WTPB - Chapter 18

Arkan took a moment to calm his mind. He had fully expected Erdene to be angry with him, and he could understand it.

Considering her personality, he might have been glad that she was being sarcastic to this extent.

He let out a shallow sigh as if he had just regained his balance after almost falling, and smiled awkwardly.

“Run away, you mean me? How could that be?”

Erdene answered immediately.

“I didn’t even see your nose, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that way.”

Nose? Arkan was dumbfounded by the vulgar expression that came out so casually. He also felt a little wrong.

“If you put it that way, then I didn’t even see thr Princess ‘nose’, right?”

“I’m still just a guest, right? And no one would like me wandering around here.”

A look that seemed to ask if he was stupid for not even thinking of that struck Arkan’s forehead. Arkan raised his eyebrows blankly as if he saw the flag that read “1 win” fluttering over Erdene’s head.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. There’s been too much going on in the past week. I had to collect and organize supplies to send to the Princess’s homeland, and I had to have several meetings about sending support to the damaged Kingdom of Vinotin...”

Arkan trailed off with a defeated expression.

Erdene’s eyes, staring at him intently—it would be more accurate to say she was glaring as if she was going to devour him—were filled with reproach and anger.

“...I’m not blaming you, Princess Erdene.”

Erdene snorted.

“Who said anything? I don’t care at all if you blame me. If you think I’m going to apologize for my actions, you’re very mistaken.”

This isn’t right, Arkan thought.

Something was seriously wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what was going on.

He thought Erdene was more angry than necessary.

He was used to always resolving conflicts through dialogue and calmly, so Erdene’s endless, harsh swearing was extremely disconcerting.

“I’m really sorry for leaving you alone for a week. I’m not trying to make excuses, but really... I didn’t have time to think about anything. And I didn’t plan on blaming you...”

“Do you think I’m a child who cries out loud when left alone? Why does it matter if it’s a week or a month? Why have you been hanging on so persistently since then?”

Arkan’s patience suddenly broke as Erdene retorted, unable to contain her irritation.

“No, if that’s not it, then why on earth are you so angry? I don’t understand.”

Erdene imagined crushing Arkan’s face once more... but stopped.

Even if his face is distorted or his nose is crooked, they have to get married tomorrow, and unless she plans to bury him here and run away wearing these uncomfortable clothes, it is her loss no matter how she thinks about it.

Erdene, standing with her arms crossed and her posture crooked, said.

“More than that, Your Majesty, even though you didn’t show me your face, seemed to be very interested in me. Was it Your Majesty who wanted to know everything I do? Even though I didn’t even bring a proper dowry, should I unpack this trivial luggage and show it to you? Aren’t you curious about how many sharpened daggers I have?”

“I won’t be curious for the rest of my life, so put it away. No, wait. What are you talking about?”

Erdene and Arkan frowned at the same time. Their expressions were a mixture of suspicion and questioning.

Arkan said.

“I asked what on earth you meant.”

Erdene responded immediately as if she was astonished.

“What do I mean, did you imagine that I would come here naked, without even a few daggers? Empty-handed, like a meek and sad hostage...”

“No, I said no to daggers! Oh my God! If it were you, yes. Would you have brought only daggers? You would have brought a rapier, a greatsword, and perhaps even a poisoned arrowhead! That’s not what I’m asking. What on earth do you mean that I wanted to know every single thing the Princess does?”

Erdene’s eyes widened.

Arkan’s appearance, throwing a tantrum like a five-year-old who had his toy taken away unfairly, was enough to make even her dumbfounded.

He even wrinkled his entire face as if he was extremely aggrieved and frustrated.

His hair, which had been soft and curly like a puppy’s belly, was now a mess, and she suddenly thought that it was pitiful and funny.

'I think I'm going crazy.'

Erdene, who had misjudged her own condition, crossed her arms even more tightly.

“I’m talking about Marchioness Fiddler. Are you saying that it wasn’t your idea to conspire with that petty, squeamish woman to spy on me?”

“What kind of nonsense is this? Are you doing this because you want to blow my insides out and see what’s inside me?”

This time, Erdene’s face crumpled without mercy.

“That’s something I won’t be curious about for the rest of my life. And I already know what’s inside a person’s body...”

Arkan shouted with a pale face.

“No, stop! I understand. I fully understand that the Princess is well-versed in anatomy, so answer my questions. Why on earth is Marchioness Fiddler’s story being brought up here? What do you mean I conspired with her?”

He spoke almost breathlessly, and Erdene only then vaguely realized that she and he were arguing on different points.

But she wasn’t the type to immediately stop being suspicious...

At that moment, Arkan’s mouth dropped open.

It seemed as if he had figured out some huge secret, and it was true to some extent, but Erdene was thinking, ‘I have never seen such an idiotic face since Thelma.’

“Did the Marchioness bring Sophia Fiddlers?”

Erdene responded to his question as if questioning him.

“I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about. Are you trying to pretend not to know? Or...”

“I’m dying of frustration. What kind of pretending are you? Did the Marchioness bring Sophia? What on earth did she say when she brought her?”

“I heard that Sophia was supposed to be standing here in this place, wearing this robe. She said that her youngest daughter was supposed to be the Queen of Vetor, that no one on the entire continent could find a more perfect young lady than her daughter, and that she wanted her to be my confidant. And from what I’ve heard, she's telling me clearly, that you gave permission for it.”

Arkan's lips parted a little more.

"I allowed Sophia Fiddler to be your maid and serve you?"

Erdene remained silent, neither confirming nor denying, but her silence was no different from confirming Arkan's words with all her might. Only when he saw her cold eyes did Arkan finally realize how things were going.

Arkan suddenly took on a solemn expression and asked Erdene.

"Did you see the face of the Marchioness Fiddler when she was talking about that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you see it or not? Seriously, you never answer my questions."

"I just wonder why it's important."

How much longer could he hold out without exploding before this conversation ended? Arkan took a deep breath, simultaneously tightening his stomach and chest.

"Didn't you find her expression strange?"

Erdene answered his question with a face full of laughter.

“She looked as discontented as a duck that had eaten rotten porridge.”

Although he had never seen rotten porridge or a duck that had eaten it, Arkan could vividly picture the scene Erdene was talking about. He could imagine the small lips of the Marchioness Fiddlers, comically curled up, then pulled back in.

Arkan sighed and touched his forehead.

“That’s a lie.”

Erdene glanced at him and rolled her eyes in discontent.

“What are you talking about?”

“Lies, Princess. Marchioness Fiddlers has a few habits. Of course, she doesn’t know them. One of them is that she always curls her lips when she lies.”

Arkan tilted his head as if he was deep in thought for a moment. Then he added.

“Like a sachet.”

Erdene’s expression became indescribably strange.

Hadn’t she been thinking the exact same thing when she looked at the face of the Marchioness Fiddlers?

It was to the point where it seemed as if Arkan had read her mind, so she admitted it plainly.

“If you squeeze it hard and press it, it feels like cream will spurt out. It really is...”

“That’s enough of a detailed explanation. Just from what I said before, I won’t be able to eat cream for the time being. Anyway, I’ll tell Sophia Fiddlers to go back. I was planning to talk formally about the attendant who will be serving you after the wedding. Absolutely not...”

“Just leave Sophia alone.”

Arkan raised an eyebrow. His expression seemed to indicate that he was wondering what she was talking about.

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