Chapter 16

Thus, it became clear that Aristine's use of the old carriage road was not due to being neglected by the Emperor, but rather because of her own decision.

Since the King of Ailugo had acknowledged this, no one else could delve deeper into the matter.

‘Not easy at all.’

The Queen, maintaining a calm expression, elegantly tilted her wine glass.

Of course, inside, she was burning with anger.

At that moment, a bold man's voice cut through the silence.

“Haha, I thought the Princess of Silvanus would be haughty, but you seem more down-to-earth than I expected. It's fortunate that the new family member has such a pleasant personality.”

The word ‘down-to-earth’ was pronounced with exaggerated emphasis.

It was clearly intentional.

Aristine looked at the person who had spoken.

‘Duke Skiera.’

She recalled the information she had gathered with Tarkan before the audience.

‘The Queen’s father, and the maternal grandfather of the First Prince Hamir and the Second Princess Yenikarina, who is said to be Hamir’s closest confidant.’

Bringing up the topic of the country and talking about haughtiness was certainly not polite.

However, the King, who had been favorable towards Aristine, did not particularly reprimand him.

In Ailugo, where formality was less strict compared to the overly formal Silvanus, this level of informality was somewhat acceptable.

‘They are testing me.’

Aristine accurately read the King’s thoughts.

‘They expect me to handle this on my own.’

It wasn’t just the King; Tarkan was also clearly evaluating her.

Aristine’s lips curled up.

‘Well, if that’s the case, I’ll meet their expectations.’

Meanwhile, the conversation continued.

“I also appreciate the Princess’s down-to-earth nature. After all, you came here representing Silvanus and even dressed in Ailugo’s attire. That must mean you are favorable towards Ailugo.”

His face clearly wanted to say ‘not just favorable, but submissive.’

Behind him, the Silvanus maids were probably grumbling.

They were probably whispering about how she had to wear Ailugo’s clothes.

Wearing such clothes would only harm Aristine, not benefit her.

“Of course, you would want to make a good impression on us. Silvanus proposed peace after being pushed back in the war.”

It was implied that she should curry favor with them.

“Look at all the tributes. And even the Princess herself...”

Now, he was openly treating Aristine as a tribute.

Despite their earlier disdain for Ailugo as a barbaric nation, they had sent the most noble bloodline of Silvanus.

It was a reminder that, as a princess of the Empire, she should be aware of her position as a captive from a lost war.

Of course, she should try to please them.

The conversation between the nobles and the royal family was becoming increasingly inappropriate.

Of course, it was intentional.

Contrary to their expectations, the Princess was unbothered.

In fact, beyond being unbothered, she even showed political acumen in just a few words.

They needed to suppress her spirit right after her arrival in Ailugo, when she knew nothing.

The King was standing by, and Tarkan, who didn’t seem to consider Aristine as one of his own, was just watching.

It was unexpected, but it was for the best.

There could be no better opportunity.

Those who thought this way sharpened their tongues.

“After all, you dared to underestimate us and attack, only to be counterattacked and lose territory... Giving up the Princess was no big deal, right?”

“Perhaps the second princess, who is called the jewel of the Empire, should have come instead of a Princess who was exiled.”

“The Princess must be aware of her shortcomings and will act accordingly. She must be wise enough to do so.”

Without any reprimand, the tone of the conversation grew increasingly harsh.

The atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

They had been waiting for this moment.

Aristine spoke calmly.

“This is strange.”

Her clear voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.

People were taken aback by her unexpected demeanor.

They expected her to be red with anger or unable to speak from humiliation.

However, Aristine was even smiling slightly.

“I came here to end the long-standing hostility between Silvanus and Ailugo and to promote peace.”

Her composed tone, perfect pronunciation, straight posture, and upright shoulders were befitting of a royal, making it impossible to call her a ‘flawed’ princess.

“From the moment I arrived in a carriage to dressing in Ailugo’s attire, you have criticized me and diminished the significance of this peace.”

Aristine’s gaze swept over those who had criticized her.

“It sounds like you are all hoping for war.”

The people, taken aback, tried to speak.

But no words came out.

They tried to refute her, but logically, there was nothing wrong with what Aristine said.

They had just been trying to belittle her, but their words were like a mad rush to tarnish the newly established peace.

“Are you going against the will of Ailugo’s Emperor, Nefter?”

Complete silence followed.

Even those who had tried to argue were now silent.

They needed to be cautious.

If they continued to attack Aristine thoughtlessly, they might be seen as opposing the Emperor’s will.

“Of course, that was not your intention.”

Aristine narrowed her eyes and smiled.

“Ha, ha... That’s right.”

“There was no such intention. We are all here for peace.”

“We are grateful that the Princess understands.”

The nobles, awkwardly smiling, agreed.

Aristine’s lips curled up.

It’s more effective to give a small opening for escape rather than cornering someone with no way out.

‘So they can move as I want them to.’

They had no choice but to escape through the opening she provided.

Of course, Aristine had no intention of fighting all the nobles.

‘From my past life, I know this.’

To catch a general, shoot the horse he rides.

‘Hamir’s horse is...’

“Duke Skiera.”

Duke Skiera, called by Aristine, tensed up.

He now understood that this princess was not as soft as expected.

“I wore Ailugo’s attire to show my goodwill towards Ailugo.”

“Then...”

“You only see one thing, Duke.”

Aristine’s violet eyes were filled with disappointment and regret.

“I had high hopes for you, just as you had high hopes for me...”

She even clicked her tongue.

Who could speak to Duke Skiera, the father of the Queen and the maternal grandfather of the First Prince Hamir, in such a manner?

