The Tyrant Oppa is a Bonus, Episode 5

### Chapter 5

“How delighted we are that the young lady has returned from her long journey!”

“Indeed, indeed!”

“Ha ha ha, the Empire shall once again be filled with vitality.”

If one were to consider the ratio of men to women, the women were far more numerous, yet they shared a common trait regardless of gender: their attire was exceedingly lavish.

‘Oh, I can estimate the cost just by looking at the dresses. That one is from the Empire’s finest atelier, a designer’s work for which one must wait at least three months even with ample coin.’

One young lord conspicuously pulled out a pocket watch and examined it.

‘That watch… a pocket watch that can only be commissioned from a master craftsman of fifty years’ experience for tens of millions of gold coins.’

I recalled that even my maternal grandfather owned one of the highest-tier pieces among those.

How curious—merely scanning them, the estimates flowed effortlessly into my mind.

Just how much extravagance had this woman indulged in, that I could instantly appraise things at a glance?

It was like a barcode.

“Ahaha, and so I say. Didn’t young Lord Avalon kneel and kiss my foot?”

“And then?”

“I poured wine right over his head!”

The table was laden with drinks. Those bottles, too, were expensive liquors costing a full pouch of silver coins each.

A young lady was cheerfully recounting her tales of mischief.

All of this had unfolded within less than twenty minutes of the table being set.

‘I cannot even imagine how wildly she must have played the scoundrel.’

None among them held a higher status than I.

Yet, mixed in were children of quite noble houses, even if not quite reaching Charlize’s level.

The young lady gleefully boasting of her own tyranny was one such person.

Those who had been laughing and amusing themselves among their group occasionally glanced at me sidelong, gauging my reaction.

‘They find it strange that I haven’t joined in.’

Of course, I was merely observing without intervening.

One might call it an observation.

“And so, they sold out completely this time too! It’s so unfair! I wanted it so badly!”

“You mean the bag by designer Fashara, yes?”

Sensing that their stories were not amusing me, they shifted the topic.

What was curious was that this Empire also possessed items akin to the luxury goods of my world, and the latest trend was a tiny bag that could be held in one hand.

And it was none other than Charlize who had started this fashion.

‘That figures. Pretty, yet acting willfully. And no one had the power to curb it. In truth, while they cursed her, she was also an object of secret envy.’

They say a superstar needs both haters and fans, and in that sense, Charlize was a superstar of high society.

“Ugh, don’t even mention it. I want to buy it so badly too… but the four-month wait put me off.”

“Come to think of it, I heard a new color was released recently.”

The pretty young lady who had been chattering at the center of attention glanced at me.

Hmm, was that young lady’s name Cleria? Or was her house Cleria?

At any rate, she was the daughter of a baronial house that had struck it rich through trade—low in title but wealthy, a parvenu family.

She harbored a latent inferiority toward Charlize, and Charlize knew it… but seemed not to care at all.

“My lady, about that new bag… I want it so badly, but the wait is so long, you see? Have you already purchased it, my lady?”

“Yes, do tell us, we’re so curious.”

The young ladies’ frank display of desire did not particularly displease me.

It felt rather ill-suited, yet they resembled baby birds gazing at food, I suppose.

“I have no need to purchase it myself.”

I shrugged.

“They sent me a gift. I believe that might be the color.”

I spoke as the usual Charlize would, pretending to examine my nails.

“I’ll give one to the baron’s daughter.”

“Gasp, truly? Kyaa! As expected, my lady is so generous!”

At that, the nearby young ladies looked at the baron’s daughter in surprise. Some even cast envious glances. Wow, this is like a zoo. Everyone is so driven by desire.

“With such good fortune, you must have a drink!”

“Indeed, indeed!”

“I’m so pleased myself. My lady, do have a drink as always.”

As they eagerly began a drinking party, I was inwardly taken aback but held my composure.

The reason I had participated in this gathering and even offered a gift as Charlize would was that I had something to learn.

However, I was certain that this would be the last meeting of its kind.

I sipped my drink.

I raised my glass confidently, hoping they would become more intoxicated and chatter freely. I intended to let them spill everything in their drunkenness.

Moreover, Charlize was the Empire’s greatest drunkard and brawler, yet also possessed an immense tolerance for alcohol.

