Erdene slowly split the boiled potatoes with the tip of her fork and listened to Arkan’s story. He said that they had been raking in money by using the saplings that were not growing in Vetor, and that a considerable amount of money, in addition to the money hidden in the basement of the mansion, may have flowed to Kensilom’s herbalists.
“So what did you decide to do?”
Arkan answered.
“I’m bringing them to the capital. Once the evidence is solid, I’ll make a formal complaint to Kensilom.”
Erdene tilted her head.
“If they had been trading continuously, they would have already noticed that something was wrong, but do you think they would have just quietly waited? If it were me, I would have run away to a place that was out of Vetor’s reach.”
Arkan’s expression became somewhat serious.
It was not that he had not considered such a possibility.
However, the border was clearly divided, and in a situation where the relationship between Kensilom and Vetor was as tense as it was now, it would be disadvantageous to make a rash move.
Erdene was almost mashing the potatoes with the tip of her fork and remained silent.
Arkan, who noticed that she was strangely quiet, raised his head.
Arkan, who was staring at Erdene who was lost in thought, asked,
“What are you thinking about?”
At that, the fork that was mashing the potatoes suddenly stopped.
Erdene smiled as she raised her head, and her black hair fell softly next to her ear.
“I think Your Majesty would like this idea. Would you like to hear it?”
At that moment, Arkan was struck by a feeling as if his heart was sinking and he was speechless.
It felt as if a volcano had erupted in his head, and as if about a hundred drummers were beating drums and moving around his entire body.
Above all, in the commotion, he was embarrassed by the fact that Erdene’s leisurely smiling figure was increasingly clearer and clearer.
“Your Majesty?”
Arkan’s eyes blinked.
For a moment, he forgot how foolish he looked and nodded absentmindedly.
“...Yes, tell me.”
Erdene’s fork moved slightly and clanked lightly on the plate.
She looked at Arkan for a moment, resting her chin on her clasped hands, before saying,
“If you want to catch an animal, you need to set a trap. If you want to catch a mouse, you need a mousetrap. If you want to catch a bear, you need a bear trap. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?” “
Are we going to set traps to catch them?”
“In a nutshell, yes. But more importantly, are we trying to catch a mouse or a bear? If a bear is trying to catch a mouse, setting a mousetrap alone won’t do any good. Once the mice are caught, the bear will escape into the cave, and it will be enough to cause trouble by using other mice. So we...”
Erdene flicked the long-necked glass with his fingertips, stared at the gently swaying water, and said.
“We need to know whether these mice move independently, or if a bear is holding their tails. What should we do first to do that?”
“It’s not a riddle.”
Erdene grinned.
“Think of it as a riddle and try to solve it.”
Arkan narrowed his eyes.
“You want to find out whether I can follow your thoughts or not? Right now.”
Erdene burst out laughing at his question.
“Why are you thinking so much?”
“It’s a matter of strategy. I know you are good at tactics. And as for me, I have no field experience at all. I feel like I’m being tested.”
“So you don’t like it?”
“Who said no? I’m warning you not to beat me up for getting the answer wrong.”
“So what did you decide to do?”
Arkan answered.
“I’m bringing them to the capital. Once the evidence is solid, I’ll make a formal complaint to Kensilom.”
Erdene tilted her head.
“If they had been trading continuously, they would have already noticed that something was wrong, but do you think they would have just quietly waited? If it were me, I would have run away to a place that was out of Vetor’s reach.”
Arkan’s expression became somewhat serious.
It was not that he had not considered such a possibility.
However, the border was clearly divided, and in a situation where the relationship between Kensilom and Vetor was as tense as it was now, it would be disadvantageous to make a rash move.
Erdene was almost mashing the potatoes with the tip of her fork and remained silent.
Arkan, who noticed that she was strangely quiet, raised his head.
Arkan, who was staring at Erdene who was lost in thought, asked,
“What are you thinking about?”
At that, the fork that was mashing the potatoes suddenly stopped.
