A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 129

※The Secret (2)※

Black scanned the ring held in her hand. The mechanism was intricate but incredibly difficult to notice.

Had Liene not bitten it—and had the joint of the ornament not happened to strike her tooth—they might never have known such a device existed.

[Black] "If it were designed specifically to be used as a key, they would have made the mechanism more accessible."

[Liene] "Hmm...... but couldn't it be otherwise? It’s a device to draw water. I doubt they would have opened and closed it every single day."

Her thoughts turned serious. The nausea that had been churning in her stomach from the swaying carriage was momentarily forgotten.

[Liene] "If I were a King who knew about this device, I’d probably want to lock it every time someone like a Kleinfelter started acting up."

She said it in jest, but she knew she would never actually close it. If the water supply were cut off, it wouldn't be the annoying nobles who suffered, but the countless innocent people.

[Black] "So you mean it wasn't a device for daily use?"

[Liene] "Exactly. I suspect this ring is more of a clue than a direct tool. Perhaps it hints at how to access the mechanism, or something of that nature. The Kings of Gainers were exceptionally brilliant. They would have known that a secret passed down only by word of mouth could one day be lost."

[Black] "Hmm."

[Liene] "Well, I could be wrong. My guess that this ring is the key to moving the device is just a theory."

Liene stared at the numerous scratches on the ring. She didn't particularly want to imagine what Blini had been thinking while making those marks.

[Liene] "According to the records, the King was once furious because the jewel on the ring fell off. So, the shape of the ring was changed."

[Black] "Was it?"

[Liene] "Yes. That’s why the ring became elongated like this, resembling a key. That’s also how it earned the name 'The Key'."

She lifted the object, which was larger and heavier than a typical ring, and turned it over several times.

[Liene] "Why put such a large ornament on the band in the first place? Isn't that a bit strange? Usually, they don't make them in a way that the jewel is prone to falling off."

[Black] "There might have been a reason why the decoration had to be that large."

[Liene] "That’s exactly my point."

She closed one eye and peered at him through the circular band.

[Liene] "That would mean the ornament itself was special, right? Perhaps the pattern was taken from somewhere, or it symbolizes something?"

[Black] "That’s possible, but if it were that simple, an outsider like her wouldn't be able to figure it out."

[Liene] "Ah, right. She didn't know the background of this ring. There must be something hidden within the ring itself. ......Hmm, should I try biting it again?"

His expression turned stern.

[Black] "Don't. It won't be clean."

[Liene] "I washed it this morning."

[Black] "Even so."

[Liene] "It’s clean."

As she spoke, Liene actually bit the ring. Black hurriedly reached out to stop her just as the carriage gave a violent jolt.

Clack!

Her body bounced, and a sharp sound echoed from the ring.

[Liene] "Ow, that hurts......"

Before she could realize what had happened, blood appeared between the fingers covering her mouth.

[Black] "Move your hand."

His face transformed instantly. He pulled Liene toward him and sat her on his lap. When she moved her hand, he saw that the inside of her lip was torn and bleeding.

[Liene] "Ugh...... it hurts more now that I see the blood."

Black let out a rough curse. He cupped her face and pressed his lips to the wound. It felt somewhat like a painful kiss, causing her to wince even as she managed a small smile.

[Liene] "It hurts."

[Black] "The bleeding hasn't stopped yet."

The sensation of his lips softly grazing hers was impossible to dislike. The stinging pain of the torn skin mingled with a ticklish tenderness, creating a confusing yet comforting sensation. It effectively dulled the ache.

Leaning comfortably against him, she felt a void where the ring had been and began fumbling around.

[Liene] "Ah, wait...... the ring is gone. I think I dropped it."

[Black] "We’ll find it later."

[Liene] "What are you saying? Let me go for a second."

Black gave a reluctant look before setting her down on the seat beside him.

[Black] "Stay seated. I’ll be the one to look for it."

[Liene] "Let’s do it together."

[Black] "It’s too cramped for both of us to move."

Leaning down to scan the opposite seat and the floor, Black found the ring wedged between the carriage step and the door.

[Black] "......"

