Chapter 159
Chapter 159
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Not My Type
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Blood Fragment.
Seeing it, Wang-sik lost interest in the other treasures.
‘The emperor doesn’t consider this very important. I can definitely get it.’
There was one reason he thought this.
‘It’s not something the emperor acquired himself.’
It was merely a historical exhibit.
Given the current emperor’s disposition, unless it was his own achievement, he likely wouldn’t think much of it.
In fact, none of the spoils the emperor had collected himself were there.
Ultimately, the nobles had created a clumsy, unwritten rule out of deference to the emperor.
‘Still, there’s no need to break it right away. For now, I just need to let him know I’m interested in this.’
If I accomplish what the emperor wants, he’ll probably give it to me of his own accord.
The Bilton behind him would surely report this.
"I don't see anything I particularly want."
"Come now, my friend. You must choose one. It’s a matter of courtesy."
Even giving a gift was a command for Leit. So, he had to take something.
Wang-sik didn’t feel much interest, but seeing no need to create a problem, he looked around again.
‘Huh?’
But a crystal orb in a corner of the first floor caught his eye.
He had seen a similar crystal orb before.
‘Gorgon’s Crystal Orb.’
The item he had found in the Ironclad Spider’s nest.
The object taken by the black market in exchange for a guarantee of Grade 2 information.
‘The inside is a bit different.’
The living, moving light floating inside the orb was the same, but its color and direction of movement were clearly different.
"What is this?"
"It is a legacy of the giant race. It is not an item with any special purpose."
It seemed even the imperial palace didn't know its value. So Wang-sik didn't hesitate.
"Then I'll take this."
At Wang-sik's request, Bilton accepted without a word.
"I will have it prepared for you to take on your way out."
Leaving the emperor’s treasury, Wang-sik thought of a certain woman.
‘I should visit the black market.’
It was a place he hadn’t sought out for a long time.
‘Maybe this time, I’ll be the one making a request.’
The same place, but it seemed his role would be different.
Another appointment awaited Wang-sik after he left the treasury.
"I'll stop by the knight order."
"Aren't we going together?"
"You were the one invited, not me."
Rohan Leit clapped Wang-sik on the back and went off somewhere. Left alone, Wang-sik was guided by the same guard from before to the Lueta Palace.
The lavish building, decorated with gold from the very entrance, gave the splendid illusion of entering another world as the doors opened.
The first thing he saw was a magnificent chandelier descending from the 15-meter-high ceiling, its light reflecting off crystal orbs placed throughout, illuminating the entire hall.
It felt like stepping into a dream.
As if anticipating this, a middle-aged woman in her early forties waiting by the door gave him a moment.
Anyone visiting Lueta Palace for the first time would have a similar expression.
From the paintings on the walls to the small, finger-sized ornaments, nothing was ordinary.
This was the most splendid place on the continent.
Lueta Palace.
"This way, please."
Most of the people he had met so far spoke stiffly, but not the middle-aged woman now guiding Wang-sik.
The woman, with her gentle tone and a smile, led Wang-sik up the stairs.
"Please wait here."
It was the First Room, located in the center of the second floor.
From here, one could see the garden spreading out behind the building in a single glance, and the room was already filled with the scent of flowers and grass.
‘Just as I expected?’
On a small tea table, tea with flower petals floated.
And Leit's reaction.
It wasn’t hard to guess who he was about to meet.
And about five minutes later, that guess became reality.
The person who entered as the door opened was a beautiful woman in her early twenties.
She wore a long, splendid, pleated dress that trailed on the floor, and her wavy golden hair flowed down to her waist, but neither could draw the eye as much as her distinct features.
Delicate eyes with an innocent feel, cute dimples, and yet, the elegant curve of her lips showed confidence.
It was amazing how such diverse charms could harmonize in a single face.
‘So it was the 4th Princess.’
The emperor had seven daughters, and among them, the 4th Princess was the most famous for her beauty.
The woman called the most beautiful flower of the empire.
The 4th Princess, Orlina.
Countless sons of nobles were said to have drooled over her, and seeing her in person, her outstanding beauty made it understandable.
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
"Greetings to the head of House Lennox."
The two exchanged courteous greetings and soon sat facing each other at a table with simple refreshments.
"I asked His Majesty for this meeting. If it was rude, I apologize."
"It's fine."
Wang-sik replied as if it were nothing and lifted his teacup. But his demeanor was unfamiliar to Orlina.
Usually, men would ask her a question in return, but Wang-sik simply drank his tea with a blank expression.
Occasionally, he would glance at the scenery outside the window.
"Are you uncomfortable in this setting?"
"Not at all. It's a fine place to enjoy some leisure."
"I'm asking if being with me is what makes you uncomfortable."
"I am not uncomfortable."
Wang-sik said, meeting Orlina’s eyes.
This, too, was new to her.
Men who met her gaze showed one of two reactions.
Either they would stare blankly, as if captivated, or they would lower their heads in shyness.
But Wang-sik gazed at her without any emotion.
As if telling her to get to the point.
"I've heard many rumors. It seems there were many unsavory ones in the past."
She deliberately poked at Lennox Vega's weakness.
"That is correct."
"I also heard about a marriage in that past. Though, of course, you didn't actually get married."
It meant she had done a thorough background check.
"I don't deny it. It was something I did."
"Was there some catalyst for such a dramatic change?"
"Because I had a change of heart."
She had expected him to offer more of an excuse, but Wang-sik fell silent. From that point on, Orlina began to feel displeased.
"You don't seem to be enjoying this conversation with me, do you?"
"I am neither enjoying it nor displeased by it."
Those words wounded her pride even more.
The feeling of being treated as ordinary.
"May I hear the reason you wished to see me?"
