Chapter 94

"What are you thinking so deeply about?"

Aristine lifted her head at the question that pierced through her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize I was spacing out in front of someone..."

Aristine was currently chatting with Hamir for the first time in a while.

The forest path, which had been turned into a promenade in the palace, was quiet and charming.

In the middle of the forest path, there was a spot set up for picnics, and the two of them had settled there.

Hamir looked at Aristine, whose face was inexplicably red, and smiled.

"Congratulations on your business success. All the way to Sten and the magic power furnace... The shortage of steel, which was a setback, turned out to be a blessing in disguise."

"Thanks, Lu."

"Still, you must have made a lot of money, right? You said you wanted to make money so badly."

"Of course, I made a lot!"

Aristine grinned and puffed out her chest proudly.

Not only from the sale of Mese, but also from the royalties for the Sten manufacturing method and the magic power furnace.

'Is this what it's like to live off patent fees?'

It's the best when money comes in just by breathing.

Of course, the Sten royalties were shared with Lietren, and the magic power furnace royalties were shared with Azena and other mages.

Aristine also gave generous bonuses to other blacksmiths.

"It's really fortunate that the magic stones were supplied on time."

"Yeah, I thought His Majesty had a hand in it, but Prince Hamir did it, they said."

"Prince Hamir?"

"Yeah, surprised, right? Why would he do that? He's the one who got me into trouble."

"That's true. I'm also curious."

Hamir stretched his lips into a smooth, unblemished smile.

"Still, it's nice to be relaxed these days. I was really busy before. Oh, try this. It's delicious."

Aristine offered the cupcake she had brought.

Hamir took a bite of the cupcake and flinched.

'This is...'

He smiled and said to Aristine,

"Prince Tarkan is treating you well, isn't he?"

"Huh?"

Aristine was startled by the sudden mention of Tarkan's name.

Her face felt hot for no reason.

"Why suddenly?"

Hamir turned his gaze away, his cheeks slightly flushed, and narrowed his eyes at the embarrassed Aristine.

"Now that you ask, I don't want to tell you."

He licked the cream off his fork.

"When you're with me, you only talk about yourself. Not about other people."

Aristine narrowed her eyes and asked,

"Are you really not a dove?"

"I hear you're kind and considerate a lot."

Hamir smiled brightly.

In the end, Aristine chuckled along with him.

"You're a strange person."

"I only act like a dove."

A cool breeze blew over their heads.

The leaves rustled, creating a harmonious sound.

Aristine enjoyed this time of banter with Hamir.

It was a special moment for her, who had no friends.

Even when others showed affection, they never forgot that Aristine was their superior.

In contrast, Hamir, while always respectful, treated her in a strangely equal manner.

It was as if his position as a prince or princess didn't create any distance or barrier.

After a leisurely chat with Hamir, Aristine got up.

"I should go now. If I don't return, the palace staff will worry."

Unlike Silvanus, where attendants always accompanied her, she was quite free-spirited in Ailugo.

However, due to various incidents, the palace staff tended to be overly protective of Aristine.

"Already?"

Hamir gently held the hem of Aristine's dress and looked up at her.

His soft eyes made him look a bit pitiful.

"Already?"

"Why, are you in a hurry to go back to your rabbit husband and the fox-like palace staff?"

"Yeah, if I'm late, our house rabbit will be lonely."

At Aristine's words, Hamir hesitated.

"Lonely?"

"Of course. Rabbits are very sensitive to loneliness."

Tarkan would be baffled if he heard this, but since he wasn't there, it didn't matter.

Aristine didn't even feel guilty about lying.

"Hmm, so Prince Tarkan, who is lonely without a wife..."

Hamir muttered and stretched his lips.

"I might as well let you go since you'll just leave if I hold on."

Hamir's straight fingers slid down the hem of Aristine's dress.

If he held on, she would stay.

Aristine shook her head at his added words.

"You really chose the wrong profession. You should have been a dove, not an administrative official."

