Linden Klinefelter's threats continued.
“Send the eldest son back. That’s the only reason your neck isn’t broken right now. Your body needs to be intact to be able to roast and boil barbarians.”
“Make no mistake. The days of the Kleinfelters getting away with whatever they want are over. Come to your senses and prepare to welcome the co-ruler of Nauk.”
“You seem to trust those beasts and are acting like this, so you should think about it with your small head. Do you think he came to Nauk to take your side for no reason?”
“...?”
Following Lafitte, even Linden Kleinfelter was saying that Black had intentions. What on earth do those people know? Liene deliberately made a more cold face.
“What nonsense are you talking about now?”
“He came to cut off your neck. He came to this land under the pretext of marriage. He will mercilessly get rid of people like you once you are no longer useful. Didn’t he think of that obvious thing?”
“No way. Don’t you know that you are talking nonsense? The chieftain of Tiwakan is doing all this to get Nauk. It’s ridiculous. Why would he covet this small place that he could take in a day if he wanted to?”
Linden Klinefelter made a very strange, strange laugh.
“You can think so freely because you don’t know anything. That’s why the crown doesn’t fit you.”
“What don’t I know?”
As Liene dug in, Linden Klinefelter turned his head as if he had said something he shouldn't have said.
“Well, it looks like he's going to have some fun before he cuts off your neck. Your body might look acceptable to the beast. And he's already invested money.”
“Shut your filthy mouth! Tell me what I don’t know... ugh!”
A scream escaped Klinefelter as he squeezed Liene's wrist as if he were going to break it. Taking advantage of the brief pause in speech, Klinefelter quickly blurted out what he wanted to say.
“There’s only one way unless you want to feed Nauk whole to him. Send Lafitte out. And kill him.”
“What... absolutely not...”
“There are ways to do it. Just drag him into bed. Make him let his guard down, then stab him in the neck. I’ll take care of the rest. That’s the only way to drive the beasts out of Nauk.”
“Huh, wit... Why would I... that person?”
“Even if I tell you this, you still don’t understand? Do I have to show you some evidence that he’s trying to cut off your head?”
“...!”
Liene raised her head sharply.
“There is... evidence?”
“...!”
Liene raised her head sharply.
“There is... evidence?”
***
If she had to choose the one thing she most desperately wanted, it might be this. The truth about Black. What was he trying to do in this small land? Was it really revenge? Was the target the royal family of Nauk?
Liene wanted to know. Even if the one who gave her the answer was Klinefelter.
“What is that...? What is that?”
She wanted to know so desperately.
“Do you want to know? Then kill him.”
“What is that...? What is that?”
She wanted to know so desperately.
“Do you want to know? Then kill him.”
“That’s nonsense. Show me the evidence first. If there really is such a thing.”
Linden Klinefelter gave a crooked, ugly laugh.
“Negotiating in the midst of all this? You don’t have the luxury of that. You’re the one who wants to know.”
“Which side came to ask for the eldest son’s life? It would be you who would be more sorry, so don’t even think about bargaining and just give it to me...”
“Oh, I want to know too.”
Suddenly, a completely incongruous voice rose from the floor, causing everyone in the room to freeze.
“What are you doing, my lord?”
It was Fermos. The reason it was heard from the floor was because he was hiding under the desk. However, the words that he was hiding were meaningless because he looked calm and lethargic as if he had taken a nap in his room.
“Why the rat!”
The most surprised of all was, of course, Linden Klinefelter. He shouted, almost jumping up and down, without any sense of shame. It was obvious that he was so flustered that he didn't even think about not shouting.
“That’s right. You were both hiding, so why are you calling me a rat? What on earth are you trying to do?”
Liene bit her lip hard, almost laughing out loud. The word “laughing” was not enough. The royal office was not a den of rats, and any human could sneak in without permission. Of course, there was nothing to steal or hide, but it was definitely not a place where one could come and go as they pleased without permission.
