It would be a lie if Liene said she wasn't worried about what Mrs. Henton might think.
“Don’t worry. But I don’t deserve it.”
“What... How can you say such things...”
“I am the former King's daughter.. No, I shouldn’t say such things. I know what my father did. And I, who inherited his blood, know what I am doing. I was too scared to confess to that man what my father did and ask for forgiveness. But... But I think that one day, that man will learn all about the past events that involved the seven families.”
“...”
Mrs. Henton's face hardened as she listened to Liene's words.
“I’ll probably pay the price then. So there’s really no point in worrying about Madam.”
“You’re saying that since you're going to die anyway, it doesn’t matter who kills you...?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just meant... that there was no need to fight so hard to save my life.”
Liene just hoped this time lasted as long as possible. Time to get married safely, hand over the reigns safely, build a home, and be happy safely.
“Then think about what to do. Talk to the lord. If you stay in the castle, I would like for you to be Nauk’s maid.”
And Liene hoped that the hatred for that man ends with hating her. Because that man was just a little kid back then. As Madam said, a kid that age can't do anything to an adult.
“Strange... Strange.”
Klima, who had swallowed the remaining snack in his mouth, approached Liene, brushing away the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.
“What’s strange?”
“He know. Everything.”
"Yes?"
Klima blinked his gentle brown eyes at Liene.
“Prince Fernand asked me... and I told him everything.”
“Everything... What did you say?”
Liene turned around without realizing it. Klima flinched at the unexpectedly rough movement.
“Everything I told you, Princess... everything.”
"What?"
Liene's green eyes grew so wide that they could not get any bigger.
“Then that guy... all of that... No, when was that?”
"Yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
It was yesterday. He suddenly became silent and cold.
"The Princess has never actually liked anything that I forced you to do."
He who had been coldly pushing her away turned around when she told him not to do so.
"I was desperate. I thought maybe we wouldn't share the same feelings."
“Yesterday... Then yesterday... He found out what the Arsak family did... That’s it...”
"No."
Klima shook his head. Sweet cookie crumbs scattered with each shake of his gentle face.
“He knew. He knew that I told the Princess everything I knew yesterday.”
“He already knew? That... that... that...!”
Liene staggered around in shock. It seemed as if she was going to fall, but Mrs. Henton, who was standing next to her, got up and caught Liene.
“How... how?”
Liene asked, pulling frantically at Mrs. Henton's sleeve.
“How could that be? How? Even though the former King did such a thing? How could that man...”
“Please... calm down for a moment.”
“That kind of... to me.”
"I forget about the old days. I just want to have a house."
Liene spoke to Mrs. Henton with wide eyes and a stammer. It didn't really matter to whom she spoke. Mrs. Henton was right in front of her.
“That man... knew everything. Everything from the beginning. But he told me he had forgotten everything... and that he was lucky that I had never been taken away from him...”
And said.
"Do whatever the Princess wants."
“I guess I didn’t like that... I was afraid that maybe I was afraid of that person... I was forced to accept it because I didn’t know what that person would do to me...”
When Liene told him that wasn't the case, he told her to cry more. He told her to cry more because Liene didn't know how to cry well. He said that she would be able to sleep that way. Tears welled up in her large eyes.
"What's important to me is that the person who touched that wound is the Princess, and that I'm not in pain anymore."
Now, Liene knew what that meant.
Klima's whole face turned bright red, and he continued to stutter until Liene let him go.
“Both of you, think about it. What you want to do in the future. How you want to live.”
After finishing speaking, Liene turned around abruptly. Liene, holding the hem of her skirt in both hands, ran down the stairs with her ankles exposed like when she was five years old. She really wanted to cry now.
"When you want to cry, come to me and cry. Don't watch it alone."
So she had to go to him.
“Don’t worry. But I don’t deserve it.”
“What... How can you say such things...”
“I am the former King's daughter.. No, I shouldn’t say such things. I know what my father did. And I, who inherited his blood, know what I am doing. I was too scared to confess to that man what my father did and ask for forgiveness. But... But I think that one day, that man will learn all about the past events that involved the seven families.”
“...”
Mrs. Henton's face hardened as she listened to Liene's words.
“I’ll probably pay the price then. So there’s really no point in worrying about Madam.”
“You’re saying that since you're going to die anyway, it doesn’t matter who kills you...?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just meant... that there was no need to fight so hard to save my life.”
Liene just hoped this time lasted as long as possible. Time to get married safely, hand over the reigns safely, build a home, and be happy safely.
“Then think about what to do. Talk to the lord. If you stay in the castle, I would like for you to be Nauk’s maid.”
And Liene hoped that the hatred for that man ends with hating her. Because that man was just a little kid back then. As Madam said, a kid that age can't do anything to an adult.
“Strange... Strange.”
