Her voice grew louder in embarrassment.
“What the...! That’s not it!”
“Or what?”
“...”
But Black's response was like his lips were stuck together. They were so different. She did her best to avoid splitting up with Nauk, but to Black, it seemed like she was just telling bad lies to protect her old lover.
“As I said, I don’t trust you anymore, Princess.”
Strangely enough, those words hurt like a thorn under her fingernail.
“Do you still want me to keep him alive?”
"... Yes."
Even if he didn't believe it, she couldn't help it. The eldest son of the Kleinfelter family shouldn't have died. No matter how much she thought it would have been better if he had died, she couldn't just stand by and watch Kleinfelter die in Nauk.
“Then I will do that.”
"Ah..."
A sense of relief came over her for a moment. Black's eyes narrowed like blades as he watched Liene raise her head without realizing it.
“Please give me the price instead.”
"Which..."
Black grabbed Liene's arm and pulled her towards him. His lips touched her ear. He pressed his lips against Liene's earlobe and slowly spat out.
“Tonight, the Princess will have to share the same bed with me.”
“What...?”
Black let go of her arm as if he had no intention of listening to anything else.
“Take that guy. Tie him up and lock him up.”
“...Yes, my lord.”
The mercenaries followed orders, even though their eyes were asking how they could not kill such a man. Black’s expression was too fierce to say anything right now. It seemed like he would be cut off if they touched him.
“Bring the Princess to the castle. I will go first.”
“Oh, really? You’re going first? Are you saying you’re going to ride alone with that body?”
Leaving the bewildered mercenaries behind, Black quickly walked over and mounted his horse.
“Hyah!”
Doo doo doo doo...
“....”
Liene could only stand still and watch Black's back as he moved farther away. It hurt... It still hurt to hear him say that he no longer believed her.
“Oh my gosh...! Princess! Why are you dressed like that? What on earth happened?”
When Liene returned to the castle, the sun was just beginning to turn into sunset.
“Didn’t you say you were going alone? Why did you come...”
As expected, Madam Flambard was shocked and at a loss. Anyone would be shocked when someone who had said she would only give them a quick bite to eat came back covered in dirt and surrounded by three mercenaries.
“That happened. I want to wash up first, but is there any water left?”
“Of course, of course. You should use the water you need. I’ll prepare some clothes for you to change into. Please go to your room.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
Liene turned to the mercenaries. They were not really guards, but rather surveillance. After what happened today, Tiwakan must have thought of her as someone who could betray the chieftain and run away at any time. She didn’t have the heart to make excuses for that, but she couldn’t accept surveillance either.
“I think we can stop escorting now. I’ll go to my room.”
The mercenaries exchanged glances, and then one of them opened his mouth.
“Do as you please. We will stay here until my lord speaks to us further.”
“The castle is safe. The guards are excessive.”
“I think my lord will think differently.”
“...”
There was no sign of backing down. Liene let out a small sigh.
“Then, at least bring a chair and sit down. I’ll let you know in advance when I’m going to leave the room.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll take care of it.”
“...Yes, then.”
Liene went into the bedroom without saying a word. Madam Flambard blinked for a while, wondering what on earth was going on.
“Princess! What the hell is going on? Why are they acting like that all of a sudden?”
"Ha..."
The fatigue that had been holding in came rushing back. Liene, whose legs gave out, collapsed on the floor.
“Oh my, Princess! Why are you doing this!”
Madam Flambard, startled, tried to help Liene up.
“Just a moment. I’ll just sit down for a moment.”
“No, don’t do this on the floor. Sit down on a chair.”
“Then the chair will get dirty. This one piece of clothing is enough for the laundry. There’s already so much to do.”
“...”
The woman looked at Liene's exhausted face and sat down next to her.
“What happened outside?”
“...That’s right.”
“Isn’t that something you should tell me?”
“No. I’m not hiding it on purpose...”
... Liene tries to talk, but her heart hurts. She doesn’t know why it hurts, but it still hurts.
“The Klinefelters tried to kill Lord Tiwakan.”
"Yes?"
Madam Flambard let out a sound that was almost like a scream. It was only later that she realized that her voice was so loud that she had to cover her mouth.
“So, so? So he died...died?”
"No."
Liene's eyes sank heavily. The emotions she had felt when she heard that Black had died came rushing back to her chest like boiling water.
“But he was hurt. Badly.”
“That... So? No, why is he angry at the Princess when the Klinefelters did something like that?”
That was a little surprising.
“How do you know that Lord Tiwakan is angry with me?”
“Because those who attached themselves to the Princess are angry.”
“They weren’t angry. They weren’t rude either.”
“What is this? Isn’t their attitude so different from the one they had towards the Princess yesterday?”
“Is that...?”
