A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 114

※If There Were a Sea※

After helping Liene to a chair, Black brought a dry towel. He began to dry her damp hair with it, just as he had done once before.

[Liene] "What would it have been like if Nauk had a sea?"

She gazed out past the terrace toward the ocean, where the sound of crashing waves echoed.

[Liene] "Nauk would have been completely different, wouldn't it? The food, the way of life, even how we look at other nations... I imagine everything would have changed."

[Black] "Do you want the sea?"

[Liene] "Mm... isn't that a strange way to put it? A person can't exactly 'own' the sea. But I am a bit envious. It's so different from a lake or a river. It feels as if the water is moving with such dynamic energy."

The word that rang loudest in his ears was 'envious.'

[Black] "We can simply move the border."

[Liene] "Pardon?"

[Black] "To wherever the sea is. I expect it would take about six months."

[Liene] "...What?"

She blinked, wondering if she had misheard him.

When she realized he was talking about a war of conquest, she nearly jumped.

[Liene] "What on earth are you saying! Are you suggesting we invade the Kingdom of Sharka? A kingdom this large?"

[Black] "If we were to do it, now is the perfect time. The royal family is about to fracture over this matter. If we join forces with those opposing the King, we won't even need any troops besides Tiwakan."

[Liene] "Wow..."

She spun around in her chair and took his face in her hands.

[Liene] "How can you talk about war so easily?"

[Black] "Because I feel like I could at least give you an ocean."

[Liene] "Honestly, you..."

Liene sat with her mouth slightly open, searching for words. She didn't know where to start. She had just learned a valuable lesson: one must never casually mention being envious of anything in front of this man.

[Liene] "We are newlyweds. You want us to be apart for six months? Forget it. I don't need an ocean that comes at that price."

He suddenly burst into laughter.

[Black] "Is that your reason for refusing?"

[Liene] "Do I need another one?"

[Black] "No."

He set the towel aside and pulled her, whose hair was still damp, into an embrace.

[Black] "Of all the reasons for you to reject my proposal, that is the best one. Still, think about it. Opportunities like this don't come around every day."

[Liene] "Nauk has plenty of empty land as it is. It's unavoidable since the population has dwindled, but I believe protecting what we have should come before coveting what belongs to others."

[Black] "......You are right. Though it's a pity about the ocean."

Liene pulled back to study his expression.

[Liene] "In truth, aren't you the one who actually wants the sea?"

He didn't like the sea. He disliked the salty air, and he particularly loathed naval warfare because there were far too many variables beyond human control.

[Black] "Perhaps."

But there was no need for Liene to know such trivial things.

[Black] "Turn back around. Why don't we take a walk along the shore once your hair is dry?"

The towel began to gently rub her hair again.

She let her eyes drift half-closed, following the movement of his fingers.

[Liene] "Ah, I’d like that. I want to see it up close. But it looks further away than it seems—will it take up too much of your time?"

[Black] "I was told there is a passage behind the building that leads straight to the shore. It isn't far."

[Liene] "Then I’m glad."

Once her hair was thoroughly dried, the two of them threw on light cloaks and headed toward the beach.

Liene spent a long time delighting in the white sand, marveling at how fine and beautiful it was.

Watching her, Black lost all track of time. He decided that moving the border was indeed something he should seriously consider—not now, perhaps, but once the honeymoon was over.

As the sun began to set, the ocean turned a deep, fiery red.

Liene watched until the crimson sun, which did not hurt her eyes to look at directly, was completely submerged beneath the horizon.

She thought to herself that this moment—shared with a man who offered to bring her to the sea if she wished—would last forever in her heart.

---

[Maid] "Your Majesty."

Queen Dileras of Sharka felt the veins in her neck tighten at the small, cautious voice of her maid.

[Dileras] "......"

[Maid] "Your Majesty."

When the Queen frowned and offered no response, the maid called out again, her face looking as if she wanted to stomp her feet in anxiety.

[Maid] "Well, it's just that... you must stop now..."

[Dileras] "I told you I’m done!"

Thud!

Something was thrown, as always. The poor maid was struck in the knee by a marble vase the Queen had hurled. The pain brought tears to her eyes.

[Dileras] "Are you deaf? I told you a dozen times I don't want anything!"

[Maid] "But... you must send a reply... The Secretary said..."

