Their lips met again. This time, it felt more urgent and careless. It wasn’t rough, but it was strong. He dug straight into her mouth, lost his composure, and swallowed her wet skin. The rushing kiss dazzled her mind. Her thoughts disappeared cleanly. Only sensations remained. The touch running down her fingertips, the feeling of her skin pressing against his, the smell of his flesh that her nose remembered, the taste that clung to her mouth... These were all she could perceive now.
“...?”
The crazy kiss suddenly stopped. When Liene opened her eyes in surprise, Black whispered softly with his wet, shiny lips.
“Who came?”
"Yes?"
That was true.
Bang bang.
“Princess. Are you awake?”
It was Madam Flambard.
“Ah... How can I like this?”
Both of her cheeks flushed. Liene panicked and lifted herself up, placing her hand on Black’s chest.
“What should I do?”
Black looked at Liene for a moment and nodded his chin once. His once-heated expression had cooled down somewhat.
“Can I hide?”
"... Yes?"
“Under the bed seems too crowded... I guess hanging on the windowsill would be fine.”
“Princess. Are you awake?”
It was Madam Flambard.
“Ah... How can I like this?”
Both of her cheeks flushed. Liene panicked and lifted herself up, placing her hand on Black’s chest.
“What should I do?”
Black looked at Liene for a moment and nodded his chin once. His once-heated expression had cooled down somewhat.
“Can I hide?”
"... Yes?"
“Under the bed seems too crowded... I guess hanging on the windowsill would be fine.”
“...”
An unpleasant sense of foreboding passed through her nose at those words. The person who had been hanging from the window frame in this room a while ago was Lafitte. Lafitte was in a place he shouldn't have been and was in a place he shouldn't have been. Liene felt insulted as she had no choice but to hide him. She felt like a dishonorable person who had done something that was not right.
“Just give me a moment. Until I hide.”
Black got up from the bed. She didn't know if he had intentionally brought up the word "window sill" to nitpick the day's events, but judging by his actions, it wasn't something he had just said. He was willing to hang on the window sill for the sake of Liene's face.
“No, don’t do that. You don’t have to do that.”
There was nothing wrong with being in bed with Black now. Black was her official fiancé, and there was no reason for him to be treated like Lafitte Kleinfelter. It would have been more dishonorable to hide him.
“We are engaged. It would be against the law and etiquette for my fiancé to hide from the eyes of my attendant.”
“...It would be a misunderstanding. No one would believe that I was just lying here quietly.”
“What does it matter? We’ll be officially married in a few days.”
“...”
Black frowned as he looked at Liene. However, it did not mean that he was displeased or disagreed.
"...Oh."
Suddenly, he hugged her body tightly and covered her lips with his, leaving her speechless. The kiss that dug into her mouth was incomparably more intense than before.
Bang... bang.
“Princess. Aren’t you inside?”
Madam Flambard, unaware of the situation, seemed to be loitering outside, debating whether or not to open the door, while Black did not stop kissing her. In fact, it seemed to be getting hotter.
"Princess?"
The passionate kiss was stopped just before Madam Flambard could no longer bear it and opened the door.
“Ah... Why is it like this..."
“Princess. Aren’t you inside?”
Madam Flambard, unaware of the situation, seemed to be loitering outside, debating whether or not to open the door, while Black did not stop kissing her. In fact, it seemed to be getting hotter.
"Princess?"
The passionate kiss was stopped just before Madam Flambard could no longer bear it and opened the door.
“Ah... Why is it like this..."
"Suddenly..."
"Suddenly?"
“Because it’s so pretty.”
"... Yes?"
Liene never thought she would hear such words from him. As Liene stood there with her mouth open, Black leisurely kissed her parted lips again. It was a kiss that left a gentle sound.
“Can you not open the door?”
“Ah, I have to open it now...”
It's late.
“Princess, I’m sorry, but I need to check if you’re inside. I can hear you, but why aren’t you saying anything...”
Bam!
The bedroom door opened.
“Princess... Princess...? Princess!”
The woman who entered the room became a stone statue, holding onto the doorknob. Her complexion turned from pale to gray.
“Uh, what... what happened... how?”
