“Princess! How did you get your clothes so dirty!”
It was Madame Flambard who welcomed Liene back from the North Tower.
“No, of all clothes, these! These are some of the best clothes I have left!”
“...I’m sorry.”
It wasn't that she didn't, she was really sorry. When her clothes got dirty, it was Mrs. Flambard who suffered. When Liene tried to help with the laundry, the lady would always stop her. She said that even if she couldn't help it with other things, she couldn't stand seeing the Princess doing chores like laundry while her eyes were open.
“Since it’s fruit juice, wouldn’t it be okay to just wipe it off?”
Madam Flambard shook her head. It was clear she was moved by emotion.
“What the heck? It’s harder to wipe off because it’s fruit juice. Colored fruit juice is like water.”
“Oh, no... I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
“First, take off your clothes, Princess. Fruit juice is a race against time. You have to wipe it off as soon as you spill it.”
When Liene heard that, she felt even more sorry
It was Madame Flambard who welcomed Liene back from the North Tower.
“No, of all clothes, these! These are some of the best clothes I have left!”
“...I’m sorry.”
It wasn't that she didn't, she was really sorry. When her clothes got dirty, it was Mrs. Flambard who suffered. When Liene tried to help with the laundry, the lady would always stop her. She said that even if she couldn't help it with other things, she couldn't stand seeing the Princess doing chores like laundry while her eyes were open.
“Since it’s fruit juice, wouldn’t it be okay to just wipe it off?”
Madam Flambard shook her head. It was clear she was moved by emotion.
“What the heck? It’s harder to wipe off because it’s fruit juice. Colored fruit juice is like water.”
“Oh, no... I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
“First, take off your clothes, Princess. Fruit juice is a race against time. You have to wipe it off as soon as you spill it.”
When Liene heard that, she felt even more sorry
...I’m sorry.
“...Fuck.”
Black let out a groan. Then, everyone glared at the person sitting in front of him. That someone was Klima. Klima shrugged his shoulders in fear, not knowing what was going on. The place where Klima was captured was an empty mansion south of the Evet River. Until ten years ago, the Spalding family, a fairly prestigious noble family, had lived there, but they had left Nauk due to the ongoing drought. The empty house, which was not managed, had naturally fallen into ruins long ago. The bigger the house, the more dilapidated it was. When Black ordered him to capture Klima, instead of searching Nauk thoroughly, Fermos came up with a way to lure him in. That was this empty mansion. He set up a guard and hung a flag as if it were his new fortress, and let it slip that Tiwakan was imprisoning the people he had captured here. Contrary to concerns that rumors could not spread that quickly, Klima showed up the next morning. Fermos hummed and grabbed Klima and brought him to Black. And Black listened to everything he had said to Liene.
“But I was hoping.”
Black muttered to himself, rubbing his forehead. The Tiwakan mercenaries who knew him felt that his appearance was somehow more untouchable than when he was wielding a sword.
“Damn... How do I fix this?”
“That... is not necessarily something to be taken badly, my lord.”
Unable to bear the increasingly tense atmosphere, Fermos eventually spoke up on behalf of everyone.
“Even though the Princess knows everything about the past, she still wants to get married, and since she denies any contact with him, doesn’t that mean she has no intention of bringing up the past?”
“What if it becomes a problem?”
"Yes?"
Black stared at Fermos with sharp eyes like a piece of ice.
“What would change if we made it an issue?”
"Hmm..."
At that moment, Fermos realized that he had been a fool. Marriage was no longer important to Black. It was a given. How satisfying a marriage could be, that was the question now.
“The Princess knows that this marriage cannot be annulled.”
In that case, the best thing for Liene would be to cover up the past. Without anyone knowing, pretending not to know anything. Then, the Six Families would not have to try to kill Black as they had killed the young Prince Fernand, and Black would not have to deal with the Six Families either.
“She know it in her head, but her heart can’t keep up.”
Black remembered the sight of Liene, holding the scissors with her bleeding hands and cutting down the wedding dress. Her movements were violent, but her eyes were empty. Eyes that were in a state of shock that could not be resolved.