The maid managed to finish her sentence while fighting back tears.

Since moving to the separate palace—or rather, being driven out to it—the Queen’s temper had become more than her servants could handle.

Since the Queen wouldn't eat, the maids couldn't find time for meals either.

Since the Queen wouldn't sleep, the maids didn't dare mention sleep themselves.

The maid speaking now had dark circles under her eyes.

[Maid] "Otherwise, Your Majesty’s dignity will..."

[Dileras] "Dignity, dignity! What dignity do I have left? My husband has abandoned me, and the woman of my dead son has taken my place! Such paltry dignity—what does keeping it achieve now?"

[Maid] "Your Majesty... please, calm yourself. You will ruin your health at this rate..."

[Dileras] "Ha!"

The Queen exhaled a heavy sigh and slumped against the sofa.

[Dileras] "I want none of it... This body, still so young, will die like this. I will die and curse my husband... and that filthy... Ugh!"

As if the mere thought was nauseating, Queen Dileras bent over and retched.

She had suspected, but no matter how she looked at it, her husband's reaction was not that of a father-in-law to a daughter-in-law, but of a man to a favorite mistress.

When Blini announced her pregnancy, he had grinned like a fool with his mouth hanging wide. He had spouted madness about promising the title of First Prince to a child not even born yet. He had stroked her cheeks, patted her hands, and rubbed her chest, cooing about how difficult it must be for her body to carry a child.

[Dileras] "I should have vomited right there on the spot..."

It was no secret that the King changed mistresses every season, but she never imagined he would lay hands on his own daughter-in-law. Her son's corpse must be staring with wide eyes from within his grave.

Yet, there was nothing she could do. He was a mad husband committing incest with his daughter-in-law, but he was still the King.

Tears, which she thought had dried up over the past few days, began to pour again. As the Queen started to sob, the maid quickly brought a handkerchief.

[Maid] "Your Majesty. Perhaps looking at the gifts will make you feel better."

[Dileras] "Forget it... wait. Did you say gifts?"

The maid sighed inwardly. She had mentioned since the afternoon that gifts had arrived from Nauk, but the Queen had barely listened.

[Maid] "Yes, Your Majesty. Gifts sent from the Royal House of Nauk."

[Dileras] "Nauk?"

She racked her brain for a vague memory.

[Dileras] "Is that... oh, yes. Isn't that the place that exiled someone recently? Someone... complained to the King about that matter, I believe."

It had likely been the son of the late 3rd Prince. He was an insignificant figure, so the royal court had ignored his complaints. He was Laffit’s maternal uncle, and by shouting about how he couldn't accept Nauk's exile order, he had actually fallen out of the King’s favor. The King had little interest in the problems of a nephew’s child whom he hadn't seen in years.

[Maid] "I wouldn't know of such matters. The Secretary said that since gifts have arrived, it is only proper to send a reply."

[Dileras] "Sigh... Even a tiny country must harass this weary body... Bring the gifts here."

The maid, who had been harassed by the Secretary all afternoon, looked as if she had finally been granted life. She hurried to bring the foreign gifts.

The gifts themselves were neither too excessive nor lacking in taste. Queen Dileras took a liking to a pearl chest containing tea leaves grown in Nauk.

[Dileras] "And why did they send this?"

[Maid] "There is a letter, Your Majesty."

The maid quickly handed over the letter. Normally, reading letters was the Secretary's job, but the Royal Secretary had recently suffered a head wound from a plate thrown by the Queen. To make matters worse, he had been banned from entering the separate palace. Consequently, the poor maids had to suffer.

[Maid] "I'm not sure if I’m permitted to read this for you, Your Majesty."

[Dileras] "Just read it. Do I have to use these weak hands to hold even a letter?"

[Maid] "If you say so."

In truth, those "weak hands" had been busy lifting and inspecting the pearl chest just a moment ago.

The maid began to read the elegant prose written by the Royal Secretary of Nauk. It stated that the Princess of Nauk had recently married and was traveling nearby. Up to that point, it was just someone else's uninteresting story. But as the narrative went back a little further, the Queen's expression suddenly shifted.

[Dileras] "...What did you say?"

[Maid] "Your Majesty?"

[Dileras] "Did it not mention something about the child’s right to rule!"

[Maid] "Pardon? Yes?"

The maid had been so focused on reading without mistakes that she hadn't quite processed what she was saying.

