Liene thought about it for a long time, but she knew one thing. She didn't want to change this relationship for something that hadn't even happened. If she were to get hurt, it would be painful, but it wouldn't be as painful as losing him.
“What are you talking about, making that face?”
Liene smiled and shook her head. Then she whispered softly in Black’s ear.
If it was the Black he knew, there was no way he would be lazy when there was someone to catch. He couldn't call helping his beloved wife with her bathing lazy, but it was very different from the usual way he knew him.
“I cut off the torso in the middle.”
It was Bayar who had been thinking. Now that he was caught, there wasn’t much that Werose or Lafitte Kleinfelter could do. Thanks to Fermos, people knew full well that Kleinfelter was the reason Liene had disappeared. No nobles were rushing to save Ternan Kleinfelter, who was hanging in the square of the gods. The only problem that would come was the madness of the Grand Princess Bliny, but that was still a matter of time. Black had no reason to give up the time he had with Liene now.
“If there’s a problem, handle it yourself. If you can’t handle it, call Fermos.”
“No, what are you talking about! Of course, I can handle it. Understood, my lord!”
Randall, who realized it too late, bowed his head deeply and quickly disappeared.
“...Since your intentions seem very firm, I will yield this time.”
With Randall gone, Madam Flambard was left helpless to stop Black.
“The Princess is too indifferent to minor wounds, so Lord Tiwakan must take good care of her.”
"I get it."
Black went into the bathroom. Looking at his back, Madam Flambard felt a little sad that Liene had been taken away from her, but she was also happy that it was so nice.
“I have to prepare some clothes for her.”
Madam Flambard nodded and headed toward the bedroom.
“Those two haven’t been caught yet.”
The conversation taking place outside the bathroom could be heard inside.
“Don’t worry. They’ll catch you soon, and even if it takes time, there’s nothing much you can do about it.”
As before, Liene sat on the edge of the bathtub with a towel wrapped around her body. The reason she didn't get into the bathtub was because of her wound. Black rolled up his sleeves and approached her.
“Well, don’t worry. But a little...”
"A little?"
"I think Madam Flambard might be feeling better now.”
Black ignored the polite request to leave.
“No.”
“That’s right. I forgot that I couldn’t get into the bathtub.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes. I was embarrassed when I was in the water, but I’m even more embarrassed now.”
“Then go in. I have no intention of giving in.”
“No, my feet hurt.”
Since it's so raw, it would hurt if it got wet.
“Then let’s do it like this.”
“How?”
Black took off his outerwear and shoes and then lifted Liene into his arms.
“Oh, what are you going to do?”
“I was going to put you in the bathtub.”
Black entered the bathtub with Liene in his arms. He made his body into a chair and placed Liene on it, then carefully lifted his feet and placed them over the edge of the bathtub.
"Ah..."
She had never thought of it this way. It was the same with getting into the bath together. The towel was thin, and the water was warm. Liene felt strange.
“This... seems more embarrassing.”
“Didn’t you say you were embarrassed to show it?”
“Well... that’s right.”
“I can’t see anything right now.”
What do you mean, I can't see?
That's why it was so weird. Why do you keep saying that? That makes Liene anxious too.
“If it’s not going to change anything if you put it off, do it now. That would be better.”
Black stopped his lips.
“Then promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“If I absolutely have to do something, you’ll get angry.”
“...? I might not be angry.”
“That’s scarier to me.”
...I don’t know. What is this man talking about? Black gently swept the foot that was sticking out of the bathtub. The stinging sensation when it touched the water was now dull.
“I don’t know why I do that, but when I’m in a situation where I need to get angry, I’ll do my best to get angry.”
“I promised.”
Black held Liene closer to him in the water and began to speak slowly.
“It was the King’s ring. The ring worn by a crowned King.”
Henton, a knight who had fled from the hunting grounds where the rebellion had broken out, gave him the ring, which was the symbol of Gainers and the status of a King in itself. King Pembroyn passed the burden of Nauk on to his sickly eight-year-old son.
“It was quite difficult for me to keep the ring at that time.”
