Chapter 97

Aristine looked at Hamir without much reaction.

"Lu"

At the quiet call, Hamir smiled even more deeply.

"If you keep doing that, I'll really scold you."

The purple eyes were quite stern.

Hamir, without realizing it, slightly parted his lips and then burst into laughter, "Puhaha."

His laughter echoed refreshingly in the blue sky.

He laughed so heartily that tears even welled up in his eyes.

It was the first time in his life that someone had scolded him.

Even his teacher who taught him imperial studies, his mother, and even his father had never scolded Hamir.

"Hmm, this is troublesome."

Hamir wiped away his tears and looked at Aristine.

'I want to be scolded.'

Aristine was curious about how Hamir would scold him.

"Well, if you don't want to be scolded, stop acting like a lovebird."

'No, I'm troubled because I want to be scolded, Princess.'

Hamir swallowed these words and smiled.

"Lovebirds? I'm just being affectionate with a good friend. Isn't that common?"

At this, Aristine felt a pang.

'That, is it?'

She would know if she had ever had friends.

Seeing that his words were quite effective, Hamir began to gently tease Aristine.

"Come on, think about it, Your Highness. How would you feel if your best friend shared secrets with other friends but not with you?"

Aristine inadvertently thought of Mukali.

Mukali sharing secrets with others but not with her.

This was easy to imagine.

The image of Mukali and Ritten whispering in front of her.

Ritten and Mukali being close was a good thing. A good thing, but...

Groaning, Aristine said, "See? It feels bad, doesn't it?"

"That, that's true, but Mukali is right to share secrets with those he wants to."

"True, but it still feels bad, doesn't it?"

"Um..."

"You're also quite attached to General Mukali, aren't you?"

Aristine's eyes widened in surprise.

"Is that so?"

"Definitely."

Hamir nodded seriously.

Aristine's face became serious as well.

"I was attached to Sir Mukali...?"

Thinking about it, she had even considered studying science to join in the conversations between Ritten and Mukali.

"It's okay. It's natural between close friends."

This sounded like a comfort, and Aristine looked at Hamir with sparkling eyes.

'Now that I think about it, in the scenes I saw in the imperial eye, there were kids who fought over sitting next to their close friends!'

It was a normal and natural thing. Aristine's face brightened.

Hamir bit back a smile, wondering what to do with this innocent princess.

She was smart and quick-witted, but why was she so awkward in human relationships?

'Probably because she grew up alone without anyone.'

Upon checking, it was true that the princess had been confined when she was young.

Hamir felt quite heartbroken about this.

He was surprised by his own feelings.

The growth process of others shouldn't evoke any emotions in him.

Hamir shook off his thoughts with a laugh and whispered to Aristine.

"I just think we're quite close, that's all."

He gently brushed away Aristine's wind-tousled hair.

"Or did you only think we were close?"

Hamir looked down, his beautiful face clouded with sadness, creating a poignant and nostalgic atmosphere.

"Lu..."

Aristine, feeling guilty, held his hand.

What had she done to her precious second friend?

"That's not it. I like Lu too."

But the answer came from somewhere else.

"Who... likes?"

A voice as deep and simmering as lava from the bottom of a volcano.

Aristine turned around in surprise.

"Tarqan?"

Tarqan stood right behind her.

His face was as dry and hard as desert rock.

"When did you come? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?"

Despite trying not to, his voice came out as a growl.

Tarqan frowned as he looked down at Aristine, who innocently asked with wide eyes.

Unable to hold back, he grabbed Aristine's waist.

Her slender and delicate body fit perfectly in his arms.

Her warmth and scent filled his entire body.

Feeling reassured and relaxed... Tarqan was even more angry.

His wife had just said she liked another man—his half-brother Hamir. How could he feel better just by holding her?

Especially since Aristine hadn't even hugged him on her own.

'Are you heartless, me?'

He clenched his jaw, but the soft body and familiar scent made his head spin.

"Tarqan? Is something wrong?"

Aristine placed her hands on Tarqan's arms that encircled her waist and looked up at him.

Finally, Tarqan let out a deep sigh.

"Is that something you should say?"

"What? What are you talking about? What did I do?"

Aristine frowned, not understanding.

Tarqan tightened his grip on Aristine's waist and looked at Hamir.

His half-brother, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, still had that smooth, handsome face.

Hamir was looking at Aristine with great interest.

Tarqan slightly turned his body to shield Aristine from Hamir's gaze.

Only then did Hamir's gaze turn to Tarqan.

The two men looked at each other in silence for a moment.

In the strange silence, Aristine, who had poked her head out of Tarqan's embrace, said, "Ah, let me introduce you. This is Lu. Lu, you know, my husband."

At this simple introduction, Tarqan's eyebrows twitched.

"Lu...?"

"Yep."

Aristine nodded as if it were the most natural thing.

Tarqan's eyebrows, which had twitched, now furrowed inward.

'Why is he calling him by a nickname?'

It wasn't just a nickname.

No one called Hamir 'Lu' anymore because Hamir didn't allow it.

But had he allowed Aristine?

He couldn't bring himself to ask.

Because of affection, because of liking.

He was afraid of the answer.

"It's been a while."

Hamir slightly bowed to Tarqan.

Tarqan's face contorted.

"What kind of nonsense is this?"

His voice was sharp and threatening, like a predator.

Hamir blinked in surprise.

"What? I was just greeting you."

Tarqan wondered why this fox was acting this way.

He soon found out, thanks to Aristine's hand gripping his collar.

"Tarqan, why are you like this? He's my friend."

Aristine said to Tarqan.

