Chapter 11
11. a Dangerous Reunion (2)
“You came to deliver the obituary in person… Hmm.”
Lyndon Kleinfelter’s expression was certainly far from welcoming. However, there was no sign of grief over his nephew’s death. He knew he wasn't really dead.
“Yes.”
Princess Liene faced Lyndon Kleinfelter, the chairman who hadn't budged despite her repeated requests for an audience. Since Nauk's finances had turned to deficit, he had completely abandoned his duties as chairman. Liene had been selling off her family's assets to cover the deficit. Both knew it was absurd. But she couldn't do anything about the Kleinfelter Family with her own power. She would have to lead an army and force them into submission, but unfortunately, the Kleinfelter Family's private soldiers outnumbered the castle guards.
“And I also bring news that the marriage between Tiwakan and the Daughter of Arsak is ten and four days away. As the largest family in Nauk, the Kleinfelters should attend to show their friendship.”
“Are you saying we should attend the wedding of our enemy?”
Liene calmly faced Lyndon Kleinfelter, who casually spoke of enmity. Both knew that Tiwakan wasn't an enemy. Her lover wasn't dead.
“Yes.”
“With all due respect, the Daughter of Arsak seems to have lost her mind. Accepting the barbarians' proposal in the first place is proof of that.”
“……”
Liene didn't rebuke the rudeness but simply smiled bitterly. It wasn't new for Lyndon Kleinfelter to act arbitrarily towards the ruler of Nauk. When Liene inherited the throne after her father's death, the Kleinfelter Family was the loudest in their opposition. If Liene hadn't been in an official relationship with the eldest son of the Kleinfelter Family, their rudeness would have known no bounds.
“Unfortunately, my mind is perfectly sound. If I hadn't accepted Tiwakan's proposal, that would have been proof that I wasn't. Now that I've delivered the obituary, please prepare for the funeral. Arsac's captain of the royal guard, Laffite Kleinfelter, has returned to the earth, and his name will be remembered forever as one who died honorably.”
Liene's words meant that he should remain a dead name. That was the way to ensure everyone's safety.
“You've lost your pride and spirit along with your sanity. Shouldn't the Daughter of Arsak avenge her betrothed?”
“Watch your words, sir. Laffite Kleinfelter was never my betrothed. There was never an engagement. Don't you remember?”
Lyndon Kleinfelter's lips twitched.
“Not betrothed… What kind of wordplay is that? Does the Daughter of Arsak mean to say she was just having fun with the eldest son of the Kleinfelters? What a cheap body.”
If Weroz had been in the drawing room, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from drawing his sword. Liene also felt like slapping Lyndon Kleinfelter across the face.
“I can see how the Kleinfelter Family usually treats its eldest son. Even if he's dead, is it okay to insult him so easily?”
“The Daughter of Arsak is the one who's disgracing the eldest son of the Kleinfelters. You should be slitting that barbarian's throat right now, but you're marrying him instead? Can't your pretty little head understand how insulting that is to me?”
Smash! She couldn't take it anymore. Liene picked up a vase that decorated one side of the drawing room and threw it at Lyndon Kleinfelter's feet. The broken shards of pottery and water stained the foreign carpet, which was sure to be expensive.
“Temper…”
Lyndon Kleinfelter's mustache twitched.
“The late King of Nauk passed it down to me. I suppose it was meant to be used to personally discipline anyone who dares to spout nonsense beyond their station, like you.”
Liene mixed her rough breathing into her words.
“If you're so unhappy that I accepted the proposal, then look back at what the Kleinfelter Family was doing during the fifteen days that Nauk was besieged. When nearly a hundred of Nauk's guards gave their lives, where were the private soldiers of this place hiding?”
“So, you're saying that selling that cheap body to the barbarians is for the sake of Nauk?”
It was a mistake. She should have thrown the vase somewhere else.
“I think I've been too lenient. I should have hit that head of yours instead of the floor.”
“What, my head? Go ahead and keep barking like that. What can a little thing like you do?”
Lyndon Kleinfelter bared his gums and snarled like a dog. Having thrown away even the minimum of courtesy, the two of them seemed to be standing on a battlefield rather than in a drawing room.
“Tell him. To quietly leave as a dead man. And don't even think about shooting arrows again.”
After glaring at each other for a moment, Liene got to the point.
“If you want Nauk to be safe, put aside your personal desire for revenge.”
“Why don't you show that temper to the barbarians?”
“I'm sure you'll tell him. Also, let him know that Tiwakan knows that the captain of the royal guard of Arsac isn't dead.”
“Oh, did you get a taste of his lower belly and find you had no room to be temperamental?”
“Shut…!”
The word "shut up" was about to burst out. Knock, knock. A sound echoed from beyond the drawing room door.
“I've brought refreshments for the guest.”
Liene and Lyndon Kleinfelter froze at the same time because of the familiar voice.
“May I come in?”
Creak. The one who entered as the door opened was her undead lover. * * *
“Why did you come forward? I told you to stay put.”
Lyndon Kleinfelter spoke to his nephew with a displeased look. That was why Liene had to wait so long in front of the mansion for the door to open. Lyndon Kleinfelter had decided that his nephew would gain nothing from facing Princess Liene alone. His nephew became a lovesick fool when it came to Princess Liene. He was the kind of person who would accept even a request to die, not just pretend to be dead. So he had told him not to come near the drawing room, but he had appeared anyway.
