Chapter 16 | On the Count of Three

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It was a cheap move to ask her whether or not she didnt like it. Rienne had asked herself that same question over and over, and every time she told herself she didnt.

[Rienne] Even if you could movewhat are you planning on doing?

[Black] Theres lots of things I could do.

As he slowly swept his hands over the back of her neck, she started to feel things thought she wasnt able to feel, as though her long since dulled senses were being revived.

It was like something deep inside of her was trembling, spreading all throughout her, branching out as it moved down her spine.

Only then did Rienne realize her fingers were quivering as they rested on Blacks chest.

[Rienne] We shouldntdo that.

[Black] Is that so?

Black raised an eyebrow.

[Black] Just a quick one.

[Rienne] I have a lot keeping me busy right nowpreparing for the wedding

Even as she said it, Rienne knew it was a weak excuse. Her shaking body as Black held her in his arms betrayed her flimsy words.

[Black] Then it should be alright if I do it quickly, right?

What could Rienne do in this kind of situation? She was the one who had agreed to be in a true relationship with him so she had no real reason to refuse him. There was no possible justification to say no.

But the strangest problem was that she wasnt sure if she wanted to in the first place.

[Black] It would be a waste to spend our time in any other way.

Rienne felt Black wrap his arms around her waist as his soft voice brushed against her ears. Her body was being leaned back, but oddly enough she didnt feel nervous. Instead she was comforted by the feeling of his broad hand supporting her.

She already knew how safe she felt with these arms around her.

[Rienne] . . .

It was only after Black had taken her chin in his hand and gave her a gentle kiss that she realized what happened earlier was rather regrettable.

It was regrettable that he was only checking for a wound before.

Knowing thats how she felt deep down meant that somewhere within her existed desire. A fire that had been locked away inside of her yet was always there nonetheless. Thinking about that made her head swim.

That passion inside of her was just waiting for a chance to burst forth.

No matter what was happening, she always felt like this man was invading her very mind. It was a feeling that ensured any contact with him left her trembling and shaking.

Soon enough, they began to sink into one another with a frantic kiss.

The feeling of desire from earlier was left unfulfilled but it only came back stronger the moment they made contact. It was a greedy feeling, growing greedier and greedier with every touch.

That fervent craving they had for one another flowed between them like a tidal wave, eventually washing over them as Rienne indulged in the sensationeagerly wrapping her arms around his neck.

And as their kiss slowed, their lips slowly fell apart but their distance remained the same.

[Black] We should stop here if we want to make this short.

Black muttered as he loosened the grip he had on Riennes waist. He wasnt holding her down at allshe could move away from him whenever she wanted.

[Rienne] .Yes.

Rienne agreed with him.

I must be going crazy.

She actually thought for a moment that it was shame, but that was all the more reason they needed to stop.

Thats what the two of them told themselves.

But even so, they didnt move away. Even though they knew they needed to part, that they needed to stop, they kept holding onto each other.

As if they didnt know how to let go.

Black slowly tapped his large hand against Riennes sensitive back.

Even something small like that was too inciting to her. Rienne grabbed his sleeve as hard as she could and whispered almost to herself.

[Rienne] Im going to count to three and we should both move away.

[Black] . . .

Black muttered something under his breath that Rienne couldnt hear before responding.

[Black] Ill try.

[Rienne] Okay.One. Two. Three.

As she counted down, Rienne released Blacks sleeve and tried to take a step back.

[Rienne] ..?

But Black didnt.

Instead, he kept his hand on her chin and rubbed her lips with his thumb, looking at her in a way that kept her locked in place as she stared at him with a questioning look on her face.

[Black] Youre counting too fast.

[Rienne] Really?

[Black] Count again. Slowly, this time.

[Rienne] I dont know what difference itll make.

[Black] Probably not much.

[Rienne] Then why?

[Black] Im just trying to buy some time.

[Rienne] What?

Black hugged her instead of responding. Though it was sudden, Rienne didnt feel embarrassed. She even thought, however briefly, that it would be nice to stay like that.

I must really be going crazy.

Black only asked her to count slowly, not stop counting all together. But despite that, Rienne stayed in his tight embrace until someone knocked loudly against the door.

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[Phermos] Oh my apologies, have I interrupted?

It was Phermos who had come to see Black.

[Phermos] Shall I come back later?

[Rienne] .? No, that wont be necessary. Rather, I should apologize for interrupting you. Ill take my leave now, so pleasespeak comfortably.

Rienne couldnt understand why Phermos seemed to be acting so cautiously.

