“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear what you just said. I think I need to wash my ears now.”?
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“Judging by your reaction, you’re certainly not like the rumor said. Well, that’s good….”?
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The king let go of the door handle he was holding, as if he had given up.?
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He raised her hands in the air as if to say I’ll do what you want, and then stepped back and said in a deflated voice.?
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“I’m the king, but I don’t think I’m the king in front of you, so it hurts my pride.”?
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“No way, Your Majesty. You’re more sincere than anyone else.”?
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“No, it’s not a tell-tale sign, so I’ll say this: why don’t you take this opportunity and join my chamber? I think the general and I would make a pretty good couple.”?
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“It’s a very good proposal, but I’ll have to give you my sincere refusal.”?
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Theo and Tamon had been trained at the same academy since they were nine years old.?
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At that time, the royal family of Amor trained their princes and princesses in the academy along with the noble children until the heir to the throne was decided.?
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They were given new names, made them look like children of distant local nobles, and integrated deeply into the noble society.?
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Then, at the age of 13, they would reveal themselves as royalty.?
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Tamon, Ronasso, and Theo were close at that time.?
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At that time, Theo Lantifu was the king’s fifth child.?
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He had only two more brothers under him, so a total of seven siblings.?
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Theo held the throne proudly among many successors.?
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The biggest achievement was sweeping away the Kashan Cloud Sea pirates, which he did together with Tamon and Ronasso, and retrieving the national treasure that was stolen by Tanatos.?
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He also stopped the Rohikan invasion as well as rescued the youngest prince who was kidnapped and taken away………..?
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For Theo, Tamon was his most reliable ally, but he was like a sword in his pocket that could stab him in the heart if handled incorrectly.?
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Now he acted like a lion with a path, but Theo knew that Tamon was not yet fully on his side.?
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Therefore, while Theo maintained a close relationship with Tamon, he was wary of him.?
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“Think about it, Tamon, if you and I combine our forces, we can subdue the anti-King faction that is devouring me on the neck.”?
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The king said, putting his arm around Tamon’s shoulder in a friendly manner.?
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Tamon closed the door softly and replied.?
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“Isn’t that only good for Your Majesty?”?
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“If it’s good for me, it’s good for you too, right? It’s a good thing if we combined.”?
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“Don’t try to restrain me, Your Majesty. If you keep doing that, won’t I want to run away?”?
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Tamon smiled lazily and once again refused the king’s blunt offer.?
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Theo put a hand on Tamon’s shoulder and strove to win him over.?
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“Don’t run away and hold hands with me. Yes?”?
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He looked coarse, like a city clerk, not a king.?
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Tamon shook his head and gracefully removed Theo’s hand from his shoulder and shook his hand.?
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“We’re already holding hands. Like this.”?
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“No, I need a more secure alliance with you.”?
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“As I said before, it is in the human mind to want to escape if you try to restrain them. Your Majesty.”?
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“……Oh, your mouth.”?
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The king clenched his fist with a grim expression. He wanted to hit Tamon with his fist right now.?
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The king’s fist was clenched tightly.?
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Tamon laughed and let his guard down at the sight of him.?
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At that very moment, Theo made his move.?
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It happened in a flash.?
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Quickly slipping behind him, Theo flung open the closed door and the two guards who followed Theo blocked Tamon from entering.?
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“Get out of my way!”?
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“Now, let’s find out what you’re hiding so secretly, shall we?”?
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The king laughed loudly and quickly ran inside the room.?
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Although Tamon had the advantage in terms of strength, Theo was also a fine gladiator who had traversed the battlefield with Tamon.?
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In particular, Theo neatly subdued his opponent with his speedy and precise movements, and was in the process of demonstrating his abilities to the fullest.?
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He strode to the large bed in front of the window with swift and precise movements.?
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With both hands, Tamon grabbed the necks of the guards who were blocking him.?
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He threw them on the floor at once.?
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Theo’s red face turned red with humiliation, but he had already expected this since the opponent was Tamon.?
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“Let’s see what kind of girl you tried to hide so badly.”?
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Theo lifted the blanket.?
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Fluttering under the open blanket, a woman looking up at him.?
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“…!”?
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The king’s eyes went wide.?
