A Barbaric Proposal Side Story 17

※A Matter of Taste※

This is impossible.

Shellan clutched her fork with her small hand. The ornate engravings on the handle dug into her palm, leaving crimson marks, but she was too preoccupied to notice.

How could this be happening?

Just a short while ago, the air between her parents had been thick with an unusual tension. Her mother had pointedly avoided eye contact, while her father had stared at her without so much as a blink.

It was obvious that the fault lay with her father. One didn't even need to be as clever as Shellan to deduce that; anyone with a few observations could have seen it.

She had been certain that the trip would be postponed, at least until her mother’s heart had softened.

Yet, here they were. Shellan gritted her teeth.

That certainty vanished the moment the evening banquet began. Her parents entered the hall together, hand in hand, matching each other's strides in their usual affectionate manner.

[Dieren] "Thank you for hosting such a grand occasion, Your Majesty. As a lifelong ally of Nauk and a dear friend to House Arsak, I shall treasure this welcome deeply."

The Prince rose from his seat and reached for her mother’s hand, clearly intending to plant a kiss on the back of it. Naturally, he failed.

[Black] "Skip the formalities."

Black intervened with practiced speed. It wasn't even surprising anymore.

[Dieren] "Why must you insist on making me look like a boor—dammit."

Dieren, who had been about to protest, suddenly clamped his mouth shut. Her father must have done something subtle to silence him. This, too, was a familiar sight.

[Liene] "I shall consider the greeting received. Let us all be seated."

With a graceful gesture from her mother, the situation was settled. Everyone took their seats. As always, her parents sat side by side at the head of the table—so close that their arms almost brushed, a position that seemed as if it would be quite uncomfortable for anyone else.

[Black] "Save some room. I heard they’re serving preserved coconuts for dessert."

[Liene] "Oh, really?"

Her mother’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. It was a look of genuine delight.

[Liene] "Is it already time for the coconut harvest?"

[Black] "It’s a bit earlier than last year, but the shipment arrived just yesterday."

[Liene] "Aha. And yet it’s being served tonight? You must have made arrangements beforehand."

[Black] "I knew you’d like it. I’m glad my instincts were correct."

Naturally, her father’s lips brushed against her mother’s hair.

Incredible. When did they reconcile?

At this rate, they would depart for their trip tonight as scheduled.

Shellan’s mind worked frantically. If they were this peaceful, it meant that the girl who resembled someone from the past was no longer an issue.

Well then, I shall have to make her an issue again.

Shellan already knew exactly how to stir the pot.

[Shellan] "I’m sorry, Dief. I completely forgot. Sit here; let’s switch seats."

When she raised her voice, everyone at the table turned to look.

[Dief] "Huh?"

Dief replied with an innocent face. Shellan looked him straight in the eye and spoke with measured clarity.

The theory that twins shared a connection was one she found worth believing. She remembered everything from a book she had read when she was five. Sometimes, she felt Dief understood her not because he knew every word, but because of that twin intuition.

[Shellan] "You said you wanted to sit closer to Lady Seira. My seat is nearer. Come, sit here."

[Dief] "Wha... what?"

[Shellan] "Don't act shy now. It’s what you told me when we were alone earlier."

Shellan stood up promptly and maneuvered a hesitating Dief into her chair.

[Shellan] "You’re welcome. You can pay me back later."

[Dief] "Umm... okay. I’ll do that."

It was a relief. Dief had somehow grasped her intent. Thus, Dief ended up sitting directly across from Seira. As the girl looked at the bewildered Dief, a faint flush seemed to creep into her cheeks.

Taking Dief’s former seat and spreading a napkin over her lap, Shellan looked toward Liene.

[Shellan] "Dief was right, Mother. Lady Seira is indeed beautiful, isn't she?"

At that, the Prince let out a boisterous laugh.

[Dieren] "Ah, blood will tell, won't it?"

The expressions of both her mother and father petrified instantly.

There it is.

Her instincts hadn't failed her.

Seira was very much still a problem for them.

