Pervert with a Grudge (6)
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Aristine seemed to have gotten over her shock as her face was pale but calm. But Tarkan knew just how delicate she was.
Her slender shoulder, waist that fit in his hands, and fragile wrists that looked like it would break if you applied a little force.
His gaze fell on the fallen scalpel.
Tarkan knew how sharp and penetrative that tiny blade was.
Brodie was definitely trying to mutilate Aristine’s face. You could tell from her movement.
And his incredibly delicate wife wouldn’t be able to withstand such force.
An image of Aristine’s face dyed in red flashed before Tarkan’s eyes.
“…!”
It felt like his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.
A ferocious light flashed in his golden-yellow eyes reminiscent of a wild beast.
Crushed under that thick and bloody murderous intent, Brodie struggled to breath. She had to run away. But like a prey before a predator, her body locked up and refused to move.
“H-Help me, ple…”
With much difficulty, she forced her tongue to move and squeezed those words out.
“Why should I?”
But the response she got was cruel.
The moment she looked into those eerie golden-yellow eyes, Brodie had a premonition.
She was going to die.
“…Huu, khk, uck…”
However, Tarkan simply clicked his tongue and turned away.
Aristine was looking this way.
He knew she didn’t grow up in a world of flowers, but he didn’t want to spill blood in front of her.
Most of all, he’d rather pay attention to Aristine than waste time on this scum. Aristine looked calm but her face was even paler than usual.
“Durante.”
At Tarkan’s call, Durante stepped forward and grabbed Brodie.
Brodie, who didn’t even know Durante was there, shrieked when she was suddenly grabbed roughly.
After getting away from Tarkan’s murderous intent, blood began to flow through her again and her limbs trembled.
“No, no…”
Brodie struggled with her trembling body as she was dragged away. The smell of death from earlier felt even more vivid.
At this rate, she might really die.
“No, stop…stop!”
Brodie was panicking and struggled as hard as she could to get out of the restraint, but Durante didn’t even budge.
“Why me, I…! It shouldn’t be me!”
Brodie’s eyes suddenly turned. Her eyes were bloodshot against the whites of her eyes. She looked straight at Aristine. As if the person being dragged around like this should be Aristine, not her.
“It’s wrong! It’s changed…!”
Durante raised a brow and covered Brodie’s mouth. No matter how much Brodie struggled, he dragged her away with unwavering steps.
Click.
The door closed and the room returned to its usual state, as if nothing had happened.
However, Aristine couldn’t lay down as leisurely as usual. Her sleep had completely flown away.
Tarkan quickly walked up to Aristine, held her chin and lifted it up.
“Tarkan?”
Her call didn’t register as he turned her face left and right to check for any injuries.
Seeing him studying her carefully, Aristine’s heart, which had frozen solid, melted.
He stopped the blade before it even touched her so he didn’t need to be so anxious.
As she stared at him, Tarkan felt her gaze and raised his eyes from her cheeks.
Their eyes met.
They were very close to each other.
Tarkan flinched and let go of Aristine’s chin. He turned away, unable to meet Aristine’s eyes.
Belated regret fell over him.
He was filled with a flood of rage earlier that he couldn’t control himself.
Tarkan knew that his killing intent was overwhelming and oppressive. He figured that after seeing him like that, Aristine would find him uncomfortable and be fearful of him like everyone else.
She might either tremble in fear, avoid him or look up at him with awe. He didn’t like either of those options.
Aristine was a woman who did everything her own way.
She was someone who opened her eyes wide and spat out absurd words from the first day they met.
Strangely, he didn’t mind her like that.
If she changed…
Right as he was thinking that, a soft and warm hand touched his coarse and hard fingers.
Tarkan looked at Aristine in surprise, like he’d been burned.
She was smiling at him.
“Thank you, Tarkan.”
—While saying that.
Tarkan opened his mouth. But no sound came out. Instead, he frowned and looked away.
Perhaps because it was now summer, the day felt hot.
He stood like that, not saying anything; just feeling the warmth on his fingertips.
After a long yet short moment passed, the hand that was touching him moved away just as suddenly as it arrived.
Tarkan’s fingers twitched in regret for the lost warmth.
“As expected, you are a reliable partner. That could have been really bad.”
Aristine grinned.
It was the condition she put forth when she first proposed that they should form an alliance.
That he should protect her from danger.
Tarkan felt a little bothered. His actions were not because of that.
When he was protecting Aristine, he wasn’t thinking of any contract, conditions, demands or political alliances.
He was just—.
“But Tarkan.”
Aristine’s expression was serious despite the smile on her face.
“You knew that Brodie stole the scalpel.”
Her gaze was full of conviction.
“…Yes.”
Tarkan slowly nodded.
Aristine tilted her head. She couldn’t figure out why Tarkan didn’t tell her.
That could have gone really badly.
Had she known beforehand that Brodie had stolen the scalpel, she wouldn’t have been so defenseless.
What if Tarkan hadn’t showed up?
Even if he showed up, if he had been a little late…
“Why didn’t you tell me? And I don’t think it’s because you weren’t sure.”
Tarkan fell silent for a bit.
“If I told you, you would act more careful.”
“What?”
That was an answer she couldn’t understand even more.
“…You lived in confinement,” Tarkan’s golden eyes slowly fixed itself on Aristine, “Your actions were bound, and your life was also restricted.”
She lived in a small, cramped room for over ten years.
“That…”
Aristine closed her mouth, stopping the words that were about to leave. Her voice couldn’t come out.
Because she knew what Tarkan was talking about.
Somehow, it felt like there was breeze blowing under her chest. A breeze that was hot, cold, and maybe warm.
Her eyes met his in the air.
Aristine didn’t know what kind of expression she was making.
But seeing the look on her face, Tarkan couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to her.
His large hand cupped her small face.
“Here, there is nobody or anything that will limit your actions or freedom.”
His black hair fell onto her face.
Under the shade, Tarkan’s eyes shone down on Aristine like the sun.
“They can’t limit it.”
Because he would make sure of that.
His voice sounded too firm to be just assurance and it was full of determination.