Klima, who had swallowed the remaining snack in his mouth, approached Liene, brushing away the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.
“What’s strange?”
“He know. Everything.”
"Yes?"
Klima blinked his gentle brown eyes at Liene.
“Prince Fernand asked me... and I told him everything.”
“Everything... What did you say?”
Liene turned around without realizing it. Klima flinched at the unexpectedly rough movement.
“Everything I told you, Princess... everything.”
"What?"
Liene's green eyes grew so wide that they could not get any bigger.
“Then that guy... all of that... No, when was that?”
"Yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
It was yesterday. He suddenly became silent and cold.
"The Princess has never actually liked anything that I forced you to do."
He who had been coldly pushing her away turned around when she told him not to do so.
"I was desperate. I thought maybe we wouldn't share the same feelings."
“Yesterday... Then yesterday... He found out what the Arsak family did... That’s it...”
"No."
Klima shook his head. Sweet cookie crumbs scattered with each shake of his gentle face.
“He knew. He knew that I told the Princess everything I knew yesterday.”
“He already knew? That... that... that...!”
Liene staggered around in shock. It seemed as if she was going to fall, but Mrs. Henton, who was standing next to her, got up and caught Liene.
“How... how?”
Liene asked, pulling frantically at Mrs. Henton's sleeve.
“How could that be? How? Even though the former King did such a thing? How could that man...”
“Please... calm down for a moment.”
“That kind of... to me.”
"I forget about the old days. I just want to have a house."
Liene spoke to Mrs. Henton with wide eyes and a stammer. It didn't really matter to whom she spoke. Mrs. Henton was right in front of her.
“That man... knew everything. Everything from the beginning. But he told me he had forgotten everything... and that he was lucky that I had never been taken away from him...”
And said.
"Do whatever the Princess wants."
“I guess I didn’t like that... I was afraid that maybe I was afraid of that person... I was forced to accept it because I didn’t know what that person would do to me...”
When Liene told him that wasn't the case, he told her to cry more. He told her to cry more because Liene didn't know how to cry well. He said that she would be able to sleep that way. Tears welled up in her large eyes.
"What's important to me is that the person who touched that wound is the Princess, and that I'm not in pain anymore."
Now, Liene knew what that meant.
“I can’t understand a single word you’re saying. Should I call someone over?”
"...No."
Liene looked at Mrs. Henton with tearful eyes and smiled brightly.
“Thank you, ma’am. And I’m sorry.”
“Are you saying this all of a sudden?”
Liene opened her arms and hugged Mrs. Henton tightly. Mrs. Henton was so shocked that she couldn't even breathe.
“That guy knew everything. He knew everything and still came to me. I’m so sorry. And thank you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about...”
It was a matter of later making Mrs. Henton understand. Liene turned away from her and turned to Klima. And she hugged him as tightly as she had hugged her wife.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Thank you.”
“Oh, Princess... Princess... Princess...”
"...No."
Liene looked at Mrs. Henton with tearful eyes and smiled brightly.
“Thank you, ma’am. And I’m sorry.”
“Are you saying this all of a sudden?”
Liene opened her arms and hugged Mrs. Henton tightly. Mrs. Henton was so shocked that she couldn't even breathe.
“That guy knew everything. He knew everything and still came to me. I’m so sorry. And thank you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about...”
It was a matter of later making Mrs. Henton understand. Liene turned away from her and turned to Klima. And she hugged him as tightly as she had hugged her wife.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Thank you.”
“Oh, Princess... Princess... Princess...”
Klima's whole face turned bright red, and he continued to stutter until Liene let him go.
“Both of you, think about it. What you want to do in the future. How you want to live.”
After finishing speaking, Liene turned around abruptly. Liene, holding the hem of her skirt in both hands, ran down the stairs with her ankles exposed like when she was five years old. She really wanted to cry now.
"When you want to cry, come to me and cry. Don't watch it alone."
So she had to go to him.
***
Black was returning from an empty mansion south of the river. Fermos was right. If only they had built proper walls, the place would be perfect for a fortress. The location, the view, the terrain, everything was impeccable.
“Then, as soon as the construction of the stairs of the temple is finished, we will start construction on this side as well. Will you pay the entire amount this time as well?”
"Yes."
“Then, as soon as the construction of the stairs of the temple is finished, we will start construction on this side as well. Will you pay the entire amount this time as well?”
"Yes."
“Hmm... It would cost quite a lot to build it properly.”
“It’s time to send gold from the Principality of Alito.”
“Oh, it’s already like that?”
