Thelma, who was dancing and jumping between the bookshelves on her tiptoes, said,
“Your Majesty, what on earth is this place? Even if you gathered all the books in the empire, there would probably be fewer than what’s here.”
“Stop whining and come and sit down.”
Thelma obediently followed her words. She was like a well-trained puppy.
In fact, most of the men Erdene had known up until then were of that type.
They looked like a bumpy potato—best quickly peeled and made into mashed potatoes or gratin—and had a harsh personality and mouth, but if one word came out of her mouth, they would immediately obey any order.
That man was the complete opposite.
Erdene unconsciously thought of Arkan’s face again and shook her head in annoyance.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong? Was there a fly?”
Erdene lightly hit Thelma on the back of the head.
Getting beaten up like that for saying something trivial was a daily occurrence, so Thelma didn’t even complain.
“Listen carefully, Thelma. I’m talking about the Knights of Vetor.”
“Yes.”
“In your opinion, how should we organize and train them?”
Thelma’s eyes widened as if to ask if he was serious. Then Erdene immediately added,
“I’m not saying I’ll just follow what you say, so tell me your opinion.”
“Oh, yes. Hmm...”
Thelma thought for a moment and said.
“Well, overall, there’s no such thing as balance. But for me... I’d go with the spearmen for now.”
Erdene nodded as if to say, “Right?” Thelma continued.
“First, we need something that can be called a shock troop, but it seems like most of them learned swordsmanship mechanically.”
“Right.”
“If it were me, I’d look into whether there’s a swordsmanship that’s been passed down separately, but that seems like a waste of time...”
Erdene looked down at the thick book of tactics on the table.
“It’s the same with Vetor or the other inland allies, but this place wasn’t so tightly united before. There were big and small wars and there was always tension. So there must have been officers who were good at swordsmanship. The weakest was Binotin, followed by Vetor. The rest were quite useful....”
It was a conclusion from experience. Thelma nodded in agreement.
Erdene said.
“If we search every nook and cranny, there might be quite a few things worth finding.”
Thelma tilted her head.
“That’s true, but even so, it would require quite a bit of improvement.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
“Hmm, well, Your Majesty has tried to devise a new swordsmanship before.”
“Yes. I...”
Erdene trailed off and shook her head as if to stop.
It was the swordsmanship she had wanted to perfect when she became emperor. But what good would it do to say something like that now?
“And I saw some guys with pretty good bodies earlier.”
“Yes, they’re in decent shape. If they have the stamina to back them up, they’ll be useful. And...”
Erdene tried to continue, but her tongue stopped involuntarily the moment she saw Arkan’s face, who had suddenly entered. Thelma turned her head belatedly, and soon the three of them met eyes in midair.
An awkward silence flowed.
Arkan made an expression as if a rock had fallen on his head just before entering, and then said.
“What is this... situation?”
The scene reflected in his eyes was, well. It was hard to find words to describe it.
Erdene and Thelma were sitting close together, their foreheads almost touching.
Their expressions seemed serious, but Arkan couldn’t tell what they were talking about.
Would it have been better if they had been openly flirting? It would have helped him understand the situation.
Erdene stared at Arkan as if she had something to say, then let out a short sigh.
“Thelma, you go.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Thelma, who still had a frivolous attitude and stood up, bowed politely to Erdene first, then walked up to Arkan with a lively gait and bowed to him as well.
However, compared to her attitude in front of Erdene, it was not very polite.
‘Oh my, I’m going to eat you.’
Thelma thought. Arkan was glaring at her with menacing eyes.
His golden eyes, rarely seen in the Empire, were unusual, but it was not the time to observe him for long.
As soon as she left, the door closed behind Arkan. Arkan slowly closed his eyes and took a breath.
His chest felt suffocated as if the air around him had thinned.
He didn’t want to say anything, and it was annoying to see Erdene sitting there calmly, but he couldn’t leave.
Why should I do that? Arkan thought. He stared at Erdene without blinking and said,
“When I went to the Queen’s palace, they said you were still here.”
“I see?”
Erdene crossed her arms. Arkan had figured her out enough to realize that it was a battle stance.
Of course, that didn’t mean his stomach wasn’t turning.
Arkan said in a more distorted tone.
“They said you lived here all day.”
“So?”
There was a puff of breath. It was Arkan’s own breathing.
He walked toward Erdene with an angry expression... and then... stopped.
After taking a quick look at Pelarhar, he ignored Plat’s restlessness and continued to loiter in his study.
And he thought about Erdene and thought about her, and thought about her again.
He got angry and thought about apologizing, and then he was angry again, and it was well past dinner time. It was when one or two stars were rising.
Arkan, who had gone to the Queen’s palace without any purpose of what to do, heard Sophia say that Erdene was still in the study, had not moved from there all day, and had not let anyone in.
Somehow, Sophia’s gaze seemed to be reprimanding him. He was embarrassed, but his heart was also anxious.
Absurd thoughts kept coming to his mind... He imagined that Erdene might be alone and heartbroken.
