“...Ugh!”
Liene threw her head back with a muffled scream, a gesture that suggested that she would rather be touched by a bug.
“Are you rejecting me now? Even after I said this?”
“Ugh! Ugh!”
“How could that be possible! How!”
Lafitte grabbed the hem of Liene's clothes and pulled her fallen body up.
"How!"
“Stop! Are you really going to lay a hand on the Princess right now?”
Werose intervened at the opportune moment and pushed Lafitte back.
“You seem excited. Go over there and cool your head. I will speak to the Princess.”
“...”
Lafitte looked at Werose, gritting his teeth, then turned his head away, realizing that he could not refute what he had said. Werose carefully held Liene and sat her down on the floor. She too could not believe it, but at least she could tell that he had no intention of harming her.
“Princess, I know you are very confused. But there is a reason why I had to do this.”
...What the hell kind of reason is that. You, the captain of Nauk's guard, kidnapped me. What kind of excuse could there be for that?
“You are the only one I am loyal to, Princess. You should know that.”
Why would someone like that do this to me?
“I have never thought there would be a monarch like you, Princess. As I have served you from the closest side, I have felt that no one would serve Nauk better than you. Please know that all my actions have been done out of loyalty.”
No. What you are doing is not loyalty. Why don't you, who was closest to me, know that?
“A man with the blood of Gainers cannot become King.”
What kind of nonsense is that? You are being deceived. That's just some bullshit made up by Klinefelter.
“There is a curse from God on that family. All the Kings have been like that. They went mad and died young.”
What?
“The seven families drew their swords because they could no longer stand by and watch. How can that be called treason?”
What the... So you're saying that guy would be like that too? ...No, that can't be true. Are you crazy? That's ridiculous. I've never seen anyone as calm and rational as that guy.
“That day, I heard from Lord Kleinfelter that the man’s intention was revenge, so I left Nauk and went to the Kingdom of Sharka to confirm it. Many things happened there... But thanks to that, I learned that he was the last blood of the Gainers royal family.”
Lafitte threw the bait he had received from Princess Blini Bashad, and Werose bit it. Twenty years ago, Werose was a knight apprentice and was under the care of an old knight of the Rosadel family. One day, he heard the knight muttering to himself while drunk.
"No matter what, I can't kill the child."
The old knight was the one who had followed Knight Henton without knowing the story at the time. The story he had heard was that King Pembrowin had died in the hunting grounds and a knight of the Gainers's Order had stolen the jewels that the King had been holding and ran away. Feeling sorry for the dead King, he pursued the thief diligently. The thief was caught by the Kleinfelter family's private soldiers and had his head cut off. The Rosadel family's knight, who arrived a step later, found a child lying bleeding next to the decapitated body. The child was not dead. No one else saw it, but the old knight saw the child's eyelashes flutter for a moment. The knight stepped forward and carried the child when they said that they would just throw the body into the bushes and go.
"But he would have died. He was stabbed and abandoned, so how could that little kid have survived on his own?'
When he heard the word revenge, the child who was with the Guardian who ran away was connected. If the Guardian had run away with the jewel, but the Prince. If that blood had survived like a demon and was counting the days until it would return to this land. Then he understood. The proposal was like a crazy threat, surrounding the castle and saying that if she didn't give him the answer he wanted, he'd kill her all.
“Princess, he will soon go mad. Who knows how many people he will kill?”
Werose knelt and bowed his head.
“Please, Princess... I heard that you are already married. But please reconsider. The Princess, who loves Nauk more than anyone else, should not have such a person as your co-ruler.”
“...”
Liene blinked several times. It was to collect her thoughts. The Curse of Gainers Is it some kind of hereditary disease? She hadn’t seen it in the royal records. However, the Kings of the Gainers family often reigned for a short period and died young. She knew that for sure.
Liene threw her head back with a muffled scream, a gesture that suggested that she would rather be touched by a bug.
“Are you rejecting me now? Even after I said this?”
“Ugh! Ugh!”
“How could that be possible! How!”
Lafitte grabbed the hem of Liene's clothes and pulled her fallen body up.
"How!"
“Stop! Are you really going to lay a hand on the Princess right now?”
Werose intervened at the opportune moment and pushed Lafitte back.