His gaze froze as he lifted the ring.

[Liene] "What is it? Oh."

She followed his gaze and let her mouth hang open in shock.

[Liene] "My goodness......"

The decorative part had half-detached from the band. But that wasn't all. Beneath the large jewel ornament, a strange object was nestled.

[Liene] "What...... could this be?"

[Black] "I don't know."

Black lifted the ring and held it under the sunlight streaming through the window. Every speck of dust dancing around the ring was revealed.

Liene rested her chin on his shoulder and stared intently at the ring. The mysterious object was a small piece of metal. It was about the length of a segment of a pinky finger and roughly the thickness of a reed. Other than that, there was nothing remarkable about it.

After staring at the metal piece and the ring for a long time, she spoke.

[Liene] "I see why the ring's decoration looks the way it does. It was modeled after the shape of this metal piece."

[Black] "It must have been made to hide it."

[Liene] "It seems so. Then this ring was designed from the beginning so that the ornament could be separated."

[Black] "It appears that way."

[Liene] "What on earth could this be? I have no idea where we’re supposed to use it."

Black placed the metal piece on his palm. It was a peculiar size—small in one sense, yet large in another.

[Liene] "Oh, look. There’s a notch here."

Liene found a notch on the bottom that hadn't been visible before.

[Liene] "Do you think she bit this, too?"

[Black] "Hardly."

He shook his head as he held the notched side up to the sunlight.

[Black] "It’s smaller than a human tooth mark."

[Liene] "I see. Then is it just a random scratch?"

[Black] "No. It doesn't look like a random mark. It seems intentionally made......"

[Liene] "Another mystery to solve, then."

Standing close together by the window, their shoulders touching, the two made eye contact.

[Liene] "I feel like I’m constantly solving riddles. One by one."

[Black] "Yes. And every time, you are the one who finds the clues."

[Liene] "Hmm. Sir Fermos did more than I...... ah, right. This time, it actually is thanks to me. I got this at the cost of an injured lip."

She said it to make him laugh, but Black didn't smile.

[Black] "Your lip is swollen."

[Liene] "Yes. It hurts a bit."

[Black] "I suppose there will be no kissing for the time being."

He said it with such a grave expression that Liene was the one who ended up laughing.

[Liene] "You look so serious, it makes it feel like you’ve made some grand sacrifice."

[Black] "It is a grand sacrifice."

Black reached out and cupped her chin. As if he couldn't bring himself to touch the swollen lip, he merely rubbed her jaw with his thumb.

[Black] "I should have been the one to bite it."

His expression turned solemn.

[Liene] "No, absolutely not. How could I have stood by and watched it?"

The thought of Black doing the same thing Blini had done made her feel a surge of irritation already.

Liene picked up the metal piece and tucked it back securely inside the ring.

However, a problem arose. The small hinge that allowed the ring’s ornament to open and close seemed to have been damaged by the impact. The decoration wouldn't stay fixed and would spin around.

[Liene] "Oh dear...... I can't keep it inside the ring anymore. It’s so small, it’ll be easy to lose."

It was a clue far too precious to just shove into a pocket.

After considering, they decided to wrap it in Liene’s handkerchief and keep it in the inner pocket of Black’s doublet.

The carriage continued its rapid journey toward Nauk.

---

They arrived at the border region two days later, in the early hours of the dawn.

[Fermos] "My goodness, My Lord!"

He was so agitated that he stomped his feet repeatedly.

[Fermos] "Why! Why! Without a word! Why did you return by a different route? And why in a Sharka carriage? I almost ordered our men to roll boulders down on you!"

His pale face showed he was genuinely serious.

[Black] "Randall should have given the signal."

[Fermos] "Exactly! Do you have any idea what would have happened if we had seen it just a moment too late!"

The border region, where both sides had merely kept watch until three days ago, had seen its first skirmish yesterday. Upon seeing Sharka's side attempting to bring in a force of about two hundred, a mix of knights and infantry, Fermos had launched a preemptive strike.

