Episode 33: Is this what they call body-obsessed…? (3)
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Regardless of the shock that the noblewomen were experiencing, Tarkan held out his hand to the carriage in a very natural manner.
A graceful hand, decorated with an arm chain, slid onto his hand and the Princess Consort appeared.
The jaws of the noblewomen went slack at this scene that looked like it emerged from a pictorial.
Marchioness Issara, who had come to greet the Princess Consort, was also momentarily stunned, and forgot to say her greetings.
After getting off the carriage, the royal couple looked into each other’s eyes, and exchanged a few words.
It painted a very affectionate image.
A beat later, Marchioness Issara approached the two of them.
After extending her welcome and exchanging a few words with Tarkan, Marchioness Issara started walking back to mansion with the Princess Consort.
Instead of heading back immediately, Tarkan stood there until his wife entered the building.
The noblewomen, who were watching this through the window, burst into chatter like adolescent girls.
“Did you see that?”
“Oh yes, I saw!”
“I didn’t know His Highness Tarkan could look at someone like that.”
“I finally know what it means to have eyes dripping with honey.”
“That’s why the bed on the first night…”
The noblewomen burst out laughing. Of course, there were some who weren’t happy with this atmosphere.
Right then, Marchioness Issara entered the tearoom with the Princess Consort.
“It seems you are all having a fun time. Key me in on what you’re talking about.”
The noblewomen looked up when they heard Marchioness Issara, and they ceased their chatter and rose to their feet.
“Greetings to the Princess Consort.”
“Princess Consort.”
The noblewomen gracefully bowed their heads towards Aristine.
“Everyone, please lift your heads.”
As they furtively lifted their heads, they caught a sweet smile on Aristine’s face. It was a friendly-looking smile.
“Since I have remained in the palace for so long, my presence here might feel unfamiliar. But I think it would be nice to attend a gathering with fellow wives and relax, don’t you agree?”
Aristine winked.
The noblewomen began to smile when she sensibly told them to relax and treat her comfortably.
The tense atmosphere instantly relaxed.
‘I thought she was a young and inexperienced consort since she doesn’t participate in social activities, but how unexpected.’
Marchioness Issara’s eyes lit up.
It was rare for someone to get people to treat them comfortably just because they said so.
However, Aristine’s words created laughter and a sense of belonging at the same time.
“First off, please come this way and have a seat, Princess Consort.”
Once Aristine sat down, the noblewomen followed and took their seats.
Aristine studied the atmosphere in the room. The gazes towards her were mostly favorable. They looked curious about the Princess Consort who had been obscured with a veil.
‘But why are they smiling like that?’
The noblewomen had odd smiles hanging from their lips. The look in their eyes and the tilt of their lips was too strange to call it a polite smile.
Aristine had seen this kind of expression before.
‘It’s the look that the court ladies often have.’
She could feel the familiar scent of court ladies from the unfamiliar noblewomen.
When she met their eyes, one of the noblewomen, whose mouth was twitching like she was being tickled, opened her mouth.
“Your Highness, I saw that you came with His Highness Tarkan.”
(Aristine)“Oh, His Highness offered to accompany me.”
“My goodness, that’s the first time I’ve seen a husband escort his wife to a tea party.”
“It’s that newlywed aura for sure.”
“No matter how harmonious a newlywed couple is, I have yet to see it happen.”
The noblewomen began to poke fun with one another.
The mood wasn’t too bad.
If a husband came all the way to his wife’s tea party, he might give the impression that he had delusional jealousy or was unnecessarily fussy.
But when a man who lacked nothing did it, it was just romantic and nice to watch.
“I’m so jealous.”
“I’ve heard His Highness Tarkan really cares for Your Highness.”
“Of course, the rumors of Your Highnesses conjugal harmony are plentiful.”
The older noblewomen giggled like young misses.
Nothing was as fun as watching a young couple in love. Furthermore, they were the only young couple in the royal family and were even called the couple of the century.
Aristine went ‘haha’ and took a sip of her tea.
“I’m curious about Your Highnesses love.”
“Did sparks fly from the first time your eyes met? Did it feel like fate?”
“Come to think of it, I heard that Highness Tarkan carried Her Highness like a princess, the moment he saw her.”
“I knew it; was it love at first sight?”
“How was your first impression of His Highness Tarkan?”
Aristine was a little taken aback by the barrage of questions from the noblewomen.
Actually, the younger noblewomen only showed curiosity with the Princess Consort; they did not seem particularly interested in her relationship. However, the older noblewomen were very enthusiastic.
“Hm, well.” Aristine sipped her tea and let her eyes wander.
‘My first impression of Tarkan, huh…’
A very shy pervert.
She had enough common sense to know she shouldn’t say that outright.
(Aristine)“In any case, it was an arranged marriage, and he was unfamiliar to me, so something like that…”
“Oh?”
The noblewomen were wide-eyed.
They naturally thought that bells were ringing from the very first moment, electricity was coursing through her veins and angels were singing from the sky.
Because to the onlookers, Aristine and Tarkan seemed to be living in an opera, rather than reality.
(Aristine)“Of course, as I’ve gradually gotten to know him after marriage, I think I am really fortunate to have married him.”
“Ahh.”
The noblewomen smiled in understanding and nodded their heads.
“Of course. Learning is important. There are things you learn after marriage.”
“Especially things like the bed breaking…”
“As they say, the thing called body-obsession is…”
Body-obsession?
Aristine’s eyes widened at that word, and it got stuck in her ear.
Come to think of it, she’d been constantly reaching for Tarkan’s chest recently. No, seeing as it wasn’t just her hand acting out, she must be subconsciously wanting to touch it.
‘…Is this what they call body-obsessed?’ [1]
She heard it was a very terrifying fervor that made you lose control of yourself.
“Ladies, I understand how you feel, but please do not be uncivil with the Princess Consort.”
Marchioness Issara gently restrained the noblewomen.
“Oh dear, my apologies, Your Highness. We’ve acted a little silly. As this is the first time we’ve had such a young person at our gathering…”
None of the women at the tea party were Aristine’s age.
Even the youngest-looking noblewoman looked six or seven years older than her, and most of her noblewomen, like her hostess, Marchioness Issara, had gray hair.
“I didn’t mean to offend…it just felt so stunning to see you in person that I went overboard.”
“Whew, it must feel different coming from old people like us, but your face gets thicker the older you get.”
“I assume Silvanus operates differently, right? You must be more surprised.”
Certainly, in Silvanus, regardless of how old a noblewoman was, she would never make such remarks.
So, while Aristine was taken aback, she wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. She preferred for them to treat her affectionately rather than feel awkward.
(Aristine)“No. I think this is more like a comfortable gathering among wives, no?”
When Aristine said that, the noblewomen broke into smiles.
“You did say you wanted a relaxed gathering among wives.”
“Choosing this tea party over others was an excellent decision. You will certainly be able to relax. Regardless of the complicated matters.”
Aristine smiled at those words.
Regardless of the complicated matters.
In other words, political affairs were a separate matter.
These noblewomen, who seemed somewhat silly, were in fact, experienced aristocrats in the political circles. The fact that they could maintain political neutrality amidst a fight for succession was a true display of their strength.
That was why they could treat Aristine, the Princess Consort, warmly, while drawing a line like this.
Translator’s Corner:
[1] Body-obsessed, also known as body-love or more literally, s*x. The word itself doesn’t mean s*x but it usually implies it.
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