A Barbaric Proposal

* * *

Things were as quiet leaving the chapel as they were going in. Encountering the Tiwakan search party was certainly unexpected, but Rienne was relieved they made it out safely if nothing else.

Once they were finally clear of the chapel, Rienne let out a heavy sigh.

Looking up at the sky, the moon was now being covered in darkness. It was the first time in while that Rienne felt lucky it wasn’t too bright.

[Rienne] “I don’t have much time.”

As Rienne said this, Weroz suddenly stopped walking and asked;

[Weroz] “What do you mean?”

[Rienne] “I need to contact the bereaved.”

[Weroz] “Yes, it’s appropriate to contact the family members of those who have died…Oh.”

Weroz didn’t realize it at first, but he finally understood what Rienne meant. If Sir Kleinfelder was still alive, she needed to get in contact with him as soon as possible.

And since this was Sir Kleinfelder they were talking about, he wouldn’t be hard to find. There’s only one place he could possibly be. Knowing that, when Rienne mentioned ‘the bereaved’, she could only be talking about the Kleinfelders.

[Weroz] “Yes, Princess. It would be most prudent of us to contact them as soon as possible.”

[Rienne] “Tell them I’d like to discuss the funeral with them, and I’d like to meet with them in person if at all possible.”

[Weroz] “I will deliver your message.”

It was a conversation spoken in code, its true nature known only to the individuals involved. Once they were done talking, they quickly walked off with hurried steps.

But Rienne underestimated Phermos.

He was a shrewd man who knew far more than she realized.

* * *

[Phermos] “We were lied to.”

After the others had retired, Phermos headed straight for Black’s quarters. Though they were technically in the middle of enemy territory, the two of them looked relaxed, as if they were sitting in their own barracks.

[Phermos] “It can’t have been the Commander you killed that day. He was far too weak with a sword, not to mention how his helmet and armor didn’t match. It was as if he was in a hurry to put them on. Like he was trying to act as the Commander.”

[Black] “. . .”

[Phermos] “Though I suppose you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Without saying a word, Black winced. He was becoming more attuned to the pain of his wound the more his fever died down.

[Phermos] “I see. Well then, I guess now it’s merely a question of how much the Princess knows. It doesn’t seem like she knew from the start… She must have thought he was dead until she inspected the body herself. Though I guess he’s as good as dead anyway. He threw one of his own men to the wolves to save his own life before running away…… Oh.”

As if an idea had struck him, Phermos slapped his palm against his forehead.

[Phermos] “Or perhaps he’s gone into hiding somewhere in Nauk.”

When they first surrounded the castle, they made sure to cut off all roads leading out. But rats were resilient creatures. They’ll always find a way to slip through.

[Phermos] “It would appear as though he still has regrets about the situation. He must have decided to hide and protect his own life in the meantime after the Kingdom of Sharka declined his request for troops.”

The Tiwakan were already aware that the Commander of the Arsak Knights was trying to call for reinforcements from the Kingdom of Sharka. It was natural they would make the attempt, just as it was natural for them to be refused.

But apparently such a reality was difficult for the Commander to accept.

Phermos clicked his tongue.

[Phermos] “What does he think he can do all on his own…. This war ended when Nauk opened their gates to us of their own volition.”

Black responded with a frown on his face.

[Black] “Perhaps he thought it was over once we took Nauk.”

[Phermos] “What? What do you mean by that?”

[Black] “He may think his relationship with the Princess isn’t over.”

[Phermos] “That’s…oh…”

Phermos had a look of displeasure on his face.

[Phermos] “Are you implying that the Commander of the Arsak Knights wishes to elope with Princess Rienne? What sort of nobleman would think of doing something so absurd? Even if that were the case, the Princess would never agree. It’s obvious to anyone she feels a great sense of duty towards Nauk. That’s the reason why she accepted your proposal in the first place.”

[Black] “Being a noble doesn’t mean you’re immune to losing your mind.”

Phermos’ mouth shut as his expression changed. He mulled over his thoughts for a moment before speaking again.

[Phermos] “Well… I know there must be some who are willing to play around with love, but I can’t understand those who are willing to uselessly sacrifice their all for it.”

Phermos mindlessly fiddled with his glasses.

[Phermos] “But now we’ve run into an issue with our investigation. The Commander is a rather skilled figure in Nauk, so it’ll be difficult to deal with this quietly…. Did you happen to catch the attacker’s appearance? Roughly how tall they were or maybe their hair color?”