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The disordered, dazzling silver hair, the glittering purple eyes and delicate features….?
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Theo thought the Queen of Foucault was beautiful.?
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She was a gorgeous woman and drooled over Tamon. Theo admired her as a truly strange and beautiful woman, but she was like faded brass compared to the woman in front of him now.?
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No, it was impossible to compare the Queen to this woman.?
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Theo was mesmerized and admired her without realizing it.?
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A fragile silhouette beneath a thin slip dress that hung narrowly.?
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The traces left by Tamon on her slender body, scars, and bruised limbs also added a strange atmosphere.?
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It was also strange that even though she was dressed like that, she didn’t look vulgar or debaucherous at all.?
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It was even stranger that her purple eyes, staring straight at him, were amazingly beautiful.?
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“…You’ve crossed the line.”?
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Tamon, who was close by, stood between the two of them, protecting Roselyn. Theo, who couldn’t take his eyes off the woman, finally saw Tamon then.?
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“Dazzling silver hair, purple crystal eyes ….”?
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Theo murmured absently. He stared at Tamon as if trying to read his expression, but his face did not waver in the slightest.?
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“……I think I’ve heard about this appearance somewhere before.”?
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The king’s eyes narrowed.?
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Theo had never seen the Empress of Tanatos in person before.?
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She rarely left her country, and Theo hated Tanatos so much that they never ran into each other.?
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But that didn’t mean that he didn’t know the existence of the Emperor and Empress of the Empire.?
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There were plenty of self-portraits available of the royal families of major countries, and Empress Tanatos was actually one of the most famous ones.?
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Theo also had a clear understanding of how Tanatos’ political situation was going.?
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“……Is this the woman you brought from Tanatos?”?
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Theo asked back in a cold voice. Tamon replied, frowning at Theo’s changed expression.?
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“I don’t know where you got the wrong information.”?
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His voice was unshakably nonchalant.?
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“Have anyone seen what I’ve brought from Tanatos?”?
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“….”?
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“I have never shown it, so how in the world did you get that report??
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I don’t know who told you, but that person must be charged with reporting false information as if it were real.”?
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With his arms loosely crossed, his demeanor was regal as Tamon spoke his opinion properly.?
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The look in his eyes as he stared at the king was also firm. It was impossible for Theo to notice if he showed even the slightest hint of strangeness.?
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That arrogance, which seemed rather unpleasant than nonchalant, and as usual, confused Theo.?
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“Fine. If you’re so confident, tell me what you brought.”?
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Tamon sighed briefly at Theo’s words.?
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He looked at the king with a look that said, ‘Do I have to?’?
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“Say it quickly. It’s the king’s order.” Theo urged.?
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Tamon said with a short sigh, as if he had no choice.?
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“The fur of a silver deer.”?
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” What….?”?
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“It’s called the fur of the silver deer.”?
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Theo’s eyes widened at his words.?
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“Um, is it really the fur of the silver deer?”?
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Theo cheered when Tamon nodded.?
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It was the animal Theo had been looking for for a very long time.?
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Silver deers were famous for their magnificent antlers, but their skins were also very valuable.?
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In particular, the skin of the silver deer was the only leather that did not contain the toxicity of demon or beast blood.?
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Unfortunately, however, the silver deers were only found in the Winter Lands and were in danger of extinction due to overhunting.?
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Currently, they have almost disappeared in other winter countries, and there have been occasional stories of success in hunting only in Tanatos.?
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Most of the ones that were caught ended up in the Imperial treasury.?
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“But why didn’t you bring it to me sooner? You knew how desperately I was looking for it!”?
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“Why did you think I would offer it to you, Your Majesty? I went through a lot of trouble to get it……….”?
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“Tamon, you clever man! Tell me what you want!”?
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“You want me to say it now, dressed like this?”?
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“Haha! It’s cool…But come on, your heart looks fine. Get dressed and get out of here. I need to reward you for the long trip. So, what do you want to eat or have?”?
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The king immediately changed his attitude and patted Tamon on the back.?
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Tamon got to his feet, as if he had no choice but to be swept away by the king’s hand.?
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But at that moment, as they were walking out of the room, the king turned his head and looked at the woman who was sitting still on the bed.?
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***?
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T/N : *I smell trouble.