Chapter 56
56. Nine Waterfalls
Black pressed Mrs. Hinton. His voice was as low and unemotional as usual, but Tiwakan, who was listening nearby, thought it sounded anxious.
“The sooner you open your mouth, the better. Princess Liene, whom your son took, must be alive.”
“P, Princess Liene……?”
“If the Princess is alive, I won't kill you.”
“Why…… why…….”
“I don't have time for this.”
“Ah…….”
Mrs. Hinton finally accepted the fact that her eldest son had taken Princess Liene.
“Sh, she's not here…… I don't know anything…… I don't. She was in my room for a while, but then she disappeared again. I haven't heard anything since…….”
“Nowhere else to go?”
“There's no such place…… Ah.”
Mrs. Hinton remembered something. The words her husband had said as he turned away from their second son's body. It was her husband's last will and testament, and his affection. It was also the reason why Mrs. Hinton could never bring herself to curse her husband, who had sacrificed even their second son to the Gainerus Royal Family, not just his own life.
“-There's a path that no one knows about. Only allowed to the blood of Gainerus.”
Her husband had told her the only place where he could escape, breaking his knight's oath. At that moment, her husband's soul must have shattered into pieces. Just like the body of their second son had shattered her soul.
“-You can live there.”
And her husband disappeared. The eldest son had ruined the body of the second son, as per his father's last request. That was her last memory of him.
“Nine Waterfalls.”
Mrs. Hinton said something only a Gainerus could understand.
“That's all I heard. I've given you the answer, so please spare that child. You mustn't kill him. No matter what he's done, if you kill him…….”
Overcome with emotion as she spoke, Mrs. Hinton bit her lip and trembled.
“Not twice. Not twice…….”
“As I said, if Princess Liene is safe.”
Black released Mrs. Hinton's hand and stood up.
“What shall we do?”
Fermos asked quickly. He was asking about Mrs. Hinton's disposition. Judging from their conversation, it was clear that the two knew each other. They didn't seem happy to see each other, but at least she was a part of Black's past. It didn't seem like Black was trying to erase his entire past. If he were, he wouldn't have even offered to spare her life.
“Take her and give her a place to stay for a while. Keep her separate from the rest of this household.”
“Understood.”
“Empty this place and return to the castle. The others might come swarming, seeking revenge, so protect the castle.”
“Just protect it?”
“See how it goes. If eliminating them isn't too much trouble, do as you please. But protecting the castle is the priority. It's a place with many back doors, so the moment you let your guard down, you'll get stabbed in the back.”
“I will keep that in mind. Will you be moving separately, my lord?”
“I have to go there.”
“…….”
He must be talking about Nine Waterfalls. Fermos had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask, but he took a step back. Black wasn't the type to answer questions just because you asked. If it was something he needed to know, he would have told him already.
“I hope you're not too late.”
Without answering, Black kicked off from his spot and ran out.
* * *
“……Wrong. This isn't the way either.”
Liene bit her lip. She was so tired. This was already the umpteenth time she had taken the wrong path and had to turn back. She finally realized why Klima had been so worried. Her eyes had become much more accustomed to the darkness, but that didn't help at all. Liene bent down and groped the ground. She carefully checked the footprints she had left behind and determined her direction.
“Let's just go back as far as we came. I left a mark there.”
This place, like a giant maze, wasn't easy to walk through. There were many places that didn't seem like they were made for people to walk on.
“I think I took the wrong turn there, where the path splits up and down.”
Liene held back a sigh and coaxed her tired feet to start walking again. She was starting to think that she might never find her way out of here and die. What will that man do if I die……? Now that I'm not there to stop him, will he start a war with the six families? Then what will happen to Nauk? A lot of people will die……
“…….”
Why didn't that man do that in the first place? Is it really because of me……? No matter how much she thought about it, it didn't seem right. The Arsak Family was probably at the center of that rebellion. That's why they took the sweetest reward, the crown. Knowing that, the fact that Black proposed to her was an incomprehensible contradiction. There must be something else…… Something else. Maybe he's thinking of something else after the marriage, not just the end of it. I would do that too. Even if that man changes his attitude then, I shouldn't resent him. I have to accept it. Liene stopped walking for a moment and closed her eyes. Maybe it was because of her thoughts, but she couldn't walk anymore. The steps she had been taking with the last of her strength came to an end there.
“……!”
Liene, who had been staggering, fell to the ground. It was more like collapsing than falling.
“Then…… maybe…….”