“It seems so to me.”
So she knew. The mercenaries of Tiwakan were completely different from the rumors. According to the terrible rumors she had heard before, they were not people but more like beasts or monsters, but she had never seen anything like that. Even now that they were angry at her, their speech was rough, but they hadn't done anything particularly rude. It must be because of that man. Because that man was always polite to her.
“Lord Tiwakan thinks I was plotting this with Lord Klinefelter.”
"Yes?"
Madam Flambard's eyes were so wide open that she looked as if she might fall out at any moment.
“Princess, surely...”
"No."
Liene resolutely nip any bud of doubt in the bud.
“I swear I never did that, and I had no intention of doing that. It would be foolish to do that now that Tiwakan has taken up residence in the castle.”
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“What the...! That’s not it!”
“Or what?”
“...”
But Black's response was like his lips were stuck together. They were so different. She did her best to avoid splitting up with Nauk, but to Black, it seemed like she was just telling bad lies to protect her old lover.
“As I said, I don’t trust you anymore, Princess.”
Strangely enough, those words hurt like a thorn under her fingernail.
“Do you still want me to keep him alive?”
"... Yes."
Even if he didn't believe it, she couldn't help it. The eldest son of the Kleinfelter family shouldn't have died. No matter how much she thought it would have been better if he had died, she couldn't just stand by and watch Kleinfelter die in Nauk.
“Then I will do that.”
"Ah..."
A sense of relief came over her for a moment. Black's eyes narrowed like blades as he watched Liene raise her head without realizing it.
“Please give me the price instead.”
"Which..."
Black grabbed Liene's arm and pulled her towards him. His lips touched her ear. He pressed his lips against Liene's earlobe and slowly spat out.
“Tonight, the Princess will have to share the same bed with me.”
“What...?”
Black let go of her arm as if he had no intention of listening to anything else.
“Take that guy. Tie him up and lock him up.”
“...Yes, my lord.”
The mercenaries followed orders, even though their eyes were asking how they could not kill such a man. Black’s expression was too fierce to say anything right now. It seemed like he would be cut off if they touched him.
“Bring the Princess to the castle. I will go first.”
“Oh, really? You’re going first? Are you saying you’re going to ride alone with that body?”
Leaving the bewildered mercenaries behind, Black quickly walked over and mounted his horse.
“Hyah!”
Doo doo doo doo...
The horse carrying Black disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.
“....”
Liene could only stand still and watch Black's back as he moved farther away. It hurt... It still hurt to hear him say that he no longer believed her.
***
“Oh my gosh...! Princess! Why are you dressed like that? What on earth happened?”
When Liene returned to the castle, the sun was just beginning to turn into sunset.
“Didn’t you say you were going alone? Why did you come...”
As expected, Madam Flambard was shocked and at a loss. Anyone would be shocked when someone who had said she would only give them a quick bite to eat came back covered in dirt and surrounded by three mercenaries.
“That happened. I want to wash up first, but is there any water left?”
“Of course, of course. You should use the water you need. I’ll prepare some clothes for you to change into. Please go to your room.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
Liene turned to the mercenaries. They were not really guards, but rather surveillance. After what happened today, Tiwakan must have thought of her as someone who could betray the chieftain and run away at any time. She didn’t have the heart to make excuses for that, but she couldn’t accept surveillance either.
“I think we can stop escorting now. I’ll go to my room.”
The mercenaries exchanged glances, and then one of them opened his mouth.
“Do as you please. We will stay here until my lord speaks to us further.”
“The castle is safe. The guards are excessive.”
“I think my lord will think differently.”
“...”
There was no sign of backing down. Liene let out a small sigh.
“Then, at least bring a chair and sit down. I’ll let you know in advance when I’m going to leave the room.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll take care of it.”
“...Yes, then.”
Liene went into the bedroom without saying a word. Madam Flambard blinked for a while, wondering what on earth was going on.
Thump. After closing the bedroom door behind her, the lady finally asked.
“Princess! What the hell is going on? Why are they acting like that all of a sudden?”
"Ha..."
The fatigue that had been holding in came rushing back. Liene, whose legs gave out, collapsed on the floor.
“Oh my, Princess! Why are you doing this!”
Madam Flambard, startled, tried to help Liene up.
“Just a moment. I’ll just sit down for a moment.”
“No, don’t do this on the floor. Sit down on a chair.”
“Then the chair will get dirty. This one piece of clothing is enough for the laundry. There’s already so much to do.”
“...”
The woman looked at Liene's exhausted face and sat down next to her.
“What happened outside?”
“...That’s right.”
“Isn’t that something you should tell me?”
“No. I’m not hiding it on purpose...”
... Liene tries to talk, but her heart hurts. She doesn’t know why it hurts, but it still hurts.