Near the Alito principality, there was a gold mine that Black had taken over as a war payment. Tiwakan leased the gold mining rights to the principality and brought in half of the profits every year. The only person on the continent who knew the exact size of Tiwakan's wealth was probably Fermos. The wealth was scattered here and there, and many large assets could not be possessed, like land or mines. There was only one gold mine, but there were several iron mines and salt mines. The profits from the salt mines alone earned Tiwakan an amount equivalent to the annual budget of a small principality. When a war was waged, both the winner and the loser suffered great financial losses. The only ones who made money were the mercenaries. With the brute force of Black and the brain of Fermos, Tiwakan diligently swept up the blind money flowing out of the continent for the past ten years.
“There’s no way you didn’t know that.”
Black glanced back at Fermos. Fermos shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment.
“I can’t fool you, my lord. I was going to say that the construction of the fortress is just the beginning. Nauk is a bottomless pit, my lord. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know.”
“So you mean you’re going to pour it out anyway?”
“Money is something I can earn. It’s not like I don’t have any.”
“That’s true... Well, since my lord’s wealth is so large, the status quo will be maintained. If it becomes insufficient, I will run the upper house and work hard to make money.”
“Someday, the drought will end.”
"Yes?"
Black spoke so definitively that Fermos blinked.
“What do you know?”
“It’s unnatural for a drought to last for 20 years. It doesn’t make sense for Nauk to be like this unless the climate has completely changed.”
“Oh, that’s true, but that’s what it is.”
“We need people who study climate. We plan to bring in scholars soon. If we know the cause of the drought, we can find a solution.”
“Aha. So that’s what you mean.”
Certainly, his lord had a broad vision. Even while he was contemplating the madness of feeding an entire kingdom, he had plans for the future.
“My lord, you have truly decided to settle down in this land... But, you know, when you came, didn’t you say you were only planning to stay for a short while? When on earth did you change your mind?”
Black glanced back at Fermos. His eyes were strangely narrowed, and Fermos tilted his head, feeling as if he was treating him like an idiot.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“That’s how it was back then.”
It was a tone of voice that sounded like he was chewing on something. Fermos thought that was the only human side his master showed. It was a tone of voice that came out when he didn’t really want to respond, but his mouth opened on its own accord.
“I was planning on leaving after making it mine.”
“Like other mines.”
Only the ownership had changed, and Nauk would have continued on as he was doing even if he had left. He had no particular complaints about his life as a mercenary, and he planned to continue living the way he had been living after marriage.
“It’s time to send gold from the Principality of Alito.”
“Oh, it’s already like that?”
Near the Alito principality, there was a gold mine that Black had taken over as a war payment. Tiwakan leased the gold mining rights to the principality and brought in half of the profits every year. The only person on the continent who knew the exact size of Tiwakan's wealth was probably Fermos. The wealth was scattered here and there, and many large assets could not be possessed, like land or mines. There was only one gold mine, but there were several iron mines and salt mines. The profits from the salt mines alone earned Tiwakan an amount equivalent to the annual budget of a small principality. When a war was waged, both the winner and the loser suffered great financial losses. The only ones who made money were the mercenaries. With the brute force of Black and the brain of Fermos, Tiwakan diligently swept up the blind money flowing out of the continent for the past ten years.
“There’s no way you didn’t know that.”
Black glanced back at Fermos. Fermos shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment.
“I can’t fool you, my lord. I was going to say that the construction of the fortress is just the beginning. Nauk is a bottomless pit, my lord. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know.”
“So you mean you’re going to pour it out anyway?”
“Money is something I can earn. It’s not like I don’t have any.”
“That’s true... Well, since my lord’s wealth is so large, the status quo will be maintained. If it becomes insufficient, I will run the upper house and work hard to make money.”
“Someday, the drought will end.”
"Yes?"
Black spoke so definitively that Fermos blinked.
“What do you know?”
“It’s unnatural for a drought to last for 20 years. It doesn’t make sense for Nauk to be like this unless the climate has completely changed.”
“Oh, that’s true, but that’s what it is.”
“We need people who study climate. We plan to bring in scholars soon. If we know the cause of the drought, we can find a solution.”
“Aha. So that’s what you mean.”
Certainly, his lord had a broad vision. Even while he was contemplating the madness of feeding an entire kingdom, he had plans for the future.
“My lord, you have truly decided to settle down in this land... But, you know, when you came, didn’t you say you were only planning to stay for a short while? When on earth did you change your mind?”
Black glanced back at Fermos. His eyes were strangely narrowed, and Fermos tilted his head, feeling as if he was treating him like an idiot.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“That’s how it was back then.”
It was a tone of voice that sounded like he was chewing on something. Fermos thought that was the only human side his master showed. It was a tone of voice that came out when he didn’t really want to respond, but his mouth opened on its own accord.
“I was planning on leaving after making it mine.”
“Like other mines.”
Only the ownership had changed, and Nauk would have continued on as he was doing even if he had left. He had no particular complaints about his life as a mercenary, and he planned to continue living the way he had been living after marriage.