“You seem excited. Go over there and cool your head. I will speak to the Princess.”
“...”
Lafitte looked at Werose, gritting his teeth, then turned his head away, realizing that he could not refute what he had said. Werose carefully held Liene and sat her down on the floor. She too could not believe it, but at least she could tell that he had no intention of harming her.
“Princess, I know you are very confused. But there is a reason why I had to do this.”
...What the hell kind of reason is that. You, the captain of Nauk's guard, kidnapped me. What kind of excuse could there be for that?
“You are the only one I am loyal to, Princess. You should know that.”
Why would someone like that do this to me?
“I have never thought there would be a monarch like you, Princess. As I have served you from the closest side, I have felt that no one would serve Nauk better than you. Please know that all my actions have been done out of loyalty.”
No. What you are doing is not loyalty. Why don't you, who was closest to me, know that?
“A man with the blood of Gainers cannot become King.”
What kind of nonsense is that? You are being deceived. That's just some bullshit made up by Klinefelter.
“There is a curse from God on that family. All the Kings have been like that. They went mad and died young.”
What?
“The seven families drew their swords because they could no longer stand by and watch. How can that be called treason?”
What the... So you're saying that guy would be like that too? ...No, that can't be true. Are you crazy? That's ridiculous. I've never seen anyone as calm and rational as that guy.
“That day, I heard from Lord Kleinfelter that the man’s intention was revenge, so I left Nauk and went to the Kingdom of Sharka to confirm it. Many things happened there... But thanks to that, I learned that he was the last blood of the Gainers royal family.”
Lafitte threw the bait he had received from Princess Blini Bashad, and Werose bit it. Twenty years ago, Werose was a knight apprentice and was under the care of an old knight of the Rosadel family. One day, he heard the knight muttering to himself while drunk.
"No matter what, I can't kill the child."
The old knight was the one who had followed Knight Henton without knowing the story at the time. The story he had heard was that King Pembrowin had died in the hunting grounds and a knight of the Gainers's Order had stolen the jewels that the King had been holding and ran away. Feeling sorry for the dead King, he pursued the thief diligently. The thief was caught by the Kleinfelter family's private soldiers and had his head cut off. The Rosadel family's knight, who arrived a step later, found a child lying bleeding next to the decapitated body. The child was not dead. No one else saw it, but the old knight saw the child's eyelashes flutter for a moment. The knight stepped forward and carried the child when they said that they would just throw the body into the bushes and go.
"But he would have died. He was stabbed and abandoned, so how could that little kid have survived on his own?'
When he heard the word revenge, the child who was with the Guardian who ran away was connected. If the Guardian had run away with the jewel, but the Prince. If that blood had survived like a demon and was counting the days until it would return to this land. Then he understood. The proposal was like a crazy threat, surrounding the castle and saying that if she didn't give him the answer he wanted, he'd kill her all.
“Princess, he will soon go mad. Who knows how many people he will kill?”
Werose knelt and bowed his head.
“Please, Princess... I heard that you are already married. But please reconsider. The Princess, who loves Nauk more than anyone else, should not have such a person as your co-ruler.”
“...”
Liene blinked several times. It was to collect her thoughts. The Curse of Gainers Is it some kind of hereditary disease? She hadn’t seen it in the royal records. However, the Kings of the Gainers family often reigned for a short period and died young. She knew that for sure.
Yes... That could be true. They say that man was weak as a child... He could have a hereditary disease.
When she thought about it, her heart almost broke...
But. So what do you want me to do? Should I kill him in advance so that he can die young like his ancestors?
That didn’t make sense. If that really happened to Black, she didn’t want to think about it, but the time they were apart would be too precious. She would want to spend every moment making him happy without wasting a single moment. She didn’t know what it meant to go crazy and die. But it was clear that at least the Seven Houses hadn’t killed King Pembroyn for Nauk. If that was really the case, she wouldn't have come to the sick child and told him to steal the key. That's their true intention. They just wanted to steal the divine power that the Gainers royal family possessed. The rest is just excuses. Don't be fooled.
“...”
Liene took a deep breath and nodded slowly. As if she had no choice, but as if she had made a big decision without a choice.
“I... I’m going to rest. I’m so tired..."