Erdene smiled as she raised her head, and her black hair fell softly next to her ear.
“I think Your Majesty would like this idea. Would you like to hear it?”
At that moment, Arkan was struck by a feeling as if his heart was sinking and he was speechless.
It felt as if a volcano had erupted in his head, and as if about a hundred drummers were beating drums and moving around his entire body.
Above all, in the commotion, he was embarrassed by the fact that Erdene’s leisurely smiling figure was increasingly clearer and clearer.
“Your Majesty?”
Arkan’s eyes blinked.
For a moment, he forgot how foolish he looked and nodded absentmindedly.
“...Yes, tell me.”
Erdene’s fork moved slightly and clanked lightly on the plate.
She looked at Arkan for a moment, resting her chin on her clasped hands, before saying,
“If you want to catch an animal, you need to set a trap. If you want to catch a mouse, you need a mousetrap. If you want to catch a bear, you need a bear trap. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?” “
Are we going to set traps to catch them?”
“In a nutshell, yes. But more importantly, are we trying to catch a mouse or a bear? If a bear is trying to catch a mouse, setting a mousetrap alone won’t do any good. Once the mice are caught, the bear will escape into the cave, and it will be enough to cause trouble by using other mice. So we...”
Erdene flicked the long-necked glass with his fingertips, stared at the gently swaying water, and said.
“We need to know whether these mice move independently, or if a bear is holding their tails. What should we do first to do that?”
“It’s not a riddle.”
Erdene grinned.
“Think of it as a riddle and try to solve it.”
Arkan narrowed his eyes.
“You want to find out whether I can follow your thoughts or not? Right now.”
Erdene burst out laughing at his question.
“Why are you thinking so much?”
“It’s a matter of strategy. I know you are good at tactics. And as for me, I have no field experience at all. I feel like I’m being tested.”
“So you don’t like it?”
“Who said no? I’m warning you not to beat me up for getting the answer wrong.”
Then Erdene laughed even louder. She laughed so hard that she almost coughed. As she croaked and bent down, Arkan, whose face had turned pale, got up with a loud noise and ran towards Erdene.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Look! The doctor... Ugh!”
Arkan looked up at Erdene with a dumbfounded expression.
The moment he was about to tell her to call the doctor, Erdene grabbed his shoulder with all her might.
“It hurts!”
“Cough...! I just coughed because Your Majesty said something funny. For something like this... Cough! Why would you call the doctor? You’re so extraordinary.”
“What did you say? Don’t you think about all the times you’ve worried people by lying around like a corpse for five days without opening your eyes? Extraordinary? You said extraordinary, just now? Show me what you're really up to?”
What’s wrong with this guy? Erdene opened her eyes wide and looked down at Arkan.
And she knew. Arkan’s hand holding his knee was faintly trembling.
Ironically, the moment she felt that Erdene was also seized by the same feeling as Arkan a moment ago, her heart pounding.
The eyes that were staring up at her with their heads up were moist, and the lips that were deliberately distorted were red.
A handsome face that was both pretty and manly.
“Let me see. I’m curious.”
Erdene said playfully, gently placing one hand on Arkan’s forehead.
Arkan’s lips twitched slightly.
“That’s what I said. If you say something else later, I’ll be angry.”
Erdene held back her laughter and this time she wrapped both hands around his cheeks.
When her fingers caught his curly hair, she felt the urge to caress it.
Erdene wasn’t the type to hold back her urges.
As if stroking a large dog, Arkan groaned softly and gently blocked her wrist as she caressed his curly hair.
“What are you doing!”
“Your Majesty, you look just like a dog when you look up at me like that.”
Arkan opened her lips tightly.
“Did you compare me to a dog again, just now?”
“No, in a good way. Why are you so sensitive about dogs?”
Arkan, who had been making a sullen expression, suddenly stood up and hugged Erdene. Erdene opened her eyes wide for the first time in her life, unable to even scream at the sudden, unexpected event.
