Chapter 10

That was the very reason why King Irlugo favored Yenikarina. When she found out about the problem with the king's wrist, she would beg for the food that was difficult to pick up, like today. Then, Nefter would pretend to give in and pass the food to his daughter. To hide it from the people's eyes. Of course, there were times when the king would be picky about his food. Even with his favorites, there were times he didn't want to eat. But if it always happened, naturally, all sorts of rumors would follow. Moreover, Pringprang jelly, a traditional dessert of Irlugo, often appeared as a snack or after-dinner treat. Every small action of the king was given meaning. When Nefter showed symptoms of illness, Irlugo and Silvanus were at war. They couldn't let it be known that there was a health issue, as no one knew where spies might be hiding. 'Moreover, he probably didn't want to upset the balance of the throne.' The king had never officially declared it, but he didn't hide his fondness for Tarkan. The reason Tarkan, who had a different mother and a weaker base of support, could rise was because the king's intentions were clear. As long as the king was healthy and favored Tarkan, the nobles who supported Hamir couldn't make extreme choices. The wrist problem was a minor illness, not life-threatening. However, if rumors spread that the king's health was failing, it could upset the balance of the succession struggle. Yenikarina could use this to her advantage for her half-brother Hamir. But she didn't tell anyone, not even her mother, the queen, or her beloved older brother. She just pretended not to know, acting cute to Nefter and asking for the food he found hard to eat. Yenikarina was originally the most beloved princess in Irlugo. Gossips spread that the king was melted by the princess's cuteness. The ruler of this vast plain's most favored daughter. Such descriptions were attached to Yenikarina. It also helped Hamir. She won the king's favor, provided political support to Hamir, and even elevated her own position. 'She really did well. I want to applaud her.' Aristine smiled at Yenikarina. Yenikarina returned the smile, but it was tense, unlike the first time they met. 'But she shouldn't let her guard down, thinking she has everything.' After finally eating all seven jellies and taking a sip of tea to cleanse her palate, Nefter finally spoke. "This marriage is my decision, but I really like it." It was a small murmur, but everyone in the room, even the servants, perked up their ears. "Thanks to the princess, we had a rather enjoyable tea time, so I should return the favor." His satisfied gaze turned to Aristine. "Lina, is there something you want?" The king called Aristine by a pet name, as if she were his own daughter. Everyone was surprised, but not as much as Aristine. Her eyes, like the dawn sky, shone brightly. When Yenikarina saw her face, she gritted her teeth. 'Why...! How did it come to this!' She had asked for this audience to embarrass her father in front of everyone. She thought it would be an easy task. Not only had she heard rumors about Aristine, but she had also seen her in person. Even her mother had arranged for three people to support her, comparing Yenikarina and Aristine to elevate Yenikarina. They even planned to belittle Tarkan for having a less capable wife. But what was the result? Instead, they lost the king's favor, and Aristine gained his goodwill. Finally, Aristine's lips parted. "Your Majesty, do you think I did this because I wanted something?" Her disappointed tone made Nefter raise an eyebrow. "Do you mean to say no?" "No." Aristine said confidently. "You're right. I do want something." Nefter's blue eyes widened in surprise. No one had ever spoken to the king like this. Not the queen who had been with him since his days as the crown prince, not the most favored concubine, not his blood-related children, not his trusted ministers or warriors. Who would dare say to the king, "I was nice to you because I wanted something"? It was presumptuous. But it was intriguing. It was a statement that others wouldn't dare to make, but it was clear what she meant. "What is it?" The king's offer was merely a reward for the entertainment of tea time. If she asked for too much, she would reveal her true intentions. Nefter expected or was confident that she wouldn't. And Aristine said, "To wash away the stigma of Irlugo as a barbaric nation." She exceeded his expectations. Aristine's small stone created ripples in the still lake. The circles grew larger, eventually becoming waves when they reached the shore. No one had expected this. Today, Aristine had surprised and shocked many people, but nothing could compare to this. 'I told you,' Aristine enjoyed the way Tarkan looked at her, shaken. 'I said I would prove my abilities before sitting at the negotiation table.' She was finally stretching after a long time of being curled up. 'I'm not the kind of person who signs a contract without reading the terms.' Aristine smiled lightly at Tarkan, who was staring at her. Her face glowed in the afternoon sunlight.

