A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 52

※Fourteen Corpses※

She would have told him the truth.

Thud, thud!

The words were on the tip of her tongue when a frantic voice shattered the moment.

[Tiwakan] "My Lord! Are you there? Forgive the intrusion, but it’s an emergency!"

[Black] "..."

Black muttered something under his breath—a string of words she couldn't quite catch, though judging by his dark expression, they were likely a choice set of curses.

He rose swiftly, his jaw set in irritation.

[Black] "Wait here."

Clad only in his loose, half-open robe, he strode toward the bedchamber door.

Something was wrong. Liene couldn't simply sit by; she threw back the duvet and stood.

[Black] "What is it?"

He yanked the door open himself.

The door slammed against the wall with a sharp, irritable crack.

The mercenary standing outside swallowed hard at the sight of his commander’s fury, but he didn't waste a second.

[Tiwakan] "Fire, My Lord. The castle is burning."

[Black] "...What?"

[Liene] "What did you say?"

Her reaction was even more visceral. Every drop of color drained from her face, leaving her a ghostly, porcelain white.

[Liene] "A fire... oh, gods."

In Nauk, a land perpetually haunted by the specter of drought, fire was the ultimate catastrophe. It wasn't just a hazard; it was a death sentence for the stone-dry architecture and the parched earth.

[Liene] "Where? Lead the way."

The intimacy of the previous moment vanished instantly.

She tried to brush past Black, her mind already racing with containment strategies.

[Black] "Princess."

He caught her by the shoulder, his grip firm.

[Black] "Stay here. I’ll handle this."

[Liene] "No, I have to go... Let me come with you. We can't let it spread. In this season, a fire is—"

Black reached out, his fingers briefly brushing her cheek. He looked pained by how pale she had become.

[Black] "Not in your condition. Not with the child. Stay put."

[Liene] "Every hand matters! We have to wake everyone in the castle and—"

[Black] "There is no smoke here yet, no smell of burning. We don't know the severity. I’ll investigate and send word immediately. Don't worry—"

Before he could finish, the sound of heavy, frantic boots thundered down the hallway.

[Tiwakan 2] "My Lord! You’re already up...! The fire is worse than we thought!"

The second man arrived breathless, his words tumbling out in a rush.

[Tiwakan 2] "It’s breaking out in multiple spots. Scattered. It has to be arson."

[Liene] "No!"

Liene cried out. A fire was horrific enough, but a deliberate one? That was a curse brought to life.

[Liene] "Let me go!"

She began to struggle, desperately pushing against Black’s hand.

[Liene] "Does the guard know? How much water is left in the reservoirs?"

[Tiwakan 2] "The night watch is already on the lines. We’re waking the rest now."

[Liene] "Where is the largest blaze?"

[Tiwakan 2] "It started in the kitchens. At first, we thought a cook had been careless with the hearth, but then..."

[Black] "That’s enough. Princess."

He cut off the reporting, sensing the rising hysteria in Liene’s voice.

[Black] "Get inside."

[Liene] "What are you talking about? I—"

[Black] "I cannot guarantee your safety in this chaos. I can’t protect you from the smoke if you’re out there."

[Liene] "That’s ridiculous! I know how to—"

[Black] "In your condition, you are a liability, not a help."

His voice turned ice-cold, cutting through her protests like a blade. He didn't wait for a rebuttal; he physically guided her back into the room.

[Liene] "Wait, don't—!"

She tried to resist, but she was like a leaf against a tide. He pushed her back with effortless strength and slammed the door shut.

[Black] "One of you stay here and guard the Princess. The other led the way. Where can I see the whole castle at once?"

[Tiwakan] "The Vice-Commander is at the North Tower, sir. He’s waiting for you there."

Black didn't say another word as he turned and sprinted down the hall.

Thump, thump!

[Liene] "Open this door!"

She hammered her fists against the wood. But with a mercenary bracing his weight against the other side, the door wouldn't budge an inch.

[Liene] "What do you think you’re doing, locking me in! Move aside this instant!"

[Tiwakan] "I... I’m sorry, Your Highness. But My Lord is right. Inhaling smoke is dangerous. Especially... for the baby."

[Liene] "It’s not about the baby!"

Slam!

She poured all her frustration into one last strike, leaving her knuckles throbbing with a dull ache. Liene cradled her reddened hand, taking a jagged breath.

[Liene] "What will it take for you to open this door?"

[Tiwakan] "Don't even dream of it. I’m not moving unless the Commander tells me to."

[Liene] "..."

They were loyal to a fault—she knew that.

What now? The window? 

If she could climb down the ledge to the balcony...

[Liene] "...Could I even do that?"

The absurdity of the thought hit her, and she sank to the floor, her energy evaporating into a hollow sense of helplessness.

[Liene] "Can I really just... sit here?"

It felt surreal. For years, every single problem in Nauk Castle had been her burden. Whether it was a plague of rats chewing through ropes or a shortage of grain, Liene was the one who solved it.

With so few staff for such a massive fortress, she had made it a habit to step in rather than burden her overworked servants.

Liene was the one who protected. She wasn't used to being the one protected.

[Liene] "It’s strange... so strange..."

I’m going to get used to this.

Ever since Black had set foot in Nauk, she’d felt this recurring sensation. Every time a hardship arose, Black took it from her hands like a gift and solved it himself.

[Liene] "This is..."

Dangerous.

Had she always been this willing to lean on someone else? No, she hadn't. She had never been allowed to. It was because of him. Because he was who he was.

It felt as though he had found a hollow space inside her and clicked into place, a perfect, heavy fit.

Still sitting on the floor, Liene pressed a hand to her chest, right over the spot where Black seemed to reside.

[Liene] "Now I see why people say..."

