I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 177

This unidentified ivory-haired girl seems somehow dissatisfied with me.

Judging by her words, it seems like she has some kind of connection with me.

‘I should have asked Lucas about Ash’s relationships… No, if I had, it would have taken all night.’

Ash was known as a playboy throughout the nation, wasn’t he?

There wouldn’t have been time to attend special lectures, and even if he had, it would have been impossible to remember them all.

‘So, who is this young lady… Ah!’

It suddenly dawned on me.

That ivory hair, it’s the same color as the hair of the SSR-grade hero characters from the Northern Arian Kingdom. [SSR-grade refers to a high-ranking character in a game or system, indicating exceptional power or rarity.]

Moreover, although slightly tanned to a cream color, it’s the pale skin typical of Northerners with light pigmentation.

And the white fur used as decoration on that pearl dress… it must be from the white bear, the symbol of the Arian Kingdom.

At this point, it became clear. I gave a bitter smile and quickly got up.

“I apologize for being late to recognize you, Lady.”

I stood before the girl and bowed respectfully.

“As you know, I am Ash, the third prince of the Everblack Empire.”

“…”

“May I know your name, Lady?”

I already knew her name from the documents I received from Fernandes, but still.

It would be better to go through the process of introducing ourselves.

“…Yoon.”

The girl reluctantly spat out her name, as if displeased.

“Yoon Arian, Your Highness.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Princess Yoon.”

As I continued to bow, Yoon twisted her body uncomfortably and then, as if she couldn’t help it, extended her left hand forward.

I carefully took her left hand and kissed the back of it. Yoon shuddered, as if disgusted.

Hey, I was just following etiquette. Don’t hate it so much.

It took a lot of courage for me to kiss the back of a woman’s hand I’ve never met before, too.

Even though Ash was usually a carefree guy who ignored all the imperial etiquette and acted as he pleased, he should at least do it properly when meeting a potential marriage partner.

When I took my lips away and gave her a gentle smile, Yoon quickly snatched her left hand back.

***

Yoon Arian. 19 years old.

The second princess of the Arian Kingdom, she is described in her profile as intelligent, wise, and as brave as a bear, making her very popular in her kingdom.

‘As brave as a bear…?’

Looking down at the girl in front of me, I broke out in a cold sweat. No matter how I looked at her, she seemed more like a swan than a bear.

“I was dispatched as an envoy, but when I arrived here, I found out that marriage talks were underway.”

Standing at the boundary between the garden and the banquet hall, we were having a conversation.

Yoon, leaning against the terrace wall, listlessly swirled the champagne glass in her hand.

“The fate of royalty is always like this. Ha, but still, a marriage proposal with the third prince, who has the worst reputation…”

“That third prince is right in front of you, though.”

If you say it so openly, the fragile prince will get hurt.

“You must be aware of your own reputation, Prince Ash?”

“One cannot know a person’s true nature based solely on their public reputation, Princess Yoon.”

Yoon addressed me with the formal title of ‘Your Highness,’ but I did not do the same.

This was because the Arian Kingdom was nominally a vassal state that paid tribute to the Everblack Empire.

Also, because of that, she would not be able to easily refuse this marriage proposal, which was made against her will.

“Do you dislike me?”

When I asked with a smile, Yoon glared at me with her bright yellow eyes.

“Is there any reason to like you? A playboy, a rascal… You’ve done everything a bad man could do.”

“Isn’t it possible that it’s all just rumors?”

“Is there smoke without fire?”

I shrugged at Yoon, who scoffed.

“If I were really such a playboy, shouldn’t the ladies I’ve flirted with be swarming around me like bees at this party?”

My surroundings were clear. Yoon was the first to approach me one-on-one.

However, Yoon looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“Do you really think I don’t know? You’re famous for approaching someone, sucking them dry, and then ruthlessly discarding them, aren’t you?”

“…”

“I’ve heard that there are dozens of young ladies who have given you their bodies, hearts, and fortunes, only to be abandoned. Aren’t you planning to use me and my kingdom as much as you can and then throw us away?”

I was speechless and buffering.

So, what? Ash, this guy, wasn’t just playing around as a playboy, but he was a piece of trash who exploited people to the bone and then cut them off?

‘Come to think of it, Serenades and Winter Silver Merchants also said that he borrowed a lot of money and acted like a thug.’

He had been doing such things equally to other young ladies’ families. Oh, shit…

Only then did I understand why Ash’s ex-girlfriends hadn’t come running at this party.

If the end was so bad, it would be hard to come running with open arms. Unless they came with a sword in each hand.

“I also agree with strengthening the alliance between the two countries. No, which country in this world would oppose an alliance with the Everblack Empire?”

Yoon pursed her plump red lips and let out a soft sigh.

“But for that method to be a political marriage! It’s really old-fashioned. If there aren’t children of the right age on both sides, can’t we form an alliance?”

“Then, what other way is there to strengthen the alliance besides marriage? I admit it’s old-fashioned. But it seems like there’s no better way for adults to get closer than becoming in-laws.”

“Is there even a need to get that close in the first place? Functionally, we can just set the tasks, the boundaries to keep, make a treaty, and announce it.”

Yoon shrugged her shoulders playfully, wearing a dress that revealed her collarbones and shoulders.

“Instead of getting all tangled up by sending each other sons and daughters, we should just make a clean contract and fulfill our obligations. A relationship as cool and refreshing as sleet falling in summer. Isn’t that nice?”

Sleet falls in summer?

It was hard to immediately understand the metaphor from the North, where it snows all year round, but I understood what she wanted to say.

