Pelarhar is here.
It was definitely a name he never expected, but hearing it made him feel anew that it wasn't all that surprising.
Arkan also heard that he went horseback riding with Erdene or went for light hunting in the nearby forest owned by the royal family.
It made him feel a little sad every time, but he himself was busy with state affairs every day. He did take some time to read books with Erdene.
However, she quickly got bored with any book and would just kill time, so it was hard to say that they spent time together being useful or enjoyable.
So, he tried to think that it would be possible for Erdene, who felt bored, to get along well with Pelarhar, who also liked to wander around.
And...
At that moment, a cheerful laugh was heard from inside again.
It was Erdene’s voice, and she had never laughed like that in front of Arkan before. Even if she did laugh out loud, it would be better if it was rarely out of joy.
Arkan, who had been quietly listening to her laughter, said,
“Pelahar comes to see the Queen often.”
Sophia answered cautiously.
“The Duke is just worried that the Queen might feel uncomfortable, Your Majesty.”
“Who said what? Is Pelarhar the only one who can relieve the Queen’s boredom?”
He asked what she said and then immediately said something. Sophia pointed out Arkan’s contradiction with a calm expression.
She stood still for a moment as if thinking about something, and then nodded her head.
“Shouldn’t that be something you should ask the Queen directly? I’ll tell her that His Majesty has arrived.”
Arkan was momentarily dumbfounded by Sophia’s answer. What she meant was, ‘Why are you asking me that?’
‘Who on earth do you resemble!’
Her father, Marquis Fiddler, was very strict with etiquette, and her mother, Marchioness Fiddler... It was painful to talk about.
Sophia didn’t seem to resemble either of them.
On the outside, she seemed to be a direct copy of her father, but he had a feeling that that wasn’t Sophia’s true appearance.
“His Majesty the King has arrived.”
Sophia opened the living room door wide and announced the arrival of the King.
At that moment, the sight seen through the open door completely stopped Arkan’s thoughts.
The cheerful laughter wasn’t the problem.
Arkan’s gaze was fixed on the table where the two were sitting across from each other and would not leave it.
To be exact, it was the sight of Pelarhar holding Erdene’s wrist.
Erdene and Pelarhar looked slightly surprised as if they hadn’t expected Arkan to come suddenly.
Even that was enough to make Arkan’s insides squirm, but Erdene calmly pulled away her wrist that was being held by Pelarhar and stood up with an expression of no concern.
“Are you here?”
Her voice didn’t tremble or seem anxious.
Pelarhar, who stood up next, smiled brightly and greeted him in his usual manner.
“Your Majesty.”
Arkan’s expression took on a subtle displeasure.
Did she think that he hadn’t seen what she had been doing just a moment ago? Or did it not matter whether he saw it or not? Countless unanswerable questions floated through Arkan’s head.
However, on the other hand, there was a part of him that desperately thought that it was just an illusion, that he had just happened to see Pelerhar’s hand brushing her wrist.
Was it because he wanted to protect Erdene? Or was it because he wanted to protect Pelarhar? It was unclear.
After an awkward silence passed, Arkan said,
“It seems like you two are having an interesting conversation. Why don’t you tell me?”
The Kings of those two countries were unable to raise their heads in front of Arkan for a while.
They had been harassing him when negotiating with the Empire, so they were able to repay the debt with interest, but why on earth was he looking so sullen?
Arkan kept his mouth shut. He was planning to remain silent until Erdene answered.
Eventually, Erdene let out an annoyed sigh and opened his mouth.
“I heard that the Duke had an accident when he was young. I heard that Your Majesty was also a troublemaker when he was young.”
“Is that all?”
“Then what else could there be?”
Arkan unconsciously looked at Erdene’s wrist.
It was where Pelarhar had touched just a moment ago.
There was no trace left, perhaps because he hadn’t grabbed it hard, which was even more irritating.
If only Pelarhar had grabbed Erdene’s wrist by force.
Even though he knew that Pelarhar’s nose or jawbone might not remain if that were true, Arkan kept checking Erdene’s wrist.
