A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 81

※The Foreign Prince (2)※

[Liene] "What is it? What’s wrong?"

Liene, sensing the sudden edge in his posture, tightened her grip on his hand.

[Black] "Did anything happen while I was gone? Anything at all?"

Black leaned in, his eyes scanning her with the intensity of a man searching for a hidden wound.

[Liene] "Nothing happened. But why are you looking at me like—"

[Dieren] "Oh, come now. Shouldn't you be offering those sweet inquiries to your dear brother instead of your lovely fiancée?"

Prince Dieren called out as he sauntered toward them, having finally disembarked from his gaudy carriage.

Black didn't bother masking his distaste. He turned toward the newcomer, his expression hardening into a mask of pure ice.

Dieren threw his arms wide, a mocking grin plastered on his face.

[Dieren] "It’s been too long, brother."

Brother?

Liene blinked, her mind reeling in confusion, as Black stood his ground to face Dieren’s greeting.

[Black] "Not long enough."

[Liene] "...Wait, what?"

[Black] "State your business, then get lost."

‘Get lost'? Didn't he say this man was a Prince?

Black ignored Dieren’s presence entirely and offered his arm to the bewildered Liene.

[Black] "My work here is finished. Shall we return to the castle?"

[Liene] "Um... is it really alright to just leave him there?"

[Black] "It is."

The smile he gave her then was as soft and effortless as always.

[Black] "I’ve spent every moment away from the castle missing you, Princess."

The only thing out of the ordinary was the Prince of Alito, standing behind them with his jaw practically hitting the gravel as he watched them walk away.

---

[Liene] "Why do you dislike him so much?"

It was obvious that Black loathed Dieren. Intensely.

Since their departure for the castle, Dieren had become little more than a ghost. No one spoke to him, and no one spared him a glance.

Black had pulled Liene onto his horse, riding at a leisurely pace, while the Tiwakan mercenaries kept perfect step.

Dieren, left to his own devices, had been forced to scramble back into his carriage to chase after them.

Liene almost felt a flicker of pity for the prince.

[Black] "I don't."

His voice was calm, but Liene wasn't buying it.

[Liene] "That sounds very different from saying you like him."

[Black] "To be fair, he is the one I hate the least among the Alito family."

[Liene] "Good heavens."

If this is how he treats the one he hates the least, I’d hate to see his enemies.

[Liene] "Can I ask what happened between you?"

She tilted her head back to catch his eye. Black offered a small, enigmatic smile and pressed a light kiss to the bridge of her nose.

[Liene] "The kiss is lovely, but does that mean I’m not allowed to ask?"

[Black] "Not at all. I was preparing to bore you with a very dull story. I thought I should seek your forgiveness in advance."

[Liene] "I don't mind. It’s about you. I want to know everything."

[Black] "Why is it that you choose to say such things exactly when I don't have a free hand to hold you?"

Black gave a wry, bittersweet chuckle before he began.

[Black] "When the Grand Duchy of Alito went to war with the Kingdom of Lekes, the Tiwakan fought several battles in their stead."

It hadn't been that simple.

Lekes had underestimated Alito, only to suffer devastating losses once Tiwakan intervened. The war ended abruptly, forced by the mercenaries' sheer brutality.

In exchange for their survival, the Grand Duke of Alito had surrendered the rights to his gold mines to Tiwakan.

The Grand Duke was a man as greedy as he was cowardly.

He wanted to keep the Tiwakan’s power close to him permanently. The easiest method was through marriage—and conveniently, the Grand Duchy had an unwed Princess.

Rejecting a ducal marriage proposal usually came with a heavy diplomatic price. Following Fermos’ counsel, Black had avoided the altar by becoming "sworn brothers" with Prince Dieren instead.

Dieren’s twin sister, the Princess, was notorious for her long memory and even longer grudges. Black’s only goal since then had been to avoid the Alito family entirely.

[Black] "There’s no need to speak with the Prince. He’s the type to crawl through any opening you give him. It’s best to act as if he doesn't exist."