In the end, Wang-sik asked first. Orlina considered getting angry and leaving, but for some reason, she felt a sense of regret.
‘He’s different from those other foolish men...’
So she decided to be a little more patient.
"I've come of age to marry. But I don't want to marry a man chosen by His Majesty without any feelings. I intend to choose my own partner."
She stated her reason bluntly.
This meant that not only her looks but also her background set her apart from others.
The greatest beauty on the continent.
The greatest power on the continent.
She was a woman who could offer both.
Looking at Orlina's confident expression, Wang-sik replied.
"I wish you the best."
This was not a response Orlina had expected. At this point, she could no longer hide her true feelings.
"I wanted to meet you, Count Vega, because I was curious."
"I am aware. So, has your curiosity been satisfied?"
"I'm starting to feel you're being rude."
"I see. You've perceived correctly."
Wang-sik stood up from his seat. Orlina could only be dumbfounded.
"Do you not like me?"
She finally said the words she had been holding back. To this, Wang-sik also answered honestly.
"You are not my type."
"What?"
"Well then, I'll be going."
Wang-sik left the room.
* * *
Leit was dumbfounded.
Wang-sik had parted with the princess sooner than expected and come to the knight order.
So far, there was no problem.
After all, Wang-sik was the vice-captain of the monster subjugation project, and he had already met some of the knights.
Some knights had even witnessed Wang-sik’s prowess firsthand, so there were those who were glad to see him.
"So, you told her she wasn't your type?"
"Yes."
"You really said that to the princess?"
"That's right. She thought I was rude, so we probably won't meet again."
Wang-sik was so brazenly confident that Leit was at a loss for words.
"Respect my preferences."
"No. If the 4th Princess isn't your type, then what kind of woman is? Don't tell me..."
A flicker of suspicion appeared in Leit's eyes.
"I like women."
"Phew, that's a relief. Now I don't have to be wary of you."
"Even if I did like men, you wouldn't be my type."
"Somehow that hurts my pride... no. Let's stop talking about that."
In any case, Wang-sik had rejected the 4th Princess, of all people, and come to the knight order to see him.
‘Well, this probably won’t become a big problem.’
As Leit tried to put the matter to rest, one question remained.
Even in his eyes, the 4th Princess Orlina was a nearly perfect woman.
"If the 4th Princess isn't your type, you might never find a woman."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because there's likely no woman in this world more beautiful than the 4th Princess."
"I've already met one."
"What did you say?"
Leit was genuinely surprised.
"A woman like that exists?"
"She does. After meeting her, my tastes became firmly established."
"Who in the world is this woman...?"
"Do we need to keep talking about this?"
Wang-sik cut him off and looked around.
Around them, more than ten knights were holding their breath, eavesdropping on the conversation.
They had come to greet them and naturally ended up listening.
"Ah, my apologies. Everyone, return to your posts."
Only then did Leit realize the situation, dismiss the knights, and leave the imperial palace with Wang-sik.
When they were back in the carriage, Wang-sik asked.
"What kind of person is Duke Dupont?"
The other person who possessed a Blood Fragment.
Two fragments were needed to evolve the Mark of the Guardian.
"A typical politician. A very competent one at that."
It was rare for Leit to praise someone not from a knightly house like this.
"He has no enemies. He's the kind of person who makes everyone his ally."
"Is he close with House Rohan?"
"I wouldn't say close, but we definitely have a cooperative relationship. In fact, when my father was at war, he actively supported the supply lines."
"So he's not just a politician."
"He's a man who knows when to step up. He didn't win His Majesty's favor for nothing."
It wasn't the answer Wang-sik had hoped for.
‘So I can’t just fight him and take it.’
Besides, it was a gift from the emperor, so he couldn't acquire it through negotiation either.
‘I have to get it somehow.’
Since there was one in the emperor's treasury, he hadn't actively made plans for this one.
But now that the possibility had opened up, he grew greedy for the other one too.
"But why ask about Duke Dupont?"
"After seeing the Blood Fragment, I just got curious about what kind of person he is."
"Why are you so interested in the Blood Fragment?"
"I'm just drawn to it. It's my type."
"I really can't figure out your tastes."
Leit didn't mention Wang-sik's preferences anymore.
"Anyway, it's a relief that His Majesty took a liking to you. I was actually quite nervous."
"I think so too."
"The monster subjugation project will gain more momentum from now on."
It had been a satisfactory meeting for them both.
* * *
"What? So you're saying you met the prettiest woman in Azelan?"
Back at the Giam Island base, Min Ha-na raised her voice as Wang-sik recounted the day's events.
"That face of yours really is useful for a lot of things."
"Is meeting the princess more surprising than meeting the emperor?"
"We already knew you were meeting the emperor. We even had a meeting about it. Well, I was secretly thinking it wouldn't matter if you killed him, though."
"Like I said, he's no pushover. A human with that level of pressure without any equipment is rare."
"Right, you did say the emperor's items are famous, didn't you?"
"The Sword, Shield, and Armor of the Adjudicator are all myth-grade. Together, they're called Judgment."
"How extravagant."
"It's fine. We can win if we combine our strength. And time is on our side."
The emperor no longer goes to the battlefield.
His disposition has him maintain a certain training regimen, but it's only enough to stave off the decline that comes with age.
"Because we're going to get stronger."
That was the part Wang-sik believed in most.
"Well, I'm heading out again."
"Where are you going this time?"
After sharing the information, Wang-sik stood up, and Min Ha-na asked.
"There's a woman I have to meet."
"Again? Who is it this time?"
"The woman who's at least closest to my type."
"What?"
Seeing Min Ha-na's surprised expression, Wang-sik said with a smile.
"Don't worry. She's an Azelan woman."
A single sentence that eliminated all other possibilities.