Chapter 25

They have already come to the point of marriage. There's no turning back.

Then, 一.

'I will never, ever let her get her hands on love.'

A shadow of disgust spread across Diona's face.

In it, a glare stained with rage and jealousy flickered.

'I will make this the unhappiest marriage in the world with my own hands.'

The thought of Aristine crying out in pain in a life of eternal misery made her feel a little better.

Diona calmed her anger and smiled faintly.

'Anyway, there's no way His Highness Tarkan would show any interest in a princess.'

Tarkan had said his heart would never change.

For over ten years, his feelings had remained constant.

How much she had been hurt by that unyielding and solid heart.

No matter how hard she tried, no matter how close she got, he never wavered.

She had been pricked and cut by the sharp, thorny walls time and time again.

'He won't change now.'

Diona snorted inwardly.

Aristine would go through the same thing.

But then, the image of Tarkan looking at Aristine with surprise after her bath, and the way he protected her from the queen during the official audience, flashed through her mind.

Her heart stirred.

This was the first time Tarkan had shown such political rhetoric.

'No, no.'

She was surprised when the princess came out of the bath too. Anyone would be.

And protecting the princess from the queen was just because he takes care of his own.

As Diona tried to reassure herself, she heard a voice.

"So, is that all you wanted to say?"

"Huh? Yes..."

Diona nodded absentmindedly.

She hadn't expected the conversation to go this way, so she had nothing else to say.

"Thanks for your congratulations."

Aristine, who had greeted her, now waved her hand as if to dismiss her.

It was a clear order to leave.

Diona braced her legs, determined not to back down so easily here.

She wanted to prevent Aristine from daring to flirt with Tarkan, feeling betrayed and humiliated.

It would be even better if she could make Aristine argue with Tarkan and get angry.

At the very least, she hoped Aristine would throw things and wreak havoc after she left.

'This wedding must fail!'

Even if the political marriage didn't break, she wanted this wedding to leave a bad impression on people.

Aristine's married life should start with a wound.

'I will make sure His Highness Tarkan doesn't even step into the bridal chamber.'

She would make it happen.

Diona's eyes glinted dangerously.

At that moment,

* * *

"Durante, what are you looking at?"

In response to Mukali's question, Durante shook his head.

"Nothing much. Do you know where the princess's maids are?"

"Of course, they would be by the princess's side."

Durante glanced at Mukali silently and then looked away.

Mukali, now curious, asked,

"It's not because it's about the princess, right?"

No, it was because he needed to keep an eye on her.

There was no other reason.

He cleared his throat and asked Durante,

"Khom, why?"

"No, I just think—"

'They won't be by the princess's side.'

Durante swallowed the rest of his thoughts.

His gaze turned to the bride's waiting room.

Diona had entered the waiting room quite a while ago, after talking with the noble ladies.

'She wouldn't have gone to see the princess with someone else around.'

Durante tapped his scabbard slowly with his fingers.

Everyone else remembered the beautiful princess they had seen at the welcome banquet.

Even the royal family who had come to Tarkan's palace to mock the princess remembered her.

But he was different.

When he thought of the princess, the first image that came to mind was her face covered in dirt and sweat.

And her eyes, shining like stars within that.

"I hope you won't lie to me anymore."

A voice like the wind on the plain whispered in his ear.

His tapping on the scabbard stopped.

No matter what the princess said, his only concern was his lord.

He hadn't intended to lie to the princess then, but he could do so whenever necessary.

If it was for his lord.

"Hey? Where are you going? Durante."

Mukali asked as Durante started to move.

"Just stepping out for a moment."

"What? Hey!"

Mukali called out, but Durante's back only grew more distant without a pause.

Mukali sighed deeply.

"That guy, he really has a temper."

If he chased after him, Durante would just stare silently.

'At least it's better to talk.'

Everyone tells me to calm down, but I think the one with the worst temper is Durante.

'So why did he bring up the princess?'

Without even answering.

Mukali, who had been glaring at Durante's broad back, was startled.

'...The bride's waiting room?'

Durante was knocking on the door of the bride's waiting room.

'What does that guy want with the princess?'

* * *

Knock, knock.

At the light knock, Diona quickly closed her half-open mouth.

'Who is it? Could the maids have returned already?'

No, it had been quite a while, so they should be back by now.

Actually, it was unreasonable to leave the princess alone for so long on her wedding day, especially when the maids were from her own family.

'And I haven't even properly deceived the princess yet!'

Diona's face showed her frustration.

But she soon calmed down.

'The maids from Silvanus disliked the princess. If I use that, it might be even more effective.'

She just needed to be careful not to reveal her true feelings.

The maids from Silvanus were eager to speak ill of the princess, so it would be easy.

She just needed to drop a few hints.

"Come in."

But the person who entered was not the maids.

'Du, Durante?'

Diona's eyes wavered at the unexpected visitor.

"Your Highness."

Durante bowed formally to Aristine.

It was not a casual bow but a formal one, the kind a warrior would give to royalty.

Diona's expression hardened.

"It's strange to hear you called that already."

Aristine leaned back in her chair and said,

"Rise."

With a relaxed permission, Durante bowed and stood up.

