A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 75

※The Eve (2)※

Click.

The door swung open to reveal Black, his expression a mask of stony displeasure.

[Black] "What in the—"

[Liene] "Lord Tiwakan!"

Before he could finish, Liene threw herself at him.

Caught off guard by the sudden collision, Black instinctively reached out, his large hands locking around her waist to steady her against his chest.

[Liene] "Why are you so late? I was terrified!"

[Black] "I ran into a bit of a nuisance. But more importantly... why are you in here?"

He leaned down, his voice a low rumble against her ear as a faint, amused huff escaped him.

It was always the same with her. Usually, she was the picture of royal composure, but when her emotions boiled over, she became recklessly, endearingly honest.

[Liene] "I was worried. I was just about to go out and find you."

[Black] "From Fermos’ bedroom?"

[Liene] "No, it’s not like that—"

Fermos, standing behind her, practically levitated in panic.

[Fermos] "It’s a misunderstanding! A horrible, terrible, potentially life-ending misunderstanding!"

Black’s gaze shifted from Liene to his subordinate, his eyes narrowing into a dangerous glower.

[Black] "And why, exactly, are you half-naked?"

[Fermos] "I—well—My Lord, it’s midnight! I was going to bed!"

[Black] "You should have been dressed in the presence of the Princess. What were you doing?"

[Fermos] "I tried! I swear on my life I tried to put a shirt on, but Her Highness told me not to bother!"

[Black] "..."

His gaze snapped back to Liene, his eyebrows arching in silent demand.

[Black] "Princess?"

[Liene] "Oh. I thought he was using it as an excuse to get rid of me. He kept trying to stop me from going to meet you."

[Black] "And so... you just let him stand there like that?"

[Liene] "I didn't really notice, to be honest. I had other things on my mind."

[Black] "..."

Black looked like he wanted to say a thousand things, but he swallowed them all with a sharp exhale.

[Black] "I assume there’s no further reason for you to be here?"

[Liene] "Of course not. You’re back safe and sound."

[Black] "Then let’s get you out of here."

Without a word of warning, he hoisted Liene up into his arms and turned toward the door.

Before he left, however, he shot one final, murderous look over his shoulder at Fermos. He didn't speak, but his lips clearly formed the words:

We’ll talk in the morning.

Fermos froze as if turned to stone.

Liene, startled by the sudden lift, patted Black’s shoulder.

[Liene] "Wait, put me down! I can walk."

[Black] "I saw your feet. You’re barefoot."

[Liene] "I... well, I forgot my slippers in the rush."

His grip tightened slightly. To him, it sounded like she had been so consumed by worry for him that she’d forgotten basic comforts.

Liene, realizing how frantic she must have looked, felt a flush of heat creep up her neck.

[Liene] "I don't know what came over me. I’m acting strange today."

[Black] "I understand the feeling."

[Liene] "You do?"

[Black] "I tend to act rather strangely whenever you’re involved."

Logically, he knew Fermos and Liene were an impossible pair. But finding her in another man's room at midnight, barefoot, while that man stood there shirtless—it sent a primal, possessive heat through his veins.

If she hadn't jumped into his arms the second she saw him, Fermos might not have lived to see the sunrise in that tower.

[Liene] "Still, I shouldn't make a habit of this."

By now, she had grown accustomed to the sensation of being carried by him.

She looped an arm around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder, feeling perfectly secure despite the height.

[Liene] "If Madam Flambard saw this, I’d never hear the end of it."

[Black] "I also—"

[Liene] "Yes?"

His jaw tightened, his cheek muscles twitching. He shook his head.

[Black] "I was going to say... don't walk around barefoot."

[Liene] "I know, I know. I usually don't."

[Black] "And don't wander around in just your nightgown."

[Liene] "I’m wearing a cloak. You can't even see what’s underneath."

[Black] "The fact that you're wearing a cloak is exactly how people know you’re in your nightgown."

She gave him a sheepish look.

[Liene] "You sound exactly like Sir Fermos."

[Black] "He said that to you?"

