Chapter 20

Lanawen sighed.

"How can you just fall asleep like this after seeing me?"

Sensing her wounded pride, Kardun clicked his tongue.

'His Majesty must have kneaded this prideful lump from the very first day.'

But whether he clicked his tongue or found it amusing, the immediate priority was to straighten out the crumpled Lanawen and lay her out properly.

"Oh, you must have been very tired from state affairs. You would have slept even if you went to anyone else, right? The important thing is that you visited Young Master first."

"......"

"Isn't it even more proof of favor that you slept with Lady Lanawen without going to the end? It means you don't see Lady Lanawen as just that kind of person."

No matter how hard Kardun tried to talk, Lanawen, who had not reacted much, suddenly lifted her downcast eyes with a mournful look. When their eyes met, Kardun was momentarily startled by her overwhelming face. He always felt this way, but she truly had a remarkable face. But Lanawen didn't stop there. She approached him with quick steps, placed one arm on the wall next to Kardun, and stared at him with an entranced look.

"Y-Young Master?"

Kardun's voice trembled in surprise. Feeling embarrassed under the direct gaze of those eyes, which many young ladies loved, he blushed.

"How is it?"

Lanawen asked in a low voice.

"Excuse me?"

"What do you think?"

Kardun blinked in confusion. Lanawen's expression, which had been misty like night fog, returned to its usual coldness.

"I'm asking how I look from this angle."

Ah! Realizing Lanawen's intention late, Kardun quickly spouted all kinds of flattering words.

"I'm nervous. My heart is pounding and I feel embarrassed. You are truly beautiful, Young Master. I feel like kissing you right now."

Lanawen seemed momentarily shaken by her own sexual appeal, so Kardun quickly boosted her self-esteem. At that moment,

"Wow. A fake marriage."

A small voice of admiration was heard. Kardun was startled and looked over Lanawen's shoulder. Tashir, one of the emperor's concubines and the successor of a merchant guild, was looking at them with a grin. Lanawen also lowered her arm and turned around, and Tashir teased again.

"Forbidden love?"

Kardun felt the temperature around him drop and rubbed his arms. Though he couldn't see Lanawen's face, he could sense her considerable displeasure. Tashir, who received that cold gaze, seemed to realize his mistake and quickly put his hands together as if asking for forgiveness before darting away. Kardun took a few steps back from Lanawen.

"It's not my fault. I just stood here."

* * *

"Oh, Young Master, Young Master......!"

Tashir's subordinate, who followed him as he ran away, clicked his tongue.

"Is this the time to tease and enjoy it?"

Tashir, with his hands in his pockets, walked and chuckled.

"Isn't it fun? We have to find some fun in this stifling place."

"Did you come here to find fun? You came to get the emperor's favor."

The subordinate, seeing Tashir still walking leisurely, scolded him.

"This is a golden opportunity. Please be serious."

The subordinate sighed deeply. He had a reason to do so. Originally, the Anges Guild had no plans to get involved with the royal family in 'this way.' The head of the Anges Guild had three sons, and it was certain that Prince Leand would ascend the throne if nothing unexpected happened. On the other hand, the rival Angles Guild had three daughters, and they were determined to send one of them as a concubine from the moment Prince Leand was born. One of the Angles Guild head's daughters fell in love with Prince Leand at a festival and was eager to become a concubine for the guild. The Angles Guild head gave her all kinds of empress training to prepare for the future prince consort. However, the situation completely reversed when Prince Leand abdicated. The Angles Guild, which had supported Prince Leand, became like a kite with its string cut. They tried to secretly support Prince Tyla, but he didn't last half a year. The Angles Guild head, undeterred even then, boasted that his daughters would never become concubines, but his sons might. However, the Latrasil Emperor announced a harem immediately after his coronation, and the Angles Guild head was in despair. In contrast, the Anges Guild, which had no preparations in this direction, hastily sent their eldest and second sons, causing chaos.

"This is an opportunity given by heaven."

As a subordinate who had witnessed the entire situation, he couldn't help but scold Tashir. The Angles Guild, which already had a bad relationship, now despised the Anges Guild to the point of grinding their teeth and spitting. They would have been overjoyed and even held a festival if Tashir didn't receive the emperor's favor. However, Tashir just smiled calmly.

"Opportunities must be seized when they come. But what can I do when His Majesty hasn't even come to me yet?"

"Get dressed up, put some cream under your eyes, and at least try to look better..."

The subordinate, frustrated, pulled at his hair.

"At least try to find a way!"

"Ah, alright, alright."

Tashir, answering in a bored tone, left the harem, and the subordinate, surprised, followed.

"Young Master? Where are you going? Are you running away?"

"Running away? I just want to tour the palace. No one said I can't go outside the harem."

* * *

As Latil was heading to the library, the chief attendant cautiously asked,

"Your Majesty, would you like to send a special gift to Lady Lanawen?"

Latil looked at him in confusion.

"A gift?"

Why a gift out of the blue?

"Yes. It's customary to send a gift to a new concubine after the first night."

"Oh, I see."

Latil awkwardly nodded. They did spend the first night together, but it wasn't a 'first night' in that sense, so he felt a bit awkward. He didn't think he should send a gift just because they slept together.