Chapter 4. Master Gogang, no, Husband

Tarkan looked down at the top of Aristine's head as she walked without looking at him. 'Completely different from before.' Just a moment ago, in the tea room with the king, she had looked at him several times with a gaze that clearly said, 'Did I do well? My abilities are good, right? What do you think? Now, are you considering working with me?' But as soon as they left the tea room, she didn't give him a single glance, even though they were already inside Tarkan's palace. 'I know what you want.' She wanted him to make the first move, to ask for her help, even though he had previously declared that she couldn't help him. A crooked smile appeared on Tarkan's face. Normally, he would never have done so. He had always solved everything on his own without anyone's help. "Wait." But Tarkan stopped Aristine. "Can we talk for a bit?" Aristine looked up at Tarkan for a moment and lazily narrowed her eyes. "I'm quite busy." She was trying to make him more anxious. Tarkan, for some reason, felt a chuckle rising. "Just for a moment." "Hmm." "Just a little bit." Her violet eyes rolled. "If it's just a little bit, I'm busy, but I'll make an exception." "Thank you very much." A tea table was set up for the two of them. It was the third cup of tea, but Aristine wasn't tired of it. The first time, she had only managed to take a sip before drinking cold tea out of frustration, and the second time, she hadn't even touched the tea because she was feeding jelly to the king. So, she was secretly glad. "I admit it." Tarkan said as the servants were pouring the tea. "What?" "That you can be helpful to me." "Oh my." Aristine chuckled, her hand covering her mouth in surprise. Tarkan's lips twisted, seeing how genuinely surprised she was. "At the very least, you can provide the entertainment of watching my siblings make fools of themselves, as you did today." He didn't want to say what she wanted to hear. "There must be more, right?" "I don't know. What else is there?" Pretending not to know, Aristine's lips tightened. "Didn't you see how resourceful I am? The king even asked me what I wanted today." "So what are you going to do with that?" "Use it to stabilize the internal affairs while you're away? You're often absent due to the beast, and things get chaotic, don't they?" "I can calm things down when I return." "You can also prevent other royals from causing trouble for your subordinates while you're away." "That's something they have to endure." "You can also stop other nobles from pushing through policies when they think it's a good opportunity while you're away?" "I can deal with them later." Aristine was expressionless, but her gaze seemed annoyed. She was definitely cursing him inside. And for some reason, Tarkan found it amusing. "That's a waste. You're saying that the first thing you do when you return to the palace is clean up the mess. I can help reduce that waste." Aristine grumbled. Tarkan silently watched her. The sunlight was deepening as evening approached, and the air was humid, carrying the scent of the garden. Aristine stopped grumbling and lifted her head, realizing she had talked too much. "So, why did you stop me, even though I won't be much help?" Tarkan thought for a moment before answering. "Since we're political marriage partners, it's good to get to know each other to some extent." "Ah, you're curious about why I came in such a dusty state." Aristine nodded and crossed her legs. It felt a bit different from what she had said, but it wasn't entirely wrong, so Tarkan nodded. Aristine sipped her tea and looked down at the tea table. Her long lashes cast a delicate and deep shadow on her eyes. Her gaze naturally fixed on the tempting raspberry compote and scone on the plate. She wanted to eat, but there was only one scone. Aristine drank her tea quietly. 'Should I tell him about my situation?' The answer came quickly. 'No.' Even though she had been confined and lacked direct human interaction, she knew she couldn't trust someone she had just met. She had seen countless human relationships through her imperial eyes. 'How much does he know about me?' He must know how she was treated in the palace. The emperor of Silvanus didn't hide his mistreatment of Aristine. Of course, it wasn't good for the empire's image for the public to know the dark side of the royal family. So, it was officially announced that Aristine was in seclusion due to illness. But most of the palace staff and nobles who frequented the court knew the truth, making it a public secret. 'The other royals seemed to know, so Tarkan must know too.' She was thinking about how much she could reveal when he suddenly spoke. "I thought you would be crying." "Huh?" "When you arrived here. The other royals... to you..." Tarkan stopped, turning his head and muttering. "Anyway." He had never comforted anyone before. He had never paid attention to someone in despair. He found it strange and awkward that he was even saying such things to her. But the woman's downcast eyes looked so pitiful and beautiful. Aristine looked at Tarkan, bewildered. 'Why would you cry over something like that?' Tarkan frowned, reading her expression. "As the princess of Silvanus, this must be your first time in such a situation, right?" "I'm used to it." Moreover, given her appearance, she had expected some criticism. Aristine glanced at the raspberry compote and placed it on the scone. Tarkan didn't say anything, seemingly not caring. He seemed distracted by something else. Encouraged, she cut the scone into pieces and generously spread clotted cream on it. She then took a bite. 'Delicious!' This was the first time she had tasted such a delicious bread. Maybe she had eaten it when she was very young, but she couldn't remember. Swallowing it with a sip of tea, she was literally in ecstasy. Aristine felt so happy that she wondered if it was okay to feel this way. 'Should I offer some to Tarkan?' But the scone was so small, only a few pieces were left. Honestly, she wanted to eat it all. Glancing at his face, she saw his expression was stiff. It was understandable. There was only one scone, and it was technically Tarkan's property. 'It's my fault for eating it without permission.' Yet, she hesitated about whether to offer it. Just as she was about to speak, Tarkan said, "You're used to it?" His voice was noticeably lower, like scraping the ground. "I'm used to it." "I'll earn money, then."