Chapter 42
42. Bait and Poison
“Kugh……”
The pain didn't subside easily. Lyndon Kleinfelter, with both wrists broken, couldn't even get up from his prone position and just groaned.
“Are you in a lot of pain?”
Laffite spoke, trying his best to approach him.
“You should get treatment soon……”
“Don't talk nonsense! There's no way those beasts would do that!”
Lyndon Kleinfelter snapped. It wasn't just misplaced anger. He was furious at his nephew for standing by and doing nothing while he was being treated like this.
“You…… ha, never mind.”
The eldest son was weak. It was probably because everyone had coddled the young son left alone when the previous head of the family, Lyndon Kleinfelter's older brother and father, had died. He had thought that at least he had a handsome face. All that mattered was that he melt the Daughter of Arsak and obtain the right to rule. Now that the right to rule was about to fall into the hands of some strange beast, he regretted it enough to beat the ground.
“What's never mind?”
Laffite stood his ground.
“It means mind your own business.”
“What do you mean, mind my own business? Your hands?”
“……! You idiot! Lower your voice! What if someone hears us!”
“He probably already knows who I am.”
“Still, you can't! Unless he comes out and reveals it himself, the secret must be kept!”
“For what?”
“What?”
“Why do we have to? At this point, what for?”
“What are you…….”
“Isn't the Kleinfelter Family over? Is there anything left to protect?”
“You, you pathetic fool!”
Lyndon Kleinfelter couldn't take it anymore and jumped to his feet. No, he tried to get up, but when he braced himself on the floor with his broken wrists, he collapsed again. Overwhelmed with frustration, Laffite just watched his uncle.
“That can't be…… it can't be. Don't speak carelessly. Don't give up so easily. Act like a Kleinfelter!”
“That name has no power anymore.”
“Who says!”
Lyndon Kleinfelter, who had shouted out in a fit of anger, looked around and lowered his voice as much as possible. Tiwakan was probably outside, eavesdropping. Otherwise, there was no way he would have been kind enough to put him in the same room as his nephew.
“The other families won't stand for it. The Grand Council will be held soon. No one there will side with Arsak.”
“Tiwakan will make sure of that. They were cooperating because they feared the Kleinfelter Family, so they'll prostrate themselves before Tiwakan.”
“We have to make sure that doesn't happen.”
“What are you going to do here?”
“Anything!”
Lyndon Kleinfelter gritted his teeth.
“Yes…… the problem is Tiwakan. I don't know what kind of trick that bitch used to tame that beast like that……”
Lyndon Kleinfelter's eyes widened as if he had thought of something.
“I have to separate them.”
“Yes, Uncle?”
Laffite didn't hear what he said because it was such a small whisper.
“I mean, we have to separate the two of them. We have to turn that dog back into a beast.”
“How can we do that? We're trapped here.”
“We can. We have to.”
Once he got out of here. Lyndon Kleinfelter didn't doubt that. The Lisebery Treaty was absolute. The six families that created the Lisebery Treaty were the pillars and roof of Nauk. If Liene wanted to remain the ruler of Nauk, she could never offend those six families. Because they were hiding the secret of the Arsak Family. A past stained with blood.
“I'll get out of here as soon as the Grand Council is convened. Until then, you have to be strong. Do you understand?”
“……”
Laffite didn't answer, as if he didn't believe him.
“Tsk.”
Lyndon Kleinfelter clicked his tongue. In the first place, Liene couldn't reject the name Kleinfelter. It was just that some beast who knows where it came from was messing things up. So he had to get rid of the beast. It was impossible to drive it out by force, so he had to make the beast leave on its own. To do that…….
“……I have to poison the bait.”
He knew that Liene Arsak looked like a very sweet bait to the beast. Then all he had to do was ruin Liene. Lyndon Kleinfelter's eyes rolled so fast they made a sound.
* * *
“Welcome, Lord Aland.”
Convening the Grand Council was not an easy task. Above all, mashilow's absence played a big part. The minor paperwork had long been mashilow's responsibility, but he was now in the underground prison. Even though she was desperate for help right now, Liene was also thinking of replacing her advisor. She was just pathetic that she didn't know that mashilow was so much on the Kleinfelter Family's side. Even now, she was planning to erase the shadow of the Kleinfelter Family from the royal family one by one.
“I am grateful that you called me.”
Aland was a family that was not affiliated with the Grand Council. As such, their power was weak and their numbers were small. It was impossible for such a person to serve as a royal advisor, but Liene was that desperate. She didn't want to be dragged around by the name Kleinfelter anymore.
“There is a temporary vacancy in the position of Royal Advisor. I can't tell you the details of the situation yet, but I hope you will fill that vacancy for the time being.”
“It's an honor, Princess.”
Liene smiled. It had been a while since a noble had not called her Daughter of Arsak. She was sad that she had to be grateful for that alone, but the feeling wasn't bad.
“May the blessings of God be upon you for readily accepting the Monarch's will. Then I'll tell you what to do. As the ruler of Nauk, I plan to convene the Grand Council. I want you to take charge of that.”
“The Grand Council……?”
Aland looked bewildered. The small noble of the poor kingdom had a simple feeling not only in his appearance but also in his attitude. He was completely different from the nobles Liene had been dealing with.
“Wasn't that last held 14 years ago? I know it hasn't been convened since then.”
