Chapter 88

A perfect silence fell.

The warriors, Umiru, and the palace attendants were amazed, but they could not even show it and held their breath.

A fierce aura surged and spewed out from Tarqan.

The silence before the storm, so fragile it could shatter at any moment.

Breaking that silence, Tarqan slowly asked,

"What is this noise?"

"T-T-Tarqan Your Highness..."

Diona trembled and knelt on the floor.

"M-M-Your Highness must have misunderstood something. I absolutely..."

"That was what you said when you came to the bride's waiting room on the wedding day."

Aristine interjected, asking why she did that.

If she remained silent, wouldn't she be accused of lying?

"W-What are you talking about?! When did I...!"

"Isn't that right, Durante?"

At Aristine's words, Durante nodded lightly.

"Your Highness is correct."

Diona looked as if she was about to faint.

She clung to the hem of Tarqan's pants.

"N-No, no, no. Your Highness, please..."

"Wow, impressive."

Umiru whistled.

"So, you went to the bride's waiting room on the wedding day and warned the groom not to touch you because he was your lover?"

Umiru smiled at Diona.

It was a cheerful smile as always, but it was tinged with a sharp, cold hostility.

"And as a result, our Your Highness is now trying to defend herself, saying nothing happened yesterday."

Umiru chuckled.

Even if she were really his lover, it would be ridiculous to say such things to the main wife.

But Diona had no relationship with Tarqan at all.

"M-M-Your Highness is making it up... No, I never said anything like that..."

Tears welled up in Diona's eyes.

She clung tightly to Tarqan's collar, not even aware of what she was saying.

But there was no response from him.

If he had given her a cold, harsh look, it would have been better.

Tarqan was looking at only one person.

Aristine.

He was so focused on her that even as Diona clung to him, sobbing and begging, he did not spare her a glance.

"Diona."

At the call, Diona flinched.

This voice belonged to Mucali.

Although she had seen Mucali's expression earlier, she thought he would not abandon her in this situation.

"Mucali, I am so wronged!"

Diona turned her head towards Mucali, shouting.

However,

"Ah..."

Mucali's face, looking down at her, lacked the compassion, pity, and responsibility that should have been there.

Instead, he was clearly reprimanding her.

How could she have done such an outrageous thing, his face seemed to say.

Jagaren and Durante, standing beside him, felt the same way.

Their eyes were filled with contempt.

"No..."

Diona shook her head, muttering.

This couldn't be happening.

The warriors should have been kind to her.

'That's how it should be...'

Diona bit her lip hard.

'It's not like I did anything major!'

Tarqan couldn't possibly love Aristine.

It was just a political marriage.

In the end, she would be the one by Tarqan's side.

'What's wrong with telling him that sooner!'

They should value her more than a princess from an enemy country.

'They should take my side!'

But the only response she received was a cold look from the warriors, something she had never experienced before.

"Why..."

Muttering, Diona's shoulders slumped, and she turned to Tarqan.

"Tarqan Your Highness, how devoted I have been to you since I was young. My brother was the same."

Mentioning her deceased brother, Diona clung to Tarqan.

Since her brother died because of Tarqan, he couldn't help but care for her.

But Tarqan's gaze was still fixed on one person.

"Aristine."

"Yes?"

Aristine responded to Tarqan's call, feeling a bit awkward.

Seeing her concerned about Diona, Tarqan firmly held her hand.

Only then did her violet eyes fully focus on Tarqan.

Tarqan spoke each word with emphasis.

"I have no relationship with this woman."

Aristine's gaze flicked to Diona.

Feeling that gaze, Diona's face turned beet red.

'Ugh...'

Aristine instantly felt uncomfortable.

She squeezed Tarqan's hand and looked at him again.

He was looking at her with a calm, urging gaze.

"Uh, yeah..."

Reluctantly, Aristine responded.

From the flow of events and people's reactions, she had realized that Tarqan and Diona had no relationship.

It seemed Diona had been making false claims all along, whether it was delusional or a lie.

Tarqan, seeing that Aristine was still looking at Diona, felt frustrated.

Was she misunderstanding something?

He met her eyes and said firmly,

"I never had any special feelings for her, no passionate or deep feelings."

Aristine's gaze returned to Diona, and Tarqan gently cupped her cheeks with both hands.

They were so close that their foreheads almost touched. All she could see was his face.

"Even Moby never considered Diona as a daughter-in-law."

Tarqan's golden eyes pierced through Aristine.

She felt as if she was being penetrated by his gaze, unable to think of anything else.

"It's really not true."

"..."

"Answer."

Aristine looked at Tarqan silently for a moment.

'...I had no relationship with Diona.'

The fact felt like a cloud on a spring day.

"Uh-huh..."

Aristine's response made Tarqan smile.

It was a smile like the sun.

The people watching them had a slightly cold expression.

In such a serious situation, Tarqan and Aristine were in their own little world, being affectionate.

What about Diona?

Her face twisted like a demon's.

Tarqan released Aristine's cheeks and ran his hand through her smooth hair.

The intimate gesture made the onlookers blush and look away.

Aristine, in her casual attire with no decorations in her hair, looked even more intimate.

Once free from Tarqan's touch, Aristine could look around.

