Barbaric Proposal

Chapter 33

Rienne waited in silence for her next words.

[Black ] “I don't know if you're too sneaky for your own good or if you're just very plain.”

[ Rienne ] “……..None of that sounds like a compliment.”

[Black ] “Is it because you know I can't refuse you, Princess?”

[ Rienne ] “What is....that's what you think?”.

[Black ] “You understand what happened today.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

He knows exactly what he's doing. He kept talking about the price he had to pay for what happened, but from the looks of it, he seemed to have no intention of actually taking it.

[Black ] “But it won't last forever..”.

Black reached out his hand and picked up the wet cloth from Rienne.

[Black ] “You should go. While I still pretend to be a good person.”

His hands are empty now. Rienne looked at her hand as the man lifted the cloth from her and took it back.

If he goes like this, nothing will change.

This man would continue to misunderstand what had happened and his heart would be left wallowing in distress. He doesn't want things to be like that.

[ Rienne ] “I know you are more than just ‘people well’, Mr Tiwakan.”

I'm not scared. Not from him.

[ Rienne ] “So please, let me stay here. I want to take care of my fiance as much as I can.”

[ Black ]”. .”

He could see the muscles on Black's face twitching, but this time it didn't seem like his words were pleasant.

*

* * *

*

Thoroughly cleaning all his wounds took quite a long time. Though, as soon as Rienne insisted on helping her wash her hair, the night quickly passed after that.

Black tries to draw a line by telling him that he doesn't need to bother, but he can't trust him to wash his hair properly after he tries to ignore his injuries.

By the time everything was over, Rienne was exhausted as soon as she left the bathroom.

But for some reason, Black seemed much more tired than he was, which was a bit strange.

After making some requests for one of her subordinates to help her apply the medicine, Rienne returned to her room. His arms felt so heavy that he needed Mrs' help. Flambard to change his nightgown.

As soon as she finally managed to convince Lady Flambard to go and have dinner for herself, Rienne immediately flopped onto her bed.

It's been a long day.

All he wanted to do was close his eyes and fall asleep, but as he lay down, his back felt extremely sore.

[ Rienne ] “Oh...why....should you be hurt now..?”.

He forced himself to lie down. The only thing that made him relieved from the pain was lying on his stomach, and even that only helped for a while and barely.

[ Rienne ] “Did my back also hurt…..? I think my bruises are on my side.”

He felt very sick after receiving some bruises, but what about him? The man had almost always been in danger since arriving.

It was a pattern started by Rafit, who fired the arrow from the start.

It's all his fault. All because his temperament was worse than that of a five-year-old. Why couldn't he understand that it was long over?

I never asked what happened to Rafit.

The man said to lock her up somewhere, so maybe that's where she is now.

Things are going to be a mess tomorrow.

Linden Kleinfelder will likely try and destroy it for this one. He would probably send Lord Maslow to try to extort something from him. And what is the plan to deal with it when it happens?

….Huh…..Let's stop thinking about this now.

He will think about it when tomorrow comes.

It's not a good idea to think about the people from that family right before she goes to bed. He would only have nightmares if he did.

Focus on feeling better. Forget how much your back hurts.

What should he…….

But what suddenly came to mind was the low and deep voice of the previous Black.

[Black ] –’You should go. While I still pretend to be a good person.’

Suddenly, he felt goosebumps forming beside his face and he felt a chill run down his neck.

Why does he feel so weird about it? His words were straightforward, so what confused him was the emotion behind it.

Black sounded as friendly as ever, but somehow hearing him speak, he felt like he was in danger. It was like standing in front of a wild beast, naked without a weapon, while also knowing that the beast would never do anything to harm you.

……What kind of madness is that?

While lowering her face, Rienne shook her head.

It didn't make sense, but to Black, it was perfectly logical. Ever since he met her, he found her to be a man filled with contradictions.

Sleep away.

Rienne forced to close her eyes.

At least I won't have nightmares tonight.

