Chapter 63 - I Hate Harems

"Do I really need all these?" Devon murmured, shifting her eyes to Ghost Lin beside her.

"Of course! That's my money, just order what I tell you!" Ghost Lin exclaimed, almost sounding defensive, as she asked Devon to go on a shopping spree online. 

Although skeptical, Devon replied a meek, "alright," and added the accessories and makeups, Ghost Lin told her to order. Devon bought a lot ranging from more dresses for all occasions, makeups, accessories, plushies, a dancing cactus toy, and so on, before she checked it out. 

"Is that all?" Devon asked once they were done shopping, and Ghost Lin nodded, satisfied. "But what are those for? I already procured a dress."

"Dear, me, I know I'm a natural beauty, but you need some colors!" Ghost Lin gazed at her in dismay, as if she wasn't looking at the same face she was using. "It's not obvious, but I was very popular because of my elegance and beauty!"

"I don't see the importance of beauty if the soul is rotten."

"Are you saying I'm rotten?" Ghost Lin gasped in disbelief, leaning closer to Devon, bobbing her face to inspect her. "Hey, you're being too cocky."

"I'm not talking about you, I'm saying it as general." Devon sighed as she shook her head. "The imperial harem is full of beautiful flowers, but some of them were poisonous and vicious."

"What's so wrong about that? Beautiful but deadly, can only ogle at their beauty from afar. The epitome of being a woman!"

Devon frowned as she glanced at Ghost Lin. "Even so, they can harm you unprovoked." 

"Gee… I hate harems." Ghost Lin commented as she clicked her tongue, falling on the bed. "Are you really a Princess?" 

"I was," Devon glanced at her. "Before I became an empress consort."

"You sound very miserable. Well, even I will be miserable if my husband has tons of women." 

"Don't make something sound unordinary when it wasn't." Devon let out a deep exhale as she leaned her back against the bed. "For everyone in the high society, a marriage of convenience will shock no one."

Ghost Lin rolled to her tummy, cupping her cheek with her feet up. "Even so, you've become an empress! Is it that bad?"

Devon didn't answer immediately as she stabilized her breathing. Having the title of an empress sounded so enticing, but Ghost Lin wouldn't understand the weight of that. Honestly, Devon would rather get married off and get adopted to a noble family than become an empress. 

"I guess it's worse than that," Ghost Lin muttered, receiving no response from her. "Did you get beheaded or something?" she asked, thinking of how the usual trope of the romance novels she had read in the past.

"I jumped out of the window," Devon answered after her long silence. "Our rival kingdom had won the war and beheaded the emperor. He deserved it."

"Wow… I like the spirit." Ghost Lin raised a thumb, nodding approvingly, but in her eyes, Devon didn't seem that happy at all. She cocked her head to the side.

"Did you love the emperor? You don't seem happy that he died before you."

Devon snickered. "Love? Such a frightening assumption. His death is the first wish on my list."

"So, why do you look so unhappy about it?" 

"It's because…" Devon trailed off as she gazed up at the ceiling. "… I regretted not slaying him myself."

"And here I thought you're so innocent." Ghost Lin's nose scrunched up as she stared at Devon to review her impression of her.

"Cruel, it may sound, however, I'd slay him hundred times if he had a hundred lives. That's why I felt rather betrayed when I heard he was beheaded."

That's just how she hated him. Although Devon was merciful, the torment she had experienced drove her to the brink of insanity.

Ghost Lin remained silent and just stared at Devon. She had always thought to herself she was capable of taking someone's life if driven to madness. But right now, Devon seemed she had reached that madness in her previous life. It was commendable how she was still sane in this life.

"Well, you have a new life now!" Ghost Lin exclaimed to liven up the mood. "Although I don't think you'll like my family, they're easy to deal with, unlike the royal family."

Devon glanced at her, closed-lipped. She didn't doubt Ghost Lin's words, as it seemed things in this world weren't as extreme as her world. 

"Why do you hate them so much?" Devon asked, curious at the source of hatred from Ghost Lin. 

"Why do I hate them?" Ghost Lin dawdled as if there was a long list of why she hated her family that much. "First, my father is a cheater and had sons and a daughter from his mistresses, and those bastards are all entitled bitches."

"Oh." Devon nodded, as she could somehow relate. After all, she also had half-sister and half-brothers.

"If you want to know more, I had a long note to remind myself why I hate them." Ghost Lin added languidly as she rolled to her back once again.

"I'll meet them soon. So, there's no need for that."

"Oh, sure. It's not like I won't be there, anyway." After Ghost Lin said that, a long silence ensued. When she noticed Devon was just silent, she tilted her head back, only to see Devon in deep thought.

"What are you thinking that makes you look so pitiful?" Ghost Lin asked, watching Devon blink before meeting her gaze.

"I'm just wondering…" Devon trailed off, hesitant to ask her the question.

"Just say it, goddamn it."

"You didn't have any relationship with any of your brothers, right?" Devon inquired, almost stammering. Her question made Ghost Lin widen her eyes as the sheer thought of it mortified her.

"Why would you ask such blas…" Ghost Lin didn't finish her sentence when she suddenly flipped her body and floated beside her. There were only a few reasons Devon would suddenly ask that blasphemy. 

"You! Did you commit incest?"  When Devon averted her gaze, Ghost Lin gasped.. "That's… gross."