Arkan momentarily lost his words and looked up at Erdene with a dumbfounded expression.

“What did you just say? Say it again.”

“You think I can’t do it if you tell me to? I said I want a divorce.”

This time, Arkan slammed his book shut. Standing up from his seat, he looked down at Erdene with a rather serious expression.

“Is that something you can say so easily?”

Noticing Arkan’s lips trembling almost imperceptibly, Erdene was considerably taken aback. It was baffling to see his attitude, as if she had just asked him to stamp the divorce papers right away, when it wasn’t even meant to be taken so seriously.

“No…”

“Divorce? Have we been married for ten years now? Or has it been one year? We just got married a few days ago, the wedding clothes have barely been ironed, and you’re talking about divorce? How can you say the word ‘divorce’?”

A look of complete bewilderment appeared on Erdene’s face.

It was said without much thought, but the atmosphere made it clear that saying so would only make him angrier.

If Erdene had been someone who knew when to back down and when to push forward in a fight, she would have considered that now was the time to retreat.

Arkan, too, despite his outburst, had a fleeting moment of regret.

If Erdene had calmly said ‘I misspoke,’ or even just ‘It was a joke,’ it would have been a fight that ended with just a bit of pretend anger.

But Erdene never backed down first in any confrontation. Not because she didn’t know when to retreat, but because she didn’t want to.

“Why are you so sensitive about that? Do you have some bad memories about divorce?”

Arkan furrowed his brow sharply.

“What did you say?”

“Well, isn’t it true? If things don’t work out, you can always quit.”

“You are the queen of this country, and I am the king.”

“Who says otherwise? It’s not like kings can’t get divorced. Isn’t that the law of the mainland? Even a king can file for divorce if marital disputes deepen. If the queen files for divorce from the king and wins with his consent, she gives up her position but is guaranteed alimony and pension, right? Isn’t that so?”

There was nothing wrong with Erdene’s words, and that’s why Arkan was even more displeased.

Ruffling his hair as if to deliberately mess it up, he stared at Erdene and sneered.

“You don’t know any other etiquette, but you know this inside out. Did you prepare in advance?”

“What did you just say?”

Finally, a spark flashed in Erdene’s eyes. The flame that could have quietly died down was about to spread to the entire forest.

Gathering her dress skirt as if to hitch it up, Erdene came around the table and moved close to Arkan’s side.

With her chin raised high, her sharp gaze sparked with anger.

“You say I don’t know the etiquette here. Fine. Let’s say Your Majesty is right. No, you’re right. I don’t know. But have you not thought about why that is? Or was there no need for you to think about it? Or should I have foreseen the future? I’m so sorry about that.”

The sarcastic tone hit Arkan’s forehead head-on.

With his lips parted as if he had been slapped hard on the cheek, Arkan retorted.

“Is it that story again? That you weren’t meant to be just some queen of Betor? Yes, fine. That’s true. But since things have turned out this way, shouldn’t you make some effort too?”

“I haven’t made an effort? You think I haven’t been trying? Are you serious?”

“What effort have you made? You can’t even make the effort to sit and read a book for half an hour!”

Erdene’s mouth fell open and her shoulders jerked back.

Turning sideways with her hands spread as if to clutch her head, Erdene angrily kicked the side of the sofa.

The sound of wood cracking could be heard from inside, and the finely aged silk tore.

“What are you doing now!”

Finally, Arkan too lost all patience.

Both Erdene’s face, as she turned around with clenched fists, and Arkan’s face, with his eyes bulging fiercely, were flushed red.

Arkan said,

“Can’t you break that habit of breaking things when you’re angry or not? Are you a thug? Are you part of a gang of ruffians? Even if it’s just a sofa, it’s still royal property, and you’re the queen!”

“I should be grateful that I married Your Majesty and quietly sat down as this country’s queen!”

When Erdene shouted, the open ceiling above reverberated. It was as if her entire small body had screamed.

A sharp echo lingered in the wide-open space.

“What does that mean?”

