A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 60

※Those Who Are Alike※

[Liene] "What is the problem?"

[Fermos] "As you know, the Treaty of Risebury is the primary obstacle to your marriage. You mentioned the Temple was the only power capable of overturning it. However, the position of Cardinal is currently vacant, and the only people authorized to appoint a successor are the very wretches who signed the Treaty in the first place. That is why the young brother, Klima, was our solution."

The strategy was clear. By exposing the fact that the Kleinfelters had coerced Klima into murdering the Cardinal, they could sever the unholy alliance between the Temple and the Grand Council. If Klima disappeared or was pardoned without a confession, that plan would crumble.

[Fermos] "I implore you to reconsider, Your Highness. If we erase that boy’s crimes, there’s no telling how long your wedding might be delayed."

[Liene] "...Even so, we cannot kill him."

[Fermos] "Then give me a reason. Tell me why he must live."

Liene took a sharp breath.

Klima’s life was a point she could not concede, but she knew Fermos was loyal to Black above all else. If she framed her reasoning as being for Black’s sake, he would follow her lead.

She let out a long, slow exhale before beginning.

[Liene] "I was never pregnant."

[Fermos] "Ah, yes, I heard. Though it wasn't my Lord’s child, I am deeply sor—wait. What? You were never pregnant?"

Fermos, who had been mid-sentence offering a half-hearted consolation, nearly choked on his words as the realization hit him. His eyes widened behind his monocle.

[Fermos] "From the very beginning? For real?"

[Liene] "Yes."

[Fermos] "And does my Lord know? Ah, of course he does. That explains why he looked so... so utterly besotted; he seemed to have lost his wits. No, please—forget I said that. My Lord usually keeps his emotions under lock and key, you see. The fact that he looked dazed was a shock to us, but a stranger wouldn't have noticed a thing."

That didn't matter to Liene. She couldn't quite imagine Black looking "dazed," but she was certain the expression would have been beautiful on him. He would have looked soft, tender—perhaps even happy.

Now I want to see him, too. I miss him already.

[Liene] "I intended to maintain the lie until the very end. I had calculated that it was the only way to protect the Arsak line’s right to rule. But..."

[Fermos] "You’ve had a change of heart?"

[Liene] "Yes."

[Fermos] "And why is that?"

[Liene] "Because I’ve fallen for your commander. I mean it with all my heart."

[Fermos] "Oh."

He blinked rapidly, looking stunned. Every time his eyelids fluttered, his monocle emitted a tiny, rhythmic click.

[Liene] "It means I no longer feel the need to calculate my moves in front of him, nor do I fear what I might lose. I believe, with all my heart, that Lord Tiwakan is the only man fit to rule Nauk."

[Fermos] "Well, that goes without saying, but... I’m a bit floored. Your Highness’ affection is a welcome development, certainly, but isn't it perhaps a bit... sudden?"

[Liene] "Do you think I’m lying?"

She met his gaze with perfect composure.

There was no deception in her words. While she still held secrets, what she had just confessed was the absolute truth.

Fermos had told her only moments ago that she was a terrible liar; he couldn't possibly miss the sincerity in her eyes now.

[Fermos] "No. Forget I said anything. It isn't my place to question it. As a man sworn to his service, I can only offer my gratitude."

[Liene] "That is why I want to give him everything I have to offer. I want Lord Tiwakan—and the bloodline that follows him—to be the rightful rulers of this land."

[Fermos] "I see. You’ve thought quite far ahead. But what does that have to do with burying Klima’s crimes?"

[Liene] "It is connected. I believe it is."

[Fermos] "Hmm. I take it you aren't going to elaborate on that point."

[Liene] "Understand that there are different ways to protect a person depending on the circumstances. My silence now—and my protection of that boy—is for Lord Tiwakan’s benefit. Right now, he is the only thing on my mind."

[Fermos] "Wh—when you put it like that... how can I possibly refuse?"

Total honesty could be a sharper weapon than any blade. Fermos felt as though he had been struck, stammering as he tried to find his footing.

