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Episode 2
The desert kingdom of Baral followed the Aster religion, which worshipped the Sacred Flame.
The Sultan ruled absolutely over the people as the representative of the god Aster. However, even the Sultan had to show the highest respect to the temple that delivered Aster’s divine words.
As Haran regained more memories from her previous life, it became harder and harder for her to fit into this world.
She felt like a foreign object that had fallen into a world created by someone else.
More than anything, the thing Haran found hardest to get used to was Baral’s open attitude toward sex.
Even her mother, Sultan Faisad, had relationships with many men in her harem and gave birth to seven princesses and five princes.
She carefully controlled how many children she had, choosing men she liked and men who would benefit her politically.
In Baral, serving a royal in their bedchamber was considered a great honor.
The royals used this custom to enjoy extremely indulgent lifestyles.
Because of that, Haran always paid close attention whenever she walked through the palace corridors.
People often did embarrassing things all over the palace.
I guess it can’t be helped. It is an R-rated novel…
Haran often sighed at how ridiculous the plot developments were.
No matter what happened, everything somehow ended up leading in that direction.
Of all things, she had to reincarnate into such an extremely mature setting.
She really couldn’t believe her bad luck.
Just like right now.
Haran sat alone in her bedroom, letting out deep sighs.
The room, which had been modest because she maintained the image of a priest uninterested in worldly matters, had become dazzlingly luxurious in only half a day.
The bed was draped with curtains and decorated with various jewels.
Delicate gold and silver ornaments filled every corner of the room.
Flowering cacti release strong fragrances into the air.
The Sultan had personally postponed all of her daily schedules in order to oversee the preparations for her beloved daughter’s first night.
Haran had desperately begged and pleaded just to stop Faisad from assigning a special palace for the event and inviting all the royals and nobles to come watch.
Suddenly, Haran grabbed her head and shouted.
“Why did you choose me, you crazy bastard?!”
Half a day earlier.
Haran was completely confident in her plan.
If the mastermind Lucius were allowed to choose his master, he would definitely choose Princess Visenna.
But then…
I want to sleep with Big Sister Haran.
Lucius said it with a bright smile.
Haran nearly fainted on the spot.
Visenna’s face twisted into a strange expression because she couldn’t hide her shock.
We’re done now, right? Yawn… So where am I supposed to go now?
After driving both women crazy, Lucius stretched lazily and casually followed the slave attendant away.
His behavior was nothing like that of an ordinary slave’s.
He acted as naturally as if the palace were his own home.
Then again, this was the guy who became a slave simply because he was bored.
He was anything but normal.
“So this is the power of the original plot.”
Haran’s voice echoed hollowly through the bedroom.
Her pink eyes, praised daily by countless poets and bards, were filled with sadness.
She was about to lose her Firebird feather.
And now it looked like she might lose her virginity too.
And possibly her life as well!
Just thinking about how her siblings—who already wanted her dead—would later work together to frame her for attempting to assassinate the Sultan before ultimately having her executed by hanging made her body tremble.
Absolutely not.
That could never happen.
Somehow, she had to sweet-talk the mastermind, get through tonight without anything happening, and then secretly help him escape the kingdom without the Sultan noticing.
“Princess Haran, your servant Iraz is here.”
The voice of her only attendant came from outside.
“Come in.”
Haran’s reply sounded gloomy.
A beautiful, athletic woman entered the room with a winged monkey sitting on her shoulder.
Her short red hair around her ears gave her a refreshing appearance.
“Oh my, why do you look so depressed? Today is such a happy occasion.”
“Ooki-ki.”
The monkey, Kevan, chimed in as if agreeing.
Haran lifted her head from where she had buried her face against her knees.
Her silver hair flowed in loose waves and shimmered softly.
A delicate ornament woven from tiny diamonds and pearls rested on her forehead.
At its center hung a crescent-moon-shaped diamond.
Her dress was made of light pink silk that matched her eyes.
Whenever she moved, the outline of her figure faintly showed through the fabric.