Shellan looked at Liene and Black and flashed a bright, innocent smile. It was a smile that clearly said:

You aren't going anywhere without me.

---

[Randall] "I shall go and take his head at once."

Randall spoke with a face of grim determination.

[Black] "…Not here. You’ll be caught."

There was only one head Randall intended to take: Dieren’s. The fact that Black added the warning "not here," despite knowing it was an impossible request, showed just how much he wanted to do the same.

[Randall] "How dare he utter such nonsense regarding the Prince?"

That was the crux of the issue.

“Blood will tell, won't it?”

Dieren hadn't been saying that Seira resembled the face of a mad princess. He was implying that just as Black had been entangled with Blini, his son shared the same taste in women as his father. The children were the only ones who hadn't grasped the double meaning. Fortunately, they remained blissfully unaware.

[Randall] "No, I cannot let this stand. On second thought, this head must roll."

[Fermos] "It would make the cleanup complicated, but it isn't impossible, my Lord."

Even Fermos, who usually played the role of the voice of reason, chimed in.

[Fermos] "Is Alito not small enough for us to swallow whole? I estimate it would take three months."

[Black] "..."

Black glanced at him without a word. Noticing the gaze, Fermos asked seriously.

[Fermos] "Should I shorten it to two months?"

[Black] "...We shall see."

Regardless, Black didn't refuse. He left the possibility open. The two subordinates nodded to each other, already pledging victory in a war that might soon begin.

[Black] "First, I must see to Liene."

A silent sigh followed.

After the banquet, Liene had returned to her room alone, claiming she had much to think about. She hadn't said a word about the trip that was supposed to begin tonight. Consequently, Black was currently waiting for her by the carriage with a heavy heart.

The night was already turning humid. Dammit. Weather like this always tended to sour one’s mood.

Black leaned against the carriage, which was already fully packed, and stared incessantly toward the main castle where Liene would appear.

Finally, a faint silhouette began to shimmer at the edge of his vision.

[Randall] "Oh, she is co—"

Before he could finish, Black was already lunging forward.

[Randall] "She is coming... oh, dear."

A groan escaped Randall’s lips.

Black, who had been charging toward the figure, skidded to a halt. It meant the person appearing was not Liene.

[Randall] "It’s only the Head Maid."

[Fermos] "So it is."

Madam Henton approached Black and delivered Liene’s message.

[Henton] "She says that a departure tonight will be difficult."

[Black] "..."

Black said nothing, but everyone present felt as though they could hear the sound of his heart sinking.

---

Splash.

As she moved her head, the sound of water rippled through the room. It seemed summer was arriving early this year; the night temperature had spiked. Even though her bathwater had cooled slightly, it felt refreshing.

What should I do?

She knew how hard Black had worked to prepare for this trip. That was why she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye and tell him she couldn't leave. When she heard he was still waiting by the carriage, she couldn't let him wait any longer and had to send Madam Henton in her stead.

He would be so disappointed. Knowing that, she found herself resenting her own nature—she couldn't bring herself to leave her children.

What could she even say to him? It was an event from long ago, and Blini was already forgotten. Black had said he never loved her, and that should have been the end of it.

Yet, at the thought of Dief potentially falling for a girl who was the spitting image of Blini, she felt a chill at her fingertips.

No, Dieren said she was his daughter, but... You never know.

Dieren was hardly a man who spoke the truth. Furthermore, the fact that he hadn't breathed a word about Seira when accepting the invitation was more than enough to arouse suspicion.

Putting all that aside, I just hate that face.

She knew the child was innocent. Dief was only eight, and even if a father and son shared a similar taste, there was no telling how long it would last.

[Liene] "…No, I just hate the very idea of them having the same taste!"

Splash!

A sudden surge of frustration caused Liene to raise her voice inadvertently. She struck the calm surface of the water with her hand.

Swoosh!

The displaced water spilled over the edge of the tub and onto the bathroom floor. It was then that she heard it.

Knock... knock.

A hesitant sound came from the door.

[Black] "It’s me. …May I come in?"

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