[Phermos] "It's about the Kleinfelders. Now that the wedding ceremony is over, it would be best if we put in plans to completely clear out the estate. We've recovered all visible property, but it's likely they have a hidden safe or two somewhere."
It was true that Phermos had something important that he needed to speak with them about. He knew better than to bother them needlessly.
And this was a good reason.
[Black] "You must have a very specific reason for wanting to search that house."
[Phermos] "Yes, though it's a bit confusing to be perfectly honest."
Rienne's expression became grim.
[Rienne] "What is it?"
[Phermos] "The Kleinfelders have essentially disappeared at this point, correct? No members of their direct line can set foot in this land again, but there are still workers remaining at the estate. Who's even managing them? Even if they were loyal to the family, they still have their own lives and mouths to feed."
The biggest thing one needed to look out for after a royal wedding was potential forces opposing the new rule.
Even if the Kleinfelders were gone, their roots still ran deep in Nauk.
The remaining five families were bound by a new treaty, but if they were to suddenly change and become uncooperative right after the wedding because of this, it would only become a future headache.
Governing a nation was completely different from warfare, and now the leader of the Tiwakan was expected to do the former. Given the newness of this situation, it was extremely troubling that workers were remaining with the Kleinfelder family.
[Black] "There must be someone they're following."
[Phermos] "Yes, like I said before—the more I think about it, the more suspicious it gets. Isn't it strange that whoever this person is, they've been living in a house where they had every luxury at hand, but never once showed their face?"
Rienne agreed.
It was strange that in a country as small as theirs, no one ever noticed a hidden figure moving the pieces of the Kleinfelder family from behind the scenes.
[Rienne] "There definitely seems to be someone like that, but we'll need to make sure."
[Phermos] "Exactly, so I wish to vacate the house as soon as possible. There may be something hidden there."
Rienne nodded.
[Rienne] "If it's necessary, then do it now. The people are still very happy with the royal family following the wedding, so now would be the best time. While the reason behind the Kleinfelders' exile is still fresh in the people's minds."
[Phermos] "Yes. And the estate itself is considered property, so it also belongs to the royal family now. It's a well-built place, and it's sizable too. Why not use it for a proper purpose once it's been emptied? Perhaps a library or a school?"
[Rienne] "Oh. That's a wonderful idea."
[Phermos] "I am glad you agree. I will leave to clear out the estate first thing in the morning. Oh, and one last thing. Mind you, I'm not just saying this next part for the sake of my Lord—this is my pure, cold-hearted judgment."
Phermos stopped talking and smiled.
[Phermos] "My Lord, I ask that you remain in the castle tomorrow. If you were to go directly to the Kleinfelder estate yourself, it wouldn't look very good. I will go instead. I already have someone who is willing to help me."
The person Phermos was talking about was Klimah. Over the years, Klimah had gone in and out of the estate frequently, and knew about all the secret places used by Linden Kleinfelder.
And Black didn't particularly mind that idea.
[Black] "Fine by me."
[Phermos] "Stay here for a while. And I really mean it. As long as you'd like."
Phermos erased his smile, repeating his words before quickly leaving.
It was long since past the time to go to bed.
*
* * *
*
[Rienne] "We have somewhere we need to go tomorrow."
Newlywed life was treating Rienne well—perhaps almost too well. It was terribly comfortable.
Even so late in the evening, Rienne didn't need to lift a single finger because Black insisted on doing everything for her. Everything from drying her hair to even carrying her back to the bedroom.
But Rienne could never refuse him when he said he wanted to carry her. Being held in his arms like that, she could hug his neck and feel his face close to hers, and she adored the feeling more than anything.
[Black] "Where?"
[Rienne] "The Temple."
[Black] "But why?"
[Rienne] "I'd like to meet the High Priest."
[Black] "Oh..."
As Rienne smiled, Black suddenly realized her reason.
Rienne had met the 'old beggar', but she had yet to become acquainted with the High Priest, Manau.
[Rienne] "Wouldn't it be stranger if I didn't notice? I was so surprised when I saw him at the wedding."
She was so shocked to see Manau delivering the blessing when they went to the Temple that she nearly screamed. By the end of the sermon, her jaw hurt from how much she was clenching her teeth just holding it in.
[Black] "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you beforehand."
Though it was amazing that it somehow managed to slip his mind. She thought she was the only one prone to making those sorts of mistakes.
Rienne weakly touched Black's ear, the sensation a little playful. An act like this didn't seem to hurt him like she originally thought. Instead, he had a very clear smile on his face whenever she did it.
[Rienne] "Was he one of the old High Priests? Come to think of it, was that why he recognized you as being Prince Fernand?"
[Black] "Believe it or not, when I was young, my body was very weak."
Black took Rienne to the bed, laying them both down as he brought up such an old story from the past.
