It wasn't that hard to realize that fact. His shoulder had been hurting all along. When Liene moved, his head followed suit. His body was still, but his head moved, so naturally his shoulder with the arrow hole pulled. Black thought it was something he couldn't understand, but he didn't have the heart to deny that obvious fact. He stared at Liene absentmindedly. If she was in front of him all day, then all day.
“You knew...”
“It’s not like she's lying to me.”
“...”
Fermos looked at Black with an expression that seemed to be asking if that was true. In fact, Black was also confused. He could guess why Liene was trying to hide what happened at the Kleinfelter House. If her undead lover had gone into hiding in Nauk, it was obvious where he would be. Liene probably went to that house under the pretense of delivering the news of her lover’s death. She met him there, and so...
“You knew...”
“It’s not like she's lying to me.”
“...”
Fermos looked at Black with an expression that seemed to be asking if that was true. In fact, Black was also confused. He could guess why Liene was trying to hide what happened at the Kleinfelter House. If her undead lover had gone into hiding in Nauk, it was obvious where he would be. Liene probably went to that house under the pretense of delivering the news of her lover’s death. She met him there, and so...
Damn. Thinking about that made his mood suddenly worse. There was blood on her lips. What on earth could possibly cause blood on her lips without a wound?
It had been bothering him all along because she had no good answer. That must have been why he had stepped forward to check the wound. He couldn’t stand it without checking. What was confusing him was Liene’s reaction. He had thought she would reject him since she had met her lover, but Liene quietly accepted what he was doing. She even seemed to really believe the lame excuse that the purpose of checking the wound was to do so. It kept making him thirsty. He couldn't figure out whether Liene was trying to accept him as promised, or if she was pretending to please him to protect her lover.
It was the first time in his life that he felt so unpredictable. It was the first time that he couldn't look away, and so he wanted to keep holding on to it.
"At the same time, they move away."
When Liene said that, Black couldn't believe his ears. It was because Liene was in the same situation as him, unable to let go first.
"One, two, three."
The expression on her face as she spoke seemed genuine. Her endlessly trembling fingertips, her crisp fur, and her eyes darkening with desire seemed to scream out that she wanted his body. Could it really be a lie? Could she be pretending to protect her lover?
"At the same time, they move away."
When Liene said that, Black couldn't believe his ears. It was because Liene was in the same situation as him, unable to let go first.
"One, two, three."
The expression on her face as she spoke seemed genuine. Her endlessly trembling fingertips, her crisp fur, and her eyes darkening with desire seemed to scream out that she wanted his body. Could it really be a lie? Could she be pretending to protect her lover?
Black couldn’t figure that out at all. This was the first time he had encountered such a difficult existence.
“No matter how good a person is at lying, he or she cannot create such subtle reactions.”
“Um... That’s true.”
Working as a mercenary, there were countless instances where he had to find spies or get confessions through torture. Most people could easily spout lies, but their bodies couldn't. Micro-reactions like fluff, cold sweat, and heartbeats were signs that could detect lies. Liene's micro-reactions were simply telling him that she wanted him.
“Well, then I will take that to mean that we will just watch for the time being. Should we also just leave the eldest son who pretends to be an illegitimate child alone?”
“There’s probably still more stuff in that corner of the house that you can tear out. If there’s anything you want to tear out, do your best to remove it.”
Fermos chuckled.
“I see that you are very dissatisfied with that corner of the house. I understand. I will do my best.”
“It’s a place that will eventually have to be destroyed. Set a trap in advance.”
“I’m going to start now so that I can get rid of it when he gets caught.”
With those words, Black closed his eyes. His shoulder hurt...
“No matter how good a person is at lying, he or she cannot create such subtle reactions.”
“Um... That’s true.”
Working as a mercenary, there were countless instances where he had to find spies or get confessions through torture. Most people could easily spout lies, but their bodies couldn't. Micro-reactions like fluff, cold sweat, and heartbeats were signs that could detect lies. Liene's micro-reactions were simply telling him that she wanted him.
“Well, then I will take that to mean that we will just watch for the time being. Should we also just leave the eldest son who pretends to be an illegitimate child alone?”
“There’s probably still more stuff in that corner of the house that you can tear out. If there’s anything you want to tear out, do your best to remove it.”
Fermos chuckled.
“I see that you are very dissatisfied with that corner of the house. I understand. I will do my best.”
“It’s a place that will eventually have to be destroyed. Set a trap in advance.”
“I’m going to start now so that I can get rid of it when he gets caught.”
