Chapter 5

"Could it be...?" she asked, even though she had already received confirmation that it was true, she still couldn't believe it.

The hair, which was hard to discern its original color due to oil and dirt, had a silver hue, as if tinged with lilac flower water.

Even in such a dirty state, her eyes were mysteriously and beautifully captivating, there was no need to mention that.

Her long, arched eyelashes were like butterfly wings, and her lips were plump and soft, like flower petals.

Perhaps because she had just finished bathing, her damp hair and rosy cheeks created a peculiar atmosphere for those who saw her.

Her sharp jawline and straight neck, her skin so pale it seemed almost transparent.

Tarkan had never reacted to someone's appearance like this before.

No beauty who had visited the palace had ever caught even his gaze.

But this woman in front of him now...

'It's just because she contrasts so much with what I've seen before.'

Tarkan quickly came to this conclusion.

"......?"

Aristine, noticing the strange behavior of the two, turned off her attention and sat down in a chair.

Seeing the teacups set on the table, she assumed someone had brought an extra one for her.

Even after sitting down, no one poured her tea, so Aristine reached for the teapot.

Only then did Diona, startled, grab the teapot.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Your Highness."

Diona bowed her head and hurriedly poured the tea.

She was worried that the princess might think she was being ignored.

'I can't cause a conflict in front of His Highness Tarkan.'

She quietly observed, but the princess only shook her head silently.

Her expressionless face made it impossible to tell how she felt. Was she hurt, or did she not care?

Even so, it somehow seemed mysterious and strange.

It was surprising how an expressionless face could be so charming.

'I was happy that the first princess came instead of the second princess...'

But now, there was no reason to be happy.

No matter how much Tarkan claimed he wasn't interested in a woman's appearance, seeing such a beauty every day would be a different story.

'She definitely affected him just now!'

Diona's grip on the teapot tightened.

It was rare for Tarkan to show any signs of being moved.

But since this woman arrived, he had already shown signs of being moved several times.

'And it's only been a few minutes!'

Hiding her surging emotions, Diona poured the tea and bowed to Aristine.

"I present myself to Your Highness. My name is Diona."

"Alright."

Her voice was clear and melodious.

Diona forced a smile, but a dark shadow fell over her heart.

"Now, you can go."

At Tarkan's words, Diona's hands, which were tidying up the tea set, paused.

'Go? He wants to be alone with her?'

But she quickly put on a smile and bowed her head.

The palace attendants also withdrew, leaving only Aristine and Tarkan in the room.

* * *

Silence fell.

Tarkan was the first to speak.

"What?"

"You came here to talk, didn't you?"

"We're about to be married. Do we really need a specific reason to have tea together?"

"At least that's how it is with you and me."

'This is more cynical than I thought.'

Aristine thought.

Trying to break the tension with small talk might get her kicked out before she could even bring up the topic.

It would be better to get straight to the point.

"Anyway, you did accept this marriage proposal, right?"

At this, Tarkan frowned, clearly displeased.

His expression suggested that accepting the marriage to Aristine was not his choice.

'No, I feel the same. Who would volunteer to marry you?'

Aristine muttered as she sipped her tea.

The fragrance entering her nostrils was intoxicating. The warm tea smoothly coated her tongue before sliding down her throat.

This was the first time she had tasted such high-quality tea.

Honestly, it was delicious. It was quite good.

...It wasn't as if she had come here out of great desire or love, but this wasn't so bad.

'But I'll keep that a secret from Tarkan.'

"Fine, I'm not here to chat and gossip."

Aristine straightened her posture and looked directly at Tarkan.

Now that Diona was gone, it was better to talk about something more concrete than love or children.

Using external relationships was a secondary option.

What Aristine was confident in was her own abilities.

"I'll get straight to the point."

Golden eyes like the sun and violet eyes like the dawn clashed in the air.

"Let's do business together."

Chapter 3. My Fiancé Has a Business Bug, Can We Still Get Married?

"......Business?"

Tarkan's eyes became strange.

"No, no! I don't have a business bug."

Aristine quickly waved her hands.

In her past life, as seen through the Emperor's Eye, and in this world, a business bug was the root of all evil.

"I'm not asking for a loan. I'm not asking for an investment. I'm not saying this will be a huge success! Well, of course, I do have a business idea that I think will be a huge success..."

