Liene waited silently for the next words.
"I don't know if the Princess is too clever or too naive."
“...Neither of those seem like compliments.”
“Is it because you know I can't say no to the Princess like it's written in something?”
"You know what happened today."
“…”
She knew fully well what she had done for her. He had said something about compensation, but in reality, he had no intention of receiving it.
“But that won't last forever. So...”
Black reached out and grabbed the towel Liene was holding.
“Get out. While I'm still pretending to be a decent guy.”
His hands were empty. Liene looked at her empty hands and snatched the towel back as she had done. If she leaves here, nothing will change. This man misunderstands her, and she will remain in that misunderstanding. Liene doesn't want to be like that.
"I know that Lord Tiwakan is more than a fine man."
I'm not scared of you.
“So stay where you are. I will take care of my fiancé as I wish.”
“…”
Black's cheek muscles twitched like a spasm. But this time, she could tell that it wasn't a discomfort.
***
It took a long time to wash all the wounds. And by the time Liene had insisted on washing her hair, dinner had already passed. Black had drawn the line that he didn't need to do that, but Liene couldn't stand to see him ignore his wounds and wash his hair carelessly. Anyway, when she came out of the bathroom, she was completely exhausted. For some reason, Black looked more exhausted than he was, which was a bit odd. After having her servant repeatedly tell her to apply the medicine, Liene returned to her room. Her arms were so heavy that she had to get Madam Flambard's help even to change into her pajamas. After forcing the lady to go home because she had to have dinner, Liene lay down in bed. It's been a long day. She wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep right away, but when she lay down, her back hurt and she groaned.
"Ah... Why are you hurting now..."
Liene forced herself to turn over and lie down. She lay face down on her stomach and barely felt a little better.
“Did I hit my back then...?... The bruise is on my side.”
Even just getting a bruise hurts me this much, so what happened to that guy?
It seems like that guy just keeps getting hurt. So she blamed Lafitte for causing the problem. It's all because of him. Because he's acting worse than a five-year-old.
Why on earth can't he understand that we're already over?
Come to think of it, Liene didn't ask what happened to Lafitte. She thought he might be locked up somewhere since he told Lord Tiwakan to lock him up. Tomorrow's going to be a mess. Linden Kleinfelter will be furious and go crazy. He'll send Lord Masilou to squeeze her right away.
What am I going to do about that?
Sigh, let's stop.
For now. Think about it tomorrow. She didn't want to think about the people in that house until just before she went to bed. If she did, she'd probably have nightmares. She'd rather think about something that would make her feel better. A good thought that would make her forget about her backache. What could that be?
Suddenly, Black's low, deep voice came to mind.
"I'm going out. While I'm still okay."
Suddenly, goosebumps spread along her cheek. Her neck felt tingly.
Why am I so confused by those words?
It wasn't the content that was confusing. It was her emotions that were confusing. Those words were as affectionate as Black's usual. And yet they sound dangerous at the same time. It felt like she was standing naked in front of a ferocious carnivore, without a single weapon. But she also felt safe, knowing that the beast would never harm her... What kind of nonsense is that?
Liene shook her head as she lay face down. It was nonsense, but it made sense to Black. That man has been so contradictory from the beginning.
Let's just sleep. Liene forced her eyes shut. She doesn't think she'll have any more nightmares. Her back hurts, but she won't know if she's sleeping. For now, sleeping is the best option.
“…?”
“…?”
But today isn't over yet.
Creak, bro.
She thought she heard something wrong, but she didn't. The bedroom door was opening.
"Who..."
Liene, who was trying to get up, found Black standing in the doorway, looking in her direction.
***
Why... Why are you here? Could it be...
“I have come to collect my payment.”
“...”
Liene pajamas were crumpling and making a rustling sound. In fact, it was the sound her hands were making as they unconsciously grabbed her pajamas.
“Didn't you say... that wouldn't happen...?”
Her throat was so tight that she made a sound that didn't sound like her own. Black slowly walked towards her. In the silence all around, only the blue gaze looking at her seemed to be shouting loudly.
“Didn't the Princess do as she wished?”
"I am..."
“I also have something I want to do. Don't tell me that you can do it but I can't.”
“What do you want to do...?”
“I won't do something you don't like.”
“…”
It seemed like what he wanted to do wasn't what he had thought. Liene noticed that Black was holding something in his hand.
"That... what is it?"
“It's medicine. Turn around and sit down.”
“…”
Liene hesitated, then turned her back and sat down as he told her. Black's weight settled on the bed. He sat down, not too close, not too far, and whispered softly against Liene's back.
“I won't ask you to take your clothes off.”
...Then what are you going to say?
“But bear with it. Even if it tickles.”
...? Swish, the hem of the clothes was lifted.
"What..."
Liene turned her head in confusion. Their eyes met for a moment, but Black didn't stop digging his hands under her pajamas.
"Yes, just a moment."
Liene tried to twist her body and grabbed Black's wrist. Then she groaned softly as her back and side hurt.
“You'd better get your posture right. If you sit wrong, it'll hurt more.”
"What are you going to do?"
“I will take care of my fiancee. She seems uninterested in getting treatment herself, despite nagging others.”
“No, wait... I'm within arm's reach. I can apply it.”
“Wasn't it me?”
“That…”
“Turn around. Or just keep looking at my face.”
“…”
Black showed no signs of stopping. No matter how hard Liene held onto his wrist, he moved his hand without difficulty.
“Didn't you say you would receive a price?”
Liene asked quietly.
“Would you mind if I said I'd do this instead?”
