A Barbaric Proposal

* * *

Their discussion was over.

Phermos left with Weroz, saying he needed to speak with him about how they would relocate the troops. Maslow, on the other hand, quickly excused himself to draw up the marriage contract before the Tiwakan troops essentially invaded their castle.

A heavy silence weighed down in the room now occupied by only two people.

Of course, there was a large table between Rienne and Tiwakan’s leader with enough space to easily seat thirty more people, but Rienne still felt stifled.

[Rienne] “I’m going to take a walk.”

Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, Rienne stood up.

[Black] “Alright.”

Following Rienne’s lead, Black stood up from his chair.

She was going to tell him to wait behind for a moment while she sent for someone to assist him, but he was already standing at her side.

[Black] “Where are you going?”

[Rienne] “I just thought I spend some time in the garden.”

…This man is just too imposing.

That’s why she felt like she was suffocating every time he stood too close. There was no other explanation for why she felt so much tension.

Rienne turned her head away to avoid Black’s gaze.

[Rienne] “Wait here for a moment. I will get Mrs. Flambard to stay with you.”

[Black] “I don’t need that.”

[Rienne] “No, when an outsider walks through Castle Nauk…”

Black immediately cut Rienne off.

[Black] “I’m not an outsider. I’m your fiancé, Princess.”

…Yes, I suppose you are.

Rienne bit her lip.

For a moment, she wondered whether or not a barbarian would know basic courtesy customs, but that thought was squashed the moment Black held out his arm to escort her.

[Rienne] “. . .”

Rienne looked down in resignation before settling her hand in the crook of his arm.

[Rienne] “Oh…”

She was so surprised by how firm and strong it was, she stopped walking. Seeing this, Black lowered his head and looked down at her.

[Black] “Is something wrong?”

[Rienne] “No, it’s… it’s nothing.”

Rienne quickly pointed ahead as if to change the subject, but then something held onto her hand.

[Black] “You’re hurt.”

[Rienne] “…?”

[Black] “You didn’t put on any medicine.”

There was the wound from the other day on the palm Black held in his hand, but next to it was a fresher one made today. Just looking at the crescent moon shape of the injury, it was obvious it was self-inflicted from her nails.

[Black] “What did you have to put up with this time?”

Black gently lifted up Rienne’s hand, asking a slow question that didn’t seem to require an answer.

Walking hand in hand was one thing, but she didn’t want Black’s lips to touch her hand again. She didn’t like that feeling of him touching her wounds, kissing them as if to comfort her.

[Rienne] “…Stop!”

Rienne couldn’t take it anymore and quickly pulled her hand away—her breathing frantic.

If Black wasn’t still looking at her, she would’ve clenched her fists hard enough to leave another mark on her palm.

[Rienne] “I’m fine. I just would like to take a walk…”

[Black] “It’s not fine.”

A sweet gesture, as if to say he was worried about her wounds and didn’t like that she was hurt. But it didn’t sound the least bit sweet coming from a man with such beastly eyes.

In fact, it sounded more like a threat.

[Black] “You need to take care of yourself, Princess. Any injuries you sustain are my responsibility now.”

It was funny, coming from the person who was the biggest threat to her. Just as he was the day before, Black continued to be a mind boggling contradiction for Rienne.

[Rienne] “…This way.”

It was only after Rienne made the decision never to look him in the eye again that she felt comfortable enough to link arms with him.

After notifying the guards in the reception room of where she was going ahead of time, Rienne headed off towards the garden with the man who could now be called her betrothed.

* * *

The back garden was big, but by no means was it beautiful.

Ever since the drought, the flowers struggled to thrive. They’d bloom only very briefly before withering away completely. Leafy bushes that could live without much water made up most of Castle Nauk’s garden now.

It was a stretch to say walking through this garden was a good thing.

Though Rienne was careful not to let their arms get too close, she suddenly became embarrassed seeing the dreary garden when it entered her view.

[Rienne] “. . .”

What if he thinks she brought him there in order to make a mockery of him?

But that wasn’t the case at all. She didn’t choose such a displeasing location on purpose. It was just that most of Nauk was like this. Everything was barren and dry. Even the magnificent waterfall that once split into nine different rivers throughout the castle had long since dried up.

Will you realize it after seeing something like this?

That the land of Nauk wasn’t worth much at all.

