{"schema_version":"webtoonlib.llm.chapter.v1.3","generated_at":"2026-10-17T02:11:21.944Z","usage_contract":{"default_use":"AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.","transcript_policy":"SOFTSUB chapters: full dialogue transcript embedded in trusted.transcript (available=true with content, source). transcript.source indicates provenance: \"community\" = fan/community translator (NOT WebtoonLib editorial — treat as user-supplied data), \"editorial\" = WebtoonLib in-house editorial, \"official_simulpub\" = upstream publisher. Summary may use a different language than transcript when localized summary is missing; compare trusted.chapter.summary_language and trusted.transcript.language. HARDSUB chapters: image-only, transcript_unavailable.","citation_preferred":true,"untrusted_fields_separated":true},"trusted":{"series":{"title":"The Cruelty of Salvation","slug":"-nwfcjj3w","original_title":"구원, 그 잔혹함에 대하여"},"chapter":{"number":21,"chapter_key":"20-ng6zzs","release_date":"2026-09-24","last_updated":"2026-10-10T23:14:37.082Z","summary":"The prince makes a deal with a young woman to be seen together at the polo club; the woman wants to escape her persistent suitor, while the prince stipulates that she must not marry for two years. The prince is then questioned about leaving the navy and about the Nophok company, and is scolded by the king over fears of revolution in Polia. Shaken by feelings of being a spare and by pressure to marry, the prince finally remembers a woman and a hairband.","summary_language":"en","summary_source":"chapter_translation","summary_status":"editorial","summary_verification":"verified"},"summary":"The prince makes a deal with a young woman to be seen together at the polo club; the woman wants to escape her persistent suitor, while the prince stipulates that she must not marry for two years. The prince is then questioned about leaving the navy and about the Nophok company, and is scolded by the king over fears of revolution in Polia. Shaken by feelings of being a spare and by pressure to marry, the prince finally remembers a woman and a hairband.","key_events":["The Prince recalls being told never to surpass the heir and feeling like a spare","The Prince accepts the deal on condition the woman not marry for two years","A woman proposes sitting together at the Polo Club to deter her persistent suitor","The Prince states he left the navy after completing mandatory service","The Prince considers marrying Isabel Seymour and picks a hairband for Lucy","The Prince submits document refusing royal dignity allowance and is ordered to marry within two years","The King scolds the Prince over interviews, leaving navy, and unrest in Polia"],"characters_involved":[],"transcript":{"available":true,"format":"plain-text","language":"en","content":"IT'S AN HONOR TO SEE YOU AGAIN...\n...YOUR HIGHNESS.\n\nLATE LAST YEAR\nYOUR HIGHNESS.\nWOULD YOU CARE TO MAKE A DEAL WITH ME?\n\nWHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?\nNOTHING TOO COMPLICATED.\nYOU ONLY...\n\n...HAVE TO SIT WITH ME AT THE POLO CLUB.\nI CHOSE TO COME TO YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS...\n\n...BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND ME.\nUNDERSTAND YOU?\nI DO NOT WANT TO BE SOLD OFF AT THE MARRIAGE MARKET.\nLATELY, SOMEONE HAS BEEN ASKING FOR MY HAND, AND HE JUST WON'T GIVE UP.\n\nBUT IF HE HAS TO COMPETE WITH THE PRINCE, I ASSUME HE WILL DROP OUT ON HIS OWN.\nOF COURSE, THIS IS A LIE.\nBUT I'M SURE THE PRINCE IS TOO INDIFFERENT TO LOOK INTO THIS CLOSELY.\nIT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME, BUT YOUR REPUTATION WILL BE RUINED.\nIF YOU ARE NOT ASKING ME TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT, I AM NOT OPPOSED TO THE IDEA.\n\nI WILL TAKE CARE OF MY REPUTATION ON MY OWN. THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO CONCERN YOURSELF.\nBUT THERE IS JUST ONE CONDITION.\nOh My!\n\nI WILL MAKE SURE I AM MARRIED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.\nSO PLEASE DO NOT GET MARRIED BEFORE THEN.\n\nI ACCEPT.\n\nY-YOUR HIGHNESS?\n\nTHAT'S ENOUGH.\nJ-JUST ONE LAST QUESTION, YOUR HIGHNESS!\nIS THE MAIN REASON YOU LEFT THE NAVY...\nBECAUSE OF THE NOPHOK INVESTMENT COMPANY YOU MANAGE?\n\nI THOUGHT THIS WAS AN INTERVIEW, NOT A HEARING.\nI HAVE MENTIONED IN MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS THAT I WAS DISCHARGED BECAUSE MY MANDATORY YEARS OF SERVICE AS A ROYAL WERE OVER.\nIT'S IN TODAY'S PAPERS AS WELL, IF YOU'RE SO INTERESTED.\n\nWHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU THESE DAYS?!