He was found by a passing merchant, abandoned and dying with the corpses. Until then, the area near the border of Nauk, the wealthiest royal palace in the South, was always bustling with trade, with markets open all the time. Help came at a price. The merchant hoped he would come to his senses and sold him to a slave trader in Bluewarren City.
“I had no place to put the ring, so I put it in the wound. In the wound on my side.”
Black's tone was calm, but Liene's body trembled endlessly. Unable to just sit there, she turned around and hugged his shoulder tightly.
“How did you... endure it? It must have hurt a lot.”
“It didn’t last long. I got caught because my wound was festering. And although I appreciate you holding me, your feet got soaked.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
This isn't even painful. You went through this. At the age of eight, all by yourself. Even though I'm sick, you're by my side. There are plenty of other people who would be acting up beside you. How can you call this painful?
“But that won’t do. Even if you don’t know it now, you’ll suffer later. It’ll also slow down healing.”
Black grabbed Liene's wet feet and changed her position, placing her back on the edge of the tub. Before doing so, he bent down and placed a short, tingling kiss on her scapula. The kiss hurt more than the wound, so she felt like crying.
“You must not forget the promise you made to be angry.”
Black's voice rang out softly from behind her. Liene clenched her teeth and held back her tears.
“The ring was taken away.”
The slave trader took the ring. The wound festered and he suffered for quite some time. His thoughts changed several times a day. He wanted to survive and get back what was taken from him, and he just wanted to give up.
“I ran away when I saw my chance.”
He took advantage of the gap when the wound was still healing and the surveillance was relaxed. He didn't have any purpose. He didn't know what to do. He just felt like he had to move. He felt like he would lose if he stayed.
“Maybe I just didn’t want to live as a slave.”
As Black lived his life as if he was running away or escaping, he grew older and his body grew. When he turned fourteen, he lied about his age and joined a small mercenary group.
“A mercenary group never lasts long. At best, it lasts three or four years, at worst, it lasts a year, and I have to keep changing affiliations a couple of times.”
By the age of seventeen, the weapon no longer felt heavy. The battlefield was more familiar to him than the city. It was around that time that he got the name Black. At that time, the mercenary group he belonged to was defeated in battle. Half of them died, and the other half survived and became prisoners of war. Those who could not pay the ransom were usually sold to slave traders. Mercenaries with strong bodies were the preferred products of slave traders. The slave trader who bought the four mercenaries, including him, happened to be the slave trader from Bluewarren City.
“I was lucky.”
Black laughed briefly and told the story of how four mercenaries ransacked the slaver's mansion. Choosing too high-quality goods was the cause of the trouble. It was easy for four decent mercenaries to deal with the guards hired by the slaver. Black found out the whereabouts of the ring from the slaver who was trembling and begging for his life. He said that he had sold the ring a long time ago. The slaver didn't even recognize him at first. That's why he knew that his appearance had changed a lot.
“What are you talking about, making that face?”
Liene smiled and shook her head. Then she whispered softly in Black’s ear.
“That’s the key Klinefelter was talking about. I think I know what it is.”
"Key?"
Black wasn't asking because he didn't know what the key was.
“I heard that the one who kidnapped the Princess was the captain of the guard. Did he know about the key?”
“No, that’s not it. I found it by searching through the royal records.”
“You mean that was recorded? Then it wouldn’t have been a secret.”
“I don’t know if it really has anything to do with the power of God, but I heard that the Gainers royal family had a ring that looked like a key. It was said that the jewels were arranged according to the royal family’s emblem, and it was long like a key.”
“...”
Black's expression crumpled slightly.
“Was this something you already knew?”
“No... I know that ring.”
A strange shadow appeared on the face that said that he knew.
“What kind of ring is it?”
As Liene was asking that question, Madam Flambard came rushing back from the bathroom.
“Princess! The water is fully heated. Let’s go to the bathroom quickly.”
Then Black sat up from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed and lifted Liene into his arms.
“I’ll tell you more after you wash up.”
“So I’m a little worried. Is there something incredibly scary or heartbreaking hidden in there?”
Liene's words were half a joke, but Black didn't laugh.
“I’m worried too.”
