Rumors of the two Kleinfelters losing their names and being kicked out of Nauk were passed around all night. The Kleinfelter mansion, the largest in Nauk, remained tightly shut without any response. There was no light on, and it looked like an empty house. Everyone was whispering, wondering if the entire household had been affected. However, there was no mention of the workers being fired. It seemed that they were simply keeping a close eye on the new ruler. On the other hand, the remaining five families were extremely busy. They had to gather secretly at the Burley mansion and prepare for the Great Council that would follow tomorrow.
“I can never suffer this humiliation again, never again!”
Burley swung his sword with his unbroken hand. Rosadel looked at him with a slightly pitiful look.
“Then what do you mean? What can we do among ourselves?”
Elaroiden chimed in.
“Even Klinefelter is gone now.”
Burley's throat suddenly turned red.
“Does that mean we should disappear too?”
“If we just stay still, it won’t disappear.”
Burley glared at Rosadel, who was mumbling like this.
“How peaceful you are, my lord! What kind of beast has rolled in and is now acting as the King of Nauk!”
“Fortunately, the beast has an owner. He said it himself.”
Rosadel and Elaroiden had no will to fight anymore. Burley forgot about his broken wrist and kicked away, grumbling.
“Yes, then you are saying that we should live in fear of beasts and bow down to a young woman who knows nothing. Shame on you! Have you all forgotten what Arsak owes us?”
It was the noble Circassians who had not broken their wrists who took Burleiy's side.
“You can’t forget that... Don’t you all think that way?”
“No matter what!”
Burley nodded vigorously, and the other nobles' expressions hardened.
“Then what do you mean?”
“The beast has a master, but that master has not yet put a leash on it. On the other hand, we are holding the leash of that master.”
The Treaty of Liseberg was a leash placed on the Arsak royal family.
“You must never make her marry. If you want to share a bed with an animal, you must clearly inform whoever holds the leash.”
Rosadel shook his head.
“Will Tiwakan just sit by and watch that happen?”
“All he has is a force without any basis. However, Nauk is a land that has been governed by the word of God and fair laws for a long time. If a beast wants to live here, it should learn the laws of humans.”
What Circassian was talking about was the issue of selecting the High Priest, which the Council was in charge of. If they had a high priest who was obedient and used the word of God to hinder marriages as much as possible, even beasts would realize that Nauk was no pushover.
“And Klinefelter will never just disappear like this.”
Circassian added something meaningful as if he knew something.
“Everyone knows this. Originally, the new royal family of Nauk was supposed to be Kleinfelter 20 years ago. If the head of the family at the time, Lucas Kleinfelter, hadn’t suddenly been cursed by God, someone like Arsak wouldn’t have been wearing the crown.”
“Umm...”
The nobles bit their teeth and reminisced about the past that only they knew. Some of them were young children back then, 20 years ago. Armendariz and Rosadel were the ones who inherited the position after their fathers, who had participated in the rebellion, died. However, they clearly remembered that because of that, six families became the powerful ones in Nauk and monopolized most of the wealth.
“You must pay the price, Arsak. The crown cannot be free.”
The five elders chose a successor to Linden Kleinfelter. It was Circassian. Of course, not everyone was very happy about it. They thought that Circassian could not become the Nauk's great speaker, considering the family's honor and wealth. The five elders suppressed the expected division and waited for the next day's great council.
“It’s too late.”
Liene was standing by the window, her eyes wide open the whole time, facing the dark outside where she could not see well.
“Is it really true that nothing happened? He said he would take Klinefelter out of Nauk... But there’s no way something like that wouldn’t happen. What should I do?”
Liene bit her thumbnail impatiently. The tip had become rough again as if the trimming that Madam Flambard had done a while ago was not worth it.
“Why haven’t we heard from the guards again? Sir Fermos clearly said he would send them. Surely he didn’t just say that... Instead of doing this, let’s go and ask them.”
As the clock ticked towards midnight, she couldn't stand it anymore. Liene left the room, wearing a cloak over her pajamas and holding only a candle.
