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Instead of the footman, the groom, Tarkan opened the carriage door for Aristine.

Aristine took Tarkan’s hand and climbed into the golden carriage. The long train of her dress trailed mesmerizingly behind her.

“Haaa…”

The people watching this sighed in unison. This was a scene everyone had dreamt of, at least once in their life. She was merely being escorted onto the carriage, but it felt as if there was no scene more romantic than this.

Once the newlyweds sat down next to each other, the carriage began to move gently.

The wedding parade was set to make a circle around the Capital’s main road then end at Tarkan’s palace. It was only when that was done that the wedding ceremony was truly over.

The wedding parade was a tool to inform people about the couple’s marriage, but it also had an important meaning.

One lap around the royal capital stood for a long journey, in other words, a lifetime. Arriving at the house where the bride and groom would live together meant that the couple would live together safely for the rest of their lives.

It meant that no matter what happens on their journey together or in the future, they would be together, just as they got home together on their wedding day.

It was a superstition but in reality, it was more like a prayer or a blessing, or a pledge. The married couple makes a pledge in front of everyone, and people bless their future and stand witness to it.

‘…We’ll be getting divorced in the few years though.’

Aristine thought indifferently.

Although they might arrive at Tarkan’s palace without any issues after circling the royal capital, their ending was predetermined.

This was not going to end with [and they lived happily ever after, no matter what happened].

‘Because I plan to get a clean divorce as soon as Tarkan gets on the throne.’

Although the wedding parade was practically meaningless to her, it felt strange to see people so cheerful and responsive.

Aristine was a princess, but she had never appeared in public. When she saw people waving at her, she felt somehow embarrassed, and it tickled her heart.

Their lips were spread in radiant smiles, their eyes curved in an arc and they had highly spirited expressions.

Even though Aristine wasn’t particularly aware of it, her face had a faint smile when she saw the various expressions people had.

The carriage was moving very slowly.

The royal guards were controlling the area but there were excited people who were leaping at the chance to see Tarkan and Aristine even a little closer, so their ranks were scattered a few times.

After watching the people for a while, Aristine turned to look at Tarkan.

He had been acting strangely for some time now. He was being too quiet and looked as if his mind was elsewhere.

And his expression was also fiercer than usual.

‘Come on, regardless of what it is, you shouldn’t wear a frown!’

Though there were people who would love to see that.

“Tarkan.”

“What.”

Came his curt reply.

Normally, people would stiffen due to the pressure coming from Tarkan and shrink away.

But Aristine drew closer to him instead. She even turned her whole body to face Tarkan.

“Try smiling.”

“What?”

Tarkan raised a brow at that random remark.

“The people love and treasure you so much; it will be good to give them a smile. Your expression is totally stiff right now.”

“My expression is always like this.”

Despite that, people revered Tarkan because he was charismatic.

“Still, you should smile today. We got married, after all.”

Tarkan paused.

Those words sounded strange. It felt very subtle and implicit, perhaps even sweet.

“You…there’s something you’re misunderstanding—”

Just when Tarkan frowned and began to speak, Aristine went ‘Aht’ and covered Tarkan’s face with both hands.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

Piercing squeals rang out from the spectating crowd. It couldn’t be called cheers anymore. They were truly screaming. People were squealing over the newlyweds’ sweet and couple-like behavior. Reporters pressed their shutters ardently as if they wanted to break their finger.

Regardless of the reaction of their surroundings, the two people in the carriage didn’t care.

Aristine wasn’t used to caring about other people’s gazes in the first place while Tarkan was too taken aback by Aristine’s actions.

Aristine held Tarkan’s cheeks and rubbed the corners of his lips lightly.

Tarkan flinched at the soft touch so close to his lips.

“Smile.”(Aristine)

“Let go.”(Tarkan)

“I’ll let go if you smile.”

“I said let go.”

“I said I will if you smile?”

The two of them bickered in the golden carriage.

To others, it looked like the new bride was holding the groom’s cheeks gently and they were having a lovey-dovey moment.

Their handsomeness and beauty were enough that people felt satisfied just by looking at them and seeing such a scene made them feel even more satisfied.

But as they kept watching, they felt like a cold wind was blowing from the left.

‘Couples to hell…ah, no! I shouldn’t, this is our hero, His Highness Tarkan.’[1]

‘Let’s leave our prince alone.’

The devout singles exchanged secret signs.

The couple who didn’t know what sort of agreement was taking place within a certain religion were still quarreling about smiles.

“You think marrying you is a reason for me to smile?”

“Mn.”

Aristine nodded confidently.

“I am your business partner. And both of us are tied in the same political fate. Won’t it be better for us to be seen as a couple with a good relationship rather than a bad one? Especially in situations where our union implies peace.”

“…That’s the reason?”

“Huh?”

Aristine tilted her head at Tarkan’s question.

As if to ask, what other reason could there be?

Seeing the question on her face, Tarkan kept his mouth shut.

‘Is this woman numb to this marriage or what?”

She didn’t seem to have any anxiety at all or any thoughts about the matter.

They say that some brides get depressed before their wedding, but she didn’t have such signs at all. Even people who marry for love get depressed, talk less of those who were in an arranged marriage with no feelings for each other at all.

‘She’s completely fine yet why do I keep…’

He felt like an idiot for reacting to every meaningless thing Aristine said. Rather, it seemed like Tarkan was the one more conscious about the fact that he was getting married and lost in thought.

‘And there’s that ki…too.’

He never even imagined that the bride would be the one to pull him in.

When he thought about it now, it was quite ridiculous.

Aristine’s slender arms wouldn’t be able to make him budge, no matter how hard she pulled. But perhaps he was too surprised then that his body leaned towards her.

Aristine didn’t let that chance go and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Tarkan’s forehead creased as he suddenly remembered that scene. He didn’t know that his earlobes were bright red.

Suddenly, he grew very conscious of Aristine’s palms and fingers which were holding his cheeks.

Unlike himself who was a warrior, her hands were soft without a single callus.

Their bare skins were touching each other.

《This is no different from a kiss. 》

Aristine’s whisper seemed to linger in his ears again.

Tarkan wanted to shake off her hand.

But he couldn’t do it. Because.

Because.

‘Because I think I’m too thrown off by what she says.’

Right, that was why.