"Um... Yes, send it."

But there was no need to embarrass Lanawen by telling her this, so Latil agreed, and the chief attendant proudly replied, "Yes." Perhaps because Lanawen was the son of a meritorious official, the chief attendant seemed to like her the most. After the chief attendant left to prepare a wonderful gift, Latil scratched his head and entered the library. He wanted to read a book and calm his mind. However, upon entering the library, he burst into a chuckle upon seeing an unexpected person.

"Reading even on a day like today?"

The second son of the prime minister, Gestar, was sitting with one leg crossed at a sunny window, deeply engrossed in reading. Though he often sat in this spot, Latil hadn't expected him to be there today, so he approached teasingly. Gestar, with wide eyes, put down his book.

"Your Majesty."

As always, his face turned red when he saw Latil, and he couldn't even meet his eyes, looking around as if searching for an escape route.

"You don't need to run away anymore."

Latil's playful words made Gestar's face even redder. Clutching the book as if it were a shield, he kept his eyes on the floor, unchanged from his old self.

'Nanny said to take good care of this boy.'

Latil thought to himself and sat next to Gestar.

"Y-Your Majesty!"

Startled, Gestar finally looked up at Latil. His light brown eyes were trembling.

"You don't need to run away anymore, right?

In the past, Gestar had been caught by the royal guards, mistaken for a suspicious person, while trying to run away from Latil. When questioned, he confessed his love for Latil. Latil was teasing him about this.

"I never ran away..."

"Doesn't that statement make you feel guilty?"

"......Yes."

Gestar's weak admission made Latil laugh. Yes, it was a childhood incident, but he couldn't forget it. After waiting for Gestar to calm down, Latil asked,

"Aren't you disappointed that I didn't come yesterday?"

"I... I..."

Gestar couldn't form a proper sentence and looked around. His face was red, and it was clear he was disappointed. Seeing his expression, Latil wanted to tease him more but stopped, fearing he might cry. Instead, he lightly scolded him.

"Why don't you change your personality?"

"Do you dislike me this way?"

"No. I've always thought you were cute since childhood."

"Your Majesty has always been impressive."

"That's why you liked me?"

"!"

Latil's words made Gestar's eyes well up as if he might cry. Oh, I should stop. Latil stopped teasing the innocent boy and instead reached out to hold Gestar's hand. Gestar hesitated but then squeezed Latil's hand tightly.

"Seeing you makes me worry, Gestar."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"If someone bullies you, don't cry. No, you can cry, but tell me. Understand?"

"Bullied?"

"Other concubines. Honestly, they all seem to have bad personalities."

"No, no. They are all... kind..."

Gestar trailed off awkwardly and smiled.

"Actually, I haven't really talked to anyone yet."

"You'll know their bad personalities once you talk to them. If there's a problem, don't hesitate to call me. Understand?"

"......"

"Answer."

Instead of answering, Gestar fidgeted. He then gently stroked Latil's hand with his thumb and spoke in a barely audible voice.

"Why are you saying this?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you saying this to me?"

He looked at Latil with a hopeful expression. Latil couldn't answer. Seeing Gestar's eyes, a strong doubt arose. Could he still like me? Although Gestar had confessed once, it was a long time ago, and he thought Gestar's feelings had changed. But now, Gestar's eyes were different from the beautiful but cold and dry eyes of Lanawen, or the pretty but crazy eyes of Prince Klein. They were soft and moist, as if pleading, "Do you like me? Please say you do." It was hard to lie to someone who was being so sincere. Nanny said to take care of you. You have some wrinkles that worry me. Latil couldn't say it honestly, so he just smiled and suggested,

"Staying cooped up in your room is bad for your health. Want to go for a walk together?"

* * *

"Hmm. It's definitely spacious. Very spacious."

Tashir, with his hands behind his back, walked leisurely down the corridor, constantly exclaiming in admiration. His eyes, however, never stopped moving, scanning the surroundings. The subordinate, following Tashir, didn't deliberately start a conversation. Tashir, though eccentric, was a brilliant successor who never overlooked anything. He was likely memorizing the entire palace layout under the guise of a tour. As they passed the second-floor corridor of the central palace, a large door opened, and Emperor Latrasil emerged. Despite the need to rush over and greet him, Tashir immediately hid behind a pillar upon seeing the emperor. The subordinate, following suit, whispered in protest,

"You should go and greet him as if by chance, why are you hiding?"

There was no response. Tashir signaled to be quiet and peeked at the emperor. The subordinate, with no choice, clicked his tongue and turned to look at the emperor. Then, he gasped. Surprisingly, an unexpected person was with the emperor. Another concubine, the son of the prime minister, who had been silent and had his head on the table during the dinner after the ceremony. While Tashir had a sharp, Doberman-like face, this concubine had a gentle, slightly droopy-eyed face, resembling a melancholy golden retriever. He seemed meek, timid, quiet, and weak, making him the easiest to bully. However, to his surprise, this concubine was walking hand in hand with the emperor. The subordinate blinked and rubbed his eyes. Though he looked like a golden retriever, for a moment, he saw a mischievous cat's tail on his buttocks.