His back still hurt but if he fell asleep, he would not notice the pain. It would be best if he disappeared from exhaustion.

[ Rienne ] “.....?”

But that day is not over.

Squeaking, buk.

He thought he heard wrong, but he didn't. Someone opened the door to his house.

[ Rienne ] “Who.....?”.

As she struggled to sit down, Rienne saw Black standing before her door, looking towards her.

*

* * *

*

Why...... Why is he here?

No. He can't….

[Black ] “I'm here for my payment.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

Rienne heard the rustling sound of her clothes—the voice she subconsciously grabbed the cloth of her nightshirt.

[ Rienne ] “But I thought…..I thought you said..”.

His throat sounded extremely suffocating, as if he was trying to speak in a voice that did not belong to him.

Black walked slowly towards him. Amidst the silence of the dark room, the light blue eyes that were staring at him seemed to be shouting around him.

[Black ] “You do exactly as you want, Princess.”

[ Rienne ] “I...”.

[Black ] “I also have something I want to do. So be a princess and just hold it.”

[ Rienne ] “What...what do you want....t.?”.

[Black ] “I won't let you say no.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

But what she wanted from him seemed not what she was afraid of. Looking at her up close, Rienne saw Black holding something in her hand.

[ Rienne ] “What...what is it?”

[Black ] “It's medicine. Spinning.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

Rienne hesitated for a moment, but then did as she asked, remained seated and turned her back. He felt the weight of the bed shift as he sat down.

He did not sit close to her, but he also did not far—his voice slowly when it hit Rienne's back.

[Black ] “I won't ask you to take off your clothes.”

……What does he plan to do?

[Black ] “So just hold it. Even if it tickles.

…….?

Slipping.

Once again he heard the rustling sound of his clothes.

[ Rienne ] “What....?”.

Rienne looked up in embarrassment. Back then, their eyes met, but Black's hands continued to run under her nightgown.

[ Rienne ] “Wait, wait.”

He immediately turned around and grabbed his wrist, but the pain hit him quickly. Rienne frowned, her voice slowly receding.

[ Rienne ] “What will you do?”

[Black ] “I'll take care of my fiancee. He will not take care of himself, but he will nag others for doing the same.”

[ Rienne ] “No, I can….. I can reach it myself. I am very capable of taking my own medicine. ”

[Black ] “Isn't that what I said?”

[ Rienne ] “It...”.

[Black ] “Reverse. Or you can keep looking at me.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

Black didn't seem to want to listen or stop. Even if Rienne grabbed her wrist as tightly as possible, she could still move easily.

[ Rienne ] “Didn't you say you came here to get your payment?”

Rienne's voice was calm.

[Black ] “Will it be better if I say I replace it with this?”

…..I can't say that.

Black gave her a choice but not really.

He would not say with his own mouth that he would rather sleep together than have her apply medicine for him. He just feels more comfortable like this. (1)

But this…..It's a little weird.

Instead of being paid for himself.

[ Rienne ] “What made you change your mind?”

Finally, Rienne turned her face away. She felt her face flushed red every second, so she pulled her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around her, hiding her face.

[Black ] “What do you mean?”

[ Rienne ] “Medicine.”

[Black ] “I don't think you'll do it yourself.”

[ Rienne ] “If you give it to me, then ...”

[Black ] “Then I won't be able to touch you.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

[Black ] “And those bruises looked like they were in a place you wouldn't be able to reach yourself.”

How did he know that….? Ah, he must have seen it.

Rienne was embarrassed. He was not sure how much he had seen from her.

That doesn't make any sense…..Rienne had seen her bare-chested before, but for some reason she felt like dying from embarrassment now.

[ Rienne ] “A, Are there any bruises on my back too?”

Rienne asked, vainly trying to cover up her embarrassment with a cough. Meanwhile, Black's hands were now free to roam under her nightgown.

[ Black ] “Ya.”

He felt his finger press the medicine in the middle of his back.

It was a small touch, but it was very acute. So much so that Rienne had to endure the crying.

