Heavy Shower (6)
–
They had kissed but never talked about love or liking each other.
What did body-obsession really signify?
In the first place, they weren’t lovers. They were husband and wife, and a family.
《A partner isn’t a lover, they’re family. It’s different from the love between lovers.》
《Indeed. Perhaps we should call them colleagues.》
《More like comrades.》
The words that the noblewomen said with laughter rang through her skull.
Rumble, the sound of thunder boomed softly in the distance. Looks like it was finally coming down—the rain.
“Rineh.”
At that moment, a voice rang out from behind her. A voice that she had longed to hear but really didn’t want to hear right now.
Aristine did not turn around.
Tarkan stared at his wife, who was dazzlingly beautiful even from the back, and walked closer.
He wondered if she came because she wanted to see him too, and a tiny smile graced his face as he reached out to grab her wrist—.
Smack!
Aristine shook his hand off.
“Rineh?”
Tarkan looked at Aristine with confusion, his rejected hand, frozen in place.
Aristine grit her teeth.
She knew Tarkan did nothing wrong.
But the moment he touched her, she couldn’t hold back the emotions rising to her throat.
She was angry.
She felt even more upset because even at this moment, Tarkan looked good, dressed in his battle armor.
Because it all pointed to one very clear and certain emotion.
Aristine bit her lips with frustration.
“Rineh? What’s wrong?”
Seeing Aristine look like she was about to cry, Tarkan was shocked and grabbed her shoulders.
Aristine clenched her fists at the sight of Tarkan looking at her with worry, no longer paying attention to the fact that he was brushed off.
Wasn’t that foolish?
“Let go of me…”
At the faint tremble in her voice, Tarkan’s eyes swept over Aristine, then he raised his head.
A starkly different gaze from the one on Aristine scanned the warriors.
At his questioning gaze, the warriors lowered their heads, seemingly helpless at what to do.
They began to retreat silently, leaving Aristine and Tarkan alone. Same went for the court ladies who were tactfully watching from behind.
Even after everyone was gone, both of them remained still.
Silence settled over the two of them.
Aristine stubbornly fixed her eyes to the floor and refused to look up, while Tarkan waited with his hand on her shoulder.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Drip. Drip.
Raindrops began to fall, one by one.
Tarkan frowned and looked up at the sky.
“Let’s go inside first. Your body is weak; you’ll get a cold if you get hit by rain.”
He wraps his arms around Aristine’s exposed shoulders.
Aristine bit her lips.
Why was he so tender?
Aristine refused Tarkan’s hand, which was carefully pulling her, and swiftly raised her head.
“Tarkan, I heard you have a first love that you can’t forget.”
Tarkan’s breath caught in his chest.
Those were words he never expected to come out of Aristine’s mouth.
Aristine’s eyes quivered when she saw the startled look on his face.
She wondered what kind of answer she desired when she asked such a question. But in the end, when he confirmed it like this, her heart felt like it would fall apart.
“Then why did you kiss me?”
Her trembling voice was weak. In spite of herself, resentful words left her lips.
And Aristine didn’t like any of that.
“…Please excuse me, Your Highness Tarkan.”
Aristine straightened her back and leveled her shoulders. Thankfully, her voice did not tremble this time.
Aristine walked past Tarkan with her stride as graceful as usual.
“Rineh!”
Tarkan grabbed her arm.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
The drops of rain had become denser in the meantime.
Only each other’s eyes remained clear in the world which had become cloudy rain.
Upon seeing the expression on Aristine’s face, Tarkan flinched.
“I will pray for your success, Your Highness.”
It was a polite and rigid tone. So much so that he could feel the cold walls.
Leaving just those words behind, Aristine slowly walked away.
As the cold rain descended on his body, Tarkan blankly stared at Aristine’s back.
* * *
The warriors were used to foul weather.
The ceremony wasn’t going to be delayed or canceled just because it rained. It was simplified a bit, but it was still carried out.
After Nephther’s speech to boost the morale of the departing warriors was over, Aristine ascended to the podium.
The warriors stamped their feet rhythmically, paying their respects to their Lady.
The thumping of the ground seemed to shake the heaven and the earth.
Aristine answered them with a smile.
Their hearts swelled with pride at the sight of Aristine shining brightly like a guiding star even in a dark night.
The warriors loudly banged their breastplates.
The next moment was utter silence.
The earth-shaking rumble and the sharp echo of the breastplates died down, leaving only the sound of rain.
Amidst the silence, Tarkan stood before his Lady.
Aristine’s gaze on him was as firm as always.
Tarkan knelt down before her.
Everyone watched with bated breath.
The sight of a great warrior in full armor kneeling before his beautiful Lady, made the audience feel excited.
Aristine held out her hand towards Tarkan and Tarkan took her hand respectfully.
The moment their hands touched, Aristine’s eyes twitched, but it was very brief.