Just in case there was any trace. But the white flesh was intact, without a single red spot.
As if she had been very gently caressed.
Arkan let out a long breath, trying to calm the heat that was about to spread to his head.
“Pelahar may be the Duke, but before that, he is my cousin and a member of the Cyprusmain royal family.”
Erdene’s eyebrows went up crookedly.
The whole time, he had been blushing and blushing, thinking to himself, what was his intention in suddenly saying this?
“So?”
Arkan said in a stiffer voice.
“If the Queen becomes too intimate with him, the royal family’s name will be tarnished on both sides.”
Erdene blinked twice.
The words were so shocking that she couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind them.
However, the state of being absent-minded didn’t last long. The tightly folded arms slowly uncrossed.
“Are you done talking?”
“No, not enough. I can’t stop you from talking to Pelarhar, but I think it would be better to refrain from leaving people alone in one place.”
Now, Erdene’s expression was as distorted as Arkan’s a moment ago, or even more so.
She furrowed her brow and bared her teeth as she growled.
“It’s my choice who I do with what, Your Majesty. It’s my freedom to meet and talk to whomever I want. Am I a criminal? A prisoner imprisoned here?”
Arkan’s eyes sank.
His heart became even more frustrated because there was nothing wrong with Erdene’s words. He was angry at the sight of the two, but it was difficult to explain it.
Why is it difficult?
It was definitely a name he never expected, but hearing it made him feel anew that it wasn't all that surprising.
Arkan also heard that he went horseback riding with Erdene or went for light hunting in the nearby forest owned by the royal family.
It made him feel a little sad every time, but he himself was busy with state affairs every day. He did take some time to read books with Erdene.
However, she quickly got bored with any book and would just kill time, so it was hard to say that they spent time together being useful or enjoyable.
So, he tried to think that it would be possible for Erdene, who felt bored, to get along well with Pelarhar, who also liked to wander around.
And...
At that moment, a cheerful laugh was heard from inside again.
It was Erdene’s voice, and she had never laughed like that in front of Arkan before. Even if she did laugh out loud, it would be better if it was rarely out of joy.
Arkan, who had been quietly listening to her laughter, said,
“Pelahar comes to see the Queen often.”
Sophia answered cautiously.
“The Duke is just worried that the Queen might feel uncomfortable, Your Majesty.”
“Who said what? Is Pelarhar the only one who can relieve the Queen’s boredom?”
He asked what she said and then immediately said something. Sophia pointed out Arkan’s contradiction with a calm expression.
She stood still for a moment as if thinking about something, and then nodded her head.
“Shouldn’t that be something you should ask the Queen directly? I’ll tell her that His Majesty has arrived.”
Arkan was momentarily dumbfounded by Sophia’s answer. What she meant was, ‘Why are you asking me that?’
‘Who on earth do you resemble!’
Her father, Marquis Fiddler, was very strict with etiquette, and her mother, Marchioness Fiddler... It was painful to talk about.
Sophia didn’t seem to resemble either of them.
On the outside, she seemed to be a direct copy of her father, but he had a feeling that that wasn’t Sophia’s true appearance.
“His Majesty the King has arrived.”
Sophia opened the living room door wide and announced the arrival of the King.
At that moment, the sight seen through the open door completely stopped Arkan’s thoughts.
The cheerful laughter wasn’t the problem.
Arkan’s gaze was fixed on the table where the two were sitting across from each other and would not leave it.
To be exact, it was the sight of Pelarhar holding Erdene’s wrist.
Erdene and Pelarhar looked slightly surprised as if they hadn’t expected Arkan to come suddenly.
Even that was enough to make Arkan’s insides squirm, but Erdene calmly pulled away her wrist that was being held by Pelarhar and stood up with an expression of no concern.
“Are you here?”
Her voice didn’t tremble or seem anxious.
Pelarhar, who stood up next, smiled brightly and greeted him in his usual manner.
“Your Majesty.”
Arkan’s expression took on a subtle displeasure.
