A Barbaric Proposal

Chapter 47 | Risebury’s Promise

Squeak.

Rusted from the moisture in the air, the iron door made a terrible squeaking noise as it was pushed aside.

Step.

Even the sound of one’s footsteps reflected the dampness of the dungeons. The black hair of the man entering the room swayed as he tilted his head slightly to the side, pushing past the cramped iron doors.

[Beggar] “. . .”

As he sat on the floor, the old man forced his weary head up, his one eye opening very widely with an expression of shock.

[Beggar] “…….!”

Just then, he cursed how little he could see with only one eye.

He pushed the chair away, crouching his body on the floor, shifting his body in pain as he realized his discomfort. Trying to pull himself up, he tried to get a better look at the man approaching him.

[Beggar] “Gai…Gainers….F……Fer…. Fernand Gainers..…”_⁽¹⁾

The old man’s voice fumbled, his mouth struggling to say a name.

[Black] “So you recognized me. Interesting. I don’t look at all how I did back then.”

The old man, who had just about started to stand up, couldn’t withstand his oppressive strength and fell right back down.

Scratch, scratch.

Black approached the old man, pulling up the chair he wasn’t sitting on and lowering himself to make direct eye contact with him.

[Black] “But I remember your face, too.”

His slow words flowed in the air, eerily quiet against the humid weight of the room.

[Black] “High Priest, Manau.”

[Beggar] “………!”

Black wasn’t the only one whose identity had been discovered. This old beggar also had a name to hide.

[Black] “How long has it been since your body turned into that? Twenty years?”

[Beggar] “. . .”

[Black] “No, probably closer to twenty one.”

After silence took a hold of the old man who had once been a High Priest of Nauk, Black quietly added another comment.

The old man couldn’t take it anymore, finally giving a nod as his answer.

It was twenty-one years ago that Black lost his family and was forced to leave Nauk.

At the same time, the High Priest Manau lost one eye, one leg, and one arm. Not to mention that the servant Klimah also lost his father and his two-year old younger sibling.

They were all secrets that occurred on the exact same day.

Manau, whose entire body was shaking, suddenly threw his head against the floor.

Bang—!

An awful sound rang out across the dungeon. His head was torn and blood flowed freely from the wound—Manau’s messy hair, wet with blood.

[Manau] “Kill me. Kill me, please…….”

Suddenly, his stutter was completely gone. One could hear his voice loud and clear. It was entirely possible Manau’s stutter was faked to hide his voice.

[Black] “That would be difficult.”

Black looked down at the former High Priest, a remnant of the past who was already half broken, crying out as his head continued to bleed.

And as he did, he looked as though he held no emotion.

If this were ten years ago, he might’ve felt something.

But that wasn’t possible anymore. Like he told Rienne, he forgot most of his own feelings that once came to him twenty-one years ago.

To him, they weren’t worth remembering. On the battlefield, where life could become death in a matter of seconds, he learned to find other things that mattered. Things more important than twenty years of old feelings.

[Black] “Princess Rienne will come to see you. Tell her what you know.”

[Manau] “…..?”

Manau raised his head.

[Manau] “What are you saying……..”

[Black] “Exactly what it sounds like. Tell her what you know.”

[Manau] “. . .”

His eyes shaking wildly seemed be asking if he was being serious.

[Black] “You’re all misunderstanding something.”

Black spoke slowly, his tone not conveying even an inkling of emotion.

[Black] “I came to get Nauk, not destroy it. But no matter how many times I say that, she doesn’t seem to believe me, so I’m starting to get a little irritated.”

[Manau] “Who would ever believe that? That’s not possible. It can’t be possible………”

[Black] “That’s why I didn’t reveal my name.”

[Manau] “……?”

[Black] “If I did, most people would act like you.”

[Manau] “. . .”

Manau stayed quiet, his thoughts constantly going over Black’s words.

[Black] “My name is that of the Tiwakan, and that’s enough. As far as you’re concerned, that is the only name you know me by.

He didn’t need anyone to go looking for his name from a past that should be forgotten and buried.

But Manau didn’t understand that at all.

[Manau] “To forget……….Is that even possible?

[Black] “I already have.”

Squeak.

Black stood up, pushing away the chair.

[Black] “From what I can remember, you were never the smartest person, but you’ve managed to hide your identity for the past twenty years, so I trust your head’s on right. What you say to Princess Rienne will determine Nauk’s fate.”

[Manau] “. . .”

He could tell.

It was obvious what would happen to Nauk if Black’s name was ever revealed. Likewise, things might meet a similar end if his own name were ever known, too.

Realizing this, Manau nodded his head as if a weight were on it.

