Chapter 231

Heavy Shower (6)

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They had kissed but never talked about love or liking each other.

What did body-obsession really signify?

In the first place, they weren’t lovers. They were husband and wife, and a family.

《A partner isn’t a lover, they’re family. It’s different from the love between lovers.》

《Indeed. Perhaps we should call them colleagues.》

《More like comrades.》

The words that the noblewomen said with laughter rang through her skull.

Rumble, the sound of thunder boomed softly in the distance. Looks like it was finally coming down—the rain.

“Rineh.”

At that moment, a voice rang out from behind her. A voice that she had longed to hear but really didn’t want to hear right now.

Aristine did not turn around.

Tarkan stared at his wife, who was dazzlingly beautiful even from the back, and walked closer.

He wondered if she came because she wanted to see him too, and a tiny smile graced his face as he reached out to grab her wrist—.

Smack!

Aristine shook his hand off.

“Rineh?”

Tarkan looked at Aristine with confusion, his rejected hand, frozen in place.

Aristine grit her teeth.

She knew Tarkan did nothing wrong.

But the moment he touched her, she couldn’t hold back the emotions rising to her throat.

She was angry.

She felt even more upset because even at this moment, Tarkan looked good, dressed in his battle armor.

Because it all pointed to one very clear and certain emotion.

Aristine bit her lips with frustration.

“Rineh? What’s wrong?”

Seeing Aristine look like she was about to cry, Tarkan was shocked and grabbed her shoulders.

Aristine clenched her fists at the sight of Tarkan looking at her with worry, no longer paying attention to the fact that he was brushed off.

Wasn’t that foolish?

“Let go of me...”

At the faint tremble in her voice, Tarkan’s eyes swept over Aristine, then he raised his head.

A starkly different gaze from the one on Aristine scanned the warriors.

At his questioning gaze, the warriors lowered their heads, seemingly helpless at what to do.

They began to retreat silently, leaving Aristine and Tarkan alone. Same went for the court ladies who were tactfully watching from behind.

Even after everyone was gone, both of them remained still.

Silence settled over the two of them.

Aristine stubbornly fixed her eyes to the floor and refused to look up, while Tarkan waited with his hand on her shoulder.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Drip. Drip.

Raindrops began to fall, one by one.

Tarkan frowned and looked up at the sky.

“Let’s go inside first. Your body is weak; you’ll get a cold if you get hit by rain.”

He wraps his arms around Aristine’s exposed shoulders.

Aristine bit her lips.

His hard yet soft lips lingered on the back of her hand for a while, as if it wanted to leave a mark, then it moved away.

Tarkan looks up at her again.

Aristine helped him to his feet with a smile, and raised their clasped hand to the sky.

“Ooraaaaah—!”

The cries of the warriors reverberated through the sky, as if to drive away the clouds of rain.

Aristine looked very much the same as usual as she blessed the warriors and boosted their morale.

Actually, she looked even better than usual.

The few warriors who knew that a strange mood had formed between Tarkan and Aristine after the first love talk, inwardly sighed with relief.

They had been wondering what to do but it seems things were resolved after they left.

“Rineh.”

In the midst of the cries, Tarkan called out to Aristine.

“It was sincere when I kissed you.”

However, Aristine didn’t turn to look at him. She still had a light smile on her face.

Just as the roars died down, Aristine lowered her arm and let go of Tarkan’s hand.

The two of them faced each other again.

The sound of rain hitting the curtain above the podium was deafening.

“May you be victorious.”

Aristine dropped those formal words and turned around.

She walked away with a majestic and graceful stature. With the bearing of the Lady that all the warriors wished for.

Tarkan squeezed his empty hand, which was now void of warmth.

He wanted to hold Aristine back.

Grab her, turn her around, look into her eyes, hug her tight, and...

And.

What was he going to say to Aristine?

He kissed her because he loved her and wanted her.

But what about his first love?

However, he couldn’t just watch Aristine get further like this.

Tarkan grabbed Aristine’s arm as she was about to get down from the platform and turned her around.

The sparkling skirt of her dress spun vibrantly, and her silver hair swam in the air.

The next moment, Aristine was pulled tightly into Tarkan’s warm, firm embrace.

“Wooooo—!”

Cries even louder than before rang out, deafening their ears.

But to Aristine, it all felt distant, along with the sound of rain. Only Tarkan’s body temperature felt vivid as he held her tightly, like he would never let go.

“Rineh.”

His voice was extremely clear.

“I’ll be back soon, so wait.”

Something warm and soft touched the top of her head.

By the time Aristine lifted her head in surprise, the warmth had already disappeared.

The sound of warriors banging their breastplates and the sound of raindrops hitting the curtain resonated together.

The sounds that shook the entire world felt like it was shaking her heart. Aristine clenched her fists tightly and came down from the podium.

‘Idiot.’

After coming down from her podium, Aristine touched the top of her head, where Tarkan’s lips had touched.

She didn’t even know herself who she was calling an idiot.

Translator’s Corner:

** will be a little short.