A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 23

※Requiem (3)※

Of course, he denied it.

There was a difference between giving veiled advice and openly discussing the atrocities of the Kleinfelter family. He was not that brazen or impolite.

[Mashilow] "Revenge? Preposterous!"

[Liene] "You say preposterous? Didn't you just speak with that intention? That Kleinfelter could commit even worse acts."

[Mashilow] "I meant they would be extremely displeased."

[Liene] "Merely because they are displeased, they could harm the Royal Family?"

[Mashilow] "Harm? I swear I never uttered such words."

[Liene] "That's easy, Sir. Words leave no trace, so you can simply deny them."

[Mashilow] "...Ahem, cough."

He coughed lightly, having no counter-argument.

[Liene] "But remember this. Although words may leave no trace, once spoken, they cannot be retracted."

[Mashilow] "..."

He decided to remain silent.

Her words were correct, but not everything in the world unfolded perfectly.

And almost all of Nauk's affairs proceeded according to the Kleinfelter family's wishes.

Liene, more than anyone, must know this.

[Mashilow] "I will redraft the conferment letter."

[Liene] "Tell him I won't sign it easily."

She said with a weary, yet firm voice.

She was sick of having to compromise with the Kleinfelters, but she was also used to it.

Lyndon would not give up on Laffit's status. As Mashilow said, it was better to negotiate than to wait for them to become even more savage.

[Liene] "Ask how much of the royal debt they are willing to forgive. Let's see what price they set for their eldest son's status."

[Mashilow] "..."

He looked conflicted, but he still nodded.

[Liene] "Then you may leave."

[Mashilow] "The conferment letter..."

[Liene] "Only after the price is agreed upon."

[Mashilow] "Yes, Your Highness."

He departed.

[Liene] "Hoo..."

She let out a long sigh.

[Liene] "Another thing I have to hide."

This situation was incredibly easy for Tiwakan to misunderstand: as if she was not only hiding Kleinfelter's illegitimate son in her bedchamber but also intending to bestow upon him an official knighthood.

They would surely think she was protecting her former lover.

[Liene] "I don't like this feeling."

Strangely, she disliked the misunderstanding. The thought that Black would assume she was having an affair with Laffit felt terribly unfair, as if she were being slandered.

[Liene] "...What useless thought is this."

She shook her head, her expression bitter.

[Liene] "I sound like someone worried about her affair being discovered. When, in fact, that's completely unimportant."

She'd be better off thinking about how he would resolve the funeral issue.

[Liene] "Hopefully there won't be any bloodshed..."

The news was delivered late that night. There was no bloodshed, but an accident did occur.

---

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

She, hearing the news brought by the guard commander, opened her mouth in disbelief.

It was late at night; the moon looked white, almost blue.

It was also when the funeral bells were slowly fading. After midnight, the grave would be sealed with earth, and God would take the souls of the departed.

[Commander] "Well... The first issue was the bell."

It was said that the chain suspending the bell in the tower had snapped. Although old, a chain maintained daily by the priests couldn't possibly rust suddenly.

Regardless, it caused a brief commotion. Those who had time immediately rushed to the tower and struggled for a long time to rehang the bell.

Nonetheless, the funeral continued. The Cardinal blessed the earth to cover the grave. Now, all that remained was to move the coffin to the cemetery and bury it.

[Commander] "But..."

As he spoke, he seemed unsure of his own words.

[Commander] "Suddenly, a rock fell from the sky..."

[Liene] "What?"

[Commander] "I can't believe it either, but the eyewitnesses said so. Suddenly, a large rock rolled down and, erm, demolished the Stairs of God."

[Liene] "..."

She felt the same way.

She didn't know the exact circumstances, but she knew it was his doing.

There was no bloodshed, but the path was ruined.

The only way out of the Temple was the Stairs of God. Naturally, the Temple was isolated.

The coffins containing the deceased could not be transported to the cemetery. The funeral was postponed until the Stairs of God were rebuilt.

[Liene] "Does that make sense?"

The rock was actually a trap prepared by Lyndon.