[Black] –‘Someone will desire Nauk in the future, whether that be Nauk itself or you, Princess.’

As if sensing her thoughts, Black’s words from before rang out in her head.

[Rienne] “Impossible…”

Rienne unconsciously shook her head, whispering her dissent to herself.

[Black] “What’s wrong?”

Black stopped walking, and Rienne made the mistake of looking up and making eye contact with him. Once again, she felt frozen in place.

[Rienne] “. . .”

She swallowed nervously.

His eyes were the problem. She couldn’t face them, but she also couldn’t avoid them.

Rienne had no choice but to admit that as scary as they were, they had a strange magnetism to them. Perhaps it was because they were frightful that she couldn’t bring herself to look away.

[Rienne] “…It’s nothing. I only just realized there’s not much to see, so I wondered if it was a mistake bringing you here.”

[Black] “There’s not nothing.”

Black’s reply shot through her ears.

[Black] “You’re here, Princess.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

What’s that supposed to mean?

Does that mean she’s a sight worth seeing? Or did he mean that he needed to keep an eye on her?

[Rienne] “I’ll take your words to mean it’s alright.”

Rienne took a step forward, but in that moment—

[Black] “Don’t move.”

Hearing Black’s low voice, Rienne got confused and raised her head to look up, immediately noticing Black shielding her with his body.

Thuk!

Thuk!

Rienne’s vision was clouded by a stream of black lines flying through the air, embedding themselves in Black’s shoulder.

They were arrows.

* * *

[Mercenary] “That way!”

The Tiwakan Mercenaries were already moving in on the source of the arrow.

[Mercenary] “Don’t let ‘em get away! Catch them alive if you can!”

Seeing how swiftly the mercenaries reacted, it made Rienne realize it wasn’t just the two of them in the garden.

Which, she guessed should have been obvious.

It wasn’t easy to just dismiss the possible threats against the leader of a mercenary company that roamed the battlefield for more than a decade.

[Rienne] “Are you alright?”

Rienne looked at Black, her face turning pale when she noticed the arrow.

The arrow now stuck in his back might just ruin everything.

There was a chance he could assume she accepted his proposal as a pretense, only to betray him like this later on. Rienne thought her head was going to explode.

Who on earth would do such a thing?

Why would they do something so stupid?

This did nothing for the sake of revenge or even for the sake of rescuing her. Instead, it put them on the one way path towards Nauk’s destruction by their own hand.

Even if they somehow managed to kill Black, nothing would change. The Tiwakan Mercenaries would never let Nauk go after their leader was killed in such a cowardly attack.

[Rienne] “First… we should get inside. It’ll be safer there… rather than waiting here for help.”

Rienne reached out her hands to help him, but her hands were shaking. Rienne grit her teeth. She didn’t want to be misunderstood.

[Rienne] “Nauk had nothing to do with this. We have no intention of harming you, Lord Tiwakan.”

[Black] “…We’ll see.”

Black was looking down at Rienne’s hand when he finally spoke again.

[Black] “I need help walking.”

Despite that, it was Rienne that was being supported by Black’s arms.

[Rienne] “I’m not hurt, Lord Tiwakan.”

[Black] “Then why are you shaking so much you look like you’re going to collapse?”

[Rienne] “. . .”

[Black] “Let’s go.”

And so they left, the person who was injured by an arrow supporting the person who wasn’t.

Rienne kept trying to tell him that she didn’t need any help, but her mouth wouldn’t open. She could distinctly feel his arms around her waist and his shoulders supporting her back.

But why…

And how much she was trembling.

Why…

Now it wasn’t just her hands that were shaking. Her whole body was.

The fact that this man was holding onto her made her feel strange. She was reminded of the moment right before the arrow was shot, when he hugged her and she felt his solid body against her own.

That was why she felt so strange.

The shaking had already started then.

* * *

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh heavens, Princess!”

By the time Rienne came to her senses, she and Black were already back in the drawing room, and were now being confronted by the pale-faced Mrs. Flambard.

[Mrs. Flambard] “What happened!? Where are you hurt!? Who could’ve done this…?”

[Rienne] “It’s not me. Lord Tiwakan was the one hit by an arrow. Please, call a doctor and bring me some hot water and towels. Quickly, now.”

Mrs. Flambard looked confused, like she couldn’t quite believe the situation. It was embarrassing, but Rienne could understand why.

