Mysterious Husband [Vol 1-7] ✓

[Vol. 3] Chapter 66

After all the work and getting some beatings and scolding, I felt like losing the battle in just a few days. If I had known this was the test to marry a prince I would have married a farmer instead. 

After running around the whole day, Arashi was now teaching me the hard characters of their ancient language. He had arranged papers and scrolls and a small table for me. 

He took the wooden brush and put it in an ink pot and drew the characters easily as if it was nothing. I eyed him amusingly and asked, "How can you remember that many words?"

"It is about practice." He said. "Now, do it like how I did it."

I tried the strokes and carves the same way he did but his strokes looked like they had bloomed on the paper with full blossoms while mine looked like they hadn't eaten anything for a thousand years. 

Arashi's brows ceased as he looked at my paper and scratched his chin. "You certainly have a praiseworthy style." He said and I pouted. 

"Don't make fun of me!" I said and looked away from him angrily as he laughed. 

He had been teaching me for a while and although his arts were beautiful, mine were exactly the opposite. Now, I suddenly felt my worth. No wonder not everyone was worthy of being a queen or an empress or a princess. I felt like crying and had started to sniff.

I might never be able to marry him even though I was married to him. What if the empress just made me a maid for him instead of his wife and I would have to see his wife everyday with him. My heart clenched at the thought and suddenly I felt anger and jealousy rushing in my body. No! 

This piece of paper could never beat me! 

I found a renowned vigor as I took the brush and with a determined face —that even Arashi felt amusing and he gave a nod—, I wrote the characters again. 

And it turned out exactly the same as before. My face fell. 

And Arashi started to laugh, grabbing his belly in his hands. 

I sniffed. "So, you like to see me suffer?"

He wiped away his tears and said, "Of course not. How could I?"

"But you are laughing at me..." I said pouting.

"I apologize for my rudeness," he said with a gentle voice and the next, his lips twitched as if he was resisting his laugh, "But it is funny."

I narrowed my eyes at him as he took a breath and said, "But I can tell you are doing better than me."

"How so?"

"Because it took me over three years to memorize everything yet you have at least memorized half of them in a few days." He said giving a gentle smile and also encouragement. 

I looked at him with wide eyes. "It took you three years!"

He nodded. "I am not really good at anything. I just worked really hard and practiced everyday. My cousins, even my sister, didn't take long yet I was the slowest one." He shrugged, "I am still slow and not good at all."

My heart shook with warmth. How could he say he wasn't good! If he saw himself with my eyes, he'd know how great and amazing he was. He was just so perfect in everything while I lacked perfection.

He may have worked hard to become what he was now but he exceeded everyone in everything and I could bet my life on it. 

"But you are greater than you see yourself. I see a flawless man in you. In my eyes, you are the best man in this whole world." I said without realizing the words sprouted out from my mouth. And then I felt my ears burning as he looked at me with wide eyes. He didn't expect me to say that and I certainly didn't expect myself to say those bold words. 

We looked at each other for a while as no one blinked. He asked, "You see me as a flawless man?"

"I—I meant you..." My mind tried to find some excuses to cover my words and I said, "You are really good at treating people, making medicines, you even have your own army and they love you and you are good at sword and...and..."

I was still finding everything he was good at and my eyes fell on the paper before me. "And you even write these characters well."

He chuckled. "Alright. And that makes me a flawless man?"

I nodded. I didn't know what makes a man flawless but I knew he was great at everything. He was great at treating me like a human being and respecting my own decisions. He made me this confident and powerful enough to fight for my worth against an empress of a great nation. He made me who I was today. It was all because of him. If he wasn't a flawless man, how did I become this confident?

"Yes, you are good at art and music as well! And look!" I slapped on my paper, "My characters look like they weren't well fed."

He pursed his lips to stop from laughing and I whined, "And your grandmother is hitting me with a stick! My hands are in pain!"

I put both of my hands before Arashi's face and he chuckled, "She beats everyone whomever she is teaching. Both Rei and I got her beatings and all of our cousins. Even my dad and uncles."

I was sniffing as my palms were burning. They were swelling and I had to feed the emperor with the pain still on my hands. How could she be so cruel when she knew I was taking care of her husband! 

"But it hurts!" I cried as he took my hands in him and placed some ointments he had brought with him. He was gently rubbing them on my hands as I felt butterflies in my belly.

And then he laughed as his shoulders bobbed. He was just finding it funny! And I glared at him but he disregarded it as he still laughed. But it made my heart dance with joy that at least I could see him smiling more. He looked even more handsome. He was sitting beside me on the bed, both of his legs crossed and put away the ointment as he finished applying on my hands.

"I'm not a child anymore!" I grumbled as Arashi raised a brow.

"I see," he said, then he put my hands down and came closer. Really close as I stiffened at his presence. Why did he come closer?!

Without any warning, he placed a kiss on my ear as I got flustered. My heart thumped loudly as I dashed away from him and stood far away in the corner of the room. I looked at him with wide eyes and a gape in my mouth. 

His eyes glinted deviously as he hummed teasingly, "Hmm~"

He sat placing his chin on one of his hands and while his face hung to a side a little, his eyes were still on me, giving me goosebumps on my skin. He asked, his voice was in a husky tone "If you aren't a child anymore then why did you run away?"

"I...mjgkhj..." No words came out of my mouth as I stood there, my heart in my hands. 

"What was that?" He asked, his voice coated with teasing and a playful smirk playing in his lips. My cheeks were red.

Why did he kiss me on my ears?! I was certain that I felt a shiver as he did that. I thought he said he would wait...?

I mumbled in a whisper, "You said you will wait..."

He nodded as he leaned back and balanced himself on his hands. "Yes. I will but I am running out of patience here..."

My ears were burning as I moved my eyes away. Wha—what?! What kind of patience!

"Come here, it is late. We have to sleep otherwise you will get more beatings if you don't reach her chamber in time." He said as I went to bed warily. He kept aside the small table and the papers. 

He took his side on the bed and I eyed him for a moment. When I felt I was away from danger, I got up on the bed.

And as soon as I got up, he caught my waist and yanked me toward him. I fell on his chest as our faces came closer and my breath caught in my face. I was certain I felt my heart was about to jump out through my mouth as he kept a strong hold around my waist so I wouldn't run away again.

"I am just waiting until our marriage." His breaths fell on my face as his hooded eyes glinted dangerously and he added with a deep voice, "After that you won't be running away from me. Ever."

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28th July, 22
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