Running Away After Getting Pregnant with the Tyrant’s Child (17)
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“Hm, not bad.”
Launelian, who had been silent until they reached the mansion, suddenly muttered.
“But that doesn’t mean I have accepted you as my sister’s husband,” he spoke to Tarkan as if he was making it clear.
“Yes, Brother.” [1]
“Who’s your brother?! I said I haven’t accepted you, ok?”
“I understand, Brother.”
Watching the two of them bicker, Aristine sighed and sat down on the sofa.
‘I was only out for a short while but I’m tired.’
Perhaps sensing her mood, the two men stopped their bickering and checked on Aristine’s condition. She smiled to show she was fine and drank some water.
Tarkan, who was brushing her hair back, mumbled, “The Emperor of Silvanus is a more formidable man than I thought.”
Hearing that, Aristine laughed.
Old habits were hard to break.
Even during the war, the emperor openly looked down on the people of Irugo, regarding them as barbarians.
‘He even went as far as to tell me to act vulgarly in bed because they are bastards who roll in the sheets with demonic beasts.’
Given the Emperor’s usual behavior, today’s events were not surprising but rather expected.
Thanks to having such a father, Aristine never felt hurt or tickled by the attempts to restrain her by the Queen and Princesses of Irugo.
‘If he was capable of some rational thinking, he wouldn’t have sent elder brother to the north or confined me. Most of all, he wouldn’t have waged a war with Irugo.’
Since the war with Irugo, Silvanus had slowly begun to decline.
It was the typical example of what happens when someone unworthy of the crown is crowned the emperor.
Tarkan cupped Aristine’s cheek. “Forget about the past now. Because I will make you happy,”
His golden eyes were as warm as sunlight as he looked at her.
“Happy…”
Aristine mumbled as she looked at him.
Her hand subtly moved towards Tarkan’s chest. The soft yet firm and warm sensation immediately brought her happiness.
‘Ah, I feel revived…’
This was the true definition of healing.
Chest therapy was the best.
Launelian’s eyes trembled as he watched his sister’s hand inch slowly in one direction.
‘No, my sister wouldn’t…’
In his heart, Aristine was frozen in their childhood. That was only natural since they were separated while they were still growing up.
However, watching his pure and innocent sister fondling a man’s ample chest was…
Right at that moment, Aristine gave a satisfied smile. A refreshed smile spread across her face, her violet eyes sparkled, and her fair cheeks puffed up adorably.
‘…My sister can touch chests if she wants! Look at that beautiful smile!’
The smile on Aristine’s face extinguished all the mixed feelings that were sprouting in his heart.
Launelian looked at Tarkan’s chest with appraising eyes.
His impressive pectoral muscles looked like they were about to burst through his clothes. Suddenly, the words that Aristine said flashed through Launelian’s mind:
<No, Tarkan is…his chest is thick and he’s handsome.>
‘Don’t tell me she was talking about his chest not his face when she said handsome?’
Launelian studied Tarkan’s face.
‘Well, his face isn’t too bad.’
It was nothing compared to himself. Launelian found his peace. His desire to become the most handsome older brother in the world for his little sister had come true.
His judgement was extremely subjective, but he’d come to a conclusion.
After taking in some healing time, Aristine came to her senses. She took off her hand and glanced at Tarkan’s face, only to find his eyes sparkling brightly.
Although he did look shy and embarrassed…
‘Why does he look regretful that I removed my hand?’
It was quite the puzzling look.
As a wife, Aristine had no choice but to place a comforting hand on her husband’s chest to console him. Then in that state, she spoke with a serious expression.
“It seems the Queen and the Emperor have joined forces.”
She had entertained this thought at least once before. She dismissed it, thinking that the queen couldn’t possibly go that far.
But after seeing the Emperor’s reaction today, she became convinced. The Emperor seemed to know that there was a potential threat to Tarkan, but he didn’t know the exact circumstances.
Furthermore, when he accepted the situation and said, ‘then again, you are my daughter’, his tone said a different thing. His tone wasn’t as if he thought that she noticed something going on because she was his daughter. Rather, it was as if he was saying, since you are my daughter, she must have told you something too.
‘—that’s the nuance I got.’
“What did you say?”