“Sir Fermos. What were you doing under my desk? I never gave you permission to enter this office.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about that. I have nothing to say even if I had ten mouths, so I’ll gladly accept the punishment.”
Fermos had a gloomy expression on his face as if he was truly sorry. But that didn't mean he had forgotten his priorities.
“But could you put that aside for now? I wonder why you would... Oh, I can’t even bring myself to quote that expression. It makes my mouth feel dirty. Anyway, I’m really curious as to why you would do such a ridiculous thing. Would you, little rat, please open your mouth? What evidence is there?”
"...Shut up!"
Linden Klinefelter, who had been rolling his eyes like crazy, suddenly started screaming and rushed at Fermos. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way to handle this. The best solution was to kill Fermos and silence him.
“Tsk. Just like the Princess said, you are a rude and stupid person. You should know who you are attacking before you attack.”
Although he was a bespectacled, smart-looking staff member, Fermos was also a man who had been on the battlefield for ten years. He dodged lightly and tripped Linden Klinefelter's ankle.
Boom! Boom!
“Ugh!”
Linden Klinefelter stumbled forward and hit his head on the edge of the desk. Fermos quickly stepped on the back of his neck as he fell to the floor.
“Ugh, ugh! How dare you...! Get out of my way!”
Linden Kleinfelter flailed his arms and struggled, but it was no use. Fermos stood there leisurely and spoke to the back of Linden Kleinfelter's head.
“I’ll give you a chance. If you open your mouth here, I’ll tell you half of what you said. I’ll tell you the dirty words that will make my mouth rot, but I’ll soften them a bit. I promise you, that’s a pretty good deal. My master doesn’t usually get angry, but when he does, it’s terrible.”
“What the... nonsense, ugh!”
“Tell me. What does my lord intend to do?”
“That’s obvious, don’t he... if not, then out of all the places... why is this place so small, ul...hmph!”
Fermos put strength into the foot that had stepped on his neck.
“That’s not it. It wasn’t such a vague feeling. Didn’t you say there was evidence?”
“I guess I’ll tell you that... Ugh!”
A painful sound was heard from the tip of Fermos's feet.
“Princess! What are you doing! Why don’t you stop him!”
Masilou grabbed Liene's sleeve and hung on.
“A mere mercenary dares to trample on the great leader of Nauk! How can we stand by and watch such insolence!”
At those words, both Liene and Fermos looked shocked.
“But you just sat there and did nothing even though this man twisted the Princess’s wrist. Wasn’t that rude?”
“That, that is...”
Masilou hesitated, at a loss for words.
“It’s the same as telling me not to do it. What are you, a perfectly healthy man, doing, hanging on to the Princess’s sleeve? You’ve eaten up all your years, and you’re joking around with the Princess, who’s much younger than you. Isn’t that shameful?”
“Shame. How dare you...”
Masilou blushed and his breathing became labored. Looking at that expression, he could tell what the problem was. The people of Nauk had probably lived this way, leaving the state affairs to Liene. It was obvious that it had been the same since Kleinfelter, the High Councilor. He had heard that Liene had inherited the crown six years ago. She was a young adult. If she had taken on the throne at that age, it would have been difficult to distinguish between responsibility and sacrifice. She would have understood the demands of the High Council as the duty of a monarch and considered it her proper duty.
“Tsk. So you’re not going to say anything?”
“Ugh... Ugh!”
Linden Klinefelter was in a position where he could no longer speak, having been stepped on so hard in the neck.
“Then don’t worry about it. I warned you, clearly.”
Fermos kicked his feet. Then he grabbed Linden Kleinfelter by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away. It was clear that he was going to leave the office. If he opened the door, it would be over. There was no way to cover up what had happened that day.
"Princess!"
Masilou, who was becoming anxious, had no choice but to call Liene again.
“This can’t be happening! The royal family cannot turn against the Kleinfelter family! Stop him! Quickly!”
“...Me too.”
