37. How much is it?

“….”

 

 

Aran thought for a moment that he had misheard.

Because she was offering five, including herself.

It wasn’t some marketplace haggle, but it felt so natural.

 

 

“Why are you acting so surprised? Weren’t you secretly hoping for this? Knowing your personality, I didn’t think you’d just leave Wang Yul, that bitch, alone. You were planning to mess with her anyway, right?”

 

Aran cleared his throat, hit right on the mark.

 

“Ahem. What are you talking about? I am a gentleman. I don’t do such things.”

“What a joke. Look at your reputation.”

“Judging a person based solely on reputation or rumors is extremely wrong. You have to experience them directly and understand their inner self.”

“Hearing that from a guy who only pokes around on the surface doesn’t resonate.”

“Su-surface poking.”

“More importantly, what are you going to do? I think it’s a pretty good deal.”

“Umm….”

 

 

Putting aside what she says, the deal itself is definitely attractive.

No matter how big and powerful the Goryeo Empire is, having five members of the imperial family by your side as women means you can hold it in your hands and shake it as much as you want.

 

And Goryeo is worth that much.

 

“Why are you thinking so much? You’re already leaning towards it inside. Let’s drop the pretense. Isn’t dealing with stuffy noble bitches enough?”

“Ahem…you’re quite no-noble too….”

“I’m royalty. I’m fundamentally different from those commoners.”

“I-is that so.”

 

 

So, if you’re royalty, even nobles are considered common?

 

“Unlike those who only ‘pretend’ to be precious, I’m truly precious. So, I don’t need such useless formalities.”

“You were doing that earlier.”

“I was just acting a bit.”

“Isn’t that what the world calls ‘pretending’?”

“…You sure talk a lot.”

“….”

 

 

It seems like she’s right, but she glares at me for no reason.

 

 

She glared at him for a moment before suddenly starting to talk.

 

 

“You know, I always thought I would become the Emperor, no matter what anyone said.”

“Because you’re the First Princess.”

“Yeah. Because I’m the First Princess. Of course, I’d become the Emperor. But everything changed after Wang Yul appeared.”

 

I didn’t know why she was suddenly starting this story, but I decided to listen for now.

 

 

“It wouldn’t matter if that bitch was just good at everything and showing off on her own, but even my mother started paying attention to her. It was probably about a year ago.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Yeah. It’s all because of you.”

“…Why?”

 

 

What’s with this randomness?

 

 

“Because you brazenly have the First Princess as your wife, people are thinking, ‘Ah, you don’t have to be the First Princess to become the Emperor!’ So, take responsibility.”

“…???”

 

 

The logic is a bit strange.

The cool and free-spirited image from the beginning is collapsing without mercy!

 

 

‘What, what is this woman? Her logic is weird!’

 

 

She continued to speak, not caring about Aran’s strangely changed gaze.

 

 

“Yeah. That was the problem. In the first place, your obsession with sex was the problem.”

“I don’t think it’s that relevant….”

“Anyway, that’s my offer. My whole family, including me. Isn’t that amazing? If I were you, I would have agreed a long time ago.”

“But is there a way to do that? Didn’t they already expect this?”

“What?”

“The Wang Yul-ssi I saw seemed very intelligent. So, she probably knows her older sister’s behavior patterns….”

“It’s okay. I’m already pushing myself enough.”

“….”

 

 

In other words, this isn’t her usual behavior.

 

 

“Even if she knows, it doesn’t matter. Wang Yul, and even my mother, will have no choice but to call me back.”

“How?”

“If I say I’m pregnant, wouldn’t they call me back, even if it’s just to slap me?”

“….”

 

 

Aran felt dizzy.

The appearance of another abnormal person.

Why do only strange people always flock to me?

 

 

‘Give me back my image.’

 

 

It was a pretty cool image, almost like Iliana in the early days….

 

 

“…So? What are you going to do next?”

“Turn it upside down.”

“How?”

“You have to do it.”

“….”

 

Now that I see it, she’s a pushover.

 

‘I understand the Goryeo Emperor’s feelings….’

 

“How about coming here and taking them yourself? You’ll be the protagonist of a kidnapping incident of the imperial family that will go down in Goryeo’s history.”

“I’ll pass.”

 

 

That would cause another intercontinental war.

 

“Then what are you going to do? Don’t you want to eat more princesses? I thought you liked married women too.”

“Haven’t you ever thought that you’re being a parricide?”