[Liene] "But still..."

That seems a bit harsh. There are protocols to follow.

Liene started to protest, but bit her tongue.

No, what am I saying? He said she holds grudges. What does that imply for us?

Without realizing it, she squeezed his forearm where he held the reins.

[Liene] "Does the Princess of Alito still... feel the same way?"

[Black] "I heard she married a year ago."

That marriage had cost Black a fortune in "congratulatory gifts." Fermos had grumbled so much while packing gold and jewels into crates that the mercenaries had practically turned his complaints into a tavern song.

[Liene] "Oh. I see."

That was a relief, at least. It meant Dieren hadn't been sent to sabotage their wedding on his sister's behalf.

[Black] "Are you anxious?"

Black lowered his head, his voice a low vibration against her ear.

[Liene] "No... You said she’s already married."

[Black] "Then why won't you let go of my arm?"

[Liene] "Oh...?"

Liene looked down at her white-knuckled grip on his sleeve and felt a flush of heat rise to her cheeks.

[Liene] "This is just..."

[Black] "Just?"

[Liene] "I’m just... checking."

It was a flimsy excuse, but she didn't let go.

I suppose I’m the type to dwell on the past.

This man hadn't cared about her past, even when she told him she was carrying a child. But she couldn't match his selflessness.

Even if he remembered another woman’s name, she knew she’d want to demand the details of their history.

[Black] "Will you be continuing your... check?"

[Liene] "Yes."

Liene nodded with newfound determination.

Black laughed silently, rubbing his lips against the crown of her head.

[Black] "You can do it for the rest of your life."

[Liene] "You don't even have to ask. I fully intend to."

His laughter faded, replaced by something far more intense.

[Black] "The moment we reach the castle, the first thing I want to do is kiss you."

[Liene] "...Don't talk about it. Just do it."

She could feel the heat of his body against her back spike at her words.

---

[Dieren] "Gods. They’re nauseatingly affectionate."

He leaned out of his carriage window, spitting out the words with a grimace.

His servant, long accustomed to the Prince’s constant complaining, merely bowed his head in silence.

[Dieren] "Oi, can you believe it? That warmonger, acting like a lovesick pup?"

[Servant] "It is hard to fathom, Your Highness."

[Dieren] "Exactly. If my sister saw this, she’d go into a homicidal rage."

Dieren let out a crooked sneer.

Every year, when his father had to send gold to Tiwakan, the old man would groan in agony until he nearly lost his teeth.

Now, they had two reasons to be miserable:

First, they had to send an even larger wedding gift.

Second, the Tiwakan Commander had finally decided to build a nest in another kingdom.

Alito was more sensitive to Tiwakan rumors than anywhere else on the continent. Soon, the news of the Commander’s marriage would spread like wildfire.

[Dieren] "I wonder if my sister knows."

He wasn't sure if his sister, now in the Kingdom of Sharka, was still obsessively tracking Black’s movements.

But he had a feeling she was.

Her husband, the First Prince of Sharka, was a sickly, dim-witted man. There was no way such a creature could satisfy a woman like her.

Very few men could live up to her standards—especially since she had already known a man like Black.

[Dieren] "No... she doesn't know yet. If she did, the house would have burned down by now."

Even if she knew of the marriage, she couldn't possibly know that Black was this utterly bewitched by his bride.

Dieren rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

[Dieren] "Why on earth did he pick a penniless Princess from the middle of nowhere...?"

Granted, she was a rare beauty. Even in her outdated, coarse clothing, she had a presence that outshone any woman he had ever met.

[Dieren] "I never took him for the type to be dazzled by a pretty face."

The servant nodded silently. Dieren caught the look in the servant’s eyes.

[Dieren] "So you think there’s something else to her?"

[Servant] "It seems likely, Your Highness."

[Dieren] "Yes, it does..."

Dieren smiled wickedly.

The old, decadent habits from his days of philandering across the continent began to stir within him.

[Dieren] "I think I’ll stay a while and find out exactly what that 'something' is."

