A Barbaric Proposal - Chapter 53

Though the fires weren’t particularly big, they were popping up all over the place.

And because the castle was so expansive, they had their work cut out for them since they didn’t know where the next embers may spark.

[Phermos] “Hah, I think the worst of it is over now. It’s likely safe for you to return, if you so wish.”

By the time Phermos gave Black the clear, dawn had already broken.

Though… he wanted to tell him that earlier, but he never got the chance.

It was a good thing having Black there to take the lead in putting out the fires, carrying several water basins at once—especially since their other men were practically dying trying to do it themselves.

However, was it really necessary to do it with such a scary looking face, as if he were letting out his anger on the fires?

But at least, because Black was there, the fires were all fairly trivial, barely leaving burn marks on the carpets and a few furniture pieces.

[Black] “Is that so? We can’t allow the fires to spread.”

[Phermos] “Of course….”

[Black] “You better be certain.”

[Phermos] “…..Y, yes?”

[Black] “She looked as though she was terrified of fire.”

[Phermos] “. . .”

Hearing Black’s words, Phermos thought for a few moments.

He meant if the Princess was scared of fire then….Phermos had to be absolutely certain that they were all gone. So naturally he needed to be careful right now. Yeah, he should’ve known as much.

[Black] “Who started the fires?”

[Phermos] “We’re looking for them now, my Lord.”

[Black] “If we can’t find them, the fires will be the least of our worries.”

[Phermos] “Yes, of course. And I suspect they may be connected to the bastard staying in the dungeon. Shall I go and kindly ask him what all this is about?”

[Black] “Do it. And you don’t have to be nice.”

[Phermos] “Yes, my Lord.”

Though they’d been there for a while now, Phermos still hadn’t quite adjusted to his new life in Nauk yet. But there was one thing he was certain about by now—

Tormenting Linden Kleinfelder and his subordinates was officially part of his job now.

It was starting to become like a hobby of his. The idea of going down to the dungeons was enough to bring a smile to Phermos’ face.

[Phermos] “Will you be returning to the Princess now?”

[Black] “Not yet. I will once the one responsible has been caught.”

From the sounds of it, he didn’t want to go back to Rienne only to tell her that the problem hadn’t been resolved yet, and that she needed to wait longer. He wanted concrete answers for her.

[Phermos] “Very well. I will head down to the dungeons first.”

But, in reality, Black should have gone straight back to Rienne as soon as he could.

If he had, he would’ve realized much sooner why he couldn’t find the one who had set the fires anywhere in the castle.

*

* * *

*

Rienne took a deep breath, trying her hardest to calm her heart.

[Rienne] “I don’t think you’re a bad person like Linden Kleinfelder is.”

Klimah widened his eyes, but then quickly ducked his head down, rapidly shaking it from side to side.

[Klimah] “No……No, I’m a sinner. I’ve committed so many heinous sins that cannot be washed away…….”

[Rienne] “It’s all Linden Kleinfelder’s fault.”

[Klimah] “. . .”

With that accusation, Klimah stayed quiet. He couldn’t confirm that, but he couldn’t deny it either.

[Rienne] “If you wish to atone, then you must stop sinning first. Until then, no matter how many times you whip yourself, the only thing you’ll do is bleed.”

[Klimah] “I…….”

[Rienne] “Why do you keep denying it? You know what the Kleinfelders are ordering you to do is wrong. You are one who serves the divine, and yet you killed two High Priests. You silenced the voice of God.”

[Klimah] “I……..didn’t become a servant of God because I wanted to……..”

With everyone word, Klimah’s voice shook as if he was in great pain.

[Rienne] “You didn’t?”

[Klimah] “I do whatever they tell me to……”

[Rienne] “They? You mean the Kleinfelders? Does it make it easier to eliminate a High Priest?”

[Klimah] “………It makes it easier to hide.”

[Rienne] “What?”

[Klimah] “From them….”

[Rienne] “What are you hiding from? Who?”

[Klimah] “. . .”

Klimah closed his mouth, biting his lip. Then, he stood up and approached Rienne.

Immediately, Rienne shifted her body back defensively. She said he didn’t look like a bad person, but that didn’t erase the fear she felt at hearing him say he would defile her with his own mouth.

[Rienne] “Don’t come any closer. Just answer me.”

[Klimah] “I’m so sorry……”

Klimah reached out to her with tears streaming down his face.

[Rienne] “No! Don’t do this!”

[Klimah] “Forgive me…….I’m so sorry…….”

[Rienne] “Just think about this! How long will you live doing their bidding like this!?”

The fear was enough to send deathly chills throughout her body, but Rienne desperately pushed it back.

Talking to him wasn’t enough. She needed to find another way out.

