A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 66

※Courtship (2)※

This was the first time Madam Flambard had ever been alone with him.

She had spent weeks imagining Tiwakan Commander as a savage, barbaric mercenary, but the man standing before her was… different.

His commands were precise, his bearing effortless. He wasn't exactly courtly, yet there was no roughness in him. Instead, he carried the heavy, suffocating aura of a man born to high status.

[Flambard] "It’s… It’s about the wedding coat, My Lord."

The Madam found herself shrinking under his gaze, her voice uncharacteristically timid.

[Black] "If they need to be remade, then remake them. If the cost is the issue, speak to Fermos. He’ll handle the coin."

[Flambard] "Oh, it isn't just the coin! Could you perhaps speak to the Princess yourself? She’s… she’s insisting on selling her jewelry to pay for it."

[Black] "Her jewelry?"

[Flambard] "Yes. And not just any piece. She’s determined to sell the late Queen’s sapphire necklace. My Lord, she would have sooner sold the marble bathtubs out of the floor than let go of that pendant. It’s all she has left of her mother. Everything else was sold off long ago."

His brow furrowed, a shadow crossing his face.

[Black] "She’s selling an heirloom? For a suit of clothes?"

[Flambard] "Yes, My Lord."

[Black] "Clothes are trivial. I could wear anything—"

Madam Flambard cut him off, her maternal instincts overriding her fear.

[Flambard] "They aren't just clothes to her! It’s her wedding gift to you—a replacement for the dowry she cannot provide. She was adamant that cost be no object, that it must be the finest work in the kingdom. But selling that necklace is a bridge too far. Once it’s gone, no amount of gold will ever bring it back."

She was practically pleading with him to intervene.

She had gambled on the fact that the Commander’s feelings for Liene were genuine—and that his pockets were deep enough to make such a sacrifice unnecessary.

[Black] "…This is a problem."

His response was a low, distracted murmur.

[Flambard] "Pardon?"

The Madam clutched her skirts, a sudden spike of anxiety hitting her.

Was he actually stingy?

Had she misjudged him?

Was he going to let the Princess sell her soul for a silk coat?

[Black] "I thought she didn't want to marry me anymore."

[Flambard] "Doesn't want to? Heavens, no! The Princess has been preparing herself to be your wife since the moment you arrived. When we were sewing that first coat, she did nearly all the fine needlework herself. She put her heart and soul into every stitch. And then, the moment I turned my back, that… that woman in the North Tower ruined it. Oh, I shouldn't have said that."

She claimed she shouldn't have said it, but the slip was entirely intentional. Madam Flambard harbored a deep sense of injustice. Liene hadn't been the one to ruin the coronation; she hadn't started this.

Whatever the history was between Lord Tiwakan and the woman in the tower, the Madam felt he needed to know that Liene was protecting her.

[Flambard] "The Princess forbade me from speaking of it. I suppose she felt that if the crime of destroying a wedding coat was great, the mercy of covering for it should be greater."

She was laying it on thick—painting Liene as an angel of mercy who was far too good for a common mercenary. It was a subtle "do better" aimed straight at his heart.

[Black] "If that’s the case…"

Black fell into a deep silence, the muscle in his jaw twitching as he processed the information.

[Black] "…I understand."

Madam Flambard beamed, sensing victory.

[Flambard] "So, what should I tell the jeweler? The Princess expects him this evening."

After a long pause, Black spoke.

[Black] "Let her do as she intends."

[Flambard] "What? But My Lord, the necklace—"

[Black] "It will not remain in a stranger’s hands for long."

[Flambard] "Oh! Oh, I see. Yes, of course!"

A spark of realization lit her eyes. The man had a plan.

[Flambard] "I’ll see to it then. I’ll bring the jeweler to her."

Black nodded curtly and vanished into the shadows of the hall.

[Flambard] "My… what a set of shoulders on that man."

She decided then and there that a man with such broad shoulders must surely have a broad heart and a generous purse to match.

[Flambard] "Who cares about his lineage? A man who takes care of his woman is worth more than a dozen kings. Precisely."

For the first time, Madam Flambard stopped feeling that the Princess was marrying someone beneath her. Her disappointment finally started to disappear.

That evening, unaware of the conversation that had transpired, Liene sold her mother's necklace.

The jeweler paid a handsome sum, and though the gold felt heavy in her palm, the hollow space in her chest felt even heavier.

---

As night fell, the castle grew still.

Splash. 

If she listened closely, she could hear the faint, rhythmic sound of water. It was the sound of Black bathing, marking the end of his day.

I don't think I can even lie down until I hear that sound. 

It had become her nightly ritual. The muffled echoes from the washroom were a comfort, a gentle assurance that they had both made it through the day and returned to their proper places.

Liene toyed with the pillow beside her.

She didn't know if he would come to her room tonight. She had laid out his linens, but they might go untouched.

Had said he needed to clear his head… but had he? He had looked so furious.

Or was it disappointment?

Did he think she was trying to escape him?

She needed to tell him he was wrong. She just didn't know how to start.

The water stopped. He would be stepping out of the bath any moment now.

[Liene] "…I can’t let this go on."

She scrambled out of bed and began rifling through her dresser until her fingers found what she was looking for.

An excuse.

Tap, tap. 

