“Ahem.”
The Princess of Nauk turned around after coughing.
Black seemed to be blind.
The Princess of Nauk with her messy hair and dirty face was not cute at all.
Bliny was hateful. Even though it was the first time she had seen her face today.
“I heard that you swallowed the ring.”
She hated those green eyes.
“If you consider the time, the ring shouldn’t have been in your stomach until now. I want that ring back. That ring belongs to my husband, and to Nauk. There’s no reason for it to be in your hand. I plan to put that ring back where it belongs. Give it back.”
She hated those apricot-colored lips.
“It’s mine.”
“...Then let me say it differently. If you return the ring, Nauk won’t fight an unnecessary war with Sharka. The Grand Prince of Alito, who is imprisoned in Nauk, will return to his principality safely. If you just return the ring that has no meaning to you, many people will be at ease.”
She hated that soft, easy voice.
“It’s mine.”
“Doesn’t it matter to anyone else? You’re royalty. The Grand Prince is your blood.”
“You’re deaf. Poor thing.”
“Then I’ll threaten you. You’re a prisoner of Tiwakan, without a single weapon to defend yourself. The only person who would side with you, the King of Sharka, is far away. The Grand Duke of Alito has sent me a pledge not to interfere with your affairs to secure the Grand Prince’s release. I can tell my knights here and now to take off your clothes and bring me the ring. Is that better?”
“That’s a threat?”
Bliny threw back her head and laughed.
“If it’s a threat, it should be scary. Would you be scared if you exposed some skin?”
“It would be scary. How could it not be scary?”
“You are?”
“Yes. I would be scared. If that man were to see me like this.”
“What is this?”
“It’s scary to think that someone would take off my clothes and that guy would just sit there and watch without doing anything. It would be like a nightmare that would never end. It’s scary to think that he’d watch me fall to the bottom, become weak and evil.”
“You and that..."
“I absolutely don’t want to be seen like that. I don’t want to see that.”
“...”
Bliny bit her lips hard.
What was scary wasn’t the clothes being forcibly taken off.
It wasn’t the ring being taken away. It was Black who was watching.
As if it were nothing as if he’d thrown her away a long time ago.
The only thing she’d ever considered valuable in her life would be torn to pieces at that moment.
Bliny knew that Black no longer desired her. She could accept that. Human desire always had a time limit. Desire died just as humans died. Her desire for him was still tenaciously alive.
That was okay. But it couldn’t be anything more trivial than a dead desire.
“If that wasn’t scary, then there would be no reason for you to have that ring.”
“...”
Bliny never said that Liene was right.
“Understood. The choice is yours. Lord Randall.”
“...Yes, Princess.”
Randall, who was suddenly called by his name, quickly stepped forward in surprise.
“I’m sorry to make you do this, but please take off Princess Bliny’s clothes and retrieve the ring.”
“As you wish.”
Liene took a step back.
The kind face that made her teeth grind was no longer looking at her with any pity.
“It’ll be a mess if he does it alone. Someone, come and help him.”
Randall was the same. Tiwakan, who offered to help, was the same. She felt like she was neither the Princess of an enemy country nor the Grand Princess of Alito, but just a stone statue hiding a ring.
“...Hmph.”
A strange gasp escaped her lips.
Bliny realized that it was because she had met Black’s eyes.
He was looking at her with eyes that saw nothing.
Liene was right. Those eyes were a nightmare she would never forget for the rest of her life.
“Get your hands off me.”
Bliny said, looking at Black without blinking.
“I’ll give it to you.”
“...”
Her teeth ground as she spoke. Her jaw clenched.
“Hand it over, Your Grace.”
Randall reached out his hand toward Bliny.
Bliny ground her teeth and put her hand into her chest. The ring she had been wearing in the buttonhole of her underdress came out.
Bam!
Bliny threw the ring away.
“...Your temper.”
Randall clicked his tongue and followed the rolling ring, picking it up.
“Here, take it.”
The one he held out the ring to was Liene.
Liene took the ring and looked at Black. Black nodded, indicating that it was the right ring.
“...”
The ring had countless marks on it.
It wasn’t exactly cherished, but it was clear that it had been held in her hand every day. Maybe that was Bliny’s way of cherishing something.
Liene held the ring tightly.
“We’ve achieved our goal. Now let’s go. Tie up Princess Bliny.”
Bliny lifted her head.
“What? Tie me up?”
“She won’t follow me.”
“Why... Where are you taking me! You told me to just give you the ring!”
“No. I didn’t say that. You misheard.”
“Many people say it's easier...”
“You’re not there.”
Liene cut her off coldly.
“I haven’t forgotten that Lord Renfell was injured. And that you lied to Lord Werose. I think you know better than to tell me. Lord Randall, tie him up.”
“Of course.”
Randall quickly tied Bliny up, looking somewhat delighted.