It was Linden Kleinfelder’s orders that were compelling Klimah right now. So that meant she needed to find out whatever influence they had over him, and use that to sway him.

[Rienne] “You said you weren’t ordered to kill me, right…..? Then I swear, I will survive and make the Kleinfelders pay for what they’ve done.”

[Klimah] “. . .”

Those words did something.

The hand that Klimah was reaching out towards Rienne stopped midair, flinching the moment she mentioned making the Kleinfelders ‘pay’.

[Klimah] “K, killing the Kleinfelders. Then…..”

The way he stuttered, repeating back her sentiment made it clear he was struggling to believe her.

But Rienne didn’t blame him. She was the same.

She always thought that the Kleinfelders could not be allowed to die in Nauk. The risk was too high, and the grip all six families had on Nauk, bound by the Treaty of Risebury, was too strong.

But she couldn’t take this anymore.

While Rienne was desperately trying to keep the peace, all Linden Kleinfelder did was essentially prove that all her efforts in balancing this game of tug-of-war with the six families was a pointless endeavor.

He was a man who would do anything to get Nauk. And if one thing didn’t work, he would simply move on to the next—always trying something.

Even while imprisoned, his influence was great. He could still grab at Rienne. And not only her, but even the council and the Temple were not beyond his reach.

But no matter how big his roots were, no matter how far reaching his grip was, she had to cut him off here and now. If she didn’t, he would only swallow all of Nauk from beneath.

Something like that felt so impossible before.

But she was certain she could do it now.

She had the Tiwakan.

The fiercest and most terrifying mercenary company on the entire continent had sworn their new names as the Guardians of Arsak. If ever there was a chance, it was now.

[Rienne] “Do you really think my fiancé will leave just because you’ve defiled me? Of course not. That’s just a foolish delusion of Linden Kleinfelder.”

As she said that, she could feel herself tearing up a bit.

That man told her he would forget his revenge. He said he would even accept the child of his enemy as his own because to him, she was his home.

If Klimah were to fulfill this order, the end result was as obvious as a raging, all consuming fire.

The Kleinfelders would be completely wiped out.

And she had no reason to stop it this time.

[Rienne] “If you follow your orders, the Kleinfelders will be erased from existence. But if you don’t, the result will still be the same. They’ll be gone, no matter what you do.”

And if the ending would be the same, regardless of his actions, then what kind of choice would he make?

[Klimah] “If the Kleinfelders were gone……….”

Klimah’s eyes shook.

[Klimah] “Then….I wouldn’t have to……Ah, but I’d still have to live in hiding…..No, but then my mother…..”

[Rienne] “I’m sorry? Did you say your mother?”

He was rambling so much and so quietly, that it was difficult to make out what he was saying. But out of all of those incoherent mumblings, there was one thing she could tell for certain.

The Kleinfelders were holding tightly onto Klimah’s weakness—his mother.

[Rienne] “Are the Kleinfelders holding your mother hostage?”

[Klimah] “Yes…….Ah, I mean, no! I meant, no…..!”

Noticing his mistake a beat too late, Klimah desperately shook his head.

[Rienne] “It’s alright. You can say it.”

Now, she had a tool she could use to calm him. Rienne spoke to him slowly, making her voice sound as soothing and kind as possible.

[Rienne] “Even if you’ve sinned, I know that the Kleinfelder’s sin is far greater than yours. If you fear for your mother’s safety, I will help you. And I will not speak of your sins to her.”

[Klimah] “No, it can’t. It’s not that simple……It can’t be.”

Klimah clenched his fists, crouching down, almost to the point of prostrating himself on the floor. As he cried on in despair, his shoulders shook.

[Rienne] “Yes, it can. I promise you. If you cease your wrongdoings now, both you and your mother will be safe.”

Looking up at her, Klimah lifted up his tear-stained face.

[Klimah] “Can you really? You really won’t kill my mother?”

[Rienne] “That’s what I said.”

[Klimah] “If I let you go here, Princess…….If I don’t do anything, will you save my mother?”

[Rienne] “I swear on the name of Arsak. I will save you. Both you and your mother.”

But it was like Klimah couldn’t understand her words. He kept asking, again and again, repeating the same question in quiet repetition.

Whatever his relationship with the Kleinfelder family was, it was much deeper and darker than Rienne could ever guess.

It sounded like this went beyond the Kleinfelder’s simply threatening his mother. This felt more nefarious. Like they were hiding her away somewhere, and Klimah was desperate to pay the price to get her back.

[Klimah] “Even if my mother……still has the name of Henton?”

[Rienne] “……..I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

Hearing the unexpected name among his whispers, Rienne’s entire body turned stiff like stone.

She couldn’t breathe or move her body.