She knocked softly on the bathroom door.

[Liene] "May I… may I come in?"

There was no answer.

Had he already left through the other door?

She knocked again, harder this time.

[Liene] "Are you finished?"

The silence felt like a physical rejection.

Liene bit her lip, her mind racing.

What do I do? Should I wait until tomorrow?

Maybe he just wants to be left alone. 

But Black wasn't the type of man to ignore someone out of spite. If he heard her, he would answer—even if it was to tell her to go away.

Wait… did he collapse? 

He had been injured before. The memory of his blood on her floor flashed through her mind, and panic seized her.

[Liene] "Lord Tiwakan!"

Bang, bang. 

Her knocking turned into a frantic pounding.

[Liene] "Your silence is worrying me! I’m coming in!"

She threw the door open.

There was no emergency. Black was standing there, perfectly fine, towel-drying his hair. The only thing out of the ordinary was the fact that he was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

[Liene] "Are you… Are you alright?"

[Black] "Yes."

The reply was clipped. It felt cold—a wall of ice designed to keep her at arm's length.

[Liene] "I called for you, but you didn't answer."

[Black] "I didn't have anything to say."

Oh. 

Liene felt a pang of hurt. She hadn't expected this. She had known him to be intense, but never this distant.

[Liene] "I wanted to ask if you needed more ointment. For your wounds. I wasn't sure if they were fully healed."

Her shoulders slumped, her voice growing smaller with every word.

[Black] "I don't."

[Liene] "I see… that’s good, then."

The words were a lie. She didn't feel good at all.

Her excuse was gone. She hid the small jar of medicine behind her back.

She had been hoping he would want her help. He always seemed to crave her touch, claiming it was the only thing that brought him peace.

She had thought applying the medicine would be the bridge to a reconciliation—a way to show him that she didn't ruin the coat to avoid him. That she wanted him more than she feared the past.

[Liene] "Which room will you be staying in tonight?"

She hesitated, her heart thumping against her ribs.

[Liene] "Do you need me to bring your blankets?"

She had already moved them, but she needed to hear him ask.

[Black] "…No."

His response was slower this time. He pushed his damp hair back from his forehead.

Watching the play of muscles in his bare chest was a special kind of torture. He had to know the effect he had on her.

[Liene] "So you don't need them. May I ask why?"

The question tumbled out before she could stop it. Her heart was aching.

The man who had gone out to "cool his head" seemed to have cooled his heart as well.

[Liene] "Is it just for tonight, or… are you saying you won't need them at all from now on?"

[Black] "My sleeping in your bed was something I forced upon you from the start. I’ve realized it was a pathetic thing—to impose myself on someone who clearly didn't want me there just for my own satisfaction. It won't happen again."

[Liene] "I never said I didn't want you there."

[Black] "I bargained for it. I did things for you and took that as my payment. Looking back, I can't even remember the specific terms, because it was always a transaction."

[Liene] "It might have started as a bargain, but—"

He turned his gaze away, his expression unreadable.

[Black] "I’m tired of taking what isn't freely given. Go to sleep. I won't disturb your rest anymore."

[Liene] "You weren't disturbing me."

[Black] "And you weren't enjoying it, either."

He opened the door to his own chambers.

[Black] "From now on, Princess, do only what makes you happy."

Click. 

He vanished into his room, his words as indifferent as his face.

Thud. 

The wooden medicine jar slipped from her fingers, rolling across the tiles. She didn't even try to pick it up.

She hadn't expected this kind of rejection. To be shut out so completely hurt more than any argument.

She winced, a sharp pain blooming in her chest as if she had been physically struck.

She had been exhausted before her bath, but now, sleep was an impossibility.

---

The hours bled into the early morning.

Creeeeeak. 

Liene, clutching her own blanket to her chest, eased her bedroom door open.

The anxiety had gnawed at her all night. She felt as though, if she hadn't done anything, she might never sleep again.

When had this happened?

When had his presence become the only thing that could quiet her mind?

She stood before his door, biting her lip. The heavy oak looked more imposing than ever tonight. She lacked the courage to turn the handle.

Should I just go back? He’s probably sleeping.

He’s a soldier; his senses are sharp. I’ll wake him, and he’ll be even angrier with me.

She turned to leave, but her feet refused to move.

She swallowed hard, her hand trembling as she reached for the knob.

Creek…

The door wasn't latched. It swung open as if it had been waiting for her. Liene’s heart leaped into her throat, but the open path emboldened her.

It opened on its own… I didn't force it.

The room was silent. Black’s breathing was so shallow it was almost non-existent. He appeared to be dead to the world.

Seeing him like this, his eyelids heavy and still, stirred a complex knot of emotions in her. She felt a surge of tenderness, but also a flicker of resentment.

How can you sleep so soundly?

I’ve forgotten how to sleep alone, and you’re just… resting.

Still, she was grateful he hadn't woken.

She let her eyes adjust to the darkness, tracing the familiar silhouette of his body.

She had only been away from him for a day, yet the longing was a physical weight.

[Liene] "…Sleep well."

She whispered the words, hoping that by tomorrow, the man she loved would return.

She knew if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't be able to resist touching him.

She turned to steal away.

[Black] "Are you really just going to leave?"

Prev

Chapters

Next