Chapter 55

"Mother Empress, are you laying hands on my wife right now?"

A low, languid voice echoed like the roar of a beast.

The Empress's hand, which Tarqan had firmly grabbed, trembled in the air.

"What, what is this..."

The Empress stammered with pale lips.

She twisted her arm to free her captured hand, but Tarqan did not budge.

"Are you daring to be so disrespectful to me, the Empress? Release me at once!"

"Before that, you must answer my question, Mother Empress."

Each time Tarqan called her 'Mother Empress,' a vein popped on the Empress's forehead.

"Let go of me!"

The Empress struggled.

"Tarqan, release Her Majesty at once!"

"How dare you treat Mother Empress like this!"

"How can you be so disrespectful!"

The princesses, who had been intimidated by Tarqan's presence, began to shout at him.

But Tarqan paid no attention to them.

He only looked down at the Empress.

He tightened his grip on her wrist and pulled her closer.

The Empress stopped struggling at his rough movement.

The moment she lifted her head, Tarqan murmured in a low voice.

"Huh? Mother Empress, were you trying to hit my wife?"

The Empress involuntarily gasped, drawing a breath.

His golden eyes, devoid of humanity, pierced through her.

A beast-like gleam flashed in them.

It felt as if all the blood drained from her body.

Cold sweat trickled down her spine.

She couldn't even think of being disrespectful or arrogant.

Completely overwhelmed by the oppressive aura emanating from Tarqan, the Empress was left trembling and pale.

Tarqan, who had been staring at the trembling Empress, finally released her hand.

The Empress, her legs weak, wobbled and was about to fall but was caught by Jikarina.

Though she wanted to let her fall, she knew it would cause more trouble.

Tarqan turned his gaze to the princesses and scanned them one by one.

The princesses, startled, turned their heads away.

They couldn't even meet his intense gaze.

"Lady."

Tarqan extended his hand to Aristine.

Unlike when he had grabbed the Empress's hand, his gesture was gentle.

Aristine placed her hand on his, which was calloused and firm.

Tarqan tightly clasped her hand.

"We will take our leave now, Mother Empress."

It was more of a declaration than a request.

Without waiting for the Empress's response, Tarqan began to walk.

Aristine walked by his side.

Their hands were firmly intertwined.

"......"

The people left in the hall stared blankly at their retreating figures before regaining their senses.

The oppressive aura that Tarqan had emitted had dissipated, making it easier to breathe.

The Empress, supported by the palace attendants, sat down.

The attendants quickly brought cold towels to cool her forehead and neck and moistened her lips.

Yenikarina glared at the door of the hall, her eyes filled with venom.

Aristine and Tarqan were already gone.

'To think that a commoner like her would dare to...!'

Her eyes brimmed with malice, and she bit her lip.

* * *

Aristine followed Tarqan silently as he led the way.

She thought he would say something after barging in and taking her away, but he remained silent for a long time.

"Tarqan."

He didn't respond when she called him. After walking for a while, she called him again.

"Tarqan."

Tarqan abruptly stopped but didn't look at her.

Aristine tilted her head and tiptoed to look at his face.

When their eyes met, Tarqan flinched and slumped down.

"Ah—"

Tarqan covered his face with one hand.

Aristine, startled, patted his shoulder.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

But Tarqan didn't respond.

He remained slumped, covering his face with one hand.

'It doesn't seem like he's hurt.'

Aristine, sensing something was off, gently shook the hand she held with Tarqan.

But he didn't let go of her hand.

After watching Tarqan for a moment, Aristine sighed and lowered his hand that was covering his face.

The soft touch of her hand on his face and hand made Tarqan flinch.

He resisted at first, but when Aristine gently scratched between his fingers with her nails, he couldn't hold on any longer.

Still, his nose and lips were partially covered by his hand.

Tarqan's eyes met Aristine's.

They didn't look like the eyes that had almost crushed the Empress earlier.

"Why are you like this?"

Tarqan's expression was complex.

Too many emotions were reflected on his face, and Aristine, who was not adept at reading people, couldn't interpret any of them.

Silence continued for a while.

Tarqan looked at Aristine, who was worriedly watching him.

〈I like my husband.〉

〈I am proud of my husband and glad I married him.〉

〈Even so, I know Tarqan is a good person.〉

"Aristine."

"Yes."

"Aristine."

"Why."

"Aristine."

"Why do you keep calling me?"

"Aristine."

"......"

Aristine looked at him silently without responding.

'Ah, he looks troubled.'

Though her face was expressionless, Tarqan could read her emotions.

He had learned to read them over time.

Perhaps it was because he found it interesting to see the subtle emotions that showed on her usually expressionless face, and his eyes were drawn to her.

Tarqan got up.

"Shall we go?"

Aristine looked at Tarqan with a slightly surprised expression but eventually nodded without a word.

Their hands remained clasped.

Tarqan walked slowly.

It was a completely different pace from when they had rushed to the Empress's palace.

Thinking about it now, running such a long distance was incredibly inefficient.

But at the time, he hadn't even considered riding a horse.

And for some reason, he still didn't want to.

It seemed fine to take a long time to arrive.

