When You Don’t Get Along With Your Husband - Chapter 26

Tatiana did indeed say last night that the best is still the best even holding a wooden sword. But hearing similar words from the mouth of someone who would become king left her feeling quite uneasy.

Isn’t he saying that regardless of the tool, none of it matters, and ultimately he himself is the best?

But she couldn’t tell her husband, ‘You’re being quite obnoxious right now.’ Because his words were true, even if they sounded somewhat arrogant.

Isn’t there a saying that it’s not the strong who survive, but the survivors who are strong? The moment he becomes king, he and those around him will all be recorded in history as ‘strong swords.’

Gideon chuckled as he watched Tatiana lost in thought, then extended his hand.

It was time to enter the banquet hall. It seemed like the wordplay should end here.

Tatiana, who had been wearing a serious expression, quickly stood up from the sofa, taking his hand. But as soon as she stood up, she hummed and fell into thought again. This time on a somewhat lighter and more playful topic.

‘Let’s see. He said to act close in front of people, right?’

Like a child plotting a mischievous prank, the same smile from last night bloomed on her face.

Tatiana very firmly linked arms with her husband. Not just simply interlocking arms, but hugging tightly with both arms and even clinging. Anyone watching would think this woman loved her husband so much she couldn’t bear to be apart for a moment.

But had he changed his mind in just one day since laughing together last night? Gideon didn’t play along with this prank and looked down at her with a very peculiar expression.

Suddenly left alone in her playfulness, Tatiana became awkward.

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s not that…”

They had linked arms even on their wedding day. It wasn’t that special.

It’s just that back then, the posture wasn’t this deep.

Because Tatiana was leaning her entire body weight on him, he was unintentionally feeling certain curves. Not vaguely, but very distinctly.

“I’m saying this in case you might find it unpleasant later…”

“Yes?”

“It’s touching now.”

“Since I’m holding on… of course our bodies would touch, right?”

“That’s not it, I mean I can feel something.”

Gideon gestured towards Tatiana’s chest area with his eyes and then glared at the wall.

Tatiana just suppressed a laugh.

Did he think she didn’t know that? Hey. This is my skin. Of course I know if you can feel it. But you know…

“It shouldn’t be big enough to feel that much of a presence, should it?”

Gideon seemed dumbfounded by Tatiana’s words, letting out a ‘Haa?’ and a hollow laugh before muttering.

“Hanging out with knights…”

Your jokes have become completely like an old man’s. Which bastard taught my girl such things?

But even in this situation, Gideon corrected Tatiana’s words and fixed her mistaken self-perception.

He was originally a man who could be kind in strange areas at times.

“There is presence.”

“……”

“I can feel it enough, so don’t think anything strange.”

“Thank you.”

“No, I’m thankful… Wait, what is this.”

Tatiana covered one eye with her hand and giggled. She felt embarrassed after being playful. Considering what she had said last night, she had tried to be brave in her own way, but what came belatedly was still embarrassment.

Gideon watched her as if waiting for her to finish playing, until she stopped laughing. Then, after a while, he pulled his arm out from being buried in her modest chest and wrapped it around her now exposed shoulder.

“Let’s do it like this.”

He didn’t want to take the initiative from Tatiana just over a single posture. But there was something he wanted to convey to others with just this one posture.

‘She’s mine.’

The two entered the party hall side by side, walking down the long corridor like that.

The King, who was said to attend even state council meetings only sporadically, didn’t show his face at today’s party either. However, all the other royals except him were present.

Tatiana greeted them appropriately with nods and gestures as she sat down on the platform with Gideon.
And after about 5 minutes had passed, maybe? Her first impression of this party was this,

‘I’d rather face killing intent head-on.’

At least you could bravely fight against killing intent, but people’s gazes were about to bore holes in her face. It was quite a burdensome situation for her, who had lived wishing to become a stone pillar in the banquet hall.

Still, there was one fortunate thing.

“When I’m with Your Highness, really no one thinks of talking to me.”

“We don’t need to stay too long, it’s your first time so just endure for about 30 minutes.”

Gideon spoke calmly, but he was the one who disliked this situation more than Tatiana. She thought it was somewhat burdensome, but not to the point of being unbearable.

“But why do you dislike parties so much, Your Highness?”

He had an impression that gave off a chilling feeling even when just staying still. And such a person’s status was that of a prince. Moreover, if something displeased him, he would even make the surrounding air gloomy by emitting killing intent.

What lady could have approached the prince at a party until now? If there was such a brave woman, Tatiana would like to go and make friends with her.

But Gideon’s answer was, well, nothing special compared to what she expected.

“First of all, it’s too noisy.”

“Ah, yes. That’s true.”

“All kinds of scents mix together and give me a headache.”

“……”

Ah. So that’s it. His Highness… has a keen sense of smell.

Tatiana, having learned this unexpected fact, lowered her head and giggled.

She also made a mental note to wash more thoroughly, as she often sweated from exercise. It would be extremely embarrassing if he were to smell any unpleasant odors from her.

As Tatiana was lost in thought, admiring the roses covering the banquet hall, it happened.

Among the gazes that still clung to her as if about to bore holes in her face, Tatiana spotted some familiar people. They were peers she had often interacted with at tea parties.

But was it because Tatiana, who had rapidly risen from an adopted daughter of a ducal family to a princess, seemed distant to them? Or was it because of the First Prince, whose mood was visibly souring by the second since entering the party venue?

It’s not certain, but it seems to be the latter.

As her friends hesitated in front of the platform, Tatiana whispered to Gideon.

“Can I go greet them?”

“……”

“They’re my friends over there.”

Gideon swept an indifferent gaze over Tatiana’s friends, who were looking on with bright eyes.

For Tatiana, just a single nod from him would have been enough. In fact, she didn’t even need that and could have just quickly gone to greet them and come back.

But Gideon not only nodded but also stood up with her.

“Let’s go.”

“……”

“What are you doing? You said you wanted to greet them.”

He urged Tatiana and then suddenly, as if remembering something, said ‘Aah’ and put his arm around her shoulder.

After readjusting to their pre-agreed posture, they descended from the platform and stood in front of Tatiana’s friends.

Tatiana extended her hand, offering a handshake.

“It’s been a while, nice to see you.”

“Your Highness, we wanted to greet you properly. It’s an honor.”

Tatiana’s tone was awkward, but the attitude of her friends towards the princess had also changed.

With many eyes watching, Tatiana couldn’t tell them to treat her comfortably like before. It was also uncertain whether these noble young ladies would react casually like Samson from the barracks.

However, Tatiana quite liked these friends she first met at social gatherings.

At that time, it had been barely half a year since she had lost both her parents. Unaccustomed to mingling with peers, Tatiana had to feel like a foreigner, but there are people in the world who always want to stir things up when someone is feeling troubled.

At her first gathering, Tatiana had spilled tea on her thigh. Of course, it wasn’t an accident. Anyone present could have sensed it was intentional.

So what did she do? What else? As always, her body reacted before she could even think.

Tatiana swiftly poured the cold water from a flower vase onto her own thigh. Then she splashed the remaining water on the body of the person who was blinking their eyes maliciously while holding an empty teacup. It wasn’t particularly out of anger…

‘It splashed there too. Make sure to check carefully somewhere private. Scars from burns don’t fade easily.’

Afterwards, as Tatiana quietly left her seat, she thought it was no big deal. But she did feel a bit bitter. She thought people didn’t like her, and that she indeed didn’t fit well in such gatherings.