WTPB - Chapter 29




Arkan's eyes moved slightly from side to side.

When Erdene narrowed her eyes in suspicion, he pretended to look aggrieved.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I thought you were definitely going to say something that would turn my outfit upside down again. Or something that would make me so shocked that I couldn't even laugh."

Arkan said.

"I just... thought it was surprising that you would feel so sorry for someone."

"Does Your Majesty think I'm a cold-blooded thug?"

"I didn't think you would be cold-blooded!"

"Then you thought that one of the two would be absent?"

Erdene teased and persistently nitpicked. Then Arkan suddenly straightened up with a serious expression.

“We didn’t know each other at all. So I had no choice but to rely on what other people told me.”

“I understand, so don’t make such a burdensome face.”

Arkan’s heart, which had been expecting mature communication, cracked again.

“Then what about you?”

Erdene turned her head and looked at Arkan.

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

“You must have heard about me, right? What kind of person did you think I was?”

“No one has ever told me about Your Majesty, and you probably don’t want to hear what I thought.”

Arkan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Since you’re saying that, I must listen.”

When he pulled up his chair, their knees brushed against each other.

The sensation of contact was brief but vivid, like a leaf blowing in the wind and colliding with a water-soaked branch.

Erdene, who had glanced down, said with a faint smile.

“I tell you, Your Majesty, you said you had to listen. I did not force you to listen.”

“What on earth are you trying to say that takes so long?”

“Naive child.”

Arkan’s eyes widened.

“And I thought you were weak in both body and mind. When I first saw you.”

Erdene watched Arkan’s face gradually becoming more and more distorted with amusement.

Finally, he stood up, deliberately pushing the empty cup away, his lips twisted into a sullen expression like a child who had completely fallen for him.

“Thank you for the tea, Your Majesty.”

He seemed to be leaving, but suddenly turned his head and added,

“I enjoyed our fruitful conversation today as well!”

The steady sound of footsteps echoing loudly on the floor faded away into the hallway of the Queen’s palace.

When Erdene, who had leaned back, burst into laughter with a cheerful voice, Sophia, who had been out of sight the whole time, suddenly appeared and said,

“Your Majesty, what did you say again that made His Majesty so angry?”

Erdene, who had been unable to stop laughing for a long time, raised her face and looked at where he had left.

Instead of answering Sophia, she rubbed her eyes which were red from laughing so much.

“Why is he insisting on me when I said I wouldn’t talk? He's going to get angry anyway. The more I see him, the funnier he gets.”

Sophia motioned for the maid who was doing odd jobs to clear away the empty cup.

Then she sat down next to Erdene like she had before Arkan came and looked back with a face of pretended surprise.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen His Majesty so angry. No matter what anyone says, he's the kind of person who can handle it so well.”

Erdene tapped the armrest with a satisfied expression.

“I thought he was a man who only did things that were fun and tasteless, but he really is. Whenever I poke him, he reacts like that, which is a bit...”

Erdene’s lips stiffened as she cowered.

Sophia blinked her eyes twice like an innocent young lady who knew nothing and faithfully repeated the words Erdene had swallowed.

“Which is?”

“...It’s annoying and funny.”

Sophia nodded slowly and said.

“That’s fortunate.”

“What do you mean fortunate?”

“I thought Your Majesty was going to say that His Majesty looks cute, right? People say that being cute is the most dangerous thing, more than being cool, beautiful, or charming. They say that if you start looking cute, you’re finished.”

Erdene’s face slightly turned pale.

Sophia pretended not to notice and laughed inwardly.

‘At first, I was worried, but it seems like they’re a good match. I thought there’d be only boring arguments, but surprisingly, this life is going to be fun.’

***

Arkan, who had been hit repeatedly by the words ‘innocent brat’ and ‘I thought you were weak in body and mind,’ grumbled and grumbled until he returned to the King’s office.

“You’ve come, Your Majesty.”

While he was away, the chamberlain Plat, who had been doing chores, didn’t ask Arkan what was wrong even though he saw his annoyed expression.

