Erdene's uneasy feeling did not go away until they passed through the gate of the capital city of the Hirschsten Empire.
No, it only got stronger.
Not only that, but now the knight commander, his subordinate officers, and even the soldiers began to whisper in strange voices.
"Your Highness, what on earth is going on?"
"How could I know, Thelma."
Certainly, before they passed through the gate, the lively and noisy noise had excited the hearts of the soldiers who had returned home after a long time.
The smell of freshly butchered meat bought from the butcher shop and grilled at street stalls, and the smell of fruit wine that wafted from the middle of the day, as befitting a country with many alcoholic beverages, made everyone's hearts flutter.
The soldiers who returned with the news of victory were ready to be buried in the freshly grilled meat and wine glasses that were rushing to them.
However, the moment they passed through the gate, every single one of them realized that something was strange.
Aiman said.
“Isn’t it a miscommunication? The messenger must have misreported that we were defeated and returned. You idiot, when we meet again, I’ll show you a hot taste that will make you come to your senses.”
However, Princess Erdene remained silent... Her expression was even more serious than before.
Aiman’s words were nothing more than wishful thinking.
It wasn’t just misrepresenting the pheasant prepared for lunch as roasted wild boar, but turning the victory they had after a long war into a defeat? It was something that even twelve heads could not do.
But then what was this atmosphere?
The people on the roadside, far from welcoming the soldiers with meat and alcohol as usual, tried not to even make eye contact with them.
Some people were wandering along the roadside and then hurriedly avoiding them, while others lowered their gaze as if they had committed a crime and quietly hid behind the shadows.
Merton whispered,
“Your Highness, what kind of atmosphere is this?”
Erdene replied irritably.
“How would I know?”
But something was wrong, seriously wrong. Erdene rode her horse a little faster with a serious expression.
Her ominous premonition was indeed right, and there were no cheers or congratulations for the soldiers even after they entered the castle.
The knight commanders and officers were hesitating whether to send the soldiers under their jurisdiction back to the barracks or to send them into the wide hall where food and drinks were prepared as usual.
“Merton, Thelma.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Erdene easily dragged the warhorse that was much taller than her as if it were a gentle lamb and handed it over to the stableman.
“Take the soldiers and give them food and drinks. If the cook makes any presumptuous remarks like there’s nothing prepared, tie them up until I come.”
“Understood.”
“Won’t Your Highness go with us?”
Erdene, who had her gauntlets clung even tighter to the blood of the enemy, looked up at the splendid pillars of the golden castle with hostility.
“I will meet His Majesty first.”
She entered the Emperor’s residence without taking off her armor or undressing. She had vowed and vowed again that she should not get angry, but seeing her twin brother occupying the Emperor’s position with such pride made her stomach turn as if she was going to vomit.
“I have returned with a report of victory, brother. We have won from Biotin the fertile plains, the logging area, and some of the mines containing gold and coal. There are also some wetlands, so it would be good to discuss how to use them with the officials. Since the salt content is low, if we can drain the water, we will be able to farm.”
Erdene finished her brief report with her head bowed and waited for the Emperor to congratulate her and tell her to stand up. However, her brother, Emperor Tenek, remained silent for a long time before saying indifferently,
“Yes, you have worked hard. Why don’t you go and wash up?”
Erdene's eyes sparkled as she raised her head.
Her brother Tenek, wearing an ill-fitting imperial robe and a golden crown, looked like a clown sitting there.
The Empress sitting next to him was a woman named Roelica, a daughter of a good family, but she had been fed up with Tenek's insincerity since she was the Crown Princess, and now she seemed to have lost all emotion, her expressionless face.
Erdene looked around the palace's changed interior. More luxuries seemed crude, and even the large tapestries from the era of conquest that the previous Emperors had hung were gone.
She said through clenched teeth,
"The imperial palace has become even more splendid, Your Majesty."
At the entrance leading to the corridor, women wearing flashy and revealing dresses gathered in groups of three or four, but when they met Erdene's gaze, they ran away.
It was probably Tenek’s concubines.
“...There are more pretty ones,”
Tenek answered, laughing as if he was drunk.