“Good... ahem, morning. Madam Flambard.”
“Princess... Princess...? Princess!”
The woman who entered the room became a stone statue, holding onto the doorknob. Her complexion turned from pale to gray.
“Uh, what... what happened... how?”
“Good... ahem, morning. Madam Flambard.”
It wasn't as humiliating as it was then, but it was still embarrassing. Liene pretended not to notice Black wiping his mouth with his finger and pushed him away.
“You need not be so surprised. Lord Tiwakan slept in this room last night. My fiancé deserves the same treatment as I do.”
“That, that’s right... but it’s too, all of a sudden...”
"Ma'am."
When Liene spoke sternly, Madam Flambard shut her mouth in surprise. She tried to look stern, but it was no use since her cheeks were as red as apples.
“Yes. Then I’ll... uh... ah, I’ll prepare some water for you to wash in.”
“Yes, that would be great.”
“Yes, yes, Princess. Of course. Of course.”
The woman ran into the bathroom with a still dazed expression on her face. Liene let out a long sigh as if she was still alive.
“Now... Ahem, Lord Tiwakan, please prepare to greet the morning.”
It was a polite way of saying to go out.
“I really don’t feel like doing that.”
“...What did you say?”
Black laughed briefly because Liene was so serious.
“But I’ll go out and try.”
“Yes, then.”
Even though it was only for a moment, Black's smiling face left a deep afterimage. She wished he hadn't smiled like that. Then she think she'd want to keep holding onto this morning...
The woman ran into the bathroom with a still dazed expression on her face. Liene let out a long sigh as if she was still alive.
“Now... Ahem, Lord Tiwakan, please prepare to greet the morning.”
It was a polite way of saying to go out.
“I really don’t feel like doing that.”
“...What did you say?”
Black laughed briefly because Liene was so serious.
“But I’ll go out and try.”
“Yes, then.”
Even though it was only for a moment, Black's smiling face left a deep afterimage. She wished he hadn't smiled like that. Then she think she'd want to keep holding onto this morning...
Ah, really. What am I thinking? Why on earth am I doing this?
"Princess."
As they each got up from the beds, Black called out to Liene.
"Yes?"
Black quickly grabbed Liene, who was turning her head towards him and kissed her on the lips. His lips touched her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her cheek, and her philtrum, then left.
“Can I have breakfast with you?”
“That’s fine. But why do you keep kissing... It takes more time.”
“Don’t forget.”
Black glanced at her lips one last time before letting Liene go.
“See you later.”
“...”
Liene stood there and watched him leave the bedroom. Her heart felt like a lake. The suspicious waves swayed endlessly.
"Princess."
As they each got up from the beds, Black called out to Liene.
"Yes?"
Black quickly grabbed Liene, who was turning her head towards him and kissed her on the lips. His lips touched her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her cheek, and her philtrum, then left.
“Can I have breakfast with you?”
“That’s fine. But why do you keep kissing... It takes more time.”
“Don’t forget.”
Black glanced at her lips one last time before letting Liene go.
“See you later.”
“...”
Liene stood there and watched him leave the bedroom. Her heart felt like a lake. The suspicious waves swayed endlessly.
What do you mean, don’t forget...
She wished he had told her that. If he hadn’t told her, she would only remember the feeling of his lips, which he had diligently pressed here and there.
***
"Princess."
Madam Flambard, who had arrived at the bathroom first, had now lost much of her surprise.
“Stand here. I’ll roll up your sleeves.”
“Thank you, Ma’am. I’ll do the washing myself.”
Madam Flambard folded the ends of her clothes neatly so that they would not get wet while washing. But even though Liene was leaning over the bowl of water, she showed no sign of going out.
“Princess, I know it may be presumptuous of you to ask, but I really cannot help but ask. Did you really sleep with him last night?”
“That... Ahem, it’s not exactly as it looks...”
“You didn’t do that, did you?”
“...That’s right.”
Actually, Liene thought Madam Flambard would know somehow. She was quick-witted and knew her stuff better than she did.
