Surviving as the Heavenly Demon’s Concubine - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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With busy hand movements, she rummaged through the inside of her sleeves looking for a self-defense hidden weapon, but oh no. It had been confiscated when she entered the prison.

“Who’s there? Show yourself.”

Riser spoke as threateningly as possible, adding sharpness equal to her lacking self-defense weapons to her usual calm tone.

“…”

What? Was it just her imagination?

…just as she was thinking that.

Knock knock.

There was a sound of knocking on the wall Riser had her back against.

Startled out of her wits, Riser jumped to the opposite side as if bouncing away.

“Wh-wh-who are you! If you’re a ghost, I can’t help it, but if you’re human, prepare yourself! I’ll poison you to death!”

-How murderously threatening for a first meeting.

It was a young man’s voice.

-If you’re curious about who I am, shouldn’t you reveal yourself first?

Somewhat rough, seemingly insincere yet quick to respond to provocations – an impatient personality. On top of that, there was a strange feeling of looking down on people.

‘Ah, I see. A fellow cellmate.’

Riser lowered her guard.

If they were both imprisoned, there was no need to be particularly afraid.

It wasn’t like the other person could spray poison through the bars like Riser, and she could dodge throwing knives with lightness skills.

‘He doesn’t seem to have a good personality, but it can’t be helped. Expecting virtuous and gentle connections in prison would be asking too much.’

Since she didn’t know how much longer she’d be locked up, it would be better to get along well with her fellow cellmate.

“I am…”

Riser was about to carelessly reveal her name when she suddenly stopped.

Was she going to recklessly give her name without knowing who the other person was?

To put it bluntly, if that man was a curse specialist from the fallen Blood Sect, he might steal away Riser’s entire lifespan with just her name and a single strand of hair.

“I asked first, so you answer first.”

-Suddenly going on the defensive. Why?

“You’re the one who seems to be trying everything not to reveal your identity.”

The other person remained silent for a moment before speaking.

-You’d be shocked if you knew who I am.

“Who are you?”

-Hehe.

And then nonsense heard from beyond the wall.

-I am the son of the greatest Heavenly Emperor under heaven. The third prince, Cheonmu Jin.

“How ridiculous. Then I’m Cheonyang Seol.”

-Big sister?

“…”

Silence fell within Noeok.

Was it real?

‘No way. That can’t be.’

Riser was convinced that the Demon Sect’s law enforcement couldn’t be that fair.

No matter how rock-bottom the third prince Cheonmu Jin’s reputation was, they wouldn’t lock the Gyoju’s son in a place like this Noeok.

If equality before the law was maintained to that degree, it would be the Heavenly Horse Nation, not the Demon Sect!

Riser snorted and retorted.

“Quite quick-witted. But I won’t fall for such tricks.”

-But it’s true…

“Tsk!”

Riser drew in a low breath through her teeth as if giving a stern warning.

“Don’t you know that impersonating the Heavenly Emperor’s bloodline is a serious crime?”

-Says the one impersonating Sister Yakseol.

Having nothing to say, Riser coughed awkwardly.

“…Princess Cheonyang Seol is generous and gentle, so she’ll overlook it once.”

‘This is an amusing woman.’

Even giving a hundred concessions that she might not believe he was the third prince Cheonmu Jin, saying that the first princess Cheonyang Seol was generous and gentle?

For Mujin, who feared his eldest sister next to his father, it was an absurd statement.

Though he hadn’t asked, the second prince Cheonmu Kang would probably agree.

-Flattering someone you’ve never even met.

“I have met her. I even received a gift.”

-Ha!

Mujin burst into a hollow laugh at the absurdity.

While Cheonyang Seol wasn’t stingy, she absolutely wasn’t someone who went around giving gifts to just anyone.

-Sister Yakseol hardly gives me gifts either. How could someone like you have received a gift from her?

“I sang a song and she gave me one.”

Mujin flinched slightly.

It felt somewhat plausible.

‘Sister is indeed generous to artists.’

Cheonyang Seol had early on withdrawn her interest in martial arts to avoid conflict with her full brother, the first prince Cheonmu Hyeon, and was establishing herself as an art enthusiast.

Yakseol’s art support projects (though they couldn’t be called projects since she had no interest in profit) were the main cause of the gold and silver treasures in Mahu Munseorhwa’s warehouse evaporating, so Riser’s words had some validity.

But that wouldn’t be a benefit given to just any artist either.

‘Didn’t she say she only supports geniuses who will carry on great traditions, or revolutionaries who will lead new movements?’

Mujin became interested in the claim that his unseen cellmate was a talented enough artist to earn the recognition of the demanding Cheonyang Seol.

-So you sing that well?

“…Saying someone sings well is an expression full of traps.”

Riser, who had received gold and silver treasures through yodeling special admission, couldn’t bring herself to say she sang well.

Honestly, it was somewhat ambiguous whether being called an ‘innovative songstress’ was a compliment or not.

-What do you mean by that?

“There are singers in the world who have good vocalization or wide vocal ranges that make anyone gasp in admiration, while there are also singers who have unique timbres or interpret lyrics well, making them deeply appealing. If you try to evaluate whether someone sings well or poorly by uniform standards, you’re likely to fall into a trap.”

Mujin frowned suspiciously at Riser’s attitude of evading a clear answer about whether she sang well or poorly.

-At least now I understand why you’re here. You’re a con artist, right?

“How can you say such a thing!”

Riser was indignant.

As someone who would engage in pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution in the future, she couldn’t tolerate such a reputation-damaging false accusation.

-No? That’s unexpected. Then what’s your real crime?

“Attempted murder.”

-…

“Wait. Don’t judge hastily.”

Riser quickly explained, not wanting to appear as a criminal evil enough to try to kill someone and stupid enough to fail at it.

But some circumstances sound more suspicious the more you try to explain them.

The attempted poisoning case of Namgung Yeonhwa that Riser was involved in was exactly such a case.

-The method was too crude. Don’t you think you left too much evidence? It would be hard to be recognized as an assassin.

“I told you it’s a false accusation. Try believing me.”

Even as she spoke, Riser sighed as if resigned.

Even Sangwan Baek, who was relatively close to her in the Demon Sect, didn’t believe her, and the circumstances were so suspicious that even Riser herself would have had trouble believing it if it were someone else’s case.

Expecting an unseen cellmate to believe in her innocence was asking too much.

-If it’s really a false accusation, that would be quite unfair.

“…Do you believe what I’m saying?”

-? You told me to believe you.

She had certainly told him to believe her, but to believe so readily?

Riser was thinking that the world was still worth living in due to the unexpected goodwill shown by someone she met in a prison cell of all places.

-Anyway, I pray for your soul’s rest. Since this is also fate, I’ll bury you in a sunny spot.

The livable world immediately expelled Riser.

“You said you believed me!”

Clang!

Feeling betrayed, Riser gripped the prison bars with both hands.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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