Episode 39: The other side of the mirror (6)
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As the queen bawled with Hamill in her arms, her eyes were drawn to a figure standing behind Nephther.
‘Aristine!’
A spark was ignited in her eyes.
While getting dragged here, she heard about Hamill’s death. He died while saving Aristine from an assassination.
The queen sprang to her feet as if her previous soullessness had never happened.
“You wench!”
Who knew where she got the strength, but she pointed her finger and lunged towards Aristine.
“How dare you come here after killing my son!”
Her claw-shaped hand aimed for Aristine’s neck.
But she never reached Aristine.
“Aack!”
The soldiers roughly grabbed the queen’s arms.
“Let go of me! I must kill this murderer!”
The queen fought to raise her head and her pupils turned into slits. She couldn’t believe the scene unfolding before her eyes.
Nephther was holding Aristine, as if protecting how.
“How could you…How could you!”
Her tone began as a dying whimper but soon flared into a fierce rage. Her veins bulged and her eyes turned eyes.
Eyes full of resentment glared at Nephther.
“Your Majesty, why are you protecting that wicked wench! She killed Your Majesty’s son! Because of her, my son is…!”
The queen’s body heaved even though her soldiers were holding her down.
“If you’re going to die, die alone, why is my son the one to die!”
Her outstretched arm pointed towards Aristine.
“Just as my son died, your child will also…!”
Whack!
An loud noise cut off the queen’s voice.
Her left cheek burned, like it was on fire.
Unable to bear the force, the queen fell and shakily grabbed her cheek.
It burned and it stung.
She looked up at Nephther, stunned and in disbelief.
“Do you really not know who made Hamill like this?”
Nephther thundered, the anger evident in his voice.
“Do you not know who incited this assassination today?!”
His eyes were filled with a grief deeper than anger.
He had lost his son.
Although he favored Tarkan as his successor, that didn’t mean he didn’t love Hamill.
Nephther closed his eyes, gathering his emotions together then he spoke.
“You are the one who killed Hamill. No one else.”
His somber voice fell heavily.
“N, No…”
The queen trembled and shook her head. In fact, somewhere deep in her heart, that kind of thought had flashed by.
The thought that if she hadn’t sent an assassin, if she had just given up, if she had just acknowledged her defeat…
“Your dirty greed and vain ambition pushed that child to his death.”
“No!”
She denied it even more fervently, unable to shake off her feeling of guilt.
Nephther looked down at the queen, who was curled up and sobbing, then he turned around.
“You will be confined to your palace, instead of the tower, until the funeral is held. After that, you will be sentenced according to the crime you have committed.”
“S, Sentenced….”
For Nephther to speak of sentencing, it was bound to be no ordinary punishment.
Death loomed over the queen’s neck.
“It is only for Hamill’s sake that I have allowed you to see his funeral. Even a mother like you is better than no mother at all.”
With those words, Nephther left the room, taking Aristine with him.
Aristine walked down the hallway silently, glancing up at Nephther.
A deep weariness hung at the corners of his eyes.
A king was a lonely existence indeed. Despite the loss of his child, he was unable to even share his grief with his family.
“Father.”
“I am really glad both you and the baby are safe. Just in case, don’t blame yourself for any of this. Only worry about having a healthy birth.”
Seeing him worrying about her, not even hinting at the loss he felt, Aristine bit her lips. The words she wanted to say hung at the tip of her tongue.
Aristine opened her mouth.
“…Alright. Don’t worry.”
But the only thing she said was a response to Nephther’s words.
Aristine dissuaded Nephther from escorting her home and returned to Tarkan’s palace.
Her shoulders slumped without her realizing it.
Just as she walked into the room with a sigh…
“Rineh.”
An affectionate voice rang out.
Aristine felt a warm body gently envelope her.
A familiar embrace, a familiar body, a familiar voice.
She exhaled deeply and her body couldn’t help but relax.
Aristine leaned back, resting her head against her husband’s chest.
Tarkan planted a kiss on the top of her head.
And when she lifted her head, her nose and forehead were showered with kisses.
“Why do you look so down? I knew it; I should have stayed with you.”
“No, I know you had things to take care of.”
Aristine shook her head and turned around. In Tarkan’s arms, she felt like she was alive.
