For a moment, Arkan silently stared at Erdene’s face.

Whether he was speechless from disbelief or had nothing to say after being caught off guard, Erdene couldn’t tell.

However, for Arkan, it was certainly a fortunate and timely silence.

‘If he had said one more word, I would have really hit him.’

Erdene thought as she clenched her fist tightly once again before relaxing it.

Arkan looked at Erdene with a thoughtful expression, then let out a shallow sigh and sat down in the chair.

Erdene closely observed him as he rested his elbows on the table, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath in and out.

It was like a predator’s instinct to find the opponent’s weakness, a habit of thinking about where to sink teeth in to deliver the most lethal yet quiet blow.

Even while repeatedly telling herself in her mind that this was not a battlefield, it was difficult to shake off the lifelong ingrained habit.

“What are you doing?”

When Arkan suddenly spoke, as if he was about to fall asleep, this time it was Erdene who felt caught off guard.

“Sit down.”

As Arkan gestured toward the chair with his eyes, Erdene’s lips twitched slightly.

It felt like she could hear the sound of cracks forming in her lofty pride, which had never received such orders from anyone in her life.

Erdene sat down with a displeased expression, slamming her hand on the table.

The heavy candlestick shook at the impact.

As the flame flickered, a startled Arkan grabbed the candlestick and looked at Erdene with an exasperated expression.

“Can’t you be a little gentler?”

“That was gentle.”

Arkan alternately glanced at the poor table and the candlestick.

He was certain that if those two objects could speak, the table would be squawking about its head exploding, and the candlestick would be bursting into hysterical tears, saying it almost died.

“You almost destroyed the table just now.”

“If the table is fragile enough to break from that, perhaps it’s time to replace it.”

“Since you brought it up, that vase you broke on your first day here was a royal heirloom passed down through generations.”

“If I hear that story one more time, my ears will grow calluses. I was going to apologize, but I heard His Majesty was extremely busy dealing with important matters.”

“No, when did I…”

Arkan, who was about to refute, clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow.

“Did Platt say that?”

Erdene nodded.

“Platt or Plan or whatever. That stern-looking man said so.”

“He’s the head chamberlain. He’s also my secretary.”

“Is that so? I thought he was dried fish left around to chew on when bored. He looked like a dried herring.”

When Arkan suddenly made a strange sound, Erdene raised an eyebrow.

“What was that just now? Did you swallow a pig?”

“…No, I didn’t swallow anything. I was working at the time, but it seems Platt might have exaggerated a bit. Anyway, I’m not asking for an apology about that incident now, so don’t misunderstand. What I mean is… be a little gentler.”

“With what?”

“With everything.”

Erdene, who snorted as if it was trivial, stared down at her right hand.

Arkan could see the calluses embedded here and there on her hand, which repeatedly tensed and relaxed.

They were very old marks, no longer wounds or scars.

He had such old calluses on his hands too. The fingertips and knuckles that held the pen had worn smooth and become almost numb when he was barely twelve years old.

Remembering how proud he had been of that in his young mind, he wondered if Erdene had ever felt similar emotions.

At that moment, Erdene sighed and dropped her hand with a thud.

Arkan’s curious reverie was cut off there as well.

He was about to lean his upper body forward slightly, but changed his mind the next moment and pulled his chair closer.

As the distance between him and Erdene shortened, the faint, indistinguishable scent from earlier became clearly noticeable.

It was a subtle lilac fragrance that seemed both fitting and unfitting for her.

“Let’s set aside past matters for now. You and I got married today… and officially became the king and queen of Betor. So I have something to say first.”

“There’s a lot to say indeed.”

When Erdene mumbled softly, Arkan’s eyes narrowed once again.

“I can hear everything, you know.”

“Of course, I said it for you to hear.”

Arkan took another deep breath.

It seemed that for the time being—and perhaps for the rest of his life, a chilling premonition he tried to ignore—it would be good to cultivate more patience through this breathing method.

‘Or maybe I should try that meditation thing that’s popular in the southern kingdoms.’

While he was exhaling slowly to stretch his patience, Erdene was lost in completely unrelated thoughts.

‘Why are this man’s lips so smooth? It seems like they’ve never been injured. Does he apply honey every night before bed?’

Arkan, who had inhaled and exhaled about three or four times, finally opened his eyes.

Erdene, who had been staring intently at his lips moving slightly with each breath, felt caught and quickly averted her gaze.

Arkan spoke.

“First, I misspoke earlier. I’m sorry.”

Erdene’s gaze returned to Arkan.

His eyes, reflecting the candlelight, were shining gently.

They were like the sun on a warm day, a beautiful golden color that seemed as if sweet honey would drip down if he blinked.

He continued speaking.

“Emperor or queen, or king or duke. I’ve always thought that such… names attached to positions are not important. So I failed to consider that your long-held desire… one could call it an aspiration, was shattered in an instant.”

Erdene burst into laughter.

“To say the name of a position is not important, Your Majesty has a surprisingly childlike side.”

“You’re mocking me for being childish? I know.”

At the surprisingly easy agreement, Erdene’s gaze became slightly uncomfortable.
It was an expression of uneasy interest rather than disliking his words.

Arkan fell into thought for a moment, stroking the edge of the table.
Erdene could easily tell that he had a very cautious personality.
While she herself wasn’t one to ponder deeply over words or actions unless on the battlefield, Arkan was different.

“I have always thought that the position of king… is not a position that exists to rule over people. All the mentors who taught me kingship and statecraft said so, and I myself thought so too. Is not a king, after all, the person who should serve the country most diligently? That’s what I think.”

After saying this, Arkan looked at Erdene for a moment, waiting for her to refute.
But Erdene remained silent, her thoughts unknown.

Arkan shook his head.

“This isn’t something to discuss at length right now, so let’s stop here. What I want to say is that I just realized you think somewhat similarly too. You said you didn’t covet the position of emperor itself, but wanted to dedicate everything for the country you loved. So I apologize.”

Erdene’s lips parted as if to say something, then closed again.
Erdene, who had been quietly observing Arkan’s serious gaze and expression, slightly furrowed her brow while pretending to rub her arms.

“You’re giving me goosebumps, Your Majesty.”

Arkan looked at her anew with a bewildered expression.

“What did you say?”

“I mean you apologizing with such a serious attitude. It’s embarrassing.”

This is absurd!

Arkan felt his heart, which had been peacefully settled until just now—barely achieved through several deep breaths—start to race again with a clatter.

“No, why is it embarrassing for me to sincerely apologize for my mistake?”

Erdene said.

“When you could just say ‘I’m sorry’ in one word, you create an atmosphere as if making a serious confession, that’s why.”

“I’m astounded. So in the empire, do people just hit someone and say ‘Hey, sorry about that?’ and walk away?”

“I’m the one who’s dumbfounded. Do you think our people are some back alley thugs?”

Arkan folded his arms. It seemed another long fight was about to begin.

“Then tell me. How do people in the empire apologize?”

Erdene, with the same gesture of firmly folding her arms, calmly retorted.

“If you get hit once, you return two hits.”

“I knew it. How is that an apology!”

“It’s enough to pay back, why exchange embarrassing apologies? Apologies are for making jam!”

Erdene slammed the table again.
However, this time the candlestick didn’t shake.
Thanks to Arkan grabbing the candlestick and lifting it off the table the moment she raised her hand.

Arkan said.

“Apologizing when you make a mistake, and accepting that apology if it’s appropriate and reconciling. That’s what we call communication.”

“I prefer communicating with fists, Your Majesty.”

Erdene mischievously waved her tightly clenched fist.

At that moment, Arkan grasped her fist with both hands.