Chapter – 09.
How Can Someone Like This Be Called a Father?
Thanks to the Emperor’s sudden arrival, the situation was fortunately resolved.
It seemed I wouldn’t have to eat the Jeonggwa after all.
‘Should I be happy about this or not?’
Is the position of Emperor usually this leisurely?
Doesn’t he have work to do? Doesn’t he work at all?
A-Mang pouted, lowering her head deeply.
“So, A-Mang. You’re getting along well with my concubines.”
‘Are you blind? Where does it look like I’m having fun?!’
If she said that, neither the Empress nor Yeol-bin would let it slide.
A-Mang bent her waist as politely as possible.
“Yes, it is all thanks to Your Majesty’s ocean-like grace.”
Still, she had been somewhat sensible.
For now, she would endure.
A tactical retreat!
“Your Majesty, what brings you to the garden?”
Yeol-bin’s face brightened.
Seeing the blush on her cheeks, it seemed she was in love with the Emperor.
‘Ugh.’
To love a tyrant. She must have a strong stomach.
“Ah, Yeol-bin is here too.”
“You jest too much, Your Majesty.”
“Does that sound like a jest to you?”
“Ah, no, it doesn’t.”
Wow. She’s left speechless.
Watching the scene unfold before her, A-Mang just rolled her eyes.
“Your Majesty. Since you have graced us with your presence, please have some tea.”
“No need for tea. Oh, there’s Jeonggwa.”
“Your Majesty!”
The Emperor naturally grabbed a handful of Jeonggwa and tossed it into his mouth.
The Empress’s distorted expression was quite a sight.
‘Seems there’s no poison.’
The Emperor, having swallowed the Jeonggwa, was fine.
He was completely unaffected.
‘Or perhaps he has a resistance to poison.’
Since he was a tyrant, that seemed much more fitting.
Then again, the Empress wasn’t a fool; she wouldn’t actually poison a princess.
…Or would she?
“The Empress’s Hongro tea is always delicious.”
“…You flatter me.”
“Be careful. Someone might put poison in it.”
The Empress said nothing.
A tense standoff ensued between the Emperor and the Empress.
Just watching it was enough to make one’s legs tremble.
‘Aww. Scary.’
Well then, I’ll take my leave! I wish you all happiness!
Seizing the moment, A-Mang tried to slip away quickly.
That was the plan.
“A-Mang.”
But it failed spectacularly.
“Yes?”
“Where are you trying to go?”
“Ah, I was just going to look around the garden a bit.”
“Look around?”
The Emperor persistently brought his face close.
At the overwhelming smell of blood, A-Mang briefly frowned.
She soon realized and put on a bright expression, but it was too late.
“The little one is even looking at flowers, I see.”
This crazy…
The Emperor pinched A-Mang’s nose hard and shook it from side to side.
Her tender skin reddened instantly.
“Ah!”
“Endure it.”
A-Mang, holding her swollen nose, seethed with anger.
If he weren’t her father, she wouldn’t have let this slide! She swallowed words like ‘You jerk!’ deep down.
“Good. You endure well. That’s the way to grow up.”
Is this an Emperor or a psychopath? Look at him grinning while his daughter is in pain!
“Then let’s go, A-Mang.”
Her low vantage point suddenly shot up high.
The Emperor had slung A-Mang over his shoulder.
As if carrying a sack.
“Let me down!”
“Let’s go.”
“I said let me down!”
He ignored his daughter’s pleas.
How can someone like this be called a father!
While she was grateful to have escaped the Empress and Yeol-bin,
why was the Emperor now right in front of her?
When she thought about it, this was even more uncomfortable.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Couldn’t he just let her go?
Life was being harsh to a ten-year-old.
The Emperor just rested his chin on his hand and stared at A-Mang.
“You’re amusing.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re just like a little chick.”
Father, a chick is already a baby.
“This subject?”
“Who dressed you?”
“Nan-i did.”
“I see. You have a good court lady.”
Nan-i and the Emperor were already acquainted.
Perhaps in the past, they had been even closer.
The tyrant’s favored concubine and her close attendant.
Though now, they showed no sign of it.
“So, don’t take Nan-i away from me!”
A-Mang tightly hugged Nan-i’s waist.
See? Isn’t it cute? Don’t you just want to hug her and pinch her cheeks? Doesn’t your heart just melt?
“Shall I have your eyeballs plucked out?”
“Pardon?”
“It’s a jest.”
What kind of joke is so gruesome? My heart is pounding so hard I might die.
“It seems the Princess wishes to be alone with me.”
“I shall take my leave.”
What a vile son of an Emperor.
A-Mang glanced sideways at the Emperor.
“Don’t look at me with those eyes. Your already plain face looks even plainer that way.”
Lies. He once told my birth mother she was like a butterfly.
And now her daughter is plain?
He was truly an incomprehensible man.
“It seems I simply take after you, Father.”
She replied with a radiant smile.
As the old saying goes, you can’t spit on a smiling face!
Just try it!
“Before long, there will be one more grave in the Yeo-nyeong Palace.”
“It was a jest, Father.”