Did she think that he hadn’t seen what she had been doing just a moment ago? Or did it not matter whether he saw it or not? Countless unanswerable questions floated through Arkan’s head.
However, on the other hand, there was a part of him that desperately thought that it was just an illusion, that he had just happened to see Pelerhar’s hand brushing her wrist.
Was it because he wanted to protect Erdene? Or was it because he wanted to protect Pelarhar? It was unclear.
After an awkward silence passed, Arkan said,
“It seems like you two are having an interesting conversation. Why don’t you tell me?”
Even to himself, the voice sounded awkward and sharp.
Erdene and Pelarhar looked at each other as if they still had no idea what was going on.
Erdene said,
“It wasn’t particularly interesting.”
“That’s why I asked you what you were talking about.”
Only then did Erdene realize that Arkan’s reaction was strange. He was grumbling as usual, showing that he was upset, but it was obvious that he was suppressing his much more intense emotions.
“Why did you grow horns again?”
Erdene, who took a step closer to Arkan, looked straight into his face.
“Why are you doing this, Your Majesty?”
Arkan stared at her intently.
At that moment, Pelarhar, who had sensed the situation a step ahead, tried to step forward.
Even if Arkan had not stared at him with eyes that seemed to devour him, he would have certainly said a word or two.
“I have something to talk to the Queen, so the Duke should step aside.”
This time, Pelarhar’s face showed a look of bewilderment.
However, he only glanced at Erdene’s face once, sighed briefly, nodded, and said goodbye.
“Understood, Your Majesty. I will see you later, Your Majesty.”
What do you mean, “See you later?” Arkan grumbled to himself. He knew that Pelarhar’s footsteps were unusual, and his heart was even more uneasy.
“Plat, you should go out too.”
Plat, who was ready to bow down before the Queen and confess his sins for doubting her insight, opened his eyes wide.
Erdene’s eyes narrowed even further. Why are you doing this again? He was ready to demand an answer right away. When Plat left, only an even more eerie silence filled the spacious living quarters. Erdene sighed, folded her arms, and tilted her head.
“Why are you doing this again?”
“What?”
“Why are you so angry again? What on earth is going on?”
Was that what she meant? Arkan looked at Erdene with a look of bewilderment and asked,
“What did you talk about with Pelarhar?”
“That again. We didn’t talk about anything.”
“If it wasn’t anything special, you could have told me.”
Erdene carefully examined Arkan to see if he was in pain.
Of course, it wasn’t out of concern, but rather out of nervousness.
The arrogant and impudent actions of the envoys of Kensilom and Etonhorn were caught on the spot and repaid..
Erdene and Pelarhar looked at each other as if they still had no idea what was going on.
Erdene said,
“It wasn’t particularly interesting.”
“That’s why I asked you what you were talking about.”
Only then did Erdene realize that Arkan’s reaction was strange. He was grumbling as usual, showing that he was upset, but it was obvious that he was suppressing his much more intense emotions.
“Why did you grow horns again?”
Erdene, who took a step closer to Arkan, looked straight into his face.
“Why are you doing this, Your Majesty?”
Arkan stared at her intently.
At that moment, Pelarhar, who had sensed the situation a step ahead, tried to step forward.
Even if Arkan had not stared at him with eyes that seemed to devour him, he would have certainly said a word or two.
“I have something to talk to the Queen, so the Duke should step aside.”
This time, Pelarhar’s face showed a look of bewilderment.
However, he only glanced at Erdene’s face once, sighed briefly, nodded, and said goodbye.
“Understood, Your Majesty. I will see you later, Your Majesty.”
What do you mean, “See you later?” Arkan grumbled to himself. He knew that Pelarhar’s footsteps were unusual, and his heart was even more uneasy.
“Plat, you should go out too.”
Plat, who was ready to bow down before the Queen and confess his sins for doubting her insight, opened his eyes wide.
Erdene’s eyes narrowed even further. Why are you doing this again? He was ready to demand an answer right away. When Plat left, only an even more eerie silence filled the spacious living quarters. Erdene sighed, folded her arms, and tilted her head.
“Why are you doing this again?”
“What?”