“The Klinefelters tried to kill Lord Tiwakan.”
"Yes?"
Madam Flambard let out a sound that was almost like a scream. It was only later that she realized that her voice was so loud that she had to cover her mouth.
“So, so? So he died...died?”
"No."
Liene's eyes sank heavily. The emotions she had felt when she heard that Black had died came rushing back to her chest like boiling water.
“But he was hurt. Badly.”
“That... So? No, why is he angry at the Princess when the Klinefelters did something like that?”
That was a little surprising.
“How do you know that Lord Tiwakan is angry with me?”
“Because those who attached themselves to the Princess are angry.”
“They weren’t angry. They weren’t rude either.”
“What is this? Isn’t their attitude so different from the one they had towards the Princess yesterday?”
“Is that...?”
“It seems so to me.”
So she knew. The mercenaries of Tiwakan were completely different from the rumors. According to the terrible rumors she had heard before, they were not people but more like beasts or monsters, but she had never seen anything like that. Even now that they were angry at her, their speech was rough, but they hadn't done anything particularly rude. It must be because of that man. Because that man was always polite to her.
“Lord Tiwakan thinks I was plotting this with Lord Klinefelter.”
"Yes?"
Madam Flambard's eyes were so wide open that she looked as if she might fall out at any moment.
“Princess, surely...”
"No."
Liene resolutely nip any bud of doubt in the bud.
“I swear I never did that, and I had no intention of doing that. It would be foolish to do that now that Tiwakan has taken up residence in the castle.”
“Yes! Even a five-year-old would understand that! But why did Lord Klinefelter do such a stupid thing?”
“I want to know that too. Why on earth is he being so stupid?”
When Liene told her the whole story of how Lafitte had kidnapped her and put her in his cart, followed by Black, Madam Flambard groaned, “Oh, my God.”
“That is... Anyone could easily misunderstand. Especially since he believes that the Princess is pregnant with the child of... Lord Klinefelter.”
“Yes.”
Liene buried her face in her knees.
“I don’t regret... saying that. I have things to protect. But...”
Liene took a moment to catch her breath as her throat started to clog up.
“...It’s just so, so suffocating.”
It feels like someone is holding her heart tightly. Liene doesn't trust that guy either, but she doesn't know why she feels so miserable when he says he doesn't trust her anymore.
“I want to know that too. Why on earth is he being so stupid?”
When Liene told her the whole story of how Lafitte had kidnapped her and put her in his cart, followed by Black, Madam Flambard groaned, “Oh, my God.”
“That is... Anyone could easily misunderstand. Especially since he believes that the Princess is pregnant with the child of... Lord Klinefelter.”
“Yes.”
Liene buried her face in her knees.
“I don’t regret... saying that. I have things to protect. But...”
Liene took a moment to catch her breath as her throat started to clog up.
“...It’s just so, so suffocating.”
It feels like someone is holding her heart tightly. Liene doesn't trust that guy either, but she doesn't know why she feels so miserable when he says he doesn't trust her anymore.
How long will I have to be suspicious like this? Will this ever end...?
“Say no.”
Liene buried her face and shook her head.
“It was no use.”
“You have to do it until he believes it. Once trust is broken, is it easy to get it back?”
“Would that make any difference?”
“Why do you say that? Aren’t you upset because he was misunderstood?”
“That’s right. But... It’s not like things will get better even if we clear up the misunderstanding.”
"Princess..."
“I will have to keep lying from now on. I can’t ask him to believe me every single time.”
“Why do you think so badly? Couldn’t you have just not lied?”
“How? Right now, I have to hide my period.”
“...”
Liene, who had been hiding her face with her neck bent precariously for a while, slowly straightened her back.
“Yes, I’ll wash up.”
“Princess... You can stay longer.”
Madam Flambard went on to say that Liene did not look well at all.
“If we continue like this, there will be no end. We should move when we can. I’ll wash up and come out, so please prepare some clothes for me.”
“...Then please wait a moment. I will bring some water.”
Perhaps expecting Liene to refuse, Madam Flambard didn't wait for an answer and quickly got up and went into the bathroom.
“It’s okay.”
Liene muttered while looking at her back.
"Really."
Apart from feeling like a mess, it was actually okay. After all, the eldest son of the Kleinfelter family wasn't dead, and neither was Black. Nauk was safe. So everything had to be okay.
“...Oh, no. There might be something wrong.”
There was a price she had to pay for Nauk's safety.
"Today we will share a bed."
Liene's spine shivered at Black's voice which suddenly pierced her mind. No way... It can't be. The wedding is still a few days away, so... It can't be. Black wouldn't have been lying. But Liene was desperate not to believe him.
“No way. He's not the type of person to force something like that. No.”