With no word from Black, no way to find out anything else, and an enemy that showed no signs of lowering its guard, Fermos had calculated that it would be disadvantageous if the enemy's numbers increased. Besides, he couldn't stand the itch of just waiting around.

At any rate, the first battle was a victory for Tiwakan. More than half of the two hundred men who reached the border were decimated before they could even join the main force. The rest had managed to join up, but Fermos noted that there were likely more wounded than able-bodied men among them.

[Fermos] "In any case! It’s because I cleared the way that you were able to arrive so comfortably, My Lord!"

Resentment was packed into his every single word.

Black gave Fermos’s shoulder a casual pat with his usual expressionless face.

[Black] "Well done."

[Fermos] "Hmph! 'Well done' doesn't even begin to cover it!"

Getting out of the carriage, Black immediately surveyed Sharka's camp across the border. The number of men had increased with the arrival of the wounded, but there was no sign of them initiating combat.

[Black] "Two hundred. It seems that’s the extent of men the King could muster."

[Fermos] "I don't know the reason, but they don't look like men who intend to fight a war at all. With those numbers, they can't even defend their own border, let alone fight Tiwakan."

[Black] "They are struggling with recruitment. It seems the fallout between the King and Queen is still working in our favor."

[Fermos] "Did you have a hand in that, My Lord?"

[Black] "Liene did."

[Fermos] "Aha. That is quite an efficient tactic."

[Black] "Indeed."

Fermos didn't miss the subtle change in Black’s expression as he agreed. He had remained expressionless toward Fermos, who had worked himself to the bone here for days, yet he looked quite proud when speaking of Princess Liene.

......That’s really too much.

Fermos mouth twitched as he rubbed his jaw.

They say marriage changes a person. That’s exactly what’s happened to My Lord.

[Fermos] "So, what’s the plan for the war? Do they honestly intend to continue in that state? Unless they’ve completely lost their minds, surely not......"

[Black] "They will surrender soon enough."

[Fermos] "Ha, is that so? What exactly did you do in Sharka?"

[Black] "I brought a hostage."

[Fermos] "A hostage? ......No way, did you capture the Princess Consort?"

Black nodded.

[Black] "That was Liene’s idea as well."

[Fermos] "Aha...... I see. And did you retrieve the ring?"

[Black] "Yes. We also discovered something hidden inside it. Liene figured that out, too."

[Fermos] "......I see."

Fermos decided to let go of his indignation. Looking at Black’s face, it seemed nothing he said would even register.

[Fermos] "Then we must announce that we have a hostage. What shall be the conditions?"

[Black] "Well...... I think I’ll need your opinion on that. How much do you think we can squeeze out of Sharka?"

At least his usefulness was still intact. Fermos tried his best to think positively. Having a wise ruler was a good thing, after all.

[Fermos] "We’ll have to weigh how desperate they are. What is the value of the Princess Consort as a hostage?"

[Black] "She’s a pawn."

[Fermos] "Then I’ll draw up a list. Will you be staying here?"

[Black] "Until the war is finalized."

[Fermos] "And the Princess?"

Fermos didn't miss the way Black’s expression changed the moment he mentioned her. He couldn't have missed it, even if he wanted to, given how openly Black was scowling.

[Black] "......She must go to the castle."

Right. That’s your way of saying you don't want to be apart from her. I see.

[Fermos] "Are you going now? I’ll order someone to escort her."

Black hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

[Black] "Pick only two men. I’ll take her myself."

[Fermos] "Pardon?"

[Black] "Don't ask why."

[Fermos] "......Okay."

At least you have the self-awareness to know you’re being excessive. I see.

[Black] "Keep working on the list of terms. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve dropped her off."

[Fermos] "Why don't you just stay for a while? I expect the list will take quite a long time to prepare."

Fermos said, half-resigned.

A muscle in Black’s cheek twitched slightly. It was clearly a sign he was trying to hide a smile.

[Black] "......Enough. Finishing the war quickly is the priority."

Right. At least you still know what the priority is. That’s good enough.

[Fermos] "Safe travels."

Less than five minutes after arriving at the border, Black climbed back into the carriage. It was all for the sake of escorting Liene to the Castle of Nauk himself.

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