A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 42

※The Prey and the Poison※

[Lyndon] "Ugh..."

The pain did not fade easily.

Lyndon, both his wrists broken, could not even rise from the floor. He lay prone, groaning in agony.

[Laffit] "Is the pain very bad?"

Laffit tried his best to inch closer and spoke to him.

[Laffit] "You need treatment right away..."

[Lyndon] "Talk sense! There is no way those beasts would do such a thing for us!"

Lyndon shouted abruptly.

It wasn't just aimless venting. He was furious at his nephew, who had sat motionless while he suffered such brutality.

[Lyndon] "You... Ha, never mind."

The eldest son was weak.

When the former head—Lyndon's older brother—died, leaving behind a young son, everyone had coddled the boy, raising him to be soft.

Before, Lyndon had thought it acceptable since the boy at least had a pretty face. Whatever the case, all he had to do was melt the Arsak girl’s heart and secure the right to rule.

But now that the ruling power was on the verge of falling into the hands of an absurd beast, Lyndon was struck with a regret so profound he wanted to pound the ground.

[Laffit] "What happened?"

Laffit did not back down and pressed on.

[Lyndon] "I told you not to worry about it."

[Laffit] "What should I not worry about? Your hands, Uncle?"

[Lyndon] "...! You foolish boy! Lower your voice! What if someone hears you!"

[Laffit] "He likely already knows who I am."

[Lyndon] "Even so, you must not! Unless he reveals it himself, the secret must be kept!"

[Laffit] "For what purpose?"

[Lyndon] "What?"

[Laffit] "For what purpose must we do that? At this point, for what?"

[Lyndon] "What kind of..."

[Laffit] "Is this not the end for Kleinfelter? Is there anything left to protect?"

[Lyndon] "You, you pathetic fool!"

Lyndon, unable to endure any longer, shot up.

No, he tried to get up, bracing himself on the floor with his broken wrists, only to collapse again.

Consumed by frustration, Laffit simply watched his uncle’s wretched struggle in silence.

[Lyndon] "It can't be... It can't be over. Do not speak so carelessly. Do not give up so easily. Act in a manner befitting the name Kleinfelter!"

[Laffit] "That name holds no power now."

[Lyndon] "Who says so!"

Lyndon, who had shouted in a burst of rage, looked around and lowered his voice to a whisper.

Outside, the Tiwakan would likely be pressing their ears toward them.

If not, there was no reason they would have kindly put him in the same cell as his nephew.

[Lyndon] "The other families will not stand by and watch. Soon, the Grand Council will convene. No one there will take Arsak's side."

[Laffit] "The Tiwakan will make them. Since they cooperated out of fear of the Kleinfelter family, they will surely prostrate themselves before the Tiwakan."

[Lyndon] "We must ensure that does not happen."

[Laffit] "What do you intend to do from here?"

[Lyndon] "Anything!"

Lyndon ground his teeth.

[Lyndon] "Right... The problem is the Tiwakan. I don't know what trick that bitch used to tame such a beast, but..."

A thought struck him, and his eyes widened.

[Lyndon] "We must separate them."

[Laffit] "Yes, Uncle?"

His voice was so low, like a whisper, that Laffit hadn't heard him clearly.

[Lyndon] "I said we must tear the two of them apart. We must turn the dog that has become tame back into a beast."

[Laffit] "How can we possibly do that? While locked in here."

[Lyndon] "We can. We must."

Once they got out of here.

Lyndon did not doubt that possibility.

The Risebury Treaty was absolute. The six families that created the treaty were the pillars and the roof of Nauk.

If Liene wished to remain the ruler of Nauk, she could never afford to offend those six families because they were the ones hiding the Arsak family's secret.

A past stained with blood.

[Lyndon] "As soon as the Grand Council convenes, I will leave this place. Until then, you must steel your resolve. Do you understand?"

[Laffit] "......."

Laffit did not answer, as if he didn't believe his uncle's words.

[Lyndon] "Tsk."

Lyndon clicked his tongue.