“Lord Fermos will be in the room.”
Fermos had moved to the north tower a while ago. It seemed more comfortable there, now like Tiwakan’s territory. Liene walked almost as fast as she could to the north tower. Even at this time, guards were guarding the entrance and stairs of each north tower. Fortunately, Fermos said he would be in his room. Liene nodded in greeting and diligently walked up the stairs to Fermos’ room, where she knocked on the door.
“Hmm...? Princess?”
Fortunately, Fermos, who was not yet asleep and was taking off his clothes as if he was going to sleep, opened the door.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
It was the first time Liene saw Permos without his monocle and without his hair tied back at the back of his neck. Somehow, she felt like he was a different person. But that wasn't what was important at the moment.
“I just wanted to check if you sent the guards. Are you sure you did?”
“Oh, of course, I followed the order. But did you really need to check it now?”
"Yes."
“Yes, now that you’ve confirmed it, let’s go back and go to sleep... Princess?”
When Liene entered the room, Fermos jumped. Now he saw that he was wearing only a pair of underwear. It seemed that the Tiwakans wore the same underwear.
“No, why are you coming into my room?”
“How do you know that?”
“If something had happened, you would have heard. I think he might be late because he is busy gathering up the many assets that Klinefelter left behind.”
“No, that’s not it. They already sent someone. They said the lights were off at the Klinefelter mansion. It was so quiet it was like no one was there.”
“Oh, my. You must be really worried... Oh, my.”
Fermos, who was debating whether he should politely tell Liene to sit down, jumped again when he realized that he was very inappropriately dressed.
“Let me put those clothes on, Princess. Just a moment.”
“It’s okay, just leave it alone.”
“Yes? ...No, yes?”
“Should we send more guards? I came here to ask because I have no idea where to send them.”
“No, Princess. I told you that it was okay...”
“He haven’t come back since midnight.”
“If you are sleeping, it will appear as if it were a lie.”
“I told you I couldn’t sleep.”
"Princess."
Fermos made a futile effort to cover his exposed upper body with his palm. Judging from the way Liene's eyes were fixed on him, it was clear that she had no interest in whether he was naked or not, but his heart was not in it.
“Well, that is... I am afraid that this may sound like presumptuous advice, but still, um... I guess the lord has his own way of doing things... Anyway, since he handles things on his own, it would be a waste to buy it in advance and worry about it.”
“I understand that you have great faith in Lord Tiwakan, but I am concerned enough about the situation right now.”
“I said there was nothing to worry about.”
“It’s not just about words. It’s about banishing Linden Klinefelter. The Klinefelter family’s private army may have been involved, and...”
“If that were the case, I would have known long ago. And there are no more Kleinfelters, Princess.”
“Huh? You don’t have more than 500 private soldiers?”
“If they don’t pay wages, how can anyone stay?”
"Ah...?"
“Have you forgotten? The Kleinfelter family’s property has been confiscated, and now it belongs to the Princess. Unless the Princess hires a private soldier for the Kleinfelter family with your own money.”
"Aha..."
Liene blinked. She understood that she still couldn't believe Klinefelter's downfall... Well, she must have suffered so much. It's only natural that she wouldn't believe it.
“Then go and sleep now. There was no sign of Klinefelter or any other family’s private soldiers hanging around.”
He wished she would stop believing that. Gathering information about the enemy's forces is the most basic task in war, and few people do it better than Tiwakan.
“Is that so... No, then what if there was an accident other than the private soldier?”
“What kind of accident are you talking about?”
“So... if you were riding a horse and the horse suddenly got startled...”
“Then you must have broken something somewhere.”
At the calm response, Liene raised her voice in anger.
“So, you’re saying we have to send someone?”
“It’s just a waste of time to make the poor guard suffer. Isn’t it too cruel to have them wander around the border in the middle of the night looking for someone who might have taken a certain route? Even in Tiwakan, that would be something they would wave their hands at.”
“I see... Then at least tell me the direction. I’ll come pick him up.”
Fermos's complexion became slightly pale.
