Chapter 168. Byun Gyeongbaek Kidnapping (3)

Translator: Atlas / Editor: Regan

Automatically, Leah looked at Ishakan. His eyes darkened, but he said nothing. Watching them, Byun Gyeongbaek spoke with determination.

“You think he’s a true king just because he took the throne through a stupid dominance fight. You understand nothing.”

The more he spoke, the more Ishakan’s expression darkened. A shadow fell over his face.

“It’s not too late, you can return as the Princess of Estia,” Byun Gyeongbaek said. “I will help you… ”

Slap.

Leah slapped his face. Shocked, he slowly turned his head to look at her as Leah rubbed her throbbing hand. She had slapped him with all her might.

“It’s you who doesn’t understand.” Leah leaned down to bring her face close to his, and he held his breath. “You’ve been fooling everyone.”

“That…”

“Was it fun playing the hero?”

His mouth opened. His voice cracked as he spoke.

“What the hell, I sacrificed myself on the western frontier…”

It seemed he had still not come to his senses. Leah wanted to slap him again, but her hand was reddened and swelling from the first slap.

Ishakan had been watching silently, but he moved when he saw her hesitating. He knew exactly what she wanted. His large hand smacked across Byun Gyeonbaek’s cheek. The man went flying, still tied to the chair, to the corner of the tent.

“Oh, whoops.” Ishakan said. “It’s not easy to control my strength.”

Leah hurried over to check on Byun Gyeongbaek. She was worried Ishakan might have broken his neck, but fortunately he was still alive. Ishakan dragged the squirming Byun Gyeongbaek back to the center of the tent.

He was not in the whole of his senses. Saliva flowed from his mouth and his face was swollen. It was a pathetic appearance for Byun Gyeongbaek, who commanded the western frontier.

“You’re still useful, Byun Gyeongbaek.” Leah extended a suspicious glass of dark red wine to him and said coldly, “Drink it, if you don’t want to die.”

“You can’t kill me!” he screamed wildly.

“What makes you think I can’t?”

“……”

There was no difference between dying from the wine and dying some other way. In that case, it was better to take the option that at least offered a chance. Byun Gyeongbaek drank the wine.

After she had ensured he had drunk it all, Leah revealed the nature of the wine.

“It’s a potion that can cause your immediate death if you disobey my commands.”

“Huh, really…”

“You will be risking your life if you want to test it.” His mouth fell open. Leah looked at him coldly. “From now on, you will be my spy, Byun Gyeongbaek.”

***

For Leah, who had decided to become the Queen of Kurkan, it was worth it to keep him alive. Before the conquest, it would be necessary to plant as many Kurkans as possible inside Estia, especially since she didn’t know what Cerdina would do. Leah wanted to know what was happening in the capital.

The funeral would be a good excuse for Byun Gyeongbaek to go there. He could delve deeper into Estia’s politics than any of the nobles the Kurkans had bribed.

Leaving the dejected man behind, Leah met Ishakan outside the tent. Several Kurkans bowed and went into the tent to return Byun Gyeongbaek properly. She looked away for a moment, and then looked up at Ishakan as he gently stroked her swollen hand with his fingers.

“I didn’t know there was such a strange potion.” He smiled. “I have never heard of it.”

“It was a lie.”

Once Leah realized how greatly they had overestimated Byun Gyeongbaek, she had a much more accurate idea of his true ability. She thought he would be deceived even by a lie of that magnitude. That fearful man would never dare to test her threat.

“You really are…” Ishakan was speechless for a moment, and then burst out laughing. “I had forgotten that you once pretended to be a slave trader.”

This was nothing to Leah. She was curious about other things, but she didn’t dare ask him directly. She wanted to know about his past before he took the throne, when he was called Isha. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know much about him. It made her suddenly feel far from him.

“It’s a boring story.” She looked up at the sound of his voice. Ishakan had a strange smile. “You’ll have to pay a significant price to hear it.”

“How did you know I wanted to ask…”

“You’re curious about my past.”

“…Yes.” She hesitated and asked. “Can you tell me about it?”

“No.”

Her eyes widened at the firm refusal. He lifted her swollen hand and kissed it.

“You know that, Leah,” he whispered softly.

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