The Lisebery Treaty was signed at the Grand Council 14 years ago. In other words, the reconvening of the Grand Council meant an upheaval as great as that time.
“Yes. There are two agenda items. One is the election of the Cardinal, and the other is a trial. The person on trial is Chairman Lyndon Kleinfelter.”
“Yes?”
The words "Lyndon Kleinfelter's trial" surprised Aland even more than the words "Grand Council."
“The, the Chairman's trial……?”
“The charge is harming the royal family. That's all that needs to be included in the letter to the six families. And the date should be as soon as possible.”
“Harming the royal family…… Ah, I understand.”
Aland couldn't hide his shock every time a word came out of Liene's mouth. When she was done talking, he pulled down his sleeve and wiped away the cold sweat.
“It would be nice if you could calculate the necessary expenses first. Use the royal office. I grant you access.”
“It's an honor.”
Aland, who had managed to regain his composure, bowed and stepped back. Since she had entrusted him with minor tasks, Liene had to make other preparations. First, she had to find a new Cardinal.
“If I leave it to the Grand Council, they'll just pick another errand boy for the Kleinfelter Family. I have to pick one in advance.”
Liene came to the hall for the first time in a while to greet Aland. Sitting on the throne that was ridiculously large for her body, Liene leaned on the armrest and propped up her chin.
“Unfortunately, I don't know much about the priests…… I don't know where to start.”
A slight wrinkle formed on her brow as she pondered.
“Should I go to the temple now? That man should still be there. It would be good to go and meet him…….”
“Why would it be good?”
Liene was startled and raised her head because she suddenly heard a question.
“……Oh!”
Then she almost hit her head on her chin. Black had approached behind the throne at some point.
“Why……!”
Liene was so surprised that she couldn't even finish her sentence and just let out a shriek.
“I didn't go to the temple.”
Black stroked Liene's cheek with a relaxed expression, as if he had expected this reaction.
“Why… why?”
“Something I remembered I had to do.”
“Something to do? With me?”
“No. In the basement.”
“The basement… Ah, with Kleinfelter.”
A shadow briefly crossed Liene's face.
“What… was the matter?”
“I went to repay him for this.”
“Pardon?”
Liene, still looking surprised, watched Black raise her right hand.
“I thought I should at least do that much. As your betrothed.”
“So… you gave him a bruise?”
“That’s what I intended, but his bones were weaker than I thought. I broke it.”
“Oh, dear…”
Liene, who had been moving her lips in confusion, soon gave a small, helpless laugh.
“That must be something he’s never experienced before. I can only imagine how he reacted.”
“You’re not going to scold me?”
“What can I do if his bones are weak?”
Black pressed his lips to the bruise on her right hand. A tingling sensation spread from her wrist. This was a problem, she thought. Now, when she saw a bruise, she wouldn't think of pain, but of something else.
“Then one more thing. I actually made a bit of a mistake.”
“Lord Tiwakan made a mistake? I find that hard to believe.”
“It really was a mistake. I only realized it wasn't his right hand, but his left, after I broke it…”
“……And so?”
“I broke his right hand as well.”
“Ah, ha……”
Liene made a strange expression, unable to laugh or frown.
“So both his hands are……”
“Coincidentally.”
“Because you made a mistake.”
“Yes, by mistake.”
“You don’t usually make mistakes, do you?”
“I do when I have to.”
“What does that……”
Liene bit her lip hard. It was to hold back the laughter that was about to burst out. When is there ever a time when you have to make a mistake? He just did it on purpose. Actually, he shouldn't have. The Grand Council was soon. If Lyndon Kleinfelter said his hands were broken, there would be an uproar. But why…….
“I should have done it sooner.”
Black murmured, sliding his lips to the inside of her wrist.
“No, why would you say that……”
“If I had known the princess would like it this much, I would have done it sooner.”
“That’s…… gasp.”
Liene could no longer hold back her laughter and burst out laughing. Black kissed Liene's palm and waited quietly until Liene stopped laughing.
“You… shouldn’t do that.”
Her stomach hurt, and a few tears welled up in her eyes.
Black wiped away her tears with his other hand.
“I will be careful next time.”
Even as he said that, he would make a mistake at any time. When the moment came when he had to make a mistake.
“There’s a trial soon, you know. It’ll be like confessing in front of the elders that the royal family committed an act of thuggery.”
“Would that be a problem?”
“Probably.”
“……Then it seems it was a pointless act.”
Black let out a small sigh mixed with a low groan.
“It’s not exactly pointless. But you have to treat him. It’s a matter of etiquette between nobles.”
It was Liene who felt her heart soften at Black's reaction. Liene quickly grabbed Black's collar with the hand that wasn't being held.
“But thank you.”
“Even if it’s a problem?”
“It’s the first time anyone has done something like that for me.”
That wasn't what she meant to say, but her voice was trembling slightly as she finished speaking. Liene took a quick breath. It had been so long since she had felt this way. Someone being angry and protective for her sake, something like that. Since inheriting the crown, Liene had nowhere to hide. There was nowhere to lean on, nowhere to relax, nowhere to whine. There were only things to bear. Black was the first. No matter how heavy the burden she leaned on him with, it felt like Black would accept it all without budging. ……No, it wasn't just that it felt like he would, he really was. Liene quietly moved the hand that was holding his collar and stroked the skin she touched with her fingertips. What should she do? Right now, she wanted to kiss him.
