Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 4.1

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Side Story 4: Part 1

A plain, unmarked carriage quietly left the imperial palace. Except for its unusually large size, it appeared quite ordinary. Of course, that was only on the outside. Inside was a different story.
‘Very different, indeed.’

The court ladies smiled proudly as they thought about the interior of the carriage.

One could only imagine how hard they had worked on that carriage.

They had run so many simulations and collaborated with Asena, an archmage and the head of the Mage Guild Fractal and a great magician.

《 Phew, I have created yet another one masterpiece.》

《 Thank you, Lady Asena.》

《 No need for thanks. This was very rewarding work that satisfied my curiosity as a magician.》

《 …Didn’t seem like just magician curiosity—》

《 What was that?》

《 Nothing.》

The court ladies recalled the day the carriage was completed and smiled slyly.

“Lady Asena always helps us while saying it’s because of her curiosity as a magician.”

“She says it’s curiosity, but I know she wants to hear about Their Majesties.”

“Well, thanks to that, we can serve Their Majesties better.”

This carriage was going to be vital during the upcoming trip.

The court ladies clenched their fists, surging with energy.

‘Your Majesty Tarkan, you can go as hard as you want!’

‘Because we’ve built an indestructible carriage!’

‘With additional features too!’

Even though the couple had broken beds and even the barracks, the carriage couldn’t be destroyed.

Hehehehe.

The laughter of the court ladies echoed through the narrow hall.

* * *

When the carriage veered toward the center of the capital, Aristine tilted her head in doubt.

“Aren’t we using the Gate?”

There was a reason why they didn’t use the portal within the imperial palace and chose to ride the carriage instead. They were planning to travel by road, utilizing the paths developed through the border project.

The barriers Aristine had created were producing remarkable results. Not only did they enhance the city’s safety by creating a defense line against demonic beasts, but they also ensured a path of safe travel.

There was no longer any reason to avoid the demonic beasts’ plains and trade only by sea.

Thanks to this, Irugo, which was located in the central continent near the demonic beasts’ plains, was no longer isolated.

In fact, it had become a hub for continental trade.

Just as Aristine had assured Nephther, Irugo had completely shed its reputation as a barbaric nation.

“We need to stop somewhere before leaving the capital.”

Not long after that, the carriage came to a stop.

Escorted by Tarkan, Aristine stepped off the carriage and saw a sign attached to a large building.

It was a pink—.

‘Jumbo-sized cat paw?’

Instead of a name, there was a glowing sign of a cat’s pink jellybean paw.

‘No way, is it the Pink-pink Nyang Jelly Merchant Group?!’

That was the Merchant Group secretly owned by Tarkan.

She had heard rumors that the ever-expanding Merchant Group had opened a branch in the capital.

But she hadn’t expected it to be housed in such a large building.

‘I always knew Zodiac was a talented man.’

Although he was a bit odd…

Right as Aristine was thinking that…

“It’s been a while, Your two Majesties.”

…Zodiac appeared like magic.

Aristine almost jumped.

“Why are you so surprised? You look like you were caught thinking something bad.”

“W-what bad thoughts?!”

“Hmm? I was just joking but that’s an odd reaction. Like a guilty person.”

“G-Guilty for what. I was just surprised because I didn’t expect to see you here, Zodiac.”

Zodiac narrowed his eyes and looked at Aristine with a “hmm” but soon nodded.

“I got word that His Majesty Tarkan would be visiting today, and I figured it would be nice to see Your Majesty Aristine as well.”

He extended his hand with a polite manner.

“Please grant me the honor.”

Those words reminded Aristine of their first meeting.

Aristine extended her hand like before, Zodiac, just like the last time they met, gave it a brief kiss and stepped back.

‘He’s still as polite and pristine as ever.’

His neatly styled hair, without a single strand out of place, was just as it always was.

“What do you think, Your Majesty Aristine? This is the specially made pink jellybean made for the branch in the capital,” Zodiac said with a tone full of pride.

‘This aspect of him is also the same as always.’

Because she expected this, Aristine wasn’t surprised like when they first met and nodded.

“Mn, it’s cute.”

“Of course. I knew that Your Majesty Aristine would recognize its charm. While His Majesty Tarkan…”

Zodiac glanced at Tarkan with a look that seemed to pity him for not appreciating the cuteness of the jellybeans.

