A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 21

※Requiem (1)※

When Liene stepped out after preparing for the funeral, Black already had his horse ready.

[Liene] "Ah..."

She hesitated slightly upon seeing him.

As if intending to accompany her to the funeral, he was clad entirely in black from head to toe. The Tiwakan standing behind him were dressed the same way.

Seeing their black armor, black cloaks, and black banners, she could almost understand why they were called the bastard children of the God of Death, cast out onto the earth.

Her eyes met his, and she involuntarily frowned.

...That man, the color black suits him unduly well.

Though that thought was trivial and highly inappropriate to have before heading to a funeral, she couldn't stop it.

He had been wearing black armor when she first met him.

Why didn't I notice it then?

[Black] "Ready?"

He approached as she stood, still hesitant.

His eyes swept over her neck and shoulders.

[Black] "Your clothes have changed."

[Liene] "Yes. Madam Flambard fixed them."

[Black] "...Is this better?"

He muttered to himself for a moment.

She was completely unaware that he, too, was thinking that black suited her remarkably well.

Meanwhile, one of the mercenaries brought his horse forward.

It was a massive black steed. At a glance, she knew it was the horse he rode.

[Black] "Get on."

He extended his hand to her.

[Liene] "I'm riding this horse?"

[Black] "We will ride together."

She slightly shook her head.

[Liene] "I... I have my own horse."

Riding the same horse was far too much.

She remembered far too clearly what happened the day they rode that horse together.

At a time when she needed to increase her vigilance against the man, creating a situation that might lead to a similar incident again was not a good idea.

[Liene] "I'll ride separately."

[Black] "That is not permitted."

The answer was firm.

[Black] "We don't know when arrows might be shot again. If we ride separate horses, our response will be slower."

[Liene] "..."

The culprit of the arrow attack had not been officially revealed yet.

Of course, she couldn't say that the culprit was Laffit, and that he would never shoot an arrow at her.

[Liene] "Very well then."

She finally nodded reluctantly.

[Black] "I'll lift you onto the horse."

Instead of asking for her hand, he simply picked her up and placed her on the horse.

She was taken aback by how easily her body was lifted.

He injured his shoulder, didn't he?

The wound couldn't have healed already.

The more she got to know him, the more unknowable the man became.

[Black] "We're leaving."

After gently placing her on the horse, he immediately mounted it.

His movement was so light that mounting the horse looked like the easiest thing in the world.

This man is too strange.

Thud-thud, thud-thud...

The sound of the horse's hooves jarred her ears.

He would never look clumsy, no matter what he did.

He looked capable of handling everything effortlessly. Whether it was lifting someone onto a horse, riding it, or anything else.

[Liene] "..."

She forced herself to stop thinking.

She was afraid that if she kept thinking, she might remember how skillfully he had explored her lips.

Don't forget.

You must not let your guard down.

Thud-thud, thud-thud.

As the horse picked up speed, the sound of the hooves grew even louder.

In the midst of it all, the man's arm, which encircled her and held the reins, felt solid, making her heart feel disordered.

---

The Temple was located on the summit of Fillian Hill, across from Nauk Castle to the north.

A somber and sorrowful bell was already ringing from the Temple, announcing the funeral.

[Black] "Wait."

He stopped the horse below the stairs leading up to the Temple.

She wondered why until he jumped down from the horse and offered his hand.

[Black] "You may dismount now."

Seeing the large hand extended toward her, she swallowed dryly.

Why is he being so kind?

If his purpose is revenge, he doesn't need to be gentle.

Why is he doing this? Why to me?

[Liene] "..."

She finally took his hand without uttering a word of thanks.

But the hand was only the beginning.

He pulled her, and as her body leaned, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Her two feet landed softly on the ground. She felt she might forget how to mount and dismount a horse on her own.

[Black] "Do we have to walk up all these stairs?"

[Liene] "Yes. Because it's the Temple."

Climbing the stairs was a form of reverence toward God. There was no exception, even for the ruler of Nauk.

However, the difficult path to the Temple was also a reason why people continued to stay away from it.

It was a fact that those who were unwell or weary did not dare to climb those vast stairs.

Even Liene, young as she was, would sometimes feel fatigue in her legs or cramps after returning from the Temple.

[Liene] "Then let's go."

She started up the stairs. Black silently followed behind her.

But that time was brief. Just as they were starting up the steep stairs, white figures began descending from above.

They were the priests.

The priests, who always insisted on wearing white regardless of the occasion, formed a clear contrast with Liene's entourage, who were dressed in mourning attire.

[Liene] "Why are the priests..."

She involuntarily furrowed her brow.

She had a bad feeling. Climbing stairs was as much work as descending them, so priests would not move unnecessarily.

[Priest] "We deliver the Cardinal's message to the Daughter of Arsak!"

Her premonition had become reality.

The priests, rushing down the stairs, shouted at her.

[Priest] "By the will of the Great Protector of Nauk and the Cardinal, we forbid your presence at this funeral!"

[Liene] "..."

At first, due to the distance, she thought she had misheard.

[Liene] "What? What did you just say?"

[Priest] "As long as she is accompanied by those who defy the will of God, the Daughter of Arsak cannot set foot in the Temple. This is the message delivered by the Cardinal."

[Liene] "Is 'those who defy the will of God' referring to my fiancé?"

[Priest] "Yes, that is correct."

[Liene] "..."

This was not a message from the Cardinal.

It was Lyndon Kleinfelter's doing. He seemed determined to isolate Liene in Nauk.

She said firmly.

[Liene] "I cannot accept this. Clear the path."

[Priest] "We merely follow the Cardinal's word."

[Liene] "I am the Ruler of Nauk."

