You, be my colleague (4)
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“Hm, I don’t know.”
Aristine’s face looked serious as she tilted her head and said.
“Actually, I think it would be uncomfortable because of the eye patch pressing on his flesh…”
Aristine even stood on her tiptoes to examine the structure of the eye patch.
It was fitted right in the eye hole without any straps, and it looked like the compressed skin would hurt, plus she was worried it might fall off.
“Aren’t malachite and gold quite heavy?” (Aristine)
Volatun, who had been expecting a good reaction, laughed awkwardly.
“Haha, I believe General Mukali is beyond such an issue. He often swings that oversized sword with one hand.”
Forged arm muscle and skin in the eyehole are different, aren’t they?
That is what Aristine thought, but she didn’t question that part any further.
“I’m glad if that’s the case but still, Sir. Mukali is a warrior who fights deadly battles so I think it will only inconvenience him further.” (Aristine)
Volatun was stunned by this point which he hadn’t even considered.
“It looks like it will fall off if he moves a little fiercely during battle. If that happens, it will bother him more.” (Aristine)
“Ahh, that…”
“I mean, he’ll have to think about moving gently so it doesn’t fall, and if it does fall, he’ll have to wonder where it fell; wouldn’t it be hard to focus on battle?”
“That, I didn’t make this to be used during battle…”
Volatun barely managed to get out a response.
It was made for Mukali to use when he appeared in front of people. Because it was better to cover up that horrible scar.
Although scars were said to be a warrior’s medal, that was only true to a certain extent.
“But Sir Mukali is a warrior so isn’t battle his job? Even if he doesn’t go out to battle, he trains every day. The same thing applies for training.” (Aristine)
“Um, that is true, but…”
Volatun didn’t how to put it.
Right now, Aristine was not operating on the premise that Mukali had to cover up his scar. But if Volatun said it, it would be as if he was blatantly telling Mukali that he should cover up that horrible thing.
“Right? I don’t see the real need for him to wear something uncomfortable.”
Aristine seemed to truly think there was nothing wrong with Mukali’s face. Otherwise, her reaction would be very different.
‘Umm…’
Volatun glanced at Mukali for a moment then he froze.
‘Ah.’
When he saw Mukali staring at Aristine, he suddenly realized. Mukali’s face was as if he had seen something unbelievable. His wide-open one-eye was fixed on Aristine’s face.
‘It seems I had it wrong.’
Although he pretended not to know, he knew that Mukali was concerned about the condition of his left eye.
So he made an eye patch.
However, what Mukali needed was not an eyepatch to cover up his scar. It was someone who saw that scar for what it was.
‘Oh, I have done something very rude.’
Huu, Volatun exhaled and smiled apologetically at Mukali.
“This was thoughtless of me. I just wanted to give the General a present…”
“I know your generosity the best, Lord Volatun.”
Mukali quietly replied.
Even though Mukali knew it was done out of goodwill earlier, he just couldn’t forgive it but now, he thought it was fine either way.
His mind was at ease.
“Next time, I will prepare a gift that you will like, General.”
“You don’t have to…”
“It also counts as my apology so please accept it.”
“Is that so…then I shall not refuse any further.”
The atmosphere flowing between them was warm.
Aristine looked at this scene and sighed, “Ah, I shouldn’t have spoken so negatively about your present. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No, Your Highness. I asked for your opinion first. You gave me your response after seriously thinking about it so that isn’t rude in the slightest. Rather, I should be grateful.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
Aristine smiled widely. She stared at the eye patch which had gone back inside the box and said.
“I’m amazed by the fine craftsmanship that went into this, but I am even more amazed that it was made to fit Sir Mukali’s eye-hole perfectly. And I doubt you used a model.”
It was a surprise gift so Volatun must have made it based on his memory. It was practically made through eye measurement; as expected, the best blacksmith was on a different level.
“I’m glad you noticed.”
Volatun was somewhat surprised.
Aristine had a really good eye for recognizing things by focusing on the skill rather than the beautiful appearance.
“Although the Catallaman forge has given you a gift, Princess Consort, I would like to make you a personal gift considering we have met today. Will you accept it?”
“Oh my, I will happily look forward to it.”
A smile spread across Volatun’s wrinkled face once Aristine agreed to accept his goodwill.
Now that the topic had somewhat come to a lull, Aristine took a sip of tea to wet her throat.
Now, it was time to fulfill her purpose for coming here.
Aristine acted as casual as possible and spoke as if she had just remembered.
“Come to think of it, I saw something a little troubling before entering the smithy earlier.”
“Something troubling…?”
When Volatun asked, Aristine briefly explained Ritlen’s incident.
Volatun’s face darkened.
“Those punks, in the end…my goodness, I have let you both see something shameful.”
“Don’t worry about us. More importantly, that blacksmith might have never held a hammer again.”
That would have been the outcome had Aristine not intervened.
Because that was the future she saw through her Monarch’s Sight.
“…I thought that if I stopped paying attention to him, the others’ attention would gradually shift away. I made a mistake.”
Volatun said in a heavy voice. His face seemed to age in an instant as he spoke.
“If it’s alright, can I know the backstory behind this?” (Aristine)
Volatun stared at Aristine for a moment then he nodded.
“Princess Consort is his benefactor so naturally, you have a right to know.”