With those words, Black closed his eyes. His shoulder hurt...
Damn. Now, even though Liene wasn’t in front of him, it felt like he was looking at her.
***
It was not that she did not believe Fermos' words, but she could not just wait for Werose to come back on his own.
Liene called the guards and ordered them to track Werose's whereabouts. The guards were also greatly shocked by Werose's absence. She heard that the deputy commander, who had been suddenly forced to take Werose's place because he had no preparations, was sweating profusely.
“Phew..."
Liene let out a sigh as she sent the guards back. With Werose suddenly gone, the guards of Nauk Castle had no choice but to rely more on Tiwakan.
“Could it be that he did something in Tiwakan... hoping for this outcome?”
Despite not disliking Black, Liene couldn't completely relax either. The disappearance of Werose meant that there was no one she could trust in any situation. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even realize that her brows were furrowing when Mrs. Flambard came to visit.
“Phew..."
Liene let out a sigh as she sent the guards back. With Werose suddenly gone, the guards of Nauk Castle had no choice but to rely more on Tiwakan.
“Could it be that he did something in Tiwakan... hoping for this outcome?”
Despite not disliking Black, Liene couldn't completely relax either. The disappearance of Werose meant that there was no one she could trust in any situation. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even realize that her brows were furrowing when Mrs. Flambard came to visit.
Bang bang.
“Princess. Here you are. May I come in?”
“Yes. Please wait a moment.”
The lady would not have come empty-handed. Liene hurriedly got up from her seat and opened the door herself. As expected, Madame Flambard was holding a large basket in both hands.
“What is all this?”
“It’s something to sew. It’s a wedding dress.”
“I see. Put it over here.”
Liene pointed to the rug in front of the fireplace.
“I have also brought the Princess’s mourning clothes. I have shortened the length and added a collar, so they will now look like mourning clothes.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Ma’am.”
While she was at it, Liene changed into mourning clothes with the help of Madam. Madame Flambard sighed as she carefully put on the much neater mourning clothes.
“There is still a problem. You are still very pretty.”
“...This much is okay. Don’t be like that.”
Liene put the mirror away with an embarrassed face. Now that she had changed her clothes, it was time to start sewing in earnest.
“Have you got all the measurements?”
“Princess. Here you are. May I come in?”
“Yes. Please wait a moment.”
The lady would not have come empty-handed. Liene hurriedly got up from her seat and opened the door herself. As expected, Madame Flambard was holding a large basket in both hands.
“What is all this?”
“It’s something to sew. It’s a wedding dress.”
“I see. Put it over here.”
Liene pointed to the rug in front of the fireplace.
“I have also brought the Princess’s mourning clothes. I have shortened the length and added a collar, so they will now look like mourning clothes.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Ma’am.”
While she was at it, Liene changed into mourning clothes with the help of Madam. Madame Flambard sighed as she carefully put on the much neater mourning clothes.
“There is still a problem. You are still very pretty.”
“...This much is okay. Don’t be like that.”
Liene put the mirror away with an embarrassed face. Now that she had changed her clothes, it was time to start sewing in earnest.
“Have you got all the measurements?”
“Generally speaking.”
Liene couldn't measure from below the waist. Still, she wondered how much the length of a person's legs would differ. Since the former King was also on the tall side she figured the lower garment would fit roughly.
“Then where should I look?”
Madam Flambard spread out her robe on the rug. Liene spread out her ruler and compared the measurements.
“It needs quite a bit of fixing.”
Madam Flambard furrowed her brow with a serious expression.
"Is it so?"
“He doesn’t look like he would fit into any clothes. Oh my, his shoulders are so broad. Did the Princess measure him wrong?”
“I think I measured it correctly..."
When it came to talking about measuring, Liene had nothing to say. She was so conscious of Black that she couldn't even remember what she had done. All she could remember now was Black's voice telling her not to count too fast.
“I’ve never seen measurements like these before. Is this really it... I wonder what it would feel like to be held on shoulders like these... Oh my, I said something I shouldn’t have said.”
Madam Flambard, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly shook her head in surprise.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, ma’am.”
“You must do so. What on earth could I possibly be saying in front of the Princess whom I am forced to marry...?”
Liene turned her head and held back her laughter for a moment.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen such fancy clothes. I guess the Madam is a little excited too.”
“That’s right... That’s right. Things like this should have happened before. After the late King passed away, there was no chance to touch fine fabrics.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Madam Flambard's sewing skills were probably the best in Nauk. It was understandable that she would feel excited after a long time since she had been sewing old clothes all the time.