Liene could not refuse the name Kleinfelter to begin with. It was only because a beast of unknown origin had intervened that the entire game was currently messed up.

So, he had to drive the beast out. Since driving him out by force was impossible, he had to make the beast leave on his own accord.

To do that...

[Lyndon] "...I must sprinkle poison on the prey."

He knew that to the beast's eyes, Liene Arsak appeared as a very sweet prey.

Then, all he had to do was ruin Liene.

Lyndon’s eyes began to roll so rapidly that one could almost hear them.

---

[Liene] "Welcome, Lord Arland."

Convening the Grand Council was no easy task.

Above all, Mashilow’s absence played a large part. The trivial paperwork had long been his responsibility, but he was currently rotting in the dungeon.

Even though she was short of hands right now, Liene thought it was time to change her advisor anyway.

It was pathetic that she hadn't known Mashilow was so deeply in Kleinfelter's pocket until now.

She intended to erase Kleinfelter's shadow from the royal family one by one, starting now.

[Arland] "I am simply grateful you called for me."

Arland was from a family not affiliated with the Grand Council. As such, his influence was weak, and he didn't have many people.

For such a person to take on the role of Royal Advisor was unheard of, but Liene was that desperate.

She no longer wanted to be dragged around by the Kleinfelter.

[Liene] "There is currently a temporary vacancy in the Royal Advisor position. I cannot tell you the detailed circumstances yet, but I would like you to fill that gap for the time being, Lord Arland."

[Arland] "It is an honor, Your Highness."

Liene smiled faintly.

It had been a long time since she met a noble who didn't call her 'Arsak's daughter.' While it was sad that her situation made her grateful for just that, the feeling wasn't bad.

[Liene] "May God’s blessing be with you for readily accepting your Sovereign’s will. Then, I will tell you what needs to be done. As the ruler of Nauk, I intend to convene the Grand Council. You will handle this task, Lord Arland."

[Arland] "The Grand Council... you say?"

Arland looked bewildered.

This minor noble from a poor kingdom exuded a sense of humbleness not just in his attire but in his attitude. He was completely different from the nobles Liene had dealt with until now.

[Arland] "That... wasn't the last time it was held 14 years ago? I understand it hasn't been convened once since then."

It was at that Grand Council 14 years ago that the Risebury Treaty was signed.

In other words, convening a new Grand Council signified a massive upheaval comparable to that time.

[Liene] "Yes. There are two agendas. One is the election of the Cardinal, and the other is a trial. The one standing trial is the Chairman of the Grand Council, Lyndon Kleinfelter."

[Arland] "What?"

The mention of Lyndon’s trial shocked Arland even more than the convening of the Grand Council.

[Arland] "Th-the Chairman’s trial...?"

[Liene] "The charge is injury to royalty. That should be sufficient for the official notice sent to the six families. Let us schedule it as soon as possible."

[Arland] "Injury to royalty... Ah, I understand."

With every word Liene spoke, Arland couldn't hide his shock.

After the conversation ended, he wiped his cold sweat with his sleeve.

[Liene] "Please calculate the necessary expenses first. You may use the King’s study. I authorize your entry."

[Arland] "It is an honor."

Arland, having barely regained his composure, bowed and withdrew.

Now that she had delegated the minor tasks, Liene had to make other preparations.

First, she had to find a new Cardinal.

[Liene] "If I leave it to the Grand Council, they will just pick another errand boy for the Kleinfelter family. I must choose one in advance."

She came out to the audience hall for the first time in a while to greet Arland. Liene, sitting on the throne that was absurdly large for her body, leaned against the armrest and rested her chin on her hand.

[Liene] "Unfortunately, I don't know much about the priests... I don't know where to start."

A slight crease formed between her brows as she fell deep into thought.

[Liene] "Should I go to the Temple even now? He might still be there. Would it be nice to go and meet him...?"

[Black] "Why do you think it would be nice?"

Startled by the sudden question, Liene jerked her head up.

[Liene] "...Uh!"

She almost hit her chin in the process.

Black had approached from behind the throne without her noticing.

[Liene] "Why...!"

