The Concubine Does Not Love the Emperor - Chapter 40

The door opened, and Suleiman warmly greeted Margaret. She slightly bent her knees in greeting and kissed the back of his hand.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, Your Highness. It’s been a while.”

Suleiman felt a tinge of regret at her formal attitude. The day Margaret had hinted at something improper with her proper tone, Suleiman had embraced her gently. Several times, gently, until she eventually fell asleep. He hadn’t sought her out for three days after that. Yet, Margaret had shown no signs of missing or being glad to see him. Her excessively polite demeanor was the perfect facade, making Suleiman feel very regretful.

“Shall we come this way?”

Suleiman led Margaret to a table with a strange pattern she had never seen before, with round wooden coins stacked in the middle.

“What is this?”

“Karam.”

“Karam?”

At the man’s gesture, Margaret sat down on the cushion prepared for her. Suleiman sat opposite her and picked up one of the coins.

“It’s a simple game.”

“Why is it here then?”

“To play with you.”

“Why?”

Suleiman scratched his neck, speaking hesitantly.

“Well, I thought we needed some emotional exchange.”

“Why do Your Highness and I need an emotional exchange?”

“Then shall we just sleep?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Really?”

Suleiman placed the coin on the table with a loud noise. His expression stiffened slightly. Margaret tilted her head, trying to gauge the day the Emperor had promised. She asked, tilting her head.

“Does this also fall under the obligations of Kadima?”

Suleiman remained silent, fiddling with the edge of the table. He seemed to be carefully choosing his answer.

The Emperor is so fragile. It would be enough to just command and make them submit.

Margaret clicked her tongue inwardly. She extended her hand as if offering her sincerity.

“Please.”

Purple eyes peeked through her wavy golden hair, examining her expression. Finding it cute, Margaret smiled inwardly. However, outwardly, she nonchalantly clenched her fist slowly.

“Or you can stop.”

Suleiman casually handed her a coin. They were purple, like his eyes. He had a hint of blue in them.

“The rules are simple. You flick the coin with your finger and try to put it into one of the holes at the edge. You have to put in a coin of the same color, and if you can’t put in either the opponent’s coin or your own, the turn passes to the other player.”

Margaret pointed to the golden coin in the center.

“What is this?”

“It’s the king. After you’ve dropped all the other pieces, you have to put this golden coin into a hole to end the game.”

“I see.”

Suleiman chuckled confidently, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He had underestimated her strength.

“Then, shall I go first?”

“Me? Really?”

“Yes.”

Margaret hesitated, fiddling with the purple coin once again.

“Can I go first?”

“Of course.”

With a snap, Margaret flicked the coin she had placed at the starting line. The purple coin flew with tremendous force, scattering the coins in the center instantly. Two coins at the very end fell into the holes at the table edge as if being sucked in.

They were all purple coins.

“If this happens, do I go again?”

“Uh? Uh, yes.”

Snap. Snap.

Suleiman blinked at how strong the woman was. Not just strong, but it was as if…

“I studied mathematics, history, and geography. I’m proficient in horseback riding and hunting….”

Margaret’s words came to mind. A woman who had learned mathematics and was skilled in hunting. She was calculating the positions of the pieces with her sharp blue eyes.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

They went in consecutively again. Before they knew it, only blue coins were left on the table. Suleiman quickly rolled his eyes. The blue coins were standing guard over the Emperor, lonely.

Swallowing dry saliva, Suleiman uncrossed his arms. His body involuntarily leaned forward on the table.

Snap.

A deafening sound echoed. The purple coin flicked by the woman hit the edge of the table without hesitation, pushing the blue coin. As the coin quickly slid out, it hit the golden coin and gently slid off the edge. The blue coin went in the opposite direction and seemed like it would slide off, but it barely stopped in front of the edge hole.

“What is this woman?”

Staring at her in astonishment, Margaret spoke without expression.

“It’s over. Would you like to play another round?”

After that, Suleiman lost three more rounds. Even when he started, once the turn passed to Margaret, it never came back to him. Finally, after pushing in the golden coin, she covered her mouth and let out a small yawn.