“Why are you so angry again? What on earth is going on?”
Was that what she meant? Arkan looked at Erdene with a look of bewilderment and asked,
“What did you talk about with Pelarhar?”
“That again. We didn’t talk about anything.”
“If it wasn’t anything special, you could have told me.”
Erdene carefully examined Arkan to see if he was in pain.
Of course, it wasn’t out of concern, but rather out of nervousness.
The arrogant and impudent actions of the envoys of Kensilom and Etonhorn were caught on the spot and repaid..
The Kings of those two countries were unable to raise their heads in front of Arkan for a while.
They had been harassing him when negotiating with the Empire, so they were able to repay the debt with interest, but why on earth was he looking so sullen?
Arkan kept his mouth shut. He was planning to remain silent until Erdene answered.
Eventually, Erdene let out an annoyed sigh and opened his mouth.
“I heard that the Duke had an accident when he was young. I heard that Your Majesty was also a troublemaker when he was young.”
“Is that all?”
“Then what else could there be?”
Arkan unconsciously looked at Erdene’s wrist.
It was where Pelarhar had touched just a moment ago.
There was no trace left, perhaps because he hadn’t grabbed it hard, which was even more irritating.
If only Pelarhar had grabbed Erdene’s wrist by force.
Even though he knew that Pelarhar’s nose or jawbone might not remain if that were true, Arkan kept checking Erdene’s wrist.
Just in case there was any trace. But the white flesh was intact, without a single red spot.
As if she had been very gently caressed.
Arkan let out a long breath, trying to calm the heat that was about to spread to his head.
“Pelahar may be the Duke, but before that, he is my cousin and a member of the Cyprusmain royal family.”
Erdene’s eyebrows went up crookedly.
The whole time, he had been blushing and blushing, thinking to himself, what was his intention in suddenly saying this?
“So?”
Arkan said in a stiffer voice.
“If the Queen becomes too intimate with him, the royal family’s name will be tarnished on both sides.”
Erdene blinked twice.
The words were so shocking that she couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind them.
However, the state of being absent-minded didn’t last long. The tightly folded arms slowly uncrossed.
“Are you done talking?”
“No, not enough. I can’t stop you from talking to Pelarhar, but I think it would be better to refrain from leaving people alone in one place.”
Now, Erdene’s expression was as distorted as Arkan’s a moment ago, or even more so.
She furrowed her brow and bared her teeth as she growled.
“It’s my choice who I do with what, Your Majesty. It’s my freedom to meet and talk to whomever I want. Am I a criminal? A prisoner imprisoned here?”
Arkan’s eyes sank.
His heart became even more frustrated because there was nothing wrong with Erdene’s words. He was angry at the sight of the two, but it was difficult to explain it.
Why is it difficult?
'Because I owe you something.'
The guilt of having taken away what Erdene could have enjoyed made Arkan speechless.
She was right. She was neither a criminal nor a prisoner. She did not neglect her work and just played.
He could not order her to do whatever she wanted with whomever she met in her spare time.
At that moment, Erdene's lips twisted crookedly.
"Are you saying that because you think I might do something inappropriate with the Duke?"
Silence again. Erdene could not even think of trying to figure out Arkan's true intentions, they did not even raise an eyebrow. It was the first time since she had met him that she had felt so pitiful and angry.
"What on earth is going on in your head, Your Majesty?"
Arkan burst into laughter at those words.
"What did you just say?"
The guilt of having taken away what Erdene could have enjoyed made Arkan speechless.
She was right. She was neither a criminal nor a prisoner. She did not neglect her work and just played.
He could not order her to do whatever she wanted with whomever she met in her spare time.
At that moment, Erdene's lips twisted crookedly.
"Are you saying that because you think I might do something inappropriate with the Duke?"
Silence again. Erdene could not even think of trying to figure out Arkan's true intentions, they did not even raise an eyebrow. It was the first time since she had met him that she had felt so pitiful and angry.
"What on earth is going on in your head, Your Majesty?"
Arkan burst into laughter at those words.
"What did you just say?"
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