Manut wore a dark brown robe with good mobility, shoulder guards made of black buffalo leather and iron plates, and a thick red waistband with golden tassels. Two daggers were attached to the leather strap on his chest.

Despite the early morning, Manut had arrived wearing a perfect military uniform with a tall hat adorned with a large bronze semicircular ornament. He hurriedly stopped his camel at the main gate and looked around for his lord.

“I, Manut Ahim, received an urgent summons from General Hades at dawn and came right away, but where is the General? Have the others not gathered yet?”

With a whoosh, Manut jumped off the camel, and Luke Kwan quickly approached to give water to the camel.

Yanan greeted Manut politely and said,

“May the desert’s blessing be with General Manut. My, my. You even came in full uniform. There was no need for that.”

“What about the others?”

“I was told only General Manut would be coming.”

“What? Wasn’t it an urgent summons?”

“Yes, it’s urgent. Now, come this way. Leave your sword on the camel for a moment. Lord Hades is waiting. Girls, only two of you follow me.”

Yanan called two maids and led Manut into the lavish corridor of Caleb’s private property, grinning broadly for some reason.

**

Seven two-wheeled carts pulled by donkeys were lined up in front of the first large, ornate triumphal arch at the entrance of the harem palace.

“My goodness, was it Lord Hagnu’s birthday?”

One of the gatekeepers exclaimed, asking Yanan.

“It’s stranger that someone of Caleb’s origin hasn’t had gifts until now.”

“I suppose so.”

At the gatekeeper’s agreement, she smiled faintly and began to unwrap a small chest piled on the first cart.

After carefully removing two beautifully arranged dahlias and untying the triple silk knot, the chest finally appeared, but even the outside of the chest had a small lock attached.

Yanan fumbled with the key, opened it, and showed the contents to the gatekeepers.

“How are we supposed to check all of this……”

The gatekeepers sighed and examined the fine fabrics inside the chest one by one, then pointed to another chest.

Yanan silently smiled, locked the opened chest again with the key, carefully wrapped it in soft cyan silk with a triple knot, and replaced the two dahlia flowers she had removed.

“Wait, this……”

One of the gatekeepers broke out in a sweat as he looked at the long line of donkey carts behind them.

“I’d like to get inside quickly too, but procedure is procedure. Of course, there’s only clothes, fabrics, jewelry, accessories, and snacks carefully made at Caleb’s private property inside.”

Yanan smiled somewhat annoyingly as she began to untie the knot of the next chest.

How much time had passed?

“Calrups (Guardian of Swords)!”

“Mother!”

“Honey! Work is ruined today!”

At this tedious and endless task, the gatekeepers began to cry out to their revered guardian deities, mothers, or lovers.

Moreover, they had to inspect not only Caleb’s carts but also other royal daughters coming to study at the madrasa inside the harem and the palace maids.

Eventually, a strange common belief began to form in their minds.

“Hey. Even if it’s not us, won’t the guys at the next gate inspect thoroughly?”

This small seed of belief slowly sprouted throughout the tedious inspection work and was growing into a huge plant.

Bigger, even bigger.

Using the dazzling turquoise necklaces or indigo wool carpets embroidered like the Milky Way coming out of the opened chests as nutrients, that belief had now grown far taller than an adult man, blocking out the honor and grace of the Sultan and the palace that shone strongly on the Grand Bazaar.

“It’s Caleb, of all people? Surely they wouldn’t try to bring in anything strange.”

“… Why are you saying that?”

Yanan spoke to them with the same faint smile as before.

It was when they had inspected only 2 out of 7 carts.

“Pass through to the next gate.”

“Oh my.”

Yanan tilted her head as if troubled.

“I don’t want to sully Caleb’s honor with such a messy procedure. May the blessings of the desert guardian deities be with Caleb.”

The gatekeepers neatly packaged their laziness and waved their hands to let the carts pass.

“May the blessings of the guardian deities be with the Sultan and all of the palace.”

Yanan bowed her head modestly, and a pleasant smile began to form on her lips.

With a clatter, as the cart wheels moved after a long time, a giggling sound and a small sobbing sound were heard simultaneously from inside the large fabric chest located sixth in the seventh cart.

“Stupid fools.”

“I really might lose my head.”

“If we’re caught, let’s die honorably together, Manut. How can it not be honorable to share life and death with the highest general of a nation?”

“General…! Dying for the crime of sneaking into the harem disguised in women’s clothes is less honorable than dying of thirst in the desert.”

Manut, lying flat under the fabrics inside the chest, was now wearing women’s clothes in preparation for the next step, his earlier magnificent uniform nowhere to be seen.

“What does it matter? Isn’t it honorable for a man to die becoming known as the century’s greatest libertine who entered the harem?”

Squeak, as the cart stopped again, their whispering voices disappeared.

“I will open the chests in order.”

Along with Yanan’s voice, the sighs of the second gatekeepers of the harem began to be heard.

**

The heat had subsided somewhat, and signs of the sky turning orange were beginning to show.

Latifa had changed and taken off about 50 times the clothes that Asti kept bringing, and her hair was once again in a mess.

Asti had just left for the hammam to have a sauna with other maids, and Latifa was leaning against the large window frame with her eyes closed, enjoying a rare moment of free time.

‘Ah, it’s been a while since I had a sauna too. I want to soak my body thoroughly. It’s been a long time since I went to the hammam because of my shoulder injury.’

Thinking of the hammam scene where the body is thoroughly soaked in hot steam with fragrant smells made her body feel languid.

