Chapter 64

This means that someone took the scalpel with a clear intention, not that it was simply forgotten somewhere.

"Here... "

A palace attendant brought the empty case.

The case, lined with soft navy velvet, was completely empty.

They had definitely targeted the scalpel.

'Could it be an industrial spy?'

Since the design of the scalpel itself is innovative, if someone took it and copied it, it would be a big problem.

'Of course, we will improve it here, adding a disposable blade and using stainless steel.'

Even if they copy it, the performance will definitely be superior on our side.

However, since time is needed to develop stainless steel, I might end up being the latecomer.

This could even result in Aristine being accused of plagiarizing the scalpel design.

Moreover, revealing this design first would have a significant impact on the market.

'There’s a huge difference between "it looks different" and "it’s different from the start."'

"Where did they target my scalpel?"

While it wasn't treated as a major secret, I did maintain some level of security.

There was a reason I didn't treat it as a secret.

'No one would be interested in the scalpel business anyway.'

When I first told Ritren about making the scalpel, what was his reaction?

"You know, there are many issues in that field. Everyone avoids it..."

"Your Highness, precisely because of that! You’re saying you will enter this difficult field, willing to take losses to save people."

Basically, the medical scalpel industry was a place where lawsuits for medical malpractice were common.

That's why Ritren also misunderstood that Aristine was making a sacrifice.

'From the perspective of the queen, who is keeping an eye on me, she would want me to proceed with the scalpel business without any problems.'

She must be 100% sure that there will be issues with the scalpel I release.

'The reason the scalpel failed in the future I saw with the Emperor's Eye must also be deeply related to the queen.'

It was due to the negligence of the doctor, but the queen would have exaggerated it and blamed Aristine's scalpel.

"Hmm... I really can't figure it out. It would be troublesome to be the latecomer."

Tarkan, who had been watching her silently, spoke up.

"I have a different opinion."

"Huh?"

"The possibility that they took it to copy the scalpel is low. Rather—"

Tarkan stopped speaking.

"No, that's not it."

He frowned and turned his head.

'Not an industrial spy?'

Aristine grabbed Tarkan's arm and asked.

"What is it? What is it?"

If it wasn't to make a scalpel, why did they take it?

It wasn't something expensive or aesthetically beautiful like jewelry.

"It's nothing."

But Tarkan firmly said.

"Hmm."

Aristine's eyes narrowed.

"There are two ways to drive someone crazy. The first is to stop talking in the middle of a sentence—"

Aristine's words suddenly stopped.

Tarkan's eyes twitched.

The palace attendants, who had been listening with their ears perked up, looked at Aristine in confusion.

'The second one? The second one?'

Their eyes were asking.

However, Aristine's lips showed no sign of opening.

Instead, she looked at Tarkan and raised her chin.

Seeing this, Tarkan chuckled.

His wife was truly a unique woman.

"It's just that I'm not sure yet. I'll tell you when I am."

Aristine still looked dissatisfied, but her eyes softened a bit.

"Really?"

"Yep."

Tarkan nodded and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry, focus on improving the scalpel. Finish it as soon as possible."

Tarkan's eyes darkened slightly as he spoke.

Ideally, he wanted to leave the scalpel improvement to the employee who loved it so much and not bother with it.

'But she won't listen.'

Tarkan, who had been watching Aristine, knew best how much effort she was putting into this business.

Given the reason the scalpel was taken, it wasn't ideal for Aristine to be moving around.

'Besides, the longer the scalpel improvement takes, the more time she spends alone with that guy.'

Lately, Aristine had been spending most of her time in the forge with Ritren.

Even when Tarkan tried to interfere, she insisted it was a secret.

'I don't like it.'

Tarkan frowned and tapped the armrest.

"Tell me the reason and then tell me to focus on development?"

Aristine looked at Tarkan with a bewildered expression.

In the situation where the scalpel was missing, she nodded.

She just nodded. And she found it strange.

Since there was no one around, Aristine had always solved things on her own since childhood.

Because of this, she had a habit of confirming things with her own eyes and thinking for herself to feel at ease.

But when Tarkan told her not to worry, she felt like she didn't need to worry.

Living with him every day, she must have come to trust him quite a bit.

'This is what it means to trust someone.'

It was different from knowing someone's abilities and trusting those abilities.

It was a very reassuring, comfortable, and pleasant feeling.

It felt like she had really come out of that small, dark room and started building connections with people.

'I hope there are more people like this.'

"Tarkan."

When she called, Tarkan turned to look at her.

Her face was reflected in his golden eyes.

Aristine giggled and tapped his arm.

"I'm really glad you're my partner."

"What—"

Tarkan frowned and turned his head sharply.

His face was flushed, and he was flustered.

Aristine, not noticing his red cheeks, shrugged.

"Well, it takes a lot of effort, and you're shy and childish, and most of all, you're a—"

Tarkan panicked and covered Aristine's mouth.

He didn't know what the vicious Umiru would do if she heard the word 'pervert.'

"Stop saying that."

Tarkan stopped speaking.

Aristine's lips were pressed against the sensitive skin in the center of his palm.

They were soft, smooth, and warm.