Though their methods were slightly misaligned, the two of them were doing the same thing. They had both fallen, and now they were both moving heaven and earth for the other’s sake. Saving Klima was just one piece of that puzzle.

I have the distinct feeling these two are working toward the same goal from opposite directions.

Fermos thought, scratching his head in frustration.

But since neither of them will talk, how am I supposed to know for sure?

They say people are drawn to those who resemble them, and looking at the two of them, Fermos decided the adage was true. Two people who appeared to be opposites were, at their core, remarkably alike.

[Fermos] "In that case, I will find another way."

She beamed at him, her relief visible in the brightness of her smile.

[Liene] "Thank you."

[Fermos] "Ah... yes. Thank you."

For a moment, Fermos was so caught off guard by her radiance that he blurted out the wrong response entirely.

[Liene] "What are you thanking me for, Sir?"

[Fermos] "Oh, nothing. It’s just... that smile is quite a lot to take in. It’s a gift, really... No, forget I spoke. I’m overstepping. I—I must be going. My apologies."

Fermos scrambled to his feet and beat a hasty retreat, neglecting even the most basic of formalities.

It was so unlike him that Liene watched him go with an arched brow. She didn't demand constant etiquette, but his behavior was certainly strange.

[Liene] "As for Klima... no, I still need to find him a safe house. If he stays at the Temple, the Kleinfelters will eventually get to him."

There was so much to do. She also had to rescue Madam Henton, who was reportedly being held hostage and forced into labor by the Kleinfelters.

[Liene] "How am I going to manage that...?"

It was a worry she needn't have bothered with. Madam Henton was already elsewhere. She was close and safe.

---

The news that the Kleinfelter estate had been utterly ransacked sent the remaining five families into a fit of rage—or perhaps it was their bodies trembling with fear.

No matter that Lyndon Kleinfelter was away, the gates of that mansion should not have been so easily shattered.

It was a clear message: Tiwakan’s might was greater than all of theirs combined, and no force on earth could stop them.

[Elaroyden] "Damn it all."

Elaroyden spat the curse, his dignity abandoned.

Despite having announced his arrival, the gates of the Rosadel estate had remained barred for over ten minutes. He wondered what kind of sluggish servants were manning the doors; even his foulest language felt too polite for this insult.

[Elaroyden] "Open up! What are you waiting for? Do you want those savages to see me standing out here?"

This was a crisis for the Six Families. It wasn't some vague political shift; it was a visceral, bloody threat. If they remained idle, these barbarians named Tiwakan would strip them of everything they owned.

The families had to unite. Whether through war or treason, they had to drive Tiwakan out.

Normally, Kleinfelter would have led this charge, but with him in a dungeon, Elaroyden had been forced to take the risk himself. These days, one never knew when a Tiwakan might leap out from a shadow within Nauk Castle, making even a trip across the street feel like a death sentence.

Furthermore, he had unwittingly committed a crime. He had delivered a message to a messenger, just as Lyndon had instructed. There was no word yet on whether the messenger had been caught, but Tiwakan had already trampled the Chairman's home. There was no reason to believe he would be spared.

The remaining five houses were safe for now—whether Princess Liene had returned or not—but there was no telling how long that would last.

Bang! Bang!

Growing desperate, Elaroyden hammered on the Rosadel gates.

He had left his guards behind and dressed in a laborer’s tunic to avoid Tiwakan’s notice, which meant he had to do the dirty work himself.

[Elaroyden] "Open the door! I said open it!"

Thud! Creeeeeak. 

Finally, the heavy wood groaned open.

[Butler] "Shh! Keep your voice down, if you please."

It was the Rosadel butler.

Elaroyden’s temper flared.

[Elaroyden] "If you wanted me quiet, you should have opened the door sooner! Why have you left me standing in the street like a commoner?"

[Butler] "My master does not wish to see you, Sir. It would be best if you left at once..."

[Elaroyden] "What?"

His face twisted in fury.

[Elaroyden] "How dare he... move aside!"

He shoved his way past the butler.

[Butler] "No, you mustn't! Please, Sir! Stop!"

