In the empire, the first princess’s existence was annoying. The emperor knew that very well, and he didn’t give her a lot of work as a result. He was worried that she would cause trouble somewhere.

‘That’s not the only thing…’

He was worried about her as her father, but if I were the emperor, I wouldn’t be able to take a good look at the first princess. Charlia was fine right now, as she was under the emperor’s protection, but once he returned to the arms of the Benigoa Goddess, it was obvious what would happen. The second princess would ascend the throne without issues, and I was sure the first princess would receive some sort of penalty. If she caused the same problem she had caused recently, then she would receive more than disciplinary action. However, as her father, I was sure he was worried about doing that.

‘But this isn’t right. It really isn’t…’

If this old man had a conscience, then he would never think about doing that. I was kind of worried because he looked more serious than usual, but we were thinking about different things. However, despite my luck, the mood and tone of the old man were different from usual, and they were telling me that he had a goal in mind.

‘I’m sure that’s not it…’

He wouldn't make an offer unforgivable even in hell. My guts kept warning me, but I had to do something right now. I had to stop him before he said it.

“I actually saw her briefly this morning,” I answered.

“I see… is her condition…”

“She looked somewhat mentally unstable, but she seemed like she had realized her mistake,” I replied.

“It’s a relief if that’s really the case…”

I didn’t want to talk about Charlia anymore.

“By the way, Your Majesty, I heard you drank yesterday, too…” I said, changing the subject.

“I did. I actually called you here today because I thought it would be a good idea to drink together, and there’s something I need to talk to you about…” he said.

“It’s not good for your health, Your Majesty,” I told him.

“Hahaha. You seem to be really worried about me. Even if others said the same thing, it sounds different when you say it… It’s very interesting,” he commented.

“I’m sure everyone wants you to be healthy, Your Majesty. You may be feeling that way because you trust me more than you trust others.” I pointed out.

“You’re right. I do trust you, Brother Lee Ki-Young. Yes… of course. While we’re on that topic…”

“Haha, I better do my best to repay your trust in me,” I said.

I tried my best to change the subject, but it wasn’t working. The emperor seemed really determined. All this time, he didn’t seem like there was something on his mind, so seeing him act this way was even more surprising.

‘It might not be what I’m thinking.’

It could simply be my imagination. He might have a different issue, or he might talk about something completely different. No matter how problematic Charlia was, I was just a foreigner, not a citizen of the empire. No matter how I thought about it, it would be problematic.

When the emperor quietly raised his hand, a couple of maids came up and started pouring wine. Drinking wine with only the emperor was a big honor, so I didn’t know why I was so nervous. My nervousness caused me to change the subject a few times, but like a truck with a broken handle, I couldn’t stop the emperor from saying what he wanted to say. In the end, the emperor told me what was on his mind, and I had no choice but to curse at the fact that my assumption was correct.

“By the way… what do you think of Charlia, Brother Lee Ki-Young?” the emperor asked.

‘This psychopathic bastard!’

He wouldn’t ask that unless he was a psychopath. I did think for a moment about how I should answer him, but there was nothing else I could do other than change the subject.

“Unlike the public opinion, I believe she has a great character. Even though she has a fiery personality with anger management issues, her personality makes her unable to hesitate in carrying out the plans I had made for her. She’s determined, driven, and responsible with her tasks no matter the cost—”

“No, that’s not what I’m asking, Brother Lee Ki-Young,” the emperor interrupted.

“Your Majesty. I apologize, but I-I don’t… quite understand what you’re asking. Did the first princess cause trouble again?” I asked.

“No, that’s not what I meant. Maybe it’s better if I ask bluntly. Right now, I’m asking you… what do you think about my daughter, Charlia, as a woman?” he clarified.

The emperor was definitely a psychopath.

“W-What do you mean…” I muttered.

“It’s… like I asked,” he replied.

‘Shit.’

I wasn't sure what I thought of her as a woman.

I wanted to tell him, “Honestly, if I were given the chance, I would throw a Dragon Breath Potion at her,” but I couldn’t tell him that. I even wanted to grab the emperor by his collar for trying to throw me into the depths of hell.

‘You should clean up your own mess rather than asking me to do it.’

It would be best to start off with a compliment and then express my rejection.

“I’m not sure how I should say it, but… P-Princess Charlia is as beautiful as a gem. Her voice is so pleasant that it’s heavenly, and she always has this gracefulness that does not put unnecessary attention on her noble bloodline. She’s not suitable for a foreigner who doesn’t even know where he came from,” I answered.

I thought I answered it pretty well, but I guess this psychopath didn’t hear the last part of my answer.

