I know you’re a pervert(5)
–
Since he was already talking about this, Jacquelin decided to bare all of his complaints.
“You even threatened, I mean, told me that if I waste your time one more time, you’ll use me as kindling for the fire instead.”
So after that, he didn’t dare mention the ‘p’ in princess or the ‘a’ in Aristine.
“But if you now ask why I didn’t report it to you…”
He felt wronged and even more wronged.
Jacquelin’s eyes glistened with tears.
However, the tears of a huge man with chunky biceps and triceps couldn’t shake the hearts of anyone in the room.
“…In the future, report everything related to her, don’t leave out anything.”
Tarkan spoke briefly as if to bring an end to this topic.
“Sorry?”
Jacquelin wasn’t the only one who was surprised by that statement. Everyone in the room looked at Tarkan, inwardly taken aback. It wasn’t like Tarkan to say they should report everything about a specific person and not leave anything out.
He was the type to always ask for succinct information about important parts alone.
‘No way, is Milord getting drawn to his new bride?’
This is something none of them dared to predict.
“She is the most important key to ending this war with the empire, after all. There’s no harm in having that information on hand.”
Most of the warriors were convinced by those words.
Of course, that’s what it was. Their lord wasn’t someone whose heart was moved that easily.
However, Jacquelin’s insides only boiled even more.
‘I mean, you knew that already so why were you getting so upset every time I tried to report it! Why now…?!’
But since this was his lord and he was the subordinate, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.
The meeting continued for a little longer.
Soon, it was time to bring the discussion to a close and disperse.
“…Also.”
Tarkan, who rarely opened his mouth in the meeting, spoke up hesitantly.
The ears of all the warriors in the room, including Jacquelin, pricked up.
‘What exactly does he want to say that he’s acting like this?’
The last time Tarkan spoke hesitantly was when he talked about an operation in which the sacrifice of a warrior was inevitable. But that was also the optimal way to succeed with minimal sacrifices.
The warriors swallowed dryly.
The post-war negotiations with the Silvanus Empire were currently ongoing. But their opponents have always been the ones on the plains.
Those demonic beasts, who were more venomous and tenacious than the bastards of the empire.
They all braced themselves for a fierce battle.
“…Get me a pâtissier that makes good scones. It doesn’t matter if they’re from another palace.”
“Yes, Milord!”
The warriors who swiftly replied that they would follow their lord’s order no matter what, soon lifted their heads with confusion on their faces.
“What?”
“…I’m sure there’s nothing else to report. Let’s end today’s meeting here.”
Their lord left the meeting hall after saying that as if he was running away.
‘Haha, how can Milord be running away.’
‘There must be something urgent he had to do.’
‘He hates wasting time, that must be it.’
Each one of them made excuses for Tarkan, trying to convince themselves.
Their loyalty was truly touching.
“But why scones? Did Milord like scones?”
“He’s not the type to care whether he likes bread or not. He only cares about how much calories it has and how much it can sustain him in an emergency.”
“I mean, scones are high in calories but…is he developing new combat rations? Why scones of all things? I’m sure there’s something else with higher calories.”
“How can we understand Milord’s profound intentions?”
Indeed. They really didn’t understand Tarkan’s intentions.
* * *
The sunlight was warm as it gently caressed her eyelids. Aristine slowly opened her eyes.
‘Wow, this blanket is so cozy.’
Was the thought that crossed her mind as soon as she woke up. When she lifted her hand and pressed down on the blanket, her fingers sank into it.
‘So fluffy!’
Aristine unconscious squeezed protruding sides.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
And she kept doing it.
Her face was as expressionless as usual, but her cheeks were a little flushed.
‘…nice.’
She didn’t remember lying in bed last night. She had probably thought it was fluffy when she lay down but couldn’t really remember.
‘I must have slept like the dead.’
Which made sense.
Throughout the entire journey from Silvanus to Irugo, Aristine couldn’t take a proper break. Moreover, yesterday was full of things Aristine has never experienced in her life before.
Everything went well but there was nothing she could do about the fact that her mind was exhausted.
Still, how long had it been since she took a really clean bath, put on clean clothes, and lay on a bed that didn’t shake?
‘And they even have this fluffy thing! The pillow is fluffy too!’
Bam-Bam! Bambambambam!
Aristine enjoyed the sensation of hitting the pillow then she sat up.
And instantly froze in place.
“…Tarkan?”
Because she locked eyes with Tarkan who was sitting at a table a little further away from the bed.
‘I should have known when I felt the sunlight on me.’
This was not her place of confinement. Naturally, there were curtains around the bed to block the sunlight. Since the sunlight was hitting her while she was asleep, it means someone had opened those curtains.
‘Although it’s normally a maid doing that to wake you up.’
“Good morning…or afternoon, I guess.”
Tarkan greeted her in a lazy voice while bathing under the light of the afternoon sun. He glanced at the pillow in the middle of the bed and asked.
“Enjoying yourself?”
“Uh, well. It’s quite soft.”
Aristine uncharacteristically replied evasively. Even someone like her felt embarrassed when someone saw her behaving like that.
She quickly changed the topic.
“Why are you here?”
“Does a husband need a reason to go to his wife’s room?”
Tarkan had a slanted smile on his face.
His words were peculiar, but they barely affected Aristine. She flashed him a similar smile and replied.
“We’re not married yet.”
This was exactly what she said yesterday.
“So you mean I can come as I like after we’re married?”
Aristine simply gave Tarkan a blank stare from her seat on the bed without replying. She raised a brow as if to say, ‘what do you mean’.
“You must have a lot of free time.”
This was the first time Tarkan was hearing the word ‘free’ about himself since he was born.
“How long have you been here anyway? You could have just woken me up but instead, you waited…You don’t have anything to do?”
At Aristine’s words, Tarkan’s veins bulged.
Of course, he tried to wake her up. Why wouldn’t he?
