Limepale noticed that there was another emotion mixed in Eorshin’s voice besides embarrassment. It was guilt.
It was possible because her nerves, which were more sensitive than usual, and the intense situation made Limepale not miss a single breath or blink of Eorshin.
Limepale’s aggressive nature was whispering to her not to miss this moment.
Push him further. Now. I mean, push him when he can’t move because of his guilt about you.
What are you hesitating for?
“My Ladyship.”
Limepale, who was clenching her fists and trembling pitifully, glared at Eorshin’s pale face.
Eorshin, not knowing what to do, hesitated and tried to reach out to her shoulder.
However, before his fingertips could touch her, Limepale turned around.
“Enough. I don’t even want to see you, so don’t show yourself in front of me until I call you.”
“Princess, but...”
“You won’t even listen to my orders anymore, are you?”
Limepale glared sharply.
Eorshin didn’t say anything. Then he lowered his head and went into the small inner chamber.
When she heard the door close behind her, tears finally flowed down Limepale’s eyes. It was a tear that he had never shed even once, not even when she had to open her eyes and hand over the title of Little Duke to his troublesome and foolish younger brother, or when she was exhausted from dealing with the nobles who secretly picked on her
The three ladies that Arkan had called in to give Erdene a little trouble remained faithful to their assigned duties until the sunset began to fade.
In other words, they had sufficiently tortured Erdene with the frame and needle.
They chatted appropriately as Erdene neared the explosion.
In particular, More accurately grasped the timing, and just before throwing the frame away, she prolonged Erdene’s patience like a ghost, saying, “Oh, by the way...”
So when Arkan came to the Queen’s palace, Erdene had finished making the leaves, she couldn’t tell what kind of leaves they were, and the stems, albeit crooked and messy. Her fingers were numb and her mind was blank from struggling with the small needle, but as soon as she saw him smiling and coming in, the irritation that had been wrapped up in the embroidery thread roared like a beast.
“You!”
Erdene got up, pushing the frame she had placed on the table away, and glared at him.
Arkan approached her with a mischievous smile, grabbed her fingers, kissed her knuckles, and opened his eyes wide.
“Are you so happy to see me?”
“What’s wrong! Are you really going to act this childish?”
This is funny. Arkan thought.
Erdene was usually the one teasing, and he was the one who was seething and furious, but now that their positions were reversed, it couldn’t have been more fun.
“Childish, you say? I invited people with high social standings because I thought you might be bored, but I feel bad for saying that.”
“It’s ridiculous. Who wouldn’t know that you did it on purpose to torture me?”
Arkan widened his eyes and made an innocent expression. The way his eyebrows drooped was disgusting...
‘Stop making such a cute face, you damn man!’
Erdene stomped her feet, her clothes completely turned inside out.
Arkan said.
“Torture... I sent influential people to you on purpose... You haven’t forgotten what Montiel Zelma did, have you? I was going to make a windbreak for you to prevent something like that from happening again... Yes... It was torture for you...”
Erdene puffed out angrily. Her clenched fists were clenched against her waist.
This time, she really wanted to hit him... but if she did, he would go crazy and not say a word for a week.
‘I can’t believe I held back from punching him.’
Erdene thought.
What would Thelma or Merton say if they saw this? They would probably think she was seriously ill and bring her a stretcher.
Arkan twitched his lips to hold back laughter as he watched Erdene grumbling.
Then, when his eyes fell on the embroidery frame on the table, his expression became even more grotesquely distorted.
He felt a pain as if his chest would burst if he didn’t let out the breath trapped in his lungs right away.
He burst into laughter with a “Wow!” At the same time, Erdene glared and bit her lips.
“This is... Hah, this is...What is it?”
Arkan picked up the embroidery frame and turned to Erdene.
Arkan, who knew how to sense the crisis in a corner of his heart, tried to make himself stop laughing, but he couldn't stop.
“This, this... this, what is this?”
