Episode 2: So you are a pervert (1)
–
‘Aren’t these people more excited to see the princess than our lord?’
‘Our lord is the one who is marrying the princess, not these guys.’
The warriors frowned when they saw the people who had gathered in Tarkan’s palace. These were their master’s siblings so they couldn’t even say anything about it.
The person who was about to become a husband couldn’t even meet his bride because of the demonic beast yet the other members of the royal family were so free that they could come over to sight-see.
‘At least His Majesty didn’t come.’
Thankfully, the King wasn’t here to see the princess’ dirty appearance. However, that didn’t mean Durante was looking forward to what was about to happen.
It was obvious what his lord’s siblings were thinking of by coming here.
‘They want to spy on my lord’s bride and find a way to devalue her somehow.’
They were people who would do anything to find fault with her, even if there was nothing wrong with her. However, the princess had a huge, obvious flaw.
When he saw the faces of the royal family stiffening at the luxurious exterior of the carriage, Durante couldn’t help but sigh.
They would think the person riding inside was a bride befitting of that carriage.
He prayed for the carriage door to get stuck or to suddenly break down or maybe get struck by lightning.
Unfortunately, the inconsiderate door opened without an issue and—.
“Oh my gosh…!”
“Wha, What in the world…”
The princess, whose outfit looked like a straw mat compared to the carriage, appeared from the door.
Because her appearance was so unexpected, people couldn’t even think of ridiculing her immediately. But that was only for a moment.
“Pfft!”
Soon, snickering sounds began to erupt from all over the place.
“She looks like a perfect match for the peasant-blood.”
“I guess we can say they are on the same level.”
“I was expecting something since she’s a princess of Silvanus, but she looks worse than a beggar under the Panyu bridge.”
Ha-ha. Mocking and derision spewed from their mouths as if they wanted her to hear it.
One after the other, numerous eyes looked at her from top to bottom. The countless eyes became sharp spears and arrows, piercing into Aristine.
The scene waiting for the new bride who left her home and arrived in a distant country was a stifling number of enemies. Even the people from her home who were normally supposed to protect the persecuted bride laughed among themselves and ignored her.
Rather, the delight that filled their eyes was much more than anyone else.
“Of course they don’t welcome that mess.”
“She must have thought something would be different in Irugo and was putting up that strange resistance.”
“Now she will know her place and be more obedient.”
Apart from the Tarkan warriors and Durante, everyone here was making fun of Aristine and mocking her.
But at that moment.
Something smooth and soft covered Aristine with an audible flutter.
‘Huh?’
Before she could figure out what happened, her body was whisked into the air. In the blink of an eye, her feet departed from the ground and in its place, hands sturdier than the ground supported her back and thighs.
“Princess.”
A voice deep like the growl of a wild beast rang out in her ears.
Shiver. It gave her goosebumps.
Only then did Aristine realize what had happened to her. Someone had covered her in a silk cloth then carried her in their arms.
‘Hmm…?’
Even though she had figured it out, why did she still feel like she didn’t understand?!
Aristine twisted her body in confusion. However, the man holding her didn’t even budge.
He moved his hand a little higher, making Aristine lean on his chest. His chest was so wide that Aristine was almost buried in his warm, solid chest.
“Hey, look here! How dare you touch that as you like!”
A Silvanus knight shrieked at the man. Of course, make no mistake, he wasn’t saying that because the man touched Aristine.
“Do you know what kind of silk that is?! It is so precious it can’t even be exchanged for a chest of pure gold! It is specially made for the Irugo…King…”
The knight’s voice gradually died off. His mouth clamped shut and his eyes shook like a boat in a storm. Seeing the knight appear like he was completely overwhelmed, Aristine was rather puzzled.
‘I don’t think this man did anything in particular though…?’
She raised her head to see and immediately met the man’s gaze.
‘Oh, his eyes sparkle like the sun.’
So pretty.