“Don’t you see nothing but black things on the battlefield, and now that you’re here, your eyes are dazzled?”
Erdene didn’t answer but glared at Tenek with contempt.
He giggled like a child who had found a fun prank and then spoke indifferently like someone who had lost interest in everything in the world.
“Well, you’re not a man, so you’re useless.”
“Your Majesty.”
At that moment, Erdene felt something like a hot lump rising inside her.
At the same time, the anger she had been holding back boiled over when she saw the magnificent throne on which Tenek’s small, ridiculous buttocks were resting.
That seat was meant to be mine.
Erdene clenched her fists while wearing her gauntlets.
The more she thought about how Tenek, who had no support base while she was on the battlefield, had taken that position, the more she was shocked.
'I wish I could make him tell me all about his tricks right here. If I pulled out a molar every time he said something nonsense, he would open his mouth right away.'
When she heard the metallic clanking noise, Empress Loelica's expressionless face cracked slightly.
Then Tenek said,
"Well, don't be too sad, since the Emperor has gone to peace."
No, it only got stronger.
Not only that, but now the knight commander, his subordinate officers, and even the soldiers began to whisper in strange voices.
"Your Highness, what on earth is going on?"
"How could I know, Thelma."
Certainly, before they passed through the gate, the lively and noisy noise had excited the hearts of the soldiers who had returned home after a long time.
The smell of freshly butchered meat bought from the butcher shop and grilled at street stalls, and the smell of fruit wine that wafted from the middle of the day, as befitting a country with many alcoholic beverages, made everyone's hearts flutter.
The soldiers who returned with the news of victory were ready to be buried in the freshly grilled meat and wine glasses that were rushing to them.
However, the moment they passed through the gate, every single one of them realized that something was strange.
Aiman said.
“Isn’t it a miscommunication? The messenger must have misreported that we were defeated and returned. You idiot, when we meet again, I’ll show you a hot taste that will make you come to your senses.”
However, Princess Erdene remained silent... Her expression was even more serious than before.
Aiman’s words were nothing more than wishful thinking.
It wasn’t just misrepresenting the pheasant prepared for lunch as roasted wild boar, but turning the victory they had after a long war into a defeat? It was something that even twelve heads could not do.
But then what was this atmosphere?
The people on the roadside, far from welcoming the soldiers with meat and alcohol as usual, tried not to even make eye contact with them.
Some people were wandering along the roadside and then hurriedly avoiding them, while others lowered their gaze as if they had committed a crime and quietly hid behind the shadows.
Merton whispered,
“Your Highness, what kind of atmosphere is this?”
Erdene replied irritably.
“How would I know?”
But something was wrong, seriously wrong. Erdene rode her horse a little faster with a serious expression.
***
Her ominous premonition was indeed right, and there were no cheers or congratulations for the soldiers even after they entered the castle.
The knight commanders and officers were hesitating whether to send the soldiers under their jurisdiction back to the barracks or to send them into the wide hall where food and drinks were prepared as usual.
“Merton, Thelma.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Erdene easily dragged the warhorse that was much taller than her as if it were a gentle lamb and handed it over to the stableman.
“Take the soldiers and give them food and drinks. If the cook makes any presumptuous remarks like there’s nothing prepared, tie them up until I come.”
“Understood.”
“Won’t Your Highness go with us?”
Erdene, who had her gauntlets clung even tighter to the blood of the enemy, looked up at the splendid pillars of the golden castle with hostility.
“I will meet His Majesty first.”
She entered the Emperor’s residence without taking off her armor or undressing. She had vowed and vowed again that she should not get angry, but seeing her twin brother occupying the Emperor’s position with such pride made her stomach turn as if she was going to vomit.
“I have returned with a report of victory, brother. We have won from Biotin the fertile plains, the logging area, and some of the mines containing gold and coal. There are also some wetlands, so it would be good to discuss how to use them with the officials. Since the salt content is low, if we can drain the water, we will be able to farm.”
Erdene finished her brief report with her head bowed and waited for the Emperor to congratulate her and tell her to stand up. However, her brother, Emperor Tenek, remained silent for a long time before saying indifferently,
“Yes, you have worked hard. Why don’t you go and wash up?”
