Chapter 19 | Trap (3)

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Does he know?

Did he already know and was just going out of his way to ask? Was he trying to get her to confess everything before he went over to the window and opened it himself?

With that thought in her mind, Rienne struggled to keep her eyes away from the window where Rafit was narrowly hiding on the frame.

[Rienne] Yes, thats it.

[Black] Good to hear.

Despite seemingly knowing everything, he answered simply.

[Black] Then start measuring.

[Rienne] . . .

She couldnt do that. She needed to get him out of this room as soon as possible so she could get Rafit out. Hed be able to hold on for right now, but eventually someone outside would notice Rafit standing outside her window.

And things would complicate further if he were to fall.

[Rienne] Lets go to another room first.

Rienne got closer to Black and whispered quietly to him. She was a bit ashamed to have to do this, but for now, she just needed to get him out of the room.

She had to assume he was aware of Rafits presence. If that were the case, he wouldnt just leave after she finished taking his measurements. No doubt hed try and stay to see what was going on.

Thats what Rienne believed him capable of.

In both body and mind, Black was sharp, quick-witted, and extremely sensible. If he was just a simple minded barbarian who knew nothing but war and slaughter, perhaps she wouldnt have found him so dangerous yet fascinating.

[Black] Why?

And as she expected, he asked why he should have to leave. Rienne lowered her voice. It was a soft whisper like the voice of a temptress.

[Rienne] My lady-in-waiting is outside.

[Black] . . .

Hearing that, Black stared down at Rienne without a word. His eyes were so light and honest they seemed to reveal every thought hidden behind his features.

He lowered his head down towards her, his voice just as soft and low as Riennes was.

[Black] Then send her away.

[Rienne] I cant.

[Black] Why not?

[Rienne] All her sewing equipment is here.

[Black] . . .

[Rienne] I cant.. keep her waiting outsidefor too long.

After she said that, Rienne could feel her face reddening.

[Black] Its things like this that make it hard not to think about you, Princess.

Black gently urged Rienne closer with his hand still in her hair, and she followed his lead without resistance. They were already so close to one another, but even the smallest of gaps between them gradually became narrower.

Until they were almost touching.

[Black] I dont know how this will turn out.

[Rienne] What do you mean.?

[Black] Where should we go?

Grabbing her arms with his hands, Black whispered tenderly toward her.

[Rienne] Thenext room over.

He turned both their bodies around.

Stomp!

He was walking so fast and before Rienne even realized what was happening, she heard the sound of a door opening.

The next room was much closer than she thought.

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Slam!

The sound of something slamming against the wall as hard as it could rang out into the air, but it wasnt Riennes body. She didnt feel even a little bit of pain. Only then did Rienne realize Black already had his arms around her, his palms supporting her back before she ever touched the wall.

As soon as the door clicked behind them, their lips found one another. Feeling Black lower his head and lean his body into hers, Riennes entire head turned white hot.

Instinctively she reached out for him, her arms loosely hanging around his neck. Grabbing her with one arm, Black effortlessly lifted her into the air and pulled her up to him.

Everything felt so hot. It was as though her entire body had become like firewood.

It only took a single spark before everything started to burn up.

[Rienne] Ah, wait.

Rienne unconsciously let out a sigh as Blacks kisses wandered down her neck.

[Black] You dont like it?

[Rienne] No, thats not what I.

[Black] Then just stay still.

Even though her feet werent touching the ground, Rienne didnt feel nervous. Her hands were placed firmly on his broad and strong shoulders, and all she wanted to do was keep holding on. It made her want to stay close.

[Rienne] . . .

Letting out a soft breath, Rienne tightened the grip she had on his shoulders. Feeling her body tremble, Black paused for a moment, but he didnt stop immediately.

He pulled his lips away slowly, running them across Riennes sensitive skin.

[Black] Are you uncomfortable? (1)

[Rienne] Nno.

[Black] Thenare you afraid?

She was. This was frightening.

