Chapter 104 - North Korean rabbit

Episode 104

Though others would be surprised to hear it, Arpad Istrid had no great dissatisfaction with his own life.

A life where he lost his mother in childhood, was guarded against by his father, and had a stepmother who was constantly watching for an opportunity to kill him.

Add to that the fact that he could go mad and die at any moment, and anyone would feel pity.

One could say it was a life marked by tragedy.

Perhaps because of this, there were quite a few women who approached him, saying they would embrace his wounds.

"I alone understand Your Highness's pain. You can confide in me."

"...I will embrace it all for you."

"It's okay to be weak in front of me. Brother."

Though he would be ashamed and furious if he knew, among the women who left no particular impression was also Evangeline.

But contrary to their thoughts, Arpad was not particularly a wounded man.

While his life had many obstacles, he was also born with just as many, if not more, advantages. So he had no particular complaints.

What bothered him was pity. Pity was an emotion several times more dreadful than fear.

That's why Hilia was interesting, and why he became interested.

"Everyone will know that the true identity of the Mercenary King Gerald is His Highness Crown Prince Arpad."

Among those who knew Arpad's identity and approached him, she was the first of her kind.

A woman who did not pretend to be benevolent and affectionate, offering to embrace his wounds.

'Rather, she threatened me.'

Saying that if he didn't enter into a marriage of abduction with her, she would expose his secret.

She did not pity him.

Though he didn't realize it at the time, he was quite satisfied with this fact.

She was a truly peculiar woman.

Being with this woman, he experienced several emotions for the first time in his life.

Yet, until this very moment, Arpad did not know what name to give to his feelings.

Not when he abducted Hilia.

Not when he kissed her and performed the marriage rites.

Not when they put on that absurd play together, or when they fell asleep and woke up in the same bed.

Not even when his chest seethed upon seeing the knight by her side.

Not even when his maternal grandmother criticized the betrothal gifts and he impulsively stormed out.

In fact, this was an unnecessary thing.

There were no specially prepared wedding rings or betrothal gifts, but there were jewels prepared by the palace attendants in the detached palace where they performed their marriage rites.

He could have chosen a suitable ring from among them and placed it on Hilia's finger.

Right now, he didn't want to call that a 'wedding ring.'

Arpad failed to notice what this meant.

What was the driving force that moved him like this?

Even now, after pushing his subordinates to conquer a ruin in a week, rushing back without a moment's rest, committing this madness, and returning to her.

He must be the most foolish man in the world.

It was only upon seeing 'that ring' on Hilia's hand that he finally realized.

That his precious season, the first blossoming spring, had been violated.

He was clearly feeling 'jealousy.'

Jealousy was ultimately an emotion that could not exist without another feeling at its foundation.

* * *

Before, he hadn't paid much attention to pink or purple.

But after meeting Hilia, whenever he saw pink, he wanted to touch her hair.

And when he saw purple, he wanted to kiss her eyelids.

All these realizations were branded onto his soul as if with a hot iron.

The moment he saw the wedding ring that Ludwig bastard must have given her on Hilia's hand.

Without realizing it, he asked as if chewing on ice.

"You still had that?"

"Ah!"

Before Hilia could even answer, his hand moved first.

He snatched the ring from that Ludwig bastard (that's what he called it) from Hilia's hand.

Then, he placed what he had obtained onto the ring finger of Hilia's left hand.

As if it had been made from the start to be worn on this slender, smooth finger, the ring slid smoothly into place on Hilia's hand.

Finally, Arpad smiled.

It was a satisfaction as if something that should be there had found its rightful place.

He finally acknowledged it.

The feeling underlying 'jealousy.'

Because it was his first experience of it, his awareness was delayed.

For Arpad, who had always passed through the four seasons without emotion, spring would now become the only special season.

Because there was a woman he met for the first time this spring.

Because the woman who reminded him of flowers blooming in spring was right before his eyes.

His belatedly realized feelings were shining dazzlingly on her hand.