...No way. Black offered a meaningless choice. She couldn't say that sleeping together would be better than applying the medicine with her own mouth, and the medicine actually was better. But this... This is a little strange. It's like this guy wants to do something for her. In exchange for receiving something in return.
"Why did you think that?"
Finally, Liene turned her head. Her cheeks kept getting hotter, so she put both arms on her knees and buried her face in them.
"What are you thinking?"
“It's medicine.”
“I don't think the Princess would wear it.”
“So, if you just give me the medicine…”
“Then I can't touch it.”
“…”
“And there were bruises in places that were quite difficult to reach on your own.”
How did you know that?... Oh, you saw it.
She was embarrassed all over again. She wonders how much he saw. She saw this man naked too, so it's okay... What's the big deal? Liene was so embarrassed she could die.
“Hey, is there one on your back too?”
Liene asked, coughing in vain. Black's hand was now completely under her pajamas.
"Yes."
The finger that had applied the medicine touched the middle of her back. That small sensation was so vivid that Liene almost screamed.
“Here. Does it hurt?”
“That...a little..."
“Hey, is there one on your back too?”
Liene asked, coughing in vain. Black's hand was now completely under her pajamas.
"Yes."
The finger that had applied the medicine touched the middle of her back. That small sensation was so vivid that Liene almost screamed.
“Here. Does it hurt?”
“That...a little..."
She lied because she was afraid that if she said it was okay, the vivid sensation would become even more intense. In fact, it wasn't painful, but suspicious. It tickled and tingled. It wasn't a ticklish feeling that made her want to scratch it, but a feeling that made her want to turn around and hug the man who was caring for her wounds.
“I'm taking it slow.”
She knew it. It was a problem because it was too gentle.
“Please... hurry up and do it.”
This strange ticklish feeling will end only when the man takes his hand off.
“I don't like it.”
"...Yes?"
But, ironically, Black came out like this.
“I'll take it slow. I want to touch it for a long time.”
Liene bit her lip once and then said.
“Saying something like that seems a bit... too... impolite. For someone who applies medicine.”
“I know. But I don't want to look decent anymore.”
The hand that had been moving slowly along her spine moved down a little further. It was the side that Liene knew. That place was several times more numb than her back. Liene could no longer bear it and twisted her body.
“That, that's enough...”
“Please be patient. I liked that too.”
Black slowly spreads the medicine on her side. Today, he seemed affectionate, but strangely forceful. There was something different about him than usual. Did he mean that he didn't want to look polite? But why.
“Why don't you like looking decent?”
"Because it seems useless."
“What's the use?”
“Having a Princess.”
“...I don't think it would be useless. What woman would like a man who is not polite?”
Liene thought for a moment before speaking. However, she had no choice but to keep her mouth shut when Black continued to speak.
“It might have been so if the Princess hadn't had another man.”
“…”
“I was planning on waiting for the Princess to forget on your own... but today, seeing that, I changed my mind because it seems like that won't happen.”
The hand that had been applying the medicine stopped moving. However, it still remains inside the pajamas, gently wrapping around the bruised area.
“As I said... I did not commit any wrongdoing.”
“I said it too. I don't believe it anymore.”
“That person has never....”
She has never been in love. They were lovers, but they were not in a position to treat each other as lovers. When she lived as her lover, she always felt like she was walking a tightrope.
The words were stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them. It was known that Liene had a child from her previous lover. Saying that she had never liked Lafitte Kleinfelter now would sound like a cheap lie to avoid the present.
“...I never once told him anything else about my situation. I told him that I would marry Lord Tiwakan and that any child I would have would be fathered by Lord Tiwakan. That's all.”
“It's one thing to accept a situation and another to completely cut out your heart. When I see the Princess.”
“…”
Black wasn't talking about the body's negativity. He thought that Liene still couldn't forget her old lover.
“That... I'll... try.”
Other than that, she couldn't say anything else.
“Yes. Try harder."
Black's fingers twitched as they touched her skin. However, he did not grasp the painful area harshly. He slowly stroked her skin as if he was anxious.
"Until I can trust you, Princess."
Black's head tilted towards her. He was so close that he could feel his breath on her crown.
"I will kiss you."
He didn't ask if he could kiss her anymore.
“Here.”
The place he touched with his other hand was the back of his neck where his hair was hanging down. While caring for her bare skin with one hand, he gathered her hair to one shoulder. The rounded nape of her neck was revealed. Liene didn't know how white and thin her back of her neck was, and how it looked to Black.
“…”
“...I never once told him anything else about my situation. I told him that I would marry Lord Tiwakan and that any child I would have would be fathered by Lord Tiwakan. That's all.”
“It's one thing to accept a situation and another to completely cut out your heart. When I see the Princess.”
“…”
Black wasn't talking about the body's negativity. He thought that Liene still couldn't forget her old lover.
“That... I'll... try.”
Other than that, she couldn't say anything else.
“Yes. Try harder."
Black's fingers twitched as they touched her skin. However, he did not grasp the painful area harshly. He slowly stroked her skin as if he was anxious.
"Until I can trust you, Princess."
Black's head tilted towards her. He was so close that he could feel his breath on her crown.
"I will kiss you."
He didn't ask if he could kiss her anymore.
“Here.”
The place he touched with his other hand was the back of his neck where his hair was hanging down. While caring for her bare skin with one hand, he gathered her hair to one shoulder. The rounded nape of her neck was revealed. Liene didn't know how white and thin her back of her neck was, and how it looked to Black.
“…”
Fingers touched before lips. A small shudder ran through Liené's shoulders at the tiny touch that tickled her fur.
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