Chapter 4

Tarcan’s forehead creased at the humiliating misunderstanding.

“You realize I just said I won’t have you.”

Aristine stared at him, then avoided his gaze with a mumble, “The fact that you even thought of it...”

...when I’m so filthy...

Aristine only held back the last four words out of respect for Tarcan’s preferences.

“You’re the one who pointed out we weren’t married yet when I told you to bathe,” Tarcan growled in a deep voice, but of course this had no effect on Aristine.

“I did... but that’s not what I meant.”

The woman looked Tarcan up and down.

“You’re incredibly filthy too.”

Aren’t you going to wash? the woman’s eyes seemed to ask.

Tarcan finally understood what was going through her head. At the same time, another question arose in his mind:

What the hell is wrong with this woman?

* * *

“We can’t bathe together since we haven’t married yet.”

They had to decide who would go first. Aristine was simply reminding him of basic facts.

Tarcan looked down at himself. His clothes were splattered in monster blood. He hadn’t changed since he had just come straight back from his hunt. The bloodstains had been hidden from her when he had covered her with the silk, but now nothing stopped her from seeing them.

Despite what must have been a barbaric first impression, Tarcan didn’t mind what the princess thought of him. The blood was evidence of his victory. It was the mark of a battle and the pride of a warrior.

But filthy? Incredibly filthy? How could she call him that in her soiled state?

Wait...

He had thought the Silvanian princess would scream after seeing blood, but she hadn’t. Though born to be warriors, even most Ilugoans trembled in fear when they saw him return from battle. But this woman showed no reaction. She trembled neither in fear nor in awe.

They still hadn’t uttered another word.

His future wife had been nothing like he had anticipated, starting with her arrival at the palace in her disheveled dress.

What a strange woman.

But that was as far as his thoughts went. There was nothing more to it. All she had to do was stay put and act like a princess.

“I’m going to bathe somewhere else,” he told her.

“Oh.”

Aristine nodded, accepting Tarcan’s words. Usually, palaces had several baths. She’d known that in theory, but her confinement had left her with quirks. Quirks that included such gaps in her knowledge.

“Well, all right.”

Aristine rushed off the couch. She felt happier.

Maybe I’ll be able to get a warm bath since I’m in a normal palace now!

She didn’t expect much. In fact, she would be happy even if the water was only lukewarm.

No, I’ll be happy as long as the water just isn’t cold...

Tarcan stared at the woman, whose mind remained a mystery to him. What was she thinking now?

I hope she doesn’t accuse another stranger of being a pervert too.

He narrowed his eyes but gleaned nothing about what she was currently thinking.

The hall had no doors but was surrounded by pillars that each marked the entrance to a garden or a corridor. The lack of walls meant he could watch Aristine for a long while after she left, led by a lady-in-waiting. Every time she took a step, the red silk swayed behind her.

“Your Highness.”

Tarcan turned to the voice.

“Diona,” he said by way of greeting.

Diona swayed closer to him and gently placed a hand on his arm with a breathy laugh.

“It’s unlike you to not notice someone approaching. What were you thinking about?”

Tarcan frowned at her words. He realized he’d been lost in his thoughts about that woman.

“Nothing,” he answered.

“I see.”

Though she knew he was lying, Diona didn’t question him any further. Asking him direct questions would only make Tarcan refuse to talk about the subject entirely. Instead, she cautiously brought up Aristine, pacing her voice so the words were slow.

“Her Imperial Highness... is nothing like I expected.”

Tarcan nodded. She couldn’t read his eyes.

Hmm, he doesn’t seem interested in her at all. Well, I thought so.

Diona hid her satisfied grin, feigning worry as she sidled closer to Tarcan’s side.

“Why do you think she came here dressed like that? Especially when she’s marrying you, Your Highness. I don’t think it’s a good sign...”

Diona’s voice lilted up charmingly with her question. She gently traced her hand along Tarcan’s arm, making sure prying eyes couldn’t see.

“She must have a reason.”

“A... reason?” Diona repeated.

“You know what my damn siblings did to her,” Tarcan said. “She seemed to expect it, so she can’t be a fool. I don’t think she intended to insult me either.”

Diona was surprised that Tarcan was so protective of his bride-to-be. She’d never seen him act in such a way over someone he barely knew.

But she hid her surprise and lowered her eyes deferentially. Tarcan wasn’t shouting, but she knew he was in a sour mood. Sensitive to the change, Diona peeled herself off his arm and straightened herself.

