T/N: OMG, I forgot to post this last week. Here you go!
* * *
As Aristine came out of her room, she sensed someone’s presence and looked up.
“Khan.”
Her husband was looking at her with a slightly sulky expression. And he immediately spoke.
“Praise me.”
Aristine was taken aback by the sudden request, but she soon fell into thought.
Didn’t they say that in marriage, you should listen closely to the requests of your spouse?
“Um.”
Aristine carefully scanned Tarkan from head to toe. Immediately, she caught something to praise.
“Your chest is awesome?”
Although it was more like appreciation than praise.
His ample pecs peeking through the wide collar had never looked more tantalizing. As if the cold was non-existent, Tarkan’s chest was bared even in the winter.
But now that the weather was warmer, his exposure was done more aggressively.
It was a feast for the eyes.
A crease appeared between Tarkan’s brows when he saw his wife smiling happily.
“Isn’t that just something you’ve been wanting to say?”
His observation was sharp.
Aristine easily nodded and replied, “So you don’t like it?”
“…I didn’t say that.”
Tarkan blushed and turned his head away.
At the same time, he subtly put more force in his chest.
Aristine laughed and patted him to comfort him. By patting her chest, of course.
Tarkan, who was being fondled by Aristine, suddenly said.
“I wanted to cut in.”
Tarkan was always worried that something might happen to Aristine while he was not around.
But he didn’t want to disturb her either.
So when he saw her leaving the room, he quietly followed but…
When he saw Aristine and Hamill talking, he wanted to interfere.
He wanted to pull Aristine to his side, hold her close, and make it clear whom she loved.
Even though he could clearly see Aristine pushing Hamill away, the urge never ceased.
“But I held myself back.”
Only then did Aristine realize what Tarkan was asking her to praise.
‘Oh my, whose cute husband is this?’
She chuckled and hugged Tarkan tight.
“Yes, yes, good job. My husband is the best.”
Tarkan’s heart immediately relaxed when he saw his wife looking up at him with a smile.
He pecked Aristine on the cheek and held out his arm to her.
Aristine wove her hand in his and they slowly began to walk.
“Is it okay not to see him?”
Tarkan glanced at the room Lu was in and shook his head.
“I doubt he really wants to see me.”
Then almost under his breath, he added one last thing, “We will meet someday.”
When Lu found his own path in life.
Right now, it was more important to Tarkan to focus on his wife who was by his side.
Because of her swollen belly, she was walking a little slanted and he was worried that she might fall.
Feeling the worry in his eyes, Aristine seemed amused and opened her mouth.
“You look like you want to walk for me.”
“Is it obvious?”
“Very.”
“Can I carry you then?”
Since he was already caught, he decided to ask and Aristine giggled.
“Mmm, but Dame Umiru said that it’s important for me to get some exercise.”
Tarkan looked disappointed at her roundabout rejection.
Perhaps to make up for it, he picked her up and carried her when they were getting into the carriage.
“Me too.”
While they were sitting next to each other in the carriage, Tarkan suddenly spoke.
“Hm?”
“Even if I never met you and married someone else…”
Aristine glanced up at Tarkan.
He was looking out her window. But his grip on Aristine’s hand was tight.
As if he would never let go.
“You’d be the only person I’d ever loved.”
The tips of his ears and cheek that she could see through black hair, were red.
Aristine laughed. A laugh full of happiness.
“I’m not surprised.”
She replied playfully.
“You only saw me briefly when you were 10 and you couldn’t forget me for nearly 10 years. If you think about it, you were quite the precocious child.”
Tarkan, who had been facing the window, spun around at her teasing words.
Aristine burst into laughter when she saw his bright red face.
“Honestly, your taste is like a pine tree, always consistent.”
She purposefully shook her head side to side and Tarkan looked a little grumpy.
“You don’t understand romantic things,” Tarkan grumbled.
“And you do?”
