Chapter 66
66. Courtship (2)
Come to think of it, this was the first time Madam Flambard had spoken to Black alone. She had vaguely thought of him as a fearsome and barbaric mercenary leader, but facing him in person, he was a little different from what she had imagined. His manner of giving instructions was familiar and clear. He wasn't exactly polite, but he wasn't rough either. Strangely, she felt an imposing aura from him, the kind that someone of high status might possess.
“That’s… about the wedding dress.”
She felt herself shrinking, so she spoke cautiously.
“If you mean it needs to be made anew, then so be it. If money is an issue, talk to Fermos. He will take care of it.”
“Ah, then could you perhaps speak to the Princess directly? The Princess keeps trying to sell her jewelry…”
“Jewelry?”
“Yes. If it were any other jewelry, it wouldn't matter, but she's trying to sell the Late Majesty's necklace. She cherished that necklace so much that she would have sold the marble bathtub before it, but now she's even trying to sell that, so how could my heart not ache? Everything the Late Majesty left behind has been sold, and that necklace is the only thing left.”
Black frowned.
“She’s selling an inherited necklace because of my wedding dress?”
“Yes.”
“Any old clothes would do…”
Madam Flambard quickly interjected.
“It's not just any old clothes. It's a wedding gift from the Princess, replacing other gifts. She emphasized that we should prepare the best one possible, without thinking about the money. But selling the Late Majesty's necklace is too much, isn't it? Once it's sold, it might not be possible to buy it back with money.”
In any case, she was asking him to stop the Princess. Judging by his behavior, he seemed sincere about the Princess and seemed to have enough money to spend, so she figured he would easily grant this request.
“……That’s difficult.”
However, Black's quiet mutter was this.
“Yes?”
Madam Flambard, flustered, clutched at her skirt. Was he reluctant to spend that much money? Did she need to reevaluate this man?
“Wasn’t she getting tired of the marriage…”
No, it was something else. Madam Flambard, relieved, said,
“Of course not. The Princess has been preparing to welcome Lord Tiwakan as her husband for a long time. When she first started making the wedding dress, she was so enthusiastic that she did most of the sewing herself. She had been preparing with such passion, but then, just when I was away, that woman in the North Tower ruined the dress… Oh, dear. I shouldn’t have said that.”
She said she shouldn't have, but she did it on purpose. In fact, Madam Flambard felt a bit wronged. It wasn't Liene who ruined the coronation gown. Of course, she didn't know why she suddenly became emotional and started cutting it with scissors, but in any case, it started with that woman in the North Tower. It was unfair for Liene to take the blame alone. She didn't know all the details of the relationship between that woman and Lord Tiwakan, but he should know what he needed to know.
“The Princess told me not to say anything. The crime of ruining the wedding dress is a great one, but she must have wanted to protect her.”
In other words, our Princess is such an understanding and angelic person who cares for her subordinates. Of course, she was too good for a mere mercenary leader, so he should know his place.
“If that’s not the reason…”
Fortunately, her efforts seemed to have worked. Black was lost in thought, his temple twitching.
“……I understand.”
Madam Flambard beamed, as if she had expected it.
“Then how should I speak to the jeweler? The Princess says she wants to see the jeweler today.”
After a moment, Black replied,
“For now, do as the Princess wishes.”
“Yes? But then the jewelry…”
“It will not fall into the hands of another.”
“Oh, yes. I understand.”
He seemed to have something else in mind.
“Then I will keep that in mind and call the jeweler.”
Black nodded to convey his meaning, then turned and disappeared.
“Oh… really, even now, his shoulders are so broad.”
Perhaps that's why he was so generous and open-handed.
“……That’s right. What good is a family to a man? It’s more important to take good care of his woman. Absolutely.”
Madam Flambard thought that she could alleviate her disappointment that a mercenary leader was far from a suitable match for Liene. Liene, who had no idea what they had talked about, sold her mother's necklace to the jeweler that evening. The fairly generous price eased the sense of loss in one corner of her heart. * * * The day was coming to an end. Charrreuk. If you listened carefully, you could faintly hear the sound of water. It was the sound of Black washing up after finishing his day as well. I don't think I can go to bed without hearing that sound now. Although the timing is often different, the sound of water that I hear just before falling asleep is a comforting reminder that the day is finally over. It means that both you and I have safely returned to our places.
“……”
Liene fiddled with the pillow placed next to her. She still didn't know if Black would come to her room, or not. She had put out a pillow and blanket, but they might not be used. He said he was going to clear his head… had he cleared it? He seemed angry. No, was he disappointed? Because it seemed like I was trying to avoid the marriage. I need to let him know that's not the case. How should I say it? As she was worrying, the sound of water stopped. It meant that Black had finished washing and was about to leave the bathroom.
“……No.”
Liene quickly got out of bed and hurriedly rummaged through the drawers. She had thought of an excuse to talk to him. * * * Tap, tap. A slightly cautious sound echoed against the bathroom door.
“Can I…… come in?”
There was no answer. Had he already finished washing and left through the opposite door? Liene knocked on the door again, thump, thump.
“Are you done washing?”
……. The closed door, without a reply, felt like a rejection. Lost in thought, Liene chewed on her lip. What should she do? Should she postpone making up until tomorrow? There might be people who don't like being forced to talk when they're in a bad mood. But wouldn't he be the type to say he didn't want to? He didn't seem like the type to pretend not to hear someone calling him. Then could it be that he really can't hear… Ah, could it be? Could he have collapsed, like last time? Black was injured and had lost a lot of blood back then. Liene felt a sudden fear.