[Elaroyden] "Shut your mouth and fetch Lord Rosadel. Who do you think you’re speaking to?"

[Butler] "My master said he would not come out! I only opened the door to tell you to go away!"

[Elaroyden] "Quiet! Rosadel! Is this how you treat a peer? Come out at once!"

He marched forward, deaf to the butler’s pleas. The servant tried to block his path but didn't dare lay a hand on a nobleman, leaving him to hop frantically from foot to foot in distress.

[Elaroyden] "Lord Rosadel! Show yourself! Do you honestly think hiding like a coward will save you? Do you think those barbarians will leave you alone just because you’ve locked your doors?"

[Butler] "Oh, Sir! Please, lower your voice. It isn't that my master is hiding, it’s..."

[Elaroyden] "If he isn't hiding, then what is it?"

The butler went silent, looking pained, just as Rosadel appeared.

[Rosadel] "Be quiet, Elaroyden."

[Elaroyden] "...Rosadel?"

Elaroyden’s jaw dropped. The man’s gait was sluggish, his spirit clearly broken, and his face had withered to half its former size.

After losing sixteen of his private guards in a single skirmish, Rosadel had collapsed and had been bedridden ever since the news reached him. Only one man had returned alive, and he had lost an arm; he could hardly be called a knight anymore.

One might argue that losing sixteen men out of a private army of two hundred was next to nothing, but not for Rosadel.

Those sixteen men had been slaughtered in less than an hour, cut down like rotten stalks of wheat. And they hadn't been overwhelmed by a crowd—a single man had done it.

To Rosadel, Tiwakan was not an army; it was a catastrophe. It was a force beyond human reckoning. He had already lost the will to fight.

[Rosadel] "I know why you're here, but don't bother. I’m out. Go home, Elaroyden."

[Elaroyden] "What in the devil are you talking about?"

Rosadel didn't even invite him into the parlor. He intended to send him away right there in the courtyard.

[Elaroyden] "You’re 'out'?"

[Rosadel] "I will not fight Tiwakan. It’s suicide..."

[Elaroyden] "Get a hold of yourself! Do you think Tiwakan will leave us alone just because you surrender? We already delivered Kleinfelter’s message to the messenger—"

[Rosadel] "Elaroyden!"

Rosadel shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at him.

[Rosadel] "Wh—what...! That was your doing! I had nothing to do with it! You were the one who spoke with the Chairman!"

[Elaroyden] "Do you think those savages care about such nuances? There were two of us facing Kleinfelter that day. As far as they're concerned, we're both complicit!"

[Rosadel] "No... no, no."

Rosadel collapsed, sinking onto the dirt of the courtyard.

[Butler] "Oh, master! You mustn't sit on the cold ground!"

The loyal butler tried to hoist him up, but Rosadel simply shook his head, staring at nothing.

[Rosadel] "No... I did nothing. It was the Kleinfelters. It was the Elaroydens. I’m innocent..."

Elaroyden watched him with a mixture of disgust and disbelief, clicking his tongue.

[Elaroyden] "Lord Rosadel, look at you. Have you no shame? Have you no respect for your family name?"

[Rosadel] "I did nothing... I did nothing..."

[Elaroyden] "Ha! This is..."

He let out a long, weary sigh. He couldn't begin to fathom why Rosadel was this paralyzed by fear, but it was clear the man was useless to him now.

[Elaroyden] "Fine. I’ll leave you to your misery for today. But find your spine, Rosadel. You won't protect your legacy looking like a beaten dog. The Six Families must stand together, or we fall alone."

Rosadel said nothing, his lips pressed into a thin line.

[Elaroyden] "I’ll send word again. Whatever has rattled you, get over it."

He turned on his heel, his mind racing. He had to decide whether to approach the other families or lie low and wait for the dust to settle.

[Elaroyden] "Since there’s still no word on what happened to Princess Liene... perhaps I should find a pretext to sneak someone into the castle..."

He was muttering to himself as he reached for the gate he had entered only minutes before.

But as the heavy doors swung open, the view was not of the street, but of a wall of black armor.

[Elaroyden] "Ti—Tiwakan!"

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