A Barbaric Proposal

90  Chapter 89 | The Cursed Prince

[Mrs. Flambard] "Oh, how could such a thing….."

After hearing the full story of what happened to Mrs. Henton, Mrs. Flambard was beyond shocked—

her complexion paler than Mrs. Henton's as she patted her back with a trembling hand.

[Rienne] "That must be him then."

After Linden and Rafit were exiled, it was clear someone was still moving the Kleinfelder family. This made it obvious that the person was none other than the head of the family from a previous generation.

Phermos held his chin.

[Phermos] "Yes. So after you left, ma'am, they must have given him the correct medicine, thus allowing him to miraculously recover."

Mrs. Henton grit her teeth.

[Mrs. Henton] "I should have killed him with my own hands before I left that house...."

But then Klimah shook his head, his face distorting as if he were in pain.

[Klimah] "No, mother, don't think like that...You shouldn't have to pray for penance...Please don't think that…"

It was heartbreaking, seeing Klimah looked so shocked and his mother so filled with anger and resentment.

[Rienne] "We have to find him."

Steeling herself, Rienne stood up from her seat.

[Rienne] "He's a Kleinfelder, so it's doubtful he's just hiding away doing nothing."

Phermos was thinking the same.

[Phermos] "I agree. And it's possible he may know more about what transpired twenty-one years ago. Perhaps he was even the ring-leader."

[Rienne] "He was the head of House Kleinfelder at the time. He would've had the power to move all the other nobles who followed him."

Clenching her fists, Rienne could feel her fingertips turn cold. It felt like someone had poured ice cold water on her, cascading it down her shoulders.

The past hadn't died yet. It hadn't evendisappeared.

[Rienne] "The Kleinfelders will pay for their sins."

Now, they had no choice but to face them.

the translating mech

*

[Darren] "What brings you all the way here?"

Today's attempt also ended in failure.

Darren clenched his teeth, grinding them so loudly that anyone could hear it.

He was going to meet Princess Rienne today, but regardless of his efforts, meeting with her was difficult, which was all too strange. No matter what kind of kingdom it was, it shouldn't be that hard for someone like him to face the royal family.

No other family of royalty he'd met was like this.

The purpose of being 'royalty' was to live life in absolute luxury and pleasure by casting the hard work to the dogs beneath them.

But looking at how simple Castle Nauk was, it was clear they were hard pressed for money. With royalty like this, it was surprising that she wasn't plowing fields and digging for potatoes like the rest of the common masses. He couldn't understand what on earth was keeping her so busy.

In any case, he was told Princess Rienne had left on an outing, but that she had recently returned. And since her return, she'd been tucked away in a maid's room the entire time.

Now was supposed to be his chance. For once, Princess Rienne was not in the company of that barbarian she called a husband.

If he wanted to cajole Princess Rienne into his hands, he needed to take this chance to slip into that gap of opportunity.

[Darren] "Suddenly you want to treat me like a guest? Is that it?"

But why did Black have to block him right at such an opportune moment?

[Darren] "But I'm no longer interested in your hospitality. Leave, why don't you?"

Darren didn't even think twice about why Black had so suddenly come to his room. In his mind, it was obvious he was there to apologize for how rude he'd been up until now.

[Black] "I have something I need to do."

Again, Darren cast his glance at the mirror, agonizing over what the best position for his brooch would be—adjusting it as it hung from his neck.

Today, he was dressed even more flamboyantly than before. He couldn't stay in such a rural area forever, so he wanted to have some fun with Princess Rienne as soon as he could, his heart pounding a bit at the idea. Then, he would leave with pleasure.

[Darren] "And what might that be? I thought I told you to go."

He turned away from the mirror as he looked at Black, who was standing still, leaning against the doorframe—not saying a single word.

Darren had no idea what was wrong with him right now.

[Darren] "Can't you hear me?"

Those words were mixed with a subtle laugh and a touch of sarcasm. A barbarian, thinking like a 14:55

human? It was funny to him.

[Black] ".....I can hear you."

[Darren] "Then why are you pretending you can't?"

[Black] "I'm just thinking."

[Darren] "Thinking? About what?"

Those words were mixed with a subtle laugh and a touch of sarcasm. A barbarian, thinking like a human? It was funny to him.

However, the truth was that Darren didn't actually know Black very well.