……Wouldn't it be better to just stay here? I'm scared. I'm so scared to think that that man will change after the wedding. I know I have to accept it, but I don't want to. I'm scared of that man. I'm scared that he didn't really want me from the beginning. So, I don't want to find out…… Her eyelids slowly closed. Liene lost consciousness. * * * The path wasn't a maze. The blood of Gainerus and those who protected that blood knew it. The maze-like structure only appeared that way to those who didn't know the way, especially those who didn't know what this path was for. Black had only walked this path once. But he wasn't confused about the path. The path was made to be walked on. Places that were difficult to walk on were paths for something other than people. That's why he guessed that Liene had taken the wrong path. To Liene, this whole place must have been a huge maze. It was too big and dangerous for someone who didn't know the way. He became impatient. Black left the path and headed for a slightly higher place. Liene would be in her pajamas and barefoot. The fact that her pajamas were white was fortunate. They would be easier to see in the dark than other clothes. After wandering through the darkness he had created for himself for about an hour, Black found Liene.
“……!”
He felt very strange when he found Liene collapsed helplessly in a corner. He kept thinking it was strange even as he ran faster, his breath growing rough. It was as if his body and mind were separated, and his mind wasn't accepting the situation. She can't be dead. The Princess, lying motionless, looked like a corpse. People were surprisingly easy to kill. He knew that fact better than anyone else. She's not dead. But the thought of Liene dying felt like absurd nonsense.
“Huff, huff……!”
By the time he finally reached her, his lungs felt like they were about to burst. He had never known that such a rough sound could come from his mouth. Thud! He hadn't lost any stamina from wandering for just an hour, but strangely, his knees buckled. Black unintentionally knelt in front of Liene and tilted his head to check her breathing.
“…….”
Her breath was weak, but a faint sound continued. She wasn't dead.
“……Good.”
Black tried to pick up Princess Liene. But he couldn't feel any strength in his arms. The feeling of his body not listening to him was too unfamiliar and suspicious. And even though he thought he was looking at Liene's face, his eyes kept going to her pajamas.
“Why…….”
Black realized the reason a little later. Her pajamas were too dirty. Even considering that they were white and easily stained, they were too dirty. It was as if she had been bleeding constantly.
“……Blood?”
His mind went blank for a moment. His arms and legs, which had been difficult to move, were now moving quickly on their own. Black supported Liene with one arm and lifted the blood-stained hem of her pajamas. There were bloodstains here and there on her exposed white skin. But he couldn't find any wounds.
“Ah, c-cold…….”
At some point, Liene half-opened her eyes and moved her lips. Before he knew it, Black grabbed Liene's face and forced her to make eye contact.
“Princess? Are you awake? Where are you hurt?”
“C-cold…… Ah, Lord…….”
“I can't find any wounds. Can you feel where it hurts?”
“…….”
During the brief moment of eye contact, Liene made a very strange expression. It wasn't joy, but a mixture of hesitation, worry, and reluctance.
“Tell me where you're hurt.”
“I don't hurt…… I'm not hurt…… I had something to say…….”
Her voice continued to fade. It felt like his heart was burning.
“If it's something else, you can say it later. If you don't hurt anywhere, I'll move you.”
Black picked up Liene and stood up. He was very concerned that she might have hurt her back or something. But he couldn't just stay here until Liene fully regained consciousness. Thud! Clatter, clatter! The sound of his footsteps was also strange. In fact, the strangest thing was Liene, who seemed so weak. Her bloodless face was so pale that it was strange. It was so strange that he couldn't stand it. Why, Princess? I didn't come back to see this. This isn't what I said I would get back.
“I…… have to…… say…….”
Liene gripped Black's collar with her very cold hand and whispered with difficulty.
“I was going to say… I kept… I had to say it…”
Black had no choice but to stop walking for a moment. He put his ear to Liene's mouth. Liene moved her lips breathlessly.
“You… ah, you should know… there is no… child…”
“……?”
While Black was momentarily confused as to what that meant, Liene closed her eyes as if she had finished her task.
* * * Liene was not hurt. She was just exhausted from wandering the streets for a long time without food. As if to compensate for that, Liene slept a very long, deep sleep, like the dead.
“……Ugh, uhm……”
Liene woke up coincidentally at dawn. It was well past midnight, so most people were asleep. Madam Flambard was the same. The only difference was that she wasn't sleeping in her own room, but had dozed off in the corner of the bed while watching over Liene.
“……Hng, Princess! Are you awake?”
The Madam, hearing Liene's mumbling, startled awake and approached her. Liene kept fluttering her eyelids and opened her eyes with difficulty.
“How is your body? Are you feeling better?”
“Ah… …Yes, I think so.”
“Haa, that's a relief. Truly a relief.”
The Madam repeatedly sighed, clenching and unclenching her hands.
“The things that man said were so frightening, I really thought something terrible had happened to you, Princess. I almost forgot to stop the doctor.”
“Doctor…?”
Liene tried to recall her jumbled memories before she fell asleep.
“How did I get back? I think I got lost there… I don't know what happened after that.”
“Oh my, don't you remember? That man brought you back, Princess.”
“Lord Tiwakan…? …Ah.”
A faint, blurry memory surfaced. She got lost and collapsed from exhaustion, and then she met Black. She thought it was just a dream. So she said something she had never been able to say in reality. There was no child.
