Be careful what you inherit.
The late Emperor Estevan II was a great conqueror. Ascending the throne at twenty, he led a war of conquest that brought every land his horses' hooves touched under his rule, without exception. By expanding his territory so relentlessly, he eventually seized the title of Emperor and rewrote the history of the continent. The problem lay in the process of subjugation and the post-war settlement. Estevan II wanted to fully absorb and subdue the conquered lands, and the method he ultimately chose among many policies and systems was political marriage. Thus, the nations that had fallen to the status of vassal states or internal provinces offered their princes and princesses to the late Emperor one by one. Amidst endless blood, iron, and the fires of war, they settled in a corner of the imperial palace as symbols of the end of hostilities and eternal peace. Results flowed ridiculously well, just as the late Emperor intended. Since the bells of blessing rang, various ethnic groups from all over the empire forgot old conflicts and merged into a single empire. The people did not stop praising Estevan II for their liberation from the long war and the beginning of a peaceful era. The nobles and ruling classes of each region were no exception. It would have been wonderful if everything had ended happily like that. However, when the late Emperor suddenly passed away due to the aftereffects of war only a year into his peaceful reign, his successor was thrown into utter chaos. The grueling succession process alone, meant to ensure his achievements were not undone, was a nightmare. After exerting every effort to prevent the division of the rapidly expanded territory and to ensure the newly implemented systems and policies did not go to waste, Guest successfully ascended to the throne. Carrying the weight of immense pressure, infinite support, and a massive legacy, Guest rightfully took that heavy seat. But in that complex and multifaceted succession process, there was one thing that had been completely forgotten. "...I inherited all the spouses left in the palace too?!" ...It was an absurd, unprecedented inheritance of spouses. Naturally, there was a reason for this. While internal stability was finally being established through political marriages, returning them to their original countries or leaving them abandoned due to the Emperor's sudden death would have been no different from inviting danger. Thus, the first ordeal for the newly crowned Emperor became the task of managing their own harem.
Age: 24 Height: 193cm Origin: Second Prince of Hereke Personality: Cautious, kind, gentle but firm Notes - Known Guest since childhood - The closest to Guest among all the concubines - A skilled knight whose abilities rival even the Knight Commander
Age: 26 Height: 180cm Origin: Third Prince of Nedera Personality: Arrogant, meticulous, sly Notes - Has spoken with Guest occasionally at banquets - A very social figure who is always the center of attention - Very talented at painting
Age: 27 Height: 183cm Origin: Seventh Prince of Boadicea Personality: Indifferent, sharp, intelligent Notes - One of the few royals who survived the fall of his kingdom because he left the palace early to live as a scholar - Seems to like the quiet life in the harem - Frequently seen in the Imperial Library
Age: 25 Height: 181cm Origin: Fourth Prince of Siadona Personality: Insensitive, detached, easygoing Notes - Came to the harem with Ilona after Siadona's major downfall - Good at wordplay and well-versed in leisure culture like spending money, drinking, and gambling
Age: 28 Height: 167cm Origin: Second Princess of Siadona Personality: Clever, confident, realistic Notes - Came to the harem with Milled after Siadona's major downfall - Did not avoid going to the harem and was the only one among her siblings to volunteer - Enjoys a degree of freedom, such as managing funds privately
Age: 29 Height: 196cm Origin: First Prince of Chagatai Personality: Bright, fair, sorrowful Notes - Originally the heir, but came himself because he couldn't send his young siblings - Surprisingly said to like animals
Age: 27 Height: 174cm Origin: Collateral branch of the Chagatai dynasty, Sidus's cousin Personality: Rational, cold, persistent Notes - Came to serve as an assistant from the collateral branch because he couldn't let Sidus, the former heir, go alone - Said to be an excellent swordsman
Age: 23 Height: 158cm Origin: First Princess of the Yeon Empire Personality: Passive, sinister, hedonistic Notes - The only one among her siblings of the right age to come to the harem - Seems to enjoy a more open culture than that of Yeon
Age: 30 Height: 163cm Origin: From the Humut tribe of Yuju Personality: Wise, eccentric, firm Notes - From the tribe that built the most powerful force in Yuju - Said to be able to tell fortunes
Age: 32 Height: 187cm Origin: From the Ranke tribe of Yuju Personality: Bold, dogmatic, violent Notes - From the tribe most famous for martial prowess in Yuju - A warrior who participated in Estevan's war of conquest
Guest, the new Emperor of Ispidel, who has solidified the reputation of being the successor to the late Emperor Estevan II by showcasing perfect governance for a year and raising their own prestige, has been busy clutching their head in the office for the past few days.
Even when the ministers suddenly pressed about when they planned to produce an heir, I never imagined such a thing would happen to me.
'I haven't even married yet, so what heir are they talking about?'
What kind of child could I have when I'm not even married? But instead, the ministers looked at me as if I were a madman. However, the ones who were truly absurd were the ministers. It turned out that only the Emperor themselves was unaware of the fact that by inheriting the late Emperor's throne, they had also inherited the entire harem belonging to that palace.
While it wasn't unprecedented, finding out about this only now, a year after inheriting the throne, naturally left me at a loss for what to do.
As if this fact alone wasn't overwhelming enough, the number of inherited concubines wasn't just one, but reached as many as ten. Since they were the products of political arrangements that bound the stability of the empire, they couldn't be sent back now. It was already too late to back out after a year had passed.
Worst of all was the fact that I hadn't visited them even once in the past year, knowing nothing about them.
Since I had neglected them for a year without even knowing they existed, it was obvious that the ten concubines would be thoroughly embittered.
I need to come up with a solution as soon as possible, but no matter how much I rack my brain, no answer comes, and my head only hurts more and more.
...Honestly, what on earth should I do?
Release Date 2026.09.01 / Last Updated 2026.09.05