His expression darkened instantly. Liene couldn't see his face, but she felt the shift in his tone—it was sharp, like a whetted blade.

Why is he so grumpy? He’s the one who stayed out late and scared me half to death.

[Liene] "You were gone for so long."

She reached up and tugged playfully on his collar.

[Liene] "I was deeply worried. I thought there had been an accident."

He stopped dead in his tracks halfway down the stairs.

[Black] "If you’re going to grab something, there are better options."

[Liene] "What? Like what?"

[Black] "Not my clothes."

She let go immediately, worried she had pulled too hard and hurt his neck.

[Liene] "I’m sorry. I won't do it again."

[Black] "I didn't say stop."

[Liene] "...?"

[Black] "Just... pick somewhere else."

She blinked. Where was she supposed to grab?

[Liene] "Where?"

[Black] "Wherever the Princess desires."

She looked at him, realizing he was being deliberately difficult. Since he didn't want her pulling his clothes, and grabbing his skin felt too intimate for a public staircase, she decided to be mischievous. She reached up and pinched the tip of his nose.

[Black] "I... didn't see that coming."

His voice sounded muffled and strange with his nose pinched, which Liene found unexpectedly charming.

[Liene] "I couldn't reach anything else without falling."

[Black] "Are my ears out of reach?"

[Liene] "Wouldn't that hurt?"

[Black] "I’d prefer it over the nose."

[Liene] "If you say so."

She let go of his nose and gingerly took hold of his earlobe. She was so worried about pulling too hard that it became more of a caress than a grip—her fingers tracing the shell of his ear.

[Liene] "Even your ears are handsome..."

The thought slipped out before she could catch it.

[Black] "What was that?"

[Liene] "Nothing! I didn't say anything."

[Black] "I’m fairly certain you did."

[Liene] "I really didn't—"

He suddenly pivoted, pressing her back against the cold stone wall of the stairwell.

[Black] "The wall is cold. Brace yourself."

Despite his warning, he slipped his large hand between her back and the stone, shielding her from the chill.

[Black] "Do I look that good to you right now, Princess?"

He leaned down until their lips were a hair’s breadth apart, his voice a velvet shadow.

[Liene] "You... you know you do."

[Black] "I find that hard to believe."

[Liene] "You have a mirror, don't you? Use it sometimes... Ah!"

His lips brushed against her earlobe, sending a jolt of electricity through her. Her eyes fluttered shut instinctively.

[Black] "The feeling is mutual. I had no idea your ears were so... captivating."

[Liene] "Just..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, her voice dropping to a whisper.

[Black] "Yes?"

[Liene] "You don't need to keep talking. Just... kiss me. Please."

I can't believe I just said that out loud.

Her heart was hammering against her ribs.

Black pulled back just enough to let out a ragged sigh.

[Black] "You have no idea why I’m talking so much, do you?"

[Liene] "I don't think you need to anymore..."

[Black] "If I stop talking, Princess... do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you?"

[Liene] "I assume... you’ll kiss me."

[Black] "That's a start."

He whispered, his lips finally meeting hers.

[Black] "But you should know—I have much more than a kiss in mind."

Whatever protest she might have had vanished into the sweetness of the kiss.

---

The rest of the trip back to her chambers was a blur of heat and shared breath.

After a long, lingering kiss at the door, Black finally tore himself away, promising to return after a quick wash.

Five minutes later, he was back, his hair still dripping and his skin damp. He hadn't even bothered to dry himself properly.

Liene, sighing at his lack of self-care, dragged him back toward the washroom.

[Liene] "So, what was this 'nuisance' that kept you?"

Drying his hair with a thick towel was surprisingly satisfying—intimate in a way she hadn't expected.

As she worked, she ran her fingers through his dark locks, checking for any hidden injuries he might have neglected to mention.

[Black] "A Kleinfelter knight intercepted us on the road."

[Liene] "What? Was there a fight?"

Her hands stopped moving immediately.

Black tilted his head back, his eyes dark and burning as they met hers. He reached back, took her hand, and pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles.

[Black] "Nothing so dramatic."