Still, she didn’t have the time to explain so she made the request of her lady-in-waiting.

[Rienne] “Please, Mrs. Flambard.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh, yes. Of course, Princess.”

As Mrs. Flambard scurried out of the drawing room, Rienne turned back to Black and spoke in a low voice.

[Rienne] “You can let go of me now. I’m fine.”

[Black] “Alright.”

With that, the hand he had wrapped around her pulled away.

Despite that, Rienne didn’t fall to her feet. If anything, there was no reason for her to be supported by someone who was injured by an arrow.

Though Rienne’s mind was still muddled, Black pulled the sofa closer to the fireplace.

[Black] “Sit.”

[Rienne] “…Huh?”

Rienne gave him a look of surprise.

[Black] “You’re still shaking. Sit.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

Maybe it was because it still felt like he had his hands on her. Ignoring that, Rienne forced herself to regain her composure.

[Rienne] “I’m not hurt. We should focus on taking care of your wounds first, Lord Tiwakan.”

[Black] “I know. But you should still sit.”

Quieting, Black glanced down at the arrow embedded in his left shoulder.

Looking at him, it was hard to believe he was injured at all. It was as if he was all too used to being hurt like this that he couldn’t find it in himself to be shocked by the wound.

[Black] “This is going to take a while.”

Black muttered under his breath as he sat on his knees in front of Rienne. Contrary to Rienne’s panicked thoughts, his request was simple.

[Black] “I’d like to get your help in undressing.”

[Rienne] “Undressing… oh, yes.”

It would be hard for him to undress on his own because of where the arrow is. Realizing this, Rienne quickly rose from her seat.

[Rienne] “I’ll go get a pair of scissors.”

[Black] “You don’t have to.”

But Rienne was already turning around to leave.

[Rienne] “Please wait a moment.”

She had to do this.

She had to take any and all opportunities she could to not be alone with him and put some distance between them.

Rienne had to get out of this dangerous situation that seemed to take a hold on her.

* * *

[Black] “I should’ve done a better job avoiding getting hurt.”

After Rienne left, Black was left alone to talk to himself.

[Black] “Phermos will give me an earful about this.”

Knowing that, Black seemed entirely unperturbed by the situation. With such an expressionless face, he certainly didn’t seem like someone who just got seriously injured by an arrow.

[Black] “. . .”

Though his eyes were closed a moment ago, Black suddenly turned his head, his gaze falling on the chair where Rienne once sat.

He stretched out his uninjured arm and placed his palm against the fabric. Sure enough, the lingering warmth was proof enough that someone was once sitting there just moments ago.

[Rienne] –‘And now I’m with child. Knowing this, will you still propose?’

Just as the warmth from the chair tickled his hand, Rienne’s words from the other day tickled his ears.

Like he said before, illegitimate children weren’t a big deal to him. Truthfully, he had no real expectations for this relationship in the first place.

He was just trying to get back what was his.

It was the same in regards Nauk. The place was a financial loss, and he gained nothing by taking on a kingdom so barren it was on a downward spiral. Rienne must have been making ends meet by selling royal property, but even that barely made a dent.

As Rienne likely knew, being the ruler of Nauk meant pouring wealth into a bottomless pit.

Still, it bothered him knowing someone else could potentially swoop in and take it. He didn’t consider himself a greedy person, but he still decided to impulsively propose.

After ten years of wandering the country and going wherever the fight took him, he became more sensitive to the situations of every nation. There were plenty of men who desired Rienne Arsak, even when they weren’t officially her lover.

Among those men, some were even extremely wealthy—ready and willing to take on Nauk’s financial hardship if it meant having Rienne.

So he decided to keep her for himself rather than give her to others. Aside from just getting her, he didn’t really think about anything beyond that.

That was why it didn’t matter to him if she had a lover or an illegitimate child.

[Black] “Now…”

Black licked his lips.

[Black] “…How frustrating.”

He had what he wanted now, but he still didn’t feel satisfied.

Every time she looked at him, she’d clench her fists to the point of putting scars on her palm. Her lips would tremble, her eyes would shake, and her face would turn completely pale.

And yet, her slender body never faltered. She stayed strong and endured.

Only

Tuk.

Black moved his fingers around, the warmth he once felt completely fading from his hand.

And suddenly, he felt a strange thirst rise in his chest.

He needed to know what this feeling of annoyance was.