Chapter 29

It wasn't a footman but Tarqan himself who opened the carriage door for Aristine. Aristine climbed into the golden carriage, holding Tarqan's hand. Behind her, the long train of her dress spread out magnificently. "Haaaa." The onlookers sighed. It was a scene everyone had dreamed of at least once in their hearts. Just being escorted into the carriage seemed to be the most romantic moment in the world. As the newlyweds sat side by side, the carriage started off smoothly. The wedding parade would circle the main road of the capital and end at Tarqan's palace. Only then would the wedding truly be over. The wedding parade was a process to announce their marriage to the people, but it had a significant meaning. Circling the capital symbolized a long journey, or a lifetime. Arriving at the house where the newlyweds would live after the parade symbolized that they would spend their lives together safely. It meant that no matter what happened on their journey, they would return home together, and no matter what happened in their future, they would be together. Though it was a superstition, it was also a kind of wish, blessing, or vow. The couple would swear their vows in front of everyone, and the people would bless their future and bear witness. "…But we'll divorce in a few years." Aristine thought indifferently. They would arrive at Tarqan's palace after circling the capital without any problems, but they had a predetermined ending. It wasn't "They lived happily ever after no matter what happened." "I plan to divorce cleanly as soon as I put Tarqan on the throne." Although the meaning of the wedding parade was null and void, it felt strange that people were responding so enthusiastically. Aristine, a princess, had never appeared in public before. Seeing people waving at her made her feel shy and ticklish. Wide-open mouths, crescent-shaped white eyes, joyful expressions. Even though she didn't consciously think about it, Aristine's face mirrored the people's expressions, and a gentle smile appeared. The carriage moved very slowly. Although the guards were controlling the crowd, excited people tried to get closer to Tarqan and Aristine, causing the formation to break. After watching the people for a moment, Aristine turned her head to Tarqan. He had been a bit strange since the beginning. He was unusually quiet and seemed distracted. His expression was also harsher than usual. "No, even if you're like this, you shouldn't frown!" With people cheering for you. "Tarqan." "What." A grumpy answer came back. Normally, she would have stiffened under Tarqan's intimidating presence and moved away, but Aristine instead moved closer to him. She even turned her body completely toward him. "Smile." "What?" Tarqan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request. "These are the people who cherish and love you. It would be better to smile. Your expression is completely stiff." "I always look like this." Yet people revered Tarqan for his charisma. "Still, it's better to smile today. We just got married." Tarqan hesitated. It was a strange statement, subtle and perhaps even sweet. "You... are misunderstanding something—." As Tarqan frowned and was about to say something to Aristine, she suddenly cupped his face with both hands. "Kaaaaa!" A scream that sounded like it would tear the air echoed among the onlookers. This wasn't a cheer but a scream. The crowd was sobbing over the newlyweds' couple act. Journalists were frantically pressing their shutters. Regardless of the surroundings, the two people in the carriage paid no attention. Aristine was not used to caring about others' gazes, and Tarqan was too stunned by what she did. Aristine held Tarqan's cheek and gently rubbed his lips. The soft touch near his lips made Tarqan flinch. "Smile." "Let go." "I'll let go if you smile." "Let go." "I'll let go if you smile." Inside the golden carriage, the two of them bickered. To others, it looked like the new bride was gently holding the new groom's cheek and sharing a sweet, private love story. It was a delightful scene to watch, with a handsome man and a beautiful woman. But it felt like a cold wind was blowing through the left side of his chest. 'Couple hell... No! This is our hero, Tarqan.' 'We must not meddle with our married couple.' Devout followers of the Single's Church exchanged secret signals. The couple, unaware of the internal discussions within the religion, was still arguing with smiling faces. "Do you think getting married to you is a reason to smile?" "Yes." Aristine nodded confidently. "I'm your business partner. And we are also a political alliance. Wouldn't it be better for us to appear as a happy couple rather than a hostile one? Especially since our union symbolizes peace." "…Is that the reason?" "Huh?" Aristine tilted her head at Tarqan's question. What other reason could there be besides that? Her questioning face made Tarqan close his mouth tightly. 'This woman has no sense of marriage at all.' She didn't seem to have any anxiety or thoughts. Some brides get depressed before their wedding, but there was no sign of that in her. Even if lovers get married and become depressed, they were a political marriage with no feelings for each other. 'This woman is fine, but why am I feeling this way…' He felt foolish for reacting to each of Aristine's meaningless words. Instead, he seemed to be more lost in thought about getting married. 'And the height…' He never imagined the bride would pull him. Thinking about it now, it was absurd. Aristine's thin arms couldn't possibly move him. But at that moment, he was so startled that his body leaned toward her. Aristine didn't miss the opportunity and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. The sudden memory made Tarqan's brow furrow. He didn't realize his ears were turning red. The palm and fingers of Aristine's hand, which held his cheek, became vividly aware to him. Unlike him, a warrior, her hand was soft and smooth, without a single callus. The touch of bare skin. <This is almost a kiss.