It was a difficult time for him to talk about, just as it was unfamiliar for her to hear about. But as he shared that burden with her, they lay side by side, pressing their foreheads together.
[Black] "At the time, there was a common belief that my illnesses were being caused by a curse placed on the royal family by God."
As a result, Prince Fernand spent much of his time at the Temple for 'treatment'.
Manau managed to recognize his face easily, even after so many years, because of all the time he'd spent there, praying to receive a blessing.
[Rienne] "How could they say something so cruel…..?"
Rienne tightly grabbed Black's hand.
[Rienne] "You must've been in so much pain. For an ill child, things must have already been so hard, and yet they…"
[Black] "Isn't that just how it is? The old king must have heard similar things while dealing with the drought."
Rienne's body stiffened. It felt so heartbreaking to hear him call her father 'the old king'. In truth, he was no king, but a usurper who stole the crown.
From you.
Biting the inside of her lip, Rienne lost all confidence to look Black in the eye, instead digging into his arms.
[Rienne] "When I asked him what your name was, he told me it was Henton. Was that purposeful?"
[Black] "I asked him to do that. I didn't want my name to start a war here."
With Rienne nestling her face into his chest, Black held up his hand, slowly stroking her head.
[Black] "Luckily, he followed my instructions. Though I guess it didn't matter in the end."
[Rienne] "I…..think we've come a long way from that. The both of us."
[Black] "It was a path worth traveling down, even if it took a few road bumps and minor detours to get here."
[Rienne] "Is….that so?"
Rienne's voice was very quiet. It was barely a whisper, and it was muffled by how much she was trying to hide in his embrace, but once he heard it, Black lowered his body, forcing her to look into his eyes.
[Black] "You don't think so?"
[Rienne] "It's just...Sometimes I wonder if it's all okay. Is it really alright for me to be receiving this much from you?"
[Black] "The one who's been getting things is me."
[Rienne] "What are you talking about? That's clearly not true."
[Black] "Getting to lie here with you, right here and now, is something that was given to me by you, Princess."
[Rienne] "Well, we're married. Something like that is only natural."
[Black] "I could've easily ended up sleeping in the next room, and you know it. Just like the other nobles of Nauk."
When he said that, his expression was so soft yet intense that it was easy to understand what he meant. His voice was heavy and meaningful, one that was saying she had given him the only thing he ever truly wanted from her.
Her heart.
And that it meant so much for him to have it.
[Rienne] "I like sharing a bed with you. You don't know how frigid winters in Nauk can be. And the bigger the room, the colder it gets."
[Black] "Then I'll tell you now that I love it more. No matter how much you love me, Princess, I can confidently say I love you even more."
[Rienne] "You don't know that."
[Black] "You'll see when I show you."
[Rienne] "Yes. I'm sure I will."
Looking into each other's eyes, the air itself was just as sweet as their blissful smiles, staying like that for what felt like forever.
But when their smiles faded, they couldn't hold back the urge to kiss again. It was like their lips were perfectly made for each other, and the taste was just too sweet.
[Rienne] "Tomorrow...we have to go to the Temple… We can't oversleep...."
She was already so out of breath, her words barely able to escape through the gaps of their kiss.
Black was always so attentive and kind, listening to whatever she said, but in times like these, he acted a little differently from usual.
[Black] "Tell him to come here."
[Rienne] "Ah, no...the High Priest...can't move….comfortably….ah…"
[Black] "That doesn't matter."
Quietly and gently biting at her skin, he let out a hot breath of air against her neck, turning his attention lower. Drawing kisses down her neck, her already loosened nightgown fell away easily.
As the crisp air bit against her bare chest, Rienne let out a pleased sigh, running her hands through the blackened hair that playfully tickled her skin.
When it came to things like this, it was always a mystery how far this man was planning on taking her.
But one thing was certain—Wherever she went with him, no matter how far she was pushed, she would be beyond elated.
After all, the night was only just beginning.
*
* * *
*
Unlike the night before, Rienne wasn't completely incapacitated until the late evening, though she was still very tired. Her eyes didn't open even a little bit until just after the clock had struck noon.
[Rienne] "At this rate, this will become my new morning...."
Rienne had now overslept two days in a row. Pushing herself awake, she quietly muttered to herself a phrase that would be very embarrassing to hear for anyone who happened to be listening.
Before, Black claimed to have done some honest self reflection, but taking into account everything that happened, she wasn't sure he'd done a very good job of it.
[Black] "Are you awake?"
Unlike Rienne, who was still in her disheveled and loosened nightgown, Black was wide awake, fully dressed in a regal outfit. He pushed off from leaning against the door frame, approaching the bed with a smile.
[Rienne] "Um…..I just woke up, but pretend you don't know that. I haven't even washed my face yet."
