The way out of the chapel was as quiet as the way in. The unexpected encounter with Tiwakan's search party seemed like it wouldn't be a big deal. Liene took a deep breath after leaving the chapel. The moon was dark. Today was the first day she felt fortunate that it wasn't too bright.
“I have to hurry.”
When Liene suddenly stopped walking and started crying quietly, Werose asked back.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about contacting the bereaved families.”
“Of course. If they are a bereaved family member... Ah.”
The words he said in a roundabout way, with the possible ears in mind, meant that she had to find her lover as soon as possible and contact him. It wouldn't be hard to find him. The Kleinfelter family would surely be hiding him. Werose also realized that the word "family" meant the Kleinfelters.
“Yes, Princess. I think that is the most urgent matter.”
“Please tell them that I would like to discuss the funeral arrangements with them. I would like to see him and talk to him in person if possible.”
“I will convey that message.”
After the conversation, in which only the two knew the exact meaning, ended, the footsteps that had stopped for a moment quickly resumed. However, Liene's guess was wrong. Fermos knew much more than she thought.
***
“That’s a lie.”
Fermos came to see Black while everyone else was asleep. The two of them, who were in what seemed like the middle of enemy territory, looked as relaxed as if they were in their own tent.
“The one who died was not the commander of the knights of Arsak. His swordsmanship was too poor for that to be the case. His helmet and armor were completely different. It was as if he had just hastily changed his helmet and pretended to be the commander of the knights.”
“...”
“Of course you already know this, right?”
Black furrowed his brows in silence. As the fever began to subside, the pain from the wound intensified.
“Hmm. Then the question is how much the Princess was involved. It couldn’t have been from the beginning... Let’s see, they probably thought he was dead, and only realized it wasn’t true after checking the body. No, but he’s still a human who’s almost as good as dead. He left his subordinates in danger and ran away, saying he’d live alone... Oh, this is it.”
Fermos seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead.
“They might have snuck in. Into Nauk.”
When they surround a castle, they think they've blocked all the routes leading out, but there's probably a way for even a little rat to sneak in.
“I guess he is a more foolish person than I thought. When the Kingdom of Sharka refused his support, he should have run away and saved his own life.”
They also knew that the Knight Commander of the Arsak family had requested reinforcements from the Kingdom of Sharka. They had expected Nauk to do so, and that the Kingdom of Sharka would reject it. However, they had not expected the Knight Commander of Arsak to be so clueless. Fermos clicked his tongue.
“What are you planning to do by coming alone... When Nauk opened the gate with his own hands, it was already over.”
Black opened his mouth with a frown.
“You might have thought it was only Nauk who was done.”
“He may think that their relationship is not over yet.”
“That’s... Ughhhh.”
Fermos looked terribly unhappy.
“So, are you saying that the Knight Commander of Arsak is dreaming of running away with Princess Liene? How could a sane noble have such a thought without being crazy? Above all, it won’t be easy to persuade Princess Liene. Isn’t her sense of responsibility towards Nauk enormous? That’s why she accepted your proposal in the first place.”
“There is no law that says nobility cannot go crazy.”
Fermos' expression changed as he kept his mouth shut for a moment and continued thinking.
“Well... Well, that’s true. I’m the type that thinks love games are completely useless, but there have always been people who risk their lives for them, so I can understand.”
Fermos fiddled with his monocle absentmindedly.
“By the way, I’ve got a headache. Since he’s a human with a considerable base in Nauk, it’ll be hard to deal with him without causing trouble... Oh, was the arrow from this afternoon also that human’s doing? Did you happen to see what he looks like? Maybe a rough estimate of his height, or maybe his hair color.”
“It wasn’t that close.”
Black thought back to what had happened during the day at the sponsorship. It was an arrow that had come from quite far away. It was already close when he heard the sound.
“I guess that means he was quite good at archery. The commander of the Arsak Knights is also said to use a bow, so we must assume he is the same person. But... Oh, but were you hit by an arrow?”
Fermos' voice popped out amusingly.
“You didn’t hit yourself on purpose, did you? Am I right?”
“...”
Black avoided answering. That was the answer.
“No, really! Did you really have to do that? Do you know how shocked I was? Of course, thanks to your willingness to suffer the injury, the process of taking control of Nauk has been expedited... But I don’t think I’ll get beaten up like that. It’s all a struggle to get better.”