“Do you know how to play cards?”

Suleiman took out a deck of cards. There was no need to explain the rules of card games, as they were universal. He called Altar, who was short of people.

“I’ll pass on this one, Your Highness.”

Altar whined, but to no avail.

“How about we make a wager? If we just play, Altar will surely win, Your Highness.”

“Oh, Huram, why would you say such a thing? I don’t even have a salary, so I’m poor.”

However, since Suleiman suggested it, Altar had no choice but to follow along, crying. Although Altar was blind, he could read the Emperor’s mood, and Margaret remained indifferent throughout the card game.

Win or lose, Margaret seemed unaffected, casually emptying the pockets of the two men. Refusing even the coins offered as a gift, she skillfully pocketed the coin purses.

“I don’t understand why you are using me for your emotional exchange! I will just do my job diligently as assigned!”

At the mention of the emotional exchange between the two, Suleiman sent Altar away without a word. Then, he suggested a dice game.

Soon, Suleiman realized that even the dice were in Margaret’s favor.

“Is the emotional exchange sufficient?”

Despite his words of comfort, Margaret’s face looked bored. It was a ploy, exploiting her dislike of losing. And it failed utterly. The man’s defeat, who believed the advice to push and pull emotionally to bring each other closer, was a defeat.

It was sadder and more frustrating for Suleiman to feel no joy or defeat in the time he spent with her than to lose the game. He compulsively scratched his neck.

Mixing bodies was easy. You could close your eyes and know how she liked it, with her soft moans and twists. But the more he pursued pleasure, the further the woman’s heart seemed to be slipping away. He somehow couldn’t bear it.

“A woman’s heart is not easy, is it? Giving her gold and jewels, and she dislikes it? Why don’t you just ask her directly? If you give her what she wants, you can easily get it.”

Margaret didn’t ask for what she wanted. She constantly reminded him without asking.

“What should I do to return to Verte? What can I do to help? When will I return to Verte?”

He had even dreamt of erasing the Kingdom of Verte from the map.

“Then, would you like to engage in physical exchange to fulfill the obligations of Kadima?”

Margaret pushed the table they had just shared for an emotional exchange and came closer. Everything difficult for him seemed easy for her. Games and hearts.

“No, it’s okay. I think I’ve had enough for today.”

It was just Margaret raising her hand on his knee, but it felt heavy and promising. Her gaze briefly lowered, then quickly turned back up.

“Is that so?”

Margaret got up without saying anything else. She politely bid farewell to the man who didn’t look at her and left after opening the door.

Outside the door, Altar, who was waiting, approached with a puzzled expression, then whispered.

“Why did you come out so early?”

Margaret handed Altar a pouch of silver coins. He briskly put the pouch in his pocket and led Margaret away from the place.

“What happened?”

“Your Highness seems to be fixated on me.”

Altar scratched his head in confusion.

“Could it be that Your Highness likes me?”

“That’s not it!”

Altar denied it immediately. When Margaret looked at him with a puzzled expression at his quick answer, he hastily began to explain.

“Don’t misunderstand me. Your Highness tends to overprotect what he values. Just look at Prince Mustafa. Even if he had a somewhat close relationship with someone in the harem when he was young, keeping someone who could threaten the throne alive is a significant event. The very existence of the prince is a threat to the imperial power. Despite that, no one can lay a hand on him. However, he is always kept close and watched by Your Highness.”

Without pause, Altar caught his breath and cautiously asked Margaret.

“Why are you worried? Are you afraid that Your Highness might fall in love with you and not let you go?”

“Love… that’s a stretch.”

“I think I know why Your Highness is fixated on you. You are the first woman he has met outside of his imperial duties. First experience. First love. People often attach great significance to anything that is a first, don’t they?”

“Is that so?”

“Please forgive me for saying this. There are many more beautiful women in the harem than you. If you were to ask objectively if you have charm as a woman, well… If Your Highness had not embraced another woman, she would have been in your place right now.”