But Aristine did not hide her contempt.

She was completely belittling him, just as they had belittled her.

There is a clear difference between a group overwhelming an individual and an individual overwhelming a group.

“I said I came in a carriage to see the land of the two countries that have suffered from war.”

“Yes, you did. Are you reminding me of that fact now? My memory isn’t that bad, Princess.”

“Oh, my apologies. I didn’t realize you remembered.”

Aristine widened her eyes in feigned surprise.

“If you remember that, there must be a reason why I wore Ailugo’s attire...”

Her lips curved into a smile as she spoke slowly.

“I thought you would naturally think that.”

Her smile was beautiful enough to captivate anyone, but its meaning was cruel.

Duke Skiera’s jaw tightened at the clear mockery.

“It seems you didn’t think that far.”

That arrogant princess was toying with him, treating him like a fool.

‘What’s so special about that dress! It’s clearly a complete Ailugo dress just by looking at it!’

As Duke Skiera’s gaze fell on Aristine’s dress, Phaelamien murmured.

“...Silvastian Kariel silk.”

“Yes, Princess Phaelamien.”

Aristine nodded and held the hem of her dress.

“It’s made from Silvastian Kariel silk from Silvanus.”

‘Now, do you understand my intention?’ Her eyes seemed to say.

Kindly and gently, as if teaching an ignorant child.

Silvanus was famous for its beautiful and high-quality silk.

Among them, Silvastian Kariel silk was a special grade, all of which was presented to the royal palace.

A dress made from this silk for Ailugo.

‘There is no more appropriate and symbolic gesture for the harmony of the two countries.’

“Originally, this silk was to be presented to Emperor Nefter, but can I receive it as a wedding gift?”

Aristine smiled at Nefter.

The King, who had been silent, finally broke the silence with a loud laugh.

“Yes, I will gift that silk to my princess. It suits her perfectly.”

The King’s voice was filled with genuine amusement.

“It seems only the Princess truly thinks about peace and the future of the two countries. Everyone should follow her example.”

These words were etched into the minds of everyone present.

The King hadn’t been this satisfied since Tarkan, at the age of ten, had cut off the throat of the great mage Murzika.

At that time, the young prince, who no one had expected, had shown remarkable ability.

The same was true now.

Who had expected anything from Aristine?

But she not only deftly handled the insults directed at her but also gave a good lesson.

For her to be Tarkan’s match...

‘It’s like giving wings to a tiger.’

‘Princess Aristine...’

‘I heard she was a madwoman who had been exiled and never properly educated...’

‘Hmm, this is quite interesting.’

The nobles, who had been quietly observing the situation, lit up with excitement.

‘Good. Thank you for moving as I expected.’

Aristine thought, looking at Duke Skiera.

Not only was she Tarkan’s political marriage partner, but she was also the representative of the Silvanus delegation.

For her to wear Ailugo’s attire at the official audience was unusual.

The Silvanus maids had pointed it out, and these hyenas would not miss the opportunity.

‘That’s why I asked Tarkan.’

Fortunately, Ailugo’s attire emphasized the beauty and flow of the fabric.

If it required extensive tailoring and sewing like Silvanus dresses, it would have been impossible to make the dress in time.

Moreover, the decorations were not like those of Silvanus, which involved sewing jewels, ribbons, and embroidery directly onto the dress.

In Ailugo, they adorned themselves with elaborate and delicate body chains and armlets made of platinum or gold, studded with various jewels.

‘Thanks to this, I was able to complete it just in time, with a flourish.’

As the hall gradually quieted down, the King of Ailugo spoke.

“Now that introductions are done, we should take our seats.”

His gaze turned to the Queen.

“It seems the servants miscalculated the seating. I never thought there would be a shortage of chairs.”

The Queen said apologetically.

“It was my oversight not to check. I am ashamed to face the Princess. If you are offended, I understand.”

By lowering herself and inviting criticism, she made it impossible to actually criticize her.

“I don’t see why the Queen should bother with such trivial matters. I am not bothered.”

As expected, Aristine, who had been silent until a moment ago, took a step back.

The Queen smiled.

“Still, I am happy to accept the Queen’s apology, so please don’t worry.”

Aristine said with a warm smile.

The Queen’s face, which had been smiling, cracked.

Aristine’s words assumed that the Queen had apologized.

The Queen had neither apologized nor intended to.

But she couldn’t say she hadn’t apologized here.

Even though it was just to show humility, the Queen had acknowledged her mistake and said she was ashamed.

If she said she hadn’t apologized, she would only embarrass herself.

The Queen forced a smile and pretended to be gracious.

“Ha, ha, what a kind heart the Princess has. To welcome such a bride, Tarkan is truly blessed.”

“Yes, as the Queen said, I am very blessed.”

Aristine’s lips twisted in a smirk, and the Queen’s mouth trembled.

“What to do about the two of you not having seats.”

The Queen’s gaze swept the hall.

Then, as if just noticing, she pointed to an empty seat.

“Oh, there’s an empty seat over there. You can’t stand the whole time, so why don’t you sit there?”

The seat the Queen offered Aristine was the very last, a place reserved for servants to wait.

There was no chair, only a cold floor.

‘Well, what will you do?’

The Queen’s eyes, like a snake eyeing its prey, were fixed on Aristine.

But Aristine’s eyes were sparkling with genuine joy.

There was no sign of discomfort.

To see such strong emotion from a princess who had shown no clear emotion, whether smiling, expressionless, or even mocking, was surprising.

‘...What is it?’

Seeing Aristine so pleased, the Queen felt a sudden unease.

‘Forget the husband, I need to make money.’