Chapter 32
32. Flame (1)
For a moment, her mind went blank, but thankfully, her hands moved on their own. Liene quickly grabbed a nearby towel to cover her bare body and said,
“Wh-what are you doing….”
Unlike her hands, her mouth didn't move properly.
“Why, why is it… I put the latch down….”
Only then did Black take his eyes off her and slowly open his mouth.
“……I wondered.”
“……?”
“I couldn't open it, so I thought it was the latch.”
“…….”
So, he wasn't deliberately opening it, but didn't know it was locked. That made her feel a little relieved. Black wasn't planning to abandon his politeness and act recklessly after today. Seeing him, she also thought he must want to wash up. Black was still covered in dirt and blood from the accident.
“Th-then please leave. I'm done washing, so I'll be out of the bathroom soon.”
“Are you hurt?”
“……Pardon?”
Black stood there as if he didn't hear Liene and asked.
“On your arm and side.”
“Ah…….”
Liene twisted her body to hide herself and said again.
“Yes. Please leave…….”
“When did you get hurt? When the wagon overturned?”
It wasn't then. When the wagon overturned and the wooden barrels spilled out, Black pushed her first, so nothing had a chance to touch her body.
“No. I think it happened when I got on the carriage. And please stop looking. Even if you're my fiancé, this is impolite.”
“Ah…….”
Black belatedly turned his head away.
“I apologize.”
He turned away, averting his gaze. As he was about to go back out through the door with the broken latch, he turned around and muttered softly.
“Then…… it's not that?”
“Pardon?”
Perhaps because of the distance, Liene didn't hear him properly.
“What did you say?”
“It's nothing. Don't worry about it.”
Black didn't turn his head again and left the room. Thud. Unlike when it opened, the door barely made a sound when it closed.
“Haa…….”
Liene finally exhaled.
“What is all this?”
The fallen latch lay alone on the unnecessarily large bathroom floor. It wasn't as huge as a castle gate latch, but the bathroom latch was also quite heavy and sturdy. It was strange that Black had pushed it open with force just because the door wouldn't open easily. She realized once again how different she and he were. If he forced anything with his strength, she would have no way to refuse.
“……But he left.”
When she told him not to look, he didn't look, and when she asked him to leave, he left without complaint. Liene thought that was the kind of person Black was.
“That man…… won't do anything I don't like. He's that kind of person.”
For now, that was all she could believe in. * * * It was almost after she had finished washing that Black came in. Liene quickly dried herself, left the bathroom, and took the clothes the maid had brought. Then, she went back into the bathroom, emptied the basin of water she had used, and refilled it with fresh water. It seemed too harsh to ask an injured person to fill their own water. Tap, tap. Having finished her task, Liene opened the door on the opposite side of the bathroom and knocked on Black's bedroom door.
“You can use the bathroom now.”
There was no response from inside.
“……Lord Tiwakan?”
Liene tilted her head and turned around. She thought he might have just stepped out for a moment. Then, she went back and opened the bedroom door. She had a feeling he hadn't just stepped out. Thud!
“……. Lord Tiwakan!”
When she opened the door, she saw Black lying sprawled on the floor. Liene, turning pale, rushed towards Black.
“Lord Tiwakan! Please wake up!”
In a fluster, she grabbed his head and slapped his cheeks, and his eyelids twitched.
“Lord Tiwakan!”
“……Ah.”
A surprisingly clear word came out for someone who had been lying unconscious. His blue eyes slowly regained focus.
“What's wrong?”
He scanned Liene, who was sitting on the floor with his head on her lap, covering his face with her hands. He looked like he had no idea what had happened.
“You weren't answering…… Haa, I came in and found you lying on the floor.”
It was still Liene who was breathless from shock.
“……I must have dozed off.”
“Pardon? On the floor?”
“Sometimes, when I've bled a lot.”
“…….”
Liene stared at Black, who was lying down and looking at her, with an incredulous expression.
“You're injured. Isn't that why you lost consciousness?”
“I'm awake now, so it's fine.”
“…….”
Why did she suddenly think of all the wounds on his body? He doesn't seem to know he's hurt, this man. He doesn't even know he's in pain. He doesn't take care of himself even when he's injured. And yet, why does he stare so much when someone else is hurt?
“Get up.”
Liene let go of Black's head. Black slowly placed his hands on the floor and stood up. He frowned once in the middle, but stood on two legs as usual.
“Will you be staying there?”
Black asked, heading towards the bathroom. He meant he was going to take off his clothes before going in.
“……No.”
Liene shook her head once and stood up.
“Follow me.”
“……?”
While Black was puzzled, Liene walked past him and entered the bathroom. * * *
“Take off your clothes. Like you usually do when you wash.”
“…….”
Black looked at Liene. His lips parted slightly, as if he was a little dumbfounded.
“I'll help you wash. I can't leave someone who might collapse again alone.”
“I'm fine.”
“I don't think so. Take them off.”
“I'm just a little injured.”
“Exactly.”
“…….”
Black stopped talking and frowned.
“Why are you doing this?”
“I told you, it's because you're a patient.”
“It's not that bad.”
“I'm the one who wants to ask why you're doing this. It's not the first time I've offered to look at your wounds. Why is it not okay today?”
The small frown deepened a little more.