“My words were also a jest.”
The Emperor seemed oddly pleased, chuckling to himself.
‘Making such jokes with your own child in front of you!’
And using her life as collateral!
A-Mang was just a poor ten-year-old princess, and instead of embracing her,
he suddenly shows up and threatens her.
“So. How does my condition seem to you?”
It seemed that was what he wanted to know.
Did he come all the way to the garden just to hear the test results?
‘He doesn’t seem the type.’
It seemed she had seriously misjudged the situation.
‘That grinning face.’
The expression of someone who has found a new toy.
It was extremely unpleasant.
“I already told you. I don’t know yet.”
In truth, she had somewhat figured it out.
The result was just as it appeared.
The slightly surprising aspect was that he was a severe avoidant type.
‘Given that he killed them all, I didn’t think he’d be the type to just endure and live with things.’
At a rough glance, he seemed closer to the anxious type.
The fear-anxiety type.
Similar to the symptoms Myeong, the court lady from Lady So’s palace, had experienced.
A constantly pounding heart and a feeling that something was about to happen.
But the Emperor was closer to the avoidant type.
When something happened, he tended to avoid it rather than solve it.
‘Perhaps that’s why he killed them.’
She couldn’t know the exact details, but one thing was certain.
The man before her was from a military background and skilled with the sword.
He was the most dangerous kind of avoidant type.
Because if things didn’t go his way, he’d just draw the sword at his waist and cut everyone down.
‘It’s a wonder the country is still running.’
Even though he ruled by force, the Haewol Kingdom ran smoothly without chaos.
Quite amazingly.
“Is that so? Well, you still have three chances left.”
“But, Father.”
“Hm?”
“Please don’t suddenly visit like this.”
A guard who had appeared from somewhere drew his sword.
The sharp tip pointed at A-Mang’s soft cheek.
A-Mang’s face was impassive.
‘Crazy, this is too scary!’
Inside, she was screaming internally.
“How dare you address His Majesty so familiarly!”
“How dare you move without my command?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Step back.”
Whew. Only then did A-Mang let out a sigh.
The guard’s gaze, which had been so chilling even for a moment,
was truly… even thinking about it made her knees weak.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You wish to receive counseling, do you not?”
“That’s right.”
“Counseling, by its nature, should not be conducted arbitrarily.”
“Then how should it be done?”
She carefully organized her complicated thoughts.
She had just crammed them into her mind and filled in the blanks.
A-Mang had never once defined what counseling was.
One thing was clear, for sure.
Counseling was a promise between the counselor and the client.
“We must set a fixed time. That way, I can prepare.”
“Is that so?”
“Also, during the counseling session, weapons are dangerous. Please surrender your sword or any sharp objects.”
“How fussy.”
“It is for a clear diagnosis.”
A-Mang spoke quite authoritatively.
Obligingly, the Emperor placed the sword he carried in his bosom on the floor.
Now for the most important last point.
“Please respect me during the counseling session, and trust and follow me.”
It seemed sufficient rapport had already been formed.
After all, he had come to Yeo-nyeong Palace first!
The problem was, would the Emperor agree to these three conditions?
‘I might not be able to diagnose him properly.’
If he refused, she needed to come up with an alternative.
But how? The number of clients she had counseled so far wasn’t even five.
The number of successfully concluded counseling sessions was zero.
‘Please!’
God, Buddha, Allah, and all other gods! Have pity on me and help me!
“If I follow that, will you be able to figure out my condition?”
“Of course.”
At least, that was true if the counseling proceeded properly.
If she pressured him like this, even what might work wouldn’t!
“Fine. I can overlook about three times.”
“Really?”
“Naturally.”
The Emperor pulled A-Mang’s arm and placed her palm against his cheek.
The same pose as last time when she almost poked his eye!
“You never know what will happen if you fail to figure out my condition.”
Those words sent a chill down her spine.
It sounded like a threat that he would take her life if things didn’t go his way.
‘Ah, for heaven’s sake, please!’
Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst.
Not from excitement, but from fear!
Had she ever received so many death threats in her life?
Not a single moment, never!
“Then, when shall we schedule the next session?”
A-Mang turned her head, trying to escape the Emperor’s embrace.
Don’t get swept up, absolutely not! She vowed countless times.
“Does today count for nothing?”
“Of course it doesn’t.”
This guy, coming here like this! Is he selling drugs or something?
If she counted this as a session, two of the three chances would be gone.
‘Would I be crazy to count this as a session?’
It wasn’t just anyone, but Nan-i’s life was on the line.
In other words, it was the perfect situation for A-Mang to become isolated!
The Emperor tapped the table with his finger.
“Let’s make it tomorrow at the hour of the Dog.”
“Pardon?”
“Do you dislike that?”
“Do I have a choice?”
He seemed ready to kill her if she refused.
Even if it was counseling, her counterpart was the Emperor of the Haewol Kingdom.
She didn’t know what kind of trouble would arise if she defied the royal command.
“Good.”
Looking at his chuckling face, A-Mang bit her lip tightly.
I won’t let this slide someday, for real!