[Manau] “Alright.”

[Black] “Don’t overstep your bounds by saying the name I used when I left Nauk.”

[Manau] “I understand.”

Hearing that answer, Black turned around without saying anything else. Just as his heavy footsteps approached and stopped at the door, Manau quickly shouted.

[Manau] “But don’t kill him!”

[Black] “…….Who?”

Black turned his head just for a moment.

[Manau] “Klimah. He changed his name and became a servant, but originally he was known as the first son of Henton.”

[Black] “. . .”

He’d been indifferent and reserved this entire time, but hearing that, Black’s expression slightly distorted.

[Klimah] “He’s been manipulated by the Kleinfelders and has so much blood on his hands……..But you must not kill him, son of Gainers.”

[Black] “I’ll handle it however I see fit.”

Leaving behind only those words, Black turned and left the dungeon.

After that, a few Tiwakan Mercenaries entered, forcing Manau to his feet. But long before they came, Manau could only cry endlessly with his face buried in his hands.

_^*

* * *

_^*

[Phermos] “Ah, the Lord went himself?”

This entire time, Phermos had been busy combing through the royal records in the King’s office. Just as he’d promised, he planned to find the one responsible for the missing records on Rienne’s behalf.

Then, he made an interesting discovery.

Actually, it was fairly surprising Rienne didn’t already know about this, but while Phermos had no intention of breaking his promise, he still wanted to exercise caution.

So he decided he should speak with Black about this before Rienne.

But when he went looking for him, he was told Black had gone to bring in the old beggar himself.

[Phermos] “Hmm…. He must have something he wishes to speak with him privately about……….No, I shouldn’t even guess at this. Just…….Oh, yes. How is the search for the servant going? Have you found him?”

[Mercenary] “No. He seems to know his way around, so we’re having some trouble tracking him down.”

[Phermos] “You idiots. What have you been doing all this time? You should know this place well by now.”

[Mercenary] “Don’t get too mad at us. Everyone’s doing what they can, but it’s hard to compete with someone who’s lived here their entire life. Besides, he was wearing a uniform of the Temple. Someone who doesn’t know what’s going on might’ve been willing to harbor him.”

[Phermos] “Dammit. This is going to take some time.”

[Mercenary] “Yeah. Shouldn’t we just put out a bounty for him?”

[Phermos] “We can’t do that. I know it’s in our nature, but like you said, he’s a man of the Temple. Treating a man of the cloth so roughly in front of others will only put a stain on the name of our Lord.”

The mercenary gave an annoyed sigh.

[Mercenary] “The whole time we’ve been here, it just seems like there’s always something going wrong.”

[Phermos] “It can’t be helped. Down to their noses, the head of a mercenary company and a member of the royal family are just too different……..Hm?”

[Mercenary] “………..Sir?”

Phermos, whose words had been trailing off for a moment, turned his head back as if nothing had happened.

[Phermos] “It’s nothing. Just catch him quickly.”

[Mercenary] “We’ll run until the soles of our shoes are completely worn.”

[Phermos] “Please do.”

With a gesture of his hand, Phermos sent the mercenary on his way.

[Phermos] “The royal family……..”

His eyes filled with focus shot through the air, landing on the older royal records.

[Phermos] “To be exact, only the records prior to the coronation have been lost. And the Lord once said that Nauk was originally his.”

Phermos’ finger tapped against the page where Rienne had said some records disappeared.

[Phermos] “It makes sense. The missing records must have something to do with the Lord. Princess Rienne hasn’t seen them yet, but……should I tell her this? The Lord wouldn’t want it to be known. What should I do…….?”

As Phermos muttered to himself, there was a wave of complicated thoughts washing over his expression.

_^*

* * *

^_*

[Rienne] “Ah…….I can’t take this anymore.”

It was impossible for her to pretend to be lying in bed forever. In fact, laying like this just made her back hurt more, so Rienne eventually rolled herself off the blanket, pulling up her body.

Mrs. Flambard, who had just finished boiling and ironing the cotton sheets, put them in the closet and jumped once she noticed Rienne.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Princess! Aren’t there guards outside?”

[Rienne] “It’s fine. They won’t notice anything unless you speak too loudly.”

Mrs. Flambard shot a glance at the tightly closed door with an unsure expression.

[Mrs. Flambard] “I will be careful, but doesn’t your stomach hurt?”

[Rienne] “It feels better than usual. The medicine I was given must be working.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Do you know what kind of medicine it was?”

[Rienne] “I felt very tired after I took it, so it must’ve been some kind of sedative. I’ve been laying in bed doing nothing since this morning because of it. I don’t even what time it is.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “…….He was very nice aside from that. Look how much more weight you’ve lost because of that.”