“But there was a Princess in Nauk, and the Princess happened to be that kind of person... Well, that’s why it happened.”
Fermos nodded his head, muttering to himself. While riding his horse, he suddenly looked around and said this.
“It doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”
"What?"
“I mean, settle down. My Lord, you will be a very good King."
At those words, Black shook his head immediately as if there was nothing to think about.
“I have no intention of becoming King. Nauk already has a perfect monarch.”
“Well, um... Of course, I acknowledge that the Princess is an excellent monarch. But isn’t the political situation in Nauk too precarious for the Princess?”
“That’s why it’s so great. And yet, she’s maintained her power until now.”
“Well, that’s because they embezzled the royal property.”
“That would have protected the Princess’s right to rule. Nauk would not have accepted any other monarch than Princess Liene.”
This was the reason why Kleinfelter had not been able to seize power by force. It would have been easy to revolt. But he could not. The people of Nauk loved Liene, who was not yet crowned due to the opposition of the six families and was simply called Princess. The wealth that Liene had spent had become such a solid support base.
“Hmm... She is certainly the ideal monarch. But isn’t the problem that there are limits? The Princess’s wealth is probably almost gone now. Even if the Princess is unable to do anything, will the people’s support still be as solid as it is now?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Fermos licked his lips.
“I guess you are saying that my lord will now take on that role.”
“I can do it. To that extent. That’s my role.”
“...Well, if that’s the case.”
Fermos shrugged and turned his head to the front. Black or Liene. In his eyes, there wasn’t much difference. The act of pouring everything they had for others was the same, and that wasn’t something any monarch could do. Oh, maybe their intentions were a little different. The Princess did it for Nauk, but the lord would do it for the Princess. Seeing that, the two really matched well. There couldn’t be a more ideal couple. Anyway, if Black had decided on his role, that meant that his role had also been decided. This would be fun, too. Turning a small, failing country into a wealthy country with two decent monarchs. Fermos nodded to himself and changed the subject.
“Then, I guess we just have to finish the council. Klinefelter will definitely be sorted out, so we can just tie up the rest and keep them in check.”
“I’m looking forward to the National Assembly.”
Black prepared a small device for the council. Fermos, who understood what Black was saying, smiled broadly.
“I agree with you, my lord.”
While they were talking, the castle of Nauk was approaching quickly. Black passed the drawbridge and went through the gate to Martha. Then he came face to face with the person waiting for him.
“Lord Tiwakan!”
Fermos nodded his head, muttering to himself. While riding his horse, he suddenly looked around and said this.
“It doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”
"What?"
“I mean, settle down. My Lord, you will be a very good King."
At those words, Black shook his head immediately as if there was nothing to think about.
“I have no intention of becoming King. Nauk already has a perfect monarch.”
“Well, um... Of course, I acknowledge that the Princess is an excellent monarch. But isn’t the political situation in Nauk too precarious for the Princess?”
“That’s why it’s so great. And yet, she’s maintained her power until now.”
“Well, that’s because they embezzled the royal property.”
“That would have protected the Princess’s right to rule. Nauk would not have accepted any other monarch than Princess Liene.”
This was the reason why Kleinfelter had not been able to seize power by force. It would have been easy to revolt. But he could not. The people of Nauk loved Liene, who was not yet crowned due to the opposition of the six families and was simply called Princess. The wealth that Liene had spent had become such a solid support base.
“Hmm... She is certainly the ideal monarch. But isn’t the problem that there are limits? The Princess’s wealth is probably almost gone now. Even if the Princess is unable to do anything, will the people’s support still be as solid as it is now?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Fermos licked his lips.
“I guess you are saying that my lord will now take on that role.”
“I can do it. To that extent. That’s my role.”
“...Well, if that’s the case.”
Fermos shrugged and turned his head to the front. Black or Liene. In his eyes, there wasn’t much difference. The act of pouring everything they had for others was the same, and that wasn’t something any monarch could do. Oh, maybe their intentions were a little different. The Princess did it for Nauk, but the lord would do it for the Princess. Seeing that, the two really matched well. There couldn’t be a more ideal couple. Anyway, if Black had decided on his role, that meant that his role had also been decided. This would be fun, too. Turning a small, failing country into a wealthy country with two decent monarchs. Fermos nodded to himself and changed the subject.
“Then, I guess we just have to finish the council. Klinefelter will definitely be sorted out, so we can just tie up the rest and keep them in check.”
“I’m looking forward to the National Assembly.”
Black prepared a small device for the council. Fermos, who understood what Black was saying, smiled broadly.
“I agree with you, my lord.”
While they were talking, the castle of Nauk was approaching quickly. Black passed the drawbridge and went through the gate to Martha. Then he came face to face with the person waiting for him.
“Lord Tiwakan!”
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