“True... but that doesn’t suggest what kind of person she is.”

Tarcan turned a disinterested eye in Aristine’s direction just as she disappeared into a corridor.

“Yeah, I can’t tell either,” he said.

Diona stopped and peered at Tarcan. The sight of him staring at the point where Aristine had disappeared was unfamiliar. His eyes were as cold as always, his expression blank and unsmiling. Whatever feeling he had for Aristine, it wasn’t kindness.

But the smile still slowly disappeared from Diona’s face.

“Seriously,” Tarcan murmured as he recalled the woman. She had worn one expression throughout their entire exchange. He almost doubted she had any other emotions.

But no, he had seen a flicker of something nearly imperceptible. The only moment she had shown any clear feelings was when he had first held her.

He recalled her round purple eyes and his surprise at how light she was...

I thought she’d cry.

He had assumed his future bride wouldn’t be able to bear the humiliation all on her own. However, when he drew near her, he had been proven wrong. Her expressionless face had been still, though not fearful. She had almost seemed detached from the situation.

She was raised as a princess in Silvanus. She shouldn’t be used to such treatment.

He also wondered how a noble, and a royal at that, could end up in such a filthy state.

She was a strange woman. His future wife. His bride-to-be.

He had never paid much mind to even the thought of her when the arranged marriage had been announced.

“Your Highness.”

Diona’s voice brought him back to reality.

“Do you like the princess, by any chance?”

* * *

It’s warm water! There’s a bathtub too!

Aristine was giddy from the moment she saw the steaming bathtub.

“We will be assisting you, Your Imperial Highness.”

She allowed the palace servants to peel off her clothes and wash her. Although she felt slightly awkward being helped, as she had not been offered any since her confinement, she had still been born a princess. She felt no embarrassment about showing the servants her bare body.

In fact, Aristine had never cared about other people’s eyes at all, since she began raising herself in her childhood.

They’re professional.

That was Aristine’s judgment after watching them quickly and politely bathe without revealing a single emotion.

Aristine knew no person would willingly want to touch her. The fact that they didn’t so much as grimace at the grime was amazing.

Occasionally, they would ask her questions, which were also suitably professional—ones along the lines of “Is the water too hot, Your Imperial Highness?” or “Would you like me to rub more gently, Your Imperial Highness?”

After living her entire life under the ridicule of her ladies-in-waiting, Aristine found her new servants to be impressive.

The fact that these palace ladies have such a good attitude can only be attributed to my future husband’s good management skills.

She was thankful she would have a talented negotiation partner.

“Please close your eyes again,” a lady-in-waiting said.

Warm water flowed down the curve of her head.

While her eyes were shut, Aristine thought about Tarcan and about what she had to do.

Hmm...?

Aristine realized something was odd in the middle of her thoughts. The hands that had been working at her hair and skin had disappeared.

Are they done?

When she opened her eyes, she came face-to-face with a lady-in-waiting whose mouth was agape.

“Oh...” the lady-in-waiting exclaimed breathlessly.

The servant stared at the droplets clinging to her new lady’s fluttering eyelashes. She stared straight into the enigmatic purple eyes the color of dawn at daybreak.

Aristine wiped the water off herself and turned to her other ladies-in-waiting. Their mouths were also agape and their eyes were wide. Everyone’s hands hovered in midair as they stared at her.

“Is there a problem?” Aristine asked.

The ladies-in-waiting hurriedly bowed their heads.

“Not at all, Your Imperial Highness!”

“Our apologies!”

Aristine wondered what had prompted such a reaction now since they hadn’t even blinked at the grime and dirt caked on her, but she didn’t ask.

After a few more rinses, Aristine was allowed into the bathtub.

Ohh, it feels so good.

Aristine placed her chin on the edge of the tub and blissful drowsiness settled into her after the ladies-in-waiting left. Her body naturally relaxed. The prospect of warm baths alone made her happy that she had been wedded off to the Ilugoans.

I can think about what I should do later.

The surface of the water rippled as though it had read her thoughts. Aristine frowned, knowing that it would reflect a scene very soon.

Why does it always appear in times like this?

It seemed she would have to rest later.

* * *

Tarcan...?

The person on the water’s surface was her future husband. A voluptuous woman with dark blue hair stood next to him.

When is this? It looks like it happened today, so it’s either the near future or the past. Or the present.

