Episode 3: A fiancée with a business addiction; will this marriage be okay? (6)
Translator: Miss Ruby
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“Oh dear.”
Aristine gave Starlina a gentle smile.
“I was just asking if you had something to say, I didn’t think things would go this way.”
She clicked her tongue softly and continued speaking.
“I don’t feel comfortable seeing the princess on her knees like this. Here, let me help you up.”
The sight of Aristine helping Starlina to her feet was the very definition of a superior position.
She spoke in a relaxed manner and showed tolerance and generosity. Seeing this, a light flashed in King Irugo’s eyes.
‘She’s a bright one, Princess Aristine.’
Aristine never showed any sign of anger until Starlina got on her knees. She did not scold them, nor did she ask for an apology.
Paellamien acted first before she did anything.
‘She’s well aware of her political position and is utilizing it.’
His second daughter was quick-witted child.
It was unexpected for her to agitate and drag around Paellamien who was always in tune with her surroundings. If even a single thing went wrong, Aristine could have been branded with the stigma of breaking the peace.
‘How bold. But moderate at the same time. It was never too much.’
If Aristine had gone over the line just a little more, the situation would have worsened. And the result would be far worse than making Starline stay still.
Irugo and Silvanus had been in a hostile relationship for so long and were only now trying to form a friendly relationship.
Starline was rude.
But in this situation, what happens if the Princess of Silvanus asks an Irugo Princess to kneel down and beg?
The barely budding peace will shatter like thin ice.
Even more so since Irugo was the victorious nation while Silvanus was the losing nation.
But what about this situation now?
The result was simply an elder princess rebuking a younger princess, so it became Irugo’s internal affair.
Now, the King was looking forward to what Aristine was going to do so he just watched in silence. But even if he wasn’t, the king couldn’t exactly find anything to fault her for.
There was nothing in Aristine’s speech that he could nitpick. Even if he found something to nitpick, she had already made holes to escape.
‘And here I thought it would be great if she at least knew how to look people in the eye.’
The King’s gaze swept over Aristine’s expressionless face.
As a matter of fact, the one he wanted was, of course, the second princess of Silvanus. Who would possibly want the first princess when she had the major drawback of being imprisoned?
When he heard that the first princess would be the one coming, King Irugo clicked his tongue and frowned.
It was unfortunate but he felt it didn’t matter.
The important thing was that it would end this war and erase Tarkan’s political weakness.
She wasn’t confined because of a defect in her body or because there was issues with her bloodline or legitimacy, just that the Emperor hated her.
With Tarkan as outstanding as he was, the King wanted Tarkan to meet a brilliant political partner but…
‘It will be fine as long as she’s alive and causes no trouble since she provides the minimum value…is what I thought.’
The King shook his head in resignation.
It had been a very long time. A very long time since his judgement or thoughts were completely wrong.
But it was a pleasant miscalculation.
‘Hah, the Emperor of Silvanus didn’t recognize such a jewel and sent it to Irugo.’
He was always a greedy and stupid man, anyway.
“Have a seat instead of standing around and making a fuss. You suddenly interrupt my tea-time and you’re chattering.”
The King gestured to the prince and princesses, wrapping up the situation.
Only then did they realize they had been talking without sitting down and their faces flushed. It meant Aristine had shaken them up that much.
“That’s right, Your Majesty. Yenika was surprised.”
Yenikarina clung to the King’s arm, acting cute. She blinked her eyes and whispered like a songbird.
“Why is everyone acting like this on such a happy day? Like saying rude things to the Princess or getting angry with their younger sister.”
Starlina and Paellamien flinched when Yenikarina’s gaze fell on them.
“Yenika is so sad.”
She made a tearful face and turned to look at Aristine.
“We will be a family soon, but I can’t believe this happens the first time we see each other. What if the Princess misunderstands and thinks we don’t like her?”
It was a cute, sad face mixed with grievances.
When Aristine didn’t give any reaction, Yenikarina turned to her and began to talk to her exclusively.
“I don’t know why everyone is acting like this to you, Princess.”
Her big eyes were the same shade of turquoise blue as the King’s.
“Yenika feels like she has one more big sister, so it makes Yenika very happy, you know?”
Hehe, then she laughed cutely.
Aristine, who was still quietly watching this behavior, slowly curled her lips. When Aristine returned the smile, Yenikarina stretched her hand to Aristine in a friendly manner.
“So, can Yenika call you Sister Rinee, Princess?”(1)
Aristine’s smile deepened.
“Of course, you can.”
“Wow—!”
Yenikarina smiled brightly and put her hands on her chest. Her expression was as lovely as her gesture.
“…It’s like I’m looking at my younger sister.”
Aristine smiled faintly as she recalled her younger sister in Silvanus.
“The second princess, you mean?”
“Yes, she’s very pretty and lovely.”
That was truly the type of child she was.
She was like that when Aristine saw her at a very young age, and the same when Aristine saw her through the Monarch’s sight.
‘Indeed, she was quite lovely even when she got me confined.’
Aristine’s faint smile deepened like a blooming flower.
“You think of Yenika like your younger sister? That makes me so happy!”
Yenikarina blushed like she was embarrassed but it seemed as though she couldn’t hide her joy and excitement.
Her eyes twinkled with delight and curved in the shape of a half-moon.
But under than innocent face was a completely different thought process.
‘Hng, this is so easy.’
As expected, this adorable face of hers was her most powerful weapon that worked on everything.
Even Aristine, a foreigner, was captured immediately and infatuated.
‘Then again, she has only lived alone in confinement so I’m sure she’ll gladly bend over backwards if anyone is a little kind to her.’
After Aristine came to Irugo, she was probably surrounded by Irugo people who were a head bigger than her. So when she sees someone as cute and lovely as Yenikarina, of course, her heart will be moved.
‘Plus my frame is a bit similar to hers so I’ll probably remind her of her home country too.’
Yenikarina’s maternal grandmother was from a foreign country. So Yenikarina inherited that blood and had softer features compared to other Irugoians.
Hence why she reminded the princess of her younger sister.
‘Ah, how boring. I can’t even embarrass her in front of royal father, and it’ll annoying if this idiot likes me too much.’
Yenikarina glanced at her royal father.
King Irugo looked satisfied with Aristine. He did not even bother hiding it.
‘…For now, I think I should act close with this idiot.’
Only then will her father be happy with her.
‘Let’s think of this in a good way. It will be easier to stab her in the back later.’
As that thought crossed her mind, she turned to look at Tarkan and immediately made eye contact.
Yenikarina gave him a polite and adorable smile.
She felt a twinge of delight when disgust appeared on Tarkan’s face.
‘Anyway, if I coax that dumb princess well, it will surely be helpful to big brother.’
She might as well advice Aristine not to get close with Tarkan.
The princess would definitely long for human warmth since she had been alone for a long time. There was Yenikarina whose approach was bright and friendly. Then there was her scary political marriage partner who was big, rough, and stained with demonic blood, moreover, he didn’t love the princess.
Just think, who will the princess be guarded against?
‘Right, that will be quite fun actually.’
Yenikarina smiled softly at Aristine.
“Sister Rinee, if there’s anything that bothers you during your stay in the palace, you have to tell Yenika. Yenika will help you with anything she can. Anything at all, really.”
Including your relationship with your husband, I mean.
Translator’s Corner:
-> Aristine’s name is 아리스티네. Rinee is 리네. It takes the second and last syllables of her name. Not sure why tbh. I put a second ‘e’ because I want people to know it’s not a one syllable word.
Note: Yenikarina asks to call her Rinee unni. I may use unni in the future instead of sister.
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