It was a subtle reaction that only Tarkan, who was right in front of her and watching her, could see.
Tarkan looked at her face and slowly lowered his head.
He pressed his lips against the back of her fair hand.
Remembering how those lips had touched her own this morning, Aristine wanted to quickly remove her hand.
But she clenched her hand tightly and tried to endure.
His hard yet soft lips lingered on the back of her hand for a while, as if it wanted to leave a mark, then it moved away.
Tarkan looks up at her again.
Aristine helped him to his feet with a smile, and raised their clasped hand to the sky.
“Ooraaaaah—!”
The cries of the warriors reverberated through the sky, as if to drive away the clouds of rain.
Aristine looked very much the same as usual as she blessed the warriors and boosted their morale.
Actually, she looked even better than usual.
The few warriors who knew that a strange mood had formed between Tarkan and Aristine after the first love talk, inwardly sighed with relief.
They had been wondering what to do but it seems things were resolved after they left.
“Rineh.”
In the midst of the cries, Tarkan called out to Aristine.
“It was sincere when I kissed you.”
However, Aristine didn’t turn to look at him. She still had a light smile on her face.
Just as the roars died down, Aristine lowered her arm and let go of Tarkan’s hand.
The two of them faced each other again.
The sound of rain hitting the curtain above the podium was deafening.
“May you be victorious.”
Aristine dropped those formal words and turned around.
She walked away with a majestic and graceful stature. With the bearing of the Lady that all the warriors wished for.
Tarkan squeezed his empty hand, which was now void of warmth.
He wanted to hold Aristine back.
Grab her, turn her around, look into her eyes, hug her tight, and…
And.
What was he going to say to Aristine?
He kissed her because he loved her and wanted her.
But what about his first love?
However, he couldn’t just watch Aristine get further like this.
Tarkan grabbed Aristine’s arm as she was about to get down from the platform and turned her around.
The sparkling skirt of her dress spun vibrantly, and her silver hair swam in the air.
The next moment, Aristine was pulled tightly into Tarkan’s warm, firm embrace.
“Wooooo—!”
Cries even louder than before rang out, deafening their ears.
But to Aristine, it all felt distant, along with the sound of rain. Only Tarkan’s body temperature felt vivid as he held her tightly, like he would never let go.
“Rineh.”
His voice was extremely clear.
“I’ll be back soon, so wait.”
Something warm and soft touched the top of her head.
By the time Aristine lifted her head in surprise, the warmth had already disappeared.
The sound of warriors banging their breastplates and the sound of raindrops hitting the curtain resonated together.
The sounds that shook the entire world felt like it was shaking her heart. Aristine clenched her fists tightly and came down from the podium.
‘Idiot.’
After coming down from her podium, Aristine touched the top of her head, where Tarkan’s lips had touched.
She didn’t even know herself who she was calling an idiot.
Translator’s Corner:
**Next chapter will be a little short.
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 21 - December 14, 2024
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 66 - December 14, 2024
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 20.2 - December 8, 2024
I’m glad Aristine actually told him what she heard rather than making assumptions on her own and dragging things out, even though she is shaken by it…Tarkan needs to work on his communication skills…
He’s not the only one who needs to work on communicating tho, rinneh literally ran way before the guy could even try to explain
I couldnt blame rineh on this. She was never taught how to begin with not to mention having anyone to talk with. Its quite suprising how she gotten this far without hissing at anyone. She could learn but the one that can teach her is tarkan.
I agree. Although it could be argued that she had probably seen some similar things in her Monarch’s Sight, it seems most things were probably practically related. She might also have been hopeless in her last life, too.
I just hope that this gives Tarkan enough time to think things over. Plus, I look forward to his backstory.
But, from what I’ve read in this chapter, he isn’t really sure about it !
Since what he thought about is “ What was he going to say to Aristine?
He kissed her because he loved her and wanted her.
But what about his first love?”
He literally still has no answer for it.
Also Let’s not forget that rinneh communication with ppl was limited and everything is new to her, u can actually sense her naivety in the past four-five chapters and that everything is actually new to her, and the fact she believed Tarkan about body-obsession is an evidence.
I find no issue with what she said she made it crystal clear that she is angry and confused of what she heard from the warriors
This!! Rineh was indeed lacking in communication given her past circumstances. She could learn and improve that as she venture more of the world. But in this situation, it is not her fault, being lacking in communication. Rineh clearly communicated her feelings to Tarkan, and the fact she acted like that tells what she is really feeling.
It is for Tarkan to act decisively.
Eu jurei que nesse capítulo ia ter beijo 🤡
why dont u both just admit goshhhh
Thank you for updating!!!!
“May you be victorious.”
“부디 승리하시길.”
Removed! Thank you!
Author is playing push and pull with my heart !!
