Chapter 53

A few days ago, my husband called me a married woman.

I don't want a daughter-in-law candidate like this.

'Besides, the queen is my mother-in-law, and Prince Hamir is my uncle.'

Introducing another son to a newly married daughter-in-law... I've never seen such a mess.

Aristine's gaze towards the queen became even more skeptical.

'No matter how much I might be tempted, this is too much!'

I've already made a business contract with Tarkan. There can be no one-sided contract termination or fraud.

Aristine looked at the queen with heightened vigilance.

* * *

The queen, Yenikarina, Phaelamien, and Stalina were speechless as they looked at Aristine.

The same went for the palace attendants who were serving tea.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at Aristine.

'Right now...'

'What...?'

After a moment of silence, they finally understood the current situation.

The queen's face turned pale with anger.

Yenikarina was even more agitated.

"What do you mean by that, Princess?"

"Huh?"

"Married woman? What do you mean by that!"

"Exactly what it sounds like... I'm a married woman. I'm not single, you know."

Aristine was surprised by Yenikarina's agitated appearance.

Is she this desperate because Hamir and I can't be together?

'That doesn't fit Yenikarina's character... She hates me, doesn't she?'

She thought this, but there was no other way to explain the current situation.

"Well, I'm still Yenikarina's new sister-in-law."

Even without marrying Hamir, she was already Yenikarina's sister-in-law.

She smiled to cheer her up, but Yenikarina's face crumpled, as if she had bitten into a bug.

"No, what...! You can't possibly mean that our brother, Yenikarina's brother, is with someone like you..."

Bang!

Yenikarina slammed the tea table.

The clattering sound made the tea splash and the plates wobble.

Her chest heaved with unspent anger.

Phaelamien felt a headache coming on.

The queen's eyes seemed to want to tear Aristine apart.

She regretted coming to this meeting, wishing she had just made an excuse.

She needed to defuse the situation before things got worse.

"Calm down, Yenikarina. The Princess was just stating that she is married and your sister-in-law."

Yenikarina's fierce gaze turned to Phaelamien.

Phaelamien smiled calmly and shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

"It's all true, isn't it? There's no reason to get so worked up."

"All true? You call that a statement? Why did you say that while talking about Hamir? It's just... just..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the rest, as it was too horrifying.

"Yenikarina, calm down."

Aristine, blushing, tried to calm the agitated Yenikarina.

Phaelamien looked at Aristine with a rough thought and an uneasy gaze.

What is she up to now?

"Even though I'm a married woman, we are already family. There's no need to be so upset."

Yenikarina felt her vision go black.

Her blood pressure spiked to an unbearable level.

"Princess."

The queen, having calmed down somewhat, called Aristine stiffly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I think you misunderstood. I was just talking about my son."

More precisely, she wanted to irritate Aristine by comparing her to Tarkan.

'A, how embarrassing. Because I rejected his proposal.'

Aristine looked at the queen with a slightly sad expression.

Of course, her pride must have been hurt.

Why did she say that to a daughter-in-law? Even if Tarkan wasn't her biological son, it was still too much.

Aristine decided to play along to make the queen less embarrassed.

"Of course. I was just stating that I am a married woman."

Aristine's face showed an infinitely kind smile.

The queen's face twisted.

'Clearly, she misunderstood my words.'

"No, I was just describing my son. Since you're now part of the royal family and haven't met Hamir yet, I thought it was just a casual conversation."

"Yes, I was just saying I'm a married woman. No big deal."

Aristine nodded, as if she understood everything.

'Understood? She completely misunderstood!'

The queen's head throbbed, and she covered her forehead.

No matter what she said, she would get the same response.

The more she explained, the more pathetic she would look.

This won't do. I can't communicate with her, so I have no chance of winning.

There's no way out.

But leaving it at this misunderstanding filled her with a tremendous sense of defeat and self-loathing.

'Why did it come to this?'

She had orchestrated everything, calling Aristine with the help of the princesses, but it ended up like this.

The exhausted queen leaned back, and Stalina, who had been watching, spoke up.

She needed to smooth things over with the queen and Yenikarina, as she had made a mistake.

"Of course, Your Majesty has every right to talk about Hamir. I would probably brag about such a son every day if I had one."

"Right, I agree."

Phaelamien chimed in.

"Isn't he truly remarkable? To be in charge of the mana stone mines."

'Mana stone mines?'

Aristine's ears perked up at Phaelamien's words.

"Being the most trusted child, Your Majesty must have entrusted such an important task to Hamir."

It was also to appease the nobles who opposed the marriage between the Silvanus princess and Tarkan.

The faction supporting Hamir had strongly resisted.

But if Hamir himself lacked the ability, he wouldn't have been given the responsibility of the mana stone mines, a major national project.

"Indeed, he must be very busy. He can't even return to the palace because of this. When someone is so capable, they have to endure such hardships."

The queen, whose headache had slightly subsided, smiled.

Hamir's political standing had risen due to his leadership of the mana stone mines.

"Was it the mana stone mines that kept you away on official business?"

The queen looked at Aristine, as if to say, "Exactly."

She must be quite envious.

But Aristine's eyes only showed admiration.

"Of course, Lina, you must understand how significant this is. Everyone knows the importance of mana stones. Our father entrusted this to no one else but our brother Hamir."

Yenikarina said this proudly.

Her tone had returned to normal, and her eyes gleamed as she looked at Aristine.

'Our brother is much better than your husband.'

That was the meaning behind her gaze.

Aristine didn't care whether Yenikarina thought so or not.