“I shouldn’t have said anything about engagement... No, it would have been useless.”
Just as he had not guessed the existence of Manau or Henton, the past could pop up anywhere and at any time. The distance between him and Liene, which he had thought he had narrowed down, seemed to have grown wider as if it had started. Black swallowed a sigh and stood up.
“We have no choice but to start over from the beginning.”
Fermos and the mercenaries swept away the chest that had been tense with unnecessary tension. The god of war was quick to judge. He knew exactly when to retreat and when to advance. If he had been forced to retreat, he could just go back. But it would be different than before.
It was a long time after she buried her. Mrs. Henton cried a lot. Liene wanted to lend her a handkerchief, but she didn’t have one. So she just gave her the hem of her coat. Mrs. Henton seemed really dumbfounded, but she had no choice but to wipe it with it. Thanks to that, she thought she stopped crying a little faster.
“I’ll take it off now.”
“Yes, yes. Come on.”
Madam Flambard turned Liene around herself and began to unbutton her back.
“I made you wear these clothes today on purpose... I can’t help it. You should wear brown. Oh dear. Those clothes are too rough and won’t look good.”
“Oh, that doesn’t matter. But why did you tell me to wear these clothes?”
“Isn’t that obvious? I’m just trying to make you look pretty.”
“It’s okay even if it’s not like that.”
“What’s okay?”
Madam Flambard's hands, which had been diligently undressing, hesitated for a moment.
“...You must reconcile.”
"Ah..."
It seemed that Madam Flambard had also seen that Black and Liene had become estranged because of the incident yesterday where she tore the wedding dress. Now that she thinks about it, she didn't apologize to her. She was the one who put the most effort into the dress.
“I’m sorry, ma’am.”
“No, you should make peace with Lord Tiwakan. Why are you apologizing to me?”
“I’m talking about ruining the clothes. I know how much effort my wife put into it...”
“If that’s how you feel, then that’s fine. You’ve spent a lot of money, Princess. But not having a wedding dress is a big problem, Princess. How can you afford another wedding dress like that now?”
That was a big problem, too.
“I can’t help it. I have no choice but to sell one of my jewels. If I sell my necklace, I can buy a nice suit.”
“Ugh... Are you talking about that sapphire necklace? The one that Her Majesty wore while she was alive?”
“There’s nothing else.”
“Oh my, Princess!”
Madam Flambard couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears.
“How can you say you’re selling it so easily? What kind of thing is it!”
She knew that it was a necklace that her mother had cherished while she was alive. It was her father who had given it to her, and it became a symbol of their love before their marriage. Liene closed her eyes tightly and spoke coldly on purpose.
“But I can’t sell the coronation staff.”
"Princess!"
“We have no time, so we must hurry. Madam, please find some fabric that will be suitable for the wedding dress. Don’t worry about the price, just the best one.”
“Princess, are you really... are you really going to sell it?”
"Yes."
Even remembering her mother seems like a sin to Liene. Her father's death must have been a nightmare to that man, so how could she possibly remember it?
“Please... reconsider, Princess. If you look around, you’ll probably find something else worth selling.”
"Ma'am."
Mada. Flambard hesitated and delayed her answer, perhaps because she felt the coldness of the voice calling her.
“...Yes, Princess.”
“Tell Mr. Martin of Martha to go to the jeweler’s. He wants me to see him today.”
"Princess..."
“I want to be able to do whatever I want with my wedding dress. I hope you don’t say anything anymore.”
“Yes... Yes, I get it.”
Madam Flambard, with tears in her eyes, dressed Liene in a different outfit. The brown dress made of thick fabric had no decorations and was rough and tough, so Liene thought that her reflection in the mirror looked quite pitiful.
“I’ll take it off now.”
“Yes, yes. Come on.”
Madam Flambard turned Liene around herself and began to unbutton her back.
“I made you wear these clothes today on purpose... I can’t help it. You should wear brown. Oh dear. Those clothes are too rough and won’t look good.”
