Who in the world would retaliate against being slapped so satisfyingly and reasonably?

“Uwaaaah! It hurts!”

Perhaps only the crazy Hades of the Grand Bazaar?

Grand Bazaar’s royal palace.

The overpowering yet delicate scent of galbanum wood was strong enough to numb the nose, but the finish was subtly complemented by the flavor of nutmeg fruit, making it addictive enough to keep sniffing.

Clink. Clink.

The metallic clinking sound of metal jewelry continued to emanate from Iota’s golden bracelets as she elegantly twirled her fan. Beside her, Rashid and Tarek were savoring the sweet and tangy white flesh of mangosteen arranged on a golden tray.

And next to them, a maid holding a golden tray was the third princess of the empire, Ares.

“The mangosteens that have come into the Grand Bazaar this year seem even sweeter.”

“Among the offerings brought by the servant of the Serja Dai, who admires Prince Tarek’s strength, there is no fruit that is not sweet. If it’s offered to the Sultan, it’ll be even more so.”

Iota responded with a smile to Rashid’s words.

“It’s good that the Serja Dai servant is doing her job well. It’s not so extravagant to have the golden princess serving fruit on a golden tray. Iota, you always try to break the habit of the harem.”

Rashid tasted the peeled and juicy fruit with a satisfied expression.

Although Ares was no longer a princess, everyone in the Grand Bazaar’s royal palace still called her the ‘Golden Princess.’

With white skin, golden hair, and sparkling gold ornaments, she looked as if she were made of gold.

Ares, despite the extravagance, was originally a smart and sensible princess.

She had been the third princess who constantly vied for imperial power.

But that was a story of the past.

Now, she held only a golden tray and served the whims of the Sultan’s concubine, not even the Sultan himself.

Ares still vividly remembered the day when the imperial palace collapsed.
The red banner bearing the emblem of the royal family of the Hwangga tore apart, and during the internal strife, the nobles who had taken refuge in the royal palace were running around, screaming like mad. At that time, she could see various scenes of people.

People who resigned themselves and died by the desert people’s swords, those who desperately ran away only to eventually fall victim to the sword, those who ran towards the palace’s treasury, determined to take at least something during the chaos, and those who, even in the midst of this turmoil, stayed to protect until the end, including those who abandoned her, the princess.

Ares, except for herself, witnessed all of them dying before her eyes. The scorching desert, which made it hard to breathe, even brought her last remaining pride to its knees.

All those experiences were enough to turn the noble and clever princess into a powerless maid.

“Hogno and Karina, do I have enough to share with them as well?”

Rashid asked Iota with a sincere intention to take care of them without much thought. Soon, he made a facial expression as if he realized something.

“Hogno?”

The clinking sound of bracelets stopped abruptly, and Iota’s cold voice, like thorns, was heard.

At that voice, Tarek sighed quietly and turned his head away for a moment, leaving his unfortunate father behind.

“Oh, no. I meant both Karina and Hogno.”

“Clearly, you didn’t call Hogno’s name first, did you? You’re trying to casually share the fruit that I painstakingly brought to offer to the Sultan with others.”

“Iota, I thought it would be nice to share…”

Rashid looked at Tarek with a glance of salvation, but he was already lying on the sofa, puffing on his water pipe.

“Sergeant Dae-in offered these for the Sultan and Prince Tarek. However, saying you’ll share them with Hogno, who is clearly on the side of Prince Lohan, is not only disregarding Sergeant Dae-in’s loyalty but also disrespecting my sincerity!”

With slightly pursed red lips and a torrid gaze, Iota looked at Rashid.

“Iota, Hogno rarely visits the royal palace, and he doesn’t receive as many gifts as you do. A little concession wouldn’t hurt…”

Rashid’s words became vague, and he glanced at Iota, but eventually, she moistened her eyes with those torrid pupils.

“No matter how hard I try, the Sultan seems unable to forget that woman. Fine, I neglected to prepare in advance. I will go and ask Hogno to share this.”

Iota quickly stood up from beside the Sultan and walked away in a hurry.

If she openly made a fuss, it might be known, but leaving like that would only make Rashid’s position more difficult.

The women in the harem knew very well how to efficiently manipulate men to achieve their desires.

“…Tarek.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been through a lot because of Iota.”

At those words, Tarek laughed heartily and exhaled the white smoke from the water pipe. Rashid, mindful of Ares next to him, asked Tarek.

“Right. Where is the Golden Princess studying the desert language well?”

“Well, she can communicate at a basic level. What is your name?”

When Tarek asked, Ares, taking the manner of the desert people, answered in a small voice.

“Ares… I am.”

Whether it was a matter of pride or not, unlike the loud voice full of confidence and commanding others in the past, Ares spoke with a voice as if ants were crawling.

“Heh, your pronunciation is similar to that woman.”

“Hades’ Fraulein? She was beyond eccentricity.”

‘Hades’ Fraulein.’ That was the word Ares heard most often from people after ‘Golden Princess.’ No, it might be the word she hears the most now.
Lately, whenever the maids, Iota, or anyone sees me, they always compare me to an unknown person called ‘Hades’ Fraulein.’

Hades’ Fraulein speaks the desert language very well. Why are you so timid even though you were a princess?

Hades’ Fraulein is not as timid as you. Stand up straight and broaden your shoulders a bit.

Hades’ Fraulein, Kalende is .

‘Kalende, that woman is definitely from the empire…’

Even though I couldn’t even know who that person was, Ares, with a strong sense of pride, couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable being compared to another person, especially someone from the same empire.

“Tsk, eat this too. How twisted and fragile you and those empire people are, like easily torn white silk.”

Seeing her bow her head in silence, perhaps feeling a bit sorry for her, Tarek nonchalantly offered her a tray of mangosteens.

Yes, their first connection might have been a small sense of pity.

However, Tarek, who had just become an adult, didn’t know that even when building a giant minaret, it was the nature of the world to start with small bricks.