“I am not good at this kind of thing.”
Black opened his mouth as he watched Liene's fingertips carefully brush the bottom of his neck.
“What... is it?”
“Something like this.”
Black grabbed Liene's hand and placed it on his cheek. Before she knew it, he was bending his knees to adjust her height.
“I don’t know much about women. I don’t have much experience in that area. I’m not good at reading signals. So I might be wrong.”
This time, it was the other hand. Black, who had been interrupted for a moment, placed his other hand on her cheek as well. Now, Liene was holding Black’s face with both hands.
“Does the expression you’re making right now mean you want to kiss me?”
“...”
...What do you mean you don’t know? You know everything. What’s so awkward about that?
“If I’m wrong, tell me. Otherwise, I’ll listen to what I want.”
Liar. This guy might be really good at lying.
“You were not wrong...”
Black smiled faintly as he watched Liene answer in a voice as small as a mosquito.
“Do you want me to kiss you?”
Why are you asking when you already know...?
“Then I will do it, so please do something.”
...Wait a minute. Something seems a little off. This guy is making a condition when he kisses me.
“If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to do it...”
“What did you mean by good? Just now, talking to myself.”
Black quickly spoke before Liene could refuse.
“I told you it would be nice to meet at the temple.”
“That’s... um... If you go and meet me... I’ll come with you when I come back...”
"And?"
“It’s better than going alone...”
“Do you like it better when I’m with you than when you’re alone?”
Liene's eyes rolled around in circles, lost as to where to go.
“Please answer me. Do you like it?”
“...You know, right?”
“But I still want to hear it.”
Black bowed his head towards Liene.
“Close your eyes. I’ll kiss you.”
“If I’m wrong, tell me. Otherwise, I’ll listen to what I want.”
Liar. This guy might be really good at lying.
“You were not wrong...”
Black smiled faintly as he watched Liene answer in a voice as small as a mosquito.
“Do you want me to kiss you?”
Why are you asking when you already know...?
“Then I will do it, so please do something.”
...Wait a minute. Something seems a little off. This guy is making a condition when he kisses me.
“If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to do it...”
“What did you mean by good? Just now, talking to myself.”
Black quickly spoke before Liene could refuse.
“I told you it would be nice to meet at the temple.”
“That’s... um... If you go and meet me... I’ll come with you when I come back...”
"And?"
“It’s better than going alone...”
“Do you like it better when I’m with you than when you’re alone?”
Liene's eyes rolled around in circles, lost as to where to go.
“Please answer me. Do you like it?”
“...You know, right?”
“But I still want to hear it.”
Black bowed his head towards Liene.
“Close your eyes. I’ll kiss you.”
“...”
Liene was thinking of keeping her eyes open for a bit because she found him a bit annoying, but the moment she heard those words, they closed on their own.
“Give me your lips.”
Black whispered just before their lips overlapped. This man is asking for a lot today. Liene opened her lips with that thought. What if this keeps happening?
But she already knew in her heart that it didn’t matter. The things Black asked her to do were very easy. All she had to do was open her mouth like she was doing now and let him know that she was happy for him.
***
I have to talk today.
A faint sound of water could be heard from the bathroom beyond the door. It was the sound of Black washing himself before going to bed. Liene, who had used the bathroom before that and changed into her pajamas, sat in front of the mirror and brushed her hair, making sure to herself the whole time.
That she wasn’t pregnant. She had only lied back then because she was thinking of rejecting his proposal. That she was sorry for lying. That the child she would give birth to in the future would be no one else’s child but his. She had to say that.
As she thought about that, the tips of her fingers that were brushing her hair began to tremble slightly without her knowing. If you think about it, it might seem like nothing, but she was so nervous that her mouth was dry... Then, would she also say that she had no experience yet?
That was also a concern.
If she had told him that she had never slept with Lafitte, the conversation would naturally go that far, but Liene found that conversation endlessly embarrassing...
That man must have had some experience. She remembered what had happened during the day.
"I don't know much about women. I don't have much experience in that area."
Inexperience and not having much were completely different things. And that guy was just... good at everything. There’s no way he wouldn’t have experience.
When Liene thought about that, she felt strange. Her emotions were bumpy and uneven.
Did he do that with other women...? Like he did with me. Did he look at her so passionately and keep brushing her lips with his own even after the kiss ended as if he was still sad? Did he suddenly hug her and give her a passionate kiss and when she asked why, did he say it was because she was too pretty?
Her mood suddenly sank. It didn’t make sense, but Liene seemed a little angry for some reason.
I’m all for him. He’s not. But I couldn’t feel wronged. He doesn’t know that I’m his first...
