[Black] "Move!"
Black pushed Rienne out of away, causing him to take the bulk of the heavy impact while Rienne narrowly escaped to the side.
[Rienne] "Lord Tiwakan!"
Rienne screamed.
In a mere moment, the streets were in total chaos. As the wooden barrels continued to roll, they left a haze of dust in their wake.
The people cried out, shouting out as they did their best to avoid the barrels that looked as though they could easily crush them if they were caught.
[Rienne] "Lord Tiwa...…..hmph!"
And during all this commotion, someone grabbed Rienne from behind and clamped their hand over her mouth.
[???] "Stay quiet."
[Rienne] "....!"
Rienne immediately recognized whose voice it was.
[???] "I don't want us to be caught."
That familiar voice held tightly onto her and forcibly dragged her away.
And just like that, Rienne was gone.
*
* * *
*
[Rienne] "....Cough! Are you insane!?"
The hand blocking her mouth finally went away. As soon as Rienne coughed at the sudden air entering her lungs, she yelled out her anger.
Though truthfully, she wanted to say something much harsher.
[Rienne] "What is wrong with you…. Do you have any idea what you've done…!?"
[Rafit] "Rienne."
The one responsible was Rafit.
Rafit took Rienne's hand and placed in upon his face. It was an action far too polite and courteous in the wake of the unquestionable insanity he had attempted in public.
[Rafit] "I needed to talk with you. Somewhere with just the two of us. Where we don't have to worry about who's listening."
[Rienne] "…..You've completely lost it."
Rienne had a look of genuine disgust and exhaustion on her face.
They were in a carriage with no visible windows. It was clear some effort was made to efficiently kidnap her.
[Rienne] "Stop the carriage."
Feeling the cold of her hand, Rafit tightened his grip.
[Rafit] "Rienne, can't you take your mind away from him for just a moment?"
[Rienne] "What are you talking about?"
[Rafit] "He'll be dead by now, so…."
[Rienne] "Stop, let go of me!"
Suddenly, a mix of fear and panic surged inside of her.
As all of those big wooden barrels tumbled towards them, the last thing Rienne could remember was the sound of Black's voice, telling her to get out of the way.
Now he's...
Her pale hand began to tremble without end.
He's dead?
No…no, he couldn't be.
He doesn't die.
After spending ten years on the battlefield, he wouldn't just die like that. A man who endured that much wouldn't die such an easy death in the streets.
He's not dead. He can't die.
[Rienne] "He's…n..dead…"
Her vision started to get blurry, but she wasn't crying. She'd be able to see properly if her tears were running freely. But in her faded vision, watching Rafit as he held onto her, he started to look like someone else. Like that man.
And that's when she realized.
What she was feeling was desperation…..because she did not want that man to die.
[Rienne] "He's not dead."
Rienne took a shaky breath. As the tears began to run down her face, finally Rafit started to look like Rafit again.
[Rienne] "Don't touch me. And just go away."
Saying that, she took her hands back and slipped them out of Rafit's grasp.
[Rienne] "Leave Nauk and never come back. I won't say this again."
[Rafit] "Do you really think I don't know your true heart when you say that to me?"
Rafit still didn't understand what Rienne was trying to tell him.
[Rafit] "There's no use trying to get rid of me by saying such cruel words. I won't listen to it. It's alright, Rienne…. You can be honest now. That man is dead! Dead! And even if he isn't, he will be soon enough. I would never take half-measures when it comes to things like this."
[Rienne] "What….what are you talking about?"
[Rafit] "I couldn't waste this opportunity while you were alone. I was only planning on taking you originally, but the plans changed once he showed up. So I ordered the knights of the Kleinfelder family to deal with him once he was injured—"
Thump!
The carriage carrying them was moving quickly when it suddenly hit something—shaking with great intensity and cutting off Rafit's words, scattering them into the air.
But there was no way to know what was happening. There were no windows and the door was closed and locked from the outside.
[Rafit] "What's going on?"
Rafit shouted out, hitting against the partition leading to the coachman.
But a scream sounded out instead of an answer.
[Coachman] "Argh!"
Boom!