She didnt know what came next and it was starting to feel like her body wasnt her own anymore.

[Rienne] Just a little.

[Black] . . .

.Now it was Blacks turn to sigh. Rienne felt him let out a hot breath against her neck. It was the kind of heat that flooded her head and set her mind ablaze.

[Black] Dont be scared.

Muttering almost to himself, Black released his grip on Rienne and carefully allowed her feet to touch the ground again. The moment he did, suddenly Riennes legs felt very heavy.

.Nothats not what I meant when I said I was afraidyoure misunderstanding me.

But it wasnt as though she could ask him to pick her up and kiss her again. Even if Black was her lover, she was far too embarrassed to make that kind of request.

[Black] I guess I was moving too fast.

Was he? Rienne wasnt sure.

All she could remember was the endless burning sensation coursing through her body. Looking back on it, they werent exactly moving slowly, but that didnt mean he was the only one moving fast.

If she were in his place, she mightve been even more impatient.

[Rienne] Its alright..

Rienne whispered more quietly than a mosquito, her eyes downcast towards the ground. After having her lips dangerously entangled with his just moments ago, it was too embarrassing to look him directly in the eyes.

[Black] Are you sure youre alright?

But suddenly Black filled her entire vision, even as she looked down.

He was kneeling in front of her, his head just below her chest as he looked up at her. Panicking, Rienne quickly covered his eyes with her hands to avoid his gaze.

[Rienne] Whwhat are you doing?

[Black] You say youre fine, but you dont look that way.

[Rienne] No, really, Im alright.

[Black] Really?

[Rienne] Yes.

[Black] Then why are you covering my eyes?

[Rienne] Thats

She knew exactly why.

Even though this wasnt the first time theyd kissed, for some reason Rienne felt extremely shy right now. More than that, they were still close enough that Rienne could easily reach out and cover his eyes with her hands.

Before now, whenever Rienne felt embarrassed or shy, shed run away or bite her tongue. But now there she was, covering his eyes with her hands instead of avoiding him.

It was a such a small change that she didnt even realize it was happening.

[Rienne] Ill let you go so dont look at me like that.

[Black] .If thats a problem for you, then okay.

[Rienne] Alright.

As Rienne carefully removed her hand from his eyes, it gently brushed against the side of his face for only a moment as it fellan action that was no different from touching him.

But before she could completely pull away, Black quickly seized her wrist and held her palm in place.

[Black] This isnt so bad either.

[Rienne] What do you mean?

[Black] Youre touching me, Princess.

[Rienne] . . .

Black pulled on Riennes wrist and gave her a kiss on the palm.

[Black] So Ill ignore it for today.

[Rienne] What?

[Black] The illegitimate son of the Kleinfelder family.

[Rienne] ..!

Even though Riennes entire body had stiffened like a statue, Black kept his lips on Riennes hand the entire time.

Never before had Rienne felt so terrified of a man kissing her hand so tenderly.

[Black] The Tiwakan are now responsible for the security of Castle Nauk. I have no reason to allow trespassers who entered without my permission to leave in good faith. But for today.

He gently ran his lips against her hand.

[Black] For today, I will ignore itbecause you touched me, Princess.

[Rienne] . . .

Rienne couldnt say anything back. Black let go of her hand, continuing on with the conversation as if nothing had happened.

[Black] What measurements did you still need?

Just after he said that, Rienne realized she didnt bring the tape measure. In the end, Mrs. Flambard had to be the one to finish the job.

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[Phermos] As you ordered, we let him leave peacefully.

Phermos had a lot of questions, most of them complaints in nature.

The person they were told to leave alone was none other than Rafit Kleinfelder himself.

In an old castle with many blind spots, it was far too easy for a rat to sneak in and out without them ever knowing. Because of this, it went unnoticed for a time but eventually Phermos received a report.

He was grinning from ear to ear when he was told that a rat from the Kleinfelder family had snuck into the castle. This was their opportunity to squeeze everything they could from that house. With the momentum on their side, it would be in their best interest to nip this in the bud while they had the chance.