The moment Rienne and Black heard the knock on the door, they immediately let go of one another. Now there was a decent distance between the two of them, and Rienne hurriedly picked up the tape measure she borrowed from Mrs. Flambard.

She didnt think he knew what just happened.

[Phermos] And what do you mean by that, Princess?

But such thinking was too nave.

Just by looking at Blacks eyes, it made obvious the fire that was burning in the room. It was so palpable, Phermos mind was completely caught up in trying to make sense of it.

I dont think hes just playing around. (1)

Phermos knew his Lord wasnt the kind of person to do anything just for the fun of it, much less this. He was more the type to vocally express his dislike for pointless things.

So why?

Not enough time had gone by for Princess Rienne to truly prove her sincerity to him. If nothing else, she was becoming more and more suspicious by the minute.

Just today, Princess Rienne had gone to her lovers home and they still didnt have a clear picture of what transpired there.

Black knew all of this.

Did he just not care? No, that couldnt be it. That would go against his very character.

[Phermos] This is something that should be discussed with you here as well, Princess. I regret to inform you that Lord Weroz has not yet been found. Weve seen no sign of him.

[Rienne] He wasnt at the Kleinfelder Estate?

Rienne was certain he would be there somewhere. She thought Linden had planned the forced wedding and decided to temporarily get Weroz out of the way by locking him up.

Now that his plans had fallen through, he had no reason to keep Weroz locked away.

[Phermos] Yes. I thought it was strange as well.

Phermos continued talking as he fiddled with his monocle-like glasses.

[Phermos] If he had defected or escaped, he wouldve left a trail of some kind but we found nothing of the sort. The Kleinfelders also didnt exhibit any suspicious behavior in regards to keeping someone locked up.

If Weroz was trapped somewhere in the Kleinfelder Estate like Princess Rienne claimed, there would have been some sign of it.

But Linden Kleinfelder was a confident man. He told them they were free to look around as much as they wanted, but if they couldnt find what they were looking for, he would make them pay for the transgression.

That mustve meant Weroz wasnt there at the estate.

But at the same time, it was doubtful they smuggled him out. There wasnt enough time for something like that, and the Tiwakan had eyes all over the place under the pretext of searching for the person who shot the arrow. They wouldve seen something.

[Phermos] Its possible hes gone into hiding.

[Rienne] Absolutely not. Lord Weroz would never!

Rienne firmly believed the Captain of Castle Nauks guard would never do something so cowardly and irresponsible.

[Phermos] I thought so too, but the circumstances are quite telling.

[Rienne] What circumstances?

[Phermos] What other reason would he have to cover his tracks to the point of being untraceable? Whatever it is, it mustve been very urgent.

[Rienne] You

He had a point. What reason would he have for doing that?

[Phermos] If it turns out to be true, then I dont think Ive said anything terrible. Hell likely return once things settle down. Or maybe hell even try to contact you, Princess.

[Rienne] Thats

No matter how many times the idea repeated itself in her head, it didnt make any sense. Rienne shook her head as her legs buckled beneath her.

[Phermos] Ah, Princess!

As Phermos shouted out in surprise, Black wasted no time reaching out to help her, holding onto her unstable body. Phermos clicked his tongue in annoyance.

[Phermos] I know this must come as a shock to you, Princess, but you must be more careful. I hear its dangerous to exert yourself in your conditionespecially when alone. If you were to fall down, youd be in trouble so you should take care to remain seated whenever possible.

Even though Phermos danced around the subject, Rienne could feel Blacks arm tense up as he held her.

Ive nearly forgottenthey still think Im pregnant.

Eventually shed need to fake a miscarriage but even thinking about it made her eyes darken. Would she really be able to do such a shameless thing?

.No, I dont think I can. Id rather just be honest with him. Ill tell him Im not having a baby. I wasnt even pregnant to begin with.

But would he say in return?

They had already cemented the childs existence in their marriage vows.

The clause stated that Riennes child would be bound to the Arsak family name and that the sovereignty of Nauk would be theirs no matter what. That pledge was what secured Nauks future.

It meant that even if this man, the leader of the Tiwakan, wanted to take Nauk for himself after the proposal, he couldnt take it from the Arsak family due to the existence of the child.

Wouldnt it be best to keep that promise?

This child was the last line of defense Rienne had in case all else failed.

[Rienne] .Thank you for your concern.

So she chose the safest option.

Until she knew more about the Tiwakans true motives, she couldnt tell the truth yet. She couldnt let go of the childthe only thing keeping her and Nauk safe. (2)

[Black] Sit.

Black knew Rienne well enough to know she wouldnt just listen, so he lifted her up and set her down in a chair himself. (3)

[Phermos] Well, cough.