“Princess. Isn’t that it?”
“The welcome is a little better.”
“What do you mean by better...”
Suddenly, Fermos came to his senses. Looking at that serious face, he knew for sure that Liene would be the one to drag him out to meet Black.
“Princess. If my lord finds out that I sent you out of the castle at this hour, I will have to live with a cane for the rest of my life. Please stop tormenting me.”
“Oh, then you can come with me.”
“No, that won’t do! I have to stop the Princess right now. So please, just go back. Yes?”
“Sir Fermos, don’t make me doubt your loyalty. If someone is in a hurry, they’ll end up being late, so how can you not be worried?”
In the end, he had to say this.
“If my lord has suffered an unexpected accident, we will hear from him sooner or later. For now, we do not know the exact location, so waiting is the fastest way. And Princess.”
Fermos changed his expression and approached Liene.
“Do you know that the Princess is wearing pajamas and bare feet right now?”
“How did you know? I were wearing a cloak.”
“I’m not afraid since you’re wearing a cloak. If you had been fully clothed, you wouldn’t have bothered to wear a cloak inside the castle.”
Liene turned her head and clicked her tongue slightly.
“...You’re smart. I knew that.”
“And I also look quite embarrassed. If anyone sees this, they won’t say anything good about it. It would be best for you to go back as soon as possible.”
“Isn’t it ridiculous that someone would misunderstand that I’m wearing pajamas at this hour?”
“Isn’t that what happens between a man and a woman?”
“It is impertinent to associate me with men and women. I believe there are no such impertinent people in Tiwakan.”
Although she spoke confidently, Liene was secretly closing the hem of her cloak. Although she was starting to feel nervous now, her actions showed that she had no intention of giving in easily.
“I’ll change my clothes and come back. Then, will you come with me, Sir?”
“Haa, Princess...”
It was the moment when Fermos raised his face as if he was going crazy from embarrassment.
“You’re here?”
A low, incredulous voice was heard, along with the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
“Huh...! My Lord!”
“I can never suffer this humiliation again, never again!”
Burley swung his sword with his unbroken hand. Rosadel looked at him with a slightly pitiful look.
“Then what do you mean? What can we do among ourselves?”
Elaroiden chimed in.
“Even Klinefelter is gone now.”
Burley's throat suddenly turned red.
“Does that mean we should disappear too?”
“If we just stay still, it won’t disappear.”
Burley glared at Rosadel, who was mumbling like this.
“How peaceful you are, my lord! What kind of beast has rolled in and is now acting as the King of Nauk!”
“Fortunately, the beast has an owner. He said it himself.”
Rosadel and Elaroiden had no will to fight anymore. Burley forgot about his broken wrist and kicked away, grumbling.
“Yes, then you are saying that we should live in fear of beasts and bow down to a young woman who knows nothing. Shame on you! Have you all forgotten what Arsak owes us?”
It was the noble Circassians who had not broken their wrists who took Burleiy's side.
“You can’t forget that... Don’t you all think that way?”
“No matter what!”
Burley nodded vigorously, and the other nobles' expressions hardened.
“Then what do you mean?”
“The beast has a master, but that master has not yet put a leash on it. On the other hand, we are holding the leash of that master.”
The Treaty of Liseberg was a leash placed on the Arsak royal family.
“You must never make her marry. If you want to share a bed with an animal, you must clearly inform whoever holds the leash.”
Rosadel shook his head.
“Will Tiwakan just sit by and watch that happen?”
“All he has is a force without any basis. However, Nauk is a land that has been governed by the word of God and fair laws for a long time. If a beast wants to live here, it should learn the laws of humans.”
What Circassian was talking about was the issue of selecting the High Priest, which the Council was in charge of. If they had a high priest who was obedient and used the word of God to hinder marriages as much as possible, even beasts would realize that Nauk was no pushover.
“And Klinefelter will never just disappear like this.”
Circassian added something meaningful as if he knew something.