“Yes, Princess. Please do so.”
Liene pretended to lean against Werose and whispered very quietly, closing the distance between them.
“Please leave Klinefelter alone. I’m scared of what he might do.”
“Ah... But Sir Klinefelter is the Princess’s lover...”
“For whatever reason, he can’t seem to accept the fact that I’m married to another man. You saw that before.”
“...Then I will do that.”
Werose nodded after a while. Even in his eyes, Lafitte Kleinfelter looked unstable. Werose approached Lafitte Kleinfelter and said something. Lafitte suddenly turned his head and glared at her. Liene pretended to be scared and looked away. Werose, who saw that, grabbed Laffite’s arm and led him over there...
Liene, who continued to back away, felt a cold air blowing out faintly. It was a gap. Liene squeezed her body into the narrow gap without hesitation, not knowing where it would lead. It felt like suffocating. The rocks and dirt scratched her skin mercilessly. However, she was relieved. Werose or Lafitte would not be able to pass through this narrow gap.
“Princess...? Princess!”
Werose, who had discovered herself late, could be heard shouting.
“Phew... The length... I think it’s similar... but I don’t know... Sigh, phew.”
It was a darkness she couldn't get used to. It was still too dark. She couldn't even tell what was right in front of her, much less guess the direction. The path that Klima had shown her was nowhere to be found here. Instead, Liene remembered the feeling under her feet.
“At that time, clearly...”
The soles of her feet hurt. Something sharp kept poking her feet, and she lost her bearings as she walked while avoiding them. In other words, if there was a sharp object on the ground, she might be able to find her way. Liene bent down and felt the black floor with her hands as she moved. Now, she could only feel the occasional protruding stone-like thing, and it was just damp dirt.
“It’s too slow like this.”
Liene took off her shoes. She started walking barefoot again. She focused on the sensation of her feet and walked for a while. When she felt like she was going to die from exhaustion, her feet stepped on something.
“...”
Liene took a deep breath and nodded slowly. As if she had no choice, but as if she had made a big decision without a choice.
“I knew you would do that. The Princess is a wise person.”
Werose let out a deep breath of relief.
“First, we will take the Princess to the Kingdom of Sharka. That is what we have decided. The Princess will remain safe there. Lord Kleinfelter will gather the nobles of Nauk and drive Tiwakan out of this land. The Kingdom of Sharka has promised reinforcements. If Tiwakan is defeated, no, even if he is not defeated by any chance, we can negotiate. Then the marriage will be invalidated because he has hidden Gainers’ blood.”
“...”
Liene nodded again.
“Reinforcements from the Kingdom of Sharka will arrive tomorrow. Hide here tonight and go to the Kingdom of Sharka tomorrow. I will escort you.”
“...”
Werose nodded his head wildly, following Liene's example.
“Do not be afraid, Princess. Even though their name is Tiwakan, they are a band of mercenaries. They have no power to fight against the kingdom. Nauk will soon be safely returned to the embrace of the gods.”
“...”
As she nodded obediently, Werose felt completely relieved. Liene tried to twist her body and show him her bound hands. It was a sign that she wanted him to untie her now.
“Yes, princess.”
If Werose had witnessed Liene's wedding, he would not have been so easily relieved. For him, time was the same as it was a month ago. Liene had accepted the proposal against her will and was enduring the barbarian. So he firmly believed that he was doing the right thing for Liene and Nauk.
Werose let out a deep breath of relief.
“First, we will take the Princess to the Kingdom of Sharka. That is what we have decided. The Princess will remain safe there. Lord Kleinfelter will gather the nobles of Nauk and drive Tiwakan out of this land. The Kingdom of Sharka has promised reinforcements. If Tiwakan is defeated, no, even if he is not defeated by any chance, we can negotiate. Then the marriage will be invalidated because he has hidden Gainers’ blood.”
“...”
Liene nodded again.
“Reinforcements from the Kingdom of Sharka will arrive tomorrow. Hide here tonight and go to the Kingdom of Sharka tomorrow. I will escort you.”
“...”
Werose nodded his head wildly, following Liene's example.
“Do not be afraid, Princess. Even though their name is Tiwakan, they are a band of mercenaries. They have no power to fight against the kingdom. Nauk will soon be safely returned to the embrace of the gods.”