“What are you talking about, Rineh?”
Both of them asked Aristine in surprise.
Aristine briefly explained the situation for Launelian, who likely didn’t know about the transmission stone incident. Including the results of the investigation that she ordered the magician, Asena to do.
The faces of the two men immediately grew serious.
“That said, their relationship is not close.”
If they had a tight alliance, the Emperor would have known about Aristine’s pregnancy. However, he remained oblivious.
“Indeed, it is surprisingly common to use foreign powers to ascend the throne.”
Launelian rubbed his chin and nodded.
With the rise of Tarkan’s power, the dynamic of Irugo’s succession changed. Previously, everyone supported Hamill, but now, the momentum had shifted entirely in Tarkan’s favor.
“With the current situation, it’s not odd for the queen to join hands with Silvanus.”
“Yes, it is a rather foolish act to join hands with foreign nations as the price must be paid after wearing the crown but…”
“But some people would rather gain something instead of losing everything.”
“History has seen plenty of such cases,”
The three of them nodded simultaneously.
‘It was surprising that the emperor wasn’t guarded against me at all, but the Queen must have spoken down about me.’
The Queen was likely oblivious to the fact that Silvanus wanted war. Hence, she must have thought the emperor was weighing between Tarkan and Hamill.
In the Queen’s eyes, the scales were tipped in Tarkan’s favor.
‘And since I, the emperor’s daughter, am on Tarkan’s side, she has no choice but to offer more benefits to entice the Emperor to her side.’
While promising him a substantial stake, she must have tried to make him believe that the card in his hands—Aristine—was useless. Even more so since Aristine was a huge contributor to Tarkan’s current position.
Anything that Aristine did must have been reduced to insignificant or the credit was directed elsewhere.
‘For the emperor, this is the kind of news he wants so he must have nodded in excitement.’
It is said that people tend to see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.
The emperor truly never changed, and that tendency was particularly strong in him.
‘Even if the queen didn’t offer much, I’m sure the emperor would have joined forces with her.’
Any plan to get rid of Tarkan, whom he considered a thorn in his eyes, would surely be welcomed with open arms.
‘It’s a good thing that the emperor isn’t very wary of me because of the queen’s fabrication.’
It was very hard to get information out of a vigilant person.
“If that’s true then we have a lot to do.”
“We have to catch their tail first.”
“My control over the imperial palace is slowly increasing from behind.”
“Well, there’s no place in the Irugo palace that doesn’t have my influence.”
The two men was subtly showing off their capabilities.
Aristine watched this and nodded contentedly. ‘I knew it; they make a good team.’
“Then, shall I leave the tail-catching to you?”
“Just trust this big brother.” Launelian replied.
“I’ll catch them quickly.” Tarkan interjected.
Just as the spark of rivalry was kindling in the eyes of the two men—.
“I’ll trust you and leave you to it.” Aristine nodded with a smile.
Frankly, she wasn’t worried at all.
‘Should I consider it fortunate or not that the emperor is thick-headed?’
Then again, it was already stupid that he gave poison to his daughter whom he had abused severely.
A circus’ lion cannot break its chains even after it grows and gains enormous strength because of the abuse it suffered as a young cub.
‘But I am not a lion in a cage.’
Aristine’s eyes sparkled.
She still had the poison that the emperor gave her.
Right at that moment—.
Grrrrr.
A low stomach growl cut through the silence.
After a brief silence, Aristine’s face turned red.
“Ha, haha! I, I guess I’m hungry!”
“I’m hungry too, Brother!”
The two men laughed awkwardly and spoke loudly.
‘No, that’s even more embarrassing…’
Aristine lowered her head.
At this time, they didn’t know.
The disaster that this growl would bring…
Translator’s Corner:
[1] Tarkan calls Launelian ‘Hyung-nim’ which is a respectful/intimate way of calling someone older than you. Since I’ve been translating the female equivalent, ‘Unni’ to big sis/sister, ‘hyung’ will be translated to brother.
Exciting.
We all now what it’s going to be that disaster 😂 thanks for the update
ugh. i felt that the blonde b*tch’s power has something to do with touching. because emperor particularly mentioned hugging. now I’m anxious because she touched tarkan.
thanks for the chapter.