The Concubine Does Not Love the Emperor - Chapter 5.2

A sharp voice cut through her drowsiness. Margaret was abruptly awakened. As she peered into her eyes, she noticed several concubines had gathered around her.

“Your body is covered in scars. That’s why the Sultan bestowed upon you the name ‘Huram,'” one of them remarked.

“But if you’re sent by Prince Mustafa, shouldn’t you be from the Devran family? Why is your body so disheveled?”

“Your skin is so fair. You seem to be from the northern regions.”

An onslaught of ambiguous questions and comments, whether directed at Margaret or exchanged among themselves, filled the air. Gulle, momentarily taken aback, hesitated before resuming her movements.

“It’s unfortunate to be entangled with Prince Mustafa.”

“In truth, according to the law of primogeniture, you should have been killed. It was the Sultan’s mercy that spared you.”

“But did he truly spare your life? You’ve been confined in this secluded mansion for years.”

“Still, considering the fate of his other brothers… Just look at their guilty deaths. If that’s not mercy from the Sultan, what is?”

It wasn’t as if they had any particular interest in her, for the topic swiftly shifted to stories of the emperor, who rarely visited the harem.

“Did you hear about the Emperor yesterday? They say he summoned boys again.”

“He called three this time, and they were all pretty young!”

Margaret pretended to show no interest, burying her head in her folded arms. However, she perked up her ears, listening to their conversation. It seemed that the scandals that unfolded at parties in Berthelot were also happening here. The only difference might be the lack of footwear. The stories being shared among them were provocative in nature.

“They spent the whole day in bed with three boys. I wonder what they were up to.”

“What else could they have been doing? It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

The women burst into laughter. Margaret couldn’t fathom what was so amusing. They embellished the tales with their vivid imaginations, adding to the nighttime culture they had never experienced. However, one of them raised a question, seemingly perplexed.

“But doesn’t His Majesty have no interest in succession? Why does he only favor boys?”

“Exactly! What would he do if something were to happen? How would he handle the succession?”

“Shh! Be careful. We must never speak openly about succession matters. I heard that a minister who mentioned it in private had his manhood cut off.”

“They should have just killed him. Why bother cutting off only the manhood? I wonder where it went.”

“Perhaps the eunuchs took it. They believe that with an incomplete body, they cannot enter paradise without their manhood.”

“But which minister had his manhood cut off?”

“I don’t know the details. Can you imagine him running around, proudly proclaiming, ‘I got cut off’?”

“Well, that’s true.”

The stories were a jumble, veering from discussions about the emperor to lamenting their own predicaments, and then abruptly transitioning to political matters. Some stories seemed plausible, while others appeared nonsensical and whimsical.

The emperor who effortlessly conquered the warring province of Nice without batting an eye and spent his days in the bedroom illuminating it with shades of blue didn’t feel like the same person at all. And above all, since he never visited the harem, no one truly knew the emperor’s face.

“He’s handsome, they say, resembling Mohto, our empress.”

“No, I heard he resembles the previous emperor a lot. His appearance is so fierce that it brings to mind a grizzly bear!”

Some even speculated that he was short in stature or had a small manhood, which was why he didn’t seek out women. The most absurd claim was that in his childhood, his manhood had been cut off by an eunuch, and he was practically castrated.

“Sigh. I wonder how much of this is true and how much is false.”

Just as Margaret was growing weary of listening to the endless gossip, a piece of information caught her attention.

“Oh, if only we could leave the harem, then we could see the emperor.”

“I heard that he plans to visit the temple personally on this sacred Friday. In such moments, one can’t help but envy the commoners. They can at least catch a glimpse of the emperor from afar.”

The concubines sighed, expressing their disappointment. However, the topic quickly shifted again, delving into discussions about who bribed whom and what kind of goods the current merchants brought. Margaret discreetly rose from her seat, wrapping a towel around her body. The sacred Friday was just the day after tomorrow.

***

“What are you planning to do?” Margaret stood by the railing as if she could easily fall out the window. While such a thing was unlikely, Gulle couldn’t shake off her anxious gaze.

“I’m not feeling well today. I won’t attend worship. What if someone comes looking for me?”

Bahari nodded and jingled a bag of coins. Indeed, she was the one with keen intuition.

“I’ll just see the emperor’s face and come back. What would happen if I were to be recognized?”

“How could they recognize me when I don’t even know the emperor’s face? And just in case, I’ve made thorough preparations.”

By thorough preparations, she meant dyeing her hair black again and carrying an extra veil in her pocket. She recalled her previous outing and wore loose pants with a shirt and a loose outer garment with wide sleeves.

“I’ll come back and tell you all about it. You’re curious too, aren’t you?”

The twin sisters tried to dissuade her, but she couldn’t be swayed. Swiftly, she descended from the window. The second time was easier. It was daytime, and she was visible, but there was no worry of being discovered during the worship time. She rushed out and arrived at the square in no time.

The temple, with its rounded spire, stood at the highest point in the city. The people who had come out at the appointed time were all walking in the same direction. Margaret slipped through the crowd and headed towards the temple.

“Ah, it’s sacred Friday this week. There are so many people.”

“It’s the day when His Majesty comes. We, ordinary people, wouldn’t have a chance to see His Majesty’s countenance if not for a day like today.”

Hearing the murmurs of the people, Margaret felt relieved inwardly.

“I’ve come to the right place.”

As she ascended a sloping alley, Margaret looked up. People had stopped and were bustling with excitement up ahead. Someone was walking against the flow, descending in reverse. The crowd murmured and made way for the person. Margaret also sidestepped. However, due to the man’s large build, their shoulders were lightly brushed.

“Sorry.”

The person who bumped into her turned around and apologized. Then, he continued descending but slowly turned back again. Margaret also paused, surprised by the man’s appearance.

As people swore and pushed Margaret and the man, annoyed by their interruption, they managed to ascend. However, the man, wearing a friendly smile, approached Margaret with slow steps.

It was Ray.