[Black] "Yes, I understand."
Black leaned down, kissing the corners of her sleepy eyes. Rienne's eyes naturally narrowed in a pleasant arc as he did, but she still tried to move away.
[Rienne] "This is unfair. You're the only one who got to wash up."
[Black] "I'll pretend I don't know, so sleep more."
[Rienne] "Impossible. I've slept plenty."
[Black] "You still look like you're asleep to me."
It sounded like he was trying to say that her eyes still looked swollen.
[Rienne] "Hearing that just makes me want to wash up more. I feel like I'm the only one of us who's been acting leisurely these past two days."
[Black] "You can sleep more and leisure as much as you want. As long as you're with me when you open your eyes."
[Rienne] "Oh, don't make it sound so lovely. You'll only make me want to lie back down."
Rienne took Black's arm before standing up. Or at least she would have, if Black hadn't reached out first, holding onto her as he helped her sit up straight.
[Black] "Are you feeling well today?"
No. Standing on my own two feet would likely make me cry, and my back and hips feel so tight, I can hardly believe it.
[Rienne] ".....I think I'll be okay as long as I'm careful."
[Black] "So you're saying you're not okay. Shouldn't you rest more?"
[Rienne] "I really don't want to do that. It makes me feel like a patient."
[Black] "If you're sick or injured, then you are a patient. That's just how it works."
[Rienne] "I know, but I'm not hurt. We just made love, that's all. And I can't afford to be bedridden every time we do it, especially now that it's become a part of our daily lives."
[Black] ". . ."
Suddenly, out of the blue, Black breathed in very harshly.
[Black] "What do I do now?"
[Rienne] "Hm? Did you say something?"
[Black] "I know saying this won't make you feel any better all of a sudden...…but I thought I should mention that when you say things like that, I find you incredibly lovely. I just think that the results of those words might not be so great."
[Rienne] "Why wouldn't they be good...?"
[Black] "Just cut me some slack this time. I won't do this again."
She couldn't even get a question out before he devoured her lips with a breathless kiss, not wasting a single second. Rienne was so flustered, she instinctively grabbed his shoulder, and he supported her back with his arm.
[Rienne] "No, I just woke up..."
Black would normally listen to anything she said, but sometimes, he would have these moments of deafness, completely blocking everything else out.
Just like now.
*
* * *
*
[Mrs. Flambard] "Princess. Princess."
Knock, knock.
Before Rienne was pushed back into bed, like a stroke of good luck in the middle of the ocean, Mrs. Flambard came to see her, knocking at the door.
[Black] "...Can't you just tell her to leave?"
Black muttered so quietly, she almost missed it.
[Rienne] "I don't think that will work. She'll just come back."
Knock, knock.
[Mrs. Flambard] "Princess, can I come in? I have something I need to tell you..."
And for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that the woman's voice was extremely nervous. Shaking his head once, Black carefully pulled himself away, getting back to his feet.
[Black] "Stay still. I'll help you up."
Wrapping his arm around her waist, Black helped Rienne sit up in the bed while she called out to the woman outside.
[Rienne] "Come in, ma'am."
[Mrs. Flambard] "Princess."
And once the door opened, Mrs. Flambard's expression looked exceedingly grim.
[Mrs. Flambard] "Oh my….you two were still together. Please excuse my manners, but I can't stay still right now."
[Rienne] "What's wrong, ma'am?"
[Mrs. Flambard] "I haven't been able to find her since this morning. No matter where I look, I just can't seem to find her. It's too unusual for her to be gone this long..."
[Rienne] "Are you talking about Mrs. Henton?"
[Mrs. Flambard] "Yes, Princess."
While the two of them were not close enough to be called friends, they respected each other in the same way one would respect a sharp blade.
[Rienne] "Are you sure she's not in the castle?"
Mrs. Flambard clasped her hands tightly together and nodded.
[Mrs. Flambard] "As far as I know, yes. I was told she couldn't leave the castle for the time being, so I don't know what would suddenly cause her to leave...."
[Rienne] "I'll let the guards know to look for her. Best we search both inside and outside the castle, just to be safe."
But while he was quietly listening before, Black decided to intervene.
[Black] "I'll go to the Kleinfelder estate."
[Rienne] "What? I thought we agreed not to go there."
[Black] "Yes, we did, but I was thinking, out of everywhere she could've gone, that's the most likely place Sir Henton's wife would go."
* * *
T/N: (1) He describes the situation as "shallow water". It's a turn of phrase, meaning that since the water is so shallow, it's really easy to see what's hidden at the bottom, i.e. trying to hide things is pointless.
In case you're confused, because I definitely was when I read this, Black first mentioned being a sickly child a while back, attributing it as being the main reason for why his engagement to Rienne was never made official. He also said on several occasions that he was a very small child, too.