She was shocked to see Diona.

'Wow...'

She could only express her amazement.

There was no trace of the usual seductive and mature Diona.

"Indeed, every word from Tarqan..."

It was enough to cause a commotion.

'Honestly, it must be really embarrassing.'

Aristine looked at Diona with pity.

At that sympathetic gaze, Diona's eyes sparked with anger.

"Who asked you to pity me?!"

Diona jumped up and lunged at Aristine.

Or rather, she tried to, but Durante caught her arm.

"Let go of me!"

Diona twisted her body in excitement, seeing nothing but Aristine's mocking gaze.

She was furious that she was receiving sympathy from Aristine, of all people, when Tarqan, Mucali, and the other warriors were looking at her like a bug.

Aristine's sympathy only made her angrier.

'Who are you to dare pity me!'

Diona's eyes blazed with fury.

But no matter how much she struggled, Durante did not budge.

Aristine looked at the restrained Diona and thought,

'She needs to be calmed down.'

While she knew Diona had been making false claims, it wasn't particularly stressful for Aristine.

She didn't really care what Diona did and found it annoying.

If Diona and Tarqan had been lovers, she could have used it as a bargaining chip.

Diona would feel even more humiliated and frustrated if she found out.

To be nothing to someone she so fiercely guarded against and saw as an enemy.

There was nothing more futile and humiliating than that.

'Should I try to comfort her?'

Aristine, unaware of Diona's state, thought hard.

Maybe she could say something like they seemed like a real couple or that they looked good together.

Such words might soothe her.

Aristine looked at Diona with the most gentle expression she could manage and said softly,

"Still, I thought you two were really dating. You seemed so close... After all, you grew up together since you were young, so you must be quite special to Tarqan, right?"

"That never happened."

Tarqan's immediate and firm denial made Diona's head spin.

'Is he deliberately trying to ruin me?'

She couldn't back down.

Her anger had cooled, making her think more clearly.

Causing a scene would only harm herself.

Diona slumped to the floor, tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's really too much, Your Highness!"

Her sea-blue eyes, filled with tears, looked pitiful.

"It's fine if you treat me coldly, having always served by Your Highness's side. But my brother..."

Diona bit her lip and bowed her head.

"Please don't pretend not to know my brother..."

If she said this, even if Tarqan's heart didn't move, Mucali's or Jagaren's would.

As a leader of the warriors, Tarqan had to consider their feelings.

Diona smiled inwardly as she bowed her head.

"Diona."

Sure enough, Tarqan called her.

'As expected.'

Diona slowly raised her head, trying to look as pitiful as possible.

"Yes, Your Highness..."

"Know that it's only because of your brother that I haven't thrown you in jail right now."

"Y-Yes...?"

Diona couldn't believe what Tarqan said.

This wasn't what she expected.

Tarqan should be comforting her, aware of the warriors' presence.

But why...

"Your insolence towards my wife is a crime worthy of death."

Tarqan's eyes, looking down at her, were cold and sharp, devoid of any warmth.

"I-I..."

Diona looked around, seeking help.

But even Mucali and Jagaren were looking at her coldly.

This wasn't right.

She should be stomping her feet in frustration or glaring at Tarqan in resentment.

At the very least, she should be feeling so pitiful and guilty...

"Diona, don't disgrace your brother's face any further."

Mucali said, his face hard.

"Disgrace...?"

Jagaren, standing beside Mucali, sighed deeply and added,

"You are tarnishing Chandra's honor. What outrageous things did you say to Your Highness?"

"I-I..."

Diona's eyes darted around, finding no place to rest.

"Diona, this marriage is not just a marriage. It is a significant political union. Yet you tried to sow discord between the two Highnesses. Were you really that thoughtless?"

Durante's reprimand was the final straw for Diona.

Her mind was in a daze, denying the reality.

This couldn't be happening.

This shouldn't be possible.

How could everyone treat her like this?

'All because of a princess who suddenly appeared!'

A spark of fire ignited in Diona's eyes, which had been fading.

"You're all being too harsh!"

She jumped up and shouted.

"I just... I just loved Tarqan Your Highness! Is that wrong?"

"Diona!"

"Everyone knows I've only seen and loved Tarqan Your Highness since I was young! For all those years! Tarqan Your Highness was the only one for me!"

Diona's voice rose with emotion.

"I am the only one who truly cares for Tarqan Your Highness...! I know him the best! I am the only one who can make him happy!"

Everyone said so.

Even the nobles agreed that Diona and Tarqan were the best match.

'Before the princess arrived...'

Diona pointed at Aristine.

"Living as a stranger, not even knowing what Tarqan Your Highness likes...!"

Slap!

With a loud sound, Diona's head and body turned sharply.

She fell to the floor, trembling.

Her burning cheek was unbelievable.

She clutched her left cheek with a trembling hand.

It was hot, stinging, throbbing.

'You really hit me? My brother's sister...?'

Diona raised her head and glared at Mucali.

'You, of all people?!'

"Apologize to Your Highness."

Mucali said in a firm, unyielding tone.

For a moment, she forgot the pain in her left cheek.

'Apologize? To that woman, of all people?!'

I'll become a wife and earn money.