“Prince Ruhan. Is it really too much to do it every day? If it’s harmful to your health, I’ll adjust the number of days.”

Latifa asked worriedly, seeing Ruhan’s trembling hands.

“Ah, no! It’s fine!”

Ruhan quickly waved his hands and shook his head.

“I don’t know how weak Hades reported me to be behind my back, but Lati, I’m not weak at all.”

“Your health isn’t poor, is it?”

Latifa asked, her voice still full of concern.

“It’s just that the men of the desert tend to look so sturdy, so I might seem relatively weak in comparison, but I’m a proper, healthy man too.”

“Come to think of it, there were many men in the Empire who looked weaker than you, Your Highness.”

Latifa smiled slightly, remembering the pale, skinny or very fat nobles who had never seen proper sunlight.

“If you ever come to show me the moonlight of the goddess, it would be the greatest honor for me.”

Latifa’s mood brightened at Ruhan’s words, always as charming as a prince from a fairy tale.

“I wish General Hades would say nice things like you, Your Highness. If he just improved his personality, his reputation would improve too. I don’t understand why he acts so harshly.”

“Latifa, that man is just a mad dog, that’s why!”

As Latifa shook her head, Asti provided a clear explanation.

Ruhan poured cool mint tea into Latifa’s crystal teacup and asked:

“Lati says I always speak pleasantly, but how could I not?”

“Pardon?”

“Just as beautiful verses naturally come to mind when seeing a pretty flower, only good words can come out because you, standing before me, are so beautiful. Hmm, it would be more difficult to say harsh words.”

“…!”

‘Wow. They say he receives marriage proposals every day, he must really be popular.’

Latifa’s heart started pounding at the sudden romantic words.

“I thought the sunlight of the Grand Bazaar was really hot, but it seems utterly inadequate to take away your freshness.”

Ruhan spoke softly as he poured mint tea for Asti as well. Asti frowned at the mint tea Ruhan poured while stuffing her cheeks full of dried dates.

“Ugh. Elder brother. I don’t like mint tea.”

“Strange. Why does everyone dislike mint tea? Your throat will get blocked if you only eat dates, so just take a sip.”

Latifa watched contentedly as Ruhan gently coaxed Asti.

‘Ruhan is really a kind person. The woman who ends up with a man like him will be happy for life.’

They spent the afternoon peacefully like that.

But no one noticed the suspicious shadow watching them from behind.

**

“Lady Iota. This.”

In the heat of the hammam, with a terribly luxurious rose fragrance rising, Iota, wearing only a towel, took what the maid held out to her.

“What is this?”

What she handed over was a strangely shaped golden key.

However, the shape of the key was clearly in the imperial style, markedly different from the desert people’s method.

“I don’t know either. But since you told me to investigate that wench, I searched her quarters when no one was around and found this discarded. It seems the wench threw it away, but it’s strange to carelessly discard something like this, so I brought it to give to you, Lady Iota.”

“Indeed… It doesn’t seem to be a real key, but rather an ornament made of gold, but it’s a high-quality item, smooth without crudeness or complexity. As you said, it’s not something one would suddenly throw away.”

“Yes. And there was a jewelry box that seemed to belong to the wench, but it was placed right at the head of the bed so I couldn’t bring it, and I could only bring this key.”

“A jewelry box? What was inside it? Was there perhaps some token that men give to women?”

The maid bowed her head and answered.

“There was nothing except for a scent pouch that women use.”

“When a woman enters a man’s mind, he wants to give her his liver and gallbladder. There’s no way he wouldn’t have left anything. Especially that foolish prince, he would have childishly given her something.”

Iota said, gently rubbing her neck to evenly apply the rose oil with a languid expression.

“An imperial captive wouldn’t carelessly handle something brought from her homeland, so this key must have some story. Seeing that there’s no groove at the tip of the key, it’s clearly decorative. Discreetly find someone who can figure out what this is.”

“Yes. How could I refuse?”