Then, she reflexively wrapped her arms around Arkan’s neck.
“Whoa!”
When Arkan’s body swayed, Erdene finally relaxed her arms and patted his shoulder.
“What are you doing!”
“Did you hit me?”
“That’s because you suddenly lifted me up! Put me down!”
“You strangled me and then you hit me!”
“Then who would lift a person like a piece of luggage?”
“What kind of idiot would lift luggage like this!”
Even as he shouted, Arkan strode briskly out of the restaurant.
Erdene looked back at the restaurant moving away with a bewildered expression, then narrowed her eyes and stared at Arkan’s face. She could see his face staring straight ahead, his neck flushed red.
“Your Majesty.”
“...Why are you calling me?”
“Is it heavy right now?”
Arkan glared at Erdene. His face reddened even more.
Arkan raised his gaze and pretended to snort.
“It’s not heavy at all. How weak of a person do you think I am? What the hell?”
“No, it feels heavy. Your arms are shaking right now. Your hands are shaking too.”
“It’s not because it’s heavy!”
Erdene's lips were curled inward.
Now Arkan's ears were bright red, and his face looked as if it would burst at any moment.
"Then why are you shaking like this? I can be honest with you. My entire body is made of muscle. It's natural for me to be heavy. When my subordinates were training, they would have me sit on their backs and make bets on how long they could do push-ups."
"Are you some kind of weightlifter?"
"Isn't it really heavy?"
"Is it really not heavy? Do you want to see?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Arkan suddenly started running with Erdene in his arms.
The nobles and servants passing by the hallway were all about to pop out their eyes at the sight, but Arkan's expression was extremely serious.
Arkan, who had strode to the vicinity of the Queen's palace, gasped for breath.
'It's hard!'
Arkan forced himself to catch his breath and slowly took a deep breath.
"Oh, when... I told you it wasn’t heavy at all.”
“Do you know that you look like you’re on the verge of fainting?”
“Oh, shit!”
Arkan let out a single curse and kicked the door to the Queen’s palace wide open with his foot.
The wind startled Sabnake and Anne to the point of fainting, and Sophia was terrified, thinking that Erdene had lost consciousness again when she saw her in Arkan’s arms.
“Your Majesty!”
Sophia, who had been running towards him in deep thought, sighed and stopped in her tracks when she saw Erdene waving her hand leisurely.
Arkan’s face was pale and he didn’t even look at her.
“Let me down now. We’ve come all the way to the Queen’s palace.”
“You want to see how much I can shake? I’ll show you, so be quiet.”
Arkan answered blankly and said.
“Open the bedroom door.”
Sophia made an expression as if she had seen a six-legged rhinoceros, but obediently opened the bedroom door. After Arkan and Erdene disappeared inside, Sabnake, who had been dumbfounded, whispered in a low voice.
“Miss Sophia, what is this all about?”
Sophia looked back at the tightly closed bedroom and shrugged her shoulders as if to say.
“I don’t think it’s our place to interfere, so let’s step back. You can go in and see for yourself.”
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Look! The doctor... Ugh!”
Arkan looked up at Erdene with a dumbfounded expression.
The moment he was about to tell her to call the doctor, Erdene grabbed his shoulder with all her might.
“It hurts!”
“Cough...! I just coughed because Your Majesty said something funny. For something like this... Cough! Why would you call the doctor? You’re so extraordinary.”
“What did you say? Don’t you think about all the times you’ve worried people by lying around like a corpse for five days without opening your eyes? Extraordinary? You said extraordinary, just now? Show me what you're really up to?”
What’s wrong with this guy? Erdene opened her eyes wide and looked down at Arkan.
And she knew. Arkan’s hand holding his knee was faintly trembling.
Ironically, the moment she felt that Erdene was also seized by the same feeling as Arkan a moment ago, her heart pounding.
The eyes that were staring up at her with their heads up were moist, and the lips that were deliberately distorted were red.
A handsome face that was both pretty and manly.
