Chapter 54 – The Youngest Daughter of the Count’s Family (17)
[Chapter 3 – Verse 8] Your Name Is…
The Somaek house, victorious without a single loss, landed easily on imperial soil.
Port cities, powerless to resist, surrendered in droves. But this was only the beginning!
“We surrender.”
“I yield.”
The empire, per the author’s setting, was in its golden age—undeniable.
But elite soldiers aren’t commodities bought with gold.
They require time.
Men and women meet, fall in love, marry, bear children, raise them to adulthood, train them…
Military might, once lost, takes decades to rebuild.
“This is a nightmare…!”
“How could this happen…?”
Imperial nobles and citizens, never imagining their invading forces would be crushed and invaded, were utterly unprepared.
They couldn’t resist the Somaek army.
“Open the gates and surrender!”
“I’d rather die!”
“Will you abandon sons born and raised on this land?”
“Cowards…”
“We lack food for prisoners! Their deaths will be your fault, lords!”
“…We surrender.”
Lords barricading gates had no choice—too many captives.
If their men had died fighting, vengeance would be justified…
“Father…”
“Brother…”
The atmosphere made betrayal—opening gates to save family—perfectly natural!
When lords and heirs were among the captives, hesitation vanished.
Flutter~
Thud.
White flags replaced house crests; gates and drawbridges lowered.
Finally,
“Duke Somaek, long time no see.”
“My condolences for your son, Count Pimaang.”
The imperial noble from their secret deal arrived personally.
“…Couldn’t save the boy?”
“He ignored orders and dove recklessly into the sea.”
“Foolish lad…”
“But Count, why visit in these times?”
“The brilliant emperor lost his mind over one woman.”
“Hm.”
News of crushing defeat tanked the emperor’s reputation.
“Western and southern imperial nobles have decided. In exchange for preserving titles and reclaiming prisoners, we surrender to Somaek.”
“A heavy decision. Accepted.”
“For Somaek.”
“For Somaek.”
‘Half the empire’ surrendered.
Land larger than the kingdom now belonged to Somaek!
And since their army conquered it alone, the kingdom had no claim.
If they had conscience.
“Duke Somaek, someone from the Bitcorin Trading Company.”
But it didn’t end there!
A fierce-eyed beauty, one you’d never want as an enemy, boldly approached.
“What business does an imperial merchant have?”
“My father, Baron Bitcorin, sent a gift.”
“Oh! You’re the…”
“As you suspect, I’m the pitiful woman whose fiancé was stolen by Angelina Chimac.”
“Hm.”
The daughter of the empire’s tycoon bore the disgrace of a broken engagement because of the protagonist.
“Hand over one captive’s custody, and Bitcorin Trading will sever ties with the empire and aid Somaek.”
“The baron made a bold choice.”
“Ah!”
“Brand the prisoner as a slave before transfer.”
“Thank you for the consideration.”
A touching tale: the jilted fiancé returned as a slave!
Let’s wish the reunited pair happiness after trials.
“…Baron Amolang.”
“Yes.”
“Things are going too well—it’s terrifying. Is this allowed?”
“Accept it. You prepared thoroughly.”
“That’s… true.”
Can a peak empire collapse this easily?
‘Because of the setting.’
The empire’s iron-fisted centralization lets the emperor marry a politically useless protagonist without noble dissent.
Private armies are restricted; most troops answer only to the emperor.
Thus,
‘Losing is fatal.’
Defeat directly erodes the emperor’s authority.
Nobles with only minimal garrisons to defend their lands were defenseless against invasion.
This was the result.
“We surrender.”
“I yield.”
Reading the tide, nobles abandoned the emperor and bowed to the invaders.
About two weeks.
Without a single proper battle, we crossed imperial territory and encircled the capital’s palace.
“The end is in sight.”
Time to meet the patient.
***
Angelina Chimac, uninterested in politics or violent wars.
Even with the emperor silencing matters to reassure her, she couldn’t ignore the gravity.
Why?
“Down with the incompetent emperor!”
“Execute Angelina Chimac!”
“Coward emperor, come out!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The encircling army beat drums day and night.
Especially,
“Angelina Chimac’s ass is…”
“Slept with hundreds of men…”
“Can’t control her lust…”
They targeted the emperor’s Achilles’ heel—Angelina.
Lewd gossip was the baseline!
Fabricated tales painted her as a lustful demon.
“Ugh…!”
Even under blankets, ears plugged, the horrors seeped in.
The bedroom had soundproof walls for the emperor’s privacy, but she couldn’t live inside all day.
‘They’ll kill me!’
Malicious slurs suffocated her.
Would they let her go quietly?
Capture meant certain humiliation.
“Don’t worry.”
“You’re the emperor! Do something!”
“Trust me.”
“That’s all you say?!”
“…”
No matter how she pressed, he parroted the same line.
When she raged, he only stroked her hair gently or stole a kiss to soothe her!
No fundamental solution to block the vile noise.
