Chapter 177

Episode 26: My Wife (6)

–

“Why should I?!”

Dionna screamed.

The more she acted like that, the more dismayed and colder the surrounding gazes became.

“Dionna.”

Finally, Tarkan spoke to her.

Dionna turned to Tarkan as fast as her neck would allow.

Although Tarkan wouldn’t even look at her and only paid attention to Aristine, she couldn’t abandon her expectations so easily.

“I think you are misunderstanding something.”

His golden eyes cut through Dionna like a sharp dagger.

“Whether it is in the past, present or future, you have never been special to me.”

He had never given Dionna his heart. Never.

At that cruel statement, Dionna’s eyes widened in shock.

“Y-Your Highness…”

“Aristine is the woman I have married,” Tarkan wrapped his arm around Aristine’s shoulders like he was protecting her.

His affection for Aristine was clear, and Dionna felt like a knife was cutting through her chest.

“Do not approach my wife, ever again,” Tarkan finished while pulling Aristine into his arms.

His eyes were filled with contempt and disdain as he looked at Dionna.

Tarkan used to always look at her like the little sister of a cherished warrior who passed away.

Dionna always hoped that his gaze would change someday.

‘But I didn’t want it to change like this!’

She wanted him to look at her like a woman, like someone he loved. Not this hostile and hateful gaze.

“Aaaaaah!”

Dionna screamed and grabbed her head.

“No! No! No!”

The warriors grabbed her as she was losing her mind.

Her usual appearance was already long gone but right now, Dionna looked so terrible that she couldn’t be called a young noble lady.

Umiru, who had been silent so far, went ‘Whew’ and shuddered.

She clapped once and opened her mouth, “Well, the Princess Consort needs to rest. Can this muddy issue be resolved outside?”

Her gaze flitted past Dionna and fell on Tarkan. It was a reproachful gaze.

The warriors grabbed Dionna’s arm and pulled.

“Dionna, let’s go.”

“I don’t want…!”

“Don’t raise your voice, come out and talk.”

Dionna refused to leave and tried to hold her ground, but she couldn’t win against the strength of the warriors.

Both of her arms were held as if she was being hauled away.

“Sorry for the fuss when you should be resting…”

“Sorry, Princess Consort.”

The warriors apologized to Aristine then hurried out.

“My goodness. The audacity someone can have,” Umiru snorted and scoffed at Dionna who was being dragged out.

With the way Dionna was acting right now, she could imagine how Dionna acted when she went to the bride’s waiting room on the wedding day.

“No wonder I had trouble liking that woman,” Umiru said, shaking her head back and forth.

“Aristine.”

When Tarkan called, Aristine, who was watching Dionna get dragged out, raised her head.

For some reason, he looked a little nervous.

“Before, when you said I had a lover—.” [1]

“Your Highness Tarkan, please leave as well,” Umiru interrupted Tarkan, “For the comfort of the patient.”

She called it ‘the patient’s comfort’ but he was obviously being driven away.

Tarkan’s forehead creased, “Umiru.”

“Why do you keep trying to stay around someone who bothers you?”

The moment Umiru said that, Tarkan flinched, and his body froze.

When he said bothersome, that was not what he meant.

He slowly studied Aristine’s face.

Her expression was as indifferent as always.

But because he was guilty, he had no choice but to take a step back. Knowing that Aristine mistook him for having a lover, he wanted to talk to her.

But he figured it would be better to have a proper conversation after dealing with the current situation.

Tarkan slowly rose from his seat.

“Aristine.”

But when he was about to leave, he felt he had to clarify.

“Hm?”

At the very least, he wanted to explain what he meant by bothersome.

Seeing those purple eyes looking up at him, Tarkan was momentarily at loss for words.

He had never had to clear up a misunderstanding about his speech in his life.

He usually thought it was fine even if they misunderstood.

But he didn’t want Aristine to misunderstand.

“Um, I…when I said bothersome—.”

“I know what you meant,” Aristine nodded and smiled, as if to say he shouldn’t worry.

“…you know?”

“Mhm, I will try my best not to bother you.”

Tarkan frowned, “That is not what I’m saying…”

“You don’t need to explain. I have already found a way to deal with the problem of securing iron ores.”

Aristine smiled softly.

“So don’t worry. I will make sure you never have anything to worry about.”

Beneath that smile, he could feel a line forming between her and himself.

It was a much firmer and clearer line than before.

That’s not it.

He wanted to say, but Aristine was faster.

“Oh, I have to move quickly to do that though. I don’t have much time. You should leave too.”

“Aristine.”

He called her, wanting to discuss this properly but Aristine got up from the sofa.

“Your work was pushed back because you had to take care of me, right? Hurry and get back.”

No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like she wanted to talk.

Tarkan stared at her without saying anything for a while.

But even if he forcefully held her back to talk, he didn’t think his words would get through to her.

Most importantly, even he didn’t know how to explain it.

He kept getting bothered about Aristine. But he wasn’t really sure what that bothering feeling was.

He couldn’t possibly explain it when he was in such a state.

In the end, Tarkan had no choice but to leave the room under Aristine’s urging tone.

Somehow, he felt like he was kicked out.

‘No, I was kicked out.’

Tarkan heaved a sigh.

Translator’s Corner:

[1] This was in chapter 171