Maybe he’d feel even more wrong. Maybe she should say something. She should say that he's her first time, and she should ask him how many women he’s dated in the past. It wouldn’t change anything, but she felt like Imshs should at least listen.
Yes. Today. I’m talking.
Knock knock.
Just then there was a small knock on the bedroom door.
“Who is it?”
The faint sound of water could still be heard in the bathroom. So it wasn't Black, but someone else. Liene glanced at the bathroom and approached the bedroom door.
“Who is it?”
“It"s me, princess.”
It was Madam Flambard. Liene opened the door with a smile.
“Welcome, ma’am. Thank you for your hard work up to this late hour.”
The woman's face looked tired. It was understandable, as she had been out and about all day.
“Who is it?”
The faint sound of water could still be heard in the bathroom. So it wasn't Black, but someone else. Liene glanced at the bathroom and approached the bedroom door.
“Who is it?”
“It"s me, princess.”
It was Madam Flambard. Liene opened the door with a smile.
“Welcome, ma’am. Thank you for your hard work up to this late hour.”
The woman's face looked tired. It was understandable, as she had been out and about all day.
“I guess you were about to fall asleep... But can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Yes, come in.”
“Yes, Princess.”
Madam Flambard entered the bedroom. Then she heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom and stopped in her tracks, startled.
“Yes, come in.”
“Yes, Princess.”
Madam Flambard entered the bedroom. Then she heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom and stopped in her tracks, startled.
“Is he here?”
The voice was suspiciously small.
“Yes. Now you know that he has decided to use the room next door.”
“Then we need to move.”
"Yes?"
The woman urgently pulled Liene's hand.
“This is something he shouldn’t hear.”
“What... are you saying he shouldn’t hear that? Lord Tiwakan?”
"Yes."
The woman nodded firmly. Now Liene see that she not only looked tired but also scared.
“...”
Liene glanced at the bathroom. What kind of story is it that Black shouldn't hear? Is it something bad? Then I don't want to hear it... But I have to. I can't not know about that man.
The voice was suspiciously small.
“Yes. Now you know that he has decided to use the room next door.”
“Then we need to move.”
"Yes?"
The woman urgently pulled Liene's hand.
“This is something he shouldn’t hear.”
“What... are you saying he shouldn’t hear that? Lord Tiwakan?”
"Yes."
The woman nodded firmly. Now Liene see that she not only looked tired but also scared.
“...”
Liene glanced at the bathroom. What kind of story is it that Black shouldn't hear? Is it something bad? Then I don't want to hear it... But I have to. I can't not know about that man.
Liene bit her lip and nodded.
“Then I’ll go out.”
Liene and Madame Flambard walked quietly out of the bedroom, making sure not to make a sound in the bathroom.
“Then I’ll go out.”
Liene and Madame Flambard walked quietly out of the bedroom, making sure not to make a sound in the bathroom.
***
The two moved to the audience room at the top of the south tower. It was certainly a place where no one would be looking at at this hour. Madame Flambard’s bedroom was also dangerous. The room opposite the one Black had used before was frequently visited by Fermos and was used as another office.
“Now tell me. What is the matter?”
“I looked for the old man as the Princess instructed. Yes, I did.”
The lady's story was not short. First of all, it was difficult to meet the old man. The stairs in front of the temple were currently under construction, so it was always busy. There was no place for the beggar old man to sit comfortably like before. Because of that, she had to ask people where he was and wander through the alleys. During that time, the lady witnessed a strange sight. It was a servant who gave the temple's water bread to the old man who was begging and then got beaten with a cane.
“It happened again...”
Liene frowned.
“Did you see it too, Princess? Anyway, I couldn’t stand to watch, so I tried to stop it. But the servant stopped me instead. He said he should be beaten more.”
The old man hit him several more times before he stopped beating him.
“I was cautious about talking to the old man because he seemed so eccentric. However, how could I not grant the Princess’s request? I told the old man that it was the Princess’s order and told him to open his mouth about him. Then the old man...”
The old man spoke a similar story to what Liene had heard. Nauk's sins have returned. Arsak's daughter will shed blood.
“Now tell me. What is the matter?”
“I looked for the old man as the Princess instructed. Yes, I did.”
The lady's story was not short. First of all, it was difficult to meet the old man. The stairs in front of the temple were currently under construction, so it was always busy. There was no place for the beggar old man to sit comfortably like before. Because of that, she had to ask people where he was and wander through the alleys. During that time, the lady witnessed a strange sight. It was a servant who gave the temple's water bread to the old man who was begging and then got beaten with a cane.
“It happened again...”
Liene frowned.
“Did you see it too, Princess? Anyway, I couldn’t stand to watch, so I tried to stop it. But the servant stopped me instead. He said he should be beaten more.”
