episode_0010

“Ugh, damn it….”

The moment I saw her face as she stepped onto the carriage ahead of me, despite realizing that she was right in front of me, those words unconsciously slipped out.

Princess Penny, wearing a dress with a deeply cut neckline more suited for a back alley than a royal princess, didn’t even spare me a glance and averted her gaze.

Even in a world where vulgar behavior has become commonplace, there is no way a princess of a nation would wear such clothes. It must be a trick to seduce me.

“Has that idiot lost his mind?”

Did he genuinely think that I would fall for such an obvious ploy? It’s not some kind of comic; did he really believe I would fall into this foolish trap?

At first, I felt dumbfounded, but as I imagined the process by which that idiotic fool came up with this imbecilic plan, my anger started to rise.

In his mind, am I just someone who would fall for a mediocre scheme like this because I’m a middle school student or an attractive woman?

Why did he make such a judgment? Is it because I’m Adar? Just because he saw me as someone to be looked down upon?

“Hey, you――!”

Just as I was about to shout out of frustration, my words were cut off by a passing thought that crossed my mind.

If I create a commotion here and drive away this Penny person, wouldn’t it just confirm their belief that this childish beauty has some significance?

“Why aren’t you getting on? (Experience Acquisition: 1 person)”

“Damn it….”

I can’t chase her away. But I can’t get off the carriage either. I simply thought of him as a shallow-minded fool, but he devised such a scheme.

I underestimated him too much. Even though I am the ruler of a country, I should have been more cautious.

Reflecting on my own foolishness, I boarded the carriage. As soon as I got on, the coachman waiting outside closed the door.

“We’re departing!! (Experience Acquisition: 4 people)”

With the coachman’s command, the carriage shook. Without even a moment to be startled by the greater vibration than expected, something that shouldn’t have entered my sight came into view.

“Ugh…!! (Experience Acquisition: 1 person)”

Perhaps due to the unexpected jolt of the carriage or because my chest was deeply carved, at that moment when the carriage vibrated, the inside of my underwear was exposed.

Penny blushed and quickly covered her chest, glaring at me, but I felt extremely awkward.

Penny is a beauty. It is not an exaggeration to say that she possesses the most beautiful appearance among those I have personally seen.

However, why is it? The moment I caught sight of the red bra that seemed to match her hair color, a surge of nausea overwhelmed me involuntarily.

Discomfort. Even I, the person involved, gradually began to feel mentally and physically weakened by this unfamiliar discomfort.

Why did I start feeling nauseous? There was absolutely no reason for me to feel nauseous based on her appearance or anything else.

Except for the mark of sin engraved on my head.

No, even that mark cannot be the cause of my nausea. I am not such a petty man who discriminates between virgins and non-virgins.

Nausea cannot be caused by a non-virgin displaying improper behavior.

“Could it be that the goddess’s blessing has brought about some change in my body?”

Amidst these unanswerable doubts swirling in my mind, the carriage continued relentlessly without pause.

As we left the city and entered a rough road, the carriage shook even more violently, and the frequency of slight exposure of the underwear noticeably increased.

However, as mentioned earlier, my mood was far from pleasant. On the contrary, it was quite the opposite.

When I saw Penny casually adjusting her clothes as if nothing had happened, an indescribable repulsive emotion crawled up and tickled my throat.

Whether she knew about my feelings or not, as time passed and darkness fell, Penny suddenly sighed and crossed her legs, tilting her head slightly to the side as she spoke to me.

“…Just so you know, I’m wearing these clothes under the Queen’s orders. I have no feelings towards you whatsoever. (Experience acquired: 1 person)”

“What?”

At the command of her father, she wore such clothes, and aside from questioning whether she truly participated in its meaning, she was curious about what she would say.

“Or what? Did you think I would suddenly like you just because you became a warrior? A rude commoner cook like you is beneath me! I have the right to choose people too! (Experience acquired: 1 person)”

“….”

Her words were derogatory towards me. Strangely, as soon as I heard those words, my nausea began to subside.

However, it was merely a precursor phenomenon, like calmness before a storm, before a greater whirlwind of disgust swept over my chest.