“Hahaha, you’re right. Even though she has a bad personality, she takes her gem-like beauty from her mother. When she was young, she was picked as the most beautiful woman in the empire, so I’m sure she’s still as beautiful as ever,” he commented.

“Ah… yes…” I mumbled.

“At one point, she received many marriage offers…” he added.

“I see…”

“I’ve been holding on to Charlia because of my selfishness, but I think it’s time to let her go,” he said.

“Ah ha…”

He didn’t have to explain why those marriage offers stopped coming. It was possible that the emperor and Charlia didn’t like any of them, but I guarantee that they kept their distance after realizing the kind of person she was. They had to have realized that they would lose more than they would gain if they got married to the first princess. And it was the same for me.

‘I won’t get anything out of it.’

The first and second princess’s relationship was like oil and water. Before talking about becoming a member of the imperial family, a connection with the first princess basically meant making the second princess an enemy. Even though I was already her enemy, I didn’t want to deal with her even closer.

“To be honest, I was very disappointed in the recent event and thought about many things,” the emperor confessed.

“I see…”

“I had expectations for Charlia after hearing many stories about her, but after the recent event, I realized it once again. She’s not a suitable ruler for everyone,” he added.

“But that’s not—”

“I want to see her have a family before I die, Brother Lee Ki-Young,” he said.

“I-I’m sure she’ll be able to,” I commented.

“Yes, she must. That way… I’ll feel relieved. I can’t just leave that child…” he paused.

“P-Please don’t say such a thing. You’ll be a healthy ruler of the empire for a long time,” I told him.

“Hahaha, thanks, Brother Lee Ki-Young. You knew, right?” he asked.

“...”

“My first and second child; they don’t exactly get along. To be honest, I’m worried that once I leave this world, the second princess will treat her older sister badly. I had experienced it myself and my father, the previous emperor, had experienced it as well. Charlotte is intelligent, but she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty to get what she wants, and I’m sure she’ll do the same to her older sister,” he explained.

‘Shit…’

“Charlia. That fool is still my daughter. I want my first daughter to live a safe and peaceful life. If it’s someone she likes and listens to, then I’m sure she can throw away her greed and live a happy life,” he added.

“I don’t… understand what you’re trying to say, Your Majesty,” I said.

“Hahaha, I thought you were quick-witted, but you seem slow about these things,” he chuckled.

“I’m sorry.”

“I heard why she did what she had done to Lady Marilyn. I raised my voice at the child while confining her to her room. I’m not sure if you noticed, but that child thinks about you a lot and the reason why she’s calm all this time is that she seems to like you,” he added.

“...”

“According to her, she said that you seemed to have feelings for her as well…” I mentioned.

‘What kind of bullshit is this? Shit.’

Obviously, I had never expressed something like that to her, so it seemed like the crazy woman was talking nonsense. It was so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I thought about many different routes, and in the end, I can guarantee that this is the best choice. Yes, I’m sure of it,” he continued.

“Your Majesty…”

“Please marry Charlia,” he requested.

‘You evil bastard!’

The emperor blurted out the conclusion of the conversation before I could even say anything, and I couldn’t help but clench my fists. I completely understood why he came to that conclusion, but I could only think about running away. If it were possible, I would have run out of the castle as fast as I could.

“I have some land in the north. I can’t say it’s a nice place, but it’s quiet and out of the public’s sight,” he added.

I knew about it. And that place was extremely cold without much food. Most of the northern territories within the empire were like that.

“The nobles may oppose giving land to a foreigner, but if it’s you, I’m certain they’ll agree to it. It won’t be such a bad idea to go there with Charlia and live a comfortable life. Charlotte won’t do anything to her sister in a remote area, and if you decide to take her hand, I’m sure the other foreigners won’t do anything extreme as well since it’s you,” the emperor continued.

“W-Well… that’s…”

“Don’t worry about the fact that you’re a foreigner. I think at this point, you could be considered a citizen of the empire. You’re more than worthy of her, as you’re an honorary bishop of the Vatican and have been appointed as one of the Eight Seats. I have my faith in you as well, so you don’t have to worry about the difference in class. Yes, you don’t have to, Brother Lee Ki-Young,” he emphasized.

‘Difference in class, my ass…’

“Hahaha. I hope you’ll keep in mind that I’m being a bit greedy since I want to get a good son-in-law, Brother Lee Ki-Young,” he commented.

To make things worse, he had to be thinking that I was happy about this offer. When I looked at the emperor’s face as he was trying to throw an innocent man into the depths of hell, I couldn’t help but take this seriously.