Chapter 13
A Dangerous Reunion (4)
It was unbelievable.
“Laffite!”
The former lover spewed the same nonsense as her uncle, directed at Liene's eyes, which trembled with shock.
“I will spend my life thanking God for this day, when I am to take the beautiful princess as my wife. I hope the princess will also be glad in her heart to have me as her husband.”
“Our relationship is over! It can never be undone! Nothing will change by doing this!”
“Far from it.”
Laffite said, his eyes bloodshot.
“It will be different… How could it be the same? You are becoming my wife.”
“……”
“If this is the only way to have you, I will do it.”
Her lover seemed blinded, seeing only one thing. He didn't seem like the lover she knew. Laffite, who left Liene speechless, asked her uncle,
“Where is the wedding hall?”
“Why bother going to a wedding hall? Anywhere the Cardinal is, is fine.”
“Then let's do it here. Right now.”
“Good idea.”
Liene shouted.
“Who said you could! I will never… Ugh,”
Laffite covered her mouth with his hand as she spoke.
“I will take the marriage vows on behalf of the princess.”
“N, ngh, no!”
Liene grabbed Laffite's arm and struggled.
“Be still. Just for a moment.”
While Laffite held Liene, the Cardinal approached. When he took out a consecrated laurel branch from the long sleeves of his robe, Liene felt like she was suffocating.
“……!”
The more Liene struggled, the harder Laffite held her. Dragged almost into his arms towards the laurel branch, Liene squeezed her eyes shut and bit the palm of Laffite's hand that was covering her mouth.
“Ugh……”
Laffite frowned. But even as blood flowed from his skin, he didn't let go of Liene. …Please, let go. She couldn't do anything with her own strength. A painful sense of frustration weighed down on Liene's shoulders. Please. Even as she clenched her jaw until it felt like it would break, only a little blood flowed from the tough skin. The salty, fishy taste of blood spreading in her mouth made her nauseous. As Liene lowered her head to swallow the nausea, the Cardinal raised the branch and touched Liene's head. Just that alone made her feel like her body was skewered on a skewer like meat.
“Oh, primordial god, root of the earth, tears of the sea, Ra Hore Benussi Atika. Today, a pair of lovers conceived by your soil seeks to make a covenant of bonds in your name before the altar…”
It was the moment the Cardinal's lengthy marriage blessing began. Bang! A loud noise shook the tightly closed door. It was enough noise to make everyone stop what they were doing.
* * *
“Continue!”
Lyndon Kleinfelter, who had regained his senses after a moment, said to the Cardinal. The Cardinal was startled and tried to pick up the laurel branch he had dropped on the floor. But Liene was faster. Quickly groping the floor, Liene picked up the branch and held it tightly, so hard that her knuckles ached, and didn't let go.
“Give it back.”
Laffite let go of Liene's mouth and tried to snatch the branch. Bang! An even louder sound than before rang out. It was at a level that could not be ignored.
“Damn it! What the hell is going on! Go and see what's happening!”
Lyndon Kleinfelter shouted at the soldiers. Two soldiers hurried towards the window. But that became unnecessary. Before they could check outside, this time the main gate of the mansion rang out with a bang. Bang, bang! The sound didn't stop at once. After a while, the source of the sound was revealed. Bang! Crack! A part of the large, heavy door fell off, and a huge battle-axe with a sharp blade was stuck in the split gap.
“What… What…”
Crack! The axe was pulled out with a whoosh, revealing a fairly large crack. It was a large enough gap for words to be clearly conveyed.
“Open the door.”
Liene's eyes widened without her realizing it. There was only one person with such a low, deep voice. That man… How? Black was just beyond the door. She couldn't see him yet, but he was so close.
“Lord Tiwakan!”
Liene called out to Black. Laffite covered Liene's mouth again, but it was already too late.
“Are you safe?”
“U, um……”
Liene couldn't answer with her mouth covered. But it wasn't as distressing as before. She could see with her own eyes that the Kleinfelter Family people and the Cardinal were flustered and didn't know what to do.
“It seems they don't want to open it, my lord. I guess we'll just have to break it down.”
Following Fermos's cheerful voice, a sickeningly large axe blade was embedded once again. Thwack! Bang! The sturdy and magnificent door was now about to be split in half. The problem was what would happen next. Once this door was gone, the only thing that could stop Tiwakan was the human body.
“Damn it!”
Lyndon Kleinfelter cursed under his breath.
“We have to open the door.”
Laffite protested.
“Uncle!”
“It can't be helped. Are you going to greet them as enemies instead of guests?”
The wedding ceremony had already floated away to the other side of the river. A forced wedding ceremony was only possible when all the witnesses were on their side. When there was an enemy wielding a battle-axe just beyond the door, the story was naturally different.
“You go and hide. There's no good in showing them your face.”
“I can't do that! I'm…”
“There's no time to argue now. You guys, take the eldest son away.”
Lyndon Kleinfelter ordered the soldiers to forcibly drag Laffite away, then turned to Liene and spoke quickly.
“You may be cheap, but you're not stupid, so you know what situation you're in. Whether you turn Nauk into a battlefield or leave it as it is depends on the princess's tongue.”
It was an utterly shameless threat. But Lyndon Kleinfelter was confident. It was because he knew why Liene had come here avoiding the eyes of others with only Weroz in tow in the first place.
“So, please do as you see fit.”
Lyndon Kleinfelter snapped his fingers to signal the soldiers. A soldier waiting in front of the door barely lifted the latch, avoiding the axe blade.
“Oh? It seems they don't want to fight?”