The more she denied it, the more she felt like she would be crushed by the thoughts that were increasing in volume, so Liene hurriedly got up. She would be okay after washing up. The feeling of being a mess, the worries about the coming night. She had to be okay.
“Say no.”
Liene buried her face and shook her head.
“It was no use.”
“You have to do it until he believes it. Once trust is broken, is it easy to get it back?”
“Would that make any difference?”
“Why do you say that? Aren’t you upset because he was misunderstood?”
“That’s right. But... It’s not like things will get better even if we clear up the misunderstanding.”
"Princess..."
“I will have to keep lying from now on. I can’t ask him to believe me every single time.”
“Why do you think so badly? Couldn’t you have just not lied?”
“How? Right now, I have to hide my period.”
“...”
Liene, who had been hiding her face with her neck bent precariously for a while, slowly straightened her back.
“Yes, I’ll wash up.”
“Princess... You can stay longer.”
Madam Flambard went on to say that Liene did not look well at all.
“If we continue like this, there will be no end. We should move when we can. I’ll wash up and come out, so please prepare some clothes for me.”
“...Then please wait a moment. I will bring some water.”
Perhaps expecting Liene to refuse, Madam Flambard didn't wait for an answer and quickly got up and went into the bathroom.
“It’s okay.”
Liene muttered while looking at her back.
"Really."
Apart from feeling like a mess, it was actually okay. After all, the eldest son of the Kleinfelter family wasn't dead, and neither was Black. Nauk was safe. So everything had to be okay.
“...Oh, no. There might be something wrong.”
There was a price she had to pay for Nauk's safety.
"Today we will share a bed."
Liene's spine shivered at Black's voice which suddenly pierced her mind. No way... It can't be. The wedding is still a few days away, so... It can't be. Black wouldn't have been lying. But Liene was desperate not to believe him.
“No way. He's not the type of person to force something like that. No.”
The more she denied it, the more she felt like she would be crushed by the thoughts that were increasing in volume, so Liene hurriedly got up. She would be okay after washing up. The feeling of being a mess, the worries about the coming night. She had to be okay.
***
To avoid the same mistake, Liene locked both bathroom doors. She took off her clothes and turned to the bowl of water in front of the mirror, but her appearance was even more gruesome than she had thought.
“What is this?”
There were blue and red bruises on his right elbow, forearm, and side, probably from where she had been hit when she was loaded onto the carriage.
“This place is so dirty. It hurts for some reason.”
It was so absurd and disappointing that she couldn't help but laugh.
“That guy is really no help.”
But the person who was once her lover has now become an unspeakable nuisance.
“I don’t like it, really.”
Liene hurled audible gossip at Lafitte and washed her bleeding elbow. The blood had hardened and was now harder to wash.
“Come to think of it... That guy was hurt too.”
Black's injuries were not only severe but also so severe that his clothes were completely soaked. Considering that even his subordinates had stopped him from riding a horse, it might have been worse than expected.
“Did he get treatment?”
Black, who had left first, said that he had not yet returned to the castle. She was worried about where he had gone and whether he was okay. At some point, her feelings toward him were no longer rejection or fear. Rather, regret, concern, gratitude, and apology took up more space. This was something that had happened without Liene knowing.
“What is this?”
There were blue and red bruises on his right elbow, forearm, and side, probably from where she had been hit when she was loaded onto the carriage.
“This place is so dirty. It hurts for some reason.”
It was so absurd and disappointing that she couldn't help but laugh.
“That guy is really no help.”
But the person who was once her lover has now become an unspeakable nuisance.
“I don’t like it, really.”
Liene hurled audible gossip at Lafitte and washed her bleeding elbow. The blood had hardened and was now harder to wash.
“Come to think of it... That guy was hurt too.”
Black's injuries were not only severe but also so severe that his clothes were completely soaked. Considering that even his subordinates had stopped him from riding a horse, it might have been worse than expected.
“Did he get treatment?”
Black, who had left first, said that he had not yet returned to the castle. She was worried about where he had gone and whether he was okay. At some point, her feelings toward him were no longer rejection or fear. Rather, regret, concern, gratitude, and apology took up more space. This was something that had happened without Liene knowing.
She hopes he doesn’t hurt too much. Liene swallowed her feelings and focused on washing. When she had wiped away all the bloodstains and thought that she was clean, something happened.
Crunch... Thud!
The bathroom door, which had been properly locked, opened as if it was being ripped open. The bracket that had been locked fell off with the force of the push.
“...!”
Liene turned her head abruptly. Then, what came into view was Black. He was looking at her with a frozen expression like a statue.
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“...!”
Liene turned her head abruptly. Then, what came into view was Black. He was looking at her with a frozen expression like a statue.
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