Empress El Sadat's Scathing Rebuke and Emperor Sunrong's Humiliation
Some time later, Sunrong, Emperor of the Chang Kingdom, attended the coronation banquet celebrating El Sadat's ascension.
"Oho, so this is the Golden Pyramid… I've visited Shetka many times before, but I never imagined they would host a banquet here. King Dodo rarely opened this place to outsiders, yet this new empress is remarkably generous. Perhaps she went to great lengths to welcome me?"
Khuhuhu… He had only just arrived and had yet to meet her, but he was already grinning foolishly in delight as he looked around. The banquet hall glittered with lavish gold ornaments while beautiful dancers swayed to the music. Fruits from Shetka, famed for their sweetness, dominated the tables, accompanied by massive fish caught from the Roman River. As expected of the miraculous river, rare specimens the king had never seen before appeared here and there, drawing the attention of many nobles who focused more on the delicacies than the festivities.
At the center of this golden, music-filled hall, she shone. Clad in a daringly revealing white dress that contrasted sharply with her ebony skin, she greeted the guests with seductive charm. Gone was her usual sharp demeanor; her eyes were softer, and a smile graced her lips, making her look every bit the beautiful woman.
"I heard she was a difficult woman, but she seems to be handling it quite well."
The public's assessment appeared to be a lie. He found it strange that she seemed so cheerful, yet there was no sign of intoxication.
"And so, because of that, we had another dispute… but then this amusing incident happened…"
"…If it was that kind of matter, I should have been more thorough before leaving. My apologies."
"I'm not blaming you…! It's just that the other party's reaction was so entertaining, and I wanted to tell you the story~!!"
"I know, so don't be surprised. I'm only saying it because I want you to laugh too."
"U-uhm…! Ufufufu……"
As he continued watching, El Sadat was chatting intimately with a man wearing a golden mask. Perhaps that man was the reason for her good mood.
"Even the nobles who came to greet her are keeping their distance. I can't tell who he is because of the mask, but he's clearly quite close to her. If the mask were looser, I might be able to guess, but like this…"
The man was wrapped head to toe in black cloth, obscuring his figure. An odd fellow deliberately hiding his identity at such an event.
"So, as I was saying… when I explained what happened back then in detail, the other party's reaction was truly something to behold…"
"If it was such an amusing affair, I wish I had been there with you."
"Exactly~! Truly, why did you leave me behind? It's so saddening! —Hufufu♡"
The fact that they were speaking informally doubled his suspicion, and seeing El Sadat beaming so brightly at this man stirred something unpleasant within him.
"The one who is to share her bed tonight is none other than me. Yet she shows such a smile to another man. How utterly shameless! I had intended to stay quiet, but my anger is boiling over—I can't hold back…!"
Without a second thought, he strode straight toward the center. Dressed in the dragon-embroidered robes unique to the Chang Kingdom, everyone recognized him as the emperor, so no one stopped him. Had someone intervened, he might have avoided making a fool of himself, but…
"A guest has arrived, so later…"
"Aah…!"
As Sunrong approached, the golden-masked man slipped away into the crowd. El Sadat reached out after him, frozen in a posture of longing. The pitiful sight of someone who had lost a loved one caused the surrounding atmosphere to grow heavy.
"Ah, El Sadat! We finally meet!"
"……Who are you?"
"Can you not tell by looking? I am Sunrong, Emperor of the Chang Kingdom."
"Ah, so you're that man I've heard rumors about…"
When she feigned surprise, as if slightly elevating him, Sunrong laughed heartily and spoke with confidence.
"That's right~! The man from those rumors is none other than me! My, I never expected to receive an invitation from you! When I got the letter, I was so surprised…!"
"I did send a letter, but… why are you acting so familiar…?"
She glanced away.
"…Uhm?!"
Even while speaking with Sunrong, she pretended to scan the spot where the masked man had disappeared, prompting him to immediately claim the space beside her.
"Where are you looking? You're talking to me right now."
"…You're being overly familiar. Though you are an emperor, we are equals here. Would you kindly explain why your hand is on my waist?"
"Why are you playing dumb now… You sent me that kind of letter, stoking the flames, only to ignore me and make eyes at another man. What a cruel woman."
"I have no idea what you're talking about… Whether I make eyes at another man or not is my own business, isn't it?"
