What Do You Mean There Are Other Transmigrators In My Harem Fantasy?

Judging by the gasps and whispers coming from around us, it looks like this was not something that was planned ahead of time where everyone else knew about it but me.

Heck, even Masuyama jerked in surprise when he heard the King’s words so this was definitely not a case where it was me being left in the dark about it.

Before I could respond though, the Queen beside him raised her hand and slapped the King lightly on his arm.

“Dear… Please don’t trouble our guests like that.”

“Ha?! What’s wrong with trying to get a good mate for my child? You’re telling me I should just ignore the perfectly suitable mate for him when they have just appeared right in front of us?”

“You barely even know her, dear…”

“Oh my Queen, a Mercenary who isn’t afraid of jumping straight into an enemy’s den for the sake of justice? I think I know her enough to know she is definitely suitable!”

One of the nobles spoke up, “Your Majesty! You can’t just let an outsider marry into the Royal Family like that! She’s practically a nobody!”

Ok… As much as I support the pushback so that I don’t need to marry this prince… I think the last comment was a little unnecessary, don’t you think?

Emboldened by the first noble’s words, a few others also chimed in.

“Your Majesty! Do reconsider! If you are looking for suitors, there are plenty of available candidates within the noble families!”

“Yes! I have both a daughter and a son that is of age, your Majesty! Both of them would be willing to be candidates for the prince’s affections!”

“My daughter has also expressed interest in wanting to meet the prince, your Majesty!”

“My son has always admired the prince as well, your Majesty! He has just recently mastered the sword! I believe he will be a good candidate!”

Even more of them tried to join in by pushing either their own children as marriage candidates or even children from their relatives as marriage candidates.

Surprisingly, both the King and Queen did nothing and just watched the entire scene with an emotionless look on their faces.

I peeked at the people that were still yelling and I quickly realised that all of the people that were trying to voice out their objections were all Nekomatas.

The Inugami nobles and the remaining few Nekomatas all looked quite uneasy but none of them spoke up and merely watched their peers continue to act out in front of the King.

Just when I was wondering why this was being allowed to continue, the King raised his hand and the room quickly quietened down.

“I have heard your objections and I understand,” The King announced solemnly. “I’m afraid because of that, I’ll have to rescind that offer, Miss Aster. I hope you don’t mind? Perhaps if you really want to marry him, you’ll have to compete for his heart like the others here.”

Err… No thanks, he can get someone else for all I care.

Obviously, I couldn’t say that out loud so I simply bowed my head, “I understand, your Majesty.”

“Hmm… In that case, you are still missing a reward for what you’ve done… Ah! I know! I shall make you a middle citizen!”

Right, that’s what they had already decided to give me so there’s no surprise there.

Unlike earlier where the nobles were protesting against the king’s decision, they were completely silent this time indicating they had no problems with this reward in particular.

The King nodded, “As for you, Masuyama. I suppose the only thing you want is another time off to be allowed to implement more of your ideas?”

The prime minister bowed his head, “That would be perfect, your Majesty.”

“You really are dedicated to your work eh? Hahaha! Alright! We shall discuss more at a later time then. Miss Aster, Masuyama, you may leave now.”

Both of us bowed at the same time before we stood up and left the audience hall while walking backwards.

Apparently you’re not allowed to show your back to the Royal Family here so if you want to leave, you have to walk backwards while facing the King.

Thankfully, the path out of the hall was pretty straightforward so neither of us had any problems backing out of the chamber before the door closed in front of us.

This wasn’t the end of the audience though, as we will have to be guided to another room to meet with the King so that we could actually receive the awards that were granted to us.

That whole thing earlier was just him announcing it to everyone officially so there would be no protests when the rewards were actually given out later.

The guards that were waiting for us outside then guided us to a waiting room nearby before they left us alone.

Only once the door was closed did Masuyama speak again, “That was… Unexpected…”

“You mean the King offering to marry the prince to me?”

“Yes… Although I suspect that you didn’t understand the full extent of what had just happened…”

“Err… The nobles are not happy that the King tried to nominate an outsider as a potential candidate for the prince’s consort? I’m not sure what else is there to understand?”

“Ahaha… Lady Aster, you really don’t know how our King works. He had planned this entire thing out from the very beginning. That offer to let you marry the prince was merely just bait.”

“A bait? A bait for who?”

“The Nekomata nobles who were seeking to control the prince of course.”

I stared at him for a moment before it clicked.

All those nobles that were protesting… They must have belonged to either faction and wanted to control the prince! That’s why they were advocating so hard for their own marriage candidates!

Under normal circumstances, they would never voice it out so directly but the fact that the King wanted to offer that position to me must have made them panic and try to push harder to dissuade the King, which in turn revealed their actual intentions.

Now they have a clearer idea of who they can and cannot trust just by that one move.

Masuyama continued, “That’s not all, by the way…”

“Eh? There’s more?”

“Remember how I said the plan was to make you an honorary middle citizen?”

“Yes? Wasn’t that what I was given?”

He shook his head, “You did not hear his Majesty say the word ’honorary’ at all, did you?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Lady Aster… He made you a permanent citizen. Not just an honorary one. He had announced the marriage as a way to sneak that in so that the nobles wouldn’t complain. Had his Majesty just offered this to you to start out with, there might have been some protests about you not deserving that big of a reward.”

Oh… Ohhhhh….

I get it now… This was the standard trick where you might first give a lowball offer to get the other party upset at the low value of it before you give them the actual offer that you planned to give to make it look more attractive and make them believe it’s the better deal instead.

“That’s… I didn’t realise your King was such a person…”

He nodded, “To most he might look like an impulsive muscle brain but he’s actually the strategist in battle. He usually thinks three steps ahead of everyone else.”

Before I could ask him to explain, another voice came from the side, “I’m glad you have such a high opinion of me, Masuyama. I was afraid that you might actually think I’m just a muscle brain! Hahaha!”

Both of us turned to see the King strutting in with his Queen following closely behind without a guard in sight.

Masuyama quickly got to his feet and bowed so I followed his lead, only for the King to wave us away.

“Bah! We’re in private now! So spare me the needless pleasantries! Especially you, Masuyama!”

The prime minister hesitated but obeyed, straightening himself.

“Your Majesty… Umm… Could I ask…”

The King cut him off by grinning at him, “Haha! I got you good, didn’t I? How does it feel to be the one that isn’t the most informed in the room, Masuyama? Hahaha!”

The prime minister scratched his cheek, “Ah… Ha ha… You got me, your Majesty. But umm… I don’t think this constitutes us being alone, does it? I mean… Miss Aster is still here… So we’re not alone…”

The King didn’t look in my direction as he grinned at Masuyama, “Seems like I get to out-know you twice in one day, Masuyama! Hahahaha!”

“What… What do you mean, your Majesty?”

The King then slowly turned his gaze to me before his grin widened, “I’m saying that I know more than you about our friend here, Masuyama. So… You are Miss Aster, am I right? Or maybe… Should I just refer to you as your real name instead? Aster Nilm, Young Mistress of the Nilm Family?”

There was silence inside the room as everyone else took a moment to comprehend his words.

What?!! How does he know?!