“I’m crazy. I’ll start writing a novel from today.”
Arkan firmly resolved.
But right now, talking about this issue—or getting her to confess—was more important than writing a novel.
“You two must have been so close that you didn’t even realize how time passed?”
That wasn’t a question, nor was it logical. At least that’s what it felt like to Erdene.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Erdene crossed her arms even tighter and looked at Arkan.
“What are you talking about? What do you mean, affectionate?”
“What are you two talking about? You seem to be really close. To me...”
For a moment, Arkan shut his mouth tightly as he felt something prickle him. Erdene was still looking at him with her natural—if only because she didn’t understand the situation—eyes.
Arkan said,
“You’re only tight-lipped around me, aren’t you? You can talk nicely all day long with other people. Oh, no. You’re not tight-lipped. You’re good at saying bad things.”
He spoke so brazenly that Erdene realized that the conversation was going in a strange direction.
A really, really strange direction!
“Wait a minute.”
Erdene cut him off. Arkan looked down at her with a cold gaze.
Erdene, who had been thinking with her head slightly lowered, stood up with her arms folded.
Then she stared at Arkan with a look of astonishment.
“Are you acting like this because you are offended by my bringing Thelma here, now? If that is the case, then I apologize, but why have you been talking nonsense all this time?”
“Nonsense? Do you not understand what I am saying? Did I speak in the language of pirates?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. Why on earth are you so upset?”
Arkan’s lips tightened.
“I am not upset. I am angry.”
“Oh, yes. Good. I understand that Your Majesty is angry. Then could you tell me why you are angry?”
The candles were not properly lit—the servants could not light the lights here and there because Erdene was holding them—and the wheezing sound of breathing echoed for a moment in the dim study.
Arkan bent his knees slightly as if he was going to stamp his feet, then raised his voice, pushing his anger upward.
“Yes, if there was someone else you liked, I would understand! I understand! But other than that, shouldn’t you talk to me first about other issues? Whether it’s a fight or something, I’m the one you have to live with from now on. No matter how much you were in love, if you’re not prepared to divorce me, you’ll be the Queen of this place for the rest of your life! Do you think talking to me will only lead to fights? Don’t I listen to you? Fine, fine. But that’s no reason to alienate me, your husband!”
“Wait a minute.”
Erdene held out both hands.
One hand was almost enough to cover Arkan’s mouth. But Arkan didn’t close his mouth.
“Wait a minute! It’s fine to protest to me. But, damn it! Am I supposed to restrict your every move like some mean, worthless man? Am I supposed to pester you to tell me every little thing about your past?”
“Oh, shut up!”
“Your Majesty, what on earth is this place? Even if you gathered all the books in the empire, there would probably be fewer than what’s here.”
“Stop whining and come and sit down.”
Thelma obediently followed her words. She was like a well-trained puppy.
In fact, most of the men Erdene had known up until then were of that type.
They looked like a bumpy potato—best quickly peeled and made into mashed potatoes or gratin—and had a harsh personality and mouth, but if one word came out of her mouth, they would immediately obey any order.
That man was the complete opposite.
Erdene unconsciously thought of Arkan’s face again and shook her head in annoyance.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong? Was there a fly?”
Erdene lightly hit Thelma on the back of the head.
Getting beaten up like that for saying something trivial was a daily occurrence, so Thelma didn’t even complain.
“Listen carefully, Thelma. I’m talking about the Knights of Vetor.”
“Yes.”
“In your opinion, how should we organize and train them?”
Thelma’s eyes widened as if to ask if he was serious. Then Erdene immediately added,
“I’m not saying I’ll just follow what you say, so tell me your opinion.”
“Oh, yes. Hmm...”
Thelma thought for a moment and said.
“Well, overall, there’s no such thing as balance. But for me... I’d go with the spearmen for now.”
Erdene nodded as if to say, “Right?” Thelma continued.
“First, we need something that can be called a shock troop, but it seems like most of them learned swordsmanship mechanically.”
“Right.”
“If it were me, I’d look into whether there’s a swordsmanship that’s been passed down separately, but that seems like a waste of time...”
Erdene looked down at the thick book of tactics on the table.
“It’s the same with Vetor or the other inland allies, but this place wasn’t so tightly united before. There were big and small wars and there was always tension. So there must have been officers who were good at swordsmanship. The weakest was Binotin, followed by Vetor. The rest were quite useful....”
It was a conclusion from experience. Thelma nodded in agreement.
Erdene said.
“If we search every nook and cranny, there might be quite a few things worth finding.”
Thelma tilted her head.
“That’s true, but even so, it would require quite a bit of improvement.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
“Hmm, well, Your Majesty has tried to devise a new swordsmanship before.”
“Yes. I...”
Erdene trailed off and shook her head as if to stop.
It was the swordsmanship she had wanted to perfect when she became emperor. But what good would it do to say something like that now?
“And I saw some guys with pretty good bodies earlier.”
“Yes, they’re in decent shape. If they have the stamina to back them up, they’ll be useful. And...”