Arpad finally acknowledged his love and bowed his head before it.

And he kissed the back of his love's hand.

* * *

Arpad suddenly placed a ring on Hilia's hand and kissed the back of it.

Then he raised his head and smiled...

Hilia looked at Arpad, astonished.

'What? Why is he smiling like that?'

Because it was a smile she had never seen before.

The smiles of Arpad that Hilia knew fell into two main categories:

1) A sneer

2) A smile when contemplating how to kill someone

Of course, there were times she felt he smiled like a boy.

But 'this expression' was a first.

A smile as if the armor tightly encasing his exterior had crumbled away, revealing the true human being named Arpad hidden inside.

For a long while, she was entranced by Arpad's smile.

She even forgot for a moment that her ring had been taken, and that a splendid lavender ring had been placed on her finger.

She came to her senses only upon hearing Arpad's uncharacteristically gentle question.

"Was everything alright while I was gone?"

"Huh, yes?"

Hilia, who had been mesmerized by Arpad, finally grabbed hold of her senses.

And she hastily poured out the words she had thought of countless times in Arpad's absence.

"Ah! D-don't worry. I handled it perfectly. Your absence wasn't known to anyone outside at all!"

"That's not what I'm asking."

"Huh?"

"I'm asking if you were alright."

"...Huh?"

"If you ate well, if you slept well."

"...Huh?"

In response to Hilia's dazed triple "Huh?", Arpad answered in a soft whisper.

"I was curious about your situation while I was gone. Constantly. Worried."

Finally, Hilia asked in earnest.

"Did you eat something bad?"

This time, Arpad almost answered with a "What?"

After a moment of confusion, Arpad soon remembered.

His usual way of speaking.

And Yulken's criticism of it.

"I'm not exactly of a good temperament myself, but listening to Your Highness makes me mistakenly think I'm a sufficiently affectionate person."

"I must be careful. If I take Your Highness as a standard, I'll be dumped dozens of times by lovers and die an old bachelor."

And if Hilia spoke about work, he would have said this in the past:

"It would be troublesome if you didn't do at least that much."

Feeling the karmic retribution of his past actions descend upon him anew, Arpad pressed his forehead.

Seeing this, Hilia sprang up and brought her face close.

"What's wrong? Are you really not feeling well somewhere?"

A voice filled with obvious concern.

With these few simple words, Arpad's mood, which had been plummeting, was rescued.

Arpad felt both like laughing and found it absurd.

Because his own change was that strange.

It wasn't unreasonable for Hilia to act like this.

"No. Nothing's wrong."

"Right. You're not someone who gets sick easily."

Hilia looked Arpad's attire up and down and said.

"But where have you been to get dressed up so splendidly? Did you meet a lover or something?"

"......"

Arpad felt a little, no, very hurt.

He had just realized he loved her, and wasn't it a bit harsh to be asked by the person in question if he'd been cheating?

Moreover, her tone wasn't jealous or wary at all.

That fact was extremely irritating.

'You mustn't be sarcastic or get angry here again, Arpad Istrid.'

Arpad had excellent learning ability.

He had to give Hilia trust. That was the top priority.

Arpad painted on a smile that looked even gentler than before.

And he carefully chose the words to utter. The softest, most affectionate ones possible.

No provocative or sarcastic tone.

"No. A lover? How many times must I say it, I have no lover. Only a wife."

"...?"

Hilia's expression turned strange.

She circled around Arpad, observing him, and then asked.

"Are you really Arpad?"

"There can't be another man as artistically handsome as this. It's your husband Arpad, alright."

"...Seeing this shameless self-praise, it really is Arpad..."

Hilia looked genuinely confused.

"Why are you acting so unsettlingly? They say when a person starts doing things they never did, their death is near. It's scary."

Arpad was momentarily conflicted.

Should he grieve over the fact that Hilia's trust in him was at rock bottom?

Or should he rejoice that Hilia was worried he might die?

Romance, Fantasy,