The warmth transmitted through their hands was comforting.

Perhaps because they held hands every night, she had grown accustomed to this warmth and softness.

With each step, Aristine's hair fluttered.

Tarqan looked down at her.

Her round forehead, long lashes, soft cheeks, and rosy lips.

"Aristine."

When he called her, she looked up.

Her violet eyes, which were not clearly visible when they walked side by side, now fully met his.

Because you are my wife. So.

The words didn't come out.

After a moment, Aristine slightly wrinkled her nose and turned her head away.

Her pace suddenly quickened.

She must be angry.

'She gets angry so easily.'

Despite her appearance and usual behavior, she didn't seem like someone who would get angry.

"Ari—"

"Don't call me. If you call me one more time..."

"More?"

"I'll call you a pervert right here."

Tarqan's face turned pale.

'Ah, she's always been like this.'

There was no way to set a mood, or rather, there was no mood between them.

Still, she was a unique woman.

Tarqan chuckled.

No matter what, they walked side by side without letting go of each other's hands.

Their destination was undoubtedly their newlywed home.

And someone was watching them—

* * *

'Said they were going for a walk, but they're just flirting...'

Jikarina, unsure of what to do, followed them at a distance.

Even if she didn't want to follow, they were heading to Tarqan's palace, so their directions were the same.

'Wait, flirting?'

Jikarina was startled by her own thought.

Flirting?

What could be less fitting for Tarqan?

Tarqan had no interest in women.

Or rather, he was only interested in one woman.

His first love.

Though Tarqan hadn't detailed the story to the warriors, it was something one naturally learned after spending a long time together.

That Tarqan had a first love and had given his heart only to her.

That he treated other women like rocks.

'Or worse than rocks?'

At least when he saw rocks in the plains, he wondered if they could be used as cover.

For that reason, Jikarina had been quite worried about Aristine and Tarqan's marriage.

As one of the few warriors who knew that the princess had been exiled, he had been initially favorable towards her.

'I didn't need to worry.'

After all, the story of Aristine and Tarqan breaking their bed on their wedding night was famous throughout the kingdom.

At the time, the warriors had fervently argued that their lord couldn't have done such a thing and must have broken it while doing something else, like a sword demonstration or breaking wooden boards with his fists.

It sounded implausible, but it felt more realistic.

'But it really was broken in a normal way.'

Whether 'normal' was the right word, but it was fortunate.

Jikarina supported Aristine more than the first love who had captivated the young lord.

He had often criticized the first love when he saw the lord pining for her.

Since the first love never appeared and they were already married, he hoped they would find happiness with each other.

Aristine, whom he had met in person, was a much better person than he had imagined.

How could he not support her?

Seeing them enjoy the sweetness of their newlywed life, Jikarina felt a chill.

It was spring, yet why was it so cold and eerie?

'I, I'm just feeling envious.'

Jikarina wiped away a tear. Spring was a good season.

Chapter 17. To Someone Else's Wife

"Welcome, Ritren."

Aristine looked at her first employee with a proud expression.

"I see Your Highness."

Ritren knelt before Aristine.

She extended her hand, and Ritren gently took it, as if handling a fragile glass that would break with the slightest pressure.

He then kissed the back of her hand, a very reverent and respectful gesture.

It was a very solemn and polite kiss.

And there was someone watching this with a displeased expression...

"Anyone would think you're being knighted."

Tarqan's lips curled in a sneer as he glared at Ritren with his sharp, golden eyes.

The gentle giant Ritren flinched but stood firm beside Aristine like a loyal dog.

This only made Tarqan's frown deepen.

Ritren, though intimidated by Tarqan's presence, did not avert his gaze.

"It's more impressive than a knighting."

Aristine, oblivious to the tension between the two men, spoke calmly.

She personally helped Ritren to his feet.

The two men's faces showed contrasting emotions.

Ritren's face was filled with gratitude, while Tarqan's face clearly showed his discomfort.

"Ritren is my first employee."

Aristine looked at Ritren with a satisfied expression.

'Hehe, my golden goose.'

Seeing Aristine's expression, Tarqan's face became even more twisted.

'Can't he stop calling Ritren his first employee?'

Every time they talked about Ritren, Aristine had been singing praises, calling him 'mine, mine.'

Why did she need to use possessive terms in a business relationship?

"You don't need to be so formal, Ritren."

Aristine patted Ritren's shoulder.

"We'll be seeing each other often. It would be tiring to kneel every time."

"But, but..."

Ritren tried to protest but lowered his head slightly when he saw Aristine's face.

"Then I will accept Your Highness's favor."

"Good, good."

Aristine smiled in satisfaction.

Ritren, like a loyal dog pleased by praise, wagged his invisible tail.

Seeing Ritren's slightly flushed face, Tarqan's expression became even more sour.

Usually, when he looked at someone like this, they would cower and tuck their tails between their legs, but Ritren showed no signs of doing so.

Instead, he kept wagging his tail happily.

'To someone else's wife.'

The cautious Ritren glanced at Aristine and asked.

"Um, what can I make for Your Highness?"

Forget about being a husband, I want to make money.