Fermos stopped dead in his tracks. It was obvious that this was the case every time. He turned his head and asked Liene.
“What should I do, Princess? Do you want to stop me?”
“..."
Of course, this did not mean that he would ignore Linden Kleinfelter. It was just that Fermos needed to know whose side Liene would ultimately take. Linden Kleinfelter had already told Liene to kill Black. Liene did not respond right away, but he needed to see what decision she had made.
"...No."
Liene took a deep breath and then answered.
“It’s not a situation where it would make sense to try to stop it. And I have no intention of trying to stop it.”
It was true. Now that Fermos knew, there was no way to cover it up. And Liene was disillusioned with covering up the Kleinfelter family’s accident with lies to Black. The Kleinfelter family would never change. As long as Lafitte lived, he would continue to commit the same accidents, and Linden Kleinfelter would naturally force Liene to cover up the accidents. It had to end somewhere, someday. Even if all the nobles in the Great Council opposed it, this time, she had to take it.
“Good idea.”
Fermos nodded with a smile, a stark contrast to the mouths of Masilou and Linden Kleinfelter, who alternately gaped in amazement.
“Ugh!”
Linden Klinefelter stumbled forward and hit his head on the edge of the desk. Fermos quickly stepped on the back of his neck as he fell to the floor.
“Ugh, ugh! How dare you...! Get out of my way!”
Linden Kleinfelter flailed his arms and struggled, but it was no use. Fermos stood there leisurely and spoke to the back of Linden Kleinfelter's head.
“I’ll give you a chance. If you open your mouth here, I’ll tell you half of what you said. I’ll tell you the dirty words that will make my mouth rot, but I’ll soften them a bit. I promise you, that’s a pretty good deal. My master doesn’t usually get angry, but when he does, it’s terrible.”
“What the... nonsense, ugh!”
“Tell me. What does my lord intend to do?”
“That’s obvious, don’t he... if not, then out of all the places... why is this place so small, ul...hmph!”
Fermos put strength into the foot that had stepped on his neck.
“That’s not it. It wasn’t such a vague feeling. Didn’t you say there was evidence?”
“I guess I’ll tell you that... Ugh!”
A painful sound was heard from the tip of Fermos's feet.
“Princess! What are you doing! Why don’t you stop him!”
Masilou grabbed Liene's sleeve and hung on.
“A mere mercenary dares to trample on the great leader of Nauk! How can we stand by and watch such insolence!”
At those words, both Liene and Fermos looked shocked.
“But you just sat there and did nothing even though this man twisted the Princess’s wrist. Wasn’t that rude?”
“That, that is...”
Masilou hesitated, at a loss for words.
“It’s the same as telling me not to do it. What are you, a perfectly healthy man, doing, hanging on to the Princess’s sleeve? You’ve eaten up all your years, and you’re joking around with the Princess, who’s much younger than you. Isn’t that shameful?”
“Shame. How dare you...”
Masilou blushed and his breathing became labored. Looking at that expression, he could tell what the problem was. The people of Nauk had probably lived this way, leaving the state affairs to Liene. It was obvious that it had been the same since Kleinfelter, the High Councilor. He had heard that Liene had inherited the crown six years ago. She was a young adult. If she had taken on the throne at that age, it would have been difficult to distinguish between responsibility and sacrifice. She would have understood the demands of the High Council as the duty of a monarch and considered it her proper duty.
“Tsk. So you’re not going to say anything?”
“Ugh... Ugh!”
Linden Klinefelter was in a position where he could no longer speak, having been stepped on so hard in the neck.
“Then don’t worry about it. I warned you, clearly.”
Fermos kicked his feet. Then he grabbed Linden Kleinfelter by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away. It was clear that he was going to leave the office. If he opened the door, it would be over. There was no way to cover up what had happened that day.
"Princess!"
Masilou, who was becoming anxious, had no choice but to call Liene again.
