episode_0003

Fortunately, what worked in my favor was that I knew much more about drugs than the villainess. The reason was obvious; she was my younger sister. Choi Yerin, an MD who had contracts with two clubs and worked there. She operated on a larger scale than just attracting a few female customers during weekdays. Her target customers were those who spent over ten million won at the main table. I heard she earned around two million won per month by receiving a commission from the sales brought in by her naive customers. It seemed like she also met a lot of celebrities. The secret behind her impressive sales skills was drugs. She had been a drug dealer since high school. In her first year of high school, she cultivated hallucinogenic mushrooms (successfully). In her second year, she engaged in international ketamine smuggling. After that, she started supplying ecstasy and liquid marijuana to party rooms where high school students hung out, using two native English teachers as her sources. Until then, she had only sold drugs to her friends on a small scale… “Her scale grew rapidly after she got a job at the club.” All the people she used to supply drugs to in high school came from wealthy families. Yerin attracted her friends to become club customers and even controlled them, establishing a powerful network. The clubs competed to scout Yerin. There were quite a few young drug dealers in Korea. However, what scared me about Yerin was that she wasn’t doing this just to make money. Unlike me, who cut ties with my parents, she was consistently receiving an allowance. She could live comfortably without ever working, to the point where she could support herself for a lifetime. She simply enjoyed supplying drugs at a low price, safely manipulating people and exploiting their weaknesses. “Among the customers, there was one trainee who got caught by the police for simple possession. If I had given my name, we could have reached a non-indictment agreement somehow, but she insisted on seeing it through to the end. She even begged me not to cut ties with her.” “Yerin, someday you will get caught. Don’t regret it and stop now.” “I’ve already found a substitute just in case, someone who looks convincing.” “What?” “I’ve designed it so that I can escape from any situation, so don’t worry.”

…I once heard such words from someone. I didn’t want to abandon even my younger sibling, so I let it pass, but it was a moment when I wanted to cut ties. “And then, an accident happened, and they blamed me in the end.” When I think about it, I wonder why they singled me out instead of passing the blame onto someone else. Did they worry that I would expose them to the police? It was a strange role, but it didn’t seem to matter. After all, I had already possessed this body. “Alan, with this, our pitiful empress can escape from her obsession with perfume, right?” That wicked woman in front of me, who couldn’t be compared to someone like Choi Yerin, laughed. It felt familiar, like my own family, but she even had power over Sienna. The kind of power that wouldn’t be shaken even if she turned a noble-born prince into an idiot. And now, without even addressing the empress, she was asking for my opinion. She may not be my birth mother, but still, to belittle me in front of her subordinate. “There must be some resentment.” Sienna’s birth mother was an unfortunate woman who became the emperor’s consort and died shortly afterward. But before the emperor was wounded, he received the esteemed princess from the East as his new wife. It was a strategic marriage chosen to restore the shattered foreign relations due to the succession war. It was something that couldn’t be done to Sienna, who was just a baby at the time. And now, the situation where Princess Anais, born to the empress, and Sienna compete for the throne. If Sienna didn’t have any resentment towards the empress, it would be rather strange. Still, this is a bit… “At first, I thought about making her smoke a pipe.” “That’s common. You can also use it in the form of a snuff.” “Is that so? But as it turns out, the empress wasn’t a smoker. They say that Asians, including children and women, all smoke, so I thought the empress was a smoker too, but I was wrong. However, if I just give it to her, it would be a bit lacking in dignity.” “So you mixed it with wine.” “Not just any wine, it was port wine. The 8-year-old ruby port that the empress usually enjoyed. It’s probably the only thing she loves among the customs of this place.” “….”

The translation of the provided text is as follows:

“The port wine had a considerably high alcohol content compared to other wines. It was sweet and delicious, but if one indulged without thinking, the taste would soon fade away. The fact that the empress, who suffered from mental illness, relied on alcohol alone made the situation even more chaotic.

But adding opium to it? If things went wrong, there was a high possibility that the empress, who unconditionally protected Siena, would lose her affection for her. That would be disadvantageous for me as well.

“I have to stop this somehow, no matter what.”

It was necessary to find a way to prevent the empress from becoming addicted to opium and to hinder Siena from recognizing the commercial value of opium.

I quickly started scheming.

*

How long did the silence last? Siena’s crimson eyes stared at me intently. I suppose she wants me to speak up quickly.

“It’s burdensome, really.”