“Oh, that doesn’t matter. But why did you tell me to wear these clothes?”
“Isn’t that obvious? I’m just trying to make you look pretty.”
“It’s okay even if it’s not like that.”
“What’s okay?”
Madam Flambard's hands, which had been diligently undressing, hesitated for a moment.
“...You must reconcile.”
"Ah..."
It seemed that Madam Flambard had also seen that Black and Liene had become estranged because of the incident yesterday where she tore the wedding dress. Now that she thinks about it, she didn't apologize to her. She was the one who put the most effort into the dress.
“I’m sorry, ma’am.”
“No, you should make peace with Lord Tiwakan. Why are you apologizing to me?”
“I’m talking about ruining the clothes. I know how much effort my wife put into it...”
“If that’s how you feel, then that’s fine. You’ve spent a lot of money, Princess. But not having a wedding dress is a big problem, Princess. How can you afford another wedding dress like that now?”
That was a big problem, too.
“I can’t help it. I have no choice but to sell one of my jewels. If I sell my necklace, I can buy a nice suit.”
“Ugh... Are you talking about that sapphire necklace? The one that Her Majesty wore while she was alive?”
“There’s nothing else.”
“Oh my, Princess!”
Madam Flambard couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears.
“How can you say you’re selling it so easily? What kind of thing is it!”
She knew that it was a necklace that her mother had cherished while she was alive. It was her father who had given it to her, and it became a symbol of their love before their marriage. Liene closed her eyes tightly and spoke coldly on purpose.
“But I can’t sell the coronation staff.”
"Princess!"
“We have no time, so we must hurry. Madam, please find some fabric that will be suitable for the wedding dress. Don’t worry about the price, just the best one.”
“Princess, are you really... are you really going to sell it?”
"Yes."
Even remembering her mother seems like a sin to Liene. Her father's death must have been a nightmare to that man, so how could she possibly remember it?
“Please... reconsider, Princess. If you look around, you’ll probably find something else worth selling.”
"Ma'am."
Mada. Flambard hesitated and delayed her answer, perhaps because she felt the coldness of the voice calling her.
“...Yes, Princess.”
“Tell Mr. Martin of Martha to go to the jeweler’s. He wants me to see him today.”
"Princess..."
“I want to be able to do whatever I want with my wedding dress. I hope you don’t say anything anymore.”
“Yes... Yes, I get it.”
Madam Flambard, with tears in her eyes, dressed Liene in a different outfit. The brown dress made of thick fabric had no decorations and was rough and tough, so Liene thought that her reflection in the mirror looked quite pitiful.
***
“...Fuck.”
Black let out a groan. Then, everyone glared at the person sitting in front of him. That someone was Klima. Klima shrugged his shoulders in fear, not knowing what was going on. The place where Klima was captured was an empty mansion south of the Evet River. Until ten years ago, the Spalding family, a fairly prestigious noble family, had lived there, but they had left Nauk due to the ongoing drought. The empty house, which was not managed, had naturally fallen into ruins long ago. The bigger the house, the more dilapidated it was. When Black ordered him to capture Klima, instead of searching Nauk thoroughly, Fermos came up with a way to lure him in. That was this empty mansion. He set up a guard and hung a flag as if it were his new fortress, and let it slip that Tiwakan was imprisoning the people he had captured here. Contrary to concerns that rumors could not spread that quickly, Klima showed up the next morning. Fermos hummed and grabbed Klima and brought him to Black. And Black listened to everything he had said to Liene.
“But I was hoping.”
Black muttered to himself, rubbing his forehead. The Tiwakan mercenaries who knew him felt that his appearance was somehow more untouchable than when he was wielding a sword.
“Damn... How do I fix this?”
“That... is not necessarily something to be taken badly, my lord.”
Unable to bear the increasingly tense atmosphere, Fermos eventually spoke up on behalf of everyone.
“Even though the Princess knows everything about the past, she still wants to get married, and since she denies any contact with him, doesn’t that mean she has no intention of bringing up the past?”