Tarkan ground his teeth.

“You should be grateful I haven’t forced you to change that name yet.”

“If you change it, there will no longer be any reason for me to run this merchant group as your delegate.”

Cuteness was everything! Absolute cuteness! Nothing but cuteness!

Aristine chuckled and whispered to her husband.

“It seems we must never change the name to keep someone as talented as Zodiac. Don’t you agree, Mr. Tarkan, Head of the Pink-Pink Nyang-Jelly Merchant Group?”

“Such an unsuitable…”

“Unsuitable? Why, it suits you perfectly. Head of Pink-Pink Nyang-Jelly Merchant Group, Mr. Tarkan.”

“Stop teasing me.”

“Pink Nyangnyang Tarkan.”

“Please stop.”

Tarkan turned his head away, his ears slightly red. Seeing her husband like that, Aristine paused.

‘I was just joking but…’

Seeing him like this, she realized it might actually suit him well.

“But I’m serious though? Khan, don’t you think you’d look so cute in a pink toe bean?”

“What…”

“After all, my husband is a cute younger man.”

“…”

Tarkan looked at his wife’s smiling face and sighed.

Even after over three years of marriage, he still couldn’t predict where his wife’s thoughts would go next.

‘She always calls me a pervert, but she has quite the peculiar taste herself…’

—Tarkan froze mid-thought.

‘…Actually, Rineh in one of those jellybean gloves might be cute.’

He had never once thought of a cat’s paw as cute before but…

“Ahem, k-hm! Well, that pink…ahem, it might not be so bad.”

Zodiac watched the couple act all lovey-dovey and burned with quiet indignation.

‘Don’t insult my sacred pink jelly bean…!’

* * *

“I have to get back to work, but please feel free to browse around.”

After Zodiac’s somewhat cold farewell, Aristine and Tarkan entered the Merchant Group.

“I thought we came here for business with Zodiac?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“I thought you’ve always wanted to do something like this.”

Browsing, selecting, and buying things like an ordinary person. These were the simple everyday activities Aristine couldn’t do while she was imprisoned.

“Khan…”

Aristine smiled softly and looked at her husband.

Her father had forced a political marriage on her, telling her to die.

But it was that very marriage had kept Aristine alive.

Because she married Tarkan and no one else.

Aristine carefully picked out items.

“Doing this brings back old memories.”

Tarkan immediately knew what his wife was talking about.

“The day we came to the Merchant Group together, you mean.”

“Mhm, we didn’t shop like this back then, but we bought food outside.”

“We did.”

He still remembered that coarse skewer Aristine gave him. Back then, he never understood why it tasted so good.

Of course, now he knew well.

It was because back then, he was already in love with Aristine.

“Oh? Why are so many people over there?”

A crowd was forming in the direction that Aristine was pointing to.

“I wonder what’s the draw? Let’s go see.”

With curiosity shining in her eyes, Aristine pulled Tarkan along. And when they got to the middle of the crowd…

“Is that our photos?”

It was a photo zone featuring pictures of the imperial couple. Even Actsion’s solemn face was included.

“…”

“…”

The two emperors were speechless.

“…This also brings back old memories.”

When they first sold the scalpels at the Pink-Pink Nyang-Jelly Merchant Group, there was a similar zone that seemed more like an Aristine promotion area than for the scalpels.

“Why is that—.”

“Hey, don’t push! I’ve been waiting for over three hours! There’s no use cutting in line, just take a ticket and wait your tur, gasp…!”

The annoyed person stopped mid-sentence upon recognizing Tarkan’s face.

“Y-y-your…!”

The woman clamped her hand over her mouth and her eyes flitted to Tarkan’s side.

“…!”

Her eyes shook like an earthquake.

Some people realized what was happening and their eyes turned to Aristine and Tarkan.

“The e-emper…!”

“Shh! Pretend you don’t know!”

“Obviously, they’re out doing that thing. That thing…a date? That’s not it… what do they call that thing?”

“Traveling incognito.”

“Oh, yeah. Traveling incognito.”

“Let’s not disturb their date… I mean, incognito travel.”

Aristine gave a resigned smile.

‘…Maybe we should have come in disguise instead plain clothes.’

The two of them quietly left the Merchant Group. Of course, Aristine personally paid for the items she had chosen.

 

 

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