“Lord Tiwakan.”
Thump, thump. The sound of knocking on the door became a little rougher.
“I’m worried because you’re not answering. ……I’m going to open the door.”
In the end, Liene opened the bathroom door.
“……? …….”
There was no accident in the bathroom. Black was standing perfectly fine, shaking the water from his hair. The only difference from usual was the towel he had wrapped around his waist instead of clothes.
“Are you…… alright?”
“Yes.”
His reply was short. That made her feel uneasy for some reason. It felt like he was telling her to disappear from his sight because there was nothing more to discuss.
“I called you because you weren’t answering…”
“Because I didn’t have anything to say.”
“……”
……I see. This man, he had this side to him too. I didn't know. I thought he was just kind. He could be cold too…….
“I wanted to ask if there was anywhere you needed medicine. If there were any wounds that hadn’t healed properly.”
Her voice kept getting smaller as her shoulders hunched over.
“There isn’t.”
“Ah…… is that so. That’s good.”
Unlike her words, she didn't feel good at all. ……Then there's no more excuse. Liene hid the hand holding the medicine bottle behind her back.
Actually, she was expecting a little. He liked it when she did something for him. He said he was happy when she touched him. So she thought that applying medicine would make it easier to make up. That it was a misunderstanding that she ruined the wedding dress to avoid the marriage. That she desperately wanted him. That she was just afraid of him leaving.
“Which room will you be sleeping in tonight?”
Liene, who had been hoping against hope, asked hesitantly.
“Should I bring a blanket?”
In fact, she had already brought one.
“……It’s alright.”
Black replied a little slower than usual. The hand that had been shaking his hair swept back his wet hair. A body with only a towel wrapped around it was moving in front of her, and it was torture to watch. This man must know how he looks in my eyes. Liene reluctantly said, averting her gaze.
“You mean you don’t need it. ……May I ask why?”
She didn't know why she hurriedly added the question. Maybe it was because she was upset. It was somehow sad that the man who said he was going to clear his head had cleared his heart instead.
“I want to know if it’s just for today, or if you won’t need it at all in the future.”
“I wondered if I was forcing you to do something you didn’t want to do. It’s funny that I, who forced the proposal, am saying this now, but…”
Black's expressionless face, with his forehead completely exposed, was even harder to believe. If there's nothing covering his face, his expression should be more visible. But this man is the opposite. I don't know what he's thinking. It's like he's wearing a mask.
“Me sleeping in the Princess’s bed also started with me forcing things. I realized that it’s a terrible thing to force myself on someone who doesn’t want me, just for my own pleasure. That will never happen again.”
“I never said I didn’t want you to.”
“It’s something I did for the Princess and received this in return. Actually, it’s always been like that, so I don’t even remember exactly what it was.”
“Even though I say ‘in return’…”
Black turned his indifferent gaze away from Liene.
“I grew weary of taking things as if I were stealing them every time. Don’t worry about it and sleep. I won’t disturb your sleep any longer.”
“I never thought of it as a disturbance.”
“But you never felt it was good either, did you?”
Black opened the door to the opposite side, to his own room.
“Now, do what the Princess likes.”
Thud. He disappeared, leaving behind words as indifferent as his expression. Thump. The wooden medicine container fell from Liene's listless fingertips. Liene watched the medicine container roll across the bathroom floor, unable to even think about picking it up again. I never imagined this. …Being ignored is a very painful thing. Liene frowned as if she were really hurting somewhere. Until she started washing, she had been very tired and listless, but now she didn't think she could fall asleep at all. * * * So it must have been nearing dawn. Creak. Liene rolled up a blanket in one hand and quietly opened the bedroom door, muffling her footsteps. As she had feared, she hadn't been able to fall asleep the whole time. She felt like she would never be able to sleep again for the rest of her life. Since when, though? Liene stood in front of Black's bedroom door, past the King's gallery, and bit her lower lip. Since when, though? Since when have I been unable to sleep without this man by my side? The tightly closed door looked thicker, bigger, and heavier than usual today. She kept losing confidence in her ability to open that door with her own hands.
“……”
Should I just go back? He must be sleeping. He lived on the battlefield, so wouldn't he have sensitive hearing? If I open the door, he'll wake up right away. I shouldn't wake him up. His mood is already bad, so our relationship might get even worse. Yeah, it's better to go back. That's what she thought, but her feet wouldn't turn around easily. Liene swallowed hard several times and gently grabbed the doorknob. Creak…. The problem was that the door opened as if it had been waiting. Liene flinched in surprise, but her heart grew a little bolder. The door just opened… I didn't open it. The room was quiet. Black's breathing was low. Since there was no sign of him being awake, Liene approached the bed. He was sleeping as if he were dead. Seeing his tightly closed eyelids made her feel strange. She felt sorry for him as he slept soundly, but she also resented him a little. I can't sleep. I feel like I've forgotten how to sleep alone. Still, she was glad he wasn't awake. Liene traced his outline with her eyes, which had grown accustomed to the darkness. She missed him in just one day. …Good night. I hope I can meet yesterday's you again tomorrow. Liene quietly turned around, feeling like she wouldn't be able to stop herself from touching him somewhere if she stayed any longer. She was about to turn around.
“Are you just leaving?”