[Rienne] “Please. I’m stronger than ever.”

Though, sometimes whenever her sleeves would drop down, she would catch a glimpse of her thin wrists that only seemed to get thinner, but Rienne just ignored it.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Given everything that’s happened, it would be stranger if you didn’t lose weight……But, what do you plan on doing now? Today’s affairs have only made it harder for you reveal the truth about your pregnancy.”

[Rienne] “……….That’s true.”

Rienne was just thinking the same thing. She’d already deceived him so much, but if he were to find out later, he’d only feel more betrayed.

[Rienne] “Maybe it would be best to stay quiet.”

Rienne’s voice became quiet, as if she were mulling something over to herself.

[Mrs. Flambard] “You don’t know that, Princess.”

[Rienne] “But you’re also with me, ma’am. If he becomes angered, it won’t just be me that pays the price.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Well…….Whatever happens, what can we do about it? But I feel sorry for you, Princess……….And for him as well.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

When Rienne didn’t say anything back, she continued to speak, cautiously watching her.

[Mrs. Flambard] “He doesn’t seem cruel enough to do anything like that. There’s no man in this world who would speak of another man’s child like that, Princess.”

[Rienne] “I know.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “So why……”

[Rienne] “But that’s why I’m scared.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “You’re…….what? What do you mean?”

[Rienne] “What does he get by doing all of this?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Princess…….”

The woman blinked aimlessly, as if this were something she had not considered.

[Rienne] “If things like this continue to build up and I open myself up to him completely, I worry about he’ll do then.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “How…..could you think such bad things?”

[Rienne] “How could I not? You saw it for yourself. You saw that man’s subordinate crush away those letters written on the ground.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Yes……but it may have been something he chose to do on his own. Or maybe my old eyes saw things incorrectly.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

Rienne gave a silent smile.

For some reason, the woman was echoing the same things Rienne’s heart was screaming out.

She wanted to believe that her deeply running suspicions were baseless. She wanted to trust that he did nothing wrong, and that she just couldn’t believe in him simply because she’d been cornered for so long.

[Rienne] “That old man will tell me what I want to know.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “And I hope he does not confirm your fears, Princess.”

As do I.

More than anything.

Bang, bang—!

Then, she heard a knock at the door.

[Mercenary] “Princess, there’s someone here asking to see you.”

That loud and clear knock was a habit among the Tiwakan Mercenaries. Surprised, Rienne gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

[Rienne] “Go answer the door, please. I’m going to pretend I was lying down.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Of course. Please do.”

But there was no need to lie down.

The people who came to see Rienne were not the kind who could be greeted while stuck in bed.

_^*

* * *

_^*

[Rienne] “I ask for your understanding why we must meet in the reception room rather than the meeting hall. I’m not feeling very well.”

[Ellaroiden] “We completely understand. They say you are presently carrying the child of a beast within your frail body. It’s only natural you would feel sick.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

Though she tried to remain calm, Rienne’s face twisted so quickly it could’ve made a sound.

This is how all of them were.

Those who came to see her today were two of the six families that signed the Treaty of Risebury. The six families had their own unique differences, but at the end of it all, they were no different from the Kleinfelders.

[Rienne] “It seems such a filthy way of speaking was a virtue of the head of the delegation that I wasn’t aware of. Or is this your way of honoring Linden Kleinfelder?”

[Ellaroiden] “Wh, what did you say?”

The head of the House Ellaroiden raised his voice.

[Ellaroiden] “Where did you learn to speak this this……!”

It was several years ago during a meeting of the nobles that was called in Nauk.

Rienne had just been crowned and was sitting on the throne. Suddenly having so many responsibilities thrust onto her, Rienne appeared frightened and withdrawn.

Just looking straight at the six nobles, all of which believed her position should be their own, was difficult for her. The Rienne they remembered was a young girl who could barely hold back her tears as she spoke with a trembling voice, saying she would protect the crown.

So it was hard for them to accept this Rienne, who sat at the head of the table, casually retorting their words.

[Rienne] “Whatever you give, I will return, so think carefully about whom you speak ill of with that mouth of yours.”

[Ellaroiden] “You…..! In just a few years—!”

Ellaroiden widened his eyes, but he was no threat.

[Mercenary] “Princess. You called?”

Because there was always a Tiwakan mercenary around, who was ready with their blade drawn the moment things got even a little bit too loud.

* * *

^{T/N: (1) The name ‘Fernand’ when written in the original Korean is pronounced with a ‘P’ sound, hence why the old man tried writing that particular letter.}

^{Also, as a note, the name ‘Gainers’ should be pronounced like [gai-near-s]}