The maids decided to just let her go.
No, not just let her go, but use her a little.
“We’re going to the southern border to join Tiwakan now, right?”
The maids would get the wrong information and pass it on to the late-arriving Bashad.
Black suppressed a smile and nodded.
“Yes.”
“It’s a long way to go. We must hurry.”
“I don’t think there’s any reason not to like them.”
“Then I was indifferent too. I’ll wear bright clothes from now on.”
Inside the soft carriage, Black hugged Liene and sat her on his lap.
“Me?”
“Yes?”
“What color do you like to wear?”
“You...”
Liene, who had been thinking seriously, brought her lips to his ear and whispered.
“It’s better not to wear it.”
“...That’s difficult.”
“It’s something only I can see.”
“That’s what’s difficult to say.”
Black wiped away his smile and lightly bit Liene’s earlobe.
The slightly tingling sensation was now an awkward sensation for Liene as well.
“You... Don’t act so wild just because I was joking around.”
Liene pulled Black’s hair lightly and pulled her lips away.
“There’s someone smarter than me in the Sharka Army? Do you really think that? Huh?”
Tiwakan scratched his chin.
“No, it could be... Well, or they’re just stupid.”
“The fact that they’re on guard means they don’t know we’re here.”
A large fountain spurted water in the spacious garden, and beautiful garden trees that she had never seen in Nauk gave off an exotic scent.
“This is where you stay when you come to Bluewarren.”
Black answered as he placed his hand on Liene’s arm and entered the corridor lined with white columns.
“So this is your house?”
The Princess of Nauk turned around after coughing.
Black seemed to be blind.
The Princess of Nauk with her messy hair and dirty face was not cute at all.
Bliny was hateful. Even though it was the first time she had seen her face today.
“I heard that you swallowed the ring.”
She hated those green eyes.
“If you consider the time, the ring shouldn’t have been in your stomach until now. I want that ring back. That ring belongs to my husband, and to Nauk. There’s no reason for it to be in your hand. I plan to put that ring back where it belongs. Give it back.”
She hated those apricot-colored lips.
“It’s mine.”
“...Then let me say it differently. If you return the ring, Nauk won’t fight an unnecessary war with Sharka. The Grand Prince of Alito, who is imprisoned in Nauk, will return to his principality safely. If you just return the ring that has no meaning to you, many people will be at ease.”
She hated that soft, easy voice.
“It’s mine.”
“Doesn’t it matter to anyone else? You’re royalty. The Grand Prince is your blood.”
“You’re deaf. Poor thing.”
“Then I’ll threaten you. You’re a prisoner of Tiwakan, without a single weapon to defend yourself. The only person who would side with you, the King of Sharka, is far away. The Grand Duke of Alito has sent me a pledge not to interfere with your affairs to secure the Grand Prince’s release. I can tell my knights here and now to take off your clothes and bring me the ring. Is that better?”
“That’s a threat?”
Bliny threw back her head and laughed.
“If it’s a threat, it should be scary. Would you be scared if you exposed some skin?”
“It would be scary. How could it not be scary?”
“You are?”
“Yes. I would be scared. If that man were to see me like this.”
“What is this?”
“It’s scary to think that someone would take off my clothes and that guy would just sit there and watch without doing anything. It would be like a nightmare that would never end. It’s scary to think that he’d watch me fall to the bottom, become weak and evil.”
“You and that..."
“I absolutely don’t want to be seen like that. I don’t want to see that.”
“...”
Bliny bit her lips hard.
What was scary wasn’t the clothes being forcibly taken off.
It wasn’t the ring being taken away. It was Black who was watching.
As if it were nothing as if he’d thrown her away a long time ago.
The only thing she’d ever considered valuable in her life would be torn to pieces at that moment.
Bliny knew that Black no longer desired her. She could accept that. Human desire always had a time limit. Desire died just as humans died. Her desire for him was still tenaciously alive.
That was okay. But it couldn’t be anything more trivial than a dead desire.
“If that wasn’t scary, then there would be no reason for you to have that ring.”
“...”
Bliny never said that Liene was right.
“Understood. The choice is yours. Lord Randall.”
“...Yes, Princess.”
Randall, who was suddenly called by his name, quickly stepped forward in surprise.
“I’m sorry to make you do this, but please take off Princess Bliny’s clothes and retrieve the ring.”
“As you wish.”
Liene took a step back.
The kind face that made her teeth grind was no longer looking at her with any pity.
“It’ll be a mess if he does it alone. Someone, come and help him.”
Randall was the same. Tiwakan, who offered to help, was the same. She felt like she was neither the Princess of an enemy country nor the Grand Princess of Alito, but just a stone statue hiding a ring.
“...Hmph.”
A strange gasp escaped her lips.
Bliny realized that it was because she had met Black’s eyes.