“What if it becomes a problem?”
"Yes?"
Black stared at Fermos with sharp eyes like a piece of ice.
“What would change if we made it an issue?”
"Hmm..."
At that moment, Fermos realized that he had been a fool. Marriage was no longer important to Black. It was a given. How satisfying a marriage could be, that was the question now.
“The Princess knows that this marriage cannot be annulled.”
In that case, the best thing for Liene would be to cover up the past. Without anyone knowing, pretending not to know anything. Then, the Six Families would not have to try to kill Black as they had killed the young Prince Fernand, and Black would not have to deal with the Six Families either.
“She know it in her head, but her heart can’t keep up.”
Black remembered the sight of Liene, holding the scissors with her bleeding hands and cutting down the wedding dress. Her movements were violent, but her eyes were empty. Eyes that were in a state of shock that could not be resolved.
“I shouldn’t have said anything about engagement... No, it would have been useless.”
Just as he had not guessed the existence of Manau or Henton, the past could pop up anywhere and at any time. The distance between him and Liene, which he had thought he had narrowed down, seemed to have grown wider as if it had started. Black swallowed a sigh and stood up.
“We have no choice but to start over from the beginning.”
Fermos and the mercenaries swept away the chest that had been tense with unnecessary tension. The god of war was quick to judge. He knew exactly when to retreat and when to advance. If he had been forced to retreat, he could just go back. But it would be different than before.
As he had said, Liene had no means of revoking the marriage. After the Great Council was over, the families who had believed in the Treaty of Liseberg and had been causing trouble would be quiet, and Kleinfelter would disappear from this land. No place could interfere with Liene’s marriage, and there was no place where Liene might join hands. Since there were no flies, he could just focus on winning her heart.
“...The problem is that I don’t know how.”
A bitter taste came out of the sigh hr swallowed.
“I'm going back.”
But he couldn't just stay here. He had to face it, whether he liked it or not.
“What about him?”
"Ah..."
Blck's head was full of thoughts, and he had forgotten about Klima's existence.
“What do you want to do?”
Black approached Klima and asked.
“I... just hope my mother is safe.”
“Mrs. Henton will stay at Castle Nauk for the time being. It will be the safest place until Kleinfelter is dealt with. Do you want to go to the castle too?”
“I... that’s good...”
Klima opened his mouth blankly, as if it was something he had never thought about before.
“Or return to the temple.”
“To the temple...”
“If you like it there, then don’t bother.”
“..."
That comment made the answer more difficult. It had been too long since Klima had thought about doing something he wanted to do, rather than something he had to do because he was told to.
“Take your time. You have plenty of time. For the time being, spend some time with your mother and talk.”
“I’ll talk to my mother... That’s okay... Oh, yes! I, I will do that.”
At that moment, everyone felt that Klima's expression had brightened a little.
“Clean up here.”
Black nodded once and gestured to Fermos.
“Yes, my lord.”
Everyone quickly prepared to return to the castle. Like people returning home after a busy day.
“...The problem is that I don’t know how.”
A bitter taste came out of the sigh hr swallowed.
“I'm going back.”
But he couldn't just stay here. He had to face it, whether he liked it or not.
“What about him?”
"Ah..."
Blck's head was full of thoughts, and he had forgotten about Klima's existence.
“What do you want to do?”
Black approached Klima and asked.
“I... just hope my mother is safe.”
“Mrs. Henton will stay at Castle Nauk for the time being. It will be the safest place until Kleinfelter is dealt with. Do you want to go to the castle too?”
“I... that’s good...”
Klima opened his mouth blankly, as if it was something he had never thought about before.
“Or return to the temple.”
“To the temple...”
“If you like it there, then don’t bother.”
“..."
That comment made the answer more difficult. It had been too long since Klima had thought about doing something he wanted to do, rather than something he had to do because he was told to.
“Take your time. You have plenty of time. For the time being, spend some time with your mother and talk.”
