Chapter 98

"Ribbon?"

Did the ribbon come undone?

Aristine instinctively looked down at her clothes.

But there was no ribbon on her current outfit.

Aristine's gaze returned to Tarcan.

He opened his mouth carefully, with a shy, embarrassed, and bashful expression.

This time, he would say it clearly: "Rine."

"Ri...bon?"

"Why the ribbon?"

In response to the incomprehensible words, Tarcan frowned and turned his head away.

"Never mind."

'What is it?'

From his reaction, it seemed she had done something wrong, but she couldn't figure out what.

Feeling a vague sense of guilt, Aristine still thought his pouting face was quite a sight.

'Now that I think about it, his shy, embarrassed, and bashful expression was also quite good.'

Seeing such an expression on a man who usually looked like a fierce beast was quite stimulating.

'He's not usually so shy, so maybe he's embarrassed because he likes ribbons?'

Mukali and the men here seem to hide their preferences secretly.

'He mustered the courage to reveal his secret preference, but I didn't understand it properly, so he got upset.'

Aristine watched Tarcan sit across the table from her.

'Tarcan with a ribbon... it seems like it wouldn't suit him, but it might actually look good.'

"What's your relationship with that fox?"

Tarcan asked, careful not to sound too jealous.

It annoyed him that Hamir's words were affecting her, but he couldn't completely ignore them, especially since they were about Aristine.

"You said we're friends."

Tarcan's lips tightened, unsatisfied with the answer.

"Friends, I said."

"J...ust what you told that guy."

"I didn't hear it clearly. Say it louder."

Tarcan frowned.

He bit the inside of his mouth for a moment, then clenched his fist and covered his mouth as he spoke.

"I like him."

"Of course you do."

Aristine's straightforward answer came out without hesitation.

Her direct gaze made his chest feel tight.

'Even though you said you knew I was your husband.'

Was he just a strategic husband, and she felt love and romantic feelings for someone else?

She had resolved not to let her guard down, but being confirmed like this was more painful than she had thought.

Her heart, which should have been in its proper place, plummeted to her feet.

Then Aristine spoke again.

"Why would we be friends if I didn't like him? He's a bit strange, but he's a decent person."

Tarcan stared at Aristine blankly.

Before he could fully process her words, his heart, which had sunk to the bottom, slowly started to rise.

He covered his eyes with his palm.

'You really play with people's emotions.'

It still bothered him that she had feelings for Hamir, but knowing it was only as a friend made him feel a bit better.

He even regained enough composure to feel sorry for Hamir, who had been called strange by Aristine, of all people.

Of course, the feeling of relief was much stronger than the sympathy.

Despite trying not to have expectations, a smile crept onto his face, and he spoke without thinking.

"Then what about me?"

"Huh?"

"What about me?"

Aristine blinked and looked at Tarcan, then smiled.

Oh, this husband who needs so much attention.

It was exactly that kind of look.

"You said it. You're shy and a bit perverted."

"Enough."

Tarcan cut her off.

'What was I expecting? I'll just be called a pervert.'

He thought this while resting his chin on his hand.

But a faint smile lingered on his lips.

Liking even these aspects of her, what was wrong with his head?

Aristine looked at her husband, who regularly demanded compliments, with a helpless expression.

'Why do you always cut off your words before saying something nice? Are you embarrassed?'

To ask for something and then be embarrassed.

'Maybe you enjoy being embarrassed.'

Indeed, her husband was a shy pervert.

"By the way, calling him a fox..."

Aristine laughed lightly.

"I thought he was more like a swallow."

"Swallow?"

"Yep."

"That actually suits him."

Because he doesn't reveal his true feelings.

Tarcan smiled.

"Lu is a bit overly kind."

"Overly kind? What do you mean?"

"He's gentle, isn't he?"

What about him?

Tarcan frowned.

That guy always smiles, but it's because he doesn't give his heart to anyone.

That can't be called gentle or kind.

Instead of pointing this out, he mentioned something that had been bothering him.

"Are you going to keep calling him that?"

He absolutely didn't want to say "Lu" himself.

"Then what should I call him? That's his name."

"......What?"

Aristine looked at him with a "What do you mean?" expression, and Tarcan realized something.

"Then you've been calling that fox... just because that's his name?"

He simply didn't know it was a nickname.

Tarcan covered his mouth to hide his rising smile.

It wasn't because he liked or found him special.

It was just Hamir's trick.

'Does he not know Hamir is that guy?'

He opened his mouth to tell her but stopped, thinking.

'No, it's better if he finds out on his own.'

It would help him understand the fox's true nature.

That guy was quick to calculate and quite cunning.

Moreover, he hid his true self and wagged his tail like a fox to married women.

Although Tarcan usually didn't care much about what Hamir did, he was now tearing him apart with every insult he could think of.

He couldn't believe he was having such despicable thoughts.

But to be special to Aristine, he thought it was okay to be despicable.

While Tarcan was silent, Aristine looked out the window.

The chilly wind was driving away the last scent of summer.

It was almost autumn.

In a week or two, the green trees in the garden would start to turn red and yellow.

Aristine was operating under the assumption that Nefter's death, which she had seen through the imperial eye, would happen this year.

'Time is too tight.'

She had prepared countermeasures against being framed as a poisoner and even a plan to counterattack.

But she hadn't found any clues to prevent Nefter's death.

She had asked Tarcan to recheck the management of the palace staff and the security system, but that was only preventive.

It wasn't a solid, reassuring plan.