Diona bit the inside of her cheek as she watched the entire process.

Even as she said it was awkward, Aristine was extremely composed.

It was clear that she had been born into nobility, and such treatment came naturally to her.

Diona clenched her fists.

'Why is Brother Durante here...'

Anxiety rose to her chest.

She remembered the last time, when she had incited Mukali and then encountered Durante.

'Could it be because of that?'

Did he hear everything she said to Mukali?

Diona tried to straighten her trembling body.

For someone who had always managed her image, the shock was almost unbearable.

'But, but... it's Brother Durante.'

Just because he heard the story doesn't mean he would get involved like this.

Even now.

Surely, Durante wouldn't have come to the bride's waiting room knowing she was here.

Even if he did know, Durante wouldn't meddle in something that didn't concern him.

'There must be another reason.'

It's fine.

Diona reassured herself.

Meanwhile, the conversation between Aristine and Durante was flowing smoothly.

"It's been a while since we've had a proper chat, Sir Durante."

"Yes, I've seen you occasionally, but I haven't had the chance to greet you properly."

They had seen each other at the welcome banquet and a few times in the palace, but each time, they only exchanged nods.

"So, what brings you here?"

"I came to check if the preparations for the ceremony are on track."

"There are no issues."

"I see. But why is Diona here..."

Durante's gaze turned to Diona.

Diona stiffened and moved her lips, but no words came out.

She was confused about what to say, unsure how much Durante knew.

"Ah, she came to congratulate me on my marriage."

Aristine answered for the silent Diona.

"Congratulate, you say?"

"Yes."

Aristine nodded and smiled.

"Come to think of it, she talked about a lot of other things, despite saying it was a congratulation."

It was a truly boring conversation about her lover.

"I'm curious about that too."

Durante said with a rare smile, though his expression remained quite cold.

Aristine tilted her head. Boring?

It was a brave question only someone who didn't know the conversation could ask.

Aristine looked at Diona.

She was giving her a chance to share her favorite topic.

But for some reason, Diona stiffened under her gaze.

Her lips remained sealed, and she smiled with a thin, forced smile.

"Princess, you really... Did I talk about other things that much? I did say I hope your marriage with His Highness Tarkan is successful."

"Didn't you add that because you were embarrassed to boast alone?"

Aristine asked, tilting her head.

She thought Diona had come to boast about her lover to someone she wasn't close to.

Diona's face turned red.

"I didn't know you had something to boast about, Diona."

"Princess, you misunderstood. There was nothing special."

Diona quickly replied to Durante's words.

Aristine sighed deeply as she watched her.

Durante was curious, and Diona, despite being given the chance, was too embarrassed to boast.

In the end, she had to say it herself.

"It's nothing much. Just that Tarkan and she have been very close since they were young."

The words slipped out, and Diona's face turned pale.

She quickly checked Durante's expression.

He was looking at Aristine without any change in his expression.

"What else did you say? I don't remember clearly. Oh, that you were very close to Tarkan's mother."

Aristine continued, trying to recall.

Diona felt even more frustrated.

'Why can't you remember?'

She had deliberately chosen the most infuriating things to say, yet they were so vague in his memory.

'Shouldn't you be trembling with anger at each word?'

"Um, what else... Anyway, she talked at length, but the conclusion was that Tarkan and she are incredibly close."

Aristine summarized.

In fact, she remembered exactly what Diona had said.

Her memory was excellent due to the training from the imperial eyes.

'But it's embarrassing.'

It was too embarrassing to repeat Diona's words.

So she glossed over it.

'How could she go on for so long with such embarrassing words? Diona is truly remarkable.'

Aristine was impressed.

'How can someone be so shameless?'

It felt a bit like an insult, but it was pure admiration.

"Hmm, very close."

Durante crossed his arms and looked at Diona.

Diona, startled, tried to say something.

But before she could, Durante turned back to Aristine and asked,

"Did she say that while congratulating you on your marriage to His Highness Tarkan?"

"Yes, our marriage is for peace, so it must be successful."

"Indeed. I see."

Durante nodded.

His indifferent gaze swept over Diona.

So, the princess's words pointed to one thing.

Diona had come to the bride,

'Your husband is my lover, and even though he's marrying you, our love is the true love, and it will last forever.'

And she had even said she was congratulating her on the marriage.

The final touch.

Durante smiled.

"Brother... "

Diona, pale as a sheet, called out to Durante with a pleading look.

Aristine shrugged.

'If you're going to come and boast, why did you?'

She thought Diona was so confident that she didn't see any problem.

Generally, talking about the groom on the wedding day is a good way to get slapped.

'But this is different.'

She and Tarkan were just business partners in a political marriage.

They had even agreed on this before the wedding.

Diona must know this.

Since she had boasted so much about Tarkan's special feelings for her, she must have told him.

'So I thought she was just boasting without thinking, but seeing her now, it doesn't seem so.'

Aristine watched the flustered Diona and spoke.

It would be better to take Diona's side and make Tarkan look good.

"I'm fine, Durante."

Aristine's face really looked like she was fine.

Because of that, a cold chill settled in Durante's eyes.

Forget the husband, I'll just make money.