50 – The Other World Negotiation Gallery.
The compliment from the eunuch was not without reason.
Although he had openly laid traps, the Emperor’s face was truly impressive.
He had heard stories, but never imagined it would be to this extent.
The eunuch scanned the Emperor’s face and had a passing thought.
‘Damn, he’s handsome. That bastard.’
Even to a man, he was quite good-looking.
Surely he had made tens, no, hundreds of women cry with just that face.
His face was impressive enough, but his background was also solid.
Having been born in the royal family, he had become the Emperor.
Even with this face, if I lived an ordinary life, it would have been an easy mode. a chewy mode. An emperor, can you believe?
Did I not appropriate everything for myself, without leaving anything for others?
‘If you have a conscience, you’d be shorter by three centimeters.’
I wish you could have at least contributed to restoring balance in this world.
If you’re tall, you should be short in something else to maintain balance, shouldn’t you?
‘Did my face secure me the emperor’s throne?’
If I had this face in the modern world, I might have gotten a role in a movie like Titanic.
Or I would have naturally become an internet sensation and gained fame.
“Hmm… You’re definitely good-looking.”
Murmuring, Choo duck admired with awe.
So handsome that, in fact, his true feelings slipped out.
Though it was a small act….
It was enough to instil fear in the emperor.
“…!”
The emperor was appalled.
A gay man showed interest…!
It’s great to be complimented on one’s looks, but what if the admirer is mistaken?
Just like how herbivores wouldn’t be pleased to hear from a carnivore how appetizing they appear.
The emperor did not feel happy at all!
How could he be pleased by a man showing him this kind of attention?
‘What the hell.’
The emperor, feeling a fear so intense it was immeasurable, wanted to go home.
But this place was the imperial palace. The emperor was already at home. Yes, he had nowhere to escape.
Since the emperor invited Choo duck, it was the emperor’s job to deal with him.
The catastrophe he brought upon himself stood before the emperor’s eyes.
***
Choo duck’s words dealt a big blow to the emperor’s mind.
A guy who used to send only cold glances to women suddenly complimented a man on his looks?
While he had only suspected Choo duck might be gay, now he was almost certain of it.
Cold sweat ran down the neck of the emperor, who had become Choo duck’s ability target(?).
I hadn’t been in this room for more than a few minutes, but it felt like hours had passed, each second painful.
I wanted to go home, but this was the emperor’s abode.
And I still had work to do.
‘Damn it.’
The trap I’d prepared for Judick had failed, but I still had to try and persuade him.
He could be a great asset to the empire.
But my momentum was somewhat broken.
The reason why the emperor had arranged for my meeting with Judick.
It was because everything he’d portrayed about himself at the gallery had felt too raw, too transparent. I’d believed it all to be true.
But what was this?
Everything I’d seen since coming here had been nothing but lies.
‘Where can truth be found…!’
Judick wasn’t a female academy student.
He wasn’t even a comic villain.
And he wasn’t a man insane for women.
Everything I thought I knew about the emperor crumbled.
My world crumbled.
There was still the initial goal, paired with the simple fact that the powerful weapon of femininity didn’t work on Judick.
I needed to persuade him.
I somehow had to get Judick to join the empire.
‘f*cking hell.’
The emperor’s mind was a mess.
He knew that ‘twisting someone’s arm’ was not what it meant.
But thinking about ‘twisting someone’s arm’, it felt like his pants were being unintentionally removed.
‘How in the world…’
He had to hurry and bring out the proposal…and yet, he didn’t know how to start.
It was the emperor who invited Judick as a guest.
But was Judick really a guest?
Did he provide a trap for his guest?
No, it wasn’t a trap. It was a gift, just that Judick didn’t appreciate it.
The Emperor shamelessly feigned relaxation, the corners of his mouth twisting into a subtle smirk.
It was a forced smile, honed by years of political and social maneuvering.
“Did you not like the gift I’ve prepared?”
“It’s not the gift I wanted.”
“I thought it would match your taste.”
“….”
As an awkward silence fell, the Emperor lightly cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Chujjak. The reason I called for you is for a chess tournament.”
“But… why a chess tournament to me? The empire can manage even without me, can’t it?”
“Indeed. However, it requires vast amounts of time and resources. Obtaining the cooperation of the Gallery would make things smoother.”
“Can’t you directly write to the Gallery?”
Writing restrictions aren’t imposed on the Gallery, right?
The Emperor shook his head.
“It would be interesting if my ID were exposed. And Chujjak, it’s credible when you speak up yourself.”
Suddenly, he had the urge to refuse.
To refuse and see the Emperor suffer, wouldn’t that be a sight to behold?
He began to wonder what ID the Emperor used and what he wrote.
The Emperor was embarrassed to expose himself on the Gallery, wasn’t he?
“And that’s all?”
“Yes.”
Chujjak crossed his legs.
Clearly, there was more to it.
The matter of the Gallery and the chess tournament were merely nominal.
There was no way he would have been summoned for just these.
Even considering the temptations of the beauties earlier… it wasn’t entirely meant as a gift.
“Tell me straight. The real reason you called me for the chess tournament.”
“….”
The Emperor, on the other hand, was getting overwhelmed with complexity.
At this stage, Chujjak should be swooning over the girls.
Shouldn’t he have proposed coming over to the Empire?
A twisted situation… what should I do?