Instead of answering, Black said something else.
“I didn't think he could be a lover.”
Black's soft voice sent goosebumps down his neck. Fermos rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his master. He knew why he was getting goosebumps now. It was because Black had shown his anger.
“It could have been the Princess, not me.”
“Oh my...”
So Fermos was a bit taken aback, even as his nerves tightened. Is he getting angry because Princess Liene almost got shot by an arrow?
It was only a day ago that he said no when he asked him if he fell in love at first sight. Did he change his mind in the meantime? ...No, but isn’t that too far ahead of her time? There’s no way that’s true. If Black had shown interest in women like most men, there wouldn’t have been such ominous rumors surrounding Tiwakan and his sodomy.
...That’s right. He’s not swayed by her beauty. The Princess is probably just being useful to him. Imagine if she got shot by an arrow and died. It was before they were even married. That would be difficult. No, it wouldn’t be particularly difficult. But still...
And damn it, a human who shoots an arrow while his lover might get hit isn’t a human, it’s a dog. It’s only natural that he’s angry. It was only natural. It was okay to be angry at a dog like that. But why does he feel so uneasy?
“Anyway, you should keep in mind the Princess’s betrayal. It seems like they’ll try to fight a little harder. What are you going to do? Instead of a quick search, how about rooting out the Kleinfelter family? That would be quicker and easier. Before the Knight Commander of Arsak makes any unnecessary attempts to contact the Princess.”
“...”
Black's answer was slow. In fact, he was slow in thinking. He knew that Fermos was right. If this was a war, and he had to win, then of course he would have done so. But what he wanted was not a war, but a marriage.
"Just do what you want."
“Anyway, you should keep in mind the Princess’s betrayal. It seems like they’ll try to fight a little harder. What are you going to do? Instead of a quick search, how about rooting out the Kleinfelter family? That would be quicker and easier. Before the Knight Commander of Arsak makes any unnecessary attempts to contact the Princess.”
“...”
Black's answer was slow. In fact, he was slow in thinking. He knew that Fermos was right. If this was a war, and he had to win, then of course he would have done so. But what he wanted was not a war, but a marriage.
"Just do what you want."
He promised that. There was no excuse for doing it because he wanted to at that moment, whether it was because of the heat or whatever.
"Then I will try my best to have the same aspiration."
Was it a lie? Or did it become a lie the moment she learned of her lover's survival? Black had to know.
“No. Just leave it alone.”
“Oh, that’s okay.”
“It will reveal what kind of person the Princess is. Whether she is worth keeping the marriage, or not.”
“Hmm... If that’s the case.”
Fermos felt the same way. The god of Tiwakan seemed unwilling to fight Nauk.
“I’ll keep an eye on her for now. The Princess is quick to act.”
“Make sure no one notices.”
"All right."
Fermos, who had finished his work, left the room with a calm expression as if nothing had happened. It was unexpected that Lafitte Kleinfelter had crawled into Nauk, but it was not a big problem. For mercenaries who had been on the battlefield for ten years, that was not a threat. What really bothered Black was something else.
“...Should I have just killed him?”
A soliloquy came out, mixed with increasingly sharp and detailed pain. If only he had known that he was her lover. Maybe that would have been better. Liene’s lover was not a threat, but he left annoyance.
“It’s annoying.”
Black roughly rubbed his forehead. Before they kissed, he had been bothered by Liene’s presence. After they kissed, this time, the person she called her lover began to bother him. Black still didn’t know what this bother was.
***
The day broke with little sleep. Liene got out of bed as usual, washed up, and got dressed. She could see that her complexion was not good.
“I have a lot to do. I can’t get sick or anything.”
A woman who looked particularly pale muttered in the mirror. Her eyes looked sunken as if she had lost some weight.
“If this continues, there won’t be many clothes left to wear.”
Liene laughed briefly as she imagined the clothes she owned being too big and falling down.
“That looks worth seeing.”
Then, wouldn't that guy stop saying he wants me?
“...What nonsense are you talking about. It wasn’t like he liked me in the first place.”
At that point, Liene stopped thinking and closed the mirror lid. The problem that had been bothering her all night was still there, but she had to put it aside until she could contact her lover.
“Today... Ah, I should wear mourning clothes. I’m about to start preparing for the funeral.”
The body had returned, so she had to wear black as a sign of mourning. Nauk's funeral was held for three days, and it was customary to take off her mourning clothes at midnight on the last day of the funeral.