Darren felt he was different from his father, who was put to shame by a mercenary just because he had obedient wild dogs at his side, or his sister who pathetically pursued him because she was obsessed with things already past.

To him, thoughts like that were just pitiful.

[Black] "What I should do about you, for starters. Things like that. It's the first time I've ever wanted to do something so useless."

[Darren] "What? What are you talking about?"

Thud, thud—

Black pushed off from the doorframe, striding towards Darren with heavy footfalls.

The attendant, who had been keeping quiet this entire time, turned extremely pale.

[Black] "I know my wife doesn't care about you. To her, you're just a fly. Irritating, but too pathetic to crush to death, so I know that means the easiest thing for me to do is ignore you. If the Grand Duke were to take any issue with what happens, that'll only make more work for me. But maybe your wrist….No, maybe your ankle would heal faster? Though honestly, breaking one of those would be useless. Breaking human bones isn't very interesting anymore."

[Darren] "What…..What are you talking about?"

Darren understood what Black was saying a little bit too late.

But truthfully, he didn't have the full picture of what was making Black so angry right now, but as the distance between them narrowed, he could feel the immense pressure weighing down on him.

Those pale blue eyes were strangely unsettling, and as they narrowed, one single thought hit against his mind, coming back to him again and again—he was about to be torn apart.

[Black] "Still, I hate seeing you hovering around my wife."

[Darren] "W, what...What are you saying? When did I ever…."

[Black] "Those distracting clothes of yours really irritate me, and I hate the idea of you speaking with her or putting your filthy hands anywhere near her."

Darren took a step back, his body staggering. But Black closed the distance with a single step, snatching Darren by the wrist.

[Darren] "Ugh! Let go of me!"

Maybe it was because Black had mentioned something about breaking his wrist before, but Darren felt the distinct sensation of fear running down his back. With Black's mad grip on Darren's wrist, he wriggled like crazy trying to escape, but he couldn't overcome such bestial strength.

[Black] "Go home."

And from beyond his twisted wrist was the fierce glare that seemed to freeze him in ice.

[Black] "While your limbs are still intact."

[Darren] "Y, you're crazy...You should be showing your respect…..to the future Duke….."

[Black] "Answer me. When will you be leaving?"

Black put strength into his hand, tightening his grip on Darren's wrist.

[Darren] "Agh…!"

Darren screamed out, but to no avail. His attendant was too terrified to even move.

[Black] "Now's your chance to answer."

[Darren] "Ah!Let go! You're crazy!"

If Black had broken his wrist faster, Darren would've immediately understood that Black was serious.

[Rienne] "Lord Tiwakan?"

But just in time, Rienne entered the room. She wasn't looking for Darren, though. She wanted to see Black, and was told he'd come here.

[Black] ". . ."

Like it had never been there, the massive pressure Darren felt on his wrist disappeared as Black dropped him.

[Black] "Why did you come here?"

[Rienne] "I came looking for you, Lord Tiwakan. Were you chatting with our guest?"

Darren widened his eyes.

[Darren] "Who's chatting—!?"

But Black was much faster. Shifting his body to face Rienne, he crushed Darren's foot into the ground as he turned. He did it so quickly that Darren couldn't even make a sound, and Rienne didn't notice anything was wrong.

[Black] "I was saying my goodbyes. He plans on returning to the Duchy."

[Rienne] "Oh, I see. I just thought I heard some shouting, so I was afraid there might've been an argument."

Black smiled softly.

[Black] "There are times when we disagree, so sometimes we speak a little roughly."

[Rienne] "Is that because the two of you are like brothers? I don't know much since I don't have any siblings, but I've heard that the closer you are, the more you argue."

[Black] "We're not close."

Darren lost his words not because his foot had been crushed, but because he was stunned into silence. His attendant, who was properly scared witless, was gripping the hem of his clothing—

vowing to reprimand Darren if he didn't understand the atmosphere and said something.

[Rienne] "If he's leaving, then I should say my farewells as well. It's late today, so will you be leaving tomorrow morning?"

[Darren] ". . ."

Darren looked away, unable to answer immediately, but he hadn't forgotten the tingling sensation in his wrist. Clenching his hand made a brief pain flash through him, and he wondered if just a little more pressure would've been enough to break his bones.

[Rienne] "Grand Prince?"

[Darren] "I'll…wait and see."