Feeling the strange tension between them, she remembered something Hamir had said before.

"Is there a family that shouldn't be close to the Crown Princess?"

The answer to which family it was.

It meant he was part of the faction opposing Tarqan, the Empress's faction.

'Politically, yes, but in private, he's just my friend.'

Of course, she knew how to separate public and private matters.

'But getting worked up now won't bring any political benefits.'

Aristine felt like a lion tamer calming the growling Tarqan.

"Friend?"

"Yep, friend."

"What do you mean, he's a friend..."

Tarqan, who had been speaking roughly, suddenly closed his mouth.

After a moment of thought, he asked Aristine in a gentle voice.

"What about me?"

"You're my husband, right?"

Aristine countered, as if it were the most obvious question.

"Yes, I'm your husband. The only, unique husband."

Tarqan nodded with a satisfied smile, like a well-fed predator.

Aristine looked at Tarqan with a bewildered expression.

'What did he eat wrong? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?'

But Tarqan wasn't looking at Aristine.

He turned to Hamir and added with a smirk.

"You can have many friends."

"Yes, I'm one of the 'liked' friends."

Hamir smiled smoothly.

The word 'liked' was emphasized in his tone.

Crack.

Sparks and lightning simultaneously flew between the two men.

Aristine thought to herself.

'Is this what it's like when political rivals meet?'

In Silvanus, there was a saying, "The imperial and noble factions are enemies by day, friends by night."

She hadn't expected them to be this confrontational.

'Well, the Empress was also quite sharp.'

In any case, with this atmosphere, there was no need to bring the two closer.

"I should be going."

Aristine said, trying to slip out of Tarqan's arms.

Tarqan quickly grabbed her shoulder.

"Right, let's go."

At the same time, Hamir politely lifted Aristine's hand.

"If you're going to the forge, I can take you there."

His elegant eyes fluttered.

Aristine was caught between Tarqan's shoulder and Hamir's hand, and she stopped.

'Why are they both like this?'

In their political rivalry, they were fighting over everything in front of them.

'Annoying.'

She didn't care what they were fighting over; she just wanted to be left out of it.

Aristine grabbed Tarqan's hand, which was holding her shoulder, with her free hand.

Tarqan's face brightened, and Hamir's face darkened.

It was a moment of mixed emotions.

However.

Aristine linked Tarqan's hand with Hamir's.

Not just linking them, but intertwining their fingers.

"Go together nicely."

Aristine walked alone down the forest path.

The two men left behind were holding each other's hands tightly.

Tarqan and Hamir were so stunned they couldn't react.

They watched Aristine disappear down the forest path, and when she was completely gone, they shook off each other's hands.

"Seriously, what the hell."

Tarqan grumbled.

He knew his wife was unusual, but he didn't expect this.

On the other hand, Hamir looked in the direction Aristine had disappeared, a deep smile on his lips.

This was the first time Hamir had shown such interest in someone, making Tarqan feel both dirty and uneasy.

"What's your plan?"

At Tarqan's words, Hamir's icy blue eyes turned to him.

"Just a chance meeting and becoming friends."

"Chance meeting?"

That's not a believable story. This palace is vast; a chance meeting is unlikely.

Hamir laughed at Tarqan's disbelief.

"You sound like a jealous husband."

"Rubbish."

Tarqan dismissed Hamir's words.

"What was that strange formality earlier? You're hiding your true colors and pretending to be gentle in front of Aristine, but it won't work on her."

Tarqan warned.

How many people had instantly fallen for the fox-like Hamir?

Not just women, but men too. They became his followers and supporters.

"Tarqan."

Hamir looked at his half-brother with narrowed eyes.

"Jealous husbands are disliked by their wives."

Tarqan involuntarily paused.

It was almost an automatic reaction.

Hamir found it amusing and smiled.

"See you later."

Hamir turned and waved.

Tarqan glared at the platinum hair gently swaying in the wind, his expression dark.

* * *

The door opened roughly.

Aristine, who had been looking at the documents, looked up.

She knew who it was the moment she heard the rough sound.

"Aristine."

Sure enough, Tarqan called her as he entered.

"Yep."

She answered quietly. The momentum of bursting through the door was gone, and he hesitated as he approached.

"Aristine."

"Why?"

Aristine asked, even though she had a good idea what Tarqan wanted.

'Of course, it's about Lu.'

She had been playing nicely with his political rival, so it was understandable that he had questions.

Aristine planned to explain everything honestly.

It was a matter of respect for a business partner.

'Is he very angry with me?'

But when she glanced up, she saw no signs of anger in Tarqan.

No, he was angry, but more anxious, worried, and frustrated.

Seeing this, Aristine felt guilty and decided to listen to whatever Tarqan had to say.

Tarqan swallowed his words several times.

What about Hamir, was the "like" sincere, why the affectionate nickname.

The words were about to spill out of his chest.

But now, more than that—

"Call me."

Surprised by the sudden request, Aristine called him.

"Tarqan?"

She called him as instructed, but Tarqan's demeanor became even more intense.

Tarqan gritted his teeth.

'Why can that fox be called 'Lu' and I'm just Tarqan?'

But he didn't want to force it.

He preferred Aristine to call him that out of her own will rather than being told to.

'And I also want to call you—'

Tarqan tried to calm his flushed face and looked at Aristine directly.

Then, carefully, as if handling a delicate glass sculpture, he placed her name on the tip of his tongue.

"Li..."

"Li?"

Aristine tilted her head at the unfinished word.

Tarqan braced himself and mustered the courage to speak.

A courage he had never shown even in life-threatening battles.

Being a husband was one thing, but he wanted to earn a living.