The scream echoed out into the distance. It sounded like someone grabbed him, forcefully pulled him from his seat on the moving carriage and threw him to the ground.
And it wasn't just Rienne's imagination. Raft jumped out of his seat and stood up.
Thump!
Before she realized it, something was stopping the carriage.
It shook violently again before coming to an abrupt stop, forcing Rafit, who was standing, to lose his balance and fall right on top of Rienne.
Boom!
And while they were stuck like that, the carriage door swung open.
[Rienne] ". . ."
As the sudden light poured into the dark carriage, Rienne blinked. A darkened figure cut against the glare of the sun, and Rienne could see herself reflected in their cold eyes.
Seeing that figure appear, completely shrouded in darkness and back lit by the sun, a singular thought entered Rienne's mind.
A massive, vicious beast.
[Black] ". . ."
Light blue eyes akin to those of a wild animal stared down at her.
As if he was moments away from tearing out someone's throat.
* * *
[Black] "Get up."
His voice was low and guttural like the growl of an animal.
It was only after Black had grabbed Rafit's body and pulled him off of Rienne that she realized he was talking to her.
Thump!
Grabbing Rafit by the ankle, he was thrown as hard as possible into the street, crashing violently into the ground.
[Rienne] "....!"
Rienne clasped her mouth, not even able to utter a single word of shock.
[Black] "Get up."
He repeated himself.
[Rienne] ". . ."
Finally, Rienne came to her senses. The person standing in front of her was Black.
The first emotion she felt was immediate relief.
See…. He's not dead…
Why would Rafit say he's dead when he isn't? This is such a relief....I'm so glad...
[Rienne] "Lord—"
But that relief quickly disappeared.
[Black] "Or I'll drag you out myself."
There wasn't an ounce of warmth left in his voice, nor in his face or his eyes.
[Black] "Is that what you want?"
[Rienne] "No…. no it's not…."
Rienne lifted up her skirt and pulled herself up. She was just now realizing in all the hustle and bustle of the carriage being shaken, her body was aching a lot.
[Rienne] "How..."
Without even needing to ask, the situation was made clear the moment she stepped out of the carriage.
The Tiwakan mercenaries had the entire place surrounded on horseback. The coachman she heard was nowhere to be seen, and Rafit, who had been tossed aside, was already in the hands of the mercenaries.
Rafit's plan was a complete failure. Rienne wasn't sure how they were able to track down the carriage so quickly, but at least now she could see how quickly they mobilized.
But then she noticed how Black's clothing was stained with blood.
[Rienne] "Are your injuries serious?"
Rienne unconsciously reached for him, but Black took a small step back and avoided her apprehensive hand.
[Black] "Don't touch me. I won't be the only one bleeding today, if that's what you're asking about."
[Rienne] "That's good….. Wait, excuse me?"
[Black] "You want to know if my injuries are severe enough to kill me?"
[Rienne] "I….don't understand….."
[Black] "I told you before. That day would be the only day I would ignore the illegitimate son of the Kleinfelders."
[Rienne] ". . ."
With that, Rienne realized why Black was so quickly sapped of the kindness he once showed her.
While they were together, a sudden accident took place that resulted in Rienne's disappearance. He chased her down, only to discover her running off somewhere in a carriage with her former lover.
And when he opened the door, Rienne and Rafit were in each other's arms, as if they were in the midst of embracing one another….. (1)
From Black's perspective, it would look like Rienne was a part of this plan from the beginning.
Filled with desperation, Rienne shook her head.
[Rienne] "That's not what...….What happened today was….."
[Black] "You didn't know about this?"
[Rienne] "I didn't come here by my own will. I only realized what happened wasn't an accident when I was being forced into a carriage."
[Black] ".....I see."
But even as he spoke the words 'I see', it was clear there wasn't even a little understanding or acceptance in them.
Black didn't believe a word Rienne said.
[Black] "Then the illegitimate son of the Kleinfelders must have concocted this plan of treason on his own. You, go get him. We'll take his head here. Get rid of the body and send the head back to the family."
[Mercenary] "Yes, sir."
The order was clear and concise, and it was accepted just as quickly.
But not by Rienne.
[Rienne] "Lord Tiwakan!"
