving faces.

They say the most beautiful woman is one who glares, but with all four of them doing it, the pressure was considerable.

 

 

“I, I’m serious.”

“Hmph. You can’t believe a word this man says. He says it’s for our sake, but he’ll definitely come back with more women. I’m sure of it. If not, I’ll be ugly.”

“Moe Ujeon-nim doesn’t trust His Majesty this much, what do you think?”

 

Hancock’s eyes contained several sentences.

If I were to extract one, it would be something like, ‘Moe feels that way, but so do we, so try to persuade us.’

 

 

Aran felt suddenly tired.

 

“Can’t you just trust me?”

“We’d trust you if you were trustworthy. Think back to the past.”

“Eue….”

 

 

Aran shut his mouth.

If they bring up his past actions, he has nothing to say.

Aran has added women every time he’s gone out, without a single exception.

 

 

“But where are you planning to go?”

 

 

Lamias, who was the most friendly(?) to Aran, asked.

She was the only magnanimous(?) one who didn’t care if more women were added.

 

Aran hesitated slightly before answering.

 

 

“I have some business in the Mei… Empire.”

“….”

 

 

Three pairs of eyes narrowed.

 

“….”

 

 

Aran subtly averted his gaze.

 

 

They seem to think he’s going to meet Seorae since she’s in the Mei Empire.

He couldn’t exactly say no.

His main goal is Yuri Yuri, but he’ll naturally have to meet Seorae in the process.

 

 

“Maybe it’s best to put on a chastity belt?”

“Let’s ask the Magic Tower to make a special one. One that can only be opened with our permission.”

“How about one with thorns that pop out when he cheats?”

“That’s too cruel.”

“It’s okay. Even if one ball bursts, it won’t affect reproduction.”

“How can you say such terrible things in front of the person involved!”

 

 

Even if one ball bursts, it won’t be a problem… could there be more terrible words than these?

Both hands instinctively covered that area.

 

 

“Then let’s do this. The Queen and Doraji-ssi went on the expedition last time, so this time, Moe Ujeon-nim and I will go. Of course, excluding the milk cow.”

“Oh my, why are you excluding me?”

“The milk cow is busy, you know. You’re so capable and have so much to do, you can’t wander abroad for personal matters. Yeah. Compared to that, Moe Ujeon-nim is really useless, and I’m just His Majesty’s advisor, so it’s meaningless for me to be there.”

“Don’t say such nonsense, Empty Milk (Kongnyu).”

“Hmph. Calling me useless. Beautiful women recognize other beautiful women. Ah. How sad. No one recognizes my beauty.”

“T.H.A.T.’S. why I’m saying you’re useless except for that beauty. Even an ornamental statue can do that much.”

“Eek! That’s not true!”

 

The women started arguing with each other as if they had never been together.

Hancock’s wide-area provocation was always a thing, but it had never been so welcome as today.

 

 

“Then I….”

 

 

Aran seized the opportunity in the confusion and slipped out of the room.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Aran will be here soon.”

“Ne?”

“I have a feeling.”

 

 

Seorae suddenly spoke while tearing off a leg of the grilled pork belly.

Soi made a strange expression.

 

 

“What are you suddenly saying… that my brother-in-law is coming….”

“Married couples are supposed to be connected.”

“We’re not married. It’s a mother-in-law and son-in-law relationship.”

“We will be soon.”

“….”

 

 

Soi sighed at her unchanging son-in-law love(?).

What kind of values does she have to even think about taking her son-in-law?

 

 

‘Just like when she married off my sister, Mother is not normal after all!’

 

 

If she, who usually fears Seorae, is thinking that, then she must really dislike it.

 

 

‘I submitted, but I still can’t accept that pervert! To think that such a person is my brother-in-law….’

 

 

She felt sorry for Moe in her heart.

A pitiful woman sacrificed by a crazy woman and a pervert….

 

“By the way, that guy was supposed to go in with us, I hope he’s not dawdling around?”

“Who? Are you talking about the Persian Emperor?”

“Yeah. We made a bet to go in together. Heu heu. That bitch can’t be honest either. She wanted to marry Aran herself.”

“Mother is abnormal.”

“Me? Why?”

“Asking that question is what makes you abnormal.”

 

 

No one would disagree that Seorae is abnormal. Of course, there aren’t many people who can say that to her face.

 

 

“Why do you care so much about that person in the first place…. We also had a fa…ther….”

 

 

She thought of her father, who had been forgotten, and revealed her gloomy feelings.

 

There were several circumstances, but strictly speaking, Seorae was caught by her husband cheating, and she proudly flaunted it, eventually kicking her husband out.

 

It’s definitely not a good sight.

 

“Ah, that guy. Come to think of it, what was his name again?”

“Mother….”

 

 

How can she be so indifferent?

She suddenly felt it was too much.

 

 

“It wasn’t a marriage I wanted in the first place. From the beginning, the purpose was to consolidate the imperial power, unite the nobles, and lead the country. I’ve already achieved that purpose. Is there any reason to drag it on any longer?”

“….”

 

 

I always think she’s a chilling woman.

To not give even a single grain of affection to a man she lived with for over 20 years.

 

“Listen carefully. In the end, you only live once. Living the life you want is always the best thing. Especially for major life events like marriage, you have to ask your heart.”

“So, you’re saying I should marry someone I love?”

“If possible.”

“You forced my sister to marry. You even sent her to a distant foreign land….”

“That couldn’t be helped.”

“….”

 

 

I always feel that Seorae is seriously lenient towards herself.

It’s okay if she does it, but it’s not okay if others do it… something like that.

The funny thing is that it’s tolerated. Because she’s the Empress.

 

“Or how about you come with me this time? The whole family goes in together… that would be fun.”

“To whom? Are you talking about my brother-in-law?”

 

 

She was taken aback.

Could you say such a thing if you were in your right mind!

The whole family marrying one man. And they’re the imperial family of a country!

This is an absurd event that will go down in human history.

 

 

“What’s wrong with that? That family is already doing a mass migration.”

“That’s not possible, and even if it were, absolutely not!”

“Tsk… once you taste it, you’ll think differently.”

“Eek! That’s filthy! Shameless!”

“Life is shameless.”