But when they were told the rat was headed straight for Princess Riennes bedroom, Phermos smile quickly went away.

Because he realized Black wasnt happy.

Rather than smiling, he looked extremely troubled. His stiff expression made that abundantly clear.

Noticing that, Phermos could swear on the God of War himself that this was the first time hed seen Black struggle to keep his emotions in check like that.

It was obvious that the rat from the Kleinfelder family was the very much alive Commander of the Knights. It appeared as though he was heading towards Princess Riennes bedroom in order to secretly meet up with his love.

Clearly Princess Rienne couldnt forget about the man so easily.

Though in all fairness it would be suspicious if she forgot about him too quickly. They had been involved with one another for quite some time, and it was certain the man had no intention of letting her go. He even went as far as to come to the castle despite the risk to his own life.

And above all else, he was the father of Princess Riennes child. Unlike the Princess, he wouldnt choose to leave her so easily given the circumstances.

The problem was that Black needed to confirm things with his own eyes and ears. All of his thoughts were plainly written on his face.

.Thats not right. It has to be a mistake. They shouldve already moved on. (2)

Seeing such clear emotions coming from him, Phermos could tell Blacks heart was already beginning to lean towards Princess Rienne.

But having his favor didnt give her the right to secretly meet up with her old lover whenever she pleased. Though Phermos knew Black never had a woman by his side before, he believed he wasnt the kind of man to allow himself to be toyed with like this.

After all, he was a man of conviction. A relentless and strong person.

Phermos truly thought this was the day his Lords mercy towards Princess Rienne would run out. In the middle of their engagement, she had brought another man to her bedroom. If thats how it was going to be, he was certain someones head would go flying.

But that wasnt how things went.

Like fate, a message came shortly after that.

Princess Rienne was requesting his Lords presence.

While Phermos was still busy trying to organize his thoughts on what was going on, Black had already left in a hurry. For Princess Rienne, that was really.

Lucky or clever.

His Lord had one thing right: Princess Rienne was a difficult woman to grasp. Phermos couldnt tell if she was truly as innocent and gentle as she seemed.or if she had simply perfected her mask.

[Phermos] Ive been informed that the rat made its way back to its nest with its head still attached. Speaking of which (2)

After coming back from seeing Princess Rienne, Phermos couldnt help but notice how Black seemed to resemble herhis face lost in thought with an expression he couldnt control.

[Phermos] Are you certain you wish to ignore this?

Phermos couldnt hold the question back any longer.

[Black] .Just this once.

After a long time, Black finally answered. That must mean it wasnt an easy decision to come to.

[Phermos] May I ask why.? No, actually Im very curious. Its not wise to leave the Kleinfelders alone like this. Their private militia is no trouble for us but as you well know, the rats are allied with the Kingdom of Sharka.

[Black] Ive decided to leave things alone this time.

[Phermos] ButI mean why would you?

[Black] I was given something.

[Phermos] Given something.? By who? The Kleinfelders?

Though the chances of the Kleinfelders actually having paid him off was low, Phermos still asked. They were the only people with the means to do something like that.

[Black] Not them.

[Phermos] Then who?

[Black] It was the Princess.

As he answered, his words were dripping with annoyance. Phermos could feel in his gut that it was time to stop this line of questioning. Even though he was dying to know what the Princess had given his Lord, he decided to swallow his curiosity.

Of course, it was probably for the best Phermos remained curious. How would he react if he knew the compensation Black received was the Princess simply touching his face?

[Phermos] Well.I hope whatever the Princess has given you is worth losing todays opportunity. But with all due respect, sire this will only continue to happen if you remain too soft on her.

Phermos was prepared to be scolded for how bold his words were, but instead Black answered firmly.

[Black] No, I dont think it will.

[Phermos] What makes you so certain?

[Black] Because the Princess didnt call for him.