“No matter how much I think about it, sleeping together is just too absurd. The Princess would never do something like that on impulse. And considering what happened yesterday, it’s even more absurd. Didn’t the Tiwakan chief clearly misunderstand the Princess and get angry because of what Lord Kleinfelter did?”
“It was.”
“How could you sleep with someone like that? You never know what he might do when he gets angry.”
“...”
Liene's expression became strange. Black was clearly different than usual. The voice that had been piercing her ears, demanding that she pay the price, made her heart ache even when she recalled it now. But he didn't do anything. He's not that kind of person.
“Madam, I would refrain from saying such things. Lord Tiwakan is now..."
Madam Flambard tilted her head in thought and missed what Liene was saying.
“Anyway, I thought so, but isn’t there one thing that is too strange? There must have been such a great misunderstanding, and yet to my eyes, the Princess and the chieftain of Tiwakan look as affectionate as a pair of newlywed lovebirds. What on earth could be going on?”
“...”
"Princess?"
When Liene hesitated, Madame Flambard pressed for an answer.
"That is..."
Yes. That's how it happened. The man suddenly offered to put some medicine on her. He said he shouldn't refuse because it's something she's done before. Then he said he'd kiss her. When Liene closed her eyes, she remembered the tingling sensation of his lips on the back of her neck.
"Princess?"
“...Ah, I was thinking about what happened.”
And he said he wanted to sleep in her room... She brought him a blanket, and... In the morning, he found a mole under her earlobe. He kissed her, saying she didn't know anything... and said she was so pretty.
“So what I saw was right? Did you open your heart to him?”
“I don’t know...”
All of that just rained down and flowed like a river. It was clear that Black had not cleared up the misunderstanding. He didn’t seem to want to believe it. All Liene could say was that it was a misunderstanding. She couldn’t do anything more. Liene couldn’t trust Black either, and just as she had lied to him many times, she would continue to do so. But he didn’t hate her at all. His eyes found what others couldn’t see was kind, and his gestures made her body tremble. Liene couldn’t figure out why, in this situation, such feelings would never go away.
“You don’t know?”
“Yes... I don’t know.”
Madame Flambard, who had been looking at Liene for a moment, sighed.
“I heard that’s how it was originally... It really is.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a matter of men and women. It happens in the blink of an eye and no one knows exactly why.”
“That... I think it might be a little different....”
Madam Flambard shook her chin as if to say, what difference could there be?
“Princess. I know nothing, but please listen to me. It’s about having children... I think it would be best to let him know that it’s absolutely not possible. I may be a complete idiot when it comes to politics, but I know a little more about the issues between men and women, so I’m telling you this.”
“...”
Liene knew that Madam Flambard's words were for her benefit. It was just that she couldn't do it. Not yet.
“I can't.”
“Princess... After you get married, there’s no point in telling such lies.”
“I know, that’s it. I want to say it too. There’s no such thing as a child.”
There's no other man she can't forget. It's really a misunderstanding. She's never thought of him half as much as she does of him.
“...But before that, there’s something I need to know. I can’t pretend not to know it.”
“What on earth is going on that makes you do this?”
Maybe it was time to talk to his wife.
“There are those who say that Lord Tiwakan proposed to me for another reason... not for marriage, but for another... terrible reason.”
“Huh? No, who says that? How do you know that?”
“I don’t know if it’s true or not. But I can’t pretend not to know. If it’s true, even by a small amount, there’s no turning back.”
“That’s... yes, that’s right.”
“Sir Werose has gone out to look into it, but I don’t know if he will return before the wedding.”
“Then what should we do? Shouldn’t we postpone the wedding?”
“Maybe.”
Liene took Madame Flambard's hand. It was a moment when she had to ask for something dangerous.
“But I think there is someone else who knows besides Lord Werose.”
“Who is that?”
“Madam, can you meet him?”
Liene won't be able to move for a while. She didn't know what Klinefelter would do now that Lafitte was locked up, and Black said he didn't trust her, so if she tried to meet someone, she just be adding more unnecessary suspicion. This was a more dangerous secret than the misunderstanding about Lafitte.
“Yes, Princess.”
The woman, who had never been outside the castle since becoming Liene's nanny, bit her lips and nodded several times.
“Who should I meet?”
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment