Side Story 10.1
* * *
Everything that Lu said was fascinating.
“You’re telling me that actually happened?”
“Yes, I never thought I’d experience being chased by a city guard in my lifetime.”
“It was probably the first time a city guard has ever chased a royal. I’m sure they’re glad they didn’t know who you were.”
Aristine laughed.
The atmosphere was warm, but Tarkan wasn’t fooled.
‘He’s being clever with his words, but…’
The black market had restricted areas where ordinary people were forbidden and yet he had free access to them.
He could enter places where criminals conducted transactions without a hint of suspicion.
And even though it was called a ‘little incident’, he had been chased by the city guard.
Not to mention those large men who followed him around, calling him “Sir!”
‘…No matter how I look at it, he seems like the head of a criminal organization.’
Not just seems—Tarkan was sure of it at this point..
He narrowed his eyes.
‘What exactly has he been doing?’
Considering that he had taken down the fake barrier dealer, it didn’t seem like he was involved in anything bad.
Even the stories he was telling now were about taking down serious criminals.
Lu looked at Aristine, whose eyes were shining brightly, and spoke.
“If you’re that curious, would you like to come with me?”
“With you?”
“I can make the rest of your trip much more fun if you come with me.”
“I can take care of my wife; you don’t need to worry about it.”
Tarkan frowned and pulled his wife into his arms.
Lu narrowed his eyes.
“Over possessiveness isn’t charming.”
“Can’t agree, I know my wife better than anyone.”
“You were cuter when you were calling me ‘brother’ so respectfully.’
“I don’t want to be cute to you. Only to my wife.”
The two brothers glared at each other.
Unfazed, Aristine peeked out from Tarkan’s embrace.
“But Lu, are you the head of a criminal organization?”
“What?”
“When I think about everything you’ve said, it sounds like that.”
Lu didn’t say anything but smiled.
Tarkan burst into laughter.
His wife might seem oblivious, but she was not easy to fool.
There was no way Aristine hadn’t noticed what he himself had noticed.
“…I’ve been caught.”
In the end, Lu surrendered.
“I can’t fool you, can I?”
“Were you trying to fool me?”
“I wasn’t but I didn’t want to admit it either,” Lu winked and gave a big grin, “So, am I getting arrested?”
“No.”
Aristine shook her head at Lu’s joke.
“Criminal organizations are bound to emerge no matter what we do. Regardless of what effort we put into maintaining security, a new one will eventually take root.”
“So, you’re saying it’s a necessary evil.”
Lu looked at Aristine, who was speaking calmly and seriously.
Being like this reminded him of the past.
In the palace, she always appeared whimsical, but when it came to discussing what was necessary for Irugo, she was very serious.
“Lu, you’ve grown enough to swallow up other criminal organizations, and you’ve established order after taking control.”
The empire was already huge, but it became even larger when it merged with the powerful nation of Irugo.
Aristine’s Monarch’s Sight.
Her deep affection and loyalty to the royal family.
All of it had contributed to a fairly stable reign.
But still, there were places where the emperor’s hand could not reach.
There were things that could not be solved by sending officials to monitor and supervise.
In fact, criminal organizations like Lu’s found it easier to track down others of their kind.
“By controlling the underworld, you’re actually contributing to the stability of the empire.”
“…”
Lu didn’t know what expression to make, so he simply smiled.
When he had wandered and accidentally got involved in the underworld, he thought to himself, ‘This might just help Aristine.’
It was a vague thought.
But that one thought made Lu willingly step into the underworld.
It had been a somewhat interesting life.
It was similar to what he used to do as ‘Prince Hamill’ but at the same time, it was entirely different.
Hamill thought it suited him quite well.
After all, scheming and strategy were always his specialties.
‘I thought I would be pretty satisfied if I could just help you from afar.’
But that wasn’t the case.
He said those words as a joke, but seeing Aristine reply to him seriously made him realize it.
She didn’t jokingly say “How can I? We’re friends!”. Instead, she simply explained her reasoning thoroughly and sincerely.
Because that was the kind of person she was.
Lu smiled.
‘I wanted you to acknowledge me.’
“So I was able to help you?”
“Very much so.”
Aristine affirmed seriously.
“If it weren’t for you, tracking down those fake barrier sellers would have taken much longer. And the longer it took, the more the fake versions would have spread.”
“…”
“Thanks to you, we were able to prevent chaos in advance.”
Aristine grinned.
“So why would I want to arrest you? If anything, I should take your hand.”
She extended her fair, delicate hand toward Lu.
Lu grasped it.
Firmly
‘I did this for you.’
While swallowing those words, he replied. “I’m glad. I wanted to be of help to the Empire too.”
* * *
“Flirt.”
Hearing Tarkan’s sulky tone, Aristine’s eyes went wide.
“Oh no, what might be bothering my dear husband?”
“First you tell that punk, Durante that you thought he was your husband, and now it’s even Hamill.”
“Hah?”
Aristine was speechless.
Why were those two even being brought up right now?
“…If only demonic beasts hadn’t suddenly appeared, I would’ve gone to meet you.”
“That was years ago though.”
“And criminal organizations? If it was me, I could easily deal with those too.”
Aristine fixed a stare at her husband.
“Of course you could. But why are you so upset?”
“I just…I want to be the one helping you and if it’s something you like, I want to be the one doing it.”
Tarkan’s large hand gently cupped Aristine’s cheek.
“It bothers me that someone else did something for you that I couldn’t.”
Aristine chuckled softly.
What should she do with this man?
Even though he was already doing more than enough, he was still upset that he couldn’t do more.
‘Is this why Paella said a husband should be younger?’
“What does it matter? There are so many things that only you can do for me that no one else can.”
It was destiny from the start.
When she was trapped in a tiny space under the sky, suffering alone.
She met Tarkan.
Tarkan saved Aristine, and Aristine saved Tarkan.
It was the same even when they met again after they had grown up.
If it weren’t for each other, they wouldn’t have survived.
“Only I can do it?”
Tarkan asked and Aristine’s smile deepened.
Her fair fingers gently traced Tarkan’s firm chest.
“Yes, things that only you can do.”
Tarkan’s eyes darkened.
Seeing this, Aristine removed her hand from his chest.
And she spoke plainly,
“You’re the only one who can make me bloom.”
As if she had no ulterior motive.
Tarkan immediately grabbed Aristine’s waist as she tried to move away.
“…!”
“Then allow me to see if I can make you bloom, my wife.”
Before his voice even filled the air, his breath was already Aristine’s lips.
“Well, the one blooming should be my flower, shouldn’t it?”
“Well then, I must bloom brightly to please my wife.”
No more words were exchanged.
Their lips met in a fiery kiss, and their breaths mingled.
Aristine closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck.
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