"......"

"No, really, I'm not. Really. So please don't look at me like that."

"Surely you're not planning to use the royal treasury for business funds. This needs to be addressed..."

Tarkan muttered, averting his gaze.

The royal treasury was certainly money that Aristine, as a royal after marriage, could use.

He was saying that he needed to manage it before his future wife, who had a business bug, wasted it.

Aristine quickly denied it.

Tarkan's gaze lingered on her face.

Her expression showed a bit of emotion, her cheeks flushed differently from before.

It was a bit surprising. So, her lips opened on their own, and a playful remark came out, uncharacteristically.

"Ask for a loan, ask for an investment, and say this will definitely be a huge success. Or, ask for a seal stamp, maybe?"

"That's not it."

Aristine grumbled.

Her facial muscles didn't move much, but her lips became slightly fuller.

Tarkan took in this sight.

"Through a political marriage, we are politically intertwined."

Aristine intertwined her index fingers.

"So, wouldn't it be good if we had a mutually beneficial win-win relationship? Not personal friendship, but business... professionally."

Aristine chose her words carefully.

Love was out of the question in their marriage, and she was suggesting a strategic transaction, but it seemed she was being treated like someone with a business bug.

It seemed that direct communication with people was rare, so the message was getting distorted.

'But I'm doing pretty well, right?'

She definitely didn't say anything incomprehensible.

"Win-win."

She had a lot of nerve. No one dared to use the term "win-win" with Tarkan.

Tarkan's lips curled into a fierce smile.

"Sure, it would be great if that could happen."

His tone suggested it was impossible.

"I will help you. But what about you?"

Tarkan looked down at Aristine.

His golden eyes were more relaxed than arrogant.

"What can you do for me?"

Everyone else would have been intimidated by Tarkan's attitude, but Aristine was different.

Not only was she not intimidated, but she even countered.

"What do you want from me?"

"Just to breathe and exist quietly."

"Oh my."

Aristine covered her mouth and sighed lazily.

"While I appreciate the sentiment, it's a bit awkward."

Though she said this, Aristine's face showed no gratitude or awkwardness.

"I don't believe you fell in love at first sight. But still, our first meeting..."

Aristine had been in a state where she couldn't bathe for a month.

"Well, tastes are diverse and should be respected, I think."

Aristine's gaze swept over Tarkan from head to toe.

"First, you were a bit embarrassed by your own tastes, so you tried to hide it by saying it was a mistake, right? By the way, strong denial is strong affirmation, they say."

Watching this chattering woman, Tarkan's head ached.

What was this woman, really?

He had seen countless types of people in his lifetime.

But this was the first time he had encountered someone like this, regardless of age or gender.

"I'm not saying I'll be satisfied with you just breathing and existing quietly."

"Right."

Aristine smiled and nodded at Tarkan's slow, deliberate words.

"Tarkan."

A low, soft voice called his name. Her fine silver hair swayed with her movements.

"Is there something you want from me?"

Her eyes, with their mysterious light, looked at him.

'Come on, just say it. I already have a good idea of what you want.'

Aristine waited for Tarkan to speak.

But he just stared blankly at her, then frowned and turned his head, as if he had seen something he didn't want to see.

"What can you do with those thin arms that can't even hold a fork?"

He muttered.

Indeed, to the Ilugo people, all Silvanus people seemed frail.

'But I'm average for Silvanus.'

She was relatively tall for someone who had been exiled and couldn't eat properly as a child.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"You won't be of any help to me."

Tarkan dismissed Aristine's grumbling.

"I don't call a one-sided contribution a win-win."

He stated this and asked Aristine.

"What's the difference between asking me to stamp a seal on a business deal that's clearly a loss and asking me to sign a fraudulent contract?"

'This guy is treating me like a con artist.'

Aristine raised her eyebrows.

"You're completely dismissing the idea that I can be of any help."

"That's because it's the truth."

'I don't like it.'

Aristine tapped her teacup with her finger.

When things were going well, it didn't matter if the other person ignored her or thought poorly of her, but now she needed Tarkan's cooperation.

'Hmm, will he still act this way after he knows about me?'

The moment it was revealed that she had the Emperor's Eye, not only Tarkan but even the emperor who had treated her coldly would treat her warmly, as if they had always been a loving father and daughter.

