A Barbaric Proposal - Chapter 52

She was seconds away from saying those truth filled words.

Knock, knock—!

If only there hadn’t been an urgent voice, calling out to them from behind the door.

[Mercenary] “My Lord! Are you here!? I’m sorry to disturb you, but this is serious!”

[Black] “. . .”

Black paused for a second, muttering something to himself before quickly getting up. Rienne couldn’t hear what it was, but based on his irritated expression, it was probably a curse word.

[Black] “Wait here.”

Black strode towards the door with the front of his robe still open. If someone came all this way to bother them at this time, then something must’ve happened.

Unable to sit still, Rienne pushed off the blanket and got to her feet.

[Black] “What’s happened?”

As Black tore open the door, the sound of the door banging against the wall rang out loudly. It was a sound that would make any one feel nervous.

Facing down Black, the mercenary swallowed hard, but pulled himself together quickly to repeat the report he had received.

[Mercenary] “A fire’s broken out.”

[Black] “………..What?”

[Rienne] “Excuse me?”

But Rienne was more surprised than anyone else. Her face turned completely pale.

[Rienne] “A fire…….Then…”

The fear that rippled throughout Nauk because of the drought never disappeared, so a fire was considered one of the most terrible disasters they could experience.

[Rienne] “Where? Take me there.”

Everything that happened mere moments ago was immediately purged from Rienne’s mind. She moved herself past Black, trying to leave the room.

[Black] “Princess.”

But before she could get far, Black took Rienne by the shoulders, pulling her back.

[Black] “You stay here. I’ll go.”

[Rienne] “No, I have to go……Or we could together instead. If there’s a fire in this season, then…..”

As she panicked, Black took his hand and carefully touched her face, as pale as the moon. For some reason, his touch felt sad.

[Black] “You can’t do that while you’re pregnant. Wait here.”

[Rienne] “But you need one more person. Someone needs to wake everyone in the castle…..”

[Black] “We haven’t seen any smoke and we haven’t smelled anything. There’s no way of knowing how serious it is right now. I will go and see for myself, then I’ll come back and let you know. You don’t have to worry—“

But just as Black said that, the loud sound of footsteps started echoing through the hall, hitting her ears as it got closer.

[Mercenary] “My Lord! I just came back from checking it out…..! But the fire was really strange.”

The mercenary who arrived was breathing heavily, as if he’d been running the entire time, exhaling quickly.

[Mercenary] “It’s not concentrated in a single location. They’re popping up all over the place, like someone’s setting them on purpose.”

[Rienne] “Ah!”

Rienne had to stop herself from screaming.

A fire was already terrible enough, but arson? Someone was doing this on purpose? In their nation, given their past, setting a purposeful fire was no different from trying to curse someone.

[Rienne] “Please let go of me.”

Rienne tried to push Black’s hand away.

[Rienne] “Have the castle guards been made aware of the fire? How much water do we have left in the castle?”

[Mercenary] “The guards are looking out for the arsonist while putting out the fires. We’re in the process of spreading the news now.”

[Rienne] “Where is the fire at its worst?”

[Mercenary] “Looks to be the kitchens right now. So there’s the chance the first fire was really an accident. Maybe someone left the brick oven lit, but—“

[Black] “That’s enough. Princess.”

As the situation quickly turned into the mercenary giving a report, Black held out his hand, telling him to cut it out. Then, he turned back to Rienne.

[Black] “Go back inside.”

[Rienne] “What do you mean? I…..”

[Black] “With the situation being as it is, I cannot guarantee your safety if you leave, Princess. Even I can’t stop smoke if it gets to be too much.”

[Rienne] “Obviously I know that. But it’s ridiculous to think—“

[Black] “With your body being how it is, you are of no use here.”

Black cut her words off, his tone awfully cold and upfront, and before Rienne knew it, he was pushing her body back into the bedroom.

[Rienne] “Wait, don’t do this……”

Her body was limp and powerless against his strength, to the point where resistance was completely pointless. As soon as Rienne was entirely back into the room, she heard Black slam the door behind her without another word.

[Black] “One of you, stay here and protect the Princess. And you, lead the way. Is there somewhere I can see the whole castle at a glance?”

[Mercenary] “Sir Phermos said the northern tower. He’s waiting there now.”

Before the mercenary could complete his answer, Black turned around, already walking away.

*

* * *

*

Bang!

[Rienne] “Please, open the door!”

Rienne knocked against the door with her fist as hard as she could. But no matter how much might she put into it, the body that was blocking the door from the other side was much stronger than she was.

[Rienne] “What’s the point of locking me up like this!? Just move!”