There had only been one knight. He had demanded to accompany the exiles, claiming he would remain loyal to Lyndon until his dying breath.

A standard knightly order might have allowed it; after all, loyalty was a virtue. But the Tiwakan were not a standard order. They had seen too many "loyalties" turn into bitter betrayals on the battlefield.

[Liene] "So you refused him?"

She resumed drying his hair, her movements careful and deliberate.

Black closed his eyes, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

[Black] "Not exactly. I told him that if he wanted to follow an exile, he had to become one himself. I made him put on the penitential robes."

[Liene] "Oh. For a knight, that’s... quite a blow."

[Black] "I stripped his armor, but I let him keep his sword. Because he was a knight."

[Liene] "I see."

She tilted her head and laughed softly.

[Liene] "You’re callous, yet... oddly chivalrous."

[Black] "That’s a new one. I’ve never been called chivalrous before. What would you have done, Princess?"

[Liene] "Me? I... I think I would have let him keep the armor. But I would have insisted on a thorough search first. Knowing the Kleinfelters, he could have been smuggling something."

Black sat up in his chair and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her chin.

[Black] "That’s exactly why I stripped him."

[Liene] "Oh. I see."

Fermos was right—in many ways, they were cut from the same cloth. Liene was softer, perhaps, but she had a spine of steel forged by years of political survival. She knew where to draw her lines and how to hold them.

[Liene] "Did he have anything on him?"

[Black] "Several things. Promissory notes valid in Sharka, and enough jewels to buy a small estate."

[Liene] "I knew it."

[Black] "It got me thinking."

[Liene] "About what?"

[Black] "That someone is still pulling the strings for House Kleinfelter. A knight doesn't think to pack promissory notes on his own. Someone gave him those assets."

[Liene] "A butler, perhaps?"

[Black] "Would a butler have the authority to raid the family vaults? That’s a job for a family member."

[Liene] "You’re right..."

Her expression turned grim as she ran her fingers through his now-dry hair.

[Liene] "You think someone powerful is still hiding in the shadows?"

[Black] "It’s a safe bet. They haven't shown their face yet, but they will soon. Perhaps as early as tomorrow."

[Liene] "Why tomorrow?"

[Black] "The Council needs to choose a new Chairman. The Kleinfelters won't let that seat go without a fight."

[Liene] "I agree."

She paced in a small circle, her anxiety returning.

[Liene] "It’s frustrating. I couldn't attend the Council, and Sir Arland couldn't go either. The selection of a Cardinal is a Council matter, not a Royal mandate."

[Black] "Do you want to be there?"

Black stood up and turned toward her. Without a word, he pulled her onto his lap as he sat on the edge of the bed. Liene leaned into him naturally, her head finding its place against his chest.

[Liene] "More than anything."

[Black] "Then you will be. Eventually."

[Liene] "Pardon?"

[Black] "Not tomorrow. But soon."

She gave a small laugh and reached out to toy with his earlobe again.

[Liene] "And how do you plan to manage that?"

[Black] "I think it’s about time we rewrote the Treaty of Risebury. I’ll bring you the results tomorrow."

He winced slightly as he spoke, a strained smile on his face.

[Liene] "Did I pull too hard? Does it hurt?"

[Black] "No. It doesn't hurt. It just feels... too good."

[Liene] "I’ve never seen anyone look so tortured by something they claim feels 'good'."

[Black] "Sometimes, Princess, pleasure is its own kind of torture."

He stood up, carrying her easily. Liene was becoming a regular passenger in his arms, and she found she didn't mind the view from up there.

[Black] "Can we finally go to sleep now?"

[Liene] "Yes..."

She felt the sudden heat radiating from him—the silent, heavy intensity that always seemed to simmer just beneath the surface.

He pressed his forehead against the crook of her neck and murmured.

[Black] "I spend my entire day—from the moment I open my eyes—just waiting for this exact moment."

[Liene] "Oh..."

Every time he spoke, his words seemed to grow sweeter, more dangerous to her composure.

They lay down together, facing each other in the dark, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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