“Then, are you sure you don’t have enough fabric?”
“So I think we should shorten this mantle a bit. It was made to hang long enough to fall below the altar on the day of the coronation, so it doesn’t have to be that way for the wedding. If we cut it here and add it to the shoulders and neck, it will look more splendid.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“While you’re at it, how about making a belt too? Let’s use the same fabric for the ankles.”
“Oh, that sounds good.”
“How much longer should I pay? Shouldn’t the length of the pants be much longer than this?”
"That is..."
Liene was speechless there.
“I didn’t measure the leg length..."
Liene spoke in a small voice as if crawling in.
“Huh? No, how could you forget that? What if your pants come up too short and your ankles are exposed?”
“I thought it would be roughly correct.”
Actually, she couldn't measure it. Because the guy said it was a mistake. No, because she was obsessed with the guy.
“Tsk tsk... How could that be? I think it would be best to come get measured again. What if by any chance the wedding dress doesn’t fit well?”
“That’s right...”
This time, too, her voice was very small. When Liene hesitated whether she could measure the length of his trousers properly, Madam Flambard misunderstood her appearance.
“Princess. You don’t want to see him again? Then I will do it.”
“No, that’s...It’s not that I don’t like it...”
“It’s not that I hate it.”
Even though Liene said it again, the misunderstanding could not be resolved.
“I’m fine. No matter how much I dislike that man, how can I dislike him as much as the Princess? Then please stay alone for a while.”
Madam Flambard, with her sewing supplies piled high, hurried out of Liene's bedroom.
“No..."
Liene, who was left alone, blushed for no reason and fiddled with the scissors.
“That’s not true..."
Is it so strange that I don’t hate that person?
Madam Flambard spread out her robe on the rug. Liene spread out her ruler and compared the measurements.
“It needs quite a bit of fixing.”
Madam Flambard furrowed her brow with a serious expression.
"Is it so?"
“He doesn’t look like he would fit into any clothes. Oh my, his shoulders are so broad. Did the Princess measure him wrong?”
“I think I measured it correctly..."
When it came to talking about measuring, Liene had nothing to say. She was so conscious of Black that she couldn't even remember what she had done. All she could remember now was Black's voice telling her not to count too fast.
“I’ve never seen measurements like these before. Is this really it... I wonder what it would feel like to be held on shoulders like these... Oh my, I said something I shouldn’t have said.”
Madam Flambard, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly shook her head in surprise.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, ma’am.”
“You must do so. What on earth could I possibly be saying in front of the Princess whom I am forced to marry...?”
Liene turned her head and held back her laughter for a moment.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen such fancy clothes. I guess the Madam is a little excited too.”
“That’s right... That’s right. Things like this should have happened before. After the late King passed away, there was no chance to touch fine fabrics.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Madam Flambard's sewing skills were probably the best in Nauk. It was understandable that she would feel excited after a long time since she had been sewing old clothes all the time.
“Then, are you sure you don’t have enough fabric?”
“So I think we should shorten this mantle a bit. It was made to hang long enough to fall below the altar on the day of the coronation, so it doesn’t have to be that way for the wedding. If we cut it here and add it to the shoulders and neck, it will look more splendid.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“While you’re at it, how about making a belt too? Let’s use the same fabric for the ankles.”
“Oh, that sounds good.”
“How much longer should I pay? Shouldn’t the length of the pants be much longer than this?”
"That is..."
Liene was speechless there.
“I didn’t measure the leg length..."
Liene spoke in a small voice as if crawling in.
“Huh? No, how could you forget that? What if your pants come up too short and your ankles are exposed?”
“I thought it would be roughly correct.”
Actually, she couldn't measure it. Because the guy said it was a mistake. No, because she was obsessed with the guy.
“Tsk tsk... How could that be? I think it would be best to come get measured again. What if by any chance the wedding dress doesn’t fit well?”
“That’s right...”
This time, too, her voice was very small. When Liene hesitated whether she could measure the length of his trousers properly, Madam Flambard misunderstood her appearance.
“Princess. You don’t want to see him again? Then I will do it.”
“No, that’s...It’s not that I don’t like it...”
“Yes, I'm sure you're delighted, I'm afraid I haven't read your mind, so I'll leave you to it, and the Princess is rolling up both your sleeves.”
Even though Liene said it again, the misunderstanding could not be resolved.
“I’m fine. No matter how much I dislike that man, how can I dislike him as much as the Princess? Then please stay alone for a while.”
Madam Flambard, with her sewing supplies piled high, hurried out of Liene's bedroom.