‘The witch?!’
Angelina sought the mysterious woman who’d whisked her from the prince’s clutches.
Instant kingdom-to-empire teleportation—that power was needed again.
“Help me!”
No matter how desperately she cried, the witch didn’t appear.
Then,
“Angelina, prepare.”
The returned emperor spoke gravely.
“Prepare for what?”
“We’re opening the palace gates.”
“Are you insane?!”
Outside was her jilted fiancé.
Would he forgive her?
‘Never.’
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll protect you no matter what.”
“How can I trust that…!”
“Angelina?”
“Absolutely not!”
The day she impulsively gave herself to her royal guard, she hadn’t even bothered to apologize to Baron Somaek — instead, she had brazenly brought up his supposed mistress Valentine.”
But?
They were close, but not lovers—yet.
‘So unfair!’
Regret and hair-pulling changed nothing.
“Open the gates.”
“I said no! Why won’t you listen…!”
The emperor who never refused her requests.
But for the first time, he did.
‘Why!’
“Angelina, I can endure any insult to me. But I cannot bear you, innocent, being dragged into this—”
“Just endure! I’m fine! ‘Never’ open the gates!”
“I’m sorry.”
“No~!”
Creak—
Despite Angelina’s desperate pleas, the palace gates opened.
***
The surrendered emperor asked only for Angelina Chimac’s safety and happiness in exchange for full cooperation.
“That’s troublesome. I was planning to flay her alive and hang her up.”
The Duke of Somaek, now seated upon the imperial throne, clicked his tongue.
“Are you sure you should just sit there like that?”
“Of course.”
Back in the Somaek duchy, Baron Somaek strengthened his family’s alliance by marrying the third daughter of Count Chimac.
Soon after, nobles from across the kingdom began pledging allegiance to the Somaek family, whose power had now surpassed even that of the royal house…
The kingdom lost all means to control the Duke of Somaek.
‘This wasn’t part of my plan.’
I expected the tyrannical Baron Somaek to shine, but his moment never came.
The kingdom and empire were that fragile.
Characters crammed in for the protagonist’s love toppled both nations.
“Count Amolang.”
“Oh? I’m suddenly a count now?”
“Do you object?”
“If you’re offering, I’ll take it.”
“Considering the achievements of a founding hero like you, even a dukedom would be too little. But for the sake of my peaceful sleep, let’s leave it at count.”
“How honest of you.”
Uninterested in status, I let it slide.
“…Count. What’s your goal? Still can’t say?”
“Revenge.”
No reason to hide now—I spoke freely.
“Revenge?”
“Yes. Wandering, I died caught in the Somaek-Chimac war.”
“…”
The duke’s eyes widened. Lady Valentine, quietly guarding, froze.
“I aided you, to take revenge on Angelina Chimac — the root cause of that war.”
“You died?”
“Yes.”
“How are you alive?”
“Forcing a dead life. I’ll vanish soon.”
“Unbelievable… but your miracles leave no room for doubt. Explains your odd lack of greed.”
The duke nodded, convinced.
“If grateful, erect a small statue.”
“Pure gold, massive! Anything else?”
“Hm… Ah! Promote Lady Valentine for supporting this inadequate man.”
“Do it yourself.”
“Pardon?”
“If you’re truly dying soon, realize it before you go.”
‘Realize what?’
***
The Somaek duke’s coronation began with the dethroned emperor publicly castrated, naked before all.
A horrific sight no man could watch unflinching!
“…”
The emperor who silently endured scorn and pain for his beloved.
Thanks to his cooperation, Angelina Chimac was unharmed—confined in a windowless cell.
“Open the door.”
“Yes, Count Amolang.”
Creak—
A plain bedroom. Only the lack of windows felt stifling… no.
“I’d like a private conversation with the lady. Step outside for a moment.”
“Yes, Count.”
My public feats were hidden, but everyone in the palace knew I had the “Somaek Emperor’s” absolute trust.
Click.
Angelina Chimac was watched by knights even while changing or relieving herself.
Human rights? Gone.
Spared the emperor’s fate—she should be grateful.
“Lady Valentine.”
“I refuse.”
“I haven’t said anything.”
“That woman who enchanted countless men—what might she do to Count Amolang?”
“…Don’t regret it later.”
“Thank you.”
I approached Angelina Chimac—no, Kim Eun-jung—curled under blankets on the bed.
Then,
“Get lost.”
A single word from the patient, stripped of the “perfect, beloved protagonist” mask.
Unfazed, I said,
“Kim Eun-jung-ssi.”
“…What?”
“Kim Eun-jung-ssi. How does it feel to become the count’s youngest daughter?”
Whoosh!
Throwing off the blanket, she— Kim Eun-jung—glared with swollen eyes and screamed.
“Who are you?! How do you know my name from my past life…!”
“A shaman.”
“Shaman…?”
“The shaman who ate ice cream from your real mother.”
The world’s most expensive ice cream.
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