Liene was so surprised she couldn't finish her sentence and only let out a sharp cry.

[Black] "I didn't go to the Temple."

As if he had expected this reaction, Black stroked her cheek with a relaxed expression.

[Liene] "Why... why not?"

[Black] "I remembered some business I had to attend to."

[Liene] "Business? With me?"

[Black] "No. Underground."

[Liene] "Underground... Ah, with Kleinfelter."

A fleeting shadow passed over her face.

[Liene] "What... kind of business was it?"

[Black] "I went to pay back this."

[Liene] "Pardon?"

Liene watched with a still-surprised expression as Black lifted her right hand.

[Black] "I felt I should do at least that much. As your fiancé."

[Liene] "So... you bruised him?"

[Black] "I intended to, but his bones were weaker than I thought. They broke."

[Liene] "Oh, my..."

Liene, flustered and lips parting, soon let out a helpless chuckle.

[Liene] "It must have been something he had never experienced before. I can imagine how he reacted."

[Black] "You aren't going to scold me?"

[Liene] "What can I do about his bones being weak?"

Black pressed his lips to the bruise on her right hand. A tingling sensation spread from her wrist.

Liene thought she was in trouble. Now, whenever she saw the bruise, she wouldn't think of pain, but of something else entirely.

[Black] "Then one more thing. Actually, I made a bit of a mistake."

[Liene] "You made a mistake, Lord Tiwakan? I can't believe it."

[Black] "It really was a mistake. Only after breaking it did I realize it was the left hand, not the right..."

[Liene] "...So?"

[Black] "I broke the right hand as well."

[Liene] "Ah, ha..."

Liene made a strange expression, unable to either laugh or frown.

[Liene] "Then both hands are..."

[Black] "As it turns out."

[Liene] "Because you made a mistake."

[Black] "Yes. By mistake."

[Liene] "You usually don't make mistakes, do you?"

[Black] "I do when I have to."

[Liene] "What does that..."

Liene bit her lip hard.

It was to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out.

When is there ever a time one 'has to' make a mistake?

He means he did it on purpose.

Actually, he shouldn't have done that. The Grand Council was coming up soon. If Lyndon claimed his hands were broken, it would cause an uproar.

But why..?

[Black] "I should have done it sooner."

Black murmured as he slid his lips to the inside of her wrist.

[Liene] "No, why would you say that..."

[Black] "If I had known the Princess would like it this much, I would have done it sooner."

[Liene] "That's... Gasp."

Liene couldn't hold it back any longer and burst into laughter.

Black kissed her palm and waited quietly until she stopped laughing.

[Liene] "You shouldn't... do that, you know."

Tears welled up a little because her stomach hurt from laughing.

Black wiped away her tears with his other hand.

[Black] "I will be careful next time."

Even as he said that, he would make a mistake anytime. Whenever the moment came that he had to make a mistake.

[Liene] "The trial is soon. It will be like confessing in front of the Elders that the royal family committed an act like thugs."

[Black] "Is that troubling?"

[Liene] "Probably."

[Black] "...Then I guess it was a useless act."

Black let out a small breath mixed with a low sigh.

[Liene] "Not necessarily. However, we must provide treatment. That is a matter of etiquette between nobles."

It was Liene whose heart softened at his reaction. She quickly grabbed his collar with her free hand.

[Liene] "But thank you."

[Black] "Even if it is troubling?"

[Liene] "It's the first time anyone has done such a thing for me."

She hadn't meant to, but by the time she finished speaking, her voice was trembling slightly.

Liene took a sharp breath.

It had been so long since she felt this sensation. Someone getting angry and protecting her.

Since inheriting the crown, Liene had nowhere to hide. No place to lean on, no place to rest her heart, no place to complain or whine.

There were only burdens to be shouldered.

Black was the first.

No matter how heavy the burden she carried, it felt like Black would accept it all without wavering.

...No, it’s not just that he feels like he would accept it; he is actually doing it.

Liene moved the hand clutching his collar and stroked the skin, touching her fingertips.

What do I do?

Right now, I want to kiss him.

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