“If you're doing this because I reattached Kleinfelter's head, then it's fine. The price the Princess has to pay is different, isn't it?”
“That…….”
Liene's face turned pale at those words. But it was only for a moment. Liene put on a calm expression again.
“It has nothing to do with the price. Lord Tiwakan is injured, and unfortunately, he doesn't seem interested in taking care of his own wounds, so I'm just doing it instead.”
“Why would the Princess do it instead?”
“Because I'm his fiancée.”
“…….”
Liene saw one of Black's eyebrows furrow. She couldn't tell exactly what it meant, but it was definitely not pleasant. If I were that man, I would be too. Especially after going through something like today.
“……I know it might sound ridiculous for me to say this. But I've always felt the same way since the marriage contract was exchanged. I haven't committed adultery with my mind or body, with my fiancé. As long as my name is Arsac, I will never do that in the future.”
She couldn't help it if he didn't believe her. That was his heart, not hers. But even if he misunderstood her, she didn't want to leave an injured person alone.
“If you don't trust me, call someone else, please.”
“……”
Black stood there, sweeping back his dirtied hair. When he removed his hand and his entire face was revealed, his expression was slightly different.
“I take everything off when I wash.”
Liene's cheeks flushed slightly at those words.
“How much should I leave on, then?”
They decided to leave on the bare minimum. Black entered the bathroom where Liene was waiting, wearing only a pair of shorts that came above his knees.
* * *
Liene almost screamed. She couldn't believe Black was standing there with a perfectly fine face. If she had been hurt like that, she would have been lying in bed, groaning.
“There's not a place that isn't hurt.”
Liene sighed as she looked at the swollen and burst skin all over his body. It was fortunate that he couldn't see her expression since her back was turned.
“Unless the bones are hurt, it's not too uncomfortable, so…”
Black trailed off as if making an excuse. In fact, he had rarely made excuses in his life, so he wasn't even aware that he was making one. He just found it strange that something that would have been natural in the past felt awkward in front of Liene.
“But this place healed quickly. It looks like it's already healed.”
Liene, who had meticulously wiped away the bloodstains and dust, carefully stroked the area near his shoulder where the arrow had been lodged a while ago.
“...Ugh.”
Black let out a soft groan and twisted his shoulder. Liene was taken aback and quickly removed her hand.
“I'm sorry. I didn't know it still hurt.”
“It doesn't hurt.”
“...? Then…”
“It's soft.”
“...?”
Why would he avoid it if it was soft? …Ah, he must mean it tickles. Liene, who understood Black's reaction that way, nodded to herself. The wound had healed, but it was scarring, so it could be itchy. She had to be careful.
“How were you planning to wash with so many wounds just on your back?”
Liene was soaking a towel in water and gently wiping him down because she thought it would be too painful to just pour water on him. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't believe he was planning to wash himself with this body.
“I didn't think much about it. I probably would have just splashed water on myself.”
“Haa…”
It was as she had expected. He was insensitive to his own pain. …I'm not. It looks so painful to me that it's hard to even touch him.
“It's almost done. Just bear with it a little longer.”
“It's alright. You don't have to rush.”
“I'm not alright.”
She felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep at night if she kept looking at the wounds. It was beyond just looking painful; she felt like she was hurting too.
“The back is done. I think you can reach the rest…”
She somehow needed courage to say the next words.
“Still, I would like to do it.”
Black turned his head slightly to look at Liene.
“Is it because you're my betrothed?”
“No. It's because Lord Tiwakan clearly won't take care of his wounds properly.”
“……”
For some reason, Black closed his mouth and just stared at Liene. She wondered if his neck would hurt if he kept turning his head like that.
“Then I'll take that as a yes.”
So Liene moved on her own. Black, sitting on the bathroom chair, looked cramped, and his eye level was similar to hers. She felt awkward again when their eyes met. Should she not have offered? She couldn't be calm if she could see his face like this.
“...It's not alright.”
It was the moment Liene brought the water-soaked towel to his collarbone. Black tilted his head back, avoiding Liene's touch. The hand holding the towel remained awkwardly frozen in the empty space.
“Then I might really want to get the price for what happened today.”
“That's… …Ah.”
Liene understood Black's words a little late. She didn't interpret the words she heard, but realized it with her eyes. Black had eyes that were more fiery than when he had a fever from being shot with an arrow. There was no way she couldn't tell what that meant.
“That's… not what I meant.”
Her voice came out cracked because her mouth suddenly felt dry. Liene put her hand to her mouth and coughed for no reason. Black stared at what Liene was doing without even blinking.
“What's not what you meant?”
“Lord Tiwakan wouldn't force such a terrible thing.”
Black's lips twitched for a moment.
“Is sleeping with me a terrible thing?”
“No, that's not what I meant… I meant that you wouldn't force me when I'm not ready.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because you've always shown me that side of you. I know you've always been polite to me.”
Black smiled bitterly.
“I was polite… Even if I was, sleeping together is a different matter.”
“No. It's the same thing. Being polite to me, who doesn't even have the power to refuse a proposal, means that Lord Tiwakan is considerate and cares about me that much. There's no way someone like that would force me to do something I don't want to do.”
“……”
His bitter smile deepened. After the smile faded, Black looked at Liene and said this.
“Confusing.”
