A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 7

※If You Can Endure It (2)※

[Liene] "That is...."

It was extremely strange.

Taken? By whom, from whom?

You are the one who took me from him.

He spoke as if Liene already belonged to him.

[Liene] "Why do you use a word like 'taken'?"

[Black] "And now I think, it’s good that you weren't taken."

[Liene] "Lord Tiwakan—"

[Black] "If you had married another man, it would have become messier. ...And it would have been harder for me to restrain myself."

His murmur sounded hazy, as if he were having a dream.

[Black] "May I kiss you?"

His languid eyes stared at her lips. She saw him stick out his tongue, licking his dry lips as if he were thirsty.

[Liene] "Yes, I—"

[Black] "Do you mean no?"

...No. I must not be deceived.

Seeing the man's lips so dry that the skin was peeling, she felt her own lips burning.

She decided not to be fooled by this sudden thirst.

It's because of the fever.

This was happening because the man was mistaking his fever for desire. As soon as the fever subsided, his desire would also cool down.

Your request isn't genuine, any more than my consent was.

[Black] "You won't be able to refuse me for your entire life. I am now not a suitor, but your fiancé."

Black still seemed intoxicated by the fever. She gently bit her lip, looking at the cloudy eyes, so different from usual.

[Black] "What must I do for you to allow me?"

...Perhaps.

If he was so feverishly intoxicated that he was mistaken, could she perhaps exploit this situation?

[Liene] "In that case, promise me one thing."

[Black] "What is that?"

The man had already promised many things.

He promised the survival of Nauk, promised the life and safety of her illegitimate child, and promised the right to rule in the future.

Judging by the outcome, she was actually the one who benefited most from this marriage.

With this, she gained an unparalleled military force that would not allow any invaders, and the price of that force would be paid by him.

Perhaps Nauk truly needed a king like Black—a husband who could instantly fill the void that she had been forced to leave.

She wanted all those promises to become a solid truth, not just a scrap of a signed agreement that could be torn up at any time.

She wanted their marriage to be real.

[Liene] "If you decide to possess Nauk because you want it, then possess it only. Nothing more."

[Black] "What do you mean?"

[Liene] "You will not destroy or eliminate Nauk."

He let out a short breath. He also didn't know the reason why.

[Liene] "You will only desire Nauk."

[Black] "...In exchange for this promise, what will the Princess give?"

This time, it was she who sighed.

[Liene] "If you promise that, I will also promise... to dedicate my entire heart to striving to desire you."

His answer was immediate.

[Black] "Very well."

[Liene] "Lord Tiwakan..."

[Black] "If I wanted to destroy Nauk, I would have done it from the start. Not propose to you."

Having said that, he wrapped his arm around his waist. His movement was not like a patient whose shoulder had just been pierced by an arrow.

Liene, pulled into his embrace, had her neck bent backward.

He kissed her as if he were about to lay her down.

The moment she heard the sound of skin rubbing and sucking near her ear, her mind went blank.

His hot breath transferred entirely through the gap between their lips.

Unconsciously, her two arms wrapped around his neck. She felt as if she would sink far away if she didn't cling to him.

The sensation generated by the man's lips was completely unfamiliar.

Her lover's kiss was absolutely not like this. The kiss she knew was incredibly gentle.

Passion like this, which made her feel like she might be crushed, was not a kiss.

[Black] "...We should stop here."

The storm, which felt like it would never end, suddenly came to a halt.

Black mumbled, burying his lips in the soft skin between her chin and neck.

[Black] "I myself don't know how far I'll use the fever as an excuse."

Despite that, his lips were still touching her bare skin.

The ridiculous feeling of surprise came belatedly.

Liene, having regained her composure, pushed him away. She deliberately tried to hide her trembling fingertips.

[Liene] "I forgot that Lord Tiwakan is a patient."

[Black] "...."

Black obediently withdrew his body.

Liene, quickly getting out of bed, feigned composure and bade him farewell.

[Liene] "Then, I will leave so you can rest. May you recover quickly."

[Black] "I will recover quickly. Because I know I won't need to use the fever as an excuse anymore."

Black returned her greeting slowly, like someone still caught in a dream. Even his voice was husky, submerged in sleep.

[Black] "Sleep well."

The dreamlike voice tickled her ear.

Liene hastily left his room, afraid that she might also be swept away by his dream.

As she left, she prayed silently.

Please, don't let you forget your promise.

And later, even if you find out I lied, please let us still only desire each other as we promised.

However, keeping a promise was by no means easy.

---

[Weroz] "Your Highness."

When she returned to her room, someone was waiting for her.

Liene, who expected the room to be empty, was startled and almost screamed.

[Liene] "Sir Weroz—"

[Weroz] "Shh."

He placed a finger on his lips. He looked around once more, even though the room was empty. That meant there was a secret no one else should know.

[Weroz] "I just managed to shake them off. Though they aren't suspicious yet, someone might have followed."

She also lowered her voice and whispered.

[Liene] "What is the matter?"

[Weroz] "There is something the Your Highness must know."

He was on the search team with Fermos and the Tiwakan mercenaries, pursuing the archer. In the process, he found something. Something the barbarians wouldn't recognize.

[Weroz] "This..."

He reached into his sleeve and pulled something out.

[Weroz] "Do you recognize it?"

[Liene] "...."

What he handed over was a thick, long leaf ornament, about the length of two fingers.

To others, it would just be an ornament. But at the tip of the leaf, a small trace where a thread had been tied.