Every time Aristine exhaled, the warm, moist breath tickled his palm.

Tarkan's fingers twitched, not knowing what to do.

Her face was so small that his large hand could easily cover it.

Their eyes met from the closer distance as he covered her mouth.

Her eyes, wide with surprise, showed the full moon-shaped irises.

Her purple eyes, like countless stars in the dawn sky, seemed to hold the universe.

Looking at them, it felt like she would be sucked in.

Umiru watched the newlyweds with a hazy gaze.

"Cough."

She cleared her throat slightly, but neither of them reacted.

They didn't seem to hear.

Looking around, the palace attendants were making faces as if they were about to cry, trying to stifle their laughter.

She stood up, but neither the newlyweds nor the attendants, who were busy watching them, looked at her.

Umiru kicked the sofa with her foot.

But there was no reaction from anyone.

'At this point, someone should at least look at me, right?'

She felt like an invisible person, which was heartbreaking.

She had never been treated like this before.

'Pfft.'

Umiru left the room without a word.

* * *

The hot flames licked the iron with crimson tongues.

The iron glowed red and melted.

Every time Ritren pulled the magic bellows handle, the muscles in his shoulder blades stood out prominently.

His back, sunken and stretched, glistened with sweat.

The flames shot up as the molten iron was poured.

The heat was intense.

Sweat trickled down his fine muscles.

While the iron was cooling, Ritren started heating another alloy that had already been cooled.

Sparks flew.

Sweat-soaked Ritren's body was caressed by the orange glow and deep shadows.

"Haa..."

Aristine exhaled a hot breath.

The stifling heat made it hard to breathe.

Just standing there was this hot, so how must Ritren feel, working in front of the fire?

But there was no sign of fatigue on Ritren's face.

On the contrary, his face was more serious than ever.

His tightly pressed lips, slightly furrowed brows, and intense gaze.

There was no trace of his usual gentle demeanor on his face.

'Indeed.'

Aristine nodded at the reliable employee.

'He is a blacksmith, after all.'

Despite his gentle, friendly face, Ritren's body was wild.

From his shoulders to his arms, chest, and abdomen, he was covered with firm, fine muscles.

With each smelting and tempering, he must have lifted heavy iron and moved his body, developing his muscles.

'I need to work hard too.'

Aristine checked the data chart.

"The percentage is the same as last time."

"Let's try pressure and heat treatment."

Ritren placed the alloy on the anvil and started hammering it forcefully.

Clang, clang!

The sharp, clear sounds of metal on metal echoed through the forge.

Aristine thought the clear yet rough resonance sounded like a song of iron.

"Huff."

Ritren roughly wiped the sweat from his forehead.

His disheveled golden-brown hair was darker from the sweat.

'This isn't it...!'

The more he hammered, the more he felt this way.

Clang!

A loud, shattering sound shook the space.

The hammer missed the anvil's edge and made a loud noise.

The steel, hit off-center, fell to the ground.

The red-hot steel, unable to withstand the force of the hammer, was dented.

Aristine whistled at the state of the alloy that had rolled on the floor.

She didn't expect such a rough side from the seemingly gentle Ritren.

Ritren took a deep breath.

His pectoral muscles swelled and his broad shoulders moved with each breath.

Aristine waited for him to calm down and then asked casually.

"Why? Is it not good?"

Ritren didn't answer immediately. He put the hammer down and poured water on the iron he had heated earlier.

Sizzle.

Steam shot up, drawing a white streak in the air.

"I'm sorry."

Ritren's face was obscured by the steam, but his jaw was visibly tense.

"The hardness is lower than expected. If this happens, the thin scalpel blade will break too easily."

His voice was still soft, but there was a low undercurrent of frustration and anger.

"Hmm..."

Aristine kicked the steel Ritren had dropped with her foot when it had cooled enough.

She watched it roll toward the scrap metal pile and then turned her head.

There, several types of stainless steel were submerged in water.

Despite the long time, none of them had rusted.

Mixing iron, nickel, and chromium to make an alloy isn't that difficult.

'The problem is the ratio.'

If nickel is too low, the workability decreases, and if it's too high, the cost increases.

'And the processing method.'

The hardness, corrosion resistance, and heat resistance vary slightly depending on the mixing ratio, additional materials, and post-processing.

Ritren was continuously searching for the most suitable one for medical scalpels.

'Actually, I was planning to compromise from the beginning.'

Since it was a field Aristine didn't know much about, she intended to use it if it didn't rust and had no special issues.

That alone would be revolutionary.

It's a different level from bringing innovation to the design of medical scalpels.

Stainless steel is a highly versatile metal, used everywhere on Earth.

'It will be used a lot here too.'

Aristine's eyes sparkled as she thought of the stainless steel products she had used in Korea.

'This isn't just a big hit. It's a super hit!'

It's not just a windfall or a gold mine.

'It might even be enough to buy buildings in the capitals of different countries.'

It would be a good idea to travel freely to places she had only seen through the Emperor's Eye after divorcing Tarkan.

Thinking about money made her heart race with excitement.

But with the top employee in this state.

Aristine looked at Ritren.

Forget being a wife, I need to make money.