Chapter 10

Episode 3: A fiancée with a business addiction; will this marriage be okay? (1)

–

“…Business?”

Tarkan’s gaze turned strange.

“Ah, no! I don’t have a business addiction or anything like that.”(1)

Aristine hurriedly waved her hand.

In this place, and even in her past life which she saw through the Monarch’s Sight, business addiction was the root of all evil.

“I’m not asking you to lend me money. I am not asking you to invest either or saying, ‘as long as you do this, it will be a big hit’! Wait. No, of course, there are things I think will be big…!”

“…”

“No, it’s really not like that. Seriously, can you stop looking at me like that?”

“Don’t tell me you want to use my private coffers for your business fund. I have to regulate this…”

Tarkan mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

Money in the private coffers was money Aristine could definitely use as a member of the royal family after marriage. So he was basically saying he had to manage it before his future wife with a business addiction started wasting money.

“No, no. That’s really not it.”

Aristine fervently denied it.

Tarkan’s gaze fell on her face.

Her face was showing a little emotion. And her cheeks were flushed in a different way from before.

It was a bit fascinating.

And so, his lips opened on their own. And uncharacteristically playful words left his mouth.

“So if it isn’t borrowing money, investing, or ‘this is definitely a big hit’, then is it going to be ‘please stamp your seal here?’”

“I said it’s not.”

Aristine grumbled.

The muscles on her face didn’t move very much but her lips were a bit poutier.

Tarkan captured that image with his eyes.

“The both of us are politically entwined with this arranged marriage.” (Aristine)

Aristine clasped her fingers together.

“So it would be nice to have a win-win relationship where we both help each other and both of us benefit. Not a personal relationship but a business…business-like relationship.” (Aristine)

Aristine chose the best words to use.

She was trying to say ‘love is unnecessary in our marriage so let’s deal with each other strategically’ but she ended up getting treated like someone with a business addiction.

It seems her lack of direct conversations with people was causing her to convey her message in a strange manner.

‘Still, I think this was good enough, right?’

He definitely couldn’t say he didn’t understand.

“A win-win, huh.”

She was quite daring. No one had ever had the nerve to talk about a ‘win-win’ to Tarkan.

Tarkan curled his lips. His smile was ferocious.

“If that is possible, it’ll be nice, I suppose.”

His tone was practically saying that will never happen.

“Certainly, I will be able to help you. But what about you?”

Tarkan looked down at Aristine. The look in his golden eyes was more carefree than arrogant.

“What can you do for me?”

Other people might shrivel at Tarkan’s attitude but Aristine was different. Rather than shrink away, she asked back.

“What do you want from me?”

“To do nothing and just stay still.”

“Oh my.”

Aristine covered her mouth with her hand and lazily exclaimed in admiration.

“I’m thankful for how you feel but I’m a little surprised.”

So she said but Aristine’s face didn’t have the slightest thankfulness or surprise.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you if you say you fell at first sight. But still, our first meeting was…like that.”

A situation where Aristine hadn’t bathed for a month.

“Although, I think one should respect people’s diverse tastes.”

Aristine’s eyes looked Tarkan up and down.

“I mean, earlier, didn’t you tell me not to misunderstand because you were ashamed of your tastes? Now that I think about it, they say a strong denial means a positive affirmation.”

Tarkan’s head hurt as he watched the woman babble on.

Seriously, what kind of woman was this?

He had seen all kinds of people throughout his life. But this was his first time meeting such a person in all ages and gender.

“I did not mean I was satisfied for you to stay quietly by my side.”

“I know.”

Aristine grinned, agreeing with Tarkan who was speaking like he was forcing the words out.

“So Tarkan.”

A low, soft voice called his name.

Her fine, silver hair swayed along with her movements.

“Isn’t there anything you want from me?”

Her mysteriously lit eyes fell on him.

‘Come on, tell me already. I know what you want, somewhat.’

Aristine waited for Tarkan to hurry up and open his mouth.

But for some reason, he just stared blankly at her then frowned and turned his head. As if he saw something he didn’t want to see.

“It’s not like you can do anything with those thin arms. They look like they can’t even lift a fork.”

He mumbled.

Indeed, in the eyes of the Irugoians, the Silvanus people were all thin and fragile.

‘But I’m average for a Silvanus.’

For someone who grew up in confinement from a young age and wasn’t able to eat much, she was actually on the bigger side.

“Aren’t you taking me too lightly?”

“There is nothing you can do to help me.”

Tarkan ignored Aristine’s grumbling.

“An arrangement where only one side contributes cannot be called a win-win situation.”

He declared, then he asked Aristine:

“What’s the difference between telling me to dive into a business that I will obviously lose out in and asking me to stamp my seal on a contract without reading it?”

‘This bastard is treating me like a swindler.’

Aristine raised a brow.

“I see you’re fully positive I won’t be able to help.”

“Because it’s true.”

‘I’m not liking this.’

Aristine tapped the teacup with her finger.

At other times, she didn’t care what the other party thought, or whether they disregarded her but right now, she had to get Tarkan’s co-operation.

‘Hmm, will he still act like this after learning about me?’

The moment she revealed that she had the Monarch’s Sight, not just Tarkan, even the emperor who had been harsh to her would treat her kindly as if they had been friendly her entire life.

