The Concubine Does Not Love the Emperor - Chapter 2.2

Rolling her eyes, Gulle split the cinnamon cookie in half. More than half of it was filled with stones. Bahari, unable to overcome her temper, inspected Margaret’s teeth to make sure none were broken, while Gulle, unable to resist her mischievous nature, made fun of the stone-filled cookie. They were twins, with curly brown hair and small frames that reached Margaret’s shoulders. They looked exactly alike, as if reflected in a mirror, right down to the freckles scattered on their dark skin. Only their personalities and body shapes differed. Bahari was plump, while Gulle was slim. Both of them were given to her by Prince Mustafa.

“Shall I find and kill him?” Bahari and Gulle froze at the ruthless voice. 

“I know who it is, and I will find him.” Bahari held Margaret’s hands tightly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Gulle, who had been displaying her temper until now, suddenly became obedient and spoke softly. 

“I will pay more attention when they are bringing snacks. They are targeting Lady Huram, right? It doesn’t mean that they are bored; they are going to do this.

Margaret, alternating between Bahari and Gulle’s troubled expressions, turned her gaze back out the window. The harem that the emperor did not visit was overly peaceful. 

Since Suleiman’s ascension to the throne, he had never visited the harem even once. It had been a whole five years. The women in the harem were going crazy out of desire and frustration due to the lack of affection. 

“I understand, but why do they seek emotional release in this manner?” 

Peddlers openly brought in forbidden toys, and the women were frequently caught doing things they should not be doing. Stories of passionate moans heard late at night from the laundry room and behind the stairs were not uncommon. Margaret wondered how the women managed to engage in such activities among themselves. But more than that, Margaret was concerned about this malicious prank targeting an unspecified number of people. She thought that if things continued like this, it might not just be a stone but poison that would be added. 

“I thought it would be easy to go to the harem and meet the emperor, but if I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have accepted the proposal.” 

She exhaled a frustrated sigh, recalling the violet eyes of the unpredictable Crown Prince Mustafa. 

“No! A concubine  has been missing recently!” Gulle shouted anxiously, misunderstanding her sigh. She spoke to Margarit, who didn’t understand his words. 

“It’s that stubborn Harbaram . She was often seen getting close to the grand chamberlain Halsan and causing a stir behind everyone’s back.” 

Margaret nodded her head. Among the slaves bought and sold, only those who had their genitals removed and survived were brought into the harem. After receiving appropriate education, they obtained the position of chamberlain. Sometimes the concubines who couldn’t serve the emperor properly would form inappropriate relationships with these chamberlaines.

“But now that I think about it, how can a chamberlain without genitals engage in such acts?”

Bahari’s natural curiosity sparked a gleam in Gulle’s eyes. She was well acquainted with the secret rumors circulating within the harem, particularly those of a lascivious and perverse nature.

“You know, they sell those male genital-shaped figurines at the peddler’s shop.”

“Oh, that.”

Margaret casually rested her chin on her hand, waiting for Gulle’s next words.

“They put those in the holes.”

“Where would a chamberlain have a hole?”

“Well, think about it. It exists.”

Bahari’s face contorted in disgust. She exclaimed, “Oh my! Oh my!” 

Margaret, too, was inwardly surprised, but she maintained a composed expression as she looked at Gulle.

“And they say you can feel everything even without the genitals. I heard they particularly enjoy it when that part is sucked.”

“Even without anything?”

“Yeah, even without anything.”

Bahari and Gulle blushed and burst into giggles. Margaret lightly clenched her fist and coughed awkwardly. Then Gulle, with a sudden realization, brought up the topic again.

“Anyway, there’s a saying that Harbaram doesn’t come to the harem anymore, and one day, she suddenly disappeared!”

“Oh my goodness.”

Bahari covered her mouth with her hand, startled by the chilling story. Gulle lowered her voice, creating a somber atmosphere, as she continued speaking.

“And what’s even stranger is that nobody is searching for Harbaram anymore. Even Halsan, who used to be his lover!”

“How do you know that?”

Margaret expressed her curiosity, prompting Gulle to roll her eyes for a moment before revealing the truth.

“Actually, Halsan distributed the items that belonged to Harbaram in the room she used. He gave them to the other concubines. I was wondering if I could get something too, and that’s how I found out.”

It was quite an intriguing story.

“So, does that mean Harbaram didn’t simply disappear, but rather, she was killed?”

“That’s right!”

“But to leave the palace, one would have to pass through several doors. How would they have disposed of the body?”

“Maybe Halsan helped?”

“Then you’re saying Halsan killed his own woman?”

“Well, I hope not. He didn’t seem pleased on the day he distributed the items.”

“Or perhaps Harbaram simply escaped from the harem.”

At Margaret’’s words, Gulle shook her head vigorously.

“It’s certain that she’s dead. The other concubines say Harbaram was thrown into the Bosphorus Strait. Anyway, what I want to say is…”

Gulle cleared her throat and spoke to Margaret in a serious tone.

“You must never attempt to escape from the harem! Not until you meet the Emperor!”

“Understood.”

Bahari and Gulle, who had been tense, both sighed in relief at Margarit’s words. They didn’t realize that her understanding held a different meaning.