A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 29

※Klima, the Servant (2)※

[Tiwakan] "The Princess left the castle, My Lord."

[Black] "What?"

[Fermos] "Where to?"

Black and Fermos simultaneously looked up, startled.

Both men were utterly swamped with work. The tasks demanding completion were countless.

The most urgent was determining the royal treasury's income structure and debt scale; reviewing ten years of records was proving unnecessarily complicated.

Layered atop that were the temple staircase construction, the search for the Cardinal's murderer, and the relentless surveillance of the Kleinfelters.

Fermos had been constantly grimacing, declaring he’d be far more comfortable, body and mind, rolling around on a battlefield.

Now, it seemed one more unwelcome complication had arisen.

[Tiwakan] "I heard she said she was going near the temple to distribute food."

[Fermos] "How diligent. Who is escorting her?"

[Tiwakan] "She said she was taking one guard."

Fermos sharply pinched the bridge of his nose.

[Fermos] "What? One guard? And you just let her go?"

The mercenary reporting spoke cautiously, gauging Black’s reaction.

[Tiwakan] "What else could we do, Sir? We can't forcibly restrain her. My Lord himself instructed us to be respectful."

[Fermos] "You should have asked me first. Did you assign a tail?"

[Tiwakan] "I've sent one man. Should I send more?"

[Fermos] "One isn't enough. We don't know what might happen. Go now and..."

Fermos' command was cut short when Black had risen to his feet.

[Black] "I will go."

[Fermos] "What...? Now, My Lord? I don't think that's necessary."

[Black] "The work has grown tedious."

Black carelessly tossed aside the royal document he had been reviewing.

[Black] "Finish the rest while I'm gone."

[Fermos] "What...? Huh?"

Though Fermos questioned him repeatedly, his eyes wide in surprise, Black was already striding out of the room.

[Fermos] "Gods, what was that..."

[Tiwakan] "Then I'll take my leave. Please continue your work, Sir."

Fermos, left alone amidst the mountain of papers, slumped into his chair and rubbed the back of his head.

[Fermos] "This is rather... no, this is not normal."

It had been excessive since yesterday. Yesterday, Black abandoned him on their way home from the funeral, and now he was simply dumping all the work.

[Fermos] "I never thought My Lord would act like this."

He had changed, drastically so.

[Fermos] "I thought he'd never marry, let alone date, in his life. At this rate, I'll be the only one left alone."

A vague sense of betrayal crept in, leaving him feeling profoundly glum.

---

[Liene] "Please wait right here."

In front of the temple, Liene separated herself from the Deputy Guard Commander who had accompanied her.

[Deputy Commander] "You plan to give it yourself, Your Highness? Just entrust it to me. I will deliver it."

[Liene] "No. I want to give it myself."

What she needed to ask the old man was a secret no one should yet know.

[Liene] "Please watch the surroundings for any trouble here. Especially, be careful if you spot any Kleinfelter private soldiers."

[Deputy Commander] "In that case... I understand."

She walked into the alley where the beggar sat with his cane tucked under his arm.

Though a small alley, it was located at the entrance of the main street, a position where the Deputy Commander could monitor her at any time.

Since the near-forced wedding at the Kleinfelter residence, her vigilance had grown stronger.

[Liene] "Hello..."

Liene, approaching with a greeting, stopped.

The old beggar already had a visitor.

The attire—a dark robe falling to the ankles, secured by a length of rope tied around the waist—indicated the person was from the temple. Since the fabric was different from that of a Deacon, he was likely an Acolyte (temple servant).

The old man looked up and stared at him. The servant, unconcerned by the scrutiny, placed a loaf of water-bread, the kind priests ate, on the old man's lap.

But the next moment was bizarre.

WHACK!

The old man, with hands that were difficult to control, picked up the bread and flung it onto the street.

[Klima] "..."

Then, he raised his cane and began striking the servant.

Thwack, thwack!

From the servant’s contorted face, it was clear the old man was striking him with vicious strength. Even if he was frail, an unrelenting beating from that thick wooden cane must have inflicted intense pain.

[Liene] "Stop!"

Yet, the servant simply endured the blows without asking why. Liene, unable to watch, intervened between the two and restrained the old man.

[Liene] "What is happening here?"

[Klima] "..."

