Chapter 4: ② The Five Handsome Eunuchs Make Their Entrance!!

◤First Eunuch—Grand Eunuch Chief: Alexius◢

“—My apologies. Lord Karou, guided by the Star Spirit. Welcome to the harem.”

His silver hair swayed gracefully as he bowed with elegance. A fragile beauty and quiet smile. Every single gesture refined, like an ideal figure painted in a court portrait. Yet an ice-cold dignity dwelled in his posture.

“I am Grand Eunuch Chief Alexius di Orhan. I oversee all political affairs of the harem.”

(Alexius di Orhan? That sounds familiar somehow…)

Celine whispered softly into the confused Yuuri’s ear.

“Lord Alexius is the head of the Palace Administration. Managing eunuchs and palace ladies, educating the consorts, and arranging ‘visits’—it’s all under his jurisdiction.”

“…Um, by ‘visits,’ you mean with women… right?”

“O-of course. But… perhaps—shall we arrange male courtesans as well?”

“N-no!! All women, please!!”

“Hehe, I’m joking. But incidentally—he is the eighth prince of the Orhan Empire. And my nephew.”

“Wait, why is the eighth prince a eunuch!?”

“He lost the succession struggle, had his manhood severed, and was sent to the harem under the pretense of being an envoy.”

(O-oh god…! Who was it that called him “Poetry Prince” earlier!? I’m sorry, this is way heavier than that…!)

(My whole “I just wanna be popular in another world” thing is so shallow I should apologize to roadside pebbles…!)

◤Second Eunuch—Imperial Guard Eunuch Chief: Raiga◢

“Sorry for startling you earlier. …That was supposed to be polite.”

Arms crossed, he flaunted the long blade at his waist while shaking his golden mane and looking down at Yuuri. The pressure from his gaze alone was overwhelming. If that’s “polite,” their cultures are definitely different.

“Imperial Guard Eunuch Chief, Raiga. It’s my duty. Sword instruction is my responsibility. I’ll test your resolve—with my blade.”

(No, that’s intimidation!? That’s coercion dressed up as courtesy!?)

A sharp appraising gaze crawled from his toes to the top of his head. Yuuri quietly backed away and leaned toward Celine.

“Wait, swords are okay in the harem!? I’m supposed to be entering the sweet harem route after this!?”

“Darling… he’s a ‘deposited person’ from the beastman nation, the Hakuou Empire—in other words, a hostage. Formally, he’s the guard captain, but most of the actual work is left to his deputy.”

“A hostage with weapons—isn’t that more ominous!?”

“Don’t worry. The blade is dulled, and Lord Raiga is a renowned warrior in the Empire. He’s a master known as ‘Raiga of the Thunderbolt.'”

(That name screams overpowered character! He’s the kind you’d fight around chapter three in an isekai RPG!)

“…That man is a lion who had his fangs torn out and was sent to the harem as ‘proof of sincerity’ due to the schemes between the shogunate family and the court that lost its authority. But he never abandoned his pride.”

(‘Proof of sincerity’ sounds nice, but basically they castrated him and forcibly deported him, right!?)

(Brutal! His backstory is brutal!!)

“Castration as a loyalty test… that’s not even funny! Wait, was I summoned to another world as a ‘sacrifice for peace’…!?”

“If anything, you’re the ‘missionary of love’ sent by the goddess of benevolence.”

“Th…thanks… at least the phrasing is positive…”

Ignoring Yuuri’s agitation, Raiga smoothly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

(H-hey!? That’s not the stance of ‘teaching’—that’s the ‘I’m getting serious’ stance!)

“W-wait!? You’re not about to draw it right now with a ‘show me your resolve’ line, are you!?”

“Don’t worry. …Probably.”

“‘Probably’ isn’t reassuring at all!!”

(I’m not the type of protagonist whose life is disposable!!)

◤Third Eunuch—Finance Eunuch Chief: Edgar◢

“Threatening Lord Karou… it seems the personnel selection was mistaken.”

The voice that quietly echoed was cold as ice. His silver-rimmed glasses reflected light, and ash-blue eyes measured Yuuri like reading a profit-and-loss statement.

Bluish short hair, efficient movements, orderly military-style attire. Everything about him was filled with inorganic functional beauty.

“Finance Eunuch Chief, Edgar de Mereville. I oversee all accounting for the harem.”

“He’s the grandson of the head of the Free City Alliance. A ‘trump card’ of the financial world who successfully reformed revenue collection at a young age.”

“Another heavy hitter became a eunuch… and let me guess, he also…?”

“Yes. Because he was ‘too competent,’ political enemies framed him, and he was ‘severed’ and sent to the harem. Quite ironic.”

(Why is talent proportional to castration in this world!?)

“Monthly harem maintenance costs are approximately four thousand five hundred crown coins. Clothing, perfumes, medical care—and that’s without luxuries.”

His matter-of-fact tone somehow hit the stomach. And he continued.

“Currently, we have two Six Flower Consorts, three Twelve Star Consorts, several Thirty-Six Beauty Consorts, and dozens of One Hundred Eight Virtue Consorts—once we fill the full roster, annual expenses will exceed eighty thousand crowns. At the kingdom’s current revenue, we’ll be bankrupt within five years.”

(Just talking about numbers, and it’s bad for my heart!!)

“If you continue increasing consorts, securing funding now is essential. Otherwise—this harem will go straight from ‘sweet fragrance’ to ‘guillotine stage.'”

(The fragrance is sweet but the talk is way too bitter!?)

“Th-then… could we maybe adjust toward living quietly in the frontier…?”

“…Lord Karou. That is nothing but an expenditure increase strategy called ‘escapism.’ Abandoning the title of ‘Lord Karou leading the harem at the capital’ means—”

“I get it, I get it, Edgar! That conversation can wait until tonight!! At night!!”

His glasses caught the light slightly, returning a cold response.

“I’m quite curious when Lord Karou, who will undoubtedly be busier at night, will find time to hear this…”

(Ugh… my dream harem is just a money pit…)

(At this rate, I’ll hit a bad ending from budget deficit before raising any affection points!?)

(…Someone please give me a beautiful girl with a finance cheat skill. Please…)