[Priest] "The only Ruler for the priests is God."

[Liene] "How dare you..."

Her fingertips went stiff from shock and anger.

This couldn't be happening. No matter how much the Cardinal sided with Lyndon, who filled his pockets, he couldn't openly disregard the ruler of Nauk.

[Liene] "Then summon the Cardinal. Tell him to speak directly in front of me."

[Priest] "The Cardinal is presiding over the funeral."

[Liene] "Tell him to postpone it."

[Priest] "However... he mentioned one condition!"

When she stood her ground, the priest, who had hesitated for a moment, quickly changed his words.

[Priest] "If the Daughter of Arsak abandons those who God has forsaken, we will forgive all faults and accept you back as a Child of God."

This was the core issue. They were telling her to obediently cancel the engagement with Tiwakan.

Both of her ears turned red. She was enraged.

[Liene] "Can an engagement be canceled that easily with just my word? Does the Cardinal truly believe so?"

If the Cardinal weren't a fool, he wouldn't think that.

The forces that besieged the castle for two weeks to gain consent for the proposal couldn't have dwindled to a handful in such a short time. Lyndon must know that.

So, this was an attempt to turn everyone in Nauk against her.

If she ultimately turned away from the Temple, the rumor would spread:

'Even though God offered a choice, the Princess of Nauk was captivated by barbaric taste and together defied God.'

'Therefore, she can no longer be allowed to rule Nauk. The right to rule must be seized from her. That is the will of God.'

[Priest] "The Cardinal instructed us to deliver the message as such."

[Liene] "Tell him to come out and speak directly! Don't hide inside the Temple like a coward!"

When she, unable to bear it any longer, raised her voice, the priests glared.

[Priest] "Daughter of Arsak, be respectful in the presence of God! God will not permit such disrespect!"

[Liene] "Who started the disrespect first...!"

She was speechless.

She couldn't accept this situation.

She released her tightly clenched fists, then held the hem of her skirt.

[Liene] "Fine. Then I will go and see him myself. I'll see if he dares to say the same thing in front of me."

[Black] "Wait."

However, his low voice stopped her.

[Black] "It would be better if you don't go up."

[Liene] "Why...?"

With a sharp gaze, he observed past the priests.

[Black] "They wouldn't be fools."

[Liene] "That..."

She bit her lip for a moment.

His words were true.

No matter how foolish the Cardinal was, he couldn't act this way.

Moreover, the Temple lacked the military strength to oppose the Tiwakan forces. If Tiwakan wanted to ascend these stairs, the priests would have no way to stop them.

Yet, they were openly committing all kinds of insults.

That was not the action of a fool.

[Black] "It seems like they are provoking us."

[Liene] "Why...?"

[Black] "Perhaps they want us to go up."

That meant they were planning something up there.

[Liene] "But I can't attend the funeral either. They'll use that as another excuse for accusation."

[Black] "Let's deal with things one by one. It's better not to ascend in a situation where we're unsure what's waiting at the top."

[Liene] "..."

He was right.

His judgment was not based on the political intrigues of the Kleinfelter family. He must have made a tactical assessment as the invincible mercenary leader.

[Liene] "It is wiser to follow your lead now. I understand."

She said with a sigh.

While turning around to descend the stairs, she looked back at the hilltop again.

She saw the priests whispering to each other in a panic.

He was right.

They set a trap and provoked me.

Anger flared up within her again. Lyndon seemed determined to openly disregard her authority.

That was tantamount to a declaration of war.

Then, what should I do now?

When Tiwakan besieged the castle, the enemy was clear. Tiwakan was the enemy of Nauk.

However, now, she could no longer identify who her real enemy was.

[Black] "Watch your step."

Her complicated thoughts became a stumbling block. When she nearly tripped, he quickly embraced her and lifted her.

[Liene] "Ah... How embarrassing. I wasn't focused while going down the stairs."

[Black] "It's fine, only your future husband saw it."

[Liene] "..."

Is this man my enemy, or not?

She wanted to know.

Who is this man who constantly watches over her so carefully, preventing her from falling or getting hurt?

Is revenge really this gentle?

Even such a nonsensical thought crossed her mind.

---

[Lyndon] "Damn it...!"

Lyndon, who leaned over the railing in the Temple courtyard and looked down, twisted his lips in annoyance.

[Lyndon] "Did he somehow smell the trap? That snake is cunning."

Standing beside him was Laffit.

[Laffit] "...It's rather a relief. If the Princess had died, the Kleinfelter family would have been the ones driven out of Nauk."

Laffit—or he who must now be called Lopez Kleinfelter—gazed intently at a spot with cold eyes.

There was a large rock precariously tied up. It was a strange object to be in the Temple courtyard. Such a rock should be tied to a catapult.

[Laffit] "..."

Lyndon twisted his shoulder and stared at his nephew, who had just spoken.

[Lyndon] "Are you serious? We lost a prime opportunity to kill the barbaric leader instantly?"

If the provocation had succeeded and Tiwakan had forced his way up the stairs, they would have rolled the rock down.

If that had happened, everyone would have been crushed flat under the rock or fallen and been smashed at the bottom of the hill.

Of course, the priests or the Princess might also have died in the process. But Lyndon didn't care.

[Laffit] "Admit it. Princess Liene is loved in Nauk. She cannot be killed arbitrarily."

[Lyndon] "Tch... You're useless. Do you still have feelings for a cheap woman like that?"

[Laffit] "Watch your words, Uncle."

The eldest son, who had acquired the new name, Lopez, raised his eyes. Pale blue anger made his eyes look as sharp as blades.

[Laffit] "No one is allowed to speak ill of the Princess in front of me. Especially if you know what she did just to save me."

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