His large fingers pleasantly combed through her hair.
Tarkan returned home from Silvanus today using the portal.
Naturally, as a member of the royal family, he also expressed his condolences upon seeing his half-brother’s body. But because of Aristine’s request, he left before the queen came.
“…Wouldn’t it have been better to tell Father?”
“It’s not up to us to decide.”
Aristine nodded at those words.
At that moment, Tarkan placed his hands on Aristine’s cheeks, cupping her face. Like that, he lifted her face, making her look up at him.
Their eyes met. Tarkan lowered his head, bringing their face close.
Just as Aristine widened her eyes, wondering what he was doing, he spoke.
“I’m proud of you.”
Tarkan fondled her cheeks and pecked her on the lips.
“Khan?”
“I just felt like I haven’t commended you yet.”
What was he talking about?
While Aristine was wondering that, his compliments started pouring in.
“You’re incredible, amazing. Awesome.”
Smooch. Smooch. Smooch.
And with every compliment came a loud kiss.
“What the—.”
Aristine frowned and moved her head.
But Tarkan refused to let go of their cheek. If anything, he made sure their eyes were locked even more.
“So much courage.”
Kiss.
“You did so well on your own.”
Kiss.
“You protected everything well. Both you and the baby too.”
Aristine narrowed her eyes and stared at Tarkan.
Then she flung her arms around his neck.
Her lips pressed against Tarkan’s lips. Hotly, eagerly, desperately. Like she was seeking the only thing that could sustain her.
Their breaths mingled, turning into one.
A king…An emperor is a lonely existence.
However, Aristine didn’t think she would ever be lonely.
Because Tarkan would always be by her side.
She had made up her mind.
*.*.*
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She’s going to ascend the throne isn’t it?
So in the end Hamill decided that he fake his death, he didnt even tell his father.
Thanks as always miss Ruby, hope for your speed recovery
Did I miss something?
I thought he was really dead?!
Is he alive?
I think he is alive because if you would recall in the assassination the one who stabbed hamill only did so in his stomach and quickly fled there was no mention of any char or so so he survived.
I also believe he faked his death. I think he did it to officially stop the Queen and Duke Skilela’s plotting. And how concient it is that he had burns on his face? Coincidence? I think not!!
“I just felt like I haven’t commended you yet.”
“아직 칭찬해 주지 않은 것 같아서.”
Removed! Thank you!
As others suggested, I guess that Hamill isn’t dead. But wouldn’t even tell his father to avoid any problems. That’s a good choice.
As for Aristine “making up her mind”, that I don’t know. I don’t think she’ll be Queen in Sylvanus. Or may be she’ll and Tarkan and her will reunite the 2 countries, just like before? That’s the safest path to avoid war later…
Thank you so much for these uploaded chapters, Miss Ruby. The translation was fantastic as always.
The fact that the corpse’s body was burned beyond recognition, when there was no fire involved in the assassination attempt, is a clear indication that the corpse is fake. Hamill probably realized that his mother and grandfather would never stop their ambitions with him still alive. So with the help of Tarkan and Aristine, he faked his death, and they even kept this from Nephther.
Perhaps what we read in the previous chapters was something Aristine saw with her Monarch’s Sight. Maybe we’ll find out for sure in the next chapter, but I’m at least completely sure Hamill is alive.
I can’t help but be a bit put off by Nepheter’s little rant at the queen…and a little disappointed that the queen is only referred to as “the queen” so many times…did she even have a name, or was the author that determined to reduce her to a caricature while Nepheter gets to be humanized? I really can’t stand that Nepheter tells the queen that Hamill’s “death” is all her fault…if the king didn’t know what was going on in his own kingdom, let alone his own family, and the kind of person his “queen” was, doesn’t that make him incompetent, both as a ruler and a “father”?
Is it only me feeling relieved that Hamil is alive?! I feel bad for him for having the bad Queen for a mother. Her greed and selfishness is truly revolting.
Am I the only one that feels a little disappointed that Hamill is alive and practically got away with attempted murders and aiding with monster attacks on innocents if Tarkan did die? Call me calloused but I don’t think we should feel pity cuz he was in love with our MC. I don’t think I could forgive someone that did that to my husband so easily just cuz he saved my life cuz he says he was in love with me.