Tarcan was wearing the exact same clothes she had first seen him in. Even if it was his favorite piece of clothing, she doubted he would wear identically bloody garments every day. Next to him was the couch he had placed her on.

When is he going to take a bath?!

Whether their marriage was a formality or not, she didn’t like dirty men. Aristine prayed she was looking into the past.

I hope he’s bathed by now.

That was when the woman on the surface of the water began to speak.

“Do you like the princess, by any chance?”

Aristine was startled.

They’re talking about me?! she realized.

Well, it was understandable since they had just met each other...

But his preferences must be strange for someone to ask him that.

Why else would someone ask if he liked a grimy woman like her?

He has to be a pervert, she thought.

“What?” Tarcan growled back at the woman.

The thought had crossed her mind during their first meeting, but Tarcan was rather... handsome. She had seen many men through the Emperor’s Eye, but she’d never seen anyone as handsome as him. But when Tarcan narrowed his eyes, Aristine could also feel the ease and threat of a predator.

The woman next to him seemed to have sensed the same. She drew into herself.

“Do I like her?” Tarcan drawled.

This was a different type of anger from what he had shown Aristine. His leisurely movements and speech made him seem all the more menacing.

“Of course not.”

A corner of Tarcan’s lips went up. This was likely his normal demeanor.

“You should know.” His eyes slid to the side. “My feelings will never change.”

* * *

After her bath, Aristine was guided into another room.

“Would you like us to call your ladies-in-waiting? They’re currently being shown around the palace,” one servant cautiously asked. She seemed to be concerned about how Aristine felt after being served exclusively by Ilugoans since her arrival.

Luckily, she preferred the Ilugoans to the Silvanians.

“No, it’s all right.”

“Then I’ll show you to your room,” the lady-in-waiting replied.

“No,” Aristine stopped the lady-in-waiting. “Lead me to Tarcan.”

Confusion briefly flickered across the lady-in-waiting’s face, but she politely bowed her head without question.

“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”

I want to rest too.

She had traveled by carriage for a whole month, after all. Not to mention, she had endured the bullying of the ladies-in-waiting the entire time, all without being able to bathe or rest.

She couldn’t be happier now that she was washed and in soft, warm, fresh clothes provided by the Ilugoans. Ending her day on a bed now would have been perfect, and she knew it.

But there’s something I need to do first.

She had to get her husband on her side before anyone else.

Tarcan was in a room not far from the hall they were in.

“Your Highness, Princess Aristine wishes to see you.”

Despite the lady-in-waiting announcement, Aristine received no reply. She could feel the unwelcoming aura even through the door.

Maybe it’s because he’s with that woman.

Aristine recalled the woman with long dark blue hair.

I was hoping to bargain with him alone though.

But maybe it was better to have her around. Aristine could make a stronger case for herself.

There wouldn’t be love in their arranged marriage, of course. If the woman was Tarcan’s mistress, reinforcing that fact could serve as an attractive offer.

On top of that...

While love wasn’t necessary in an arranged marriage, a child usually was a necessity.

But I don’t need one.

That would also be a bargaining chip in her favor. Most brides in an arranged marriage would want their children to inherit the throne or a position of power even if their marriage was loveless.

Aristine didn’t want that. All she wished for was freedom.

After seeing the world through reflections, she wanted to travel to all the places she had only witnessed in visions. She wished to take in unseen sights and taste all the food she had been denied. She wanted the freedom to do as she wished, whenever she wished.

She wanted to make sure no one could take her freedom again. That was her only goal.

But I need a lot of money for that.

Aristine pushed her business plans aside for now. This was a critical moment. She had to focus on gaining Tarcan’s cooperation.

The doors opened, informing her permission was granted to enter. When she stepped inside, she came face-to-face with Tarcan. He tilted his head toward the door first, then his gaze followed only after that, almost as though he couldn’t be bothered to look. But then he froze. The shock was obvious in his wide eyes.

The woman Aristine had seen using her Emperor’s Eye was beside him. She seemed to be serving him tea.

She doesn’t look like a maid.

Then again, it wasn’t as though maids were the only ones who could serve tea.

The woman also stared at Aristine, wide-eyed. She turned to observe Tarcan’s expression. The woman looked nervous.

But why?

Aristine felt slightly confused as she stepped into the room.

“Princess...?” Tarcan finally managed. Aristine nodded and gave him a questioning frown—one Tarcan had no response for.

She’s really the princess?