[Black] “I wasn’t close enough to see.”

Black remembered what had happened that day in the garden.

Thinking back on it, the arrow must have been shot from a long distance, but by the time Black noticed, it was already right behind him.

[Phermos] “That must mean the attacker has considerable skill with a bow. I’ve heard tale that the Commander was talented himself, so it’s likely they’re one in the same, but… did you really get hit by the arrow?”

Phermos spoke in a joking tone, like he was poking fun.

[Phermos] “You didn’t let yourself get hit on purpose, did you?”

[Black] “. . .”

Black didn’t respond, but his silence was answer enough.

[Phermos] “Really!? Why’d you have to go that far? I mean, it’s amazing you’re willing to risk personal safety to keep a grip on Nauk, but you shouldn’t have to hurt yourself like this……You’re supposed to be recovering from hardship, not shouldering more.”

But what Black said in response was something entirely unrelated.

[Black] “I didn’t think her lover would be that kind of man.”

His voice was so low, Phermos could feel goosebumps forming on the back of his neck. Rubbing his neck with his hand, Phermos suddenly realized what gave him the chills.

Black was showing his anger.

[Black] “That arrow could’ve easily hit the Princess instead of me.”

[Phermos] “That’s….”

Phermos felt his nerves stand on one end until a ridiculous thought came to him.

Was Black…. upset that Princess Rienne was almost hit by the arrow?

Was that it?

When Phermos had asked Black if he had fallen in love with the Princess at first sight, he said no. Did he change his mind? No, it was doubtful. He wouldn’t have done that so quickly.

If Black paid nearly as much attention to women as he did the men of Tiwakan, there wouldn’t be as many vicious rumors surrounding them. (1)

….Yes, Black isn’t the sort of man to be swayed by beauty. He must be feeling this way because the Princess is someone he needs to use.

Imagine if she were to be killed before they even had the chance to marry. That certainly would’ve been bad. It’s not something they couldn’t handle, but it definitely would’ve made things difficult.

And it was only natural to be angry. What sort of bastard shoots an arrow at the woman he supposedly holds in his heart? That kind of person couldn’t be human.

Yes, it was a natural feeling. It was completely understandable if Black was feeling a little mad at such a miserable person.

So why didn’t Phermos feel reassured?

[Phermos] “We should keep in mind the potential betrayal of the Princess. There’s a chance this might inspire a little fight in her. Why not completely wipe out the Kleinfelder family rather than simply searching for the Commander? It’ll be easier to do that than to wait for him to contact the Princess.”

[Black] “. . .”

Black didn’t answer immediately.

In truth, his thoughts were running a bit slow.

Deep down, he knew Phermos was right. At the end of the day, this was war. If he wanted to win, then of course, he would do everything he could to attain a victory.

But what he wanted wasn’t a victory. He wanted to marry her.

[Rienne] –‘Do everything in your power to keep it.’

That’s what I promised her.

And it wasn’t because of his fever that he made such a promise. He genuinely wanted to keep it.

[Rienne] –‘Then I vow to do my very best to desire you as you do me.’

Did she lie to him? Or did she change her mind now that she knows her lover is still alive?

Black needed to know.

[Black] “No. Just leave them be.”

[Phermos] “What…? Are you sure that’s wise?”

[Black] “It will tell us what sort of woman the Princess is. Whether she’ll honor this marriage or not.”

[Phermos] “Oh. I see, then.”

Phermos could understand that. The God of Tiwakan seemed unwilling to fight against Nauk as long as he could help it.

[Phermos] “The Princess is one to act quickly, so we’ll keep a close eye on her.”

[Black] “Don’t be caught.”

[Phermos] “Of course.”

With their business concluded, Phermos left the room with a casual look on his face, as if the heavy conversation they just had never occurred.

While it was unexpected that Rafit Kleinfelder had crawled his way back to Nauk, it wasn’t of much concern to him. He was no threat to an army of mercenaries who had been roaming the battlefield for years.

What really concerned Black was something else entirely.

[Black] “……I should’ve killed him.”

The more he thought about it, the more this strange mixture of pain grew in his chest. If only he knew exactly what kind of man he was. Then maybe he’d feel better.

Rienne’s lover was no threat to him, but even so, thinking about the man filled him with a mounting sense of annoyance.

[Black] “Dammit.”