“Yes? Why?”
“I’m afraid that after hearing the story, the Princess will be very upset or become scared.”
Then she couldn't ask any more questions. What on earth could the Gainers' royal ring have that would hurt or scare her?
"Key?"
Black wasn't asking because he didn't know what the key was.
“I heard that the one who kidnapped the Princess was the captain of the guard. Did he know about the key?”
“No, that’s not it. I found it by searching through the royal records.”
“You mean that was recorded? Then it wouldn’t have been a secret.”
“I don’t know if it really has anything to do with the power of God, but I heard that the Gainers royal family had a ring that looked like a key. It was said that the jewels were arranged according to the royal family’s emblem, and it was long like a key.”
“...”
Black's expression crumpled slightly.
“Was this something you already knew?”
“No... I know that ring.”
A strange shadow appeared on the face that said that he knew.
“What kind of ring is it?”
As Liene was asking that question, Madam Flambard came rushing back from the bathroom.
“Princess! The water is fully heated. Let’s go to the bathroom quickly.”
Then Black sat up from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed and lifted Liene into his arms.
“I’ll tell you more after you wash up.”
“So I’m a little worried. Is there something incredibly scary or heartbreaking hidden in there?”
Liene's words were half a joke, but Black didn't laugh.
“I’m worried too.”
“Yes? Why?”
“I’m afraid that after hearing the story, the Princess will be very upset or become scared.”
Then she couldn't ask any more questions. What on earth could the Gainers' royal ring have that would hurt or scare her?
Black sat Liene on the edge of the bathtub. Until then, his expression was dark and made Liene tense.
***
There was a bit of a war of nerves after Liene went into the bathroom. Madam Flambard had already rolled up her sleeves and was getting ready to take a bath, but Black intervened. He said that since she helped her undress, it was his job to wash her. The wife looked very wronged and resentful, and Randall was confused. He grabbed Black, who was about to go into the bathroom and said.
“My lord. I’m not saying this because I’m really clueless, but I was just wondering if you’ve forgotten... The captain of the guard and Klinefelter have not been caught yet.”
“I know. I told you to bring him here.”
“Yes, of course, I’m still looking hard for it... but is that enough?”
“My lord. I’m not saying this because I’m really clueless, but I was just wondering if you’ve forgotten... The captain of the guard and Klinefelter have not been caught yet.”
“I know. I told you to bring him here.”
“Yes, of course, I’m still looking hard for it... but is that enough?”
If it was the Black he knew, there was no way he would be lazy when there was someone to catch. He couldn't call helping his beloved wife with her bathing lazy, but it was very different from the usual way he knew him.
“I cut off the torso in the middle.”
It was Bayar who had been thinking. Now that he was caught, there wasn’t much that Werose or Lafitte Kleinfelter could do. Thanks to Fermos, people knew full well that Kleinfelter was the reason Liene had disappeared. No nobles were rushing to save Ternan Kleinfelter, who was hanging in the square of the gods. The only problem that would come was the madness of the Grand Princess Bliny, but that was still a matter of time. Black had no reason to give up the time he had with Liene now.
“If there’s a problem, handle it yourself. If you can’t handle it, call Fermos.”
“No, what are you talking about! Of course, I can handle it. Understood, my lord!”
Randall, who realized it too late, bowed his head deeply and quickly disappeared.
“...Since your intentions seem very firm, I will yield this time.”
With Randall gone, Madam Flambard was left helpless to stop Black.
“The Princess is too indifferent to minor wounds, so Lord Tiwakan must take good care of her.”
"I get it."
Black went into the bathroom. Looking at his back, Madam Flambard felt a little sad that Liene had been taken away from her, but she was also happy that it was so nice.
“I have to prepare some clothes for her.”
Madam Flambard nodded and headed toward the bedroom.
***
“Those two haven’t been caught yet.”
The conversation taking place outside the bathroom could be heard inside.
“Don’t worry. They’ll catch you soon, and even if it takes time, there’s nothing much you can do about it.”
As before, Liene sat on the edge of the bathtub with a towel wrapped around her body. The reason she didn't get into the bathtub was because of her wound. Black rolled up his sleeves and approached her.