“No..."
Liene, who was left alone, blushed for no reason and fiddled with the scissors.
“That’s not true..."
Is it so strange that I don’t hate that person?
Maybe other people wouldn’t understand. That thought somehow weighed a little on her mind. When Madam Flambard went to Black’s room, she found out that he had left with his men. Since she couldn’t chase him on horseback, the lady sent guards to ask them to look for Liene in her bedroom.
***
After Madam Flambard returned, Liene just kept her mouth shut and devoted herself to sewing. The lady kept watching Liene’s expression as she told her that she had asked him to come to her room for various reasons. No matter how many times she told Madam Flambard that she didn’t hate Black, she didn’t seem to believe her.
...Let’s just leave it at that. Madam Flambard understood later.
“But, Princess.”
In the bedroom where only the sound of a needle passing through cloth could be heard, human voices began to ring again.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“The wedding is only about ten days away, right?”
“That’s right. If we have the funeral tomorrow, it will be exactly ten days from the day after that.”
“Well then... doesn’t that overlap with the Princess’s birthday date?”
“Ah... Ah.”
At the unexpected news, Liene pricked her finger instead of the cloth with the needle.
“Oh, my. Are you okay?”
The lady came over and took Liene's hand. A drop of red blood gushed out from the tip of her thumbnail.
“Oh my, my. Why did you have to stab under your fingernail?”
Liene was stabbed in the spot that hurts the most.
“Here, give me your hand. I need to disinfect it and apply some medicine. I’ll go over there quickly...”
“No.”
Liene grabbed Madam Flambard who was trying to get up. Blood was gushing out from under her thumbnail, but Liene didn't even know it was painful.
“Huh? What are you saying is not possible?”
“The date... the date of the period.”
Her face was as white as a sheet of paper.
"Princess..."
Only then did the woman's face become as serious as Liene's.
“If I get caught... it won’t work. No, it won’t work.”
"Princess."
Madam Flambard patted the back of Liene's hand as if to calm her down.
“I don’t know much about politics or anything like that, but... You’re getting married, so do you really have to lie about having a child?”
“That’s... yes. That’s what we have to do. That’s how we can prevent Nauk’s rule from falling to Tiwakan.”
“That’s how things turned out.”
Liene asked with a serious expression.
“Is there any way to hide the period?”
“How can you hide that? Well, it might be different if you don’t share a room, but if it’s a wedding, you have to have a private ceremony.”
“Ah... Maybe not. I never thought of that. That the date would turn out that way.”
A black shadow fell over her once-pale face.
“Then what is the method...”
The woman's complexion also began to resemble Liene's.
“But will he really accept it obediently?”
“But, Princess.”
In the bedroom where only the sound of a needle passing through cloth could be heard, human voices began to ring again.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“The wedding is only about ten days away, right?”
“That’s right. If we have the funeral tomorrow, it will be exactly ten days from the day after that.”
“Well then... doesn’t that overlap with the Princess’s birthday date?”
“Ah... Ah.”
At the unexpected news, Liene pricked her finger instead of the cloth with the needle.
“Oh, my. Are you okay?”
The lady came over and took Liene's hand. A drop of red blood gushed out from the tip of her thumbnail.
“Oh my, my. Why did you have to stab under your fingernail?”
Liene was stabbed in the spot that hurts the most.
“Here, give me your hand. I need to disinfect it and apply some medicine. I’ll go over there quickly...”
“No.”
Liene grabbed Madam Flambard who was trying to get up. Blood was gushing out from under her thumbnail, but Liene didn't even know it was painful.
“Huh? What are you saying is not possible?”
“The date... the date of the period.”
Her face was as white as a sheet of paper.
"Princess..."
Only then did the woman's face become as serious as Liene's.
“If I get caught... it won’t work. No, it won’t work.”
"Princess."
Madam Flambard patted the back of Liene's hand as if to calm her down.
“I don’t know much about politics or anything like that, but... You’re getting married, so do you really have to lie about having a child?”
“That’s... yes. That’s what we have to do. That’s how we can prevent Nauk’s rule from falling to Tiwakan.”
“That’s how things turned out.”
Liene asked with a serious expression.
“Is there any way to hide the period?”
“How can you hide that? Well, it might be different if you don’t share a room, but if it’s a wedding, you have to have a private ceremony.”
“Ah... Maybe not. I never thought of that. That the date would turn out that way.”
A black shadow fell over her once-pale face.
“Then what is the method...”
“You have no choice but to reject the first night.”
“But will he really accept it obediently?”
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