Princess Sunho Cannot Sleep Tonight Either
Emperor Sunryong of the Chang Kingdom was in high spirits. Even in the dead of night, with his empress asleep right beside him, he grinned as he pored over the letter, his excitement mounting. "To think such a day would come for me!"
After all, it was a secret rendezvous letter from El Sadat, the empress of Shetka. Though the praise was subtle, the words covertly flattered Sunryong's appearance, hinted at the loneliness of a woman living without her husband, alluded to recent troubles that made her eager to grow closer to the Chang Kingdom, and ultimately suggested, "There will soon be a banquet. If you come, perhaps we could share a drink in my chambers and speak in depth?"
Sunryong was timid by nature, so at first he wondered if this was truly a rendezvous letter at all. But the faint lipstick mark stamped at the end made his eyes spin. His wife Xian was certainly a beautiful woman, yet in a sexual sense she was nothing like Sadat.
"Could it be? Could it really be that I, the emperor, am being invited to her bed by that Sadat? I had heard she adopted a child and was a married woman with no interest in men, but was I wrong?"
He scanned the letter again. It had not been written by Sadat but by her daughter Shapira, yet he noticed nothing amiss and focused only on the suggestive parts.
"Of course! There was the attack by Satisfaction, and she has only just become queen, so she must be struggling with internal affairs! No matter how fierce she pretends to be, she is still a woman. There must be those who oppose her because of it! They say Sadat and King Dodo are close. If this is real, she must be lonely in more ways than one!"
He assembled the pieces to suit his own desires and began forcing them into a frame of his own making.
"Heh heh… Among the five great nations, I am the youngest, so she must think we would suit each other. Besides, until recently she was only a prime minister. No matter how much they praise her as empress and the incarnation of the sun, actually sitting in that position must be terrifying. Thinking of it that way, it would not be strange at all if I were to comfort her a little."
Hehehehe… hehehe… Sunryong drooled as he recalled Sadat's ebony-dark figure, which he had glimpsed from afar long ago. A beauty of an entirely different type from his current wife Xian. Moreover, she seemed strong-willed and full of spirit. Embracing such a woman would surely do wonders for his fragile self-esteem.
"…Your Majesty."
"………!!"
At that moment, a woman rose behind him. She had long, black hair and a frail appearance. Her eyes seemed so gentle they bordered on maternal. Yet unlike her daughter Sunho, the broad-minded empress Xian gazed at her husband, who had been chuckling lewdly late at night, with puzzled eyes.
"What are you doing at this late hour?"
"Er, ahem… I was just… attending to state affairs…"
"At this hour?"
Her face was visible in the dim lamplight, yet there was no dignity befitting an emperor. Through the long hair that exposed her wide forehead, her doe-like pupils trembled weakly.
"Ah, it is nothing. Go back to sleep."
"As you wish…"
Anyone could see his behavior was suspicious, but as empress, Xian had no voice. She slept beside him only because of appearances and political reasons, and she could do nothing for her daughters. In the end, at his single command, she did not ask a second time what he was doing and simply closed her eyes.
'I must ask for their opinions tomorrow and see if this letter hides any other intentions!'
Even with his wife right behind him, he made up his mind. As expected, when dawn broke and the officials gathered in the audience chamber, he revealed the letter's contents and asked for their thoughts.
"──What do you all think?!"
"Nyohoho…"
"Haa…"
The assembly was split almost evenly. On one side were the eunuchs of the Sahwan faction. On the other were the direct-line faction loyal to Princess Sunho. However, the number of those following Princess Sunho had visibly dwindled, while the eunuchs' group had grown considerably. Even as the emperor spouted such foolish words, the eunuchs continued to smile, whereas Sunho wore an expression as if she had bitten into something foul, her veins bulging with rage.
This was not the sort of matter that should be discussed openly in a state council, and to make it worse, a married man with a wife present was behaving this way. As his daughter, Sunho felt she might go mad.
"First, the Sahwan. What are your thoughts?! I believe this is an excellent opportunity to bring Shetka under our control!"
"Nyoho… nyohohoho…"
The eunuch laughed and respectfully bowed his head first. The officials behind him followed suit, all bowing together and shouting in unison.
「「「「Magnificent, Emperor Sunryong.」」」」
"Is that so! Is that so! I knew you would say that!"
After they flattered and approved, he turned to the other side. Unlike before, his expression was dark and he clearly held little expectation.
"What do you think? I do not wish to miss this chance. Though it is an unseemly affair, for the sake of national interest I wish to step forward."
'……The only thing that will be stepping forward is your underwear.'
Her teeth ground together, but she chose her words carefully and bowed politely.
"It cannot be done, Your Majesty. I know her well. She is not the sort of person to send something like this. If you believe it and attend the banquet, you will surely suffer great calamity. I beg you to reconsider."
「「「──Your Majesty. Please reconsider.」」」
Following Sunho's lead, her faction also bowed their heads. But since this was not the answer Sunryong wanted, he let out a sigh.
"You oppose your father again. Why is it that whenever I try to do something, you reject it outright?"
"Not everything. Whenever Father does what is right, I have always stood by you."
"Then why do you insist this cannot be done? This is clearly a golden opportunity to seize Shetka, yet you oppose it so strongly—!"