But after piecing together what remained of his shattered pride, that was the only thing Darren managed to say. His pride wouldn't let him say anything else—Even if it killed him, he didn't want to say he would leave immediately.

[Darren] "I'll watch the weather. I don't want it to rain on the day I leave."

But right after he said that, Princess Rienne looked at him with a bitter smile and a dismissive expression.

[Rienne] "Then you may leave tomorrow. Nauk is still suffering the effects of a drought right now."

The face she was making was a bit of a problem.

[Darren] "If you wish, Princess, I can stay longer."

Actually, therealproblem was that Darren was completely ignorant of Nauk's issues with the drought, and so he mistook her reluctant expression as sadness for his departure.

[Darren] "No matter what anyone says, I can and will stay by your side."

[Rienne] "....If your presence here were enough to bring rain, then I would want it more than anything, but I don't think that's going to happen."

[Darren] "So what you're saying is….."

[Rienne] "I hope your trip back home will be a peaceful one."

Darren didn't intend it, but he'd made Rienne a little angry.

Having lamented the situation of a nation facing a twenty-one year long drought, his comments were unwarranted and rude—mentioning the rare occurrence of rain at a time like this.

Turning away from Darren, Rienne took Black's hand.

[Rienne] "Are you sad we must say our early goodbyes to your brother? Would you like me to ask him to stay longer?"

[Black] "Of course not."

[Rienne] "It's okay for you to be honest."

[Black] "I don't hide my feelings over small things like this. We just got married, and I don't want our time being wasted trying to entertain an unanticipated guest."

Darren made a face. He couldn't remember being treated like a 'guest' for the entire duration of his visit.

[Rienne] "The timing was certainly convenient, but I don't want to lose our time together for anything else either."

Talking to one another, their voices turned to whispers as the distance between them narrowed—

becoming so close, it was like they were the only people in the room.

[Black] "So you came to get me?"

[Rienne] "Something like that…Actually, I have something I need to tell you. It's important."

[Black] "Then let's go to our room."

[Rienne] "Yes."

And without even acknowledging him one last time, the two of them departed from Darren's room.

[Darren] "What...."

After standing in silence for a while, Darren let out a soft murmur as he talked to himself, and unfortunately, the attendant understood what he meant by that.

He was confused on why they looked so loving with each other.

And the attendant was smart enough not to tell his master that this was something everyone else was aware of, even as he lived in perfect denial.

[Attendant] "I will pack your things, master."

By the attendant's wise estimate, they needed to leave this place early tomorrow morning.

Otherwise, Darren would inevitably get absolutely destroyed and he would have to lay his broken body on the floor of the carriage as they left.

the translating mech

* * *

*

[Black] "Theran Kleinfelder."

It was a name that was etched in his memory.

Black remembered meeting him. The memory wasn't entirely clear, but it wasn't plunged into darkness either. From what he could remember, rather than his father coming to visit him at the Temple, it was him.

[Theran] –'Cursed Prince.'

That was what he called him.

[Theran] –'This is all the King's fault.'

As the distant memories became clearer in his mind, Black frowned, his brows furrowing as he did.

Seeing his expression become twisted, Rienne came closer, caressing his face with the palm of her hand. And as he felt her touch, Black took her hand and kissed her fingertips.

[Theran] –'You are being punished for the King's sin of stealing God's power, Prince.'

Prince Fernand could remember hearing those words, but he could not understand them.

[Theran] –'You must beg for God's forgiveness.'

As Fernand lay sick in bed, Theran Kleinfelder approached him, lowering his head and whispering to him in secret.

[Theran] –'The next time the King comes to visit you, steal the key. It's required to access the place where the power of God has been hidden.'

A key? What key is he talking about?He had thought. As far as Prince Fernand knew, his father carried a lot of keys on his person.

[Theran] –'Offer the key to the Temple altar. That is the only way you can escape the curse of the heavens, Prince.'

Those words only served to confuse Fernand even further.

But the more time that passed by, the stronger the words Theran Kleinfelder spoke became—even long after the man had left his sick bed.

And as he grew even sicker, the pain growing stronger and more unbearable, those words would repeat in his head like a sweet but evil temptation.

He said if I gave him the key, I won't feel hurt anymore.

It was a year later when Prince Fernand came down with the measles that he asked the King who had come to visit him about the key, and if he could have it.

And three days after that, the King died.

He didn't realize it back then, but that request was nothing more than the beginning of treason.