In other words, she was a scoundrel who drank like a fish despite her high tolerance, causing incidents.

‘If I lived like the real Charlize, I’d die of alcohol poisoning before returning to my original world.’

Since I was bound not to be caught as not being Charlize, I would try to adhere to it as much as possible, but at this rate, I thought it far better to change her image entirely.

“Huuuh, my lady, you really drink so well today!”

As time passed, everyone except me became not only drunk but also slurred their words.

The first to speak was the baron’s daughter, Cleria, to whom I had promised a gift.

“Ooh, our young lady! So beautiful, and so rich! So lovely…!”

“Right, right! Kyaaah, I’m so jealous! Jealous!”

One young lady, her eyes glazed with intoxication, blurted out.

“I think our young lady is too good for the Duke of Lemute!”

“Right, right. I heard his house is completely ruined? How could he be so incapable of managing his domain…”

“All that’s left is a barren territory, they say.”

A malicious smile lingered in the eyes that looked at me.

“Right, and monsters appear there all the time! If he couldn’t even wield a sword, what would he do!”

“To put it another way, he’s nothing without his sword! The only thing worth looking at is… his face?”

“He’s handsome, but still unworthy of our young lady!”

“Right, right, hahahaha!”

I pretended to bring my glass to my lips, not missing a word of their conversation.

As I smiled quietly, the young ladies grew more excited and continued their chatter.

“Our young lady should meet a more handsome and capable man!”

“But hasn’t our young lady already touched all such men?”

“No, no, I heard the crown prince of the neighboring Roman Empire is truly handsome! He’d be worthy!”

“Right, right! The Duke of Lemute hasn’t appeared in public for ages, has he? In truth, the rumors about his looks might be exaggerated!”

“Maybe he’s ugly?”

“Hahaha!”

They were busy tearing apart my fiancé with glee.

Listening quietly, I realized they couldn’t criticize me, so they were taking it out on my fiancé.

No, I hadn’t misheard.

I gently swirled my glass.

‘As far as I know, my fiancé hasn’t done anything to deserve being slandered here… He’s taking the insults meant for me.’

I rose from my seat.

Hmm, but the world seemed to tilt slightly, and I was a bit startled.

What? I hadn’t even drunk half of Charlize’s usual capacity! Why did I feel drunk?

As I checked my condition, I flinched.

‘Surely, my tolerance didn’t change when I possessed this body? Surely?’

Though it seemed unlikely since the body hadn’t changed, my condition suggested it was true.

I was dumbfounded.

How could they take away the drinking capacity from a drunkard scoundrel?

What was I supposed to do when pretending to be Charlize in the future? No, was this the will of the gods to improve Charlize’s image?

I suppressed my disbelief and steadied myself.

“It’s because an inadequate man caught our young lady’s eye. What a pity… You could have wed someone far more splendid.”

“What can be done? Such a lacking man is our young lady’s fiancé…!”

“In truth, he must be ugly—a man with bulging muscles and nothing else. Perhaps the rumors of his handsomeness are just false gossip?”

The baron’s daughter, meeting my gaze, smiled sweetly.

“Our poor young lady, how pitiful…!”

Even as the alcohol consumed her body, I could tell.

“To have such a worthless fiancé… Kyaaah!”

The baron’s daughter couldn’t finish her sentence and screamed.

Because I had poured wine directly over her head in a steady stream.

Looking at her face dripping with wine, I smiled faintly.

“How strange. It feels as though you’re insulting my eyes, even though you claim to be slandering my fiancé.”

“Ah, ah, my, my lady? That’s not…”

“Or is it? Are you refusing the drink I offer?”

The baron’s daughter, struggling to catch the wine streaming down her cheeks, coughed and could not answer. Her desperate attempt to drink it and avoid my displeasure was starkly evident.

My smile grew subtle.

I had intended to break up this gathering today anyway.

This meeting was unnecessary for the next year of my life.

“I love my fiancé… and you’ve insulted the man I love?”

“Ah, that, uh,”

Above all, Charlize’s karmic debts were too great.

Yet these people only amplified her misdeeds, never aiding her.

The glass slipped from my hand and fell to the floor.

Crack. The sharp sound was also the signal to end this gathering.

“Everyone, go home.”

“….”

I felt no guilt.