When You Don’t Get Along With Your Husband - Chapter 34

“Muscle is the future, haven’t you heard that saying?”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. That’s the first time I’ve heard it.”

“Yeah, that’s possible. I just made it up.”

Tatiana giggled, and the ladies-in-waiting smiled along with her despite finding it absurd.

When people talk about topics they’re familiar with, it always shows. That’s how Tatiana appeared to the ladies-in-waiting. She was clearly enjoying herself.

That honest and unadorned expression was so cute that everyone who saw it felt warmth spreading in their hearts. However, they shouldn’t just think of the princess as cute. 

 Tatiana was already a severe exercise addict. And exercise addicts were beings who could say the most evil things while smiling innocently. They would make people do impossible things while casually saying things like ‘How about it? Easy, right?’

The ladies-in-waiting might think they were just playing along because she seemed to be enjoying herself so much…… but that’s how it always starts.

Without knowing what would happen today, let alone tomorrow, they continued their pleasant conversation with Tatiana. 

 * * *

 Gideon sat with his advisors, putting their heads together.

They were discussing what to bring up as agenda items for next week’s state council meeting, and this was quite important work. If Gideon had been king, he would only need to make decisions at the meetings. However, strictly speaking, Gideon was just one of the candidates for the throne.

While he wasn’t wary of his younger brother who hadn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet, there was the queen behind him.

Gideon needed to demonstrate his presence even more. The one who throws out timely topics can lead the atmosphere of the meeting. The moment the officials naturally recognize him as their leader, the throne would come closer.

At that moment, a commotion arose among the advisors around the table. Someone was trying to infiltrate the room through the ventilation gap.

It was Kay, Gideon’s close aide, and the very same capable person Tatiana had once taken notice of.

Kay landed smoothly on the floor without making a sound. It was like the movement of a beast that had lived in the wild.

While the advisors were always surprised and impressed, Gideon clicked his tongue briefly.

“Wear your uniform and use the door. Stop sneaking around like a thief.”

The passage had been left open for such secret purposes rather than ventilation in the first place. However, the advisors who never failed to be startled each time kept breaking the flow of the meeting.

Kay made no response to Gideon’s words. He was originally a man of few words, but there was another reason why he pretended not to hear the prince’s order to use the door.

‘It’s not good to be seen by people.’

‘Too late. You’re already known as my right hand.’ 

 ‘That’s not it…… Do you know about the strange rumors going around about me lately?’

He seemed quite uncomfortable about those rumors, but Gideon just snorted.

‘Don’t you know it looks even stranger when you get caught sneaking around like that?’

‘……’

‘And why are you upset? Even I, a prince, am staying calm about it.’

When Gideon sneered as if it wasn’t worth mentioning, Kay shut his mouth. But still uncomfortable with those rumors, he would often enter through windows or ventilation shafts with his face covered like this. In truth, he was more comfortable and used to traveling through places that weren’t meant to be paths rather than actual roads.

Kay approached Gideon and handed over several crumpled pieces of paper. They were fresh intelligence reports collected from the North.

Gideon read them carefully for a while before instructing as if telling him to finish the summary as well.

“Summarize it. So others can hear too.”

At this, Kay, quite impudently, sighed deeply in front of the prince of this country. He much preferred physical action over verbal communication, regardless of what it was. But there’s no business before money, and in the underworld, you just do what the client tells you to do.

“The North is in turmoil because of monsters. Most predict they’ll be more active than usual this year.”

“Hmm.”

“They’re preparing in their own way by building trenches and raising walls, but I’m not sure how effective it will be. There’s widespread anxiety among the territory’s people about how difficult this winter will be.”

“How’s the Grand Duke’s recent movement? Do you think he’ll ask the royal family for help?”

“……That’s beyond my ability to determine, Your Highness.”

No matter how capable a spy Kay was, reading others’ minds was beyond his abilities.

Gideon didn’t reproach his subordinate for incompetence.