Erdene said, her molars clenched.
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“Be honest?”
Don’t leave me alone. Erdene thought. But she folded her arms and answered,
“Yes, honestly.”
Arkan was silent for a moment, then looked down at the sutta and said with great seriousness—a desperate effort to keep from laughing.
“It looks like a cat that ate bad mackerel by mistake threw it up. Fortunately, it threw it all up, so the cat is alive.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Erdene snatched the sutta out of Arkan’s hand and hit him on the arm with it.
There was a loud crash, but fortunately, the sutta was intact and unbroken.
Arkan, who had been hit so suddenly, did not respond with anything like, “Did you hit me?” as usual.
Instead, as if he couldn’t bear it any longer, he collapsed on the sofa and burst out laughing.
“You sewed it with a needle? Really? How could this be! Oh my God, why is the thread, why is the thread sticking out? This is the funniest embroidery I’ve ever seen. Sob, sob...”
Erdene slapped Arkan on the buttocks as he fell.
“Can’t you stop?”
“I’m laughing so hard...”
Should I just throw this on the sofa? Erdene thought.
It seemed like she could do it if she put her mind to it.
Arkan, who had been laughing for a while, got up with a flushed face.
With tears welling up in his eyes, he wrapped his arms around Erdene’s shoulders.
“Give me this. When you’re done. A handkerchief or something.”
“You want the vomit of a cat that ate bad mackerel, right?”
Arkan pursed his lips again. He barely managed to catch his breath, twitching his nose, and this time he grabbed Erdene’s hand.
Erdene, who was about to shake him off, glanced up at him with a pouty expression.
“Yes. I won’t find this kind of embroidery even if I search the entire kingdom, no, even if I search the entire continent. So give it to me.”
“I told you, you're a funny guy.”
“So you don’t want it?”
“Wait about ten years. I think it’ll be finished by then.”
At that, the mischievous expression on Arkan’s lips disappeared.
Instead, a soft smile appeared. It seemed like he was happy.
“You promise me ten years later, right?”
Erdene didn’t answer. It was only after hearing Arkan’s words that she realized what she had said.
She felt bad for pointing out that part and holding on to it, but she didn’t feel bad. Erdene, who had been deliberately avoiding Arkan’s face, said,
“I guess you thought a little differently? You were trying to divorce me before we even reached ten years?”
“I thought that if you wanted it, I should do it.”
Erdene turned around to him.
“What?”
At that moment, Arkan’s arms wrapped around her body.
“But that was before you collapsed. I can’t do this anymore.”
Erdene’s eyes widened in his arms and blinked a couple of times.
Suddenly as if she were wrapped in a huge curtain, Arkan’s body heat, scent, and heartbeat were caressing her inside and out.
I never thought that this would feel comfortable, Erdene thought.
She raised her arms to hug Arkan but was flustered by the unfamiliar feeling and kicked his ankle.
“Ouch! You dumped me?”
Erdene responded bluntly.
“It’s embarrassing.”
Arkan said, trying not to be embarrassed.
It was possible because her nerves, which were more sensitive than usual, and the intense situation made Limepale not miss a single breath or blink of Eorshin.
Limepale’s aggressive nature was whispering to her not to miss this moment.
Push him further. Now. I mean, push him when he can’t move because of his guilt about you.
What are you hesitating for?
“My Ladyship.”
Limepale, who was clenching her fists and trembling pitifully, glared at Eorshin’s pale face.
Eorshin, not knowing what to do, hesitated and tried to reach out to her shoulder.
However, before his fingertips could touch her, Limepale turned around.
“Enough. I don’t even want to see you, so don’t show yourself in front of me until I call you.”
“Princess, but...”
“You won’t even listen to my orders anymore, are you?”
Limepale glared sharply.
Eorshin didn’t say anything. Then he lowered his head and went into the small inner chamber.