Arkan’s voice lowered. Erdene, who had been panting, also closed her mouth, only her large eyes wide open.

But she wasn’t truly calm. Her anger hadn’t subsided. The sound of teeth grinding could be heard from between her clenched teeth.

Glaring at Arkan’s face, which seemed to be wavering for some reason, Erdene said,

“I mean you should be grateful that I didn’t cut off Tenek’s head, raise an army, and force my way in here.”

At her threatening words, which somehow sounded sorrowful, Arkan felt a pang in his stomach.

Erdene’s eyes, filled with anger to the brim, shone with an irrational light, but her ferocity resembled the fierceness of a wounded, bleeding beast.

Arkan thought,

‘Perhaps it’s a wound that neither I nor anyone else can touch.’

For him, who had smoothly inherited the throne and continued his reign, no matter how much he tried to understand Erdene’s position and feelings, it was only something he could know intellectually.

Since he had never experienced it directly and never would, saying he understood her wasn’t entirely true.

Erdene knew this too. Yet, she was hurt by Arkan saying he ‘understood’ her.

It cracked the pride and arrogance naturally cultivated in her as an heir to the throne.

The frustration of having her position stolen, as if robbed in broad daylight, despite having skills and merits second to none, also tormented her.

Enduring all of that, and passing each day without major trouble in a place where even moving freely like today was not easy, some people might think it was a natural duty and something to be grateful for.

But not for Erdene.

She had reprimanded her subordinates who were sobbing uncontrollably with frustration in that way.

But, yes. They were right.

From the moment she boarded the carriage bound for Betor, from the moment she tied up Tenek’s neck but couldn’t decide whether to let him live or die, it had been a part of death for Erdene.

Arkan took a step back. Erdene didn’t move from where she stood.

Their gazes were still clashing fiercely, but compared to before, Erdene seemed rather deflated.

It was probably due to the sudden surge of emptiness and sorrow.

Arkan felt sorry for her appearance, but on the other hand, there was a hint of hatred peeking out.

Given Arkan’s belief that one should fulfill given responsibilities even if life doesn’t go as desired, he was irritated despite knowing that Erdene was making an effort.

“So you’re saying I should be grateful just for being allowed to live.”

Erdene’s eyes, which had been sinking as if tired, sharpened again and regained their focus.

“What did you say?”

Erdene put more weight on her trembling fists and tensed her heels.

She had to try to endure as much as she could anyway.

She hadn’t tested Arkan’s physical strength yet, didn’t know what would happen if she hit him once.

After all, the wedding had taken place, and like it or not, she and Arkan were bound as husband and wife. So…

“Think carefully before you speak, Your Majesty.”

As she spoke, Arkan raised his left eyebrow.

“If you don’t want to lose your lower jaw and starve to death unable to swallow even soup starting from tonight’s dinner.”

Arkan’s upper body leaned forward slightly with a chuckle.

“What did you just say?”

“I said to think carefully.”

“Are you saying you’ll hit me if I don’t?”

“I might.”

At Erdene’s answer, blue veins popped up on Arkan’s temples.

“Always trying to solve everything with your fists, I really can’t communicate with you.”

“That’s what I want to say. Nitpicking over trivial things, sarcastic provocations and lecturing tones. I’m sorry, but I’m different from Your Majesty’s worshippers. I’m not like Countess Fiddlers who cries tears of joy just because you spoke to her once.”

“Who’s being sarcastic now? And who cries tears of joy at my every word? Don’t talk nonsense about things you don’t know.”

There was a thud. It was the sound of Erdene releasing the dress skirt she had been gripping, as if shaking it off.

“That’s what I want to say too. Your Majesty should also refrain from talking nonsense about things you don’t know.”

But Arkan didn’t respond to those words, instead turning his head away to ignore her.

Erdene, too, had no desire to stay there alone with him any longer, so she left the study without hesitation.

It’s inexplicable why she’s so angry.

Erdene roughly rubbed her cheeks, which had turned bright red with fury, as if to scratch them.