“I’ll give you 10 gold coins separately as a reward for your efforts.”

The maid left the hammam with the key.

“Even if, by any chance, Ruhan has no ill intentions towards that wench… I can just make up a story, can’t I? Hohoho.”

Iota lay down on the top seat of the hammam and began to enjoy the warm steam again.

**

In the blink of an eye, several days passed, and suddenly only one day remained of the one-month grace period given by the Sultan.

This evening, Karina, Asti’s mother and a royal consort, would decide Latifa’s fate.

Though trembling and unable to eat properly since morning, Latifa came to Prince Ruhan’s palace to deliver the last story of the Harsept Hero Chronicles, as she had to finish what needed to be done until the very end.

“I don’t remember every single line of dialogue, but I remember this part exactly. The scene where Harsept thrusts Suriya’s sword, the one she used for sword dancing, into her gravestone.”

Ruhan, sitting at the mahogany desk with a quill pen in hand, turned his head towards Latifa.

It was a signal that he was ready to write again.

“‘Suriya, since the day I met you, there hasn’t been a single day I didn’t think of you. It was a great pain, but if I could turn back time to the day I met you by chance, I would go to meet you again without hesitation. So, my beautiful one, stay there just as you were on that day, in that moment.'”

“…”

Ruhan lifted his quill pen to write, then stopped and stared blankly into space for a long time.

‘Of course. I cried for days and nights at this part too.’

The memory of spending several nights with swollen eyes over the heartbreaking love story of Harsept and Suriya came to mind.

Moreover, having laughed and cried together with Ruhan while transcribing for several days, enjoying the sequel to the Harsept Hero Chronicles, the impact of the final part must be even greater.

Ruhan himself said that being a desert person, he couldn’t help but love the Harsept Hero Chronicles.

Even though the credibility of the sequel might be lower since it was unclear if it was the real story, Ruhan said it was really interesting regardless, his brown eyes shining as he looked at her. He looked quite cute then, and Latifa too was able to spend these past few days quite enjoyably.

“Oh my, Ruhan. Are you crying?!”

Ruhan’s eyes had already turned red, and his hands were visibly shaking greatly.

“…Lati, I’m sorry!”

Ruhan, apparently unable to show himself sobbing, suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room.

“Oh dear. Is he that embarrassed to be seen crying? It’s okay to cry at a scene like this.”

Latifa approached his desk, tidying up the scattered quill pen as she watched his retreating figure rushing out.

“At times like this, he’s just like an ordinary young master, it’s still hard to believe he’s the prince of such a grand place.”

The handwriting he had transcribed on the scroll was a neat and correct script, very different from Hades’.

‘General Hades’ is a bit more… wild.’

Latifa took out his note that she had kept in her inner pocket and opened it again.

She closed her eyes, burying her nose slightly in that rough handwriting, now faintly permeated with the scent of jasmine.

‘I’ll be able to go back soon.’

She had heard from Ruhan that they had succeeded in pressuring Karina’s family, the Makali Trading Company, over the past month, and Latifa herself had a good reputation in Asti’s palace, so there was nothing to hold against her.

Latifa had been excited for days by Ruhan’s words that at this point, Karina would likely let her go without any problems.

“Lati, Lati! Karina is looking for you right now!”

At Ruhan’s urgent voice from behind, Latifa’s eyes flickered open.

It was truly time to go back now.

**

Latifa had never seen Karina before.

From the day she first opened her eyes, she had taken her place next to Asti’s room, and Karina had never particularly demanded or called for Latifa.

“She’s not as scary as Lady Iota or Lady Hagnu. So don’t worry too much, it will be fine.”

The maids of Princess Asti’s palace comforted the anxious Latifa.

“…What if it doesn’t go well?”

“Then you can be in charge of Princess Asti’s snacks with us from now on.”

“Or you could help with her weight loss efforts.”

The maids joked, trying their best to comfort Latifa.