“Well, don’t worry. But a little...”
"A little?"
"I think Madam Flambard might be feeling better now.”
Black ignored the polite request to leave.
“No.”
“That’s right. I forgot that I couldn’t get into the bathtub.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes. I was embarrassed when I was in the water, but I’m even more embarrassed now.”
“Then go in. I have no intention of giving in.”
“No, my feet hurt.”
Since it's so raw, it would hurt if it got wet.
“Then let’s do it like this.”
“How?”
Black took off his outerwear and shoes and then lifted Liene into his arms.
“Oh, what are you going to do?”
“I was going to put you in the bathtub.”
Black entered the bathtub with Liene in his arms. He made his body into a chair and placed Liene on it, then carefully lifted his feet and placed them over the edge of the bathtub.
"Ah..."
She had never thought of it this way. It was the same with getting into the bath together. The towel was thin, and the water was warm. Liene felt strange.
“This... seems more embarrassing.”
“Didn’t you say you were embarrassed to show it?”
“Well... that’s right.”
“I can’t see anything right now.”
What do you mean, I can't see?
And now, the problem wasn't that he could see. The bigger problem was that her body was using Black as a bed. It's so weird. When the water is warm, don't you feel tired and lethargic?
Liene can't even breathe. Because this man is conscious. When Black raised his hand, the sound of water dripping spread. He poured warm water little by little on Liene's feet hanging in the bathtub.
“My heart hurts.”
Ah... Saying something like that is a bit dangerous now.
“It hurts only now, I didn’t even know it hurt back then.”
Black's lips pressed against the back of his neck.
“Don’t even think about walking around on these feet anymore. I’ll take you wherever you go.”
It wasn't ticklish, but her body kept twitching.
“You want to take care of me all day? You have a lot to do.”
“That’s right. The most important thing for me right now is taking care of the Princess.”
Ah... That’s nonsense. Liene swallowed hard and started saying something else.
“You should finish what you were saying earlier. What is the heartbreaking story behind that ring?”
“...I don’t want to do it already.”
Black slowly rubbed her wounded foot and this time buried his lips in her bare shoulder.
“Can’t I do it after you take a bath?”
"Why?"
“I don’t want the Princess to be scared.”
That was a bit funny. How scary would it be if she acted scary? This guy is joking, it doesn't suit him.
“Isn’t that a bit ridiculous? If it had something to do with the ring, it must have been a long time ago, and yet I’m so angry that I’m scared.”
“It’s a good thing you’re angry.”
A hot body temperature mixed with a sigh continued along the shoulder line.
“Anyway, I’ll do it after you finish taking a bath. I’m not confident enough to face the scared Princess yet.”
“...No. I’m doing it now.”
“My heart hurts.”
Ah... Saying something like that is a bit dangerous now.
“It hurts only now, I didn’t even know it hurt back then.”
Black's lips pressed against the back of his neck.
“Don’t even think about walking around on these feet anymore. I’ll take you wherever you go.”
It wasn't ticklish, but her body kept twitching.
“You want to take care of me all day? You have a lot to do.”
“That’s right. The most important thing for me right now is taking care of the Princess.”
Ah... That’s nonsense. Liene swallowed hard and started saying something else.
“You should finish what you were saying earlier. What is the heartbreaking story behind that ring?”
“...I don’t want to do it already.”
Black slowly rubbed her wounded foot and this time buried his lips in her bare shoulder.
“Can’t I do it after you take a bath?”
"Why?"
“I don’t want the Princess to be scared.”
That was a bit funny. How scary would it be if she acted scary? This guy is joking, it doesn't suit him.
“Isn’t that a bit ridiculous? If it had something to do with the ring, it must have been a long time ago, and yet I’m so angry that I’m scared.”
“It’s a good thing you’re angry.”
A hot body temperature mixed with a sigh continued along the shoulder line.
“Anyway, I’ll do it after you finish taking a bath. I’m not confident enough to face the scared Princess yet.”
“...No. I’m doing it now.”
That's why it was so weird. Why do you keep saying that? That makes Liene anxious too.
