Chapter 9
Black Misunderstanding
“……Pardon?”
Pale eyes scanned her neck and below. Following Black's gaze, Liene's cheeks flushed hotly. Was it because the dress was too loose? She knew it wasn't a perfect fit. But she didn't think it was so obvious as to warrant such blatant attention. ……He didn't seem like the type to care about other people's clothes. Liene tilted her head, puzzled. And what about him? He wasn't even wearing his top properly. Black, of all people, was dressed in a way that made others uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because of his shoulder injury, but he had only put one arm through his shirt, and hadn't even tied the fastenings.
“Please excuse the ill-fitting clothes. It's been a while since I wore mourning clothes, and it seems my size has changed. As you know, the funeral is soon, so there's no time to have new ones made.”
Liene tried to avoid looking at Black's bare skin as she pulled the tray closer again.
“Shall we go inside? Your arm must still be uncomfortable, so I'll help you with your meal.”
“……”
Black's eyebrows twitched for a moment. But he soon readily made way.
“Inside.”
“Yes.”
Liene entered the bedroom alongside Black, holding the tray in an awkward manner, not quite holding it, but not quite giving it up either. * * *
“Princess Liene! Is that the only dress you have?”
Black wasn't alone. Fermos and his men were already there, attending to his morning needs. Since they weren't nobles, the word 'attending' might not be quite right, but that's what it looked like. The men had brought in water for washing and clothes for changing. Fermos, who had discovered them entering side by side as if sharing a tray, jumped up from his seat. Seeing that, she briefly wondered why the injured man had opened the door himself, leaving his men behind.
“It's certainly rude, but I can't help but ask. Did you have to wear that dress? Yes?”
Liene was slightly offended when Fermos, following Black, pointed out her mourning clothes. ……Is it really that unsightly? Still, pointing it out so openly was too rude. Liene frowned slightly without realizing it and said,
“It's a dress for mourning. In Nauk, we wear black until the funeral is over.”
“What? You have to wear that dress for three days straight, not just today?”
Fermos raised his monocle and spoke again. It was strange that he was making such a fuss over a slightly large dress.
“Is there something wrong with my mourning clothes?”
“Well……”
Fermos couldn't finish his sentence and glanced at Black.
“My lord……”
He didn't think he would be okay with it. The reason for watching Black's reaction was clear. Unfortunately, Princess Liene in black clothes stood out too much. Even to his eyes, she seemed excessively beautiful, and he was deeply worried about how Black would see her. If Princess Liene was merely a beautiful woman, he wouldn't have worried unnecessarily. But considering the connection to Black's past, he couldn't simply let it pass. That woman was special. To Black. The problem was that he didn't know what that meant. Perhaps even Black didn't know. One thing was certain: he didn't want to see his lord being swayed by a woman and losing his mind. If that woman was the princess of a hopelessly failing kingdom, there was no need to say more.
“Shut up.”
But perhaps it was already too late. Black looked at Fermos over Liene's head. The way his eyes seemed to gleam meant that Black was uncomfortable.
“If the dress is a problem, then don't look at it. Either leave, or close your eyes.”
“Th-That's not it… I was being rude. I apologize, Princess Liene.”
The clever Fermos quickly stepped back at this point. But the worry in his heart didn't subside easily. This won't do……. The captain of the royal guard of the Arsak Family was still alive. Princess Liene knew that too. At this point, it wasn't good for Black to have a lenient attitude towards Liene.
“I hope the funeral ends as soon as possible.”
As Fermos muttered softly with an uncertain tone, Black said,
“Get out.”
He seemed annoyed by the constant chatter.
“……No, I can't do th-……Understood.”
Fermos tried to say that he couldn't leave them alone, but he forced himself to stop and bowed his head. His lord wouldn't fail to recognize the reason if he acted so obviously. Haa…… What to do about this. It couldn't be helped. As his lord said, it was necessary to find out what Princess Liene was thinking. As soon as possible.
“Please take good care of my lord, Princess Liene.”
Fermos led the rest of the mercenaries, who were less perceptive, out of the room. * * * They were left alone. Coincidentally, it was the same space where they had shared that feverish kiss yesterday. If it weren't for Fermos, Liene would have been very embarrassed by now, as the memories of yesterday would have resurfaced. ……Is this dress really that strange? But fortunately, her mind was preoccupied with other things. With two people bringing up the dress in succession, she couldn't help but feel that her dress was really awful. Should she gain some weight? When she got to that point, Liene was startled. ……I'm crazy. Why weight? Do I want to look good to this man?
“What are you thinking about?”
Black's voice, suddenly piercing her eardrums, shattered her thoughts.
“……Nothing.”
Liene banished the thoughts she couldn't even understand from her mind. It was strange to want to look presentable to a man. The man was the one who had shattered the peace of Nauk. Even if it was a peace that would soon wither away.
“Would you like to eat first? Or should we tend to the wound first?”
“I don't mind, but if I had to choose, I'd like to change the bandage first.”
“Yes, then.”
Before Liene could ask, Black took off the shirt he was wearing as if he was stripping it off. It was a breathtaking body, even seeing it again. Usually, seeing scars on someone's skin would bring to mind pain or stories. But the man's scars made her feel dizzy more than anything else. ……It's because of his face. It was because the man looked like that. Because that face made everything like an ornament. The strange eye color that resembled an animal more than a human, the expressionless face like a statue, and the imposing physique, when added to that face, simply became something beautiful to look at.