'If I could see the future of that incident one more time, it would be great.'

Aristine habitually looked at the companion.

But the water was still calm.

Tarcan watched Aristine, who was gazing at the flower on the companion.

Lately, Aristine seemed to admire the flower on the companion whenever she had a chance.

Flowers had never meant anything to Tarcan.

But if Aristine liked them, it was different.

'I should order a greenhouse to be built.'

Thinking of Aristine's bright eyes when she saw a greenhouse full of rare flowers made him feel good already.

But Aristine's expression while looking at the flower seemed a bit gloomy.

'Is she low on sugar? Or is she hungry?'

He was starting to understand his wife.

Unfortunately, what would usually be the correct answer was wrong this time.

Tarcan checked the time. It was almost dinner.

"Shall we go eat?"

At this, Aristine looked up.

Although Nefter's matter was on her mind, people still needed to eat.

'So I can think clearly and have the strength to do so.'

It was an investment for the future.

Aristine nodded and tried to stand up.

At that moment.

The surface of the companion, which had been still, began to ripple.

Aristine's eyes widened.

She quickly pushed the flower to the edge of the companion.

An image began to appear on the water's surface.

* * *

In the water mirror, Aristine and the royal family were gathered for a meal.

Judging by the size of the visible table, it seemed all the immediate royal family members were present.

Aristine's gaze wavered as she confirmed the scene.

'The same clothes as when I was framed as a poisoner!'

That meant it was the same day.

Seeing them eating leisurely, it seemed to be before she was framed.

Aristine quickly looked for Nefter.

Due to the limited angle, she couldn't see everyone's faces, but Nefter was visible.

His expression was strangely not good, but it wasn't obvious unless closely observed.

He didn't seem to be about to die in a few hours.

'Given how his condition rapidly worsened, it was probably poisoning, after all?'

Aristine examined the scene meticulously.

On the table, vases with small yellow chrysanthemums were placed at regular intervals, and an Ailugo-style banquet was set.

The people's appearances were not significantly different from the present.

Aristine narrowed her eyes, checking the princesses' hair lengths.

'So it is this year, after all.'

The probability that all the princesses, including herself, would have the same hair length in the fall of next year or later was almost zero.

Then, the queen spoke.

"Indeed, it's good to have the whole family together. It's the first time with a new member, isn't it?"

"Hmm..."

Nefter slowly nodded.

Aristine then realized that her expression in the water mirror was strange.

She had only noticed now because she had been checking other people and the surroundings first.

'Why is my expression like that? Did I notice something about the poison?'

But it seemed to be something else.

A shocked expression.

Although the emotion wasn't strongly visible, Aristine knew it because it was her own.

Her future self was extremely shocked.

Aristine's gaze in the water mirror kept drifting to one side.

'What's over there?'

It wasn't visible from her current angle.

"By the way, I heard Hamir did a good job organizing the mana stone mine?"

At the queen's words, Nefter's gaze turned to one side.

The same direction as Aristine's gaze in the water mirror.

'Hamir is back.'

It seemed Hamir was sitting on the side she couldn't see.

'Am I that shocked that Hamir is back?'

It didn't seem like it.

Nefter smiled warmly and spoke.

"Yes, Hamir, you did a great job."

"I just tried to meet Father's expectations."

'Huh?'

Aristine tilted her head.

'This voice sounds familiar.'

The tone and pronunciation were unfamiliar, but the voice itself was familiar.

Before she could recall, the queen spoke.

Aristine decided to focus on the scene visible through the imperial eye.

"Hamir is also at the age where he should get married, don't you think?"

"Hamir?"

"Although it's old-fashioned to follow a specific order, even Tarcan, who is younger than Hamir, is not married yet."

"That's true. It's time for Hamir to start a family with a clever and beautiful young lady. Yenika also wants to see a new sister-in-law soon."

It was surprising to hear Yenikarina, who didn't seem to welcome a new sister-in-law, say this.

Nefter thought, "Hmm..."

He didn't seem particularly interested.

Rather, his gaze was on the queen's motives.

It was understandable.

The reason Hamir had delayed his marriage.

It was because the queen's faction was using the position of prince consort as bait to lure nobles.

The queen had given the impression that she would welcome daughters from prestigious families as daughters-in-law.

The nobles knew the queen was doing this with other families but still held out hope.

Some even showed more loyalty to prove their family's daughters were better than others.

To suddenly talk about marriage, which he had been using politically?

Nefter's gaze questioned what the queen was up to.

The queen smiled.

"Having a daughter-in-law makes the palace lively and bright. Since Aristine came, how many good things have happened to the royal family? It has greatly influenced Ailugo's development."

It was a bit scary to hear the queen say this.

"Besides, I'm getting older and would like to see a grandchild soon."

Nefter stared at the queen.

The queen still had a benevolent smile.

Finally, Nefter nodded.

"Yes, I'll think about it."

Nefter nodded and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Seeing this, Aristine in the water mirror spoke worriedly.

"Father, is the food not to your liking?"

"You hardly ate anything."

"Here, Father, this is what you like. Shall I give it to you, Yenika?"

Paerami and Yenikarina also chimed in.

Nefter shook his head.

"I just don't feel well."

"Are you unwell? Should we call the palace..."

"There's no need to make a fuss."

Nefter cut her off.

"I just have a stomachache."

Leaving that, Nefter stood up, indicating he wouldn't cause any more commotion.

At that moment.

"Your Majesty...?"

Nefter's body collapsed helplessly.

'Well, that's it. I'll focus on making money now.'