“If it’s not going to change anything if you put it off, do it now. That would be better.”
Black stopped his lips.
“Then promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“If I absolutely have to do something, you’ll get angry.”
“...? I might not be angry.”
“That’s scarier to me.”
...I don’t know. What is this man talking about? Black gently swept the foot that was sticking out of the bathtub. The stinging sensation when it touched the water was now dull.
“I don’t know why I do that, but when I’m in a situation where I need to get angry, I’ll do my best to get angry.”
“I promised.”
Black held Liene closer to him in the water and began to speak slowly.
***
“It was the King’s ring. The ring worn by a crowned King.”
Henton, a knight who had fled from the hunting grounds where the rebellion had broken out, gave him the ring, which was the symbol of Gainers and the status of a King in itself. King Pembroyn passed the burden of Nauk on to his sickly eight-year-old son.
“It was quite difficult for me to keep the ring at that time.”
He was found by a passing merchant, abandoned and dying with the corpses. Until then, the area near the border of Nauk, the wealthiest royal palace in the South, was always bustling with trade, with markets open all the time. Help came at a price. The merchant hoped he would come to his senses and sold him to a slave trader in Bluewarren City.
“I had no place to put the ring, so I put it in the wound. In the wound on my side.”
Black's tone was calm, but Liene's body trembled endlessly. Unable to just sit there, she turned around and hugged his shoulder tightly.
“How did you... endure it? It must have hurt a lot.”
“It didn’t last long. I got caught because my wound was festering. And although I appreciate you holding me, your feet got soaked.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
This isn't even painful. You went through this. At the age of eight, all by yourself. Even though I'm sick, you're by my side. There are plenty of other people who would be acting up beside you. How can you call this painful?
“But that won’t do. Even if you don’t know it now, you’ll suffer later. It’ll also slow down healing.”
Black grabbed Liene's wet feet and changed her position, placing her back on the edge of the tub. Before doing so, he bent down and placed a short, tingling kiss on her scapula. The kiss hurt more than the wound, so she felt like crying.
“You must not forget the promise you made to be angry.”
Black's voice rang out softly from behind her. Liene clenched her teeth and held back her tears.
“The ring was taken away.”
The slave trader took the ring. The wound festered and he suffered for quite some time. His thoughts changed several times a day. He wanted to survive and get back what was taken from him, and he just wanted to give up.
“I ran away when I saw my chance.”
He took advantage of the gap when the wound was still healing and the surveillance was relaxed. He didn't have any purpose. He didn't know what to do. He just felt like he had to move. He felt like he would lose if he stayed.
“Maybe I just didn’t want to live as a slave.”
As Black lived his life as if he was running away or escaping, he grew older and his body grew. When he turned fourteen, he lied about his age and joined a small mercenary group.
“A mercenary group never lasts long. At best, it lasts three or four years, at worst, it lasts a year, and I have to keep changing affiliations a couple of times.”
By the age of seventeen, the weapon no longer felt heavy. The battlefield was more familiar to him than the city. It was around that time that he got the name Black. At that time, the mercenary group he belonged to was defeated in battle. Half of them died, and the other half survived and became prisoners of war. Those who could not pay the ransom were usually sold to slave traders. Mercenaries with strong bodies were the preferred products of slave traders. The slave trader who bought the four mercenaries, including him, happened to be the slave trader from Bluewarren City.
“I was lucky.”
Black laughed briefly and told the story of how four mercenaries ransacked the slaver's mansion. Choosing too high-quality goods was the cause of the trouble. It was easy for four decent mercenaries to deal with the guards hired by the slaver. Black found out the whereabouts of the ring from the slaver who was trembling and begging for his life. He said that he had sold the ring a long time ago. The slaver didn't even recognize him at first. That's why he knew that his appearance had changed a lot.
Since that day when he was eighteen, he had four subordinates. Three were mercenaries who had been captured with him, and one was a slave who had escaped from the slaver. That was Fermos. With five people, they continued to increase in number as they fought on battlefields where money could be made for several years. When he was twenty-three, people called the group he led Tiwakan.
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