Chapter 6: Empress’s Concubine Scandal – The Last Day

Since then, time had passed in the blink of an eye, and suddenly it was the last night.

The atmosphere that had been lively on the deck had now settled, and the festive mood of the day was as quiet as ever. This was because all the merchants had left in the morning.

Most of the hired hands were also sent away, leaving only essential personnel. After roughly choosing candidates that didn’t appeal to me, the cruise ship became deserted.

There were about a hundred concubine candidates left.

In reality, there were more soldiers than them.

“Looord, what are you doing? You’re not sleeping with your eyes open, are you?”

Hanging onto the railing of the deck, I, who had been spacing out, barely came to my senses at the call of Phaibel and lifted my head.

“Have they all gathered in the banquet hall?”

“Yes. Since they’ve put sleeping pills in the champagne, don’t drink it.”

Listening to the song of the sirens makes one enchanted. However, there was no way to enchant someone who was already asleep.

The soldiers had cotton soaked in water firmly plugged into their ears, and the knights stood in designated positions, waiting for the signal.

At the bow, Merem, using the power of the Water Spirit King, commanded the spirits like auxiliary troops, tracking the sirens’ group, which was getting closer by the moment.

“It’s only been about a week, so why does it feel like we’ve been on this cruise for over a month?”

I sighed, pressing my throbbing chest.

Phaibel, who had been watching me, subtly opened his mouth.

“My lord. What happened with the desert guy?”

“…What happened.”

“Hehe, it’s obvious. Aren’t you weak against those who beg cutely? Surely Merem pleaded not to be abandoned.”

Can the intensity of that gaze, that seems to swallow me whole, really be considered ‘cute’?

I had some doubts, but I had no energy to argue.

“If I knew raising you would lead to being devoured, I would have kept my distance for no reason.”

“Oh?”

Muttering, Phaibel’s eyes twinkled.

“Did you decide to take the easy way out? Is your internal struggle over?”

“If you want to kill me, go ahead and try.”

“Haha, that’s a statement I like.”

Phaibel admired and nodded his head. I pinched Phaibel’s annoyingly whining mouth.

“Did you anticipate this?”

“How could I have known! Ouch, it hurts. Your hands are still quite strong, my lord.”

“It’s just a show.”

So, Phaibel had already known that Merem would turn out like this.

I tried to kill him, and he didn’t easily die.

If I fail to kill him, age catches up with me, and then Merem will willingly hand over my life without resistance.

I couldn’t figure out what to call this kind of love.

It seemed to originate from attachment…
“Once, he said something like that. For him, the world was a dark place where he had to take a step, fumbling and finding his way. However, since meeting you, the darkness doesn’t scare him anymore; instead, it has become comforting.”

“Ah.”

I let out a short sigh. Somehow, it seemed like I was moved.

Phaibel chuckled and added a word.

“No matter how much you shed light, darkness always lurks in its place. To truly overcome the fear of darkness, you have to become familiar with it.”

“I guess it’s not bad that I’ve become such a support.”

“Yes. If you abandon your lord, he will crawl to hell and follow you. It’s really tenacious.”

The evaluation of Merem is quite harsh.

I raised my eyebrows in silence.

But Phaibel didn’t backtrack on his words.

“You didn’t know about it, my lord. Because he looks fine on the surface. But this isn’t it.”

Phaibel tapped my perineum with his index finger.

“He’s from the Kwon aristocracy. It’s not strange for him to be crazy, considering he’s already gone mad.”

“…Is Merem really turning like that where I can’t see?”

The Merem I see is upright. He doesn’t swear, always calm, with a proper attitude and neat appearance.

In a way, he gives off the impression of an exemplary student.

“You only see the appearance that the lord wants to see.”

“Is that so…?”

“If you’re curious, really send that guy back to Kwon. I guarantee he’ll start a conquering war and invade within a year.”

I doubted he would go that far, but Phaibel wouldn’t say something groundless.

Feeling more complex, I took a shallow breath and listened to the sound of the sea.

Sway, sway.

A refreshing sound resonated in my auditory organs. It was a sound worth hearing over and over.

“Well, then, I’ll be in the banquet hall. It’s a masked ball; I can’t miss it.”

For the remaining concubine candidates, a special party was held in the banquet hall today.

Everyone wore masks, and they danced sensually to a slow beat.

Eating, drinking, laughing, and chatting at the party, they would eventually fall asleep without knowing what happened. They didn’t need to know about the threat of the sirens.

“By the way, how many should I bring into the government? There are about three energetic individuals, but should I bring them in?”