The servant, his hood pulled down to the tip of his nose, recoiled in shock upon seeing Liene and froze.

[Liene] "Why are you just taking the beating? Did you do something wrong to this old man?"

[Klima] "..."

His eyes, meeting hers, darted away nervously. The servant moved his lips, then turned and tried to bolt.

[Liene] "Don't go! That is a command."

[Klima] "..."

His feet paused momentarily.

However, the servant shook his head and moved again.

[Liene] "Are you disobeying a command?"

She quickly reached out and grasped the edge of his robe.

The hood was pulled back, instantly revealing a gashed forehead and a shirt soaked in blood.

[Liene] "Oh my... You're hurt!"

Both the person whose injury was revealed and the person who saw it were startled. Even the old man, with his one remaining eye, squinted deeply.

There was too much blood for an injury caused by the cane just now.

[Liene] "How did you get injured like this?"

The answer came after a long pause.

[Klima] "...I was offering a Prayer of Atonement."

[Liene] "A Prayer of Atonement? What kind of prayer makes you bleed this much?"

[Klima] "A prayer offered through the shedding of blood."

Liene had no way of knowing, but a long time ago, this was a prayer offered by priests who performed extreme penance by scourging their own bodies.

No priest practiced this prayer anymore. A servant, even less so.

[Liene] "What kind of god desires his children to shed blood?"

[Klima] "..."

The servant fell completely silent at her words.

[Liene] "Are you getting proper treatment?"

[Klima] "..."

[Liene] "I will take that as a no."

Liene sighed, her expression troubled. Though it was customary for the palace not to interfere in temple affairs, the sheer knowledge of this made it difficult to feign ignorance.

[Liene] "Make sure you receive treatment. I will visit the temple soon and check if you've been treated. What is your name?"

The servant mumbled nervously for a long moment before finally answering.

[Klima] "...Klima."

[Liene] "Brother Klima. I am not joking, so please tend to your wounds. Otherwise, I will officially report this to the temple."

[Klima] "..."

He flinched.

[Liene] "You may go now. As the ruler of Nauk, I always respect the life of a Servant serving God for Nauk."

Klima hesitated for a moment, bowed stiffly, and then vanished down the opposite end of the alley.

[Liene] "Now it's your turn."

She turned back to the old man, who had been sitting like a statue, his lips tightly sealed.

[Liene] "I want to hear why you hit the servant. Do you know him well?"

The old man merely moved his dirty, unkempt beard.

[Liene] "Let me warn you, I came today determined to hear everything I want to know. It would be better for you to speak here. Otherwise, I will imprison you until you do."

[Old Man] "..."

He looked up. The eye facing her seemed to signal that he had something vital to say.

[Liene] "If you don't want to talk about the servant, let's discuss something else."

[Old Man] "..."

[Liene] "Who is Lord Tiwakan seeking revenge against?"

[Old Man] "Arsak's daughter..."

It was the moment the old man slowly parted his chapped lips.

[Deputy Commander] "Your Highness!"

He called out to Liene.

[Deputy Commander] "Lord Tiwakan is heading this way."

[Liene] "What?"

She turned her head following his gesture.

The massive figure walking toward them from the end of the main road was unmistakably Black.

With a sinking heart, she realized they had to postpone the conversation.

---

It was too dangerous for Black to discover the old man's identity. As long as he hadn't stated his reason for coming to Nauk, he wouldn't tolerate anyone else knowing that reason beforehand.

[Liene] "Move this person. Conceal him."

She handed the basket of food to the old man, then spoke to the Commander.

Afterward, she immediately stepped out of the alley.

[Liene] "Lord Tiwakan."

When she called him, he met her eyes.

The sun in this season felt unusually stinging, as if substituting for the air it absorbed.

Beneath the blazing sunlight that seemed to strip the street bare, his features were laid bare without concealment.

...He’s like a sculpture.

Not a man, but a sculpture purposefully created to be admired.

Others seemed to think the same. Passersby glanced at him once as they passed. They turned their heads precariously until he was out of sight, as if their eyes were permanently affixed.

Black seemed not to blink.

The moment their eyes met, he froze like a statue.

Staring at him, she felt dazzled. She couldn't tell if it was because the sun was too intense or if he was simply too radiant.

After she blinked a few times, he moved forward and stood before her.

[Black] "I thought I saw wrong."

[Liene] "Yes?"

[Black] "I didn't recognize you."

[Liene] "...Is that so?"

She turned her head to check her attire.

[Liene] "It's the same clothing I was wearing before."

She worried her too-ordinary appearance made her unrecognizable.

Even as royalty, her clothes weren't much different from those of ordinary people. The unadorned garments were simple, and brown hair was the most common color in Nauk.

Her hair did have a distinct streak of gold, but she had never thought that made her special.

[Black] "You looked like a piece of sculpture."

[Liene] "Ah..."

He was saying the same thing she had been thinking. It was profoundly strange. The strangeness made her heart skip a beat.

Why would he say that?

This man has no reason to speak sweet words. He's supposed to be seeking revenge.

Why is he doing this to me?

[Liene] "...That's an excessive compliment."

She struggled not to take his words to heart.

There must be a reason—a reason why he acts kindly toward me.

[Black] "No word could be excessive to describe you."

[Liene] "...How did you end up here?"

Feeling uncomfortable with his tenderness, she changed the subject.

[Black] "I came to fetch you after hearing you had left the castle. Is your business finished?"

[Liene] "Yes."

The phrase, "came to fetch you," carried an impossible tenderness.

She felt ridiculous for finding him tender, even as an unknown beggar was claiming he sought revenge.

Do I like this man?

Is that why I don't want to believe he harbors hidden motives?

...Why am I acting like this?

[Liene] "Let's go back to the castle. I left the sewing work to Madam Flambard. She's probably waiting anxiously."

She briefly avoided eye contact and shifted the topic.

Black silently offered his arm, and Liene, somewhat accustomed to walking alongside him, rested her hand on his firm forearm.

[Black] "Is going out alone a frequent occurrence?"

Neither of them initiated the slow walk. They had ridden horses here, and their escorts held two sets of reins, but no one suggested riding back.

Everyone on the street glanced back at the two people walking abreast, arm in arm.

They looked like the most perfectly matched couple, their combined beauty so dazzling that onlookers' eyes swam.

[Liene] "I wasn't alone. I came with the Deputy Guard Commander."

[Black] "One person is too few."

[Liene] "That's not true. Nauk is a small place; we don't need a heavy escort."

[Black] "I can't agree with that."

It wasn't hard for her to realize he was referencing the recent incident at the Kleinfelter residence. She struggled to suppress her discomfort.

[Liene] "You might not believe it, but Nauk has always been this way."

[Black] "Next time, send for me."

[Liene] "What?"

She asked softly.

[Liene] "That's too much. Lord Tiwakan has far more important work than I do."

[Black] "Accompanying the Princess is also my duty."

...Right. This is what being tender feels like.

Pointlessly so.

Feeling her heart constantly stumble, she turned her head and gazed into the distance.

[Liene] "When will the temple’s stairs construction begin?"

[Black] "We plan to start after the Cardinal is appointed."

[Liene] "Hmm... Is the Cardinal necessary for the construction?"

[Black] "Not precisely, but it's inconvenient if there's no one available to negotiate with."

[Liene] "Ah."

Since the construction was initially leveraged for the wedding, Black was essentially saying he would confirm the wedding would proceed smoothly before paying the price for starting the construction.

He leaves absolutely no room for error.

Whoever becomes the Cardinal will struggle to deal with him.

The next Cardinal would, of course, be someone beholden to Kleinfelter, but strangely, Liene wasn't worried. She couldn't imagine Black being manipulated by the Cardinal or anyone else.

If this man were truly my fiancé. If he were simply on my side.

Then I would truly be grateful.

[Liene] "..."

Unconsciously, she tightened the hand resting on his arm, lost in that thought.

[Black] "Did you have something to say?"

He stopped walking and looked at her.

The moment their eyes locked felt like a curse. Liene blinked, still thinking the sunlight pouring over this man was too dazzling.

[Liene] "No. It's not that..."

Just then.

Among the many people passing on the main road, someone hauling an old cart filled with wooden barrels stopped right behind Black.

[Tiwakan] "My Lord! Look behind you!"

The Tiwakan mercenary following from afar shouted. Before he did, Black already turned his head.

CLATTER, RUMBLE!

CRASH!

The rope securing the load snapped, and the wooden barrels on the cart spilled, suddenly tumbling down toward Black and Liene.

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