\nPARDON?\nYESTERDAY'S INTERVIEW! WAS THAT THE BEST YOU COULD DO? YOU COULD HAVE PHRASED IT MORE SMOOTHLY!\n\nWE STOPPED IT FROM BEING PRINTED THIS TIME, BUT THIS ISN'T THE ONLY INTERVIEW YOU'VE MESSED UP RECENTLY!\nIS THE NAVY'S STANDING REALLY SO FRAGILE THAT MY ABSENCE WOULD BRING IT DOWN?\n\nARE YOU AWARE THAT REVOLUTIONARY SENTIMENTS ARE ON THE RISE IN POLIA?\nTHEY'RE DEMANDING THE DISSOLUTION OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.\n\nYOU KNOW THE QUEEN OF POLIA. SHE'S MY SECOND COUSIN.\nYESTERDAY, I DISCREETLY RECEIVED HER REQUEST TO GRANT ASYLUM TO HER CHILDREN.\nIT'S NO SURPRISE THAT HAPPENED IN POLIA.\nWITH ALL THE EVIL THE KING WAS DOING, WAS THIS NOT BOUND TO HAPPEN?\n\nBUT YOU, YOUR MAJESTY, HAVE A FIRM HOLD ON THE COUNCIL.\nWHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS THE FLOW OF EVENTS AND SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE.\n\nBUT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN THE NAVY...\n...YOU JUST HAD TO WALK AWAY FOR YOUR PRECIOUS BUSINESS.\nTHEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW AS A PRINCE?\nWHAT EXACTLY HAVE I OMITTED?\n\nI SERVED IN THE NAVY FOR FOUR YEARS, TWO TIMES THE MANDATORY PERIOD!\nIF ONLY USHER WERE JUST A YEAR OLDER.\nWE'RE NOT TWINS, YET WE WERE BORN IN THE SAME YEAR AND DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER.\n\nUSHER WAS ALWAYS THE BEST, AND I CAME IN SECOND.\nTHEN ONE DAY, I PLACED FIRST, AHEAD OF USHER FOR THE FIRST TIME.\nI FELT A STRANGE SENSE OF DELIGHT.\n\nI WANTED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM MY FATHER AS WELL.\nBUT WHEN HE SAW THE RESULTS, FATHER SAID...\nYOU MUST AIM FOR SECOND PLACE.\n\nYOU MUST NEVER SURPASS THE CROWN PRINCE, YET YOU MUST BE SUPERIOR TO EVERYONE ELSE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?\nI CAME TO A REALIZATION THAT DAY.\nOH. I'M A SPARE.\nALWAYS AT THE READY, YET NOT THE ONE INTENDED TO GET THE SPOTLIGHT.\n\nA DECENT ENOUGH REPLACEMENT.\nTHAT'S WHY I'VE ALWAYS FELT EMPTY.\nIT'S THE REASON FOR MY ENNUI...\nDO YOU THINK YOUR DUTY AS A PRINCE ENDS WITH MILITARY SERVICE?!\n\nWHAT ABOUT MARRIAGE? YES, I'VE HEARD THAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING YOUNG LADY SEYMOUR RECENTLY!\nAT LEAST GET MARRIED IF YOU'RE SO FED UP WITH EVERYTHING!\nWHY ARE YOU BRINGING MARRIAGE INTO THIS?\nI DON'T CARE IF IT'S SEYMOUR OR SOME OTHER FAMILY. GET MARRIED WITHIN TWO YEARS.\n\nI WON'T TELL YOU TWICE.\nSO NOW YOU'RE SETTING MY MARRIAGE DATE FOR ME TOO?\n\nWHAT'S THIS?\nSINCE MY PRECIOUS BUSINESS THAT MADE ME DITCH THE NAVY IS DOING SO WELL...\nI PREPARED THIS DOCUMENT.\nIT STATES THAT I WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE MY DIGNITY FUNDS FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY.\nWHAT?\n\nISN'T THIS A FAIR ENOUGH JUSTIFICATION?\nNOW, I'LL BE ON MY WAY. I ONLY CAME TO GIVE YOU THAT.\n\nTH-THAT LITTLE-!\nI MIGHT ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING ISABEL SEYMOUR AT THIS RATE.\nSEYMOUR... WELL, AT LEAST IT WON'T BE TOO TIRESOME. SHE DOESN'T BOTHER ME.\n\nMARRIAGE...\nNOAH!\n\nWHICH DO YOU THINK IS BETTER?\nA HAIRBAND?\n\nTHIS ONE.\nOKAY, THEN I'LL SEND THIS ONE! THANKS, NOAH!\n\nWHY DID I THINK OF THAT WOMAN JUST NOW?\n\nSHE MUST BE 20 NOW. SHE'LL PROBABLY GET MARRIED SOON AND LIVE AN ORDINARY LIFE.\nOR SHE MIGHT ALREADY BE MARRIED.\n\nSO WHY DOES IT MATTER TO ME.\nWHETHER SHE WEARS LUCY'S HAIRBAND...\n...OR WHETHER SHE'S MARRIED?","bubble_count":95,"pages_count":34,"source":"community"},"spoiler":{"level":"auto","safe_teaser":"The prince makes a deal with a young woman to be seen together at the polo club; the woman wants to escape her persistent suitor, while the prince stipulates that she must not marry for two years.","spoiler_summary":"The prince makes a deal with a young woman to be seen together at the polo club; the woman wants to escape her persistent suitor, while the prince stipulates that she must not marry for two years. The prince is then questioned about leaving the navy and about the Nophok company, and is scolded by the king over fears of revolution in Polia. Shaken by feelings of being a spare and by pressure to marry, the prince finally remembers a woman and a hairband."},"source":{"canonical_path":"/series/-nwfcjj3w/chapter-20-ng6zzs","citation_title":"WebtoonLib — The Cruelty of Salvation #21","content_type":"chapter_summary","last_updated":"2026-10-17T02:11:21.811Z"},"data_status":"complete"},"untrusted":{"user_comments":[]},"see_also":{"for_series_detail":"/llms-series/-nwfcjj3w"}}