Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 10
“Yes. Do you have someone in mind as the head of the envoy delegation?”
“I’ll entrust it to Count Bretha.”
The official did not find anything strange about La Til’s request, even after hearing all of it. Hyacinth, the current emperor of Carissen, had once studied here as a prince, and when he got married, La Til herself had gone as head of the envoy delegation.
Recently, Tariyum had even sent a concubine, so La Til’s request was considered only natural.
However, after the official left, the chief attendant—who knew the history between La Til and Hyacinth—couldn’t help but ask worriedly,
“Will you truly be all right, Your Majesty?”
Having served closely since the time of the late emperor, the chief attendant vividly remembered how shocked La Til had been upon hearing news of Hyacinth’s marriage, and how furious she’d been when he later demanded a concubine.
Yet La Til nodded with a faint, weary smile.
“I wasn’t all right before. But I think I’ll be all right now.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Hyacinth should experience for himself what it feels like to have others chosen as his men—so he can finally understand how I felt.”
‘Will he find it absurd? Be shocked? Laugh at me for being so transparent? Or… could it possibly sting his heart even a little? It’d be best if I could see his reaction right before my eyes—but that’s probably asking too much.’
“More importantly, Marquis Sable—what do you think about Duke Atraxi? Will he send his son to me?”
“You mean Lord Ranamun?”
“Yes. The duke wanted to push his son as chancellor, didn’t he? Do you think he’d go so far as to send him as a concubine just to secure that position?”
“Surely not to that extent.”
Recalling how arrogantly Ranamun had carried himself since childhood, the chief attendant shook his head again.
“If it’s Lord Ranamun, even if Duke Atraxi forced him to go, he wouldn’t come.”
[This is the timeline separator]“I will become a concubine.”
Contrary to the chief attendant’s expectations, it was Ranamun himself who stepped forward first to volunteer as concubine.
Duke Atraxi was so startled he asked again,
“Did I hear you correctly just now?”
Knowing his son’s temperament well, even Duke Atraxi had assumed Ranamun would absolutely refuse the concubine position—yet here he was, offering himself first?
“You said the emperor has proclaimed he’ll take a concubine.”
“And you’re volunteering to become one?”
“Yes.”
Ranamun replied calmly, his gaze steady on his father. Despite the enormity of his statement, his demeanor remained astonishingly serene. Yet this only made Duke Atraxi even more alarmed, his heart pounding wildly.
Before La Til ascended the throne—while she was still competing against Prince Tulla—it had been Duke Atraxi himself who first broached the idea of Ranamun becoming chancellor. He’d even boasted loudly to Ranamun, “One day, you’ll surely be chancellor.”
Thus, when La Til first mentioned taking a concubine, the duke was utterly flustered. Even if his own plans had gone awry, how could he possibly explain this to Ranamun—the very son to whom he’d proudly promised the chancellorship?
He felt utterly lost on how to even begin telling his son—whose pride pierced the heavens—about this turn of events.
Ranamun was intensely proud. The duke fully expected the household to freeze over like an ice rink for months once he heard the news.
Still, he couldn’t avoid telling him, so he swallowed his embarrassment and relayed this absurd development—only for Ranamun to unexpectedly and readily offer himself as concubine, leaving the duke even more bewildered.
“Son… do you even know what a concubine is?”
The boy paid no attention to high society, admittedly—but what if he didn’t even know the meaning of “concubine”? And if he admitted ignorance, how exactly should the duke explain it? Anxiously, he waited for Ranamun’s reply.
Fortunately, Ranamun answered promptly and confidently.
“It was originally a custom from Hwawolguk, but spread widely during the Great Cultural Exchange era long ago and became established. Previously, such individuals were known as ‘the emperor’s mistresses.’ Unlike those mistresses who were personally selected by the emperor solely to serve as lovers, concubines can be offered regardless of the emperor’s wishes and may even serve as political hostages depending on circumstances. In return, they are recognized as members of the imperial household, reside within the emperor’s harem, and—unlike children of mistresses—their offspring are acknowledged as the emperor’s own.”
“Right…”
The duke nodded reluctantly. His son clearly knew the textbook definition perfectly.
“Unlike the empress, they have no official duties; their primary role is to provide the emperor pleasure and comfort.”
He even grasped the practical aspects well.
“Especially when it comes to matters of the night.”
He understood the realities too.
“Although I lack experience for now, I learn quickly—so if I master one thing, I can grasp ten more…”
“Son!”
Duke Atraxi, horrified, clapped a hand over Ranamun’s mouth. Though his son was an adult, he was still his child—and he certainly didn’t wish to have this conversation with him. (Though honestly, if Ranamun hadn’t been grown, he’d dislike it even more.)
Ranamun indifferently brushed his father’s hand away.
“This is reality, isn’t it?”
“And yet you still want to go?”
With your temperament?
“Yes.”
A cold smile curled at the corners of Ranamun’s lips.
Duke Atraxi’s worries were justified. Beneath his calm exterior, Ranamun’s pride was deeply wounded—and his eagerness to volunteer stemmed from hurt far exceeding even his father’s imagination.
Truthfully, Ranamun had never been particularly eager to become chancellor. To him, the chancellorship was merely a position he’d tolerate—“not something I desire, but I’ll accept it if no one else can do it.”
But that didn’t mean he’d willingly yield it to someone else. Whether he wanted it or not, he found it intolerable that another might claim a role he’d been considered for—especially if it meant bowing to some inferior fool simply because they held the title of chancellor.
Yet… what was this? Not appointing a chancellor? Instead taking concubines—and selecting the chancellor from among them?