“Everyone knows this. Originally, the new royal family of Nauk was supposed to be Kleinfelter 20 years ago. If the head of the family at the time, Lucas Kleinfelter, hadn’t suddenly been cursed by God, someone like Arsak wouldn’t have been wearing the crown.”
“Umm...”
The nobles bit their teeth and reminisced about the past that only they knew. Some of them were young children back then, 20 years ago. Armendariz and Rosadel were the ones who inherited the position after their fathers, who had participated in the rebellion, died. However, they clearly remembered that because of that, six families became the powerful ones in Nauk and monopolized most of the wealth.
“You must pay the price, Arsak. The crown cannot be free.”
The five elders chose a successor to Linden Kleinfelter. It was Circassian. Of course, not everyone was very happy about it. They thought that Circassian could not become the Nauk's great speaker, considering the family's honor and wealth. The five elders suppressed the expected division and waited for the next day's great council.
***
“It’s too late.”
Liene was standing by the window, her eyes wide open the whole time, facing the dark outside where she could not see well.
“Is it really true that nothing happened? He said he would take Klinefelter out of Nauk... But there’s no way something like that wouldn’t happen. What should I do?”
Liene bit her thumbnail impatiently. The tip had become rough again as if the trimming that Madam Flambard had done a while ago was not worth it.
“Why haven’t we heard from the guards again? Sir Fermos clearly said he would send them. Surely he didn’t just say that... Instead of doing this, let’s go and ask them.”
As the clock ticked towards midnight, she couldn't stand it anymore. Liene left the room, wearing a cloak over her pajamas and holding only a candle.
“Lord Fermos will be in the room.”
Fermos had moved to the north tower a while ago. It seemed more comfortable there, now like Tiwakan’s territory. Liene walked almost as fast as she could to the north tower. Even at this time, guards were guarding the entrance and stairs of each north tower. Fortunately, Fermos said he would be in his room. Liene nodded in greeting and diligently walked up the stairs to Fermos’ room, where she knocked on the door.
“Hmm...? Princess?”
Fortunately, Fermos, who was not yet asleep and was taking off his clothes as if he was going to sleep, opened the door.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
It was the first time Liene saw Permos without his monocle and without his hair tied back at the back of his neck. Somehow, she felt like he was a different person. But that wasn't what was important at the moment.
“I just wanted to check if you sent the guards. Are you sure you did?”
“Oh, of course, I followed the order. But did you really need to check it now?”
"Yes."
“Yes, now that you’ve confirmed it, let’s go back and go to sleep... Princess?”
When Liene entered the room, Fermos jumped. Now he saw that he was wearing only a pair of underwear. It seemed that the Tiwakans wore the same underwear.
“No, why are you coming into my room?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Yes? Yes, yes? What did you say?”
“Don’t you think it’s too late?”
“...Ah. Were you waiting for my lord?”
Dermos, who had been trembling with his bare feet, had a somewhat listless look on his face.
“Let’s see, what time is it now... It’s just past midnight. It’s late, but I don’t think anything will happen.”
“Don’t you think it’s too late?”
“...Ah. Were you waiting for my lord?”
Dermos, who had been trembling with his bare feet, had a somewhat listless look on his face.
“Let’s see, what time is it now... It’s just past midnight. It’s late, but I don’t think anything will happen.”
“How do you know that?”
“If something had happened, you would have heard. I think he might be late because he is busy gathering up the many assets that Klinefelter left behind.”
“No, that’s not it. They already sent someone. They said the lights were off at the Klinefelter mansion. It was so quiet it was like no one was there.”
“Oh, my. You must be really worried... Oh, my.”
Fermos, who was debating whether he should politely tell Liene to sit down, jumped again when he realized that he was very inappropriately dressed.
“Let me put those clothes on, Princess. Just a moment.”
“It’s okay, just leave it alone.”
“Yes? ...No, yes?”
“Should we send more guards? I came here to ask because I have no idea where to send them.”
“No, Princess. I told you that it was okay...”
“He haven’t come back since midnight.”
“If you are sleeping, it will appear as if it were a lie.”
“I told you I couldn’t sleep.”
"Princess."
