Aww, my little…(13)
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While people’s expressions changed, Marten continued to say.
“Of course, I was against this. Honestly. How can I harbor such disrespectful intent toward a woman who is my brother’s wife, the Princess Consort of Irugo, and is pregnant with my nephew?”
His words were essentially hammering in the nail.
“Even if I was threatened, engaging in something like this would leave me in guilt and shame for the rest of my life.”
Hammering in the fact that the Queen was behind all of this.
“Her Majesty made threats too?”
“Right, Prince Marten might not hide his indulgence, but this makes no sense. They’re family.”
“My goodness, isn’t the Princess Consort the daughter-in-law of Her Majesty?”
By law, the Queen was the mother of all princes and princesses.
“I can’t believe she would instigate her son to violate her daughter-in-law…”
“This is unthinkable.”
“Then again, even Prince Marten wouldn’t be so foolish.”
“Prince Marten was wrong but seeing how much he’s trembling and repenting, makes me horrified to imagine what kind of threats the Queen made.”
Their whispering was clear enough for the queen to hear.
Even though they were aware of Marten’s ugly nature, they were covering his faults and keeping all emphasis on the Queen.
This was partly because the person behind the scenes had the biggest responsibility, but in reality, it was because Tarkan mentioned the Queen first.
In a fight between the Queen and Tarkan, people clearly chose Tarkan.
‘Just a few months ago, all of you were jumping to make connections with me and now…!’
The Queen’s eyes were ablaze with fury. She curled her lips in sneer and questioned Tarkan.
“So, the story is that I incited Prince Marten to do this?”
“Isn’t that a fact you already know without having to ask?”
“And it’s not you, who instigated Marten to get rid of me, your political opponent?”
At those words, Tarkan’s face became void of expression.
The queen unconsciously flinched when she saw that.
She couldn’t move because she felt like she was going to collapse, and she couldn’t speak because she felt like she would groan the moment she opened her mouth.
A chill began to crawl up her spine and up to her cheeks.
The thought of regaining composure couldn’t even enter her mind as she was overwhelmed with a hair-raising sensation.
“So I, put my wife thorough such crap, to get rid of someone like you?”
Tarkan’s golden eyes blazed like they were on fire.
“Are you seriously saying that?”
Tarkan didn’t even show the slightest respect for the queen, but no one pointed it out.
The nobles were not even the target of Tarkan’s fury, but they were cowering and holding their breaths.
Naturally, the Queen who was on the brunt end of his murderous intent, was unable to remain calm.
Her hand felt as cold as ice and her body was drenched in cold sweat. Right now, she didn’t care if it looked disgraceful, she just wanted to sink to the ground.
If only that could erase the suffocating murderous gaze that was pouring down on her right now.
However, her body refused to collapse as if it was under some kind of spell.
“Huh? Answer me.”
From the moment Tarkan learned of her queen’s plans through Paellamien, he was strongly against this happening.
Because he couldn’t bear to have some disgusting bug touch his wife, even if it was for just a second.
However, Aristine wanted it to happen.
As long as she wanted it, Tarkan was ready to give her the sun during the night and the moon during the day.
And so, he finally managed to suppress the thoughts that were bubbling in his throat.
But for the Queen to say that he instigated all of this.
How dare she.
His golden eyes darkened even more as he tried to swallow his anger.
“I, I, hk, uck…”
The Queen, barely managed to open her mouth but she could only groan and gasp for breath.
The veins on her neck began to protrude.
“Khan.”
Right then, a small voice called out to Tarkan.
Immediately, the sharp pressure that had been swirling over the Queen disappeared. With no trace. As if it had never existed from the start.
“Rineh.”
It was a voice as warm as the spring sun.
Aristine smiled faintly and stroked his cheek. Then she turned back to the Queen.
“Your Majesty the Queen, since you’ve insulted my husband like this, I assume you have evidence, correct?”
Hearing that, the Queen, who was breathing heavily while being supported by her court lady, raised her head.
Only the word ‘evidence’ was circling her dizzy mind.
She had no such evidence. After all, that was merely a provocation.
“Hm? I’d really like to hear the basis for your claim.”
“T-That…”
The queen began stumbling over her words, but she quickly got a hold of herself.
“You accused me first and I simply asked so that you can put yourself in my shoes. For you to see how mortifying this is. Isn’t this what Tarkan did to me?”
“Oh my?” Aristine’s eyes went wide. “How is that the same? Khan was talking about the crimes of Your Majesty the Queen based on the statement of Prince Marten, who is currently detained as a criminal.”
Hearing the facts pointed out made the Queen feel like she was sinking.
Aristine was not someone to be ignored but she had forgotten that fact for a moment.
“That is different from Your Majesty’s claims, which are just accusations without any basis. Ah, I’m getting déjà vu; it feels like a repeat of what happened some time ago.”
Aristine tilted her head, like she was recalling her past.
“You were the same when you claimed that I’d poisoned His Majesty the King after he collapsed from illness.”
Some nobles gasped in awe as she smoothly brought up the Queen’s worst mistake. If she brought up the past without any context, it would inevitably make people feel like she was nitpicking.
However, Aristine’s words flowed naturally like running water. Far from feeling nitpicky, it felt like the events from back then and today clearly overlapped.
It now seemed like all of the Queen’s comments were nothing more than accusations aimed to attack her political opponents, as was the case during the poisoning incident.
‘Incredible.’
‘She’s still so young but she acts like an old politician.’
‘If she’s already like this, what will happen when she gains more experience…’
‘Is this why they call her the emperor’s talent gifted by god?’
The buzz in Silvanian news had already spread to Irugo.
Most considered it a mixture of exaggeration and figurative speech because that was usually the case when the Imperial family was concerned but, in any case, such words are usually said for a reason.
The outstanding political sense that Aristine was showing right now was more than enough reason.
‘Indeed, she even knew the perfect time to chime in.’
‘If something happens to the Queen due to Prince Tarkan’s pressure, I’m sure some people would have felt uncomfortable seeing that.’
‘But if she cut in from the start, the Queen wouldn’t have felt that much pressure.’
‘And after the Queen’s been pressured to the limit, she then applied more pressure with logic.’
‘Like that, the Queen had no choice but to feel intimidated.’
It was such a clean shot that it made them want to nod in appreciation.
And the results were immediately shown by the reactions of the people watching.
“Come to think of it, even back then, the Princess Consort was declared the poisoner without proper evidence, right?”
“I remember them saying they were going to find the evidence after bringing her in, right? Find what evidence? It was obviously an attempt to make up something.”
“To think she’s doing the same thing again, seriously…”
“If she’s doing this to the Princess Consort, imagine how easily she can frame other nobles and get rid of them.”
People talked to each other as if they wanted her to hear.
The queen clenched her fists.
She knew she had to say something, but she couldn’t think of anything to say.
Because she felt like the moment she spoke up, Aristine would rebuff every single thing.
This was the result of thorough intimidation.
Lol, that’s our girl. I loooove that no one can refute her. Thank you for these updates!
Thank you for the updates, Miss Ruby!
A perfectly clean hit. Just as I expected from Aristine. If she corners them, she makes sure to thoroughly corner them from all angles.