Since Erdene usually returned with an unusually angry expression whenever they ran into each other, he had let it slide. However, before Arkan could even sit down, he glanced at Plat and asked,

“Can’t you see my expression?”

Plat blinked, dumbfounded.

“Of course, I can see it...”

“Then shouldn’t you ask what’s wrong?”

“What happened, Your Majesty?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Plat, who had been staring at Arkan with an expression that said, “What on earth do you want me to do?” changed the subject.

“Anyway, Your Majesty, I have another letter from Marchioness Fiddler.”

Arkan glared at the letters in Plat’s hand—there must have been at least ten of them—with eyes that made him want to throw them all away.

Since the banishment order was issued, Marchioness Fiddler had been sending Arkan a series of letters every day, reflecting on her mistakes and promising not to repeat them again.

Even though Arkan never responded, the letters came every day, and there were even days when two or three arrived at once.

Arkan shook his head and hand at the same time as if he was shooing away flies.

“I already have a lot of headaches, and reading Marchioness Fiddler’s letters?”

“I knew you would, so I didn’t even untie them. Then let’s get rid of them all.”

Whether Plat disposed of the letters or not, Arkan had no interest.

Plat, who had ordered his apprentice servant to burn all the letters, looked at Arkan, who was clutching his head, and then thought for a moment before saying,

“What happened?”

Arkan glanced at Plat as if he had expected that, but this time he didn’t say anything. He just sighed and furrowed his brows deeply.

“Is it because I don’t like you being so annoying?”

“Yes?”

Arkan sighed deeply again and raised his head, and his expression was complicated.

It seemed like a mixture of helpless irritation and resentment. It was a sight that Plat, accustomed to maintaining a calm and rational attitude in everything, had difficulty accepting.

“The queen... Of course, even if she didn’t want to marry me, I thought she would quickly accept reality. But she still hasn’t changed. Why is she doing this? Every time we meet, she acts like she has a crooked tongue if she doesn’t tease me in some way.”

Plat answered indifferently.

“Isn’t that because she doesn’t know what manners are?”

Arkan looked at him with a displeased expression.

“Do you think the Queen is a street brawler? She was well-educated in the imperial court, just like I was.”

Plat didn’t show it and maintained his position, though it was unclear whether he was asking him to take sides or not.

“Of course, she would have, but the laws and manners of Vetor aim for noble, calm, and well-mannered people. It’s a tradition that has been passed down for a long time. The education of the empire is not the same as ours, Your Majesty.”

Arkan stared at him blankly and clicked his tongue. 

“Platt, you’re a bit strange.” 

“Strange?” 

“I know you’re a conservative and picky person when it comes to manners, but even so, you’re still like that. Haven’t you been strangely harsh to the Queen?”

Platt hesitated for a moment and then calmly answered. 

“I’m worried that discipline will be shaken because Your Majesty is being too lenient.” 

“Discipline?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

Knock, knock... 

A sound was heard. It was the sound of Arkan tapping the table with the tips of his nails. When that light sound continued four or five times, Plat finally tensed up and straightened his chest. He knew well that this was Arkan’s habit whenever something unpleasant happened. 

Arkan took a deep breath and said, 

“Yes, discipline... It is important. You are right. But Plat, wasn’t your nephew abroad?” 

“...Yes, but... but...” 

“Aren’t you curious about what it’s like outside of Vetor? I could give you a little longer vacation.”

Only then did Plat's face turn pale as he realized Arkan's intentions.

Having seen the persistent Marchioness of Fiddler's get kicked out so easily a while ago, Arkan's words did not sound like a joke to him.

"I made a slip of the tongue, Your Majesty."

Arkan glanced at Plat, who was bowing his head and said.

"I may complain about the Queen's attitude, but remember that others cannot do so so easily. Come to your senses before I fish for a herring to replace you."

"Herring...?"

As Plat asked in bewilderment, the attendant came in and bowed his head before Arkan.

"Your Majesty, His Highness Pelarhar has arrived."

Arkan pushed away his chair and stood up abruptly.

"Who is coming?"


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