How Does Brother Namgung Know About Yandere Harems…?
"Haaah… That was refreshing. The sun's already high, huh.
Maybe I'll actually take a proper bath now and read some light novels…"
The Emperor savored a brief moment of conquest as he gently closed the eyes of his concubine, who had fainted with them rolled back. Yet as he sipped the cool honey water with ice that had been prepared by his bedside, a sudden thought struck him.
Among his concubines, there were all sorts of types depending on their personalities—those who honestly begged for attention and clung to him, those who huffed and pouted like tsunderes, those who seemed cold and composed with few words…
But in the end, they were all just exaggerating their original personalities a little to win the Emperor's favor. Their true essence lay somewhere in a "very heavy love." As someone who prided himself on reading people, the Emperor could hardly fail to notice that.
Well, it wasn't as if their affection was so heavy that even the Emperor's capacity couldn't bear it—
—honestly speaking, it was pretty heavy, but if he couldn't endure it, then…—
Ultimately, after dealing only with concubines who possessed that kind of heavy affection, he found himself imagining something a bit different… a concubine who was "sincerely" rebellious. Wouldn't the pleasure of subduing them with his lower half be something special…?
……And if he was going to take a new concubine anyway, this time he wanted to hold a woman.
Hmm, should I tell Baek Sojin I want a woman who's not a eunuch, completely untouched by any man's hand, and with a very strong spirit as my new concubine…?
He muttered the small(?) wish without thinking, then startled at his own words and glanced behind him.
"…Phew."
Fortunately, the concubine was still out cold, sleeping as if sunk in mud.
If one were to ask why the Emperor was watching his concubine's mood, it was because the concubines led by Baek Sojin were obedient to him and would grant any request—yet occasionally there was a… peculiar issue that made him just a tiny bit hesitant.
The concubines had a kind of line that was hard to explain in words, one that must not be crossed. If he crossed it by mistake…
It was like stepping on a landmine said to have been made by the Martial Marquis of ancient Shu—an unexpected explosion that would blow his ankle clean off.
………………………………………………
It was back when the Emperor had been completely obsessed with card games.
In the days when he would go out in disguise to compete in the capital's card game tournaments—
—in truth, even the Prime Minister had forgotten the Emperor's face from how little he attended to state affairs, so there was no real need to disguise himself—
there was one overwhelmingly strong opponent he had never beaten even once.
That opponent was truly mysterious. Before picking up the cards, he looked so timid he seemed unique under heaven, but the moment he was in a crisis, it was as if he became a different person—
—his speech and mannerisms actually changed—
"I'll bet everything I have on this card!"… and then he would draw exactly the cards he needed with perfect accuracy.
Even when armed with expensive cards against this fraud that wasn't quite fraud, the Emperor always had the tables turned on him, driving him half-mad with frustration.
Thus the Emperor, who had been confident in his strategy, schemes, and even deck construction, suffered crushing defeats to this dual-personality expert across multiple tournaments. Even after his disguised outings ended and he returned to the palace, he couldn't forget the humiliation and threw himself into card research, forgetting to eat or sleep.
During that time he even skipped his usual routine of embracing his concubines—
—and this was extremely, extremely, extremely important—
At first the concubines simply waited, but as the days passed they grew more and more restless. Gradually their expressions vanished as if they wore masks, and the shadows under their eyes deepened.
"Your Majesty… please look upon this humble concubine.
It's a dish popular in the marketplace lately—potatoes sliced thin and fried…"
"Hey now, can't you see I'm working out card game strategy!
This newly released Savage Visitor copies itself if it survives damage, so if I use it well I can finally beat that bastard this time…!
So get lost already!… Ghk?!"
The Emperor waved his arm as usual to shoo the concubine away, but the concubine's delicate hand seized his arm and squeezed with tremendous grip strength, forcibly focusing his attention.
"It has been three months…!
Now this humble one's turn is ending and I must go serve as an official in the provinces—how can Your Majesty be so cruel…?!"
When the Emperor looked at the concubine, tears fell drop by drop from the eyes of the eunuch before him—a capable official and at least a Peak Master. Those eyes had lost all light, becoming dead eyes that sent chills down the spine.
"Uh… um… I understand, so leave me alone for today…?"
Overwhelmed by the concubine's eyes that were like the bottomless depths of the sea, the Emperor tried once more to dismiss them and escape the situation.
But… those words were not snipping the fuse of a lit bomb—they were fanning the flames.
"Ha, haha… will you truly abandon me…?
In that case, this girl will forever…!"
Letting out a hollow laugh at the Emperor's words, the concubine drew a dagger with a murderous air.
"Eek…!!"
I never said I was abandoning anyone. Why…?
True, he had neglected embracing his concubines for quite a while, but that was the Emperor's own heart, wasn't it?