When she heard the door close behind her, tears finally flowed down Limepale’s eyes. It was a tear that he had never shed even once, not even when she had to open her eyes and hand over the title of Little Duke to his troublesome and foolish younger brother, or when she was exhausted from dealing with the nobles who secretly picked on her
***
The three ladies that Arkan had called in to give Erdene a little trouble remained faithful to their assigned duties until the sunset began to fade.
In other words, they had sufficiently tortured Erdene with the frame and needle.
They chatted appropriately as Erdene neared the explosion.
In particular, More accurately grasped the timing, and just before throwing the frame away, she prolonged Erdene’s patience like a ghost, saying, “Oh, by the way...”
So when Arkan came to the Queen’s palace, Erdene had finished making the leaves, she couldn’t tell what kind of leaves they were, and the stems, albeit crooked and messy. Her fingers were numb and her mind was blank from struggling with the small needle, but as soon as she saw him smiling and coming in, the irritation that had been wrapped up in the embroidery thread roared like a beast.
“You!”
Erdene got up, pushing the frame she had placed on the table away, and glared at him.
Arkan approached her with a mischievous smile, grabbed her fingers, kissed her knuckles, and opened his eyes wide.
“Are you so happy to see me?”
“What’s wrong! Are you really going to act this childish?”
This is funny. Arkan thought.
Erdene was usually the one teasing, and he was the one who was seething and furious, but now that their positions were reversed, it couldn’t have been more fun.
“Childish, you say? I invited people with high social standings because I thought you might be bored, but I feel bad for saying that.”
“It’s ridiculous. Who wouldn’t know that you did it on purpose to torture me?”
Arkan widened his eyes and made an innocent expression. The way his eyebrows drooped was disgusting...
‘Stop making such a cute face, you damn man!’
Erdene stomped her feet, her clothes completely turned inside out.
Arkan said.
“Torture... I sent influential people to you on purpose... You haven’t forgotten what Montiel Zelma did, have you? I was going to make a windbreak for you to prevent something like that from happening again... Yes... It was torture for you...”
Erdene puffed out angrily. Her clenched fists were clenched against her waist.
This time, she really wanted to hit him... but if she did, he would go crazy and not say a word for a week.
‘I can’t believe I held back from punching him.’
Erdene thought.
What would Thelma or Merton say if they saw this? They would probably think she was seriously ill and bring her a stretcher.
Arkan twitched his lips to hold back laughter as he watched Erdene grumbling.
Then, when his eyes fell on the embroidery frame on the table, his expression became even more grotesquely distorted.
He felt a pain as if his chest would burst if he didn’t let out the breath trapped in his lungs right away.
He burst into laughter with a “Wow!” At the same time, Erdene glared and bit her lips.
“This is... Hah, this is...What is it?”
Arkan picked up the embroidery frame and turned to Erdene.
Arkan, who knew how to sense the crisis in a corner of his heart, tried to make himself stop laughing, but he couldn't stop.
“This, this... this, what is this?”
Erdene said, her molars clenched.
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“Be honest?”
Don’t leave me alone. Erdene thought. But she folded her arms and answered,
“Yes, honestly.”
Arkan was silent for a moment, then looked down at the sutta and said with great seriousness—a desperate effort to keep from laughing.
“It looks like a cat that ate bad mackerel by mistake threw it up. Fortunately, it threw it all up, so the cat is alive.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Erdene snatched the sutta out of Arkan’s hand and hit him on the arm with it.
There was a loud crash, but fortunately, the sutta was intact and unbroken.
Arkan, who had been hit so suddenly, did not respond with anything like, “Did you hit me?” as usual.
Instead, as if he couldn’t bear it any longer, he collapsed on the sofa and burst out laughing.
“You sewed it with a needle? Really? How could this be! Oh my God, why is the thread, why is the thread sticking out? This is the funniest embroidery I’ve ever seen. Sob, sob...”
Erdene slapped Arkan on the buttocks as he fell.
“Can’t you stop?”
“I’m laughing so hard...”