"Is that your way of saying you're a bit smitten with me?"

"No, it's my way of saying I'm tired of your dove act."

"That's too much."

Aristine's firm words made Hamir laugh.

But his expression didn't show that he thought it was too much.

Aristine chuckled and started walking.

Hamir waved his hand at Aristine and soon clenched his empty fist.

The soft smile on his face disappeared, and his turquoise eyes fixed on her retreating back.

"You're really amusing."

Hamir muttered and wiped his lips.

A thick smile lingered on his lips.

* * *

"Our rabbit is already here waiting for us."

"What are you talking about?"

Tarkan frowned at Aristine's words as she entered the room.

Aristine looked at him with a playful smile.

Just seeing her made Tarkan's lips want to relax, so he tightened them.

No matter how he thought about it, he was too weak for his wife.

'How did I manage to act so nonchalantly until now?'

He was amazed at his former self.

In fact, from the outside, it didn't look like he was acting nonchalantly at all, but he hadn't realized it himself.

Tarkan tried to compose his expression and extended his hand to Aristine.

Aristine reflexively offered her hand and tilted her head in a 'Why?' manner.

'So cute.'

Tarkan pressed his lips tightly and frowned.

"Let's go eat."

"Okay!"

Aristine's eyes sparkled at the mention of food.

Tarkan suggested having dinner together, which was a rare occurrence.

Until the Mese business stabilized, Aristine often came home late, and Tarkan, being busy, often ate dinner in the commander's quarters rather than the palace.

When they arrived at the dining room, dishes started arriving one after another, starting with the appetizers.

Unlike Silvanus, where dishes were served one by one, Ailugo's style was to fill the table with a full course.

It was a feast for Aristine's eyes.

Seeing the endless array of delicious food in front of her, she felt like an explorer who had discovered treasure.

Aristine ladled a generous portion of clam chowder, which was loaded with cheese, and blew on it before taking a bite.

The rich taste of milk and butter, the cheese, the sweet onions that had cooked down, and the tender clams all combined in her mouth.

Even the slight tingling from the heat was a unique pleasure.

Seeing Aristine's face, Tarkan chuckled.

"Is it good?"

"Yeah."

Her simple answer conveyed more than words.

"Try this."

Tarkan expertly cut the triangular rib from the bone with a few strokes of his knife.

He cut it into bite-sized pieces and offered it to Aristine, who happily accepted.

"Try this too."

Thinking she would like it even more with butter and garlic, he picked up a piece and offered it to her.

Sure enough, Aristine ate it with satisfaction.

"Aren't you eating?"

"I am."

In response to Aristine's question, Tarkan said he was eating, but in reality, he had only taken a few bites.

He pretended to eat a bit of whatever was in front of him but couldn't take his eyes off Aristine as she ate.

'...Prince Tarkan is really...'

The palace staff, who had intended to serve the meal, were left standing awkwardly, their duties taken over by Tarkan.

It was a touching sight to see the two of them, the prince and princess, in such a loving relationship, but it made the staff feel a bit left out.

'Let's think positively. He's probably trying to build up her strength for bed.'

'That's a bit comforting.'

'Is this what they mean by "feeding to eat"?'

The palace staff, whispering silently, raised their eyebrows.

'But Prince Tarkan needs to taste a bit of bitterness!'

They were a bit upset with Tarkan.

'He said he was annoyed by our princess!'

The loyal palace staff, who once feared even Tarkan's shadow, glared at him.

'We'll keep a close eye on how well he treats our princess!'

While the palace staff exchanged words, Aristine was enjoying her meal very much.

Once she was somewhat full, she had the energy to notice her surroundings.

Tarkan had been taking care of her without properly eating himself.

'What is this?'

At first, she thought, 'Oh, he must have been really lonely. He probably wanted to take care of me after waiting alone. He must have realized the value of a wife in an empty house,' but something felt off.

Not just a few bites, but how could he keep taking care of her while she ate the whole meal?