“I'll remove the bandage. ……Ah, but?”
It was the moment when she swallowed useless things like thoughts or tremors and touched Black's bandage. Liene thought the bandage was too clean. It looked like a brand new one that had just been changed.
“But?”
Black looked at Liene and echoed her words.
“I don't think it needs to be changed. Did you perhaps apply medicine too……”
“Change it anyway.”
Black quickly cut off Liene's words.
“Unless you can't stand me touching you again.”
“……Then.”
The word 'again' sounded strange, but Liene quietly unwrapped the bandage. Thinking about it again, she didn't dislike the man. Just now, when the man told his men to close their eyes or leave, she even had the illusion that the man was taking her side. If that was really the case. Did that mean that this man hadn't forgotten the promise he made yesterday? Did it mean that he intended to keep it faithfully? Then me. Should I do that too? Is it okay to do that……. Liene silently unwrapped the bandage and removed it. New medicine had also been applied to the wound. As expected, the bandage had been changed in the morning. ……Strange. The man who insisted on changing the bandage, and herself who changed it knowing that it didn't need to be changed, were all strange.
“I won't apply medicine separately, as it might not mix well.”
The wound seemed to be healing quickly. That was fortunate. Liene covered the wound with a new bandage and carefully wrapped it. Suddenly, she remembered that her lover had once been injured in a similar place. What was it like then……. Did I take care of the wound then too? ……Ah, that's right. I applied the medicine, and Madam Flambard wrapped the bandage. At that time, her lover kept holding Liene's hand tightly and rubbing his forehead against her clothes. She thought he looked very childlike. In fact, the wound didn't seem very big, but he seemed to be exaggerating, and she was more bothered by the fact that he kept holding her hand. How long will you keep me here? I have a lot to do. She had to resist the urge to tell him to let go several times.
“……Did you check the well?”
Liene missed Black's voice because she was lost in thought for a moment.
“……Pardon? What did you say?”
“I asked if you checked the corpse properly.”
Unlike her lover, Black didn't exaggerate. But one thing was the same. Just as her lover held her hand and kept her there, Black also tied her down with his gaze. And Liene was feeling something completely different from that time. She didn't have time to think about when to tell him to let go. She only felt a tactile hallucination as if she was tightly bound.
“Ah, I see you heard. Yes, I went to the chapel. I thought it was only right to…… say a proper farewell.”
It was something she always felt, but the man's eyes were too clear. It wasn't easy to lie to those eyes.
“So, have you said your farewell?”
Even now, he seemed to be looking into some part of Liene's lie with an impossibly clear gaze. Liene swallowed hard without realizing it.
“Yes……”
“That's a relief.”
The voice that said that was dry and devoid of emotion.
“Then I can just wait for the princess to keep her promise.”
“……”
Black slowly reached out and stroked Liene's cheek. Following the slow, gentle gesture, the downy hairs on her skin seemed to stand on end.
“I'd like it to be as soon as possible…… When do you think it will be?”
* * * This…… isn't a courtship. The man's fever had already subsided. His body temperature was usually high, but the man's hand wasn't as hot as it was yesterday. The same was true of his eyes. They weren't the feverish, dazed eyes from yesterday. The man's eyes were as cold and clear as water.
“I don't like ambiguity.”
It sounded like he hated ambiguity. It sounded like he had no intention of tolerating suspicion, conflict, or precarious balancing acts. Following Black's hand, Liene's expression gradually hardened. ...What did Fermos say?
-Are you saying that man was the princess's lover?
He certainly said that. Looking back now, he did seem suspicious when he said it.
-If you mean it, I am truly grateful.
It was strange that he added the word "sincerely" at the beginning. It was as if he knew it wasn't sincere. He knows. That the corpse is not Arsac, the captain of the royal guard. Black moved his hand to caress her skin, without being rude.
"And I'm not good at waiting."
"......"
"I hope you don't make me wait too long."
Black was giving a warning. I know that this farewell is fake, so make it real.
"I'm..."
Tension shook her eyelashes. It was too difficult to keep lying in front of someone who knew all her lies. ...But I can't not do it. If I make a mistake, it will be revealed that he is not dead but hiding somewhere in Nauk. If that happens, the Kleinfelter Family will be desperate to protect their eldest son, and Tiwakan will gladly wield his sword to kill him. No one knew how many would die by that sword.
"I'm trying hard."
Liene placed her hand over Black's hand that was holding her cheek. Black silently looked at their hands overlapped.
"I don't like ambiguity either."
She had to tie it off. Liene weighed her lover and his family, and Tiwakan and their leader. The pendulum, which seemed like it would be evenly balanced, surprisingly tilted to one side easily. The Kleinfelter Family did not have the ability to fight against Tiwakan. Choosing her lover meant that she would also be fighting a losing battle. I can't do that. Me losing means the end of Nauk. This was the hand she had to take. She put strength into her hand overlapping with Black's.
"I will forget the past."
Liene rose with her hands still overlapped. Black's gaze, who was sitting on the bed, followed Liene's movements upwards. Liene cast her gaze at the lips raised towards her.
"As promised."
Liene closed her eyes and lowered her head. Soon, their lips met. Liene wrapped her arms around his head, just like Black had done yesterday, and sucked on their touching lips.