[Mercenary] “No……His lordship is right. It would be bad if you accidentally inhaled any smoke. For the baby, that would be……”

[Rienne] “That’s not the point!”

Bang!

Feeling her emotions swell, her hand tingled after hitting the door again. Rienne held her reddened hand with her other, exhaling a long sigh and calming herself down.

[Rienne] “Is there anything I can do to get you to open this door?”

[Mercenary] “In your dreams. Until the Lord explicitly states it, I can’t let you leave.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

She should’ve known. At the end of the day, these men were his people.

Then what options did she have left? Should she try and escape through the window? If she was careful, she could move along the frame and make it to the next door balcony……

[Rienne] “…….But would that even work?”

Just imagining the process made Rienne hopelessly collapse to the floor, filled with an odd sense of emptiness.

This felt weird.

[Rienne] “Can I really just do nothing……?”

Was that even possible?

Everything in Castle Nauk was Rienne’s responsibility.

Even the smallest of things fell under her purview. From a mouse raiding the larder, to decaying ropes and broken grain sacks—it was up to Rienne to deal with these things and fix them as they came along.

For a castle of this size, there weren’t enough people working and too few people who stayed there as permanent residents. Rather than delegate work to people who were already swamped with their own duties, it became a habit of hers to step up and deal with it herself.

Because of that, Rienne quickly became a responsible person.

Not someone who just sat still and let herself be protected.

[Rienne] “This is strange, though. I’m starting to get……..”

……Used to it.

Ever since Black came to Nauk, Rienne had been dogged by that feeling. Whenever something difficult came along, like a gift sent from above, Black would swoop in and take care of it for her.

[Rienne] “But, it’s a little……”

Isn’t this dangerous?

I don’t think I’m the kind of person to leave things to other people……Or maybe it’s just that I’ve never had the ability to do that.

It was that man’s fault. It was like when he came in, he found the part of her that was lacking something, noticed it was empty, and jammed himself into that space without thinking.

Sitting on the floor, Rienne gently pressed her hand against her chest. Right on the place where Black’s existence was intertwined with her being.

[Rienne] “Whenever we part……”

She thought for the briefest moment that their parting left a vague sense of pain in her chest. As if something were disappearing inside her.

But that only told her that Black had somehow already settled in her heart, finding a place to rest firmly.

This feeling was……

A poet would probably have an easier time putting a name to this emotion than she.

[Rienne] “. . .”

Thinking of Black while sitting on the floor, Rienne gave up whatever attachment she had on trying to go outside.

She was going to believe in Black. So long as he was in the castle, there was nothing to fear—nothing dangerous that could touch her.

[Rienne] “I should go back to bed.”

It’ll all be okay.

Even if the situation got worse, he said he would come back for her and let her know.

Letting go of her worries, just as Rienne turned her head, about to stand up—

[Rienne] “……?”

She saw something strange.

Someone was standing in the doorway leading to Black’s room. In a place where no one should be, with all the lights turned out, they were standing there—watching her.

[Rienne] “Who—!”

Appearing out of thin air, the figure wrapped his arms around Rienne, pressing his hand against her mouth at breakneck speed the moment she noticed him.

[Rienne] “……..!”

Rienne instinctively pushed back, her whole body fighting against their strength, but he was too fast, too big, and too skilled in comparison to her.

He took his hand, pressing his fingers deep into an artery in Rienne’s neck, pushing and pushing until she started to feel faint.

[Rienne] “. . .”

Try as she did to scream, no one could hear her struggle. With all air cut off and someone pressing down on her neck, her mind drifted away and her body fell limp.

[Rienne] “. . .”

Until finally, her eyes closed.

The silent figure took Rienne’s unconscious body, throwing her over his shoulder. The black clothes he wore smelled of sulfur and ash.

Then, he passed into the room between Black’s and Rienne’s—a room that had long since lost its name. In the corner was cylindrical, iron fireplace, left unsold and untouched. It was shaped like a large column, and it was incredibly massive, the length of it reaching all the way up to the ceiling.

Quietly, the figure opened the door to the fireplace, stepping inside.

Click.

Once inside, he pulled the door closed, leaving barely a noise. He then pulled on a string he had prepared in advanced, one that tugged the clasp of the door back into place.

But on further inspection, the ‘string’ was actually a thin lock of hair. He lit a flint, lowering the flame to the end of the hair and setting it alight. It was so thin, it didn’t take long for it to burn away completely. As it burned to cinders, there was no ash left behind, only a faint scent.

But even the smell disappeared not long after.

And once they were gone, there wasn’t a single trace left in the room. As if neither he nor Rienne were there to begin with.

*

* * *

*

[Rienne] “………Ugh…….”