The North had always been a special region. The only land where humans failed to eradicate monsters. The northern people who had fought for a long time in that barren land without proper food had high pride.

The royal family sometimes used them as a breakwater, and other times sweetly coaxed them with promises of guaranteeing their status as a principality. And the North had responded to these deceptive policies in their own way. With several civil revolts.

Moreover, the North was also a sore spot for Gideon. His mentor had met his death while carrying a message containing the royal family’s will there.

Needless to say, relations between the royal family and the North had become even more strained after that.

‘But if we can’t cut off that painful finger…..’

We must fix it. Make it obey its master. Isn’t that how we should use it?

Gideon spoke to his advisors.

“This will be the agenda for next week’s state council meeting.”

“……Are you planning to dispatch troops? There will be considerable opposition. And will the North even welcome that?”

“Well. We can’t know that far.”

Gideon was just planning to throw out the topic for now. How to deal with the North was an issue they had to address at some point anyway. It was also a policy direction that the king of Valter must present.

Since he had decided to become king, he would do the work of that king. That way, the nobles would recognize him as the next king.

“The North probably hasn’t gathered all their vassals’ opinions yet either.”

“……”

“But when winter comes, everything will become clear.”

For that, they would need a winter harsher than ever before.

After being lost in thought for a while, Gideon rose from his seat with an inscrutable smile. And instead of warm words of appreciation to Kay who had returned from a long journey, he tossed him a pouch of jewels. It was both travel compensation and hazard pay. It was also the signal marking the end of the meeting. 

 Gideon left his office and headed toward Tatiana. He hadn’t made an appointment beforehand. It was an awkward time to request a meal, and it wasn’t late at night either.

Still, if he had to find an excuse to visit at this hour, he could say it was thanks to his capable informant bringing the report on time. Since the meeting ended early, his schedule had become free. 

 But an excuse is just an excuse, and Gideon himself knew well that this wasn’t the real reason.

He had wanted to do this since the first day he married Tatiana. Without any purpose, without making prior appointments, going wherever his feet took him whenever he wanted to. The only reason he hadn’t was because he, like Tatiana, was used to a life of self-restraint.

He didn’t want to appear like someone who got carried away alone with momentary emotions. For that, he needed to show only rational and refined appearances.

But Gideon had to admit that his reins had loosened after sharing bodies with Tatiana.

The first experience of a woman’s body was enough to make his consciousness hazy every night. And Tatiana would fan the flames by saying things like this to someone who was already excited.

‘Your Highness, ungh, do you like it as much as I do?’

‘……Are you really asking because you don’t know?’

‘Mmm, sometimes I’m not sure about Your Highness.’

‘Then keep wondering. ……Because I’ll never tell you.’

Gideon tried his best to grab hold of his loosening rationality and somehow tighten it, but sometimes he became powerless. After all, his feet were heading toward her like this now.

But when he passed the outer gate guarded by sentries and approached Tatiana’s room, Gideon began to gradually furrow his brows.

By the time he stood before the final gate past the middle gate, even his advisors had to open their eyes wide.

Unusually noisy and murmuring sounds were leaking through the door crack. But mixed in were conversations that should never be exchanged between a princess and her ladies-in-waiting.

“Tighten it more.”

“Your Highness, hnngh.”

“Think about clenching my fingers tight.”

“……Ah, I can’t!”

Then Tatiana whispered sweetly as if coaxing a child. Even letting out a laugh while dealing with the protesting other party.

“Aw, what do you mean you can’t, you can do it.”

“It hurts……”

“Right. If it didn’t hurt, that would be a lie.”

“……Too, sob, cruel……”

“But you’ll feel good soon.”

People wondered what exactly was happening inside there right now. The conversation flowing to their ears sounded too strange and embarrassing. Like sweet nothings that should only be exchanged on a bed. Like the dangerous love play that royal ladies were said to indulge in with their ladies-in-waiting.