Fermos made a futile effort to cover his exposed upper body with his palm. Judging from the way Liene's eyes were fixed on him, it was clear that she had no interest in whether he was naked or not, but his heart was not in it.
“Well, that is... I am afraid that this may sound like presumptuous advice, but still, um... I guess the lord has his own way of doing things... Anyway, since he handles things on his own, it would be a waste to buy it in advance and worry about it.”
“I understand that you have great faith in Lord Tiwakan, but I am concerned enough about the situation right now.”
“I said there was nothing to worry about.”
“It’s not just about words. It’s about banishing Linden Klinefelter. The Klinefelter family’s private army may have been involved, and...”
“If that were the case, I would have known long ago. And there are no more Kleinfelters, Princess.”
“Huh? You don’t have more than 500 private soldiers?”
“If they don’t pay wages, how can anyone stay?”
"Ah...?"
“Have you forgotten? The Kleinfelter family’s property has been confiscated, and now it belongs to the Princess. Unless the Princess hires a private soldier for the Kleinfelter family with your own money.”
"Aha..."
Liene blinked. She understood that she still couldn't believe Klinefelter's downfall... Well, she must have suffered so much. It's only natural that she wouldn't believe it.
“Then go and sleep now. There was no sign of Klinefelter or any other family’s private soldiers hanging around.”
He wished she would stop believing that. Gathering information about the enemy's forces is the most basic task in war, and few people do it better than Tiwakan.
“Is that so... No, then what if there was an accident other than the private soldier?”
“What kind of accident are you talking about?”
“So... if you were riding a horse and the horse suddenly got startled...”
“Then you must have broken something somewhere.”
At the calm response, Liene raised her voice in anger.
“So, you’re saying we have to send someone?”
“It’s just a waste of time to make the poor guard suffer. Isn’t it too cruel to have them wander around the border in the middle of the night looking for someone who might have taken a certain route? Even in Tiwakan, that would be something they would wave their hands at.”
“I see... Then at least tell me the direction. I’ll come pick him up.”
Fermos's complexion became slightly pale.
“Princess. Isn’t that it?”
“The welcome is a little better.”
“What do you mean by better...”
Suddenly, Fermos came to his senses. Looking at that serious face, he knew for sure that Liene would be the one to drag him out to meet Black.
“Princess. If my lord finds out that I sent you out of the castle at this hour, I will have to live with a cane for the rest of my life. Please stop tormenting me.”
“Oh, then you can come with me.”
“No, that won’t do! I have to stop the Princess right now. So please, just go back. Yes?”
“Sir Fermos, don’t make me doubt your loyalty. If someone is in a hurry, they’ll end up being late, so how can you not be worried?”
In the end, he had to say this.
“If my lord has suffered an unexpected accident, we will hear from him sooner or later. For now, we do not know the exact location, so waiting is the fastest way. And Princess.”
Fermos changed his expression and approached Liene.
“Do you know that the Princess is wearing pajamas and bare feet right now?”
“How did you know? I were wearing a cloak.”
“I’m not afraid since you’re wearing a cloak. If you had been fully clothed, you wouldn’t have bothered to wear a cloak inside the castle.”
Liene turned her head and clicked her tongue slightly.
“...You’re smart. I knew that.”
“And I also look quite embarrassed. If anyone sees this, they won’t say anything good about it. It would be best for you to go back as soon as possible.”
“Isn’t it ridiculous that someone would misunderstand that I’m wearing pajamas at this hour?”
“Isn’t that what happens between a man and a woman?”
“It is impertinent to associate me with men and women. I believe there are no such impertinent people in Tiwakan.”
Although she spoke confidently, Liene was secretly closing the hem of her cloak. Although she was starting to feel nervous now, her actions showed that she had no intention of giving in easily.
“I’ll change my clothes and come back. Then, will you come with me, Sir?”
“Haa, Princess...”
It was the moment when Fermos raised his face as if he was going crazy from embarrassment.
“You’re here?”
A low, incredulous voice was heard, along with the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
“Huh...! My Lord!”
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment