A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 126

※An Unfrightening Threat※

[Liene] "Ahem."

The Princess of Nauk cleared her throat and turned around.

In Blini's eyes, Black seemed to have gone blind. The Princess of Nauk, with her disheveled hair and dirt-streaked face, was not even remotely adorable. She was a detestable sight, even though this was the first time Blini had ever seen her face.

[Liene] "I heard you swallowed the ring."

Blini hated those green eyes.

[Liene] "Given the time that has passed, the ring shouldn't still be in your stomach. I want it back. That ring belongs to my husband and to Nauk. There is no reason for it to remain in your possession. I intend to return it to its rightful place. Give it back."

Blini hated those apricot-colored lips.

[Blini] "It is mine."

[Liene] "......Then let me put it another way. If you return the ring, Nauk will not wage an unnecessary war with Sharka. Furthermore, the Prince of Alito, who is currently held in Nauk, will return safely to the Grand Duchy. Many people will find peace if you return a ring that no longer holds any meaning for you."

Blini hated that soft, composed voice.

[Blini] "I said it’s mine."

[Liene] "Do you not care about others? You are royalty. Prince Dieren is your brother."

[Blini] "Your hearing must be failing you. How pitiful."

[Liene] "Then I shall offer a threat instead. You are currently a prisoner of Tiwakan, without any weapons to protect yourself. The King of Sharka, the only man who might take your side, is far from here. The Grand Duke of Alito has already sent a written oath stating he will not interfere in your affairs in exchange for the Prince’s release. I could order my knights this instant to strip you of your clothes to retrieve the ring. Would you prefer that?"

[Blini] "You call that a threat?"

She tilted her head back and laughed.

[Blini] "A threat should be frightening. Do you honestly think showing a bit of skin scares me?"

[Liene] "It will be terrifying. There is no way it wouldn't be."

[Blini] "Is that how you feel?"

[Liene] "Yes. I would be terrified. If I thought that man was watching me in such a state."

[Blini] "What 'state' are you talking about?"

[Liene] "If I thought he stood by and did nothing while others stripped me of my clothes, I would be terrified. It would be a nightmare that never ends. The thought of him watching as I fall to my lowest point, becoming weak and wretched... it makes my skin crawl."

[Blini] "Only someone like you would—"

[Liene] "I never, under any circumstances, want to show him such a side of myself. And I never want to see it either."

[Blini] "......"

Blini bit her lip hard.

What terrified her wasn't the act of being forcibly undressed. It wasn't even having the ring taken away. It was Black. It was the thought of him watching her as if she were nothing—as if she were something he had discarded long ago.

In that moment, the only thing she deemed valuable in her life would shatter.

She knew Black no longer desired her. She could accept that. Human desire always had an expiration date; like humans, desires died. It was only her own desire for him that remained stubbornly alive. That was fine. However, she could not bear to become something even more insignificant than a dead desire.

[Liene] "If that doesn't frighten you, then there is no reason for you to keep that ring, is there?"

[Blini] "......"

Blini never admitted that Liene was right.

[Liene] "I see. The choice is yours. Sir Randall."

[Randall] "......Yes, Your Highness."

Randall, startled by the sudden call of his name, quickly stepped forward.

[Liene] "I am sorry to ask this of you, but please undress the Princess Consort and retrieve the ring."

[Randall] "As you wish."

Liene took a step back.

Liene’s virtuous face, which Blini hated enough to make her teeth ache, now looked at her without a shred of pity.

[Randall] "It’s going to get messy doing this alone. Someone, come help me."

Randall was no different. Nor were Tiwakan members who stepped forward to assist. It was as if she were no longer the Princess Consort of an enemy nation or the Princess of Alito, but merely a stone statue hiding a ring.

[Blini] "......Hmph."

A strange breath escaped her lips. She realized it was because her eyes had met Black’s. He was looking at her with the eyes of someone watching something utterly trivial. Liene was right. Those eyes were a nightmare she would never forget.

[Blini] "Get your hands off me."

She said, staring at Black without blinking.

[Blini] "I’ll give it to you."

[Black] "......"

She ground her teeth as she spoke. Her jaw was pulled tight.

[Randall] "Hand it over then."

Randall held out his hand.

Gritting her teeth, Blini reached into the front of her dress. She pulled out the ring she had tucked into the buttonhole of her inner slip.

Thud!

Blini threw the ring with force.

[Randall] "......What a temper."

He tutted as he chased after the rolling ring and picked it up.

[Randall] "Here, take this."

He handed the ring to Liene. Liene took it and looked at Black. Black nodded, confirming it was the right one.

[Liene] "......"

The ring was covered in countless marks. While it couldn't be said that it had been cherished, it was clear that Blini had held it in her hand every single day. Perhaps that was her way of treasuring something.

Liene gripped the ring tightly.

[Liene] "We’ve achieved our goal. Let’s go. Bind her."

Blini snapped her head up.

[Blini] "What? Bind me?"

[Liene] "You aren't going to follow us quietly, are you?"

[Blini] "Why... where are you taking me! You said all you wanted was the ring!"

[Liene] "No. I never said that. You misheard."

[Blini] "You said many people would find peace..."

[Liene] "You aren't included in that group."

She cut her off coldly.

[Liene] "I haven't forgotten that Sir Renfel was injured. Or how you used Sir Weroz with your lies. I believe you know better than anyone why this is happening. Sir Randall, bind her."

[Randall] "With pleasure."

Randall quickly bound Blini, looking somewhat excited for some reason.

They decided to let the maids go—or rather, not just let them go, but use them slightly.

[Liene] "Now we head to the southern border to join Tiwakan, right?"

The maids would overhear this false information and relay it to the Sharka troops that would arrive later.

Black suppressed a smile and nodded.

[Black] "Yes."

[Liene] "It’s a long way. We must hurry."

They had to cross the northern border before sunset. The group decided to use Blini’s carriage and horses. Blini, bound hand and foot with her mouth gagged, was loaded into the trunk that had carried her own luggage.

This time, Tiwakan disguised themselves as a noble party traveling to Blue Warren.

Liene, having discarded her pilgrim’s robes, was now wearing one of Blini’s dresses. Despite her initial concern that it would feel awkward, she found herself in a surprisingly cheerful mood once the clothes were on.

Clop, clop, clop!

The carriage sped down a secluded road. After the hardships of the previous night, simply being able to ride in a carriage was a welcome relief.

[Liene] "I suppose I’m quite a petty person, feeling this good just because I took something like this from her."

Black’s expression momentarily stiffened as he looked at Liene in the ornate dress she wouldn't normally wear.

[Black] "It seems I have been negligent."

[Liene] "Why is that?"

[Black] "Because I’ve only just realized how well bright colors suit you."

[Liene] "Hmm...... do you like this kind of clothing?"

[Black] "I see no reason not to."

[Liene] "Then I’ve been negligent as well. I shall make sure to wear bright colors from now on."

Inside the plush carriage, he swept her up and sat her on his lap.

[Black] "And what about me?"

[Liene] "Pardon?"

[Black] "What color do you think I should wear?"

[Liene] "You......"

She considered this with genuine seriousness before leaning in to whisper into his ear.

[Liene] "I like you best when you're wearing nothing at all."

[Black] "......That is problematic."

[Liene] "It’s a sight only I am allowed to see, after all."

[Black] "It’s that kind of talk that makes it problematic."

His smile faded as he lightly nipped at her earlobe. The slight sting had become a sensation that Liene now found both thrilling and flustering.

[Liene] "You...... don't act so suggestive just because I played a little joke."

She pulled back, giving his hair a gentle tug.

[Black] "You should be more careful with your jokes."

For a while, they continued their playful banter—one attempting to steal a kiss while the other laughed breathlessly, dodging the advance.

They both shared the same thought: they wanted to go home as soon as possible.

The carriage, now stripped of its royal flags to hide its ownership, reached the border before sunset.

Beyond the border lay Blue Warren.

---

[Fermos] "Huh?"

A messenger falcon arrived. At some point, contact with the informants had been severed. As talk of war spread and the situation grew dire, the quick-witted informants had apparently pulled out on their own. It was expected, but the feeling of being blinded was undeniably frustrating.

To make matters worse, the messages from Black were always something like "Joining delayed. Stand by." It doubled the frustration. It was indeed strange.

Fermos handed the falcon to the person beside him and observed the Sharka southern border guards below. Bizarrely, there appeared to be no noticeable reinforcement of troops. At that rate, they could finish them off within two hours. They could push through the border and enter Sharka in less than that.

[Fermos] "Are those bastards brave, or just stupid? What exactly are they thinking, staying like that?"

Most of Tiwakan shared the same opinion. The Sharka guards had been on high alert since the previous day, but their numbers were far too small.

[Tiwakan] "Could it be a trap? Do they want us to come down first?"

[Fermos] "Haven't we checked everything already? There isn't a single sign of anything like that."

[Tiwakan] "If they dug a really good trap......"

[Fermos] "You think there’s someone in the Sharka army smarter than me? Do you genuinely believe that? Hmm?"

The Tiwakan member scratched his chin.

[Tiwakan] "Well, it’s possible. ......Or maybe they really are just stupid."

[Fermos] "The way they’re keeping watch shows they know we’re here."

He had to remain cool-headed. Either there was a trap, or there was a problem with the army they were supposed to join.

[Fermos] "What kind of problem could be that big?"

He had heard that Black, who was inside Sharka, had already wreaked havoc on the main palace. Unfortunately, there were no reports that the King had been killed or captured, but there were also no reports of Tiwakan being defeated. Logically, the entire Sharka Kingdom should have been in a frenzy preparing for war.

[Fermos] "......This is driving me crazy, actually. I can't take it. Prepare a falcon. I have to at least ask My Lord."

[Tiwakan] "Send a falcon into Sharka? Wouldn't it be dangerous for us to send one?"

[Fermos] "We have no choice. And how many people in Sharka are even capable of catching our falcons?"

[Tiwakan] "Well, that’s true, I suppose."

[Fermos] "Quiet. Just send it. If it’s chased, it’ll come back on its own."

[Tiwakan] "I’m telling you, if Our Lord gets angry, I had nothing to do with it."

Whish!

A short while later, a falcon took flight from Tiwakan camp. In the blink of an eye, the falcon soared high into the sky, becoming a tiny black dot.

---

[Liene] "Where did you say this was?"

She asked again.

It was late evening when they passed through the walls of Blue Warren. Since everyone was exhausted, they had agreed to stay for one night before moving on to Nauk.

The carriage traveled down a wide boulevard and arrived at a mansion near the bustling city center. The mansion, situated on the central square of Blue Warren, was impressive with its high, red walls that rose impressively.

At first, she thought it was just a wall because the interior of the mansion was completely hidden from view. Once they passed through the main gate, a tranquility unfolded that was entirely different from the bustling city outside.

A large fountain sprayed water in the spacious garden, and beautiful ornamental trees, unlike any she had seen in Nauk, emitted an exotic fragrance.

[Black] "It is where I stay when I come to Blue Warren."

Black replied, placing her hand on his arm as they entered a corridor lined with white pillars.

[Liene] "So, you mean... this is your house?"

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