Ranamun ground his molars. The emperor wasn’t a fool—he surely knew who the strongest chancellor candidate was. Declaring he wouldn’t appoint a chancellor was effectively the same as saying he refused to accept Ranamun in that role.
Ranamun couldn’t accept that.
“I’ll become a concubine—and even stoop to putting on coy airs.”
Putting on coy airs…? Stunned by his son’s audacious declaration, Duke Atraxi instinctively recoiled.
“Is that document in your hand the concubine-related paperwork?”
Ranamun snatched the papers his father had been about to discard, pulled a pen from his coat pocket, and boldly signed his name. In the blink of an eye, the duke found himself holding the signed document.
As Ranamun returned his pen to his pocket, he delivered a chilling declaration.
“Within less than a year, the emperor will elevate me to chancellor, Father.”
“…Yes. I hope so too.”
“To make that happen, you must prepare thoroughly for me.”
Preparations! At that word, Duke Atraxi realized this was no time for further shock.
Indeed—now that his son had resolved to become a concubine, extensive preparations were essential. The covert rivalry among concubines vying for the chancellorship would undoubtedly be fierce and perilous. The duke asked, his expression tense,
“What preparations should I make? Poison? Aphrodisiacs? Bribe people? Secretly send bodyguards disguised as servants? Just tell me—I’ll prepare anything you need.”
At his father’s serious, determined tone, Ranamun nodded and made his request.
“I’d appreciate books detailing the arts of the night.”
“Oh, son!”
Just how far do you intend to prepare?!
[This is the timeline separator]Count Bretha was puzzled. Why had he suddenly been chosen as head of the envoy delegation to Carissen?
He did have prior experience as an envoy—but there were plenty of others far more experienced than him.
It couldn’t be due to personal closeness; he wasn’t particularly close to Empress Latrasil. He couldn’t have been—he’d remained neutral during her bitter struggle for the throne against Prince Tratala.
If forced to choose between the two, he might even have supported Prince Tratala.
Given this distant relationship, he’d planned to keep a low profile for the time being—
“Are you still worrying over this?”
At his attendant’s amused question, Count Bretha replied grumpily,
“It’s baffling, isn’t it? Makes me wonder if there’s some hidden motive behind it.”
“Oh, please relax. The fact that Her Majesty personally appointed you as the first envoy head is a good sign.”
“Is it?”
“Absolutely.”
Only after his attendant repeatedly reassured him did the count finally ease his mind slightly. Yes—what’s good is good.
But the moment he arrived in Carissen and mentioned the concubine matter to its emperor, Count Bretha instantly understood why Empress Latrasil had specifically chosen him as envoy head.
The emperor of Carissen welcomed the Tariyum envoy warmly, his famously handsome face beaming with radiant smiles—a beauty renowned even in neighboring kingdoms.
Yet that dazzling smile vanished the instant Count Bretha revealed the delegation’s purpose. It wasn’t merely gone—Emperor Hyacinth’s face turned deathly pale, his jaw clenched tight in fury.
“Who—whom—did they send me?”
He spat each word slowly, as if ready to hurl his throne across the room.
“Isn’t the current emperor of Tariyum Empress Latrasil?”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty.”
“And this Empress Latrasil… sent you… to select a man… for her harem… from here… from me?”
Clearly, Emperor Hyacinth and Empress Latrasil shared some private history—and not a pleasant one.
In other words, Empress Latrasil had anticipated Hyacinth’s explosive outrage and deliberately appointed Count Bretha—the envoy she knew Hyacinth disliked—to deliver this message.
But still—wasn’t this going too far? Count Bretha grimaced inwardly. True, he privately thought Prince Tulla was better suited for the throne “at this moment,” but he’d never openly declared that!
A thunderous crash jolted Count Bretha back to attention. Swallowing hard, he stared wide-eyed at the emperor of Carissen.
This wasn’t the time to feel wronged. He had a mission—if he didn’t want to abandon his lands and flee into exile, he had to carry it out properly.
Carefully choosing his words, Count Bretha spoke in the gentlest tone possible.
“Her Imperial Majesty of Tariyum holds Carissen in the highest regard. Didn’t Tariyum send a concubine to Carissen two years ago? She said that if Carissen now sends a concubine to Tariyum in return, the two nations will be bound together like twin cords, strengthening their friendship even further.”
From his robes, Count Bretha pulled out an official letter stamped with the imperial seal.
“This is a personal letter from Her Imperial Majesty Empress Latrasil.”
The chief secretary standing behind Emperor Hyacinth stepped forward, took the letter, and handed it to the emperor.
Count Bretha swallowed hard, watching Hyacinth intently.
“…”
Emperor Hyacinth had just broken the letter’s seal. His eyes scanned meticulously over the fine, pale-golden paper.
Count Bretha clasped his hands tightly together, praying silently: *May Your Majesty have written only kind words—please, no phrase like “kill whoever delivers this letter,” as in those old tales.*
Yet throughout his reading, Emperor Hyacinth remained utterly expressionless, revealing nothing.
After a long moment, he finally set the letter down slowly with one hand.
Count Bretha held his breath, studying the emperor’s face—and gasped sharply. *What on earth could be in that letter…?*
Emperor Hyacinth looked ready to tear the count apart with his bare hands.
[This is the timeline separator]– I need a man for my harem. You know my preferences—pick someone suitable. Look at my face; it’s not just about looks, though. Since he’ll join my harem, he doesn’t need to be brilliant—but he should at least be capable of conversation. Avoid brown hair with gray eyes. It reminds me of you, and it puts me in a foul mood.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
_____
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Well, it’s quite fun. It’s interesting and light to read. Feelings of the characters are exposed clearly. 👍🏻
I wonder if there is a competition for who is going to be the first. 🤦🏻♀️