Rienne rushed to pull Black back. The fabric of his clothing was caked in mud and she could feel the blood staining her fingertips. It made her realize just how injured he was.
[Black] "I told you not to touch me."
[Rienne] "You can't."
[Black] "I can't, what?"
Rienne closed her eyes tightly before opening them.
There was no one who was more sick and tired of the situation than she was.
The Kleinfelder family was nothing but a plague, and Rafit, who was obsessed with their already ended relationship, was beyond infuriating.
But even so, Rafit could never be killed.
Doing so would incite a war.
A war in such a weak and ailing kingdom would tear it apart, filling it with an endless cycle of slaughter. Rienne couldn't bring herself to face the death toll on either side.
[Rienne] "Please....you can't kill him…."
[Black] "Is Nauk the kind of place that allows traitors to keep their heads?"
[Rienne] "If its the Kleinfelders…"
Rienne swallowed hard. It was as though she was forcing thorns down her throat.
[Rienne] "The price is one we cannot afford to pay. The Kleinfelders won't sit idly by— we wouldn't be able to withstand the aftermath."
[Black] "I'll deal with it."
[Rienne] "No, you can't."
Drip. Drip.
As Rienne tightly kept her grip on his clothing, the blood seeped through her fingers and dripped onto the tops of her feet.
[Rienne] "Nauk will be the one to suffer the consequences. Killing the Kleinfelders is tantamount to killing half of Nauk."
If they waged war against the royal family, all the houses in the aristocratic delegation would side with the Kleinfelders. When wartime came and the Tiwakan wiped them out, they wouldn't be suppressing some small band of rebels.
They'd be smashing the already small kingdom into even smaller pieces, completely decimating it and leaving nothing but broken shards behind.
[Rienne] "Nauk has already faced too much loss. My greatest regret is that I did not accept Lord Tiwakan's proposal sooner. If I had….it never would've reached this point."
If only she had stopped Rafit from going to the Kingdom of Sharka for reinforcements.
If only she had quickly ended her halfhearted, obligatory relationship with him and just accepted the proposal as soon as she received it.
If she had, those hundreds of people who died would still be alive, and she wouldn't have to make so many dangerous lies just to save Rafit.
She wouldn't have had to lie about having a child, either. She wouldn't need to panic about the date of her monthly fever, or need to find a way to hide her inexperience.
And once he got whatever it was that he wanted from her…. Revenge or whatever it may be…..
At least then I wouldn't have to feel like my head was going to burst.... constantly having to question what is truly inside your heart.
[Rienne] "Please...please don't kill him. I just want...to protect Nauk."
His unusually sharp eyes scanned Rienne's expression. Whenever he did that, Rienne felt as though she could never lie to him.
[Rienne] "Not him, but Nauk."
[Black] "...…..I don't believe you."
But when Black's slow answer finally came out, it was a phrase that pushed her heart into despair.
[Black] "You've been consistently making unbelievable excuses and promises you can't be bothered to keep, Princess...…I can't believe you now."
[Rienne] "Please....Please believe me. Everything I've told you now is the truth."
[Black] "Not possible."
Black's mouth tensed.
[Black] "There may be more lies I'm not even aware of. Why should I start to trust you now?"
[Rienne] ". . ."
Rienne couldn't find the words to say.
He was completely right. Anytime Rienne would lie to narrowly avoid a crisis, Black would act ignorant, but he always knew something was going on, even if he didn't know the specifics.
[Rienne] "Anything.... I'll do anything….to prove I'm not lying...."
Rienne could feel the desperation set in, but Black didn't seem to see it. He looked down at her with a twisted and warped smirk on his face.
[Black] "Seems I've encouraged a terrible habit in you, Princess."
[Rienne] "What are you talking about...?"
[Black] "Do you think things will go your way this time if you use your body to appease me?" (2)
* * *
T/N: (1) Literally means "in an embrace" or "in a hug", but in this context, it can have more romantic connotations.
(2) He uses a word here that means 'getting good at/used to doing something' in conjunction with a word that means 'to soothe/pacify/calm' etc. i.e Rienne made a habit of using her body to calm him to get out of difficult situations.