Black aggressively rubbed his eyes.

Until now, all he ever concerned himself with was Rienne herself. But now that he had the chance to hold her and kiss her, suddenly thinking about her lover irritated him.

And he still didn’t understand why.

* * *

Dawn broke before she was able to get any proper sleep.

Rienne got out of bed and went to wash her face, just as she usually did. Except for the fact that it was obvious she looked unwell.

[Rienne] “There’s too much to do… I can’t get sick.”

She muttered to herself as she looked at her especially pale face in the mirror. Her eyes looked hazy and it was clear she had lost some weight.

[Rienne] “If this keeps up, I won’t have any clothing to wear.”

The image of her oversized clothing falling off of her thin body brought a brief smile to Rienne’s face.

[Rienne] “That would be quite the sight.”

Then perhaps he won’t want me anymore.

[Rienne] “……Don’t be foolish. It’s not like he fell in love with me because he thought I was pretty.”

She shook that thought away, turning away from the mirror.

Rienne had so many problems keeping her up at night, but dealing with them needed to be set aside until she could reach Rafit.

[Rienne] “Oh, I’ll need to wear mourning clothes while we start preparing for the funeral.”

Now that the body’s been returned, she needed to wear black to symbolize her condolences and sorrow. In Nauk, it was tradition to mourn over the course of three days, only ever removing the mourning attire on the day of the funeral itself at midnight.

Without asking for Mrs. Flambard’s help, Rienne put herself in a black dress.

She didn’t realize this while she was wearing it, but black was a dangerous choice for her. Her white skin looked like smooth marble in contrast to the black fabric.

The somewhat baggy clothing did nothing to hide her body, but instead accentuated it. The thin, soft cloth wrapped around her figure slid down every time she moved.

When dressed in black, Rienne had the air of a dangerous, seductive vixen in comparison to her usual beauty.

Again, black was a terrible idea.

Worst of all was the fact that she didn’t even seem aware of it.

* * *

Rienne headed to Black’s quarters, carrying with her his breakfast, some painkillers, and a new set of bandages for his wound.

All the while, her loose clothing flowed around her ankles.

After learning that Rafit was still alive, Rienne didn’t have the courage to face Black as she normally did. She still hadn’t made her choice…and she still hadn’t forgotten about that kiss.

….I’m sure he hasn’t either.

That was the most nerve-wracking part. Black wouldn’t have changed his behavior since they made such bold promises to one another.

How am I supposed to act, again?

She was afraid he’d be like that all the time.

[Rienne] “Ah.”

Despite how much she wanted Black’s room to be far away, it seemed especially close just to spite her. Arriving at the door, Rienne let out a sigh.

But no matter how much she sighed, her predicament stayed the same.

Knock. Knock.

Rienne lifted her hand and carefully knocked on the door.

[Rienne] “It’s morning. Are you awake?”

She listened for a moment, but no one answered.

Seems like he’s still asleep. Thank goodness.

Before leaving, Rienne leaned down to place the tray with the supplies on the floor in front of the door.

But before she could, she heard a thump as the door swung open.

[Rienne] “Ah….”

Seeing Black standing at the open door, she thought her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

[Black] “Did I surprise you?”

[Rienne] “Not at all.”

[Black] “That’s good. I’ll take that.”

Rienne didn’t realize what was wrong at first. He was standing so well, it seemed only natural that he would take such a heavy tray away from her. If it weren’t for the bandage still wrapped around his shoulder, she would’ve completely disregarded it.

[Rienne] “What are you doing!?”

Rienne quickly tried to grab the tray back from him with a look of shock on her face.

[Rienne] “Let go, please. Your shoulder’s still hurt.”

[Black] “It’s fine. It’s not heavy.”

[Rienne] “That’s not the point….”

But no matter how much she pulled, the tray didn’t budge.

[Rienne] “You’re wounded.”

As Black held the tray, Rienne looked up at him. He was so much bigger she needed to raise her head to just to make eye contact.

And he was standing very close.

[Black] “Do my wounds bother you?”

His voice sounded too close when he asked that.

[Rienne] “….Yes.”

When Black again spoke, he was talking so quietly it sounded more like he was whispering to himself.

[Black] “That bothers me, too.”

[Rienne] “I’m not injured.”

[Black] “Not that. I meant your clothing.”

* * *

T/N: (1) Reference to Chapter 1, where Rienne mentioned the rumor where he prefers men over women.