Perhaps because she had heard that General Hades was making various efforts, her mind felt more at ease, but there was still a bit of uneasiness in a corner of her heart as not everything had been resolved yet.

‘Half a month has already passed out of one month.’

Only about two weeks remained, and what would happen if they couldn’t persuade Carina during that time?

– Keeng!

“Huh? What’s that sound? Is it Tatskan?”

Latifa opened her eyes and looked out the window at the sound of an animal’s cry coming from somewhere. Something yellow was quickly passing by below. It was a familiar furry creature.

“That’s the desert fox from Caleb’s private property! How did it get here? Come here! Over here!”

As Latifa shouted and waved her hand, the yellow thing that had been hiding in a small bush below pricked up its large ears, jumped out, and after hopping over the wall ledge a few times, came right up to the window frame and rubbed its head.

“Is it really you?”

As the fox sniffed around with its black nose, moving here and there, it immediately jumped into Latifa’s arms when she reached out.

The fox was so happy that even without concentration, the silver spirit rose up on its own and spoke to her joyfully.

[Lati! Where have you been! I smelled you here!]

“I’m here for some reasons! What happened to you?”

[That scary man! He threw me! I flew!]

The desert fox wagged its tail constantly while rubbing its face.

“Scary man? Do you mean General Hades? He threw you from here? This is a place he can’t enter.”

[No. He’s there! He threw me!]

“That’s impossible. Where exactly?”

Latifa got up from her seat and climbed over the window frame to the outside.

“Can you show me where he threw you from?”

When Latifa put the desert fox down, it tilted its head for a moment before suddenly dashing off somewhere.

It didn’t make sense by common sense that he would be here in the harem palace, but the Hades she had seen so far was someone who couldn’t be understood by her usual common sense.

Filled with a premonition that if it were Hades, he might really appear even in this forbidden area for men, breaking through the strict security, Latifa quickly chased after the fox without time to think of anything else.

‘If it’s General Hades… he might really be here…!’

Perhaps because she ran too fast, her hands and feet strangely began to heat up, and her heart started pounding, making her dizzy.

The desert fox was already standing in front of the 7th white wall surrounding the harem, wagging its tail.

[Here, thump!]

“Here? There’s no one…”

As Latifa spoke, suddenly a familiar voice was heard from beyond the tall white wall.

“Latifa!”

“…Is it really General Hades?!”

That voice full of mockery that shouldn’t be heard here. That voice she initially feared and dreaded, but now was familiar with.

The voice she had wondered if he would really come someday, waiting with doubt.

His voice, not at all different from her memories, low and growling as if from a large resonating chamber, was coming from over there.

“That stupid voice is undoubtedly yours.”

At Hades’ sneering voice, Latifa felt something hot welling up in her chest as she clung to the wall.

“That contemptuous tone is indeed the General’s!”

“Contemptuous? You never fail to say ridiculous things.”

Latifa leaned her hand against the white wall and searched carefully for any gaps. But frustratingly, there wasn’t even a single crack.

“What’s going on? This is the harem palace! Men aren’t allowed in here!”

“I cut it.”

Cut it?! Surely not that male thing?!

“What?! What did you say?! You cut it?! Really?! Are you crazy?!”

At Latifa’s shocked voice, the sound of laughter and banging on the wall began to be heard from the other side.

“Hahaha! You believe that?! Ahahahaha! Oh my, my stomach! Desert guardian deities, what should I do with this foolish woman? Ahaha!”

“Be, be quiet! We can’t be discovered! I heard that all men who enter the harem palace are beheaded!”

Latifa got a bit angry, feeling embarrassed for no reason.

‘I’m always serious!’

“A few days in the harem palace and already you’re trying to teach a man. I don’t like it at all. I must get you out of there quickly.”

Hades spoke to Latifa in a voice that still couldn’t suppress laughter.

“I heard from Ruhan that things aren’t going well. Are you okay?”

At Latifa’s words, there was a moment of silence from beyond the wall. Then soon, his characteristic mocking voice flowed out again.

“Men only know how to say they’re ‘fine’.”

“Pfft. What’s that, really.”

Latifa couldn’t help but laugh at Hades’ empty and boastful words.

“What brings you here? It’s too dangerous and reckless! Although, I suppose there’s nothing you’ve done so far that isn’t.”

“Your shoulder…?”

An unusually vague question with trailing words came over the wall.

“Women only know how to say they’re ‘fine’.”

As Latifa imitated his tone and spoke teasingly, laughter erupted again from the other side.

“Right. It was foolish of me to ask. How could a mere human injury pain a goddess?”

“It did hurt! Who throws a spear so recklessly?!”

When Latifa answered with a sulky voice, there was no response from the other side.

‘Shouldn’t he apologize first for causing injury when I say something like this?’

It seemed very like Hades not to apologize even once for causing injury.

“I came because I have something to give you. Here, I’ll throw it, so catch it well.”

After being silent for a while, Hades suddenly said that and then whoosh, threw something over the wall.

– Thud.

As the sound of it falling to the ground was heard, his slightly flustered voice came from the other side.

“I said I would throw it, so it’s your fault for not catching it.”

At his childish attempt to avoid responsibility, Latifa picked up what had fallen to the ground with exasperation.

“I couldn’t catch it because I still can’t move my shoulder.”

Grumbling, she picked up the purple leather pouch that had fallen to the ground, which was full of something.

‘What’s inside?’

When Latifa opened it, white and pink peony flowers burst out in abundance, and deep inside was Latifa’s jewelry box.

Considering it was undamaged despite falling from quite a height, it seemed the flowers that filled it had acted as a cushion.

“I’m confident you won’t dislike it.”