He hadn't even said he was abandoning them.
The Emperor wanted to point out how inconsistent and unfair this situation was, but words were far and the blade was near.
As the concubine raised the dagger and drew closer, the Emperor foresaw being torn into seventeen pieces before he could call for help and squeezed his eyes shut—
Yet contrary to that terrible imagination, time passed and nothing happened.
"……?"
When he opened his eyes to check the situation, what the Emperor saw was……
the concubine, who had slashed their own wrist.
"Wh-what…!"
Meeting the Emperor's wide eyes, the concubine smiled foolishly with sick eyes.
"Ehehe… this humble one will remain forever in Your Majesty's memory like this.
Please watch carefully…♡♡"
At the sight of the concubine smiling brightly with a beautiful face while blood poured like a spilled teapot, the Emperor froze for a moment—but he was no ordinary man, and quickly regained his composure.
"Ugh…! Is anyone there—!"
However…… what the Emperor had not anticipated was this.
"Aha…♡ This method…?"
"Trying to remain in His Majesty's memory alone is unfair…♡ Me too…♡"
The other concubines of this rotation who rushed into the bedchamber upon hearing his voice had also suffered three months of affection deprivation.
"Ah… ah… this……!"
When the number of concubines who had slashed their wrists and collapsed exceeded five, the Emperor screamed at the top of his lungs a cry he had thought he would never utter in his life.
"…M-m-mommyyy—! Help me—!!!!!"
After shouting that and collapsing in panic and shame, counting to ten inside, Baek Sojin—who had been handling state affairs over ten li away—flew in, cleaned up the situation, and saved the concubines.
After that whole uproar, the Emperor reflected on his actions and never again neglected caring for his concubines.
Good, that was good….
…………The hair-raising memory flashed through the Emperor's mind.
"Hmm, just making a request like this shouldn't cause a riot like that time… right?"
Yet contrary to the Emperor's hopes, when he later made that proposal in front of Baek Sojin and the concubines upon their return to the palace, he was squeezed by the shocked concubines until he couldn't move a single finger. And when word came that the wrists of the more fragile among them had gained new scars, Baek Sojin also ended up with a splitting headache……….
But the Emperor had no way of knowing that future, so for now he merely smacked his lips.
………………………………………………
The next day.
"A colored-eyed man from the land of Scotland in the Western Regions violated my daughter. I cannot live under the same sky as that bastard.
Great Hero Namgung, please punish him…!"
The client who came seeking Brother Namgung this time was a middle-aged man who immediately cried out for revenge.
"Calm yourself.
…Hmm, if the man raped your daughter, wouldn't it be better to report him to the authorities?"
At Brother Namgung's reasonable question, the middle-aged man hung his head gloomily.
"I already tried that method, but…… the bastard's looks are outstanding and he is fluent in the Central Plains tongue.
Using his appearance, silver tongue, and strange Western trinkets as gifts, he completely bewitched my daughter.
So the two of them claimed it was consensual, and the authorities said there was no grounds for punishment."
Then aren't they just dating?
Sensing the less-than-pleased expressions on my face and Brother Namgung's, the middle-aged man hurriedly continued.
"That bastard bewitches women this way, spends only a single night with them, then calls himself a unicorn and dumps them flat.
Right after that he repeats the process with another woman, so there are already at least ten daughters of good families who have lost their virginity to him.
All of them are precious daughters raised carefully by their households.
Fathers in the same situation as me pooled our opinions, funds, and signatures, so please accept this request."
Bowing his head, he held out a bolt of silk; truly, about ten names and their signatures were written on it.
"…Hmm, another last resort, is it….
Very well. Tell me more detailed information about the man."
When Brother Namgung indicated acceptance, color returned to the middle-aged man's face.
"Thank you, Great Hero…!
I don't know what they call him in his own country, but we call him Red Lazy Ocean, from the meaning 'red-haired sheep of bad (lazy) conduct.'"
After hearing a few more pieces of information from the middle-aged man and sending him off, Brother Namgung gathered a few things and spoke to me.
"Looks like we'll be busy again.
First, you pack some clothes, put on the plug as well, and go take a stroll around the marketplace.
I have a lot to do regarding this Scotland matter, so I'll be away for a while again.
I'll either return in a few days or send a letter."
At the news that Brother Namgung would be leaving, I almost rejoiced… but then I realized there was a fatal problem.
"…What…?
Then how am I supposed to unlock the plug…?!"
But Brother Namgung merely smiled as if he had expected exactly that and answered.
"Have you forgotten? It's only that you yourself cannot unlock the plug; if you ask someone else—not just me—it can be unlocked anytime.
…Don't worry too much. I'll prepare a very suitable person for you.
When you return from your stroll in women's clothes, you'll find out whether you like it or not."