“Please leave, Uncle.”
Even though he was his nephew, he was the eldest son. Because of his easygoing personality, he had been treated like an elder until now, but in fact, it should have been the opposite. With just one word from his nephew, he could be kicked out without any wealth and have nothing to say.
“I can't do that. The Daughter of Arsak has already betrayed us. Who knows how she'll melt you with her cunning tongue.”
“Do not speak rudely of Princess Liene. I will not tolerate it.”
…This was what it meant to become such a hopeless fool. Lyndon Kleinfelter clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk…! She's not worth it. Do you know what the Daughter of Arsak just said to me? About you and our family in the future…”
“Uncle!”
Anger appeared in his lover's eyes. Lyndon Kleinfelter stopped talking at that point. Even though his nephew was usually docile and without principles, there was a side of him that he couldn't stop once he got angry.
“……Tsk. I'll be outside.”
Lyndon Kleinfelter reluctantly left the drawing room. Thud. Behind the closed door, a suffocating space remained where the separated lovers faced each other. * * *
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Liene spoke first. Her lover looked healthy. His skin seemed rougher, but compared to the corpse that had died in his place, she couldn't fault him for that.
“Princess… My Liene.”
Her lover called her name in a voice that seemed to be gushing out. At first, he had been frozen with his eyes locked on hers, but he quickly approached and hugged Liene tightly.
“……”
Just bear with it a little longer. Liene closed her eyes and soothed this contradictory situation. This person also needs time to say goodbye.
“I promised… I couldn't keep my promise.”
Her lover's hand dug into her hair. That touch hadn't changed. It was passionate, affectionate, respectful, and desperate. So, even the feeling of guilt was the same. …It's okay. This much is bearable.
“You must have been waiting… You must have been scared, and I couldn't be by your side…”
It was okay. Liene didn't expect too much from him. She would have been happy if he had returned with reinforcements on time, but that would have led to another war anyway. Even if the Sharkan Kingdom had decided to send reinforcements, it was questionable whether they would have been on a scale large enough to face Tiwakan.
“Run away.”
Liene counted to ten before opening her eyes and speaking.
“Pardon?”
Her lover stopped stroking her hair and pulled away from Liene. It was to look her in the eye.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I say. Run away before Tiwakan reveals that you're hiding here.”
“You want me to run away alone?”
“That's the way to keep everyone safe.”
Her lover's eyes widened. Distrust and betrayal seemed to pour out of his wide eyes.
“…I can't believe it. That you would give up on me like this, Princess.”
Liene couldn't understand her lover. Why couldn't he understand? I can give up anything. If it's for the sake of Nauk.
“I will marry Lord Tiwakan.”
They were no longer lovers.
“I came to say this. Thank you for everything, and I hope you stay safe in the future.”
“No way… Are you abandoning me like this? Princess?”
The hand holding Liene's shoulder tightened. She felt a brief pain, but Liene decided to endure it.
“I believe this is the way to protect Nauk.”
“Absolutely not!”
Her lover cried out, choked with emotion. The brown eyes, usually so gentle and soft, and therefore sometimes felt weak, now burned like a bonfire.
“How does abandoning me protect Nauk! How! Why!”
“Neither the Arsak Family nor the Kleinfelter Family can stand against Tiwakan. Right now, that’s…”
“So you’re offering me up with your own hands? With the princess thrown in as a bonus?”
Her lover wore an expression she had never seen before. A sharp sneer bloomed on his face, cutting into Liene's feelings.
“How can you be so foolish, Princess… That’s exactly what those barbarians are aiming for.”
Her lover reached out and grabbed Liene's hair. Before she could ask him to let go, he opened his mouth breathlessly.
“Do you know what rumors I heard in the Sharkan Kingdom? About the leader of those barbarians?”
“Lord Kleinfelter. Let go of me. I have a fiancé now.”
Her lover didn't listen to Liene. As if deaf, he only said what he wanted to say.
“The reason he came to Nauk of all places to commit this barbaric act.”
* * * She was very curious about that. The reason Tiwakan's leader wanted Nauk. This place, the poorest and most barren of the five southern kingdoms. Even now, after promising to be sincere with each other, this question remained unresolved.
“What… what was the reason?”
Liene spoke to the eldest son of the Kleinfelter Family, who was no longer her lover.
“He holds a grudge. Against Nauk.”
“……Pardon?”
“So he planned his revenge for a long time. Everyone outside Nauk knows this.”
“What kind of… what kind of grudge?”
“His family was killed by someone from Nauk.”
“So he’s trying to take Nauk? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“Do you expect a barbarian to make sense?”
“……”
Liene closed her mouth. It might not make sense to an ordinary person. But if the person dreaming of revenge was the leader of Tiwakan, it might make sense. He had the power to destroy Nauk as he pleased. …No, that makes even less sense. Then he should have started a war, not proposed. If he had started a full-scale war, Tiwakan wouldn't have needed to besiege the castle for two weeks. Everything would have been settled in three days. Her head would be hanging on the castle walls, and Tiwakan would have erased the name of Nauk from the map of the continent. And he clearly said that if he wanted to destroy it, he would have done so from the beginning. Revenge. No. That can't be it.