Should I just throw this on the sofa? Erdene thought.
It seemed like she could do it if she put her mind to it.
Arkan, who had been laughing for a while, got up with a flushed face.
With tears welling up in his eyes, he wrapped his arms around Erdene’s shoulders.
“Give me this. When you’re done. A handkerchief or something.”
“You want the vomit of a cat that ate bad mackerel, right?”
Arkan pursed his lips again. He barely managed to catch his breath, twitching his nose, and this time he grabbed Erdene’s hand.
Erdene, who was about to shake him off, glanced up at him with a pouty expression.
“Yes. I won’t find this kind of embroidery even if I search the entire kingdom, no, even if I search the entire continent. So give it to me.”
“I told you, you're a funny guy.”
“So you don’t want it?”
“Wait about ten years. I think it’ll be finished by then.”
At that, the mischievous expression on Arkan’s lips disappeared.
Instead, a soft smile appeared. It seemed like he was happy.
“You promise me ten years later, right?”
Erdene didn’t answer. It was only after hearing Arkan’s words that she realized what she had said.
She felt bad for pointing out that part and holding on to it, but she didn’t feel bad. Erdene, who had been deliberately avoiding Arkan’s face, said,
“I guess you thought a little differently? You were trying to divorce me before we even reached ten years?”
“I thought that if you wanted it, I should do it.”
Erdene turned around to him.
“What?”
At that moment, Arkan’s arms wrapped around her body.
“But that was before you collapsed. I can’t do this anymore.”
Erdene’s eyes widened in his arms and blinked a couple of times.
Suddenly as if she were wrapped in a huge curtain, Arkan’s body heat, scent, and heartbeat were caressing her inside and out.
I never thought that this would feel comfortable, Erdene thought.
She raised her arms to hug Arkan but was flustered by the unfamiliar feeling and kicked his ankle.
“Ouch! You dumped me?”
Erdene responded bluntly.
“It’s embarrassing.”
Arkan said, trying not to be embarrassed.
“No, when someone is honest, you call it embarrassing? Do you know that it’s incredibly rude?”
“If you call something awkward awkward, what do you call it? What do you call me?”
Arkan, who was quivering with an expression on the verge of sulking, burst into laughter when he saw Erdene’s forehead and cheeks slightly redden.
It was the first time he had seen Erdene truly embarrassed, not just grumbling.
I’m satisfied with this much, Arkan thought.
He wouldn’t want more from her. People and their hearts don’t know what will happen in the future, but for now, this is okay.
As long as you don’t hate me.
Arkan carefully interlocked his hands with Erdene’s, who had become blunt with embarrassment.
“Let’s go. We decided to go for a walk, right? When you come back, let’s have dinner together, and tell me what you talked about while you were embroidering.”
Erdene followed Arkan, still pouting.
Sophia tactfully dismissed the attendants who were trying to follow her and said that she would also be waiting at the Queen's Palace. As they walked along the corridor leading to the garden, Arkan asked,
"How is Sophia Fiddler?"
“If you call something awkward awkward, what do you call it? What do you call me?”
Arkan, who was quivering with an expression on the verge of sulking, burst into laughter when he saw Erdene’s forehead and cheeks slightly redden.
It was the first time he had seen Erdene truly embarrassed, not just grumbling.
I’m satisfied with this much, Arkan thought.
He wouldn’t want more from her. People and their hearts don’t know what will happen in the future, but for now, this is okay.
As long as you don’t hate me.
Arkan carefully interlocked his hands with Erdene’s, who had become blunt with embarrassment.
“Let’s go. We decided to go for a walk, right? When you come back, let’s have dinner together, and tell me what you talked about while you were embroidering.”
Erdene followed Arkan, still pouting.
Sophia tactfully dismissed the attendants who were trying to follow her and said that she would also be waiting at the Queen's Palace. As they walked along the corridor leading to the garden, Arkan asked,
"How is Sophia Fiddler?"
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