Erdene's eyes sparkled as she raised her head.
Her brother Tenek, wearing an ill-fitting imperial robe and a golden crown, looked like a clown sitting there.
The Empress sitting next to him was a woman named Roelica, a daughter of a good family, but she had been fed up with Tenek's insincerity since she was the Crown Princess, and now she seemed to have lost all emotion, her expressionless face.
Erdene looked around the palace's changed interior. More luxuries seemed crude, and even the large tapestries from the era of conquest that the previous Emperors had hung were gone.
She said through clenched teeth,
"The imperial palace has become even more splendid, Your Majesty."
At the entrance leading to the corridor, women wearing flashy and revealing dresses gathered in groups of three or four, but when they met Erdene's gaze, they ran away.
It was probably Tenek’s concubines.
“...There are more pretty ones,”
Tenek answered, laughing as if he was drunk.
“Don’t you see nothing but black things on the battlefield, and now that you’re here, your eyes are dazzled?”
Erdene didn’t answer but glared at Tenek with contempt.
He giggled like a child who had found a fun prank and then spoke indifferently like someone who had lost interest in everything in the world.
“Well, you’re not a man, so you’re useless.”
“Your Majesty.”
At that moment, Erdene felt something like a hot lump rising inside her.
At the same time, the anger she had been holding back boiled over when she saw the magnificent throne on which Tenek’s small, ridiculous buttocks were resting.
That seat was meant to be mine.
Erdene clenched her fists while wearing her gauntlets.
The more she thought about how Tenek, who had no support base while she was on the battlefield, had taken that position, the more she was shocked.
'I wish I could make him tell me all about his tricks right here. If I pulled out a molar every time he said something nonsense, he would open his mouth right away.'
When she heard the metallic clanking noise, Empress Loelica's expressionless face cracked slightly.
Then Tenek said,
"Well, don't be too sad, since the Emperor has gone to peace."
"He was a very upright man when I went off to war."
At that moment, Tenek's eyes, which had seemed to be absent-minded the whole time, flashed viciously.
"What do you mean by that now?"
Erdene bit the inside of her lips and clenched her fist a little harder. She saw Loelica, sitting next to Tenek like a ghost, staring at her with wide eyes, then shaking her head slightly.
It was as if she was saying this.
Don’t do that... Do that. No, don’t do that...
Erdene let out a long sigh and slightly lowered her gaze.
“I made a slip of the tongue, brother. I’m sorry.”
However, her apology only made Tenek even more angry.
He got up and almost struggled in the Emperor’s heavy clothes compared to his body as he descended the many steps.
It would have been nice if he had tripped and broken his head, but unfortunately, the accidental accident Erdene had hoped for did not happen.
“Did you think that the world was truly at your feet just because the Emperor favored you? Did you ever imagine that you, a woman, would actually obtain the Emperor’s title, beating out me, your brother! Your delusions are too much, Erdene!”
At that moment, Tenek's eyes, which had seemed to be absent-minded the whole time, flashed viciously.
"What do you mean by that now?"
Erdene bit the inside of her lips and clenched her fist a little harder. She saw Loelica, sitting next to Tenek like a ghost, staring at her with wide eyes, then shaking her head slightly.
It was as if she was saying this.
Don’t do that... Do that. No, don’t do that...
Erdene let out a long sigh and slightly lowered her gaze.
“I made a slip of the tongue, brother. I’m sorry.”
However, her apology only made Tenek even more angry.
He got up and almost struggled in the Emperor’s heavy clothes compared to his body as he descended the many steps.
It would have been nice if he had tripped and broken his head, but unfortunately, the accidental accident Erdene had hoped for did not happen.
“Did you think that the world was truly at your feet just because the Emperor favored you? Did you ever imagine that you, a woman, would actually obtain the Emperor’s title, beating out me, your brother! Your delusions are too much, Erdene!”
At that moment, something snapped in Erdene’s head.
Erdene, who was staring at Tenek, whose face was flushed red with fever, burst into laughter.
“Delusion? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Delusion is something that only those who dream of things that cannot be achieved can do. Is there anyone who delusions about the obvious things like breathing and eating every day?”
Although physically weak, Tenek was not a fool.