Thinking about it made her angry. It fueled her determination.

'At the very least, I need to confirm what cards he's holding, right?'

Tarkan hadn't wanted it, but he had agreed to this political marriage, and they were now political partners.

This was a matter of courtesy.

'Ha, I'll make this guy beg on his knees to do business with me!'

With this resolve, Aristine gulped down the cold tea.

"Fine, if I want to sit at the negotiation table, I need to prove my abilities first."

Clang, she roughly placed the teacup on the saucer and stood up.

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

"To check the goods before stamping the seal."

* * *

"The princess wants to meet me?"

"Yes, what should we do?"

At the palace attendant's words, the Ilugo king raised an eyebrow.

The Silvanus delegation was originally scheduled to rest until noon the next day and have an official audience in the evening.

'But why does the princess want to meet separately...'

The second princess, Yenikarina, who was massaging the king's shoulders, smiled lovingly and whispered in his ear.

"Would you like to meet her? I'm also curious about the princess of the rumors."

The king's gaze turned to Yenikarina.

He already knew that she and several of his other children had visited Tarkan's palace.

It was clear what she was up to, asking for an audience despite having already seen the princess.

'It's the first princess who was exiled, not the second.'

And she had come in a state worse than a street beggar.

Yenikarina's intentions were so obvious that they were almost endearing, so the king didn't scold her and instead told the palace attendant.

"There's no reason not to meet her, since I'm not in the middle of official business."

"Wow, great!"

Yenikarina hugged the king's neck and smiled broadly.

'Now I can crush that dirty and ugly princess in front of Father.'

This would also lower Tarkan's reputation.

Yenikarina was excited at the thought of humiliating Aristine.

Moreover, with that ugly person by her side, she would stand out even more.

'Then Father will love me even more.'

Father had strongly desired the Silvanus princess, so Yenikarina had been on edge.

'But when I saw her just now, she wasn't worth it at all.'

It was fortunate, but thinking about the sleepless nights she had spent worrying, Yenikarina felt that the princess deserved it.

She would make her pay for it.

Yenikarina looked at one of the palace attendants.

The attendant, understanding her gaze, nodded slightly.

* * *

The palace attendant who received the look immediately went outside and informed the queen.

"Is that so?"

The queen murmured, folding her fan.

"It's a sudden, informal meeting. It would be too much if I went."

"Then..."

"I have my dear Yenikarina, so it should be fine, but it would be good to have someone to assist. Send these three. They're idle, so it won't be strange for them to go."

"Understood."

The palace attendant bowed and left the queen's palace.

Shortly after, the princesses and princes, following the queen's orders, headed to the king's palace.

"I'm looking forward to Father's reaction."

"Right, what will he think of that beggar princess?"

"Is that all? Even so, she's a direct descendant of the Silvanus royal family..."

"She was a palace mouse suited to that lowly person."

"But she must have bathed, right? Tarkan must have cleaned her up and dressed her nicely to show her to the king."

"Hmph, even if he did, it won't make much difference. No matter how much you polish a turd, it's still a turd. The core doesn't change."

"True. She was even worse than her own maids. The maids were more radiant than the princess."

"I heard the Silvanus princess was beautiful, but it seems that was about the second princess. Marten, haven't you met the second princess?"

"The second princess was definitely beautiful. She had golden hair, was slender, and was refined, a typical Silvanus woman. Even sisters don't always look alike."

"They are half-sisters, after all."

"Poor Tarkan. He thought he was getting the beautiful and popular second princess, but got this scrawny one instead."

"I heard the first princess was exiled because she was mentally unstable."

"Oh, so she's a lunatic?"

The faces of the princes and princesses were filled with undisguised delight.

How envious they had been when they heard that Tarkan, born to a lowly mother, was to marry a noble princess.

"Tarkan must be quite desperate. This sudden request for an audience can't be the princess's idea. It's Tarkan, panicked by the arrival of this defective product, trying to see Father."

"Yenikarina won't even know we're there with Father."

"Or that we're coming."

"Today will be quite entertaining."

While talking, they arrived in front of the tea room.

They looked at the opening door, their faces full of ridicule.

Tarkan's back, always intimidating, was visible.

And the shining silver hair next to him.

'Shining...?'

'Forget the husband, I just want to make some money.'