Forget My Husband, I'll Go Make Money

Episode 33: Is this what they call body-obsessed…? (4)

T/N: So many speakers in this chapter >.<. I tried to indicate every time that Aristine spoke and I hope that helps! If it’s too much, let me know.

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‘Right, that’s how it should be.’

Aristine’s eyes fell on two women whose faces were slightly stiff even though they had been laughing earlier.

Most of the noblewomen at this tea party were in the neutral faction since they were close with Lady Issara, but there were a few on Tarkan’s side and a few in the queen’s faction.

These two were obviously part of the queen’s faction.

When they met Aristine’s eyes, they both flinched and looked away.

Then perhaps they felt like they had been overpowered, because they soon turned back to Aristine with a haughty look on their face, and one of them opened her mouth.

“It is said that in a relationship, the feelings built up over time are more important than that initial feeling. After hearing the Princess Consort today, I believe that Your Highnesses will be together for a hundred years.”

“Indeed, this is actually better. Especially since it was difficult situation for His Highness Tarkan and you to fall in love at first sight.”

Aristine’s hand, which was picking up the soft mocha chiffon cake, paused.

A difficult situation for love at first sight? Was she talking about Dionna?

“After all, His Highness Tarkan has a first love that he has cherished for nearly 10 years. No, should I say he had? Ugh, look at me…it’s been going on for so long that it’s become a habit to say.”

“In any case, that’s why I was quite worried about you two getting along after marriage. It worked out for the best, really.”

The two noblewomen looked at Aristine with wide smiles.

Aristine stared at the both of them, forgetting to even blink.

“Good gracious. There’s no need to bring up something so far in the past.” Marchioness Issara cleared her throat and spoke to Aristine. “The present is what’s important, isn’t it? His Highness Tarkan cares so deeply about you that he personally escorts you in such manner…”

“Are you referring to Lady Dionna?”

Aristine couldn’t stand it and asked the two women a question.

She didn’t need to at all, but strangely enough, her heart refused to calm down and she felt anxious. She knew she was being dragged into their pace, but she couldn’t bear it if she didn’t verify.

“We all initially thought it was Lady Dionna. After all, that insolent young miss went parading around as His Highness Tarkan’s first love.”

“But it was revealed that it wasn’t her, and as it turns out, His Highness Tarkan’s first love is a different person.”

The smiles of the two noblewomen deepened as they looked at Aristine.

“Oh my, you didn’t know. A stranger might not know this but everyone around is aware.”

The fact that Tarkan saw woman as stones also added to the credibility of the first love story.

Their gazes swept Aristine up and down without any attempt to hide it. They were looking forward to the Princess Consort losing her temper and making a mess out of this tea party.

But unexpectedly, Aristine smiled at them. It was a cold smile.

(Aristine)“Yes, this is news to me. I’m really curious since I’ve never heard this before. Who exactly is this first love, to be able to make Lady Dionna pretend to be her, rather than be herself?”

“Well, since it is such a tight secret…”

“Secret?” Aristine chuckled. “So, you don’t know who it is.”

The women, who were going on and on about Tarkan’s first love, shut their mouths.

“It hasn’t been that long since it was revealed that Lady Dionna has been using lies to pretend to be my husband’s lover, yet now, we have a first love, whose identity is unknown.” Aristine mumbled and shook her head back and forth.

“Such rumors must have spread because Lady Diona pretended to be a first love in the first place.” A noblewoman chipped in.

“As the Princess Consort said, it hasn’t been that long since it happened, yet such talk is already spreading.”

The noblewomen sympathized with Aristine and clicked their tongues.

The two noblewomen, who had become spreaders of unfounded rumors, gave small protests as their faces burned.

“I was just mentioning it because the Princess Consort and His Highness Tarkan have a good relationship unlike what I was worried about.”

“Right. We were just congratulating you.”

“Oh my, so that’s what that was.” Aristine raised the corners of her mouth and slowly scanned at the two of them.

(Aristine)“Thank you so much for making me worry about something that I didn’t need to at all. I understand how you feel.”

Aristine spoke with such a bright smile that the faces of the two noblewomen stiffened.

“What’s with your expressions? I was just saying thanks.”

The way Aristine tilted her head and returned their words in the exact same manner looked incredibly immaculate.

The lips of the two noblewomen trembled and they failed to control their expressions.

(Aristine)“Ah, by the way, I’m not saying this about you two.”

Aristine placed her arms on the table and smiled leisurely.

(Aristine)“But there are desperate and ugly people who see other people having something that they don’t, and they try to destroy it.”

Her purple eyes looked directly at the two of them.

“Are you saying that to us right now?!”

(Aristine)“Oh dear, I just said it is not about you two, didn’t I? Why are you so angry…You know, they say getting angry at times this signifies a guilty conscience.”

At that, the woman flushed red and was about to say something, but Aristine put down her teacup and smiled.

(Aristine)“I’m just joking.”

Meanwhile, the noblewomen, who were watching Aristine completely subdue the two women, exchanged glances.

No noblewoman appreciated being taunted with the implication that their husband had another woman. But even so, if Aristine had lost her temper and gotten enraged, their expectations towards her would have been dampened.

A princess consort, or rather, a person who will become the next queen, must always remain lofty.

However, the still young Princess Consort clearly showed that she was not a pushover and could suppress her opponents.

‘When she asked if they were referring to Dionna, I thought she was bursting with youthful passion, but now I see that she had pointed it out because letting it slide would have allowed them to think she’d been best.’

As they say, if the results are good, the process will be interpreted favorably.

“An amusing joke, indeed. You can’t have a pleasant chat without joking.” Marchioness Issara smiled and personally poured Aristine a cup of tea.

The other noblewomen also had smiles on their faces.

“After talking with you ladies today, I am now certain of it. You all have quite some interest in Tarkan and myself.”

“Oh my, please don’t misunderstand. Our interest is of the positive sort.”

“There might be such people, but not us.”

When the noblewoman said ‘such people’, her eyes darted over to the two noblewomen who picked a fight with Aristine.

“It’s because we are all too old to feel that heart-fluttering excitement ourselves.”

(Aristine)“What do you mean? On the contrary, I think you have a deeper relationship with your husband than I, who just got married. After all, you have memories that you have built up together over the years.”

When Aristine said that, the noblewomen chuckled.

“A partner isn’t a lover, they’re family. It’s different from the love between lovers.”

“Indeed. Perhaps we should call them colleagues.”

“More like comrades.”

The noblewomen looked at Aristine like she was a novice.

“That’s why, even though we might go overboard, we’re happy when we see young people in love.”

“Aside from people like us, there’s a lot of interest in Your Highness’ marriage.”

The union between Aristine and Tarkan wrote a new page in the history of the continent, so it certainly drew attention.

Aristine recalled a certain crown princess that she had seen in her previous life. A lady who met her death, trying to avoid paparazzi.

Considering that, it might just be natural for people to show such huge interest in Aristine and Tarkan’s marriage.

(Aristine)“There must be quite some rumors if it has gotten to the point that I hear about a first love.”

“Your Highness…”

“I’ll take this chance to make it clear.” Aristine flashed a bright smile. “For the sake of my husband’s honor, I can vouch for him. My husband is chaste.”

“Yes. Huh?!”

The noblewomen turned to Aristine with shock.

“I am his first.”