The feeling of worry didn’t last long.
“I summoned you because I wanted to bring you to the empire.”
The Emperor’s choice was to reveal his intentions and speak assertively.
“Hmm. So you’re saying you want me.”
“…Yes. To be precise, the empire wants you. No matter the price.”
“Ho ho.”
“If you want something, we can afford it.”
“Anything?”
“…Yes.”
Instead of answering, the conversation continued with questions.
The Emperor hastily retracted his thoughts.
He may have said ‘anything’, but he was not ready for that just yet.
Just the two prepared men…!
Chuckles. The Emperor felt internal injury just by imagining.
Surely he won’t put forth an outrageous request here.
While the Emperor was trembling inwardly, the man shook his head.
“I still won’t go.”
“Why not? If it’s money, then money. If it’s honor, then honor. If it’s a title, then a title. Anything is possible.”
“No, life in the kingdom is simply better.”
“….”
The Emperor couldn’t understand the man’s intentions.
Why did he go to the kingdom?
Because the kingdom is better? Because he doesn’t like the empire?
It’s incomprehensible.
The Emperor made an assumption.
‘The reason he wants to stay in the kingdom is….’
Because he dislikes the empire? Because he’s hostile?
There definitely is a reason to doubt.
Because everything he does is damaging to the empire.
Choosing the kingdom because he liked it?
It’s doubtful.
The reason he would go out of his way to choose the kingdom….
Exists.
‘The queen and a wish.’
There’s a chance if he had made some kind of deal with her.
Because the wish is the strongest weapon the kingdom possesses.
If he used it as bait to ensnare him…there’s a chance.
Then all of these actions make sense.
If he promised a wish in return for aiding the kingdom?
It would be funny even if a sweet proposal came from the empire. Yet, he had no intention of giving up.
“You seem displeased being in the kingdom.”
“The kingdom is an enemy of the empire. It’s natural not to like it.”
“Then there’s no chance of improving relations with the kingdom in the future?”
“If you come to the empire, I would consider it.”
Please come to the empire.
You don’t want to go?
Their opinions clashed.
With the emperor’s persistent look.
He sighed softly.
“Tsk.”
No matter how much he rejects, he’ll probably ask again.
If it doesn’t end here, he could see a future where he would intervene in the kingdom in some way.
He’ll be forced to choose coming to the empire.
‘My happy life in the kingdom…!’
He had an illusion of his vibrant life with the queen and the hero crumbling.
“What’s the reason for persisting.”
“I can’t leave you, who holds influence over the continent, unchecked.”
“So, you trapped me by using the chess tournament as a pretext?”
“….”
“While I’m staying in the kingdom, I will do the same thing. I wish I didn’t have to.”
“You’re not representing the kingdom. What an unreasonable demand.”
The emperor’s eyes grew cold.
“It’s not an unreasonable demand.”
“?”
“See if you can refuse after seeing this.”
Something was fumblingly taken out of Pudgy’s pocket.
***
‘As expected.’
Even if he were to refuse the Emperor’s proposal here, he could clearly see what would happen next.
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The Empire will continue to interfere with the Kingdom and will actively pursue its agenda!
‘Didn’t this bastard lay a sword under me?’
That is how persistently and doggedly he is being courted.
To erase the Emperor’s obsession here… the only way is to dig into his vulnerabilities.
When the Emperor entered the room, Pudgy kept being bothered by his weaknesses.
The only flaw written in the report that the queen had shown.
The part that said ‘he’s going bald.’
Pudgy’s eyes are constantly moving to the Emperor’s forehead.
The forehead forming an M shape, and thinning hair compared to elsewhere.
To anyone’s eyes, a situation where balding is in progress!
In a few years, the Emperor will transform into an ugly and unpresentable figure.
Can the Emperor, who knows his future, really refuse this proposal?
‘If this doesn’t work.’
The only way is to take down the Empire and the Emperor from the gallery.
Pudgy placed the object he had brought on the table.
“This is….”
The Emperor closely examined the object Pudgy had brought.
The object looked like the medicine… It looked suspicious no matter how you look at it.
Considering the fact that he had reached out like an irresistible proposal, it must be a significant object.
“Drugs…!”
“What kind of drug is this. Ah, but that said, it is quite addictive.”
“What then? Why are you showing me drugs? We don’t deal in narcotics! Make it clear what kind of medicine this is!”
“Ah, this? It’s a hair loss remedy.”
“What.”
Pause.
The emperor’s body shivered tremendously.
“It’s a hair loss remedy.”
“Why are you showing it to me? There’s nothing wrong with my hair.”
“Ah, I see.”
“And you think I’m a fool? There’s no cure for hair loss! It’s not a disease, so how can you treat it!”
“Well, it’s not a disease per se. Just the thinning of the hairline until it starts falling out. The thinning is pretty noticeable. Is it okay? If it’s okay then, well.”
This medicine seems unnecessary, then.
The emperor’s hand reached for the medicine on the table quicker than the other man.
“What? I thought you said it was pointless?”
“Ugh….”
“I was considering giving it as a gift to someone who looked like they needed a hair loss remedy, someone who keeps insistently inviting themselves to the empire.”
“Ugh….”
“So, you don’t want the gift.”
He clenched the medicine in his hand with a hum.
“Want… to control the hair loss?”
“Ugh….”
The emperor fell deep into contemplation.