[Servant] "..."

The servant remained quiet, though the slight tremble in his gaze suggested he was already worrying about how the Prince’s "bad habits" might get them both killed.

---

[Fermos] "Wow. You look like a completely different man."

[Randall] "It’s a transformation, My Lord. I’m almost afraid to look you in the eye. You look... regal."

Fermos and Randall had volunteered to assist Black with his wedding coat fitting.

In truth, they just wanted to tease him, but the plan backfired when they realized just how well the coat suited him.

[Black] "Stop with the flattery and say something useful. The length? Is it too short?"

As expected, Black was indifferent to both praise and mockery.

[Randall] "No, My Lord. It looks perfect."

For a man who claimed not to care, Black spent a surprisingly long time staring into the mirror. He meticulously checked the line of his shoulders and the drape of the back.

[Black] "What about the heel of the boots I’m wearing tomorrow? Is it thicker than these?"

[Fermos] "No, they should be nearly identical. Your cobbler hasn't changed."

[Black] "Good."

Black shifted his weight, even rising onto his toes in front of the mirror to ensure he wouldn't accidentally trip over his own hem.

Fermos adjusted his monocle, hiding a smirk.

[Fermos] "The Princess really ought to see you like this."

Randall, less observant than Fermos, chimed in.

[Randall] "What are you talking about? She’ll see him at the wedding."

[Fermos] "Tsk. You dullard. That’s not the point."

[Randall] "Then what is?"

[Fermos] "I mean the sight of our Commander tiptoeing around like a ballerina, terrified he might step on the precious threads the Princess stitched herself."

[Randall] "Ah... so that’s why?"

[Black] "Shut up."

Randall stared at Black’s heels as if seeing them for the first time, prompting Black to snap his head around.

[Randall] "Forgive me, My Lord. Mouth shut. Staying quiet."

Fermos, at least, knew exactly when to stop talking.

[Black] "Did the gold arrive?"

[Fermos] "Indeed. Along with a mountain of gifts from our greedy Grand Duke. Though I suspect they’re more 'bribes' than 'gifts'."

[Black] "Good. And the Prince?"

[Fermos] "In what sense?"

[Black] "He’s a lazy man. He claims he came personally to deliver the gifts, but I don't buy it. Does he have another motive?"

Fermos’ mind worked quickly.

[Fermos] "If there’s another motive... it likely involves his deranged sister. Though I know you hate even hearing her name."

[Black] "Sharka is closer to us than Alito."

[Fermos] "Yes, which makes any entanglement even more annoying. I understand. I’ll keep a close eye on the Prince and ensure no letters are heading toward Sharka."

[Randall] "Can't we just kick him out?"

[Black] "Too late for that."

Black let out a frustrated huff.

When a man arrives with wedding gifts and asks to attend the ceremony, kicking him out is tantamount to a declaration of war.

There was no valid excuse to cast out Dieren. He was a sworn brother, a Prince of a Grand Duchy, and he had entered the gates as a guest.

[Black] "Send wine and food to his room. Make the wine strong."

Despite his irritation, he was careful as he peeled off the wedding coat.

Randall hurried to take the clothes.

[Randall] "Why the food? Won't he think he’s being welcomed?"

[Black] "If we starve him, he’ll use it as an excuse to show his face at dinner."

[Randall] "Ah...?"

[Black] "Send someone to drink with him. Keep him drunk until tomorrow if possible."

Randall’s eyes lit up.

[Randall] "Leave it to me. I'll make sure he's properly 'entertained' until he hits the floor."

Black knew Randall was more interested in the free booze than the mission, but given his legendary tolerance, it was a solid plan.

Thump.

Black actually patted Randall on the shoulder.

[Black] "I’m counting on you."

It was a gesture he rarely made.

[Randall] "I won't let you down, My Lord!"

Randall grinned.

Two hours before Black and Liene were set to dine, Randall headed for Dieren’s quarters with a massive keg balanced on his shoulder.

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