"Oh-ho, playing hard to get has its own charm. Just days ago you were struggling with state affairs, yet now you're putting on airs. Since there are so many people here, why not announce our relationship and solidify ties between our nations?"
"Once again, I have no idea what you're saying. We are equals, yet your tone and that hand you've thrust upon me are all thoroughly unpleasant. I don't wish to ruin this occasion, so release me while I'm still speaking nicely."
"Don't be shy. Let's talk inside with me…"
"Inside?"
"You know, up there… the top floor…"
When he tried to press his lips to her cheek after grabbing her waist, goosebumps rose across El Sadat's entire body.
"…You insolent fool, I told you to let go!!"
Smack!
"Mmmph?!"
A handprint bloomed on Sunrong's cheek, and the hangers-on surrounding them gasped in shock. El Sadat's face, which had been so cheerful moments ago, now burned with her usual fury.
"…Wh-what is the meaning of this?! What exactly are you doing?!"
"You're the one who suddenly grabbed my waist without any regard for propriety! This is a celebration of my coronation—a once-in-a-lifetime occasion! How dare you act so outrageously and then raise your voice so shamelessly!"
She didn't care that he was an emperor. She was Empress El Sadat. Their statuses were equal, and she was a queen backed by the Great Spirit. She glared at him fiercely and repeatedly ordered him to back off. Only then did Sunrong seem to come to his senses and shout back.
"What wrong have I done?! You seduced me with that letter!"
"A letter~? Show it to me, then!"
"H-here it is!"
When Sunrong hastily presented the letter, El Sadat pretended to examine it. Anyone could see it was the letter she herself had sent… and since she had indeed sent it, it couldn't be fake.
"It still carries your magic! Anyone can tell you sent it, El Sadat!"
He shouted indignantly, but she promptly burned it.
"Hmph!"
"What are you doing?!"
"How absurd. You believed something like this and approached me with that attitude?"
"What?!"
"Think for a moment! You're an emperor and a married man! With that fine princess of yours still alive and well, you think I would throw myself at you~? Hah, the sheer absurdity! You came running here in such a pathetic state, believing this nonsense without a second thought, all to couple with me! What a disgraceful display! I'm so embarrassed I can't even lift my head!"
"B-but the letter clearly… your magic…!"
"In the first place! Why would I ever stoop to clinging to a man like you?! And to the emperor of the Chang Kingdom, no less!"
"Kuh! W-what's so lacking about me that you'd say that?!"
"Hoh~! It seems the Emperor of the Chang Kingdom has no idea what rumors are circulating about him~! Hah! How ridiculous, truly ridiculous. If you'd stayed quiet, I wouldn't have had to humiliate you!"
He flinched at her words. He should have realized it when she had deliberately looked down on him earlier, saying, "Ah, so you're that man I've heard rumors about…"
"You have no idea what kind of reputation you hold as emperor, do you?"
"What… do you mean… I've never done anything worthy of criticism…!!"
"Is that so? Very well, then. As fellow rulers of great nations, I shall kindly enlighten you one by one."
When El Sadat poked him with her index finger, he was pushed backward by her magic and fell. However, attendants who had been waiting caught him and seated him neatly in a chair.
"Ugh?! El Sadat! I cannot tolerate any further disrespect…!"
"Shh, listen quietly!"
When the empress clapped her hands, the dancers' movements and the music grew heavier, casting a chilling atmosphere over the hall. Then she began in earnest.
"You there, my loyal servant and Shetka's great cog! In my name, I shall forgive all misconduct that occurs here tonight, so speak without omission or embellishment, staking the name of the city lord! In your eyes, what kind of man is Emperor Sunrong?!"
"—Yes! According to the rumors, he keeps flatterers close and distances those who speak honestly! As a result, the political world has become corrupt, and those touched by the flatterers' influence are gradually rising, while those who speak rightly are killed and those who spout nonsense open their vile mouths to lap up the honey dripping from the emperor's lips!"
"Hohoho~! Then you there, my proud scribe! You needn't work right now, so share your opinion! What do you think of this man?!"
"—I have heard that he treats the eunuchs, who are the emperor's slaves, as brothers. When the very pillars of the nation address slaves as brothers, there can be no distinction between right and wrong. When the floor that supports the nation rots and decays, there is no one below to clean it up, so even as the princess personally scrubs the floor, the king and father watches with delight."
"I have done no such thing!!"