“I have a lot to do. I can’t get sick or anything.”
A woman who looked particularly pale muttered in the mirror. Her eyes looked sunken as if she had lost some weight.
“If this continues, there won’t be many clothes left to wear.”
Liene laughed briefly as she imagined the clothes she owned being too big and falling down.
“That looks worth seeing.”
Then, wouldn't that guy stop saying he wants me?
“...What nonsense are you talking about. It wasn’t like he liked me in the first place.”
At that point, Liene stopped thinking and closed the mirror lid. The problem that had been bothering her all night was still there, but she had to put it aside until she could contact her lover.
“Today... Ah, I should wear mourning clothes. I’m about to start preparing for the funeral.”
The body had returned, so she had to wear black as a sign of mourning. Nauk's funeral was held for three days, and it was customary to take off her mourning clothes at midnight on the last day of the funeral.
Without asking Madame Flambard for help, Liene found black clothes on her own. She had not guessed it at the time, but black was not a good choice. Her white skin looked smooth as marble against the black cloth. The slightly loose clothes did not hide her body lines but rather revealed them. The thin, soft cloth flowed down her skin as she moved. Liene, dressed in black, looked like she had a dangerous and seductive aura to her usual beauty. Again, it was not a good choice at all. It was even worse because she had no self-awareness at all.
***
Liene packed breakfast, painkillers, and fresh bandages and headed to the bedroom where Black was staying. Her loosened clothes kept wrapping around her ankles. After finding out her lover was alive, she didn’t have the confidence to face Black calmly. She still couldn’t make a choice, and she couldn’t forget that feverish kiss...
He would be the same. That was the scariest thing. Black wouldn’t have changed since the moment they promised to want each other.
Then... How should I deal with him?
She was afraid that he would still be that passionate even now.
“Phew.”
Black's bedroom, which she had wished was far away, seemed too close today. Liene let out a sigh as she arrived at the door. However, no matter how much she sighed, nothing changed.
Knock, knock.
Liene slowly knocked on the door.
“It’s morning. Are you awake?”
She listened for a moment, but there was no answer. It seems he is still asleep.
“It’s morning. Are you awake?”
She listened for a moment, but there was no answer. It seems he is still asleep.
...Thank goodness.
Liene bent down, thinking of putting down the things she was holding in front of the door and turning around. It was at that moment that a thud was heard and the door opened wide.
"Ah..."
Her heart almost dropped. The person who opened the door was Black.
“Did I surprise you?”
"No..."
“That’s great. I’ll take that.”
At first, she didn't know what the problem was. He was standing on his two feet so perfectly and naturally carrying the large tray that Liene was holding with both arms. If he hadn't had a bandage tied around one shoulder, she would have just watched.
“What are you doing!”
Liene grabbed the tray again in surprise.
“Please let go. You hurt your shoulder.”
“Yes. It’s not heavy.”
“It’s not that it’s heavy...”
No matter how hard she pulled, the tray wouldn't budge.
“You’re hurt.”
Liene looked at Black, still holding the tray. She had to raise her head to meet his eyes. He was very close.
“Do you care that I’m hurt?”
The voice asking this question also came from very close by.
"... Yes."
Black's lips moved subtly. It seemed as if he was sighing, or as if he was talking to himself.
“I care too.”
“I wasn't hurt.”
“No, it’s those clothes.”
"Ah..."
Her heart almost dropped. The person who opened the door was Black.
“Did I surprise you?”
"No..."
“That’s great. I’ll take that.”
At first, she didn't know what the problem was. He was standing on his two feet so perfectly and naturally carrying the large tray that Liene was holding with both arms. If he hadn't had a bandage tied around one shoulder, she would have just watched.
“What are you doing!”
Liene grabbed the tray again in surprise.
“Please let go. You hurt your shoulder.”
“Yes. It’s not heavy.”
“It’s not that it’s heavy...”
No matter how hard she pulled, the tray wouldn't budge.
“You’re hurt.”
Liene looked at Black, still holding the tray. She had to raise her head to meet his eyes. He was very close.
“Do you care that I’m hurt?”
The voice asking this question also came from very close by.
"... Yes."
Black's lips moved subtly. It seemed as if he was sighing, or as if he was talking to himself.
“I care too.”
“I wasn't hurt.”
“No, it’s those clothes.”
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