Feeling the air get awkward, Phermos called attention back to himself with a cough.

[Phermos] I have something else I should tell you. The head of House Kleinfelder, was it? He promised to send a gift in the form of two gold chests, a new bed, and five servants in celebration for the marriage. He must really be greedy. He claims to be the richest man in Nauk and yet he sends such paltry gifts.

[Rienne] What?

But for Riennes part, she was shocked that Linden Kleinfelder of all people was sending a wedding gift at all.

[Rienne] Hes sending us a gift?

An actual gift? Or was he secretly trying to curse her?

[Phermos] Well, he didnt exactly settle on that decision on his own. But eventually, he came around and decided to send one.

[Rienne] But how?

Rienne asked breathlessly. Phermos, who had the displeasure of interacting with Linden Kleinfelder, immediately understood her cautious reaction.

He thought it was strange that the Kleinfelders were able to accumulate so much wealth in such a poor kingdom. It was likely the result of squeezing all they could from such a gentle princess.

[Phermos] I dont mean to sound too proud, but I can be very persuasive.

[Rienne] You mean you convinced Lord Kleinfelder with words alone?

[Phermos] It wasnt easy, but like I said: Im persuasive. We both agreed its best to show our sincerity to one another.

[Rienne] Forgive me if I find that hard to believe.

Rienne loudly sighed, but no matter how you looked at it, she seemed relieved.

She looked incredibly pitiful in Phermos eyes. Just looking at her expression, it was clear what kind of hard work she had put in to support her failing kingdom.

.It was crazy to think even Phermos mind was wavering at such a sight. Maybe thats how it was for Black, too. He wasnt an especially compassionate person, but he was supposedly still human and people had a tendency to get that way sometimes.

But there was no point thinking about it. Phermos decided this was a question hed probably never get the answer to.

[Phermos] Just believe, Princess.

Obviously Linden Kleinfelder didnt agree to the request easily. It was all the result of Phermos clever threats.

Phermos had hinted that the Tiwakan knew Rafit Kleinfelder was still alive. Linden, who was desperate to keep the secret, was forced to make a concession.

[Phermos] But Ill admit it doesnt come without a price. Lord Linden Kleinfelder asked us to acknowledge his illegitimate son in exchange for his loyalty to the Arsak family. I didnt give him an answer since thats for the both of you to decide.

Immediately Phermos noticed Riennes expression sink the moment he said the word illegitimate.

I knew it. That son must be the Commander of the knights. Hes pretending to be dead, all while crawling back home and pretending to be someone else.

And judging by Princess Riennes reaction, she must already know that.

They must have gotten into some kind of fight over it. It was obvious after the disappearance of the captain of the guard and how Rienne was trapped inside that house.

Regardless, Ill need to remember how she wanted to keep this from us.

Taking into account everything as a whole, it seemed like Princess Rienne wanted to keep her lovers existence a secret.

[Phermos] In regards to what happened at the estate, is there anything youd like to add, Princess? Any further orders or requests?

[Rienne] No. Thank you for everything youve done to help.

[Phermos] It is no trouble. My duty is my loyalty.

After receiving an unexpected gift, Rienne left Blacks room. As for the amount of money she received, it was more than the engagement giftan amount that had gone completely unused.

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[Phermos] What will the Princess do, I wonder?

As soon as Rienne left, Phermos immediately spoke his mind. He raised an eyebrow towards Black as he asked his question.

[Phermos] Its just as you thought. An illegitimate son appears out of nowhere the moment the eldest sons death is confirmed. And if the eldest son yet lives well its as obvious as one plus one.

Black was a quiet man and his silence could almost always be taken as confirmation.

[Phermos] The Princess must have reunited with her lover. I dont know if she intended to betray you, but its obvious that man is in still in her heart.

[Black] .Im aware.

After Phermos mentioned the word illegitimate, Black also noticed how pale Riennes face got.

It would be even stranger if he didnt. Without even trying, whenever his eyes fell on Rienne, rarely could he ever take them away.

Only

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T/N: (1) Phermos means like, doing things just for the enjoyment suggesting Black isnt doing what hes doing because hes toying with her

(2) Rienne refers to the child as being her safety net or protection device. Basically she means that the child will protect her as a last resort in case something happens.

(3) Reference to chapter 5, where Rienne kept refusing to sit.

Translator Comment: Rienne mustve really not been attracted to Rafit at all lol. To the point of thinking her feelings were broken or something. Id feel bad for him if he wasnt the worst. And Linden apparently decided to stick with this whole illegitimate son lie. I guess he would since the Tiwakan still dont know what Rafit looks like