Just imagining it made her angry. She felt her annoyance rise.

‘Shouldn’t he check what kind of cards I have at least?’

Tarkan might not have wanted it but he agreed to this political marriage too, so they were political partners now.

This was a matter of courtesy.

‘Hah, I will make this bastard get on his knees and beg to do business with me!’

After making such a resolve, Aristine poured the entire cup of cold tea down her throat.

“You’re right, I should prove my ability first before sitting down at the table to negotiate.”

Clatter , she placed the teacup carelessly on the table and rose to her feet.

“Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“You have to check the product before stamping your seal.”

* * *

“The princess wants to meet me?”

“Yes, what shall I do?”

At the court lady’s words, the King of Irugo raised a brow. Originally, the plan was to have the Silvanus delegation rest from the journey then have an official audience with them tomorrow evening.

‘Why does the princess want to see me separately…’

Yenikarina, the 2nd Princess, who was massaging the King’s shoulders, smiled sweetly and whispered in her father’s ear.

“Why don’t you consider seeing her? Yenika is also curious about what the rumored princess is like.”(2)

The King’s gaze turned to Yenikarina.

He already knew that she and several of his other children had gone to Tarkan’s palace. It was obvious what intention she had by telling him to receive the princess because she was curious even though she had seen her.

‘I believe it is the confined first daughter who came, not the second.’

And not only that, she came looking as bad as a street beggar.

The King actually thought it was cute because it was so obvious what Yenikarina was scheming so he didn’t scold her, instead he spoke to the court lady.

“Since I am not attending to official duties, I see no reason to refuse.”

“Oh, yay!”

Yenikarina hugged the King’s neck with a big smile on her face.

‘Now I can suppress that ugly and dirty princess as much as I want in front of royal father.’

Then Tarkan’s reputation would also be dragged down.

Yenikarina was in a good mood as she thought of the insults she could use to mock Aristine. Plus, if that ugly girl was next to her, it would help her stand out more.

‘Then father will favor me even more.’

Because the King requested so adamantly for the princess of Silvanus, Yenikarina had been nervous.

‘But from what I saw, she’s an idiot who is not even worth all that.’

She was thankful for that but when she thought about how she couldn’t sleep for a few days out of worry, she hated the princess.

The price will definitely be paid.

Yenikarina gave one of the court ladies a look. Understanding what that meant, the court lady nodded slightly.

* * *

As soon as the court lady who received the glance got outside, she delivered the news to the Queen.

“I see, so that’s what’s happening.”

The Queen mumbled as she shut her fan.

“It is a sudden informal meeting so it will be rather unusual if I go.”

“Then…”

“It should be fine since my adorable Yenika is there but…it will be good to have assistance so send those three over. They are idle children, so it won’t be strange for them to go there.”

“Yes.”

The court lady bowed her head and left the Queen’s palace. (3)

Not long after, the princes and princesses headed to King’s palace at the Queen’s order.

“I am looking forward to royal father’s reaction.”

“Indeed, I wonder what he’ll think when he sees that beggar of a princess.”

“You’re going that far? I mean, she is still the direct descendant of Silvanus imperial family…”

“She’s a sewage rat perfect for that lowly bastard.”

Hearing that, they snickered and laughed mockingly at Aristine.

“That said, I’m sure she’s cleaned up by this point. Tarkan must have done his best to scrub off all that dirt and dress her up for the King to see.”

“Hmph, what’s the use of that? No matter how much he tries to polish her, will she be that different? The main essence cannot be changed.”

“Exactly. She couldn’t even compare to her handmaids who were next to her. Imagine, a maid looked better than a princess.”

“I heard the Princess of Silvanus is a beautiful woman, but they must have been talking about the second princess not the first. Maarten, you’ve met the second princess before, right?”

“The second princess is definitely a beauty. She was an elegant, fine blonde; the typical Silvanus woman. I guess not all sisters look alike.”

“Must be because they’re half-sisters.”

“Poor Tarkan. He thought the second princess who is pretty and popular in the Empire would come but that bum came instead.”

“I heard the first princess was locked up because she’s off in the head.”

“Oh my, so she’s lunatic?”

The faces of the prince and princesses were filled with obvious delight. Who knew how jealous they were when they heard that Tarkan, born from that lowly mother of his, would be marrying a noble imperial princess.

“Tarkan must be feeling anxious too. How can the princess be the one who wants an audience so suddenly? Tarkan probably wants to see father because he got such a defective product.”

“He probably has no idea that Yenika is with father, right?”

“He doesn’t know we’re coming either.”

“Today is going to be really interesting.”

While they were talking, they arrived at the waiting room before they knew it.

They watched the door open with huge ridiculing smiles on their faces.

They could see Tarkan’s annoying overbearing back, a sight they were unwillingly familiar with. And the sparkling silver hair next to him.

‘Sparkling…?’

Translator’s Corner:

-Someone with a business addiction is someone who keeps wanting to ‘open their own company’ or ‘start their own business’. It’s not as rare as you might think.

-Princess Yenikarina is referring to herself in the third person…Yenika is probably a short form.

*So [sa-eob-byeong] stands for business addictions but it literally translates to business illness, so I wasn’t very sure what it meant. After some digging, I found a message board where a mom was asking for advice, basically saying: