A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 3

※If God Wills It※

At first, he thought he had misheard.

[Fermos] "Ah, in that case, the child... No, wait a moment. What? What do you desire?"

[Black] "The Princess of Nauk."

Fermos raised his monocle.

[Fermos] "My Lord desires a woman? And a woman whose face you have barely seen properly? What could be the reason, My Lord?"

[Black] "..."

The Tiwakan Commander chose silence rather than an answer. Indeed, he hardly ever spoke.

He had no name nor origin. No one knew anything about his life before he joined the Tiwakan Mercenaries, as if he had never existed. Even Fermos could only speculate.

The name that replaced his own was Black. Perhaps no other name suited him but Black.

[Fermos] "My Lord. Consider the future. Consider what will happen when that child is born. Will he grow up normally if he knows he is the child of the Arsakh Knight Commander? The first thing he will utter when he begins to speak will be vengeance. He will call his mother a traitor."

Although he continued to speak, he was sure it was impossible for Black not to know this. That is why he was even more curious about what Black was thinking in his heart.

He could understand Black's desire to possess Nauk. Truthfully, he didn't quite grasp why it had to be this barren, poor land, but if Black desired it, that was reason enough to follow him.

To them, Black was not a bastard child born of the God of War. He was God himself.

In ten years of war, he saved them against the God of Death. That was reason enough for him to be their only god.

However, now he seemed to desire the Princess of Nauk more than Nauk itself. That was what Fermos could not understand.

He couldn't have fallen in love with a woman he had only properly met today.

Although the Princess of Nauk possessed a rare beauty, a beautiful face alone would not be enough to shake a man named Black. There must be another reason.

[Black] "The child will not be a problem."

When Black spoke again, Fermos's face brightened. He dared not press his Lord, but he was nearly mad with curiosity.

[Fermos] "Why is that?"

[Black] "The child born to the Princess of Nauk, whoever its father is, will be my child. At a time like this, which is almost equivalent to a marriage by plunder, I do not expect purity. Even if the Princess had a beloved man, I would not demand sincerity. Nor do I intend to force it."

[Fermos] "..."

Fermos rolled his eyes with a confused expression. He felt strange because his Lord's words sounded more sentimental than he expected.

[Fermos] "Th-then... does My Lord wish to gain not only Nauk but also the heart of the Princess of Nauk?"

[Black] "Heart?"

Black furrowed one of his eyebrows.

That answer was sufficient. Black had not fallen in love with the Princess of Nauk. He was neither overly generous to the woman nor did he crave affection.

Then, what was the reason?

[Black] "I am taking it simply because I must possess it."

[Fermos] "Then why, of all places, Nauk...."

[Black] "Because Nauk was originally mine."

[Fermos] "What?"

Fermos was so startled he nearly dropped his glasses.

[Fermos] "Nauk... My Lord? In that case...."

[Black] "It would become more complicated to reclaim it if the Princess married someone else. I will possess it before that happens. I have not thought about what happens afterward. I will tell you what you need to know, so ask no more questions."

Fermos instinctively realized that Nauk was a part of Black's hidden past, a dark secret.

[Fermos] "I understand."

If that was the case, it was not something he had the right to comment on.

[Fermos] "I shall comply with your will."

If God willed it, it had to happen.

---

The light of dawn piercing the eyes felt violent. Liene rubbed her eyes, which had not closed all night, and walked toward the window.

[Liene] "...Farewell."

As she rested her forehead on the window frame, which had been cold all night, a chill seemed to creep down to her toes.

She whispered her farewells to her lover. Tears welled up like mist in her deep, clear green eyes, but they did not fall.

I must not cry.

It would deplete too much energy.

She spoke to herself, as if comforting herself.

Farewell.

May you meet someone who can love only you completely in the land of death.

In the end, she was only a coward. She did not even dare to call her lover her lover.

Taking the Arsakh Knight Commander as her lover was a kind of compromise and agreement.

She did not have the strength to preserve the kingdom fully, and her lover's family did.

Their relationship was practically forced by her lover's family, who desired the ruling rights of Nauk, but her lover always said that his love was sincere. He said he would wait until she could trust him.

Perhaps one day, that love would have conquered her heart.

Her lover's death brought a bone-chilling sense of loss, like the dawn. Only now did she realize that one person who sincerely protected her had decreased in number.

She also realized how selfish and cold she was as a lover, because even at this moment, she was still calculating the losses that her lover's death would cause to Nauk.

[Liene] "...I am using him even after he is dead."

She placed a hand on her stomach.

The news of the pregnancy was a lie.

She had never permitted anything more than a kiss from her lover. Each time they kissed, her lover looked at her like a thirsty person.

To Liene, that thirst always overlapped with the Kleinfelter’s ambition for the right to rule. If she were truly carrying her lover's child, she probably would not have been able to accept the reality.

[Liene] "It's alright. This child...."

There must be a way to deceive Tiwakan. 

Either say she miscarried at the right time, or actually became pregnant.

Just thinking about such a lie made her shudder. Protecting this small kingdom was too heavy a burden for her.

Can I really deceive that man?

Her thoughts now turned to the man full of contradictions. The savage presence that terrified people merely by his appearance. Yet, he left a careful kiss on her wounded palm.

[Liene] "..."

She suddenly pulled away and opened her palm. There was a red scratch following the shape of her nail. Her hand trembled because the wound felt like the trace of the man's lips.

She felt that she would never be able to understand the man's contradiction.

[Liene] "Haa..."

She let out a short sigh and finally turned around.

It was time to start another day. A long and agonizing day where she had to somehow gather and mend the crumbling kingdom little by little, every day.

---

[Marshillow] "...Therefore, we have secured three months of tax revenue. Of course, this is the result of minimizing expenditures as much as possible."

Marshillow visited the King's study early in the morning. After the previous King passed away, the study belonged to Liene, but not much had changed from before.

Revenue continued to decline year after year. Nauk, once the most prosperous kingdom in the southern region, was now the poorest country. This was due to a twenty-year drought. Fortunately, this year it rained sufficiently, so somehow tax revenue could be secured.

If it weren't for Tiwakan, at least this year, she might have been able to live by eating three meals a day.

[Liene] "Thank goodness."

She carefully examined the documents filled of numbers that Marshillow handed over.

[Liene] "My quick decision to accept Lord Tiwakan's proposal turned out to be good. Otherwise, this number would certainly be more terrifying."

The sarcastic joke she lightly threw out made Marshillow show a serious expression.

[Marshillow] "Nevertheless, your acceptance of the proposal was a hasty matter. You should have at least consulted with the Kleinfelter...."

[Liene] "If Tiwakan returns the corpse, I will discuss the funeral procedures with them. Please convey my deepest sorrow and condolences to the Kleinfelters."

Marshillow pursed his lips in displeasure.

[Marshillow] "The Palace must also hold an official mourning period. Because the deceased is none other than the eldest son of the Kleinfelter Family."

To this day, Marshillow was still dissatisfied with her decision to accept the Tiwakan proposal. If Tiwakan had not used her lover's sword as evidence, there might have been a civil war.

[Liene] "Wouldn't that violate the etiquette towards my new fiancé? Just tell them I will discuss it with Tiwakan first."

[Marshillow] "Goodness... if you talk about etiquette to those barbarians, the Chairman of the Grand Council will not stay silent."

The tips of his eyebrows drooped. The hand movement, stroking his chin, was full of annoyance. The Chairman of the Grand Council was the uncle of her deceased lover.

The position of Council Chairman was one of the hereditary positions guaranteed to the Kleinfelter Family. Although the Council Chairman was given the sacred duty to oversee and assist the Royal Family, he had only carried out one duty—controlling Nauk—for the past few years.

Now, it might no longer be an oversight but a betrayal.

The Council Chairman was confident that his nephew would become the joint ruler of Nauk after becoming the Arsakh Knight Commander. It was obvious that he would rage, unable to accept the situation where his nephew died, and Liene became engaged to another man.

One of the reasons she could never accept her lover's sincerity was that things like this happened. If she married and her lover became the joint ruler of Nauk, the Council Chairman would certainly destroy this small kingdom.

[Marshillow] "Shouldn't you convey it yourself? Etiquette should not only be shown to the barbarians, Your Highness. It is the Kleinfelter Family who deserves to receive that etiquette."

[Liene] "Unfortunately, also tell them I do not have the time to convey my condolences in person because I am too busy with kingdom affairs and engagement preparations. If he feels such deep regret, let the Council Chairman carry out his original duty, which he has abandoned for several years now."

Marshillow's cheeks flushed red. It was not a good sign.

[Marshillow] "Your Highness. You cannot ignore the Kleinfelter Family just because Sir Kleinfelter died. Great consequences will follow. They are a family that has been with the history of Nauk since the previous King."

[Liene] "I know."

She smiled bitterly, her face weary.

[Liene] "As you know, I also did my best to avoid Tiwakan's proposal. That is why one hundred people died. What more should I do? Should I sacrifice more people just to save Kleinfelter's face?"

[Marshillow] "...I shall take my leave."

He retreated as if he had run out of words.

She deliberately did not look at him as he turned and left.

Clack!

The office door closed with a heavy sound.

[Liene] "Even for mourning, I have to engage in such a war of nerves."

She sighed softly.

What a terrible lover I must have been....

[Liene] "At least I should change my clothes."

She felt she should at least wear mourning attire. To welcome the corpse of the lover she never loved.

---

[Liene] "...What?"

However, she could not wear the black dress.

[Flambard] "Sir Weroz requested it be conveyed immediately. The barbarian Commander himself will bring the corpse. The Princess must change her clothes again."

[Liene] "Hah...."

Just thinking about having to face those sharp, beast-like eyes again made her chest feel tight.

[Liene] "It can't be helped. Give me another outfit. An outfit for the welcoming."

[Flambard] "Yes, Your Highness."

Madam Flambard, her nanny who now served as the chief lady-in-waiting of Nauk, sighed deeply. Her face was filled with a mixture of pity and anger as she chose the most luxurious gown from the few clothes available.

[Flambard] "The Princess does not need to trouble herself to welcome the barbarian. Do not be overly kind to him."

[Flambard] "Also, do not appear too beautiful. They do not deserve it."

[Liene] "It is too late. I have accepted his proposal, so he is now my official fiancé. To treat him disrespectfully is the same as treating myself disrespectfully."

[Flambard] "But... but is that barbarian the enemy who killed your lover?"

She calmed her nanny, who was nearly crying on her behalf.

[Liene] "Madam."

[Flambard] "Yes, Your Highness."

[Liene] "That man is dead, and I am now an engaged woman. Mentioning his name now is an act of disrespect to both my fiancé and me."

[Flambard] "Oh dear...."

Madam Flambard could not answer, only nod. The hands that changed Liene's clothes were as quick as usual, but her fingertips trembled occasionally.

[Liene] "Ah, and one more thing."

A thought came to her as Madam Flambard began to tighten the laces of the petticoat.

[Flambard] "Please tell me, Your Highness."

[Liene] "This is still a secret, but I am carrying a child."

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