A capable hunting dog. That was the extent of Siena’s perception of me.

Alan Maydoff was fundamentally an excellent inspector.

The fact that he was a knight itself was evidence that he was not just an average fighter. In this medieval world, guns and cannons were already dominant in the military. In such an environment, outstanding knights and wizards who could excel with asymmetric power were extremely valuable.

However, the reason Siena insisted on raising Alan and making him her right-hand man was not solely because of his skills. It was because he was someone who could accomplish any task without complaining.

And if he also possessed the qualities of a strategist? It meant becoming an irreplaceable confidant.

“But that’s not what I want.”

That was why I hesitated now. To prevent the predicted disaster, I needed to actively voice my opinions, but I wanted to avoid arousing Siena’s interest. It would only make it harder to escape from her later.

“You’re always so calculating. There’s no need for that… Perhaps my expectations were too high.”

“Your Highness.”

“I understand, so step back. I’ll call for you if I need you.”

Siena gestured for me to leave, as if disappointed by the lowered expectations.”

In my heart, I really wanted to quit, but it was something that couldn’t be done. No matter what, I had to prevent the Empress from taking opium.

“Your Majesty, before I withdraw, I have something to say regarding the Empress…”

“Just call her the Empress.”

“Yes, Empress. I apologize, but offering opium to her will not benefit Your Majesty.”

At these words, Siena pretended innocence and tilted her head.

“Benefit? I only want to cure her perfume addiction.”

Perfume addiction might be better. However, without opium, her body won’t withstand even a moment. Initially, it will be once a week, but soon it will be every three days, eventually drinking opium wine day and night.

“Shouldn’t we wait and see?”

There’s no need to wait and see. Once started, the dosage will increase rapidly. At some point, it won’t be about the effectiveness of opium itself, but rather the unbearable pain when not taken, leading her to seek opium… That’s the nature of the drug.

“……”

I believe Your Majesty already knows that future as well.

Siena couldn’t refute either.

She probably doesn’t have specific knowledge about the side effects. It’s a world without the concept of narcotics.

But Siena must know that excessive use of opium makes people foolish. That’s probably why she prepared so diligently in the first place. And yet, as an ignorant journalist, I had figured out her intentions.

“It doesn’t seem unpleasant.”

I continued speaking without stopping.

“In my opinion, the target you should aim for, Your Majesty, is not the Empress.”

“Why?”

“The current Empress lacks any political power. She doesn’t even engage in foreign affairs.”

“There are many who think the Empress doesn’t even understand our language.”

“What good would it do to neutralize a silent Empress who lives quietly? It will only increase her resentment. If an incident occurs due to opium, Your Majesty won’t stay silent either.”

At this point, Siena’s eyebrows faintly furrowed.

“Is it because of that little opium that accidents happen? It’s probably just a level of getting dazed. That’s too much.”

“No, I dare to predict here. Once you start taking it, you’ll soon reach the point of searching for opium after waking up. Due to chills, spasmodic sneezing, and severe abdominal pain, it will be impossible to sleep.”

“…Go on.”

“If you take opium, you can comfortably fall asleep. However, if such incidents repeat several times, there will come a day when you won’t wake up.”

Do you really want that, Your Majesty?

Siena didn’t refute. She simply touched her chin with her slender finger, contemplating something. There was a sense of satisfaction in even mentioning the Empress’s death.

“Siena doesn’t want to kill the Empress.”

No, of course, she would be grateful if she died. It would mean the elimination of a rival. However, she didn’t seem to want to incur the Emperor’s hatred because of it.

“Because she wants to become the Crown Princess.”

After pondering, Siena finally hardened her expression and looked at me.

“Alan, so what do you suggest?”

“You shouldn’t keep the Empress dependent on opium; instead, you should provide her with treatment. It’s not just about helping out of goodwill. There is a way to clear political debts.”

“Really? Help her?”

She seemed reluctant. Of course, I expected that reaction.

To lure Siena, who was hesitant, I added a few more words.

“…In addition, we can also ruin the reputation of the Third Princess, who is the Empress’s successor.”

Finally, Siena nodded as if she became interested.

Indeed, she finds relief in tormenting others. Although she doesn’t hold any ill feelings towards the Third Princess Anais, it would be much better for her to see her mother deteriorate into a bedridden state due to opium rather than the other way around.

“Alright. Give it a try.”

As soon as permission was granted, I revealed the plan I had just devised.

It was a plan to package Siena as a virtuous daughter-in-law.