[Dileras] "Give it here!"

Queen Dileras, who had claimed to be weak, bolted upright and snatched the letter from the maid’s hands.

[Dileras] "......"

The letter briefly and elegantly described the process of her marriage to the Tiwakan Commander.

To a casual observer, it was a social letter meant to establish an acquaintance. To another, Tiwakan Commander might seem like a man without pride for including a clause in the marriage contract that recognized a child carrying Arsak blood—regardless of whose lineage they were—as the next ruler.

But to Queen Dileras, it was different. Unless the Princess of Nauk was intentionally trying to torment her, there was no reason to mention the next right of succession. Not while also politely mentioning that she had prepared one more gift the Queen might like, should they be able to meet face-to-face.

[Dileras] "Call the Secretary."

Having read that far, she made an urgent gesture.

[Dileras] "Now. Tell him a reply must be sent by the end of the day."

[Maid] "Yes! Yes, Your Majesty."

The maid, feeling a sudden sense of urgency herself, went to find the Secretary.

Queen Dileras’s invitation, expressing her desire to welcome Princess Liene of Nauk with warm friendship, sped through the moonlight.

---

[Liene] "She says tomorrow morning is fine. She said the doors of the separate palace are always open. I suppose she’s taken the hint, hasn't she?"

She read the royal invitation and gave a small smile.

[Black] "They say Queen Dileras is more intelligent than the King. Even if she was bedridden from shock, it wouldn't have dulled her mind."

[Liene] "She must be in such a terrible state. It hasn't been long since her son died."

[Black] "I suppose so. Even if he was a son destined to die soon anyway."

In the meantime, the information broker had sent word that Prince Vasheyd had been suffering from syphilis while he was alive. That was why there were a few voices suspecting murder in his sudden death.

Since he was already frail, it was believed that the fatal disease made it unsurprising for him to pass away at any time.

[Liene] "One thing I’m worried about is Kleinfelter. I don't think he’ll confess his crimes so easily. It was an act of insulting and deceiving the royal family. Even with his maternal relatives in the court, he shouldn't be able to escape."

[Black] "The Queen of Sharka will know how to make Kleinfelter open his mouth. And there is no one left to protect him."

[Liene] "Why is that?"

[Black] "If there were, they would have appeared by now."

[Liene] "Mm... one never knows. Who would know that we've brought Kleinfelter here?"

[Black] "They might not know we brought him, but if there was anyone curious about whether Kleinfelter was dead or alive, they would have at least tried to check."

[Liene] "Ah, I suppose so. Then we must hope the Queen of Sharka handles things well."

[Black] "Yes."

The Queen was so full of venom that she was throwing things; once she saw an opportunity, she wouldn't let go. Her eager invitation was proof of that.

[Liene] "So, when should we go tomorrow?"

[Black] "Don't worry about it and sleep well. We’ll leave whenever you wake up and are ready."

[Liene] "But the Queen will be waiting. She said the morning was fine."

[Black] "That is no reason for the Princess to lose her morning sleep."

She laughed and gave his ear a gentle tug.

[Liene] "Sometimes you seem like a bad man. Even though you’re actually a very good one."

[Black] "Being a 'very good man' doesn't seem to suit me. It is enough for me to be a good man only to the Princess."

[Liene] "Mm... what should I do? I think I like that even better."

[Black] "I thought you might."

He lifted her lightly and carried her to the bed.

[Black] "Now that we know there’s no need to wake up early tomorrow, get some rest."

[Liene] "That's a lie."

She gently tickled his earlobe.

[Liene] "You don't have the slightest intention of letting me sleep yet."

[Black] "As I said..."

Sitting on his knees on the bed, Black pulled the knots of his shirt loose.

[Black] "I am a man who does what is good for the Princess."

[Liene] "And what 'good thing' are we doing now?"

[Black] "I wonder."

He laughed low and bit her lower lip.

[Black] "You tell me."

With their lips barely touching, she whispered something.

Just as she had said, the suggestion to sleep early was a lie. She didn't close her eyes until the late hours of the dawn.

---

• Laffit’s family tree can be summarized as follows:

• This is why Wistard is referred to as Laffit's uncle, even though they are roughly the same age.

• All princes—except for the 1st Prince—mentioned in this novel are King Sharka's brothers.

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