As Iraz approached, the fragrance of oil made from desert Rhodophiala flowers filled the air.
“That top-quality slave is really lucky. Imagine spending your first night with someone as beautiful as Princess Haran.”
“Ooki-ki.”
Without answering, Haran grabbed her head again.
That’s exactly the problem. My values don’t match this place at all. Why is this considered lucky?
Iraz gently pulled Haran’s hands away.
“Oh dear, you’ll ruin your beautiful hair.”
“Ooki-ki!”
Iraz.
She was an attendant left behind by Haran’s late father.
To Haran, she was like an older sister and a close friend.
She was also a Davand, a trainer of winged monkeys who served as messengers throughout the palace.
“The slave’s preparations are finished. As soon as you give the order, he’ll be brought into your bedroom for the ceremony. The great Sultan has been giving jewel turtles to the attendants one by one. She must be very excited. Princess, have you prepared yourself?”
Iraz walked to the window and threw it open.
The cool desert air of the evening flowed into the room.
“No… I mean, yes… no, wait… not yet…”
“Kevan, Princess Haran says she’s ready. Go fetch the slave. You saw him earlier, right? The incredibly handsome one.”
“Ooki-ki?”
“Yes, the one with black hair and purple eyes.”
“Ooki-kiki!”
Kevan nodded enthusiastically, spread his wings, and shot out through the open window.
“No! I’m not ready yet! Come back, Kevan!”
Haran desperately reached out, but it was already too late.
Kevan was already descending toward the palace where Lucius was staying.
When the people there saw the golden necklace around Kevan’s neck—the symbol of Princess Haran—they opened the window.
A moment later, all the lights in the palace flickered once.
They had received the message and were sending him over.
“Ahhh! At this rate, it feels like this is going to happen!”
This time, Haran grabbed her cheeks.
“Princess Haran, you’re the one who’s late. It’s already been two years since your coming-of-age ceremony. Your siblings all spent their first nights long before that.”
“Well, they’re real royals. I’m only half one.”
As someone whose past life and present life overlapped, Haran could never fully adapt to this world no matter how many years she lived in it.
“What are you talking about? My grandfather always said a meteor shower filled the sky outside the window when you were born.”
“Are you sure that’s true? Maybe there was some kind of mistake. How could someone like me really be Mother’s biological child…”
Click. Click.
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Haran quickly fixed her expression and sat upright with the dignity expected of a princess.
“Princess Haran, the top-quality slave, has arrived. Before daring to touch Your Highness’s sacred body, the slave has passed through the holy flames of the all-powerful god Aster and has completed the bathing ritual of Ketulta Spring.”
The elderly attendant was simply saying that the slave had been thoroughly washed, but he made it sound incredibly grand.
“Let the top-quality slave enter. Tonight, under the blessings of Lord Aster, a union shall be achieved. We are also grateful to the spirits of the desert. Consider this an honor.”
Haran recited the solemn ceremonial words, despite not fully understanding them herself.
The door quietly opened.
She swallowed nervously.
The moment she saw the mastermind enter the room, she was shocked all over again.
The mastermind was… practically naked.
His lean but well-defined body was pale and smooth.
A strip of silk trimmed with gold barely covered his lower body.
Every time Lucius crossed his legs while walking, her eyes kept drifting downward.
Who undressed him like that?!
Haran was horrified by how close he was to being naked.
She wanted to turn away, but she maintained a calm and dignified expression.
However, the moment Iraz closed the door and left, Haran immediately jumped to her feet and wrapped a thin blanket around Lucius.
Lucius tilted his head.
“Big Sister, aren’t we supposed to sleep together?”
“No. We’re not. Nothing like that.”
Haran cut him off immediately.
“But I was really looking forward to it.”
Lucius pouted.
“You just need to tell everyone tomorrow morning that you and I had an amazing first night together.”
“Can’t we do it for real? Why not?”
His jewel-like purple eyes sparkled.
“I…”
Haran took a deep breath and delivered the speech she had prepared countless times before.