'With such delicious food right in front of him!'

A person with normal taste and a normal stomach couldn't do that.

Aristine felt a bit uneasy.

'When a person starts doing things they don't usually do...'

It's said that it's a sign they're about to die.

At the sudden thought, Aristine swallowed hard.

She cautiously observed Tarkan's demeanor.

"Good."

He muttered and smiled, his usual sharpness gone, replaced by a soft tone.

And that faint smile...

Clang!

Aristine's fork slipped from her hand.

Tarkan, who should have let the palace staff pick it up, bent down to retrieve it.

The undefeated ruler of the Beast Plains, who had never knelt before anyone, was now bending over to pick up a dropped fork.

Aristine's eyes widened in shock.

"Tarkan..."

Her voice trembled involuntarily.

Tarkan, wondering why he was acting so strangely, looked at Aristine.

"Why?"

"Are you... sick?"

"What?"

"Do you have a terminal illness? Yes? How many months do you have left? Three months? No, maybe a week?!"

"......"

Silence is consent, they say.

"What do we do!"

Tears welled up in Aristine's eyes.

Tarkan silently looked down at her.

'I knew my wife was unpredictable, but to this extent...'

He sighed deeply and said sarcastically,

"Don't treat people like they're about to die just because they're being nice."

"Then, are you going somewhere?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you going to the Beast Plains to suppress a rebellion, or to some other dangerous place...?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

Tarkan frowned and answered.

Then, he subtly turned his gaze and added,

"With you here, where would I go?"

It was a sincere attempt, but with Tarkan's life on the line, Aristine dismissed it.

"Really not going anywhere? Not like waking up one morning to find the bed empty and a single letter on the nightstand?"

Tarkan looked at Aristine in disbelief.

Where did such a specific scenario come from?

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Well, you're acting so different from usual."

"......"

"Isn't it said that when someone starts doing things they don't usually do, it means they're about to die...? Isn't that right?"

Seeing her cautious expression, Tarkan felt a stiffness in his neck.

He had just done what he wanted to do for the woman he loved, and now he was being accused of having a terminal illness.

A sense of self-pity washed over him.

'Why is this woman so hard to win over?'

People he didn't want to win over were easy to seduce and became annoying, but the one he wanted was a fortress.

The palace staff, watching, gleamed with excitement and raised their fists.

'Princess is doing well!'

'Prince Tarkan needs to be more persistent!'

'Don't forgive him easily!'

'You can forgive him in bed, though!'

The faces of the lecherous staff glowed even more.

"Enough. I was just... You're really..."

Tarkan shook his head and muttered.

Despite his words, his golden eyes, which looked at Aristine, were sweet and intoxicating, with a hint of dangerous allure.

The palace staff blushed involuntarily.

It was embarrassing to see such a look, even though it wasn't directed at them.

Aristine, distracted, confirmed that nothing life-threatening was happening and returned to her meal.

After eating a bit to match her pace, Tarkan stood up and said,

"Let's continue having dinner together from now on."

Aristine frowned and looked at Tarkan.

"You really...?"

"I don't have a terminal illness, I'm not going anywhere dangerous, and I haven't committed a capital offense. I'm fine. I'm not dying. I'm alive."

Aristine closed her mouth at the flood of words before she could ask.

Tarkan extended his arm, and she naturally linked hers with his.

As they walked side by side, Tarkan, looking at the curious Aristine, said,

"That's just what couples do, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he frowned and turned his head away.

Aristine's cheek, visible from the side, was slightly flushed.

Thinking he would continue to ignore her, Tarkan subtly turned his head back to look at Aristine.

"Aren't we more than that?"

His golden eyes seemed to ask.

They were as sweet as honey and as bright as the afternoon sun.

They trembled slightly with a mix of melting anxiety and anticipation.

Aristine felt a sudden urge to...

'Hmm......'

...tease him.

'Forget being a husband, I just want to make money.'