[Black ] “Does it hurt here?”

[ Rienne ] “A.. little...”.

That's lies. He was afraid his touch would only become more intense if he told him that he was fine.

But it's suspicious. It was strange how little pain he felt. The sensation feels numb, if not a little amused.

Although it is not a tickle that needs to be scratched. It felt strange to want to turn around to hug the person who treated his injuries so well.

[Black ] “I do it as gently as possible.”

Rienne knows that.

The problem is that he did it too slowly.

[ Rienne ] “Please..fast.”.

That strange amused sensation would only disappear once he removed his hand from it.

[ Black ] “I don't want.”

[ Rienne ] “…….What?”

But Black did not listen to his words.

[Black ] “I want to touch you as long as I can, so I'll take my time.”

Releasing her gritted teeth, Rienne spoke up.

[ Rienne ] “That's...it's inappropriate for someone who applies medicine to the injured.” (2)

[Black ] “I know. But I don't care to appear as ‘pantas’ now. ”

His hands were slow as it began to move along his spine, reaching somewhere known to Rienne— a place much more sensitive than just his back.

Not taking it anymore, Rienne twisted her body.

[ Rienne ] “S, stop..”.

[Black ] “Hold on. Just like I did.”

Black started spreading the medicine by his side.

Something was different from him today. Compared to her usual self, she looked affectionate yet strangely resolute.

Is this what he meant when he said he didn't care about acting right?

Butwhy?

[ Rienne ] “Why don't you care about decent looks?”

[Black ] “I don't think it's any good.”

[ Rienne ] “No use?”

[Black ] “I already have you, Princess.”

[ Rienne ] “……..That's not how it works. No woman in this world likes a man who is not being polite.”

After thinking about it, Rienne expressed her thoughts. But after Black's response, he couldn't find any more words to say.

[Black ] “I'll probably act and stay polite if you don't have another man.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

[Black ] “I thought I'd wait until you yourself forget him, Princess……. But after today, I don't think it will happen, so I changed my mind.”

As she applied the medicine, her hand stopped moving but she held it under Rienne—'s nightgown gently wrapped around her bruised waist.

[ Rienne ] “I……..I've told you before, I've never cheated.”

[Black ] “Dan as I said, I don't believe you.”

[ Rienne ] “ For Her …. Not for a moment did I .... ”.

Have I ever loved her.

They are technically ‘ together’, but he can never treat their relationship as real. Playing Rafit's lover, his life feels like it's spent on a leash.

But those words were stuck in his throat.

Rienne should have had a child with Rafit. Even if he told Black that he didn't love her, he would just think he gave her a cheap lie again to avoid the situation.

[ Rienne ] “... I've accepted everything as it is. I'm just telling him that I'll marry you and that you'll be the father of my son in the future, Mr. Tiwakan. Nothing else happened.”

[Black ] “Seeing you, Princess, I realize there is a difference between accepting things as they are and cutting something from your heart completely.”

[ Rienne ]”. .”

Black does not talk about physical infidelity.

She was sure Rienne had still not forgotten her former lover.

[ Rienne ] “I...will do...my best.”.

He can't say anything more.

[ Black ] “Ya. Do everything you can. ”

Black's fingers touched Rienne's bare skin, but it didn't hurt.

It's not that he's trying to cause her pain. The hand that held it felt like it was filled with impatience and anxiety.

[Black ] “Until I can trust you, Princess.”

Black tilted his head towards him. He was so close to her now that he could feel her breathing above his head.

[Black ] “I'll kiss you.”

He did not ask for permission this time.

[Black ] “Here.”

He took his other hand and brushed it to the back of his neck which was covered by his long hair. Keeping one hand on her bare waist, she took all her hair and gathered to the side over one of her shoulders, revealing her pale neck.

Rienne was not sure how white the back of her neck was, or how it looked from Black's point of view.

[ Rienne ]”. .”

His fingers touched him before his lips touched him. Rienne's shoulder shook with a small touch that made her hair stand up.