“Parricide? Who started it first?”

 

She was grumbling when she suddenly remembered something and slapped her knee, exclaiming, “Ah!”

 

 

“I’ve come up with an incredibly good idea.”

“…I have an incredibly bad feeling.”

“What I need right now is a card to get rid of Wang Yul, that bitch. If it weren’t for her, the throne would practically be mine.”

 

She smiled slyly.

 

 

“What if a princess got pregnant without being married?”

“….”

 

As expected, it’s not a normal thought.

 

 

“My mother would try to cover it up somehow, but how could that be possible? If the Third Princess, not the First or Second Princess, did something like that, she’d be out no matter how capable she is. Right?”

 

It’s a plausible idea, but there’s a significant flaw.

 

 

“Pregnancy can be controlled by the woman. Even if that woman sleeps with me, there’s no way she’d get pregnant.”

“No, no, you don’t have to actually get pregnant. First, the two of you do it, then you attach a plausible story and expose it. If it becomes an issue, my mother will try to confirm it, and if traces of your semen are found in Wang Yul’s room, she’ll be ruined.”

“…Do you think she’d fall for that so easily? More than that, isn’t that completely predicated on me and that person doing it??”

“You’ll do it, right?”

“No, how….”

“With your hobbies and perversions combined, there’s nothing you can’t do. Good luck.”

“That doesn’t help at all.”

“When I go back, you go back with me. Then, you secretly sneak into her room and have some fun. I’ll help you, so don’t worry.”

“Excuse me…I’m a king, you know? I can’t just leave this place so easily.”

“You can get as many as five members of the imperial family, and you’re going to give up? Are you just going to be satisfied with me and So-ah?”

“….”

 

 

I should say ‘yes’ firmly here, but strangely, my lips wouldn’t move.

 

 

“See? You’re just pretending.”

“N-no, but the scale is getting too big? Kidnapping a legitimate princess….”

“She deserves it. She sold So-ah and me to you, didn’t she? Why are you feeling sorry for someone like that? Well, I guess you’re the same kind of person.”

“….”

“Still, she’s the root cause, so I have to get revenge on her.”

“Hoo…okay, I understand for now. Then what about the rest…what are you going to do?”

“When I become the Emperor, I’m going to purge all the people who deceived me. Do you understand what I mean? Oh, right. I’ll give you the nobles as a bonus if you want.”

“Ha…ha…should I say thank you?”

 

She’s a strange woman, but also a scary one.

 

“How about it? We can even write a contract if you want.”

 

She took out a pen as if she were going to write it right away.

 

 

“…Okay. As the Great King, it would be better for Goryeo if Princess Wang-hui became the Emperor.”

“What? Are you looking down on me?”

“It’s not that, it’s just that I feel like we can communicate.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Hmm.”

 

She glared slightly, but she couldn’t pry into the other country’s intentions to their face.

In the end, she changed the subject.

 

 

“But even I think it’s a bit sloppy. Is there any way to make it undeniable that you and I are having an affair?”

“Hmm…about that….”

 

 

Aran thought of Ayla’s inventions, the Saber and Viewer.

 

‘Come to think of it, she said she threatened Huana in that way…this might….’

 

 

 

“Can I tell this to someone else?”

“What? Of course not!”

“There’s someone who can solve it for sure.”

“…If this goes wrong, it’s not just me, but you’ll be ruined too.”

“It’s one of my women.”

“Ha. Then it’s even worse. What woman would like her husband cheating?”

“Well, she does.”

“…?”

“She’s bisexual.”

“What…!”

“Even with the person I’m cheating with….”

“W-wait a minute…bisexual? You mean women do that…too?”

“Yes.”

“Good heavens….”

 

 

Shock.

Having grown up in the imperial palace, she was shocked that something she had only seen in books actually existed.

 

 

“So it’s okay. If I have more women, it means she has more prey (?) too.”

“I-I don’t like it.”

 

She covered her chest with both arms as if protecting her body.

 

 

“But that’s the most certain way. If I have my Nuna’s help, I can handle everything cleanly and perfectly.”

“Nu-Nuna? Don’t tell me you’re siblings???”

“Well, we are, but we’re not blood-related…”

“Pervert!!”

“No, I mean we’re not blood-related…”

“Pervert!!!”

“We’re not blood-…”

“Pervert!!!”

“…Okay, I’m a pervert.”

“Don’t come near me. Hiik.”

“….”