They had been exceptionally kind to Latifa ever since Asti started properly attending madrasa.

They gossiped among themselves, saying, ‘As expected, being next to a mad dog makes one different somehow!’, and liked her, saying desert people are instinctively drawn to strength.

Latifa walked on the red carpet laid over the large marble corridor, with the harem palace maids following closely on both sides, preparing for the darkening Grand Bazaar.

The maids on the left line were holding glass lanterns and lamps, preparing bright lights in anticipation of the darkness, while the maids on the right line were carrying bronze jugs filled with water, fruit baskets, and incense burners, preparing to soothe the night’s spirit.

Small lights that had turned red and green through the colored glass of the lanterns flickered.

The sound of water sloshing in the jugs, the scent of fruit and moisture-repelling incense – there was nothing that didn’t have the souls of the desert people imbued in it.

Latifa swallowed dryly as she took one step, then another.

‘It’s no different from the day of the trial.’

She took a deep breath in front of the oak door decorated with beautiful ivy and grape patterns, and the maids of Karina’s palace opened that door.

With Latifa at the lead, the maids lined up in two long rows entered the room, and two shadows were looking down at her from the highest seat with a long veil drawn at the far end.

Latifa knelt politely and bowed her head, and in that moment, the maids lit the torches in the room, burned incense, and then left.

“Hades’ Frau. Raise your head and take a seat.”

At the stern voice of the Sultan that she had heard before, Latifa rose and took a seat on one of the many cushions located below the highest seat.

“I am Karina, the Sultan’s woman. My greetings are late.”

A slightly mature woman’s voice was heard from behind the veil.

However, that voice contained neither malice nor goodwill, making it impossible to gauge its intentions.

“How does she look in person?”

The Sultan seemed to be asking Karina.

“She seems a bit lacking to be the famous Hades’ Frau, I must say.”

Latifa slightly clenched her teeth at those words, while the Sultan began to laugh heartily, finding something very amusing.

She seemed to be smoking a water pipe, as white smoke was billowing up from behind the veil, creating a mysterious and surreal scene.

“I was watching to see what kind of extraordinary woman Hades would take, given how much he disregarded the women of the harem. But I find myself leaning more towards the Golden Princess.”

“I thought so too at first. Isn’t gold better than silver?”

The Sultan’s giggling voice somehow became annoying. Karina spoke again in a dry voice.

“But Frau, I want to tell you that although I dislike Hades for the evil deeds he has committed, I bear no personal ill will towards you. So whatever judgment I pass, you should not complain.”

‘Just what kind of things has General Hades done!’

Personally, Latifa felt a bit wronged, as she had lived a good life, but it seemed like all the karmic retribution for Hades’ evil deeds was falling on her.

Karina exhaled smoke as if annoyed, and Rashid began to soothe her.

“Karina, I dislike those who remain neutral. Since you won’t decide lukewarmly whether to side with Ruhan or Tarek, I have no choice but to act myself.”

“I don’t like politics.”

“That’s what it means to be the woman of an authority figure. Karina, with power comes duty.”

The Sultan was speaking to Karina, but somehow it seemed like he was speaking to Latifa as well.

“Father was very angry. Your son Shirak was also furious.”

The long puff of smoke from the water pipe was full of irritation and annoyance.

“I’m sorry about that. Haha! But through this incident, the proud Tarek learned to quietly bow his head even to those he dislikes to get what he wants, and Ruhan, who is too kind-hearted to make cruel decisions, learned that sometimes he needs to take a hard line to achieve his goals.”

“And Makali was used. I’m not pleased.”

“Aren’t you curious about who will become the future Sultan? But to console your hurt feelings, I’ll give you two boxes each of diamond stones and black onyx.”

“May the desert god’s blessing be upon the Sultan.”

Hearing Karina’s voice, which seemed to have softened a bit, Latifa let out a small sigh.

“So Karina, whose hand will you raise?”

Whoosh, white smoke billowed out through the veil again.