> Aristine's whisper echoed in his ear again. Tarqan wanted to shake off her hand. But he couldn't. Because. Because. 'I feel like I'm being swept away by this woman's words.' Yes, that's why. This woman, who is thinking about politics during her wedding, why is he. "There's no more solid reason than this…" Aristine mumbled, and Tarqan spoke. "Alright." "Huh?" "I'll smile." "Really?" "Yes. So let go." Aristine felt a slight regret as she released his surprisingly smooth cheek. When she let go, Tarqan's face broke into a smile as promised. Even a slight lift of the corners of his mouth changed the atmosphere instantly. It was a wild, yet lazy, and somehow satisfied smile, like that of a well-fed predator. It was the first time he saw someone's expression change so dramatically. Aristine looked at Tarqan's face with curiosity. "The princess should smile too." "Oh, right." Aristine nodded and followed his lead with a smile. The impact of the beautiful couple smiling together was immense. "I've never seen His Highness Tarqan smile…" "To look at his bride with such affection and care." "Even the heart of an ice-cold prince must have melted." "A bride like that would melt anyone's heart." The people watched the newlyweds' public display of affection with satisfaction. Clunk! A loud noise, and the carriage tilted sharply. "Heeeeee!" The startled horse screamed. The horse tried to run quickly, and the carriage, still connected to it, was dragged forward while tilted. The driver tried to pull the reins, but the panicked horse only became more excited. As the carriage tilted and accelerated, it couldn't withstand the force and began to tip over. Aristine saw the ground getting closer and closed her eyes tightly. If she hit the ground, her body would be scraped and torn. Or, she might be crushed by the carriage. 'It's okay. I'm used to pain.' She knew how to endure. So it's fine. Her body, affected by gravity, fell helplessly toward the ground. At that moment. A strong arm wrapped around her waist. The fall stopped, and she was lifted up. A hot and solid presence enveloped her. A familiar yet unfamiliar feeling. When she opened her eyes, Tarqan was holding her. Just like when he protected her from the prying eyes of the crowd, he protected her again. As he lifted Aristine, he swung his sword. With a sharp tearing sound, the connection between the carriage and the horse was severed. Aristine looked at the sword in surprise. It was a ceremonial sword for the wedding, yet it cleanly cut through the metal. 'Is Tarqan that amazing, or is the sword that amazing?' The freed horse galloped forward. Fortunately, the excited horse only ran forward and didn't charge into the crowd. The guards standing along the road tried to calm the horse. They were all skilled in horsemanship, so there was no need to worry. After checking the horse's condition, Tarqan stepped on the sliding carriage to stop it. The carriage came to a halt. Aristine looked back and forth between the carriage and Tarqan with wide eyes. How could a carriage, which was as solid as gold, be stopped like a piece of paper? This all happened in an instant. The people, who had been screaming, looked bewildered at the scene before them. Tarqan sheathed his sword and lifted Aristine, who he had been holding with one arm, with both arms. 'This is a familiar pose.' Princess carry. It felt strangely comfortable. Though she had never been in this position before, it was the second time since meeting Tarqan. When Aristine looked up at him, Tarqan looked down at her. His golden eyes, shining like sunlight. 'Beautiful.' Aristine felt a sense of déjà vu. At that moment, their eyes met just like before. It was the moment Aristine first recognized the person who would become her husband. And. "Are you okay?" "Thanks to you." He had truly become her husband. The people stood in a daze. 'What just happened?' At first, they were startled by the carriage losing balance and only thought about avoiding it. But nothing happened. Or, something did happen. The carriage tipped over, and the horse ran away. But something, snap, crack, thud, and everything was resolved. They saw the scene before them but couldn't understand it immediately. They just perceived the scene. After saving his bride from danger and holding her precious, the hero of the country. Aristine, cradled in his broad arms, looked even more delicate and fragile. The pitch-black Tarqan and the radiant Aristine looked like two extremely different beings. Their appearances, builds, and even the clothes they wore were completely opposite. But that made them even more suited to each other. Clap, clap, clap... Someone clapped. They didn't know why they were clapping. But that started a wave of applause. The sound of clapping spread out from where Aristine and Tarqan stood. It was a truly romantic and beautiful scene. "It's really too wonderful..." "I'm moved..." "Such a beautiful love..." This is a wedding that will surely be made into a play and passed down through generations. In people's minds, Aristine and Tarqan's wedding was perfectly adapted into a play. The moved people had tears in their eyes. Aristine, still in Tarqan's arms, looked at the people clapping with a puzzled expression. It was really fortunate that no one was hurt and the atmosphere wasn't bad. 'But.' A serious problem remained. "The horse is gone, and the carriage is broken... What do we do now?" Aristine asked, looking at the overturned carriage. The carriage still looked magnificent in its current state. But it couldn't be used. 'Surely, I wasn't thinking about divorce when I got in, right?' For some reason, the superstition surrounding the wedding parade felt quite plausible. 'No, this isn't the time to think about such things leisurely.' Given the situation, the wedding parade had to be interrupted. The wedding parade, being symbolic, made this a very serious issue. It would be seen as an ominous sign that the marriage of Aristine and Tarqan, and thus the peace treaty between the two countries, would be broken. 'I'm a husband now, and I need to make money.'