The old man hit him several more times before he stopped beating him.
“I was cautious about talking to the old man because he seemed so eccentric. However, how could I not grant the Princess’s request? I told the old man that it was the Princess’s order and told him to open his mouth about him. Then the old man...”
The old man spoke a similar story to what Liene had heard. Nauk's sins have returned. Arsak's daughter will shed blood.
“I can’t understand it at all. What the hell is that old man talking about, using such difficult language like a priest? So I asked him to speak clearly, to first tell me who he was. The old man said something, and as you know, it’s quite difficult to understand what he’s saying. So I asked him to write it down. The old man wrote on the floor with his unclean hands...”
Just as he was barely able to write down a couple of letters, Tiwakan's mercenaries, led by Fermos, stormed in. They said they had come from the temple to find their nephew, Klima. Klima had run away, and Tiwacan took the old man away, saying that he was asking about his nephew's whereabouts.
“But I... The reason seems far-fetched. The person ran away right before his eyes, so how could the old man know where he was?”
The lady did not forget that Liene had kept her request to find the old man a secret. If she continued to protest there, she would have been suspicious, so she had no choice but to tell him to stop. The problem started after that. After Tiwakan left with the old man, the lady saw the mark on the floor where his shoe had been stamped. Coincidentally, it was the place where the old man had written Black’s name.
"Ah..."
Liene let out a small sigh.
“I didn’t even notice that he was stomping on the floor. He was talking so fast that I couldn’t even focus on listening to him. But, strangely, he stomped on the exact spot where his name was written.”
“...”
It was strange. Liene knew how clever Fermos was. There was no way he would have done something so meaningless as a coincidence. But why?
Just as he was barely able to write down a couple of letters, Tiwakan's mercenaries, led by Fermos, stormed in. They said they had come from the temple to find their nephew, Klima. Klima had run away, and Tiwacan took the old man away, saying that he was asking about his nephew's whereabouts.
“But I... The reason seems far-fetched. The person ran away right before his eyes, so how could the old man know where he was?”
The lady did not forget that Liene had kept her request to find the old man a secret. If she continued to protest there, she would have been suspicious, so she had no choice but to tell him to stop. The problem started after that. After Tiwakan left with the old man, the lady saw the mark on the floor where his shoe had been stamped. Coincidentally, it was the place where the old man had written Black’s name.
"Ah..."
Liene let out a small sigh.
“I didn’t even notice that he was stomping on the floor. He was talking so fast that I couldn’t even focus on listening to him. But, strangely, he stomped on the exact spot where his name was written.”
“...”
It was strange. Liene knew how clever Fermos was. There was no way he would have done something so meaningless as a coincidence. But why?
The time difference was also very coincidental. Liene told Black about the old man, and Black assured him that he would not recognize him. Fermos went to the temple to find his disciple Klima and captured the old man instead. It was as if... that man had secretly ordered Sir Fermos to take the old man away.
“What on earth does Nauk’s sin mean? It seemed clear that the old man knew something. That’s why he tried to write down the name.”
"Sin..."
“What on earth does Nauk’s sin mean? It seemed clear that the old man knew something. That’s why he tried to write down the name.”
"Sin..."
The old man said that Black would seek revenge. Revenge requires resentment. The death of a blood relative was reason enough to resent, but Black said that it was a long time ago and he had forgotten all about it. He said that Arsak's daughter would bleed. Black said that he had only come to get Arsak's daughter back. He did not want to lose his childhood fiancee. Which of the two is true?
“So you couldn’t recognize the name at all?”
“Yes, Princess. The old man's hand was shaking when he wrote it, so it didn't look quite right. I think there was an 'o' in there, and I think I saw a 'p'.”
“I’m sorry, Princess. Tiwakan showed up so suddenly.”
Her suspicions grew, but she still wanted too much to believe what Black had said.
“Madam. Did you know that when I was young, there may have been talk of an engagement?”
“Huh? When did that happen?”
“It was about... twenty years ago.”
“It was about... twenty years ago.”
“At that time, the Princess was only four or five years old. How could you be engaged at that age?”
“That’s true, but... what if the other person was young too.”
“Then it must have been a political marriage between families.”
“Yes, I think so. Don’t you remember?”
“It has not been sixteen years since I entered the palace and served the Princess. Do you remember? The first time I met the Princess was on your ninth birthday. Yours was already so dignified. Even when the Queen was sick and lying in bed, you never once acted childish.”
“That’s... right. I met Madam when I was nine. So the engagement was before that.”
“Yes. I have never heard of the Princess being engaged, so either it never happened before or it was never formal.”
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