He was looking at her with eyes that saw nothing.
Liene was right. Those eyes were a nightmare she would never forget for the rest of her life.
“Get your hands off me.”
Bliny said, looking at Black without blinking.
“I’ll give it to you.”
“...”
Her teeth ground as she spoke. Her jaw clenched.
“Hand it over, Your Grace.”
Randall reached out his hand toward Bliny.
Bliny ground her teeth and put her hand into her chest. The ring she had been wearing in the buttonhole of her underdress came out.
Bam!
Bliny threw the ring away.
“...Your temper.”
Randall clicked his tongue and followed the rolling ring, picking it up.
“Here, take it.”
The one he held out the ring to was Liene.
Liene took the ring and looked at Black. Black nodded, indicating that it was the right ring.
“...”
The ring had countless marks on it.
It wasn’t exactly cherished, but it was clear that it had been held in her hand every day. Maybe that was Bliny’s way of cherishing something.
Liene held the ring tightly.
“We’ve achieved our goal. Now let’s go. Tie up Princess Bliny.”
Bliny lifted her head.
“What? Tie me up?”
“She won’t follow me.”
“Why... Where are you taking me! You told me to just give you the ring!”
“No. I didn’t say that. You misheard.”
“Many people say it's easier...”
“You’re not there.”
Liene cut her off coldly.
“I haven’t forgotten that Lord Renfell was injured. And that you lied to Lord Werose. I think you know better than to tell me. Lord Randall, tie him up.”
“Of course.”
Randall quickly tied Bliny up, looking somewhat delighted.
The maids decided to just let her go.
No, not just let her go, but use her a little.
“We’re going to the southern border to join Tiwakan now, right?”
The maids would get the wrong information and pass it on to the late-arriving Bashad.
Black suppressed a smile and nodded.
“Yes.”
“It’s a long way to go. We must hurry.”
They had to cross the northern border before the sunset.
The party was happy to use Bliny’s carriage and horse.
Bliny, bound, and gagged, was loaded into the trunk carrying her luggage.
This time, Tiwakan was part of the noble family’s outing to Bluewarren.
Liene took off her pilgrim clothes and put on Bliny’s dress, and contrary to her thoughts that it would be awkward, she felt somehow cheerful once she put on the clothes.
The carriage quickly ran along the quiet road.
She was glad that she could ride the carriage after working hard all night.
“I guess I’m quite childish if I feel good about taking something like this away.”
Black’s expression hardened for a moment when he saw Liene wearing a fancy dress that she didn’t usually wear.
“I think I’ve been indifferent.”
“Why?”
“I just realized that bright clothes suit you well.”
“Hmm... Do you like these clothes?”
The party was happy to use Bliny’s carriage and horse.
Bliny, bound, and gagged, was loaded into the trunk carrying her luggage.
This time, Tiwakan was part of the noble family’s outing to Bluewarren.
Liene took off her pilgrim clothes and put on Bliny’s dress, and contrary to her thoughts that it would be awkward, she felt somehow cheerful once she put on the clothes.
The carriage quickly ran along the quiet road.
She was glad that she could ride the carriage after working hard all night.
“I guess I’m quite childish if I feel good about taking something like this away.”
Black’s expression hardened for a moment when he saw Liene wearing a fancy dress that she didn’t usually wear.
“I think I’ve been indifferent.”
“Why?”
“I just realized that bright clothes suit you well.”
“Hmm... Do you like these clothes?”
“I don’t think there’s any reason not to like them.”
“Then I was indifferent too. I’ll wear bright clothes from now on.”
Inside the soft carriage, Black hugged Liene and sat her on his lap.
“Me?”
“Yes?”
“What color do you like to wear?”
“You...”
Liene, who had been thinking seriously, brought her lips to his ear and whispered.
“It’s better not to wear it.”
“...That’s difficult.”
“It’s something only I can see.”
“That’s what’s difficult to say.”
Black wiped away his smile and lightly bit Liene’s earlobe.
The slightly tingling sensation was now an awkward sensation for Liene as well.
“You... Don’t act so wild just because I was joking around.”
Liene pulled Black’s hair lightly and pulled her lips away.
“Just watch the jokes.”
One person tried to kiss, and the other laughed breathlessly and avoided their lips. The playful play continued for a while.
So they had the same thought.
They wished they could go home quickly.
The carriage, which had removed its flag to hide its royal ownership, reached the border before sunset.
After crossing the border, it was Blue Warren.
"Huh?”
A hawk flew in.
At some point, contact with the information broker was cut off. The information broker, who was quick to notice, had withdrawn when the war was mentioned and the situation was getting worse.
It was something he had expected, but he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable as if his eyes were being covered.
Furthermore, the contact from Black was something like 'Joining delayed. Wait.', and the frustration doubled.
That was really strange.