Sunrong protested, but El Sadat pointed to another person beside her.
"I am a merchant contracted with Lady El Sadat, and I have recently conducted transactions with those eunuchs. Not long after the Roman River appeared, they requested several rare fish species caught there. In return, I obtained golden crops grown by the Cornelius family, but since I couldn't determine their origin, I reported it directly to Lady El Sadat."
"Golden crops… Only the Cornelius family and a few households permitted by them were allowed to sell such strategic resources on the market, weren't they?"
"That is correct. Only the households led by Lord Cornelius's trusted retainers were granted permission. Furthermore, the crops sent to each nation were intended for wartime use, and their sale was strictly prohibited."
"In exchange for our protection, they provide us with strategic resources. In return, we maintain full readiness against invasion and fight alongside Satisfaction. That was our duty and courtesy. Yet it seems the emperor, upon seeing the eunuchs diverting supplies, could only scold his daughter instead of stopping them?"
"How do you know the inner workings of the palace in such detail…?!"
It would have been better if he had feigned ignorance here. His overly blatant reaction caused murmurs to ripple through the crowd.
"Ugh?!"
It was too late to cover his mouth.
"Why wouldn't I know~? Thanks to the eunuchs' influence, capable individuals are dismissed one after another. Talented people die in factional struggles. With so many holes in the nation's core, how could I not plant a few of my own people?"
"What are you doing between allied nations~?! This is a treaty violation!"
"I don't want to hear that from someone who freely sells off supplies sent by an ally!!"
"Aagh!"
She precisely kicked his shin with a joint lock. Yet Sunrong, despite his tearful expression, couldn't retaliate.
"The baseness of selling off both your daughters to Cornelius, even though they are a prostitute's children! The foolishness of only shouting at your daughter when her life is in danger, isolated within the palace! The shortsightedness of rejoicing at flattery from those who are no different from slaves! And the vulgar lust that drove you here to covet me despite having a wife! There is not a single thing about you that pleases me!! —A mere puppet dancing in the eunuchs' grasp! Do not even dare to think you are my equal!!"
The excessive scolding left him dazed. Having heard only pleasant words from the eunuchs lately, he had no resistance to such criticism.
"I am not someone who deserves this treatment! How do you intend to handle the consequences?!"
"Consequences? You fool who doesn't even realize you're on the verge of exile! Why would I show any courtesy to a man who might be dead or alive after today?! Meeting you today will be the last time! Should we meet again, it will be beyond the coffin!"
"What nonsense…! Me, in a coffin?!"
"You can't even figure that out yourself! I'm speechless! —Guards! Is no one there?! A corpse has walked out of its coffin! Drive this thing out at once!"
"El Sadat!!!"
He shouted and caused a scene, but despite his title as emperor, he was easily dragged out and thrown outside. He was not someone who deserved such treatment, yet El Sadat's boldness suggested she was ready for war.
"What in the world just happened… What exactly happened…?!"
Rolling on the ground, covered in dirt, he headed toward the carriage he had arrived in. The waiting attendant hurriedly attended to him.
"Your Majesty! What happened?!"
"I don't know…! How would I know?! More importantly, let's return at once! I don't want to stay in this damned place any longer!!"
"Y-yes…!!"
The carriage raced through the portal and reached the Chang Kingdom in an instant. Though the journey to the palace took less than ten minutes, for Sunrong, who had suffered such humiliation, it felt unbearably long.
"What did I do wrong to deserve such humiliation in front of so many people…?!"
In his heart, he wanted to raise an army immediately and tear that madwoman apart. However, being fundamentally a petty man…
"To the eunuch's residence! Take me there!"
"Pardon? Shouldn't we return to the palace?!"
"Don't talk back! Hurry!"
"Y-yes…!!"
Even after such humiliation, he was a man who couldn't even fight without someone pushing him from behind and affirming him. Thus, he headed toward the eunuch "as usual," but there, another event occurred that would jolt him awake.
"This is… what…?"
When he flung open the mansion doors, he saw fish hanging from the courtyard trees and a pond filled with alcohol—complete chaos. Standing dumbfounded at the entrance, looking utterly undignified despite being emperor, a drunkard approached and rambled at him.
"Ah, don't you know? There's a festival here today, so everyone nearby gathered for a true feast of wine and meat."
"When did they prepare something this grand… Where did they get the money for this…?"