It was her lover's arrow decoration.

[Weroz] "It must have fallen recently."

[Liene] "...."

[Weroz] "I found it while tracing the route of the person who shot the arrow this afternoon."

An unbearable dizziness set in. The meaning was obvious.

Her lover might not be dead. He might still be alive, deceiving the enemy, and had entered Nauk Castle.

...And he might have fired that arrow.

Towards him.

[Weroz] "Your Highness! Are you alright?"

She realized she was swaying because Weroz was trying to support her.

[Liene] "I'm fine... No, I'm not fine. He... is he alive?"

[Weroz] "It's not certain yet. Someone might have used Sir Kleinfelter's arrow."

It couldn't be confirmed yet. Proof was needed.

[Liene] "The coffins... haven't been opened, have they?"

The six coffins brought by Black were waiting for the funeral ceremony in the royal chapel. She had naturally assumed one of them contained her lover's body.

[Weroz] "That's right. Should we check?"

[Liene] "...Yes, we must."

[Weroz] "I agree too. But Your Highness, you should prepare yourself first."

His honest voice sounded heavy today. As if telling her to gauge the weight of the words he was about to utter.

[Weroz] "If Sir Kleinfelter is alive, what will you do about this marriage?"

[Liene] "...."

Liene couldn't answer hastily.

She had accepted another man's proposal without officially ending her relationship with her lover.

She had just promised the man who took an arrow while shielding her that she would make this marriage real.

But that arrow might have been fired by her lover.

[Liene] "...I have to see it. With my own eyes."

She forced herself to stand tall, fighting the pitch-black dizziness that felt like it would swallow her whole.

[Liene] "After that, I will think about it."

If her lover is alive.

And if he risked his life to nullify this marriage.

Then what should I do?

[Liene] "...."

Liene dismissed her thoughts and turned. And she rushed towards the chapel.

---

...Thump!

The coffin lid was closed, creating a heavy noise.

[Weroz] "Your Highness! Are you hurt?"

He quickly restrained her, who was nearly struck by the coffin lid.

[Liene] "It's... not him, is it?"

The coffin they had just opened was the last one.

Her lover's body was not among the six coffins brought by Black today.

There was only a body pretending to be her lover, wearing his helmet and a cloak embroidered with the Kleinfelter family crest.

Someone must have replaced his death to save her lover.

[Weroz] "That's right."

[Liene] "He's alive."

Sweat beaded on her pale forehead.

[Weroz] "It seems so. And the arrow this afternoon, too..."

[Liene] "He must be planning to fight, right?"

[Weroz] "It seems so. I would do the same if I were him."

Drip, drip.

The collected sweat trickled down.

She also had to make a choice.

To fight, or to submit to military power.

To trust her lover's sacrifice, or to trust the passion driven by fever.

[Weroz] "Sir Kleinfelter is probably seeking protection with the Chairman of the Grand Council."

He continued. That was why their search had yielded no results.

[Weroz] "There, his safety would be fully guaranteed. You should secretly send a letter first—"

His sentence was cut short.

Screeeeech!

The sound of the chapel door opening grated harshly against their ears.

Liene turned in surprise and saw the Tiwakan mercenaries, including Fermos, entering.

[Fermos] "Oh dear... It's Your Highness. What are you doing here?"

Did they... hear us?

Thankfully, the chapel was dark. She was grateful that her shattered expression upon seeing Fermos's face remained hidden in the darkness.

[Fermos] "What are you doing here?"

His voice was heavily laced with suspicion.

There must be a reason why she was in the chapel, far from the main chamber, accompanied only by the head of the guard, so late at night.

[Fermos] "Did you check the bodies? That is strange."

His monocle reflected the moonlight that struggled to penetrate the small window. The cold moonlight felt like a knife blade.

[Fermos] "Isn't it customary in Nauk that the living should not face the corpse before the funeral ceremony?"

[Liene] "...."

It was true. Liene and Weroz fell silent.

[Fermos] "Is there something My Lord should know?"

[Liene] "That is..."

Liene forced her tightly sealed lips to open.

She had to come up with an excuse now. If they were to realize her lover was still alive, uncontrollable events would occur.

[Liene] "...I was saying goodbye."

Tiwakan must assume the Arsak Knights Commander was dead. Therefore, she had to fit the situation into that assumption.

[Liene] "If not now, I won't have the time."

[Fermos] "...Hmm."

He displayed his dissatisfaction without vocalizing it.

[Liene] "Lord Tiwakan and I promised each other to make this marriage as sincere as possible. So..."

[Fermos] "Yes, so this man was your lover, and you needed time to say goodbye to him?"

[Liene] "...Yes."

Did she manage to deceive him?

With this, her lover was officially a dead man. That brought an unfamiliar chill. Liene felt as if she were standing alone in the middle of a snowstorm naked.

His monocle flashed again like a knife blade.

[Fermos] "Hmm, that is what you say. Very well, then. I will convey the same to My Lord."

[Liene] "I trust he will understand."

She nodded lightly, maintaining a calm demeanor on the outside, despite her inner turmoil.

[Liene] "I must leave now. I pray that your search yields results this late at night."

[Fermos] "We would be truly grateful if that is your sincerity, Your Highness."

Fermos stepped back at the chapel entrance, showing his courtesy.

[Fermos] "Please go. Until next time."

[Liene] "I take my leave."

Liene turned first. Weroz followed her.

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