“This can’t be happening! The royal family cannot turn against the Kleinfelter family! Stop him! Quickly!”
“...Me too.”
Fermos stopped dead in his tracks. It was obvious that this was the case every time. He turned his head and asked Liene.
“What should I do, Princess? Do you want to stop me?”
“..."
Of course, this did not mean that he would ignore Linden Kleinfelter. It was just that Fermos needed to know whose side Liene would ultimately take. Linden Kleinfelter had already told Liene to kill Black. Liene did not respond right away, but he needed to see what decision she had made.
"...No."
Liene took a deep breath and then answered.
“It’s not a situation where it would make sense to try to stop it. And I have no intention of trying to stop it.”
It was true. Now that Fermos knew, there was no way to cover it up. And Liene was disillusioned with covering up the Kleinfelter family’s accident with lies to Black. The Kleinfelter family would never change. As long as Lafitte lived, he would continue to commit the same accidents, and Linden Kleinfelter would naturally force Liene to cover up the accidents. It had to end somewhere, someday. Even if all the nobles in the Great Council opposed it, this time, she had to take it.
“Good idea.”
Fermos nodded with a smile, a stark contrast to the mouths of Masilou and Linden Kleinfelter, who alternately gaped in amazement.
“Then we will drag this man out and lock him up. I look forward to the trial.”
Knock!
Knock!
After finishing speaking, Fermos opened the door to his office that had been tightly shut.
“Hey, over there! Come here. Take this guy away. Oh, and there’s another one inside, too.”
Unfortunately, Masilou realized a little too late that the one inside was referring to him.
“Hey, over there! Come here. Take this guy away. Oh, and there’s another one inside, too.”
Unfortunately, Masilou realized a little too late that the one inside was referring to him.
***
Tiwakan's work was very quick. He locked Masilou and Kleinfelter in the dungeon. Then he weeded out the guards who had turned a blind eye to Kleinfelter entering the castle. The captain of the guards was furious, but Fermos did not give in an inch. In the meantime, the breakfast time that Black had suggested had passed.
“...There’s no one here.”
When Liene arrived, the restaurant was empty. The food on the table was cooling down without anyone touching it. Still, she could tell that Black was in the restaurant. One of the chairs was tilted back and overturned. Black, who had probably arrived early and was waiting for her, had left the restaurant after receiving the report.
“...There’s no one here.”
When Liene arrived, the restaurant was empty. The food on the table was cooling down without anyone touching it. Still, she could tell that Black was in the restaurant. One of the chairs was tilted back and overturned. Black, who had probably arrived early and was waiting for her, had left the restaurant after receiving the report.
Liene sat down across from where Black had been sitting. She wasn’t expecting Black to come back. She thought that since that had happened, he must have had something to do. Liene just didn’t want to unilaterally break her promise with him.
“I should have changed my clothes.”
Liene muttered as she unfolded the neatly folded napkin on the table and placed it on her lap. Her wrist, with its crimson handprint, was revealed through the sleeve of her lilac dress, which she had deliberately dressed up neatly.
“Ugly.”
“I should have changed my clothes.”
Liene muttered as she unfolded the neatly folded napkin on the table and placed it on her lap. Her wrist, with its crimson handprint, was revealed through the sleeve of her lilac dress, which she had deliberately dressed up neatly.
“Ugly.”
Liene, who had been lightly touching her wrist, frowned. Not only was it ugly, but it also hurt. It also seemed to be swelling up a little.
“I hope you’re not seriously injured.”
Liene picked up her fork and knife and cut the nearest roast pheasant. Every time she moved her wrist, it hurt, but she was able to move for now.
“...It’s okay. This much is enough.”
Liene had no appetite at all, but unfortunately, the food was excellent. It seemed like there was a skilled chef in Tiwakan. It was really rare for her to encounter such a fancy dish...
It was a shame. Black, who invited her to the meal, must have put a lot of effort into it. That was why it was even more regrettable.
I wish we had eaten together.
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