The moment my extraordinary brain captured the hidden meaning in her words, I reflexively asked her.

“You, perhaps…”

“What?! (Experience acquired: 1 person)”

“If I were not an impolite commoner warrior but a perfect individual who excelled in swordsmanship, manners, and appearance, comparable to Sir Las, the heir of a noble household, would you have sacrificed yourself for the country?”

“…. (Experience acquired: 1 person)”

Penny couldn’t answer immediately. She realized that she had a mindset no different from that of a prostitute and averted her gaze, concealing her embarrassment.

And now, I understood why I felt nauseated and how I could momentarily forget that nausea.

The reason I initially felt disgust towards her was not because she was a virgin.

This statement implies that she gave her virginity to someone she loves.

In other words, despite having a man who took her virginity, she revealed her intimacy to an adulterous man for the trivial reason of serving the country.

I found it unbearably repulsive. I couldn’t tolerate selling oneself like a rag due to betraying a man and some vague sense of patriotism.

Therefore, it was only natural that the disgust I felt, which seemed like it would overflow at any moment upon hearing that you had no intention of giving yourself to someone like me, subsided.

It was as if she had removed the cause of this nauseating feeling that tickled my throat.

However, when I realized that she hadn’t rejected the act itself, but rather that the conditions weren’t met in her eyes.

And when she admitted it herself, the disgust that had risen in my chest swelled even more.

I don’t expect anything from you; I don’t even have the desire to do so. So it doesn’t matter either way. No, I’m even grateful.

But I absolutely cannot forgive an attitude that allows a man who took a virginity to betray that love depending on the conditions.

Disgusting woman. What does it matter to the country? Isn’t it just a matter of selling your body like selling a painting?

If someone says they betrayed the country because of King Jeongjo, who would say anything?

Certainly, the patriotic independence activists would have raised their thumbs and said, “Selling the country for King Jeongjo is acceptable.”

“Disgusting… This is what a non-virgin looks like!!”

How repulsive of a creature. Unable to bear it any longer, I clenched my fists and stood up.

And…

*****

Why couldn’t I answer immediately?

There was no need for silence. In fact, regardless of the truth, it would have been enough to say that my intentions wouldn’t change even if it was another person.

But whether it was because those words struck a nerve or because I was subtly avoiding the fact that I was betraying Lass, I couldn’t respond right away.

Penny thought. Even if it was her father’s… the king’s command, what was different about her actions compared to a street prostitute?

A prostitute spreads her legs for money. And Penny spreads her legs based on the other person’s conditions.

Money and transaction.

Although there may be a difference in value and nobility, the difference in their actions is not significant.

That’s why when the hero clenched his fist and stood up, Penny couldn’t do anything.

If I try to stop it, I can stop it. I have never been separated from my black belt, and I didn’t need a sword; my bare hands were enough.

Having mastered various martial arts, including swordsmanship, Penny now had confidence that she could easily overpower anyone who used to be a chef-turned-warrior.

“But why can’t he move?” Penny thought, sensing that the warrior’s fist would fly towards her face.

The reason, clearly, was because of her guilt and love for Ross, which held her back.

So, this is punishment. It’s punishment for betraying the person she loves… the person who gave her a chance.

Penny clenched her fist, vowing not to make a sound even if she received blows that would swell her face, but no matter how long she waited, the warrior’s fist never struck her face.

“Huh?”

What she felt on her face wasn’t a hot fist, but the cold night breeze that cooled the rising heat.

Curious about what was happening, she opened her eyes, but the warrior who should have been in front of her was clearly nowhere to be found.

Instead, only the cold night air and the door, which had surely been closed, stood wide open, waiting for Penny.

“What is this…?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, Penny’s mind went blank. Soon after, the voices of the knights mocking her dull-wittedness reached her ears.

“The hero jumped off the carriage!!!”

“He even stepped on the horse!!”

“Damn virgin bitch smell!!! I couldn’t stand it anymore…!!!”

Note: The translation provided above respects the original text structure, including line breaks and quotation marks.