Fermos passed the falcon to the person next to him and observed the southern border guards of Sharka below.
Strangely, there didn't seem to be any noticeable reinforcements.
At that rate, it would be over in two hours. They could push the border and enter the Sharka Kingdom in two hours.
“Are those guys fearless or stupid? What are they doing?”
Most of the Tiwakans had the same opinion.
They had been vigilant since yesterday, but there were too few people.
“Could it be a trap? They want us to come down first?”
“Didn’t you check all of that? There should be something like that.”
“If the traps were really well dug...”
One person tried to kiss, and the other laughed breathlessly and avoided their lips. The playful play continued for a while.
So they had the same thought.
They wished they could go home quickly.
The carriage, which had removed its flag to hide its royal ownership, reached the border before sunset.
After crossing the border, it was Blue Warren.
***
"Huh?”
A hawk flew in.
At some point, contact with the information broker was cut off. The information broker, who was quick to notice, had withdrawn when the war was mentioned and the situation was getting worse.
It was something he had expected, but he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable as if his eyes were being covered.
Furthermore, the contact from Black was something like 'Joining delayed. Wait.', and the frustration doubled.
That was really strange.
Fermos passed the falcon to the person next to him and observed the southern border guards of Sharka below.
Strangely, there didn't seem to be any noticeable reinforcements.
At that rate, it would be over in two hours. They could push the border and enter the Sharka Kingdom in two hours.
“Are those guys fearless or stupid? What are they doing?”
Most of the Tiwakans had the same opinion.
They had been vigilant since yesterday, but there were too few people.
“Could it be a trap? They want us to come down first?”
“Didn’t you check all of that? There should be something like that.”
“If the traps were really well dug...”
“There’s someone smarter than me in the Sharka Army? Do you really think that? Huh?”
Tiwakan scratched his chin.
“No, it could be... Well, or they’re just stupid.”
“The fact that they’re on guard means they don’t know we’re here.”
He had to calm down. There must have been a trap, or there must have been a problem with the army that was going to join them.
“What’s the big deal?”
He had heard that Black in the Sharka Kingdom had already run wild in the main palace. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the King being killed or captured, but there was no mention of Tiwakan being harmed either.
Common sense dictated that the entire kingdom of Sharka should have been frantically preparing for war.
“...We’re going to go crazy, really. This won’t do. Get the falcons ready. We should at least ask our lord.”
“Should we send the falcons into Sharka? Isn’t it dangerous for us to send them?”
“We can’t help it. And how many people in Sharka are capable of catching our falcons?”
“Oh, even so.”
“Shut up. Send them for now. They’ll come back when they’re chased.”
“I don’t know what my lord says.”
Whisper!
A moment later, a falcon flew out of Tiwakan’s camp. In the blink of an eye, the falcon soared high into the sky and became a black dot.
“Where is this place?”
Liene asked again.
It was late evening when they passed through the walls of Bluewarren City.
Everyone was exhausted, so they decided to sleep for a night and then move to Nauk.
The carriage ran along the wide street and arrived at a mansion near the downtown area.
The mansion facing the central square of Bluewarren had an impressive high red wall. Since the inside of the mansion was not visible at all, at first she thought it was just a wall.
When she passed through the main gate, there was a quietness inside that was completely different from the bustling city.
“What’s the big deal?”
He had heard that Black in the Sharka Kingdom had already run wild in the main palace. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the King being killed or captured, but there was no mention of Tiwakan being harmed either.
Common sense dictated that the entire kingdom of Sharka should have been frantically preparing for war.
“...We’re going to go crazy, really. This won’t do. Get the falcons ready. We should at least ask our lord.”
“Should we send the falcons into Sharka? Isn’t it dangerous for us to send them?”
“We can’t help it. And how many people in Sharka are capable of catching our falcons?”
“Oh, even so.”
“Shut up. Send them for now. They’ll come back when they’re chased.”
“I don’t know what my lord says.”
Whisper!
A moment later, a falcon flew out of Tiwakan’s camp. In the blink of an eye, the falcon soared high into the sky and became a black dot.
***
“Where is this place?”
Liene asked again.
It was late evening when they passed through the walls of Bluewarren City.
Everyone was exhausted, so they decided to sleep for a night and then move to Nauk.
The carriage ran along the wide street and arrived at a mansion near the downtown area.
The mansion facing the central square of Bluewarren had an impressive high red wall. Since the inside of the mansion was not visible at all, at first she thought it was just a wall.
When she passed through the main gate, there was a quietness inside that was completely different from the bustling city.
A large fountain spurted water in the spacious garden, and beautiful garden trees that she had never seen in Nauk gave off an exotic scent.
“This is where you stay when you come to Bluewarren.”
Black answered as he placed his hand on Liene’s arm and entered the corridor lined with white columns.
“So this is your house?”
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