“I’ll talk to my mother... That’s okay... Oh, yes! I, I will do that.”
At that moment, everyone felt that Klima's expression had brightened a little.
“Clean up here.”
Black nodded once and gestured to Fermos.
“Yes, my lord.”
Everyone quickly prepared to return to the castle. Like people returning home after a busy day.
***
As luck would have it, the timing was perfect. Madame Flambard, who had been looking for Martha as instructed by Liene, found the Tiwacan party returning to the castle.
“No... Isn’t that person your cousin?”
Madam Flambard, who had been secretly admiring Black’s upright posture as he rode his horse, blurted out in surprise. Mrs. Flambard had also heard that the woman who ruined the wedding dress was the mother of the cousin. When she heard it, it seemed to be related to the family of Lord Tiwakan, who had disappeared a long time ago. Liene avoided going into detail, but the woman was not punished for ruining the wedding dress.
“You mean the clan entered the castle? You killed the high priest?”
Madam Flambard tilted her head and approached Black. She said that it was none of her business, but she had something to say right now. Madam Flambard believed that Black was seriously courting Liene. As she had told Liene several times, Black was always doing things that he wouldn’t do if he wasn’t sincere.
“Lord Tiwakan.”
Black's expression changed as Madam Flambard approached.
“What's going on?”
A sudden tension crossed his expressionless face, and Madam Flambard, who was watching him, was so flustered that she took a step back.
“What about the Princess?”
For a moment, the lady wondered what kind of person had such sharp eyes, but then she realized why Black had changed his expression. Oh. It seems like he knows something has happened to the Princess. Well, if the Princess had not been in trouble, there would be no reason for her to speak to him first.
“She’s in her office. Nothing much is going on.”
"Ah..."
So, the tension melted away. Now, he seemed a little more human. Madam Flambard spoke, brushing away her surprised heart.
“Can I speak to you for a moment? I have a favor to ask.”
Black, who seemed to be the man with the coldest expression in the world, nodded his head surprisingly coolly. He got off his horse and handed the reins to Fermos and said.
“You guys go in first with the cousin. Take him to his mother.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The mercenaries disappeared with Klima. After clearing the surroundings, Black turned his head.
“You can tell me.”
“Ah... Yes. That’s right...”
“No... Isn’t that person your cousin?”
Madam Flambard, who had been secretly admiring Black’s upright posture as he rode his horse, blurted out in surprise. Mrs. Flambard had also heard that the woman who ruined the wedding dress was the mother of the cousin. When she heard it, it seemed to be related to the family of Lord Tiwakan, who had disappeared a long time ago. Liene avoided going into detail, but the woman was not punished for ruining the wedding dress.
“You mean the clan entered the castle? You killed the high priest?”
Madam Flambard tilted her head and approached Black. She said that it was none of her business, but she had something to say right now. Madam Flambard believed that Black was seriously courting Liene. As she had told Liene several times, Black was always doing things that he wouldn’t do if he wasn’t sincere.
“Lord Tiwakan.”
Black's expression changed as Madam Flambard approached.
“What's going on?”
A sudden tension crossed his expressionless face, and Madam Flambard, who was watching him, was so flustered that she took a step back.
“What about the Princess?”
For a moment, the lady wondered what kind of person had such sharp eyes, but then she realized why Black had changed his expression. Oh. It seems like he knows something has happened to the Princess. Well, if the Princess had not been in trouble, there would be no reason for her to speak to him first.
“She’s in her office. Nothing much is going on.”
"Ah..."
So, the tension melted away. Now, he seemed a little more human. Madam Flambard spoke, brushing away her surprised heart.
“Can I speak to you for a moment? I have a favor to ask.”
Black, who seemed to be the man with the coldest expression in the world, nodded his head surprisingly coolly. He got off his horse and handed the reins to Fermos and said.
“You guys go in first with the cousin. Take him to his mother.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The mercenaries disappeared with Klima. After clearing the surroundings, Black turned his head.
“You can tell me.”
“Ah... Yes. That’s right...”
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