He clearly understood Erdene’s intention. Her words meant this:
It was as obvious to me that I would sit on the throne as breathing and eating.
Tenek foamed at the mouth in indignation.
“Erdene! If you make fun of me for having a pierced mouth, even if you are blood relatives, you will not be able to avoid being beheaded!”
“You spoke well, brother. After fighting like a dog in the middle of a war that dragged on for a year and coming back to see this, I would rather have my head cut off! You say I couldn’t get the crown because I’m not a man? That position was mine. It was the position my father promised me!”
There was a crack!
Erdene, who was staring at Tenek, whose face was flushed red with fever, burst into laughter.
“Delusion? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Delusion is something that only those who dream of things that cannot be achieved can do. Is there anyone who delusions about the obvious things like breathing and eating every day?”
Although physically weak, Tenek was not a fool.
He clearly understood Erdene’s intention. Her words meant this:
It was as obvious to me that I would sit on the throne as breathing and eating.
Tenek foamed at the mouth in indignation.
“Erdene! If you make fun of me for having a pierced mouth, even if you are blood relatives, you will not be able to avoid being beheaded!”
“You spoke well, brother. After fighting like a dog in the middle of a war that dragged on for a year and coming back to see this, I would rather have my head cut off! You say I couldn’t get the crown because I’m not a man? That position was mine. It was the position my father promised me!”
There was a crack!
It was a very light and quick sound, but at the same time, the greatsword that Erdene always carried was stuck on the solid floor of the Golden Castle, right in front of Tenek’s feet.
Roelica screamed pitifully like a bird with a broken leg, and the blood drained from Tenek’s face.
Erdene shouted in an angry voice.
“Do you think I’m not cutting your throat right now because I don’t have the strength? It’s because I don’t want to be the first to do something foolish and stain the rock that the Emperor and our ancestors built with their blood and sweat. So stop deluding yourself and don’t touch me.”
She lightly pulled out the sword that was stuck a hand’s length as if cutting through soft mud, and after fixing it, she turned around.
Tenek, who was glaring at Erdene’s back with bloodshot eyes that were even cold, shouted,
“Stand there, Erdene!”
Should I just kill him?
Erdene, who had stopped walking and had her eyes tightly shut, turned her head obliquely. If he talked nonsense, she looked like she would rush in and break his ribs.
No, she should have. Looking at Tenek’s sinister face that suddenly began to laugh, Erdene regretted not moving faster and hitting him.
Tenek said,
“Kill that temper. Now that the war is over, what man would look at you with such a fiery temper?”
Erdene’s lips erupted in laughter.
“Shut up your nonsense. I don’t want to keep talking nonsense and get beaten up like dust on a rainy day like when I was little. Back then, you had a mother to protect you, but not anymore, right? Or are you planning to wrap yourself in the hem of Her Majesty’s skirt and cry?”
Roelica screamed pitifully like a bird with a broken leg, and the blood drained from Tenek’s face.
Erdene shouted in an angry voice.
“Do you think I’m not cutting your throat right now because I don’t have the strength? It’s because I don’t want to be the first to do something foolish and stain the rock that the Emperor and our ancestors built with their blood and sweat. So stop deluding yourself and don’t touch me.”
She lightly pulled out the sword that was stuck a hand’s length as if cutting through soft mud, and after fixing it, she turned around.
Tenek, who was glaring at Erdene’s back with bloodshot eyes that were even cold, shouted,
“Stand there, Erdene!”
Should I just kill him?
Erdene, who had stopped walking and had her eyes tightly shut, turned her head obliquely. If he talked nonsense, she looked like she would rush in and break his ribs.
No, she should have. Looking at Tenek’s sinister face that suddenly began to laugh, Erdene regretted not moving faster and hitting him.
Tenek said,
“Kill that temper. Now that the war is over, what man would look at you with such a fiery temper?”
Erdene’s lips erupted in laughter.
“Shut up your nonsense. I don’t want to keep talking nonsense and get beaten up like dust on a rainy day like when I was little. Back then, you had a mother to protect you, but not anymore, right? Or are you planning to wrap yourself in the hem of Her Majesty’s skirt and cry?”
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