She finally understood why losing someone felt like having your heart carved out. Because so much of you simply vanished with them. It was proof of how deeply Black had rooted himself in her soul.

To think such a feeling exists...

A poet would have found a far more beautiful name for it.

Liene remained there, her thoughts anchored to Black, and finally let go of her desire to leave. She trusted him. As long as he was in this castle, she was safe.

[Liene] "I should go back to bed."

Everything would be fine. If things turned dire, he would come for her.

With her anxiety quieted, she stood and turned back toward the room.

[Liene] "...?"

A bizarre sight met her eyes. In Black’s darkened bedchamber, where no lamps were lit, a figure stood in total silence, watching her.

[Liene] "Who—!"

The intruder moved with a speed that defied belief before she could even draw breath for a scream, a hand clamped over her mouth.

[Liene] "...!"

Liene twisted and thrashed with every ounce of strength she possessed. But the assailant was too fast, too practiced.

He pressed his fingers firmly against the carotid artery in her neck, waiting for the world to fade.

[Liene] "...!"

She fought with the desperation of the dying, but she couldn't make a sound. With her breath cut off and the pressure on her artery mounting, her consciousness slipped into a dark, swirling void.

[Liene] "..."

Finally, her eyes drifted shut.

The silent intruder caught her as she went limp and slung her over his back. His black clothes reeked of acrid smoke and fresh ash.

He moved toward the room situated between Black’s and Liene’s—the room that currently served as a storage space for unsold furniture.

In one corner sat a massive, cylindrical iron fireplace that had never been installed. It was huge, shaped like a rounded pillar to match the high ceilings.

He opened the heavy iron door of the fireplace without a sound and stepped inside.

Creak.

The door pulled shut from the inside with only the faintest metallic groan. Using a pre-tied cord, he secured the latch from within.

The cord was so thin it was almost invisible; it was actually made of human hair. He struck a flint against the end of the strand, and the hair hissed as it vanished into flame.

Hair left no ash—only a faint, fleeting scent.

The smell dissipated within seconds.

The room remained as it was, cold and empty, as if nothing had ever happened.

---

[Liene] "...Ugh... ...?"

Her head felt as though it were stuffed with gray fog. Liene fought to pull her consciousness back from the heavy depths.

How did I... why...

[Klima] "You don't need to force yourself up."

[Liene] "...?"

[Klima] "We have plenty of time."

[Liene] "...!"

She recognized that voice.

[Liene] "You...!"

Liene bolted upright, or tried to. It was difficult; her wrists and ankles were bound tight.

[Liene] "Brother Klima!"

The man who was supposed to be a fugitive—the one accused of murdering the Cardinal—stood right before her eyes.

[Liene] "What is the meaning of this! Why have you—!"

[Klima] "I am sorry."

In this dark, oppressive space, his voice didn't sound like a monster’s. It sounded mournful, like the steady patter of rain.

[Klima] "I was given an order."

[Liene] "An order? From whom...? Don't tell me Kleinfelter did this. He’s in a dungeon! How could he possibly—"

[Klima] "Forgive me. I was given a command. I have no choice."

[Liene] "What could he possibly... No, untie me. Now. No command in Nauk takes precedence over mine."

[Klima] "I’m sorry. I cannot. I have no choice."

He shook his head in the shadows. Liene caught the glint of a droplet reflecting the faint moonlight.

[Liene] "..."

Klima was weeping. It was absurd, but as he stood there with his shoulders hunched, sobbing softly, he didn't look like a killer.

Liene took a breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

He isn't a... bad man. 

He was crying because of his guilt—a penance of sorts. He was the kind of man who would hurt himself before hurting others.

Get a grip. Make him talk. I have to turn him.

Kleinfelter has a hold on him... I just need to find out what it is.

[Liene] "Was it Kleinfelter’s order to kill the Cardinal as well?"

[Klima] "...Yes."

Liene expected him to deny it, but he nodded readily. Perhaps, in the silence of a God who never answered, he simply wanted to confess his sins to anyone who would listen.

[Liene] "What else did he make you do?"

[Klima] "...His Eminence..."

[Liene] "You just told me you killed Cardinal Milode."

[Klima] "Cardinal Motiya, too..."

[Liene] "How could he...! Sigh."

She swallowed a scream, exhaling a long, ragged breath instead.

How deep did that man’s reach go?

Two Cardinals murdered. Who knew how many others had met a similar fate before them?

She finally understood why Kleinfelter had been so arrogant, so untouchable.

If he could dispose of a Cardinal at a whim, he feared nothing on this earth. To his eyes, her crown must have looked like nothing more than a jewel-encrusted trinket.

[Liene] "And who else? Did you kill others?"

[Klima] "...Yes."

[Liene] "How many?"

[Klima] "...Thirteen."

Klima choked back a sob but gave the exact number. It was clear he kept his sins etched into his very skin.

[Klima] "With the Princess, it makes fourteen."

[Liene] "...!"

The words sent a cold shiver racing down her spine.

[Liene] "Did he... did he tell you to kill me?"

[Klima] "No."

[Liene] "Kleinfelter... didn't order my death?"

[Klima] "No."

He wiped the tears from his cheeks, but it was a futile gesture. His eyes immediately welled up again.

[Klima] "He told me to take you and defile you. And then... to leave you where everyone could see. Before returning to you."

[Liene] "That madman..."

The horror was so absolute it made her stomach churn.

That he would dare order such a thing against a sovereign ruler was unbelievable, but the motive behind it was even more sinister.

He wasn't trying to kill me. He was trying to break me. To drive Black away.

It was low, poisonous, and utterly vile. She couldn't even fathom that a man like Kleinfelter shared the same humanity as her.

[Liene] "Brother Klima."

She clenched her bound hands into fists, trying to swallow her rage.

I can be angry later. After I get back safely.

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