“...”
As she nodded obediently, Werose felt completely relieved. Liene tried to twist her body and show him her bound hands. It was a sign that she wanted him to untie her now.
“Yes, princess.”
If Werose had witnessed Liene's wedding, he would not have been so easily relieved. For him, time was the same as it was a month ago. Liene had accepted the proposal against her will and was enduring the barbarian. So he firmly believed that he was doing the right thing for Liene and Nauk.
Werose untied the rope that bound her body. Liene tried to pull down the cloth that had covered her mouth. However, she kept fumbling, so Werose lowered it.
“I... I’m going to rest. I’m so tired..."
“Yes, Princess. Please do so.”
Liene pretended to lean against Werose and whispered very quietly, closing the distance between them.
“Please leave Klinefelter alone. I’m scared of what he might do.”
“Ah... But Sir Klinefelter is the Princess’s lover...”
“For whatever reason, he can’t seem to accept the fact that I’m married to another man. You saw that before.”
“...Then I will do that.”
Werose nodded after a while. Even in his eyes, Lafitte Kleinfelter looked unstable. Werose approached Lafitte Kleinfelter and said something. Lafitte suddenly turned his head and glared at her. Liene pretended to be scared and looked away. Werose, who saw that, grabbed Laffite’s arm and led him over there...
There must be a path inside here. Liene watched the backs of the two people moving away and moved her body back a little without making a sound. The nine waterfalls were literally divided into nine when viewed from the outside. She couldn’t tell which of the nine she was currently in, but she remembered the maze that Klima had told her about. Judging by its large size, it couldn’t be completely blocked inside. It was so dark that it looked completely blocked right now, but she believed that there must be a gap.
He said that the army of the Kingdom of Sharka would arrive tomorrow. She has to let them know before then. That would be an invasion. It was unclear whether Werose or Kleinfelter truly believed that was the way to drive out Tiwakan, but Liene could not see it. There was no way the Kingdom of Sharka would send an army without any ulterior motives. If they had been purely thinking of helping Nauk, they would have sent reinforcements a long time ago when they first requested them. The one sending the troops would be the Princess herself. The fact that they were sending troops right after Prince Bashad, who had initially refused reinforcements, died seemed impure.
I have to get back to the castle quickly. I have to see him. Could something be going on at the temple? Could that be why they kept being late?
There were so many things to think about that Liene's head was going to burst.
“...!”
“...!”
Liene, who continued to back away, felt a cold air blowing out faintly. It was a gap. Liene squeezed her body into the narrow gap without hesitation, not knowing where it would lead. It felt like suffocating. The rocks and dirt scratched her skin mercilessly. However, she was relieved. Werose or Lafitte would not be able to pass through this narrow gap.
“Princess...? Princess!”
Werose, who had discovered herself late, could be heard shouting.
Boom! Werose had come running like crazy and Liene grabbed the hem of her skirt that she hadn’t been able to close. The clothes were torn long, but Liene passed through the passage safely.
"Princess!"
Liene started to run through the darkness. Her body, which had not yet fully recovered, felt heavy, and her vision was dark. But she had to run.
"Princess!"
Liene started to run through the darkness. Her body, which had not yet fully recovered, felt heavy, and her vision was dark. But she had to run.
***
“Phew... The length... I think it’s similar... but I don’t know... Sigh, phew.”
It was a darkness she couldn't get used to. It was still too dark. She couldn't even tell what was right in front of her, much less guess the direction. The path that Klima had shown her was nowhere to be found here. Instead, Liene remembered the feeling under her feet.
“At that time, clearly...”
The soles of her feet hurt. Something sharp kept poking her feet, and she lost her bearings as she walked while avoiding them. In other words, if there was a sharp object on the ground, she might be able to find her way. Liene bent down and felt the black floor with her hands as she moved. Now, she could only feel the occasional protruding stone-like thing, and it was just damp dirt.
“It’s too slow like this.”
Liene took off her shoes. She started walking barefoot again. She focused on the sensation of her feet and walked for a while. When she felt like she was going to die from exhaustion, her feet stepped on something.
Support Novellate!
Bruh he still underestimates them? lol
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