‘She really doesn’t want to marry me…’

I was about to say a few more words to Yoon when.

A servant at the entrance of the grand banquet hall shouted in a booming voice.

“His Highness Fernandes ‘Emberkeeper’ Everblack, the second son of His Majesty the Emperor and Minister of Administration, is entering!”

Oh dear. My brother is coming.

Everyone’s attention in the party hall turned to the entrance of the grand banquet hall. Yoon and I also looked in that direction.

Fernandes, wearing a fancy tailcoat and his trademark monocle, entered, adorned with all sorts of extravagant ornaments.

Earrings, necklaces, rings… they were incredibly sparkly. He was tall and handsome, so they suited him.

The orchestra played soft and gentle music.

Fernandes entered the party hall with a smile on his face, making eye contact with those around him.

Before people could even express their admiration, immediately following him.

“His Highness Lark ‘Avalanche’ Everblack, the first son of His Majesty the Emperor and Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, is entering!”

Lark, the real protagonist of today, appeared.

Lark entered wearing military dress uniform instead of formal attire.

The military uniform suited his tall height and sturdy physique perfectly.

Although it was less flashy than a tailcoat, it was by far the most eye-catching in this party hall.

Most of all, at Lark’s waist…

‘A sword.’

A long sword was sheathed at his waist.

In principle, no blades longer than 50cm are allowed inside the imperial palace.

It was also completely against party etiquette. However, Lark entered confidently with a large sword.

It was an action possible because he was the commander-in-chief who held the military power of the empire.

The orchestra began to play a magnificent triumphal march, as if they had prepared it in advance.

Applause poured in from all directions for the commander-in-chief who had successfully concluded the war with the Bringer Principality (or so it was known).

The nobles all flocked to Lark’s side.

His popularity was incomparable to when I entered.

“Hmm.”

Yoon, who was watching Lark from afar, asked me.

“I heard that Prince Lark is already married?”

“That’s right. I heard he already has three children.”

A noblewoman, who seemed to be Lark’s wife, smiled brightly and kissed her husband’s cheek, then affectionately linked arms with him. It looked nice.

Yoon made a sound of regret, as if disappointed.

“That’s a shame. He’s my type.”

“Are you perhaps into married men…? Is that your dangerous taste, Princess Yoon?”

“What are you talking about? That’s not it. I meant that he was the most my type out of the three princes.”

With the man who would become her husband standing next to her, Yoon said such things nonchalantly.

Feeling amused, I covered my mouth and asked with a smile.

“What about Fernandes? He’s still unmarried. And he’s handsome. He’s taller than me, too.”

“I don’t like scheming men.”

Fernandes had already moved to a corner of the party hall and was quietly talking with a few people.

Everyone was looking at Lark, so he could move silently.

Yoon shook her head after observing that.

“He’s the type who plots schemes. I’m not into that kind of thing.”

“How about compared to me?”

“Hmm… Should I think about it? A scheming man and a bad man…”

I burst into a hearty laugh.

“What exactly is your type of man? What’s the standard for your type?”

“Really, why don’t the men of the South understand?”

The princess of the northernmost part of the continent raised her arm… and struck a pose that emphasized her biceps.

“Of course, it’s amazing muscles!”

She said simply.

“…”

Ah.

Indeed.

I understood immediately.

“Muscles that are tightly packed! A grand physique! A great man with the strength to lift mountains and the spirit to overturn the world!”

Is this the aesthetic sense of a nation that has survived in the harsh cold? Indeed, I understand.

So, she likes the muscle-bulging Lark, and she dislikes the pale, tall Fernandes and me.

“May I ask you one thing?”

I asked, suddenly curious.

“What is the popular image of women in the Arian Kingdom…?”

“It’s the same.”

Yoon raised her other arm this time and emphasized her biceps.

“Muscles! A grand physique! What else would there be?”

“…Based on that standard, Princess Yoon doesn’t seem very popular?”

She looked delicate and frail.

“This is because I haven’t taken it off yet…”

Yoon was about to reveal her abs, as if she wanted to show them off, but then she realized she was wearing a tightly closed dress and raised both hands in the air.

“There’s no way to show you.”

“…”

She seemed quite confident in her muscles, but, well, that kind of line is a bit dangerous. I hope she’ll be careful in the future.

While we were having such unproductive but somewhat enjoyable small talk.

Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!

Suddenly, a large, slow, and heavy bell rang three times throughout the grand banquet hall.

The noisy party hall became completely silent, as if cold water had been poured over it. Everyone turned to the entrance with shocked expressions.

Yoon, who had noticed the unusual atmosphere, also covered her mouth and stared at the entrance.

“Huh? Could it be? Could it be?”

It’s always the ‘could it be’ that gets you.

The servant who had been loudly announcing the arrival of the royals, this time spoke with a trembling voice.

“The one who received the goddess’s choice and built paradise on this land, the most supreme, noble, and dignified ruler of this nation, the sole Emperor of the great Everblack Empire, long live!”

Long live!

Everyone shouted and bowed their heads in respect. Towards the person who had not yet appeared.

I and Yoon also quickly bowed our heads and knelt on one knee.

“He is entering!”

With a scream-like shout, the man entered the grand banquet hall.

“…”

I opened my mouth slightly and looked up at my father.

If a god were to create a human out of gold instead of clay, it would look like this.

I didn’t know when I was frozen on the throne. This man’s presence. His appearance. And the flashing golden light hidden in those jet-black eyes.

He was like a human born to be an emperor.

The dignity, the pressure, and the transcendental aura overflowing from his entire body, clad in black and gold ceremonial robes…

Thud!