“Let me see. I’m curious.”
Erdene said playfully, gently placing one hand on Arkan’s forehead.
Arkan’s lips twitched slightly.
“That’s what I said. If you say something else later, I’ll be angry.”
Erdene held back her laughter and this time she wrapped both hands around his cheeks.
When her fingers caught his curly hair, she felt the urge to caress it.
Erdene wasn’t the type to hold back her urges.
As if stroking a large dog, Arkan groaned softly and gently blocked her wrist as she caressed his curly hair.
“What are you doing!”
“Your Majesty, you look just like a dog when you look up at me like that.”
Arkan opened her lips tightly.
“Did you compare me to a dog again, just now?”
“No, in a good way. Why are you so sensitive about dogs?”
Arkan, who had been making a sullen expression, suddenly stood up and hugged Erdene. Erdene opened her eyes wide for the first time in her life, unable to even scream at the sudden, unexpected event.
Then, she reflexively wrapped her arms around Arkan’s neck.
“Whoa!”
When Arkan’s body swayed, Erdene finally relaxed her arms and patted his shoulder.
“What are you doing!”
“Did you hit me?”
“That’s because you suddenly lifted me up! Put me down!”
“You strangled me and then you hit me!”
“Then who would lift a person like a piece of luggage?”
“What kind of idiot would lift luggage like this!”
Even as he shouted, Arkan strode briskly out of the restaurant.
Erdene looked back at the restaurant moving away with a bewildered expression, then narrowed her eyes and stared at Arkan’s face. She could see his face staring straight ahead, his neck flushed red.
“Your Majesty.”
“...Why are you calling me?”
“Is it heavy right now?”
Arkan glared at Erdene. His face reddened even more.
Arkan raised his gaze and pretended to snort.
“It’s not heavy at all. How weak of a person do you think I am? What the hell?”
“No, it feels heavy. Your arms are shaking right now. Your hands are shaking too.”
“It’s not because it’s heavy!”
Erdene's lips were curled inward.
Now Arkan's ears were bright red, and his face looked as if it would burst at any moment.
"Then why are you shaking like this? I can be honest with you. My entire body is made of muscle. It's natural for me to be heavy. When my subordinates were training, they would have me sit on their backs and make bets on how long they could do push-ups."
"Are you some kind of weightlifter?"
"Isn't it really heavy?"
"Is it really not heavy? Do you want to see?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Arkan suddenly started running with Erdene in his arms.
The nobles and servants passing by the hallway were all about to pop out their eyes at the sight, but Arkan's expression was extremely serious.
Arkan, who had strode to the vicinity of the Queen's palace, gasped for breath.
'It's hard!'
Arkan forced himself to catch his breath and slowly took a deep breath.
"Oh, when... I told you it wasn’t heavy at all.”
“Do you know that you look like you’re on the verge of fainting?”
“Oh, shit!”
Arkan let out a single curse and kicked the door to the Queen’s palace wide open with his foot.
The wind startled Sabnake and Anne to the point of fainting, and Sophia was terrified, thinking that Erdene had lost consciousness again when she saw her in Arkan’s arms.
“Your Majesty!”
Sophia, who had been running towards him in deep thought, sighed and stopped in her tracks when she saw Erdene waving her hand leisurely.
Arkan’s face was pale and he didn’t even look at her.
“Let me down now. We’ve come all the way to the Queen’s palace.”
“You want to see how much I can shake? I’ll show you, so be quiet.”
Arkan answered blankly and said.
“Open the bedroom door.”
Sophia made an expression as if she had seen a six-legged rhinoceros, but obediently opened the bedroom door. After Arkan and Erdene disappeared inside, Sabnake, who had been dumbfounded, whispered in a low voice.
“Miss Sophia, what is this all about?”
Sophia looked back at the tightly closed bedroom and shrugged her shoulders as if to say.
“I don’t think it’s our place to interfere, so let’s step back. You can go in and see for yourself.”
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