At her retort, Tarkan shut his mouth. He looked peeved for some reason.
Aristine stretched out her arms to her husband.
“Like you said, I don’t know much about romantic things, but there’s one thing I do know.”
Her slender arms wrapped around his sturdy neck.
Their foreheads touched.
“Now is a good time to kiss you.”
Their lips overlapped. Hot breath leaks out through stuttered gaps.
As if he was never upset, Tarkan yearned for his wife.
Episode 41: Succeeding the throne (1)
* * *
‘Good, the construction of the road in the plains is progressing well.’
It would take some time to complete, but so far, the progress was smooth.
‘This will cause a sensation. Both with the transportation of goods and overall exchanges between our two countries.”
Aristine nodded as she organized the documents sent by Ritlen and Asena.
When she was going to her wedding, Aristine rode a magically reinforced carriage, and the journey took about a month.
‘But once a path is built, the time will become much shorter.’
She was predicting it would take 15 days at the earliest for a reinforced carriage, and about a month for a regular carriage.
Silvanus was a large empire that spanned the entire continent, so it had a vast land mass.
Because of this, the travel from the capital to the border could take more than a month.
‘With this, the distance between both countries will be greatly reduced.’
It was a satisfactory result.
As she was thinking that, she looked up and saw three men playing around.
‘Why do I feel like I’m the only one working?’
If anything, these three should be even busier than Aristine.
Nephther was reading a fairy tale in a loud voice next to her, and Launelian was saying something to the musicians who were playing music.
She briefly listened in, only to hear him asking them to play a song that ‘helps a child’s brain development and stabilizes them while keeping the mother healthy’…
Judging by the looks on the faces of the orchestra people, they were only letting him talk because he was the prince.
‘He’s my elder brother, but geez…’
While she was thinking that, a grape found its way into her mouth.
Not wanting to be forgotten, Tarkan was popping things into her mouth.
Was this okay? These were people who should be buried in work.
Aristine let out a sigh.
There were three main reasons why Aristine came to Silvanus.
First, to meet Hamill.
Second, to meet the deposed king who attempted to kill Launelian.
The third and most important reason was to discuss the succession to the throne.
Launelian said he would prepare a coronation for Aristine, and he was indeed preparing it.
In other words, Silvanus’ throne would remain vacant until she finalized her decisions.
Naturally, this issue drew attention from both inside and outside the empire.
The international community was waiting with bated breath to see the next ascender to the throne of the great empire.
‘Even if I become emperor, there is a mountain of problems to deal with.’
Aristine was the princess consort of Irugo, and furthermore, the wife to Tarkan, first-in-line to the succession of the throne.
In other words, Irugo was also bound to be involved in her succession to the throne.
If Aristine did not become emperor, it would be a simple matter.
However, that was not the case.
Because Aristine had made up her mind.
And even though she didn’t say anything, everyone knew.
*.*.*
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 59 - September 2, 2024
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 6.2 - September 2, 2024
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 6.1 - September 2, 2024
That last bit… seems like she’s actually going to become Empress. That’s a very different direction than I thought. Most fl seem to be content with ditching their respective home countries for wherever their husband is from, and it’s great to see a change in that.
This is going to be pretty interesting, especially since Irugo candidate no. 2 is now ‘dead’. I can’t imagine Rineh wanting to consider a Florentia and Perez situation, either.
Well, they have Nepther for a while at least, and he can definitely work until he drops to let his son have a happy marriage if he has any conscience.
Also, so great to see Shyer Khan.🐅🐯
(Couldn’t resist the pun, sorry 😄)
No one will pull a Florentia and Perez move for sure xD
Too much work especially since she’s not going to lead a household, but a whole empire!
Maybe their future kid? Khan’s sister incase Nepther doesn’t make it long. She can be a place holder.
This is going to be interesting with how she’ll weild (almost) all the cards within the two empires. Thank you for the chapter, Miss Ruby.