The bright-gold color was so beautiful that she couldn’t help but have such a thought.
“And what about it.”(1)
Without taking his eyes off Aristine, the man’s lips moved smoothly. His voice was low but strangely intimidating, like the soft snarl of a beast.
“The most precious things should naturally be given to my bride.”
Bride?
Only then did Aristine realize.
As she looked off to the side, she saw Durante and the other warriors kneeling before the man and herself. The sight of all the tough warriors paying their respects together was spectacular.
After that, she looked at the Silvanus knights. They were unhappy but they looked like they couldn’t even dare to approach or say anything.
This was her first time seeing these arrogant guys look like this. And it was to an Irugoian who they were always looking down on.
It showed that the pressure coming from the man carrying her was just that overwhelming.
‘And this man is—.’
The man’s eyes met Aristine’s eyes again. Unlike before when she just stared at him, this time, she clearly understood who he was.
‘The person who will be my husband.’
* * *
Tarkan’s eyes swept over his siblings who had gathered to treat his bride as a spectacle. The startled members of the royal family turned away to avoid his gaze.
Knowing it wasn’t worth dealing with them, Tarkan turned away and took huge strides into his palace.
The court ladies knelt to welcome back their master. (T/N: court ladies are servants in a royal palace.)
“Don’t misunderstand.”
Tarkan spat out, after placing Aristine down gently on the large sofa.
“Misunderstand what?”
When Aristine retorted, the court ladies were startled out of their wits.
This was their first time seeing someone talk to their master in such a comfortable manner. Normally, even when people tried not to, they were still intimidated, but the princess looked like she wasn’t bothered at all.
“I didn’t do that because I like you or anything of the sort.”
‘I mean, obviously.’
Aristine agreed with Tarkan’s words. That kind of thought had never even crossed her mind. Even without looking in a mirror, she knew exactly how she looked.
Aristine raised her arm and sniffed it. It smelled like sweat instead of perfume.
‘If he did that because he liked me then we might actually have a problem on our hands, no?’
If his type was someone covered in a chunk of dirt, calling him a pervert wouldn’t be enough.
‘Ah, is he telling me not to mistake him for a pervert?’
But they say a strong denial means a positive affirmation.
‘So he’s…’
“A pervert?”
“What?”
Tarkan had absolutely no idea what this woman was talking about. Bringing up pervert out of nowhere.
For someone who said such a thing, the woman’s face was still very calm. There was almost no change in her expression.
‘Forget, I don’t care.’
“Get this woman a bath.”
Tarkan clicked his tongue and ordered his servants. For now, he had to do something about this dusty appearance of hers.
“We are still unmarried though.”
But the woman suddenly said that.
Again, he wondered what in the world she was talking about but after some bafflement, he had a rough idea of what she meant.
Women always wanted that sort of thing from him.
Tarkan gave a twisted smile.
“I won’t eat you till you wash up so don’t worry. I mean, who will touch a dirty woman like you.”
Once those words left his mouth, he realized he made a mistake. He shouldn’t have said that to a woman who grew up spoiled in a palace. Furthermore, when he said dirty, he meant it in the literal sense, but she could take it in the wrong way.
Tarkan peeked at Aristine to see her reaction. But he soon got annoyed.
‘It’s none of my business.’
Why does it matter what this woman thinks? She was just the person he was set to marry at the king’s order. She wasn’t important to him.
“Eat me…?”
But when that remark left the woman’s mouth, Tarkan couldn’t help but feel disturbed.
Even though he was the one who said it first, it felt different when it came from the mouth of the person who was going to become his wife.
“You…”
The woman paused, looked him up and down then she spat out:
“So you are a pervert.”
That tone was like she was making a declaration.
Translator’s Corner:
Oh god. I kept laughing after typing “And what about it.” because I kept thinking of that Ariana Grande gif where she says that and flips her hair. I mean, just imagine Tarkan doing it. HAHAHAHA