He said the name……..Henton?

*

* * *

*

[Black] –‘Henton. That was my name just before I left this land.’

That’s what Black said.

[Beggar] ‘He’s Henton’s second son.’

And that’s what that old man told her before.

After hearing the same name coming from both sources, Rienne didn’t doubt for even a second that ‘Henton’ was Black’s family name.

[Rienne] “But that name is……No, but then……..”

Rienne stared straight at Klimah, her eyes widened in shock.

Klimah’s face was covered in tears, and he looked like a young man, but at the same time, it was difficult to gauge exactly how old he was.

[Rienne] “Do you……have any brothers? A long time ago now…..Around twenty-one years ago.”

Hearing that, Klimah looked frightened.

[Klimah] “Just as I thought, people haven’t forgotten. They still remember……They know that….”

She only asked him if he had any brothers, but Klimah’s reaction was beyond her realm of understanding.

[Rienne] “Calm yourself. I don’t know what you’re thinking about. I just asked because I know someone who shares that name. So please answer me. Do you have any brothers? And how many?”

[Klimah] “……O, one.”

She was told that Black was the second son of the Henton family, which would make Klimah his older brother.

……But what even happened?

Black said that he saw Kleinfelder soldiers killing his father. After that, he ran away by himself and never used the name of Henton ever again.

But apparently, his mother and brother were still living in Nauk, though they were hiding their names. If that was the case, then Black probably didn’t know that parts of his family were still alive.

…….But what would the Kleinfelders stand to gain by hiding the rest of his family like this?

It just felt very….strange. Like the points weren’t adding up.

[Rienne] “What happened to the Henton family? Do you remember?”

[Klimah] “. . .”

Klimah closed his eyes, carefully nodding.

[Rienne] “Tell me.”

[Klimah] “I……can’t. I can never…….I must never tell anyone…….”

[Rienne] “No, you have to tell me.”

[Klimah] “No, if I do, my mother will die……”

Seeing this, Rienne quickly realized he wouldn’t speak on this no matter how hard she pressed him. Which meant she needed to change the question.

[Rienne] “Then tell me about your father. Did the Kleinfelders kill him?”

[Klimah] “…..Yes. What happened was….”

Klimah still couldn’t open his tightly shut eyes.

His mind probably wasn’t entirely together anymore. After losing his father and younger brother twenty-one years ago, his mind must’ve been lost—like he was going through the motions.

[Rienne] “What is it?”

[Klimah] “He said he had to get him away.”

[Rienne] “Get who away?”

[Klimah] “F, Fernand…..”

[Rienne] “Fernand?”

She didn’t recognize the name. Rienne lowered her head closer to Klimah.

[Rienne] “Who is that?”

[Klimah] “Prince Fernand.”

[Rienne] “Prince?”

Klimah only nodded, plain and desolate exhaustion painted on his face. As if merely thinking of the past was enough to completely drain him of his energy.

[Rienne] “Prince Fernand? A prince of which kingdom?”

[Klimah] “…….Nauk.”

[Rienne] “?”

The words made such little sense to her that her mind stiffened. There were other princes besides her father in Nauk? Her father didn’t have his coronation ceremony until after he had become an adult, so it wasn’t completely unlikely.

She couldn’t remember it very well, but Rienne did her best to recall the royal family tree.

And with a cursory thought, it was occurring to her that the king of the previous generation, while distantly related to the Arsaks, was not a member of their family, nor of their name. Though she couldn’t remember what his name was. (1)

[Rienne] “Why did Prince Fernand run away? Did he do something wrong?”

[Klimah] “It was because King Gainers…….died. He…was killed.”

That was enough to help spark a memory.

The surname of the previous generation’s king was Gainers. He died without an heir, so the eldest son of the Arsak family, who was the closest they had to royalty, took over the throne. That was the late king, Reder, and Rienne’s father.

That was the story as far as Rienne knew. It was all recorded in the royal records as well.

[Rienne] “Who killed the king? Was it Prince Fernand?”

[Klimah] “No.”

[Rienne] “Then?”

[Klimah] “The seven families of Nauk did it. My father—“

[Rienne] “What….? Seven families?”

As she repeated the words ‘seven families’, her mouth was so widely open from the shock, she almost hurt herself. But her confusion was still too great to be let out so easily.

Rienne took a deep breath.

[Rienne] “What you’re talking about now…….is treason. You’re saying someone committed treason in Nauk?”

[Klimah] “……Yes. That’s what my father said.”

Sir Henton was a knight who lived in service to the royal family. A proud member of the Guardian Knights of the Gainers royal house.

So when Nauk’s seven families suddenly murdered the king, he took King Gainers’ only heir and fled as fast as he could.

A young prince by the name of Fernand.