'Indeed, they wouldn't announce the nature of his official business publicly.'

It's like the discovery of oil in a previous life.

With the strategic marriage between Silvanus and Ailugo causing international turmoil, delaying the announcement was a wise move.

"That's great."

Aristine's face was full of pure envy.

Aristine knew how significant the mana stone business was.

'Precisely, how much money it generates.'

But it was unlikely that Aristine would ever be in charge of the mana stone business.

It was a strategic national project, not something an individual could handle.

'Envious, the silver spoons.'

A guaranteed profitable business.

Now that Aristine was part of the Ailugo royal family, she might have a chance to handle national projects.

But would they really entrust a newly married prince's wife with something as important as the mana stone business?

There would be significant political interests involved.

Aristine herself wasn't particularly interested in national projects.

'Handing over the business during a divorce would be difficult, and the money earned from the national project wouldn't all be mine.'

In a sense, it's like being a salaried worker.

The queen's eyes sparkled at the sight of Aristine's envious face.

'She must have had a revelation after hearing about the mana stone mines.'

She must have realized that Tarkan is a rotten rope and Hamir is the true king.

'Then this will be easier.'

If Aristine were to join her side, it would be a definite advantage.

Although Aristine has a bad track record and often causes frustration, the queen was the ruler of the country.

She wasn't so petty as to give up political interests over personal feelings.

Isn't politics about yesterday's enemies becoming today's friends and today's friends becoming tomorrow's enemies?

'There's nothing better than creating discord between Aristine and Tarkan.'

With the high public interest in this marriage, Tarkan's position would plummet instantly.

"Lina."

The queen called Aristine with a soft voice.

"I'm sorry that you're already married. I have such a grown-up son, you see."

Yenikarina gasped and looked at her mother.

'Mom!'

Her lips trembled, but no words came out, conveying more emotion than a thousand words.

The queen ignored her daughter and smiled at Aristine.

'Come, I'm extending my hand to you.'

Of course, she would cut ties if things went wrong.

Even if she felt sorry, it was absurd to give a divorcee to Hamir.

Aristine is smart and wouldn't dare think of such a thing.

She just needs to understand that the queen is extending her hand.

If she senses this, Aristine will realize that joining her is the wise choice.

It's common for a husband and wife to be politically opposed.

"Still, as you said, you're not my daughter-in-law. Not even my first daughter-in-law."

Come to me.

The queen's eyes said as much.

Then, when Hamir becomes king, you won't be purged with Tarkan. You'll have a peaceful and wealthy retirement.

"What do you think? About becoming a daughter and a mother-in-law like a real mother."

* * *

"My lord."

Tarkan turned his head at the call.

"Jagalen."

His soldier and strategist, Jagalen, stood awkwardly.

"Your Highness said to report everything, even the trivial matters."

But Jagalen glanced at Tarkan, fearing a reprimand for wasting time on such trivialities.

"What is it?"

"The queen summoned Your Highness to the palace."

"The queen?"

"Yes, along with Princess Phaelamien, Princess Stalina, and Princess Yenikarina."

They were all the queen's lackeys. Tarkan's left eyebrow raised.

"She's really set on this."

"What should we do?"

"What can we do? Let it be."

After all, it's a political marriage.

Enduring such political tensions is part of a prince's role.

Moreover, Aristine herself had negotiated directly with Tarkan before the marriage.

A partner.

This is part of her basic duties as his partner.

'So, I don't need to worry about it.'

If the queen and the princesses make her miserable, what does it matter?

Aristine is just doing her job.

Besides, it would be ridiculous for Tarkan to rush to a lady's tea party.

'Besides, I need to focus on the monster extermination plan. I don't have time for such trivial matters.'

Tarkan completely dismissed it.

"My lord."

Jagalen called out, flustered.

"What is it?"

"Where are you going?"

"What?"

Tarkan frowned and looked at Jagalen.

"You're walking so quickly."

As Jagalen said, Tarkan was almost running.

Realizing this, Tarkan furrowed his brow and turned his head.

"A walk."

"A walk?"

Tarkan walked to the queen's palace for a walk.

Ignoring the palace attendants who stared in surprise, he was about to enter when he heard the queen's voice.

"What do you think? About becoming a daughter and a mother-in-law like a real mother."

* * *

"Hmm, there's a saying. There's no mother-in-law like a mother from one's own family."

Aristine smiled.

"The queen said she's sorry I'm already married, but I'm not at all sorry."

Aristine placed her elbows on the table and spoke leisurely.

"I like my husband."

He's a bit high-maintenance, shy, and perverted, but still.

'Especially, he throws great parties.'

The queen's face turned cold.

She never expected her extended hand to be rejected.

"You're still young and newly married, so your husband might seem like everything to you, but it's good to think carefully. Life is ultimately about the choices you make."

The queen's eyes fiercely glared at Aristine.

"You need to make a good decision so you don't regret it later and blame others, okay?"

It was almost a threat.

If Aristine doesn't bend to the queen, she will make her regret it.

"I made my own decision. Why are you asking this when I like Tarkan?"

"Blinded by love, destroying your life? Are you putting too much on the line for your youthful passion? Get a grip, you're a princess and a prince's wife."

'Oh, I meant that I like him as a partner, not out of love.'

The queen's reprimand was mixed with misunderstanding, but Aristine remained silent.

'Well, it's easier if she misunderstands.'

Phaelamien, who had been listening quietly, asked.

"What does Tarkan have that's so good?"

"Hmm......"

Aristine thought for a moment.

"He's good at breaking beds?"

I'm done with my husband; I just want to make money.