"Because Sadat is not that kind of woman. She is not one to waver due to internal problems. From the time she was regent, she has enjoyed everyone's support and possesses a solid foundation. For her to suddenly show weakness is undoubtedly a trap meant to ensnare you, Father."
"…Is that not all speculation? The letter is here, and her magical power remains in the lipstick mark. It must have been written by her."
"That is precisely why it is a trap. She is a cunning serpent. I hope you will be cautious."
"Haa…"
Sunryong sighed, yet behind Sunho her followers continued to bow and plead, "Please reconsider." Meanwhile, the eunuchs mocked her with laughter.
"It seems Princess Sunho cannot read the greater picture…"
"At this point, she is opposing for the sake of opposing…"
"Whether she suffers calamity or not, if it succeeds even once, the country will fall into our hands…"
"Nyohoho! We approve! Emperor Sunryong!"
"─Is that so!"
As expected, Sunryong was completely taken in by the eunuchs' flattery and broke into a wide grin. The sight made Sunho and her faction grind their teeth in frustration.
"Then it is settled. I was planning to go anyway, so make the preparations. If possible, I want to toy with her in a single day, so arrange for a master of bedroom arts as well."
"How vigorous of you… Nyohoho…"
"How manly, Emperor Sunryong."
"How could I possibly resist when a woman reveals her face and tempts me like that! I shall take the world's greatest beauty and the country along with her. Record my every step well! In the biographies and histories that will circulate centuries from now, the name Sunryong will surely be written in large letters! Hahahaha!!"
"Nyohohoho~! The Vigorous King Sunryong!"
"Each and every anecdote will surely stir the hearts of women!"
"Enough with the vulgarity! Still, 'Vigorous King' does not sound so bad! Hahaha!!"
Matching Sunryong's laughter, the eunuchs' subordinates also roared with laughter, 「「「「Wahaha—!」」」」 adjusting the atmosphere. In such a mood, Sunho could not bring herself to plead "Please reconsider" again. She felt she might lose her mind.
'So it has come to this after all. I expected nothing from the beginning, but I am being thoroughly ignored.'
She herself, the emperor, and even the eunuchs were ignoring her. Yet only she seemed unaware. Treating castrated slaves as brothers— the country had not merely declined; it had turned completely upside down.
"Sunho."
"Yes, Father."
He stopped laughing and questioned his daughter again. She wondered if he had changed his mind and felt a faint hope, but an entirely different question flew at her.
"You submitted another petition. I hear the golden rice sent by the Cornelius family has disappeared… was that it?"
"Yes. It is essential for treating the soldiers and boosting morale. When I asked the keeper of the warehouse, he said the eunuchs used it for personal purposes. I wish to hold them accountable."
"Accountable, you say… You always speak so sharply."
"It is not an exaggeration. This is a matter that must be taken seriously. It is precious grain bestowed with the blessing of the Great Spirits—two of them, no less. Using it privately and replacing it with ordinary grain is no different from squandering a miracle that could reattach severed limbs. We are about to embark on a joint expedition with the five great nations. This will cause problems."
"Wounds will not occur if one does not get injured, and the reward grain was replaced with ordinary rice. What is the problem?"
"The value is different. Furthermore, saying wounds will not occur means you are viewing the war too optimistically—"
"In the first place, it was you who said you wanted full authority over all matters concerning the expedition. Yet now you try to pin the blame on the eunuchs, who have nothing to do with it. Is that not unreasonable?"
"Nothing to do with it… Father…!"
"This discussion is over. The soldiers' wounds can be handled if you manage your troops well, and ordinary grain is sufficient as reward money. In the first place, scattering golden rice blessed by the Great Spirits on mere common soldiers? That was excessive to begin with."
"Nyohoho… Indeed."
"We admit to touching the golden rice without permission, but it was used for the youngest princess, so rest assured."
"Surely we would not use it for personal gain? Nyohohohot!"
"─Since that is what they say, we shall let this matter pass."
He openly shielded them. Even though they had admitted their crime, they received not even a scolding.
'They used it on that child, which means your entire faction used it…!'
While Sunho ground her teeth, the eunuchs sidled up right beside the emperor and tempted him, saying things like "Among our acquaintances there is a man who is very good at making women cry—" Sunryong was completely taken in, replying "Then I shall grant that man a suitable position, so bring him here," thereby helping them expand their faction.
Official positions were handed out from the eunuchs' mouths, the emperor was utterly captivated by their flattery, and Princess Sunho was already out of his mind. Typical of a petty, narrow-minded man who acts superior when someone flatters him.
'How should I respond to this invitation?'
Angry at her own father's behavior, Sunho nevertheless blinked calmly.
'I did send letters to everyone who could help me, but I never imagined Sadat's side would approach Father… It is hard to believe they knew my intentions…'
It had actually been Roman, driven mad by the eunuchs' behavior, who had acted, but Princess Sunho did not know this and felt relieved. She could smell that something was about to happen.
"…Your Highness."
"Yes… That will be all for today…"
With that signal to stop further provoking Sunryong and the eunuchs and return to their usual duties, everyone suppressed their anger. Nothing had gone as the princess wished, but for now she could only wait for the right moment. The eunuchs sneered and tormented her inwardly, yet outwardly accepted the malice with perfect composure.