If she knew that fact, she certainly wouldn't be able to stop herself from laughing aloud.

But even without knowing, a sudden sense of relief washed over her.

[Commander] "Of course, it makes no sense, Your Highness."

The commander awkwardly ran a hand across his forehead.

[Commander] "So, everyone... is worried whether the Cardinal has committed some unholy deed that has angered God."

[Liene] "Is that true?"

[Commander] "Yes, Your Highness. Although the priests vehemently deny it, the fact that the Stairs of God collapsed precisely on the day of the funeral feels exactly like God's wrath."

She covered her mouth.

Weroz might have noticed she was trying to stifle a laugh, but the commander didn't.

[Commander] "And, erm... rumors are circulating that this happened because the Princess did not attend the funeral."

[Liene] "My goodness."

The laughter she was desperately trying to hold back finally broke through.

[Commander] "Your Highness...?"

The commander stared, mouth agape, at her, who was bowing her head and her shoulders shaking.

Goodness me. That man, what did he do?

What exactly did he pull off?

Did he hire a sorcerer?"

The most distressing and heartbreaking thing for her was the fact that she couldn't comfort the bereaved.

That might have been the biggest trigger that could turn the people of Nauk against her.

Never before had there been a situation where the ruler ignored those who sacrificed their lives to protect the ruler.

...But now, he shifted the blame onto the Cardinal.

Suddenly, rumors in her favor were spreading widely. This was clearly Tiwakan's handiwork.

[Commander] "God is angry, but you look... cheerful..."

The commander muttered with a troubled face.

[Liene] "God is angry on my behalf, isn't He?"

[Commander] "What?"

[Liene] "Because the Cardinal prevented me from attending the funeral, right?"

[Commander] "Ah, ...there were indeed such rumors, but... is it true?"

[Liene] "Yes. So, declare that his deed genuinely provoked God's wrath. And tomorrow morning, read a proclamation in the name of the Nauk Guard in the Square of God."

[Commander] "Yes, Your Highness."

She smiled faintly and continued.

[Liene] "Funds will be needed to rebuild the collapsed stairs. I'm curious how the Cardinal will react."

[Commander] "What? Curious? Erm... It seems that a construction project of that size will entail substantial cost... Won't that be a burden?"

[Liene] "That's exactly why I said it."

Would Lyndon be willing to pay all those funds? She knew it was unlikely.

The amount of money was on a scale completely different from the Cardinal's pocket money.

The Cardinal had no choice but to humble himself and request assistance from the Royal Family.

[Liene] "Thank you for bringing me good news. You may leave now."

[Commander] "Yes, Your Highness. May you have a peaceful night."

He knelt in respect, then withdrew.

The office, now left alone, became as silent as midnight. The moon, now looking faintly blue, came into her view.

[Liene] "It's a good thing I stayed up late."

So she could hear such good news.

As she muttered to herself, she suddenly realized something.

How long had it been since I last felt happy?

It must have been a very long time.

She had forgotten when she last spoke the words 'good news,' even long before Tiwakan besieged the castle.

...It's odd.

It was strange that the person who brought good news after such a long time was Black.

---

It was after she had bathed, changed into her pajamas, and was lying in bed.

Knock... knock. 

A slightly odd knocking sound was heard.

[Liene] "Did... someone arrive?"

At first, she thought she had misheard.

After a brief hesitation, she pushed aside the blanket, got up, and walked toward the bedroom door.

She pressed her ear to the door, and the knocking sound was faintly heard again.

Knock, knock.

[Liene] "..."

It sounded as if the person knocking was holding their breath.

It didn't feel like a knock intended to ask for the door to be opened.

It must be him. 

As the thought flashed through her mind, her hand had already unlatched the door.

[Liene] "...Ah."

The thought that she shouldn't open it came far too late. When she realized, the door was already open, and she was facing Black.

[Liene] "Why... are you here at this hour?"

She slightly trailed off at the end of her sentence.

[Black] "May I come in?"

[Liene] "That's not..."

She wanted to say he shouldn't. However, her feet moved backward, as if making way for him to enter.

