Episode 40: Lu (2)
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Aristine’s eyes clouded over as she floated into the air.
She was utterly speechless in the face of Nephther, who brought the palanquin here, and Launelian, who even went on to levitate her.
‘Sure, you can have a battle of nerves.’
As respective heads of state, it was only natural to engage in a mental war of attrition.
‘But why are you putting me in the middle of it…’
She could feel the eyes of the Silvanian handmaids and Irugoian court ladies looking up at her.
Aristine felt too embarrassed to check their faces.
When she turned her head, her eyes met with Tarkan’s eyes.
She gave him a look that said, ‘please stop them!’ and he stretched out his hand to her.
His strong arms carefully held her waist and pulled her close.
In the blink of an eye, Aristine was in Tarkan’s arms.
Tarkan made sure to avoid any pressure on her stomach then he let Aristine’s head lean against his ample chest.
Seeing the other two men look dumbfounded, Tarkan grinned confidently.
“Rineh is most comfortable in my arms.”
Although a certain part of his ‘arms’ was her favorite part.
“Well, forget it.”
“Sure, let’s leave it to you.”
Launelian and Nephther shook their heads and walked away.
‘Tarkan is the one carrying me so why am I the one feeling embarrassed?’
Aristine heaved a deep sigh.
‘…Don’t tell me he plans to carry me around the palace like this.’
She was breaking out in goosebumps.
Despite that, her hand was placed firmly on Tarkan’s chest.
Contrary to expectations, Launelian did not lead them to Seruvieche Hall, where coronations were held.
Rather, the carriage stopped in front of the Imperial Bedchamber which served as the emperor’s residence.
After getting down from the carriage and quibbling a little, Aristine was able to walk on her own feet.
‘What in the world does he want to show me?’
That question disappeared the moment she opened the door to a breathtaking room.
“Ta-da!”
Silk wallpaper in cozy colors and dolls that look as fluffy as clouds. A baby mobile that sparkled longingly, like it was made with the light of the sun and the moon.
The floor was covered with thick carpet, giving it a cushioned feel.
Most of all, the cradle, which gleamed with a pure-silver luster, was obviously made of silver cedar.
It was a picturesque and adorable room, but every single piece was embedded with precious stones and jewelry.
‘I’m pretty sure the doll’s eyes are black diamonds…’
What else could you call this but the peak of luxury.
“So, what do you think? This is the baby’s room.”
Launelian asked with sparkling eyes.
“The baby can stay here and here, look at this. If you move this, see what happens—.”
Launelian excitedly explained the things in the room.
Aristine watched him, looking mesmerized.
As a new mother, she couldn’t help but be interested in baby products.
She could almost picture the child in her belly outside, playing with the squishy toys.
“I even got matching clothes made for our Rineh and the baby to wear.”
Launelian was full of smiles, as if just imagining it filled him with satisfaction.
The handmaids were quick on the uptake and quickly opened the door to the dressing room.
A room too large to be called a dressing room was revealed.
“Since we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl, we can just prepare everything, right?”
Tiny clothes, like those of fairies, filled the large room.
“So cute…”
Aristine muttered, stroking the clothes.
Hearing that, Launelian and the handmaids exchanged glances.
‘Yes!’
On the other hand, Tarkan, Nephther and the court ladies began to look nervous.
Because so many huge events had happened in Irugo, they hadn’t thought about preparing the baby’s room.
‘Oh no…’
‘We could definitely make one better and even cooler than this if we had time!’
The court ladies shuffled anxiously.
“Now, this door here connects to my dear Rineh’s room.”
And so, Launelian opened the door and a room for Aristine came into view.
It was a room that seemed to contain every precious thing in the world. Unsurprising, considering it was designed with great care under an empire that spanned the continent.
It was not just a luxurious space, but a space designed to bring comfort and a place for Aristine to rest properly despite her heavy body.
“The bathroom is over there, next to it is the dressing room. Out on the balcony, you can see the garden and on the left is the bedroom. I left out an office on purpose. I want you to rest in your room.”
Launelian, who was guiding them through every step, opened the bedroom door.
In the very center, was a bed that looked very luxurious yet comfortable.
“I saw that you had to bring a bed from Irugo last time.”
Launelian’s eyes swept over the Irugoian court ladies.
The court ladies flinched but they still craned their necks to look at the bed. With their trained eyes, they could tell the quality even without touching it.
‘The softness, firmness, even the pillows and blankets. Everything is great. It’s just as the Princess Consort likes.’
‘But…!’
There was one biggest problem.
‘It’s small!’
It was big enough to allow Aristine to roll around if she lay down. She could even sleep with her child by her side.
However, that only applied when Aristine was lying down by herself. The bed was too narrow to take both Aristine and Tarkan lying together.
‘How can our princess consort not sleep with His Highness Tarkan…!’
Launelian chuckled and curled his lips.
“As for the other hideous bed, I think we can just throw it away.”
His arrogantly smart face smiled brightly at the courtiers.
“W-What do you mean hideous?!”
“Do you know how incredible that thing is?!”
“It’s already such a shame the Princess Consort can’t use it because she’s expecting!”
The court ladies voiced their indignation.
Launelian flashed a refreshed smile and ignored them completely.
Nephther who had been silent so far, opened his mouth.
“You have done a great job preparing all this, Young In-law.”
Launelian flinched at the ‘young in-law’ title, which sounded like something said in historic prose.
Nephther’s thick hand squeezed Launelian’s shoulder firmly.
“I must thank you for making these arrangements, In-law. Taking it to Irugo will be a far easier task.”
“…What do you mean taking it to Irugo?”
“Well, you have prepared so much for my grandchild. I will gladly accept it all.”
“I prepared this for my sister’s child though?”[1]
“Hoho, what a thoughtful gift!”
“Of course, it’s a gift for my sister’s child.”
They were looking at each other with bright smiles.
However, thunder was rumbling behind their back.
‘You think I don’t know what you’re planning? You want to use this to trick my daughter-in-law into staying in Silvanus?’
‘What’s wrong with my sister, the rightful heir to the throne of Silvanus staying in Silvanus?’
‘Seeing Rineh and my grandchild is the joy of my latter years! I will never yield!’
‘Hah, I don’t need your yielding. My sister is going to stay in Silvanus regardless.’
Just as lightning began to spark between the two of them, a loud bang shook the room.
A cloud of dust rose, and Tarkan’s relaxed voice could be heard through the dust.
“Oh no, what to do.”
Tarkan uttered with a completely nonchalant expression.
“I broke the bed by accident.”
Translator’s Corner:
[1] Since we don’t know the gender of the child and the word for nephew/niece is the same in Korean, I have opted to translate the word to sister’s child.
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Hahaha. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Tarkan did it again
As Rineh said, Tarkan is best at breaking beds in any way possible 😂 Tarlan be like “Oh no the bed broke i just touched it tho what to do” shamelessly