She felt dizzy, as if there was a heavy fog inside her head, wincing as she tried to come to. But even as her mind threatened to sink back into unconsciousness, Rienne forced her eyes open, pulling herself back up.

I…..How did…….What happened…….

[???] “You don’t have to force yourself awake.”

[Rienne] “…….?”

[???] “We have plenty of time.”

[Rienne] “…….!”

She recognized that voice.

[Rienne] “You……!”

Rienne tried to jump to her feet, but it was just then at she noticed how both her wrists and her ankles were bound.

[Rienne] “Sir Klimah!”

He was giving the Tiwakan the run-around as they tried to apprehend him for the murder of the High Priest, but after all that fuss, here he was— sitting in front of her like nothing.

[Rienne] “What are you doing? Why would you—!”

[Klimah] “I’m so sorry.”

But Klimah’s voice did not incite fear or despair in such a terrifying situation. Instead, he sounded sad, like the calming and lonely sound of rain.

[Klimah] “I have my orders.”

[Rienne] “Orders? Did…….Linden Kleinfelder tell you to do this….? How? He’s in prison…..”

[Klimah] “I’m so sorry. I can’t go against my orders.”

[Rienne] “What the…..No, you have to let me go. No orders could possibly justify doing something like this in Nauk.”

[Klimah] “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I have no choice.”

Though it was dark, she could see Klimah shaking his head from side to side. As he did, she could make out the clear tears that were running down his face, reflected in the faint moonlight.

[Rienne] “. . .”

Klimah was crying.

It seemed strange, given what he was doing, but he was sobbing openly, his shoulders trembling and shaking. Anyone looking at him now wouldn’t think he was a killer.

Rienne slowly exhaled, forcing herself to be calm.

He….doesn’t seem like an awful person.

He might be crying now because of his guilt. Like what he did with his prayer of atonement. He was someone who felt so much guilt over the harm he’d done to others that he wanted to inflict pain on himself.

She just needed to stay calm and talk to him. If she did, he may come to his senses. He might even change his mind about all this.

There had to be a reason why the Kleinfelders were able to call upon him. She just needed to find out what that was.

[Rienne] “Did you also kill the High Priest under Linden Kleinfelder’s orders?”

[Klimah] “…….Yes.”

When she asked the question, she thought he might try and deny it at first, but surprisingly, Klimah just nodded his head without hesitation.

After praying to a God that held no answers for him, perhaps he only wanted to confess his sins to whoever would listen.

[Rienne] “What else did he ask you to do?”

[Klimah] “……The High Priest…….”

[Rienne] “You already said you killed High Priest Milrod.”

[Klimah] “High Priest Motiya, too…….”

[Rienne] “That’s……..! ……..Hah.”

Pulling back her exclamation, Rienne simply let out a sigh.

What on earth would compel this man to do that for them? And if two High Priests were killed in the past, there was always the possibility that more had been killed even before then.

Now she was starting to understand where the Kleinfelders’ arrogance and indifference towards the royal hierarchy stemmed from. If they had the power to have a High Priest killed without even blinking, what did they truly have to fear?

In the eyes of the Kleinfelders, the crown she had inherited would look like nothing more than an ornamental jewelry piece.

[Rienne] “And? Did you kill anyone else?”

[Klimah] “……Yes.”

[Rienne] “How many?”

[Klimah] “…….Thirteen.”

Klimah swallowed back his tears, reciting the exact number as if he’d been keeping careful count. Like he was engraving each of those lives as sins upon his skin.

[Klimah] “And if I add you, Princess, that makes fourteen.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

Those words sent goosebumps along Rienne’s bound arms.

[Rienne] “Did….he order you to kill me?”

[Klimah] “No.”

[Rienne] “Linden Kleinfelder….didn’t order to have me killed?”

[Klimah] “No.”

Klimah wiped the tears away from his cheeks, but there was no point. Soon enough, both of his eyes were filled with tears once more.

[Klimah] “I was ordered to capture and rape you. Then, once you were defiled, I was to put you on display……Somewhere everyone could see you.”

[Rienne] “That’s insane……”

The idea alone made her sick.

It was unbelievable to think he would order something so vicious and vile against the ruler of the country he supposedly served, but his obvious reasons for doing so were so despicable and horrid, it disgusted her to her core.

He……He doesn’t want to kill me. He wants to ruin me. Break me.

For something as simple as……separating me from that man?

Such a disgusting and depraved thing. For that to even be an idea he had, it was hard to believe that Linden Kleinfelder was a human being, same as her.

[Rienne] “Sir.”

With her bound hands, Rienne clenched her fists—pushing back the rage that was teetering at the edges of her heart.

She would have plenty of time to deal with her anger later.

After she managed to return home safely.