[Black] "Good then."

He swiftly slipped in, filling the space she had vacated.

Thud. 

The door closed behind him.

[Liene] "Why... did you come at this hour?"

She had to swallow midway through the sentence.

At first, she didn't notice because of the darkness, but he was wearing clothes completely unsuitable for visiting someone else's bedroom.

For some inexplicable reason, his clothes were dirty. It seemed to be dust and mud.

He had probably just returned to the castle and came straight to her room without bothering to check his appearance.

[Black] "I wanted to let you know that the matter has been resolved."

[Liene] "..."

I already heard that.

[Black] "The Cardinal will contact you tomorrow. Just ignore whatever he says, as there is no proof of my involvement."

[Liene] "...Yes. I will."

[Black] "There will be costs because of the damage. Don't worry about that either; I'll take care of it."

[Liene] "Yes."

[Black] "And... I'd prefer you to entrust all negotiations with them to me. It will be better that way."

[Liene] "I will do that too."

[Black] "And... that's all."

He, who had spoken awkwardly uncharacteristic words, suddenly twisted his lips.

[Black] "It's too short."

[Liene] "What... is short?"

[Black] "This time."

[Liene] "...?"

[Black] "I spent more time on the cliff than I anticipated."

[Liene] "The cliff...?"

Somehow, she felt she knew what he was talking about.

He must be talking about the cliff behind the Temple. He hadn't used the Stairs of God.

He must have climbed that sheer cliff and damaged the bell.

After diverting people's attention, he moved the rock that was claimed to have 'demolished the Stairs of God'.

She now knew the reason he was covered in mud.

[Black] "After a full day of effort, my goal was only to stand here and talk to you... Such a huge effort is poorly repaid by this brief moment."

He, who murmured in a whisper, almost a monologue, abruptly changed the subject.

[Black] "So, may I use the room next door starting now?"

[Liene] "That's..."

Too soon. 

Closer. He took a step closer before she could answer.

[Black] "May I hold this hand?"

[Liene] "Which part..."

[Black] "It doesn't matter. Whichever part you permit."

Closer.

The small candlelight beside the bed made him increasingly visible. She saw that his hand, approaching her cheek, was still covered in mud.

[Liene] "Ah, wait a minute..."

She tilted her head, avoiding his hand.

[Black] "...Damn it."

He, too, seemed to realize his hand was dirty only when he was within the reach of the candlelight.

[Black] "You definitely wouldn't like a hand this dirty."

[Liene] "That's not it."

She grabbed his wrist, which had stopped awkwardly, and brought it into the light so the back of his hand was clearly visible.

[Liene] "You're hurt."

[Black] "...?"

He looked surprised for a moment, apparently just realizing there was a long scratch wound on the back of his hand.

[Liene] "Did you get hurt on the cliff?"

[Black] "I don't know."

[Liene] "..."

The traces of blood mixed with dust and mud made her feel strange.

The good news that made me happy was created this way.

He is getting injured like this. Getting dirty like this. What should I call his actions?

I feel like it wouldn't matter if he came here for revenge. As long as I'm not the target. S

he knew how absurd that thought was. The Princess of Nauk shouldn't entertain such an idea.

...Let's just hope it's only a rumor.

Let's hope Kleinfelter and Lord Weroz are all wrong. Please.

[Liene] "Come this way. We should clean the wound first."

She held his wrist and led him toward the bathroom next to the bedroom.

[Black] "Before that..."

He allowed his hand to be held, but he didn't immediately follow her steps.

Instead, he stood his ground and stubbornly repeated the same questions as if he had to hear the answer right now and couldn't do anything before that.

[Liene] "What answer?"

[Black] "Do I get to use the room next door now?"

Yes. Because that was the payment.

[Liene] "Yes."

[Black] "And one more thing."

She waited for his next words.

[Black] "May I touch you?"

[Liene] "..."

Why does he keep asking permission to touch me?

[Black] "Of course, after I've washed my hands."

[Liene] "After all the treatment is done."

[Black] "Agreed."

Only after saying that did he follow her to the bathroom.

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