I’m glad Ari is as straightforward as ever and immediately asked about what was bothering her. I hope they make up completely soon 💖
Thank your for the chapter Miss Ruby 💖👌 and thanks for the warning regarding the next chapter. It really helps to manage expectations. Hope all is well.
Belated Ramadan Kareem to everyone celebrating 🥳
Testing. I’ve tried commenting several times over the last few months and they just don’t appear at all.
I can see it! I’ll check spam to see if you’ve been tagged.
Edit: I don’t see you in spam 😕
Thank you so much !!
I was starting to think been banned Q _Q But I see my comments now. I’m not sure what happened.
But anyway that’s why I hadn’t been commenting on (almost) every chapter like I usually do. Please know I was still fangirling and cheering though I didn’t manage to publish my thought for you to read. I very much appreciate your translation work, sempai 💖
How many chapters they are going to be apart? 😭 At least their good bye wasn’t that bad …
Thanks for the update
It feels like with one step forward we move two steps backwards.
Aaggghhh, I hope the distance doesn’t make more walls in their relationship.
It’s not just Tarland that frustrated with all those walls. But me too. 🥲
Thank you for the chapter 😊
Thank u for the chapter ruby-sama~
😆😆
Oyaa.. dont separate while in fight! but im sure Tarkan will chose Aristine if he met the girl again!
I think the girl must be aristine, maybe that is the reasons why aristine say her sister make her go to isolation or prison something like that. Perhaps she changed appearance so she can go out. Like magic she change to her sister looks. Maybe instigated by the sister 🤔
Haha I’m just hoping the girl is aristine.
He needs to just tell her he likes her, loves her, cares for her, whatever it is at this point. Also, a lot of people said she ran away before he could answer, but umm…. it says she walks away gracefully. That implies a pretty slow pace. If he wanted to call out to her, he could. But Tarkan always keeps his mouth shut. And in this chapter we see why. When faced with the question of “what about his first love?” Tarkan still doesn’t have an answer. As much as he is starting to care for Aristine, he isn’t committed to her yet, and that’s why he has nothing to say in response to her.
I feel really bad for Aristine, because she’s literally only feeling amicable relationships for the first time in her life here. She goes from her very first friend to sudden relationship drama, and that with a person she never planned to stay with and who still has feelings for someone else. So she’s fighting her own reasoning for building walls, and then when she finally starts to let go of those walls, she’s hit with this, and right before he leaves so no shot at a resolution. Poor girl can’t catch a break.
Totally agree.
I get that he was shocked by her bringing it up all of a sudden, but the onus is on him to explain and properly convey his feelings so she feels secure. It was inevitable for her to find out so it was naive to not broach the subject. She was blindsided in pretty much the worst way to find out — publicly and from others, not him. No matter how nicely they put it or their intentions, the warriors basically said she’s incomparable to his first love. Who the hell would want to feel like someone’s second option — and to know that others see it that way too?! That’s just salt in the wound. I was agitated by the warriors’ tactlessness at first too, but the fallout of it would’ve been blunted had he just talked about it before. I would be feeling too hurt for a real conversation immediately as well let alone initiating it. It’s not betrayal in the sense of infidelity but I do think not being upfront about this (and proceeding to not explain afterwards) is a betrayal of trust. Sure, your partner is allowed to have history with other people, but they deserve your full honesty about pertinent things because it’s a sign of respect. I know right now they didn’t really have enough time to cool down and talk things out, but Tarkan had SO many opportunities to convey his feelings to her in the past so that’s not an excuse. He’d rather wait on the sidelines than make a move and that lack of willingness to be vulnerable is biting him in the ass now. And couldn’t he at least have said that he loved her before dipping? And that the first love is just the past? That should be plainly obvious to him by now. The kiss being sincere is pretty lukewarm consolation if you ask me. I guess it’s a good thing she’ll clearly be revealed as his first love, but this could’ve been handled so much better and she still deserves clarity even if she wasn’t and it was someone else altogether.
Everyone puts the blame in Tarkan, but remember, this also is the first relationship he has. Yes, He had a first love, but, as we know, it’s like something platonic, so he is new with all things ralated to comunication between couples.
Just my opinion but I feel like it’s gonna come out to be that she was the first love and she was the one he ran into somehow someway. Also a first love is a first love just because it’s your first love doesn’t mean it’s gonna be like the person you end up with or get married to so it doesn’t matter.
O tarkan pelo que vi ainda ama o primeiro amor dele. Se realmente ele estive seguro pelo que sente por aristine ele tinha já resolvido esse assunto e tinha dito que a ama e nem se pergunto sobre o seu primeiro amor…e tenho certeza que se o primeiro amor dele aparecesse ele deixaria a aristine e ficava com o primeiro amor…mas como já vi spoiler a gente já sabe como vai ser…mas na minha visão se o primeiro amor dele fosse outra pessoa ele largaria a aristine e iria com a outra. Talvez não largasse dela por causa do casamento política, mas que ele iria se afastar dela ele iria.