Fermos chuckled, having heard the sound of the latch being opened.
“Hey, put the axe down. We don't need to break it anymore.”
Bang! Following that, a reckless kick pounded on the Kleinfelter Family's main gate. Groaning, thud! The messily dug-up door was pushed to both sides, and then Black stepped in. * * * …What to do. For some reason, she felt like she was going to cry. It looked like she was crying because she was happy to see him. …But she couldn't say she wasn't happy either. The moment she saw that face, she felt an absurd sense of relief.
“What brings you to my house?”
Lyndon Kleinfelter asked shamelessly.
“And even breaking down the door to do so. What an uncivilized and barbaric act. It's something a stray dog would do, not a person.”
It was no different from an insult.
“Lord Kleinfelter,”
Before Liene could point out his rudeness, Black spoke first.
“What about you.”
“……What?”
Lyndon Kleinfelter's complexion changed at the sudden disrespect.
“What were you doing, hiding in your hole like a rat?”
“What kind of… Why is a barbarian interfering with what I do in my own house…”
“House or hole.”
Thud. Black took a step forward. Lyndon Kleinfelter's complexion changed noticeably. Perhaps because of his large build, a head taller than Lyndon, Black seemed to threaten Lyndon Kleinfelter just by walking.
“Don't lock the door. Not when my betrothed is inside.”
“What is this… What…”
Black took another step forward. Pitifully, Lyndon Kleinfelter tried to resist without stepping back, resulting in a strange posture with only his upper body leaning back. It looked like he would fall on his butt if someone tapped his ankle.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Black suddenly turned his head and asked Liene.
“No. I… I only delivered the obituary. There was no chance of getting hurt.”
“We'll have to see about that.”
Thud! Black took the last step remaining in front of Lyndon Kleinfelter.
“Ugh.”
Thud! Lyndon Kleinfelter, whose upper and lower body balance was off, eventually stumbled backward and fell to the floor.
“Ah, my lord!”
“Lord!”
The soldiers behind him rushed over in a hurry, but they couldn't bring themselves to lift him up. Black was too close for that. Black stood and looked down at the fallen Lyndon Kleinfelter, like a human contemplating whether to step on an ant under his feet or just pass by.
“Don’t forget.”
Not closing the door meant not offering even the slightest resistance.
Black, having delivered his warning in an unforgettable way, turned sharply. He was met by Liene.
“I came to see you off.”
“……Yes.”
That was reason enough for Black to visit the Kleinfelter Family mansion.
“May I return now?”
“Yes.”
Liene walked up to Black on her own. Black wordlessly took the hand Liene offered.
“Let’s go back quickly.”
She wanted it to end like this. Liene was disgusted by the Kleinfelter Family's atrocities, but unfortunately, all she could do was cover it up. If it came to light that Laffite Kleinfelter was hiding here, that he had tried to assassinate her because he had no intention of giving up on Liene, and that he had tried to force a wedding ceremony, then war would begin from this moment on. Nauk would be torn in half, killing each other. It was something Liene had to avoid more than anything.
“My business here is done. There’s no need to stay any longer.”
But as always, Tiwakan knew far more than Liene thought.
“Already?”
Fermos chuckled and pushed up his monocle.
“Is there any reason to go straight back after finishing your business? The Kleinfelter Family is… let’s see. I believe it’s the wealthiest in Nauk. While we’re here, let’s have a cup of tea. Our lord, who will soon be the co-ruler of Nauk, has paid a personal visit, so the host should show him every courtesy. If they just let us leave, wouldn’t that mean there’s something seriously wrong with the host’s head?”
Lyndon Kleinfelter, who had suddenly become a person with something wrong with his head, flushed with anger. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Fermos quickly cut him off.
“And it’s perfect timing. Judging by his attire, that old man seems to be the Cardinal here, so while we’re at it, let’s discuss the upcoming royal wedding procedures. What do you think, my lord?”
The Cardinal should never leave the temple without a reason. Fermos, having recognized the Cardinal, might be trying to find out why he was at the Kleinfelter Family mansion instead of the temple at this hour.
“Couldn’t that be done later?”
So Liene placed her hand over Black’s. Black’s eyes, which had been facing Fermos, turned to Liene. Liene looked up at him, making her expression look quite earnest.
“I want to go back now. I’m tired.”
Before you dig up things that shouldn’t be revealed. With that earnest expression, Liene leaned against Black’s chest. She felt his muscular, hard chest flinch and become even harder.
“Together.”
Before you tear Nauk apart. If she could prevent that, she could do more than just lean on him.
“……”
Black’s low breathing seeped into her forehead. Unbelievable as it was, Liene felt stable in his embrace. His hard chest, which seemed like it could bear any amount of weight, was like the walls of Nauk. She felt comfortable and safely protected.
“This is a strange thing.”
“What……”
Black looked down at Liene and murmured softly.
“I know you’re hiding something, but I don’t feel like pressing you about it here.”
“……”
…Yes, he couldn’t possibly not know. She didn’t think that simply saying she had come to deliver a death notice would explain everything. That’s why this moment was strange to Liene as well. The fact that a man who didn’t trust her felt so reassuring.
“If that’s what you want, we’ll go back.”
Black put his arm around Liene’s waist, more to support her than to embrace her. But Liene was the only one he was letting it slide for.
“You stay and receive the treatment I deserve. And finish your business with the Cardinal.”
Fermos nodded as if he expected it.
“Of course, my lord. I won’t disappoint you.”
The group quickly split up. Those who would escort Black back to the castle and those who would stay with Fermos at the Kleinfelter Family mansion found their places.