Erdene tried to continue, but her tongue stopped involuntarily the moment she saw Arkan’s face, who had suddenly entered. Thelma turned her head belatedly, and soon the three of them met eyes in midair.
An awkward silence flowed.
Arkan made an expression as if a rock had fallen on his head just before entering, and then said.
“What is this... situation?”
The scene reflected in his eyes was, well. It was hard to find words to describe it.
Erdene and Thelma were sitting close together, their foreheads almost touching.
Their expressions seemed serious, but Arkan couldn’t tell what they were talking about.
Would it have been better if they had been openly flirting? It would have helped him understand the situation.
Erdene stared at Arkan as if she had something to say, then let out a short sigh.
“Thelma, you go.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Thelma, who still had a frivolous attitude and stood up, bowed politely to Erdene first, then walked up to Arkan with a lively gait and bowed to him as well.
However, compared to her attitude in front of Erdene, it was not very polite.
‘Oh my, I’m going to eat you.’
Thelma thought. Arkan was glaring at her with menacing eyes.
His golden eyes, rarely seen in the Empire, were unusual, but it was not the time to observe him for long.
As soon as she left, the door closed behind Arkan. Arkan slowly closed his eyes and took a breath.
His chest felt suffocated as if the air around him had thinned.
He didn’t want to say anything, and it was annoying to see Erdene sitting there calmly, but he couldn’t leave.
Why should I do that? Arkan thought. He stared at Erdene without blinking and said,
“When I went to the Queen’s palace, they said you were still here.”
“I see?”
Erdene crossed her arms. Arkan had figured her out enough to realize that it was a battle stance.
Of course, that didn’t mean his stomach wasn’t turning.
Arkan said in a more distorted tone.
“They said you lived here all day.”
“So?”
There was a puff of breath. It was Arkan’s own breathing.
He walked toward Erdene with an angry expression... and then... stopped.
After taking a quick look at Pelarhar, he ignored Plat’s restlessness and continued to loiter in his study.
And he thought about Erdene and thought about her, and thought about her again.
He got angry and thought about apologizing, and then he was angry again, and it was well past dinner time. It was when one or two stars were rising.
Arkan, who had gone to the Queen’s palace without any purpose of what to do, heard Sophia say that Erdene was still in the study, had not moved from there all day, and had not let anyone in.
Somehow, Sophia’s gaze seemed to be reprimanding him. He was embarrassed, but his heart was also anxious.
Absurd thoughts kept coming to his mind... He imagined that Erdene might be alone and heartbroken.
“I’m crazy. I’ll start writing a novel from today.”
Arkan firmly resolved.
But right now, talking about this issue—or getting her to confess—was more important than writing a novel.
“You two must have been so close that you didn’t even realize how time passed?”
That wasn’t a question, nor was it logical. At least that’s what it felt like to Erdene.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Erdene crossed her arms even tighter and looked at Arkan.
“What are you talking about? What do you mean, affectionate?”
“What are you two talking about? You seem to be really close. To me...”
For a moment, Arkan shut his mouth tightly as he felt something prickle him. Erdene was still looking at him with her natural—if only because she didn’t understand the situation—eyes.
Arkan said,
“You’re only tight-lipped around me, aren’t you? You can talk nicely all day long with other people. Oh, no. You’re not tight-lipped. You’re good at saying bad things.”
He spoke so brazenly that Erdene realized that the conversation was going in a strange direction.
A really, really strange direction!
“Wait a minute.”
Erdene cut him off. Arkan looked down at her with a cold gaze.
Erdene, who had been thinking with her head slightly lowered, stood up with her arms folded.
Then she stared at Arkan with a look of astonishment.
“Are you acting like this because you are offended by my bringing Thelma here, now? If that is the case, then I apologize, but why have you been talking nonsense all this time?”
“Nonsense? Do you not understand what I am saying? Did I speak in the language of pirates?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. Why on earth are you so upset?”
Arkan’s lips tightened.
“I am not upset. I am angry.”
“Oh, yes. Good. I understand that Your Majesty is angry. Then could you tell me why you are angry?”
The candles were not properly lit—the servants could not light the lights here and there because Erdene was holding them—and the wheezing sound of breathing echoed for a moment in the dim study.
Arkan bent his knees slightly as if he was going to stamp his feet, then raised his voice, pushing his anger upward.
“Yes, if there was someone else you liked, I would understand! I understand! But other than that, shouldn’t you talk to me first about other issues? Whether it’s a fight or something, I’m the one you have to live with from now on. No matter how much you were in love, if you’re not prepared to divorce me, you’ll be the Queen of this place for the rest of your life! Do you think talking to me will only lead to fights? Don’t I listen to you? Fine, fine. But that’s no reason to alienate me, your husband!”
“Wait a minute.”
Erdene held out both hands.
One hand was almost enough to cover Arkan’s mouth. But Arkan didn’t close his mouth.
“Wait a minute! It’s fine to protest to me. But, damn it! Am I supposed to restrict your every move like some mean, worthless man? Am I supposed to pester you to tell me every little thing about your past?”
“Oh, shut up!”
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