"Well, the master of this place apparently made a big score! You know that fool emperor who's been the talk of the town lately. He kept giving and giving, and this time he supposedly gifted crops personally grown by the Great Spirit as a present. They sold it through a merchant, and the gold piled up so high that even passersby were wide-eyed!"
"They used that for this…?"
"That's what they say! Well, at first we cursed them for fattening only themselves, but now that they're feeding us so well, we're drunk, happy, and satisfied~! Hahaha!"
The man, not recognizing the emperor, danced and sang nearly naked. It was a deranged scene. People were submerged in the alcohol pond, drinking through their noses, crawling naked while chewing fish hanging from the trees. Some were openly indulging their lust outdoors, and among them, the eunuchs—who should have been impotent—were enjoying sex.
"────!!!"
Amid the commotion, the sound of a child crying reached him from afar. No matter how worthless a father he was, he was not foolish enough to fail to recognize his young daughter's voice.
"Aah… Aaaaah… Hwaaaah~!!"
"Uh… Uhh… Where are you going! Why not enjoy yourself too?!"
Only then, as if realizing something, did he flee in haste. He returned to the carriage and ordered it to head to the palace this time.
"H-has His Majesty finally gone mad?"
The coachman thought Sunrong's condition was far from good, yet since he was returning to the palace, he drove straight there. Upon arrival, Sunrong headed directly to where his daughter Sunho resided, without even changing his clothes.
"Haa… H-huu, haa… Aaa…?"
Sunho's bedroom was located in a desolate corner of the palace. He rarely visited, but today was an exception. Despite the late hour, unlike the noisy mansion he had just seen, only a young attendant stood at the entrance, with a faint light burning inside.
"Y-Your Majesty…!"
"Shh! Shh! Shhh~!"
The young attendant hurriedly bowed upon seeing him, but it was Sunrong who was flustered. He quickly covered the attendant's mouth and asked with a sweat-drenched face.
"Y-young one… I don't know who you are, but you must be one of Sunho's people. So let me ask just one thing. Is Sunho inside right now?"
"Yes… Princess Sunho is inside…!"
"Then one more thing… What is my daughter doing at this hour…?"
"Of course, she is attending to state affairs…"
"At this hour?"
"Recently, her workload has increased… She has been mediating problems and conflicts coming in from all regions throughout the night…"
"Every night? Since when exactly?"
"Every night, and it has been about a year since she became this busy…"
At the attendant's words, he ground his teeth as expected. Though he was a foolish and narrow-minded petty man, after being scolded so harshly and making such a spectacle of himself, many thoughts raced through his mind. Combined with the scene he had just witnessed, his heart twisted violently…
"I need to speak with her, so step aside for a moment."
"W-well, as you wish, but…"
The attendant's gaze drifted as if pointing out Sunrong's attire.
"…Would you like some tea and a towel?"
"I need both."
"Understood… I'll prepare them right away…!"
Once the attendant hurried off, Sunrong knocked on the door with the feeling of entering his teenage daughter's room. Since no sound came from outside, the reply from within was calm.
『Who is it? I am currently working. If it is not urgent, please speak with me tomorrow.』
"…………"
What should he say? Sunrong was deeply troubled, and another reply came in the meantime.
『…Hello?』
The person who had knocked but gave no answer. There was clearly an attendant posted, yet this response caused a stir inside. Surely Riu had taken up her spear.
『──Did the eunuch send you?』
That was the ominous reply he received. Sunrong rebuked himself, thinking, "El Sadat was right about everything," and answered quietly.
"Don't worry… It was definitely not the eunuch who sent me…!"
『Eh?』
This time, Sunho sounded flustered. Hearing her father's voice so suddenly, she fell silent on the other side.
"Sorry for the late hour. M-may I come in?"
『Why would Father come at such a late hour…?』
Despite having turned against her and sided with the eunuchs, he was now approaching her like this—it was incomprehensible. Fearing it might be a trap, Riu opened the door in her stead to check outside…
"…It is His Majesty."
"Haa."
With just that, the situation seemed to be understood, and she let out a short sigh.
"Please bring him inside."
"Aah, thank you…!"
Almost crawling on all fours, he entered his daughter's room, shed his dirty clothes, and recounted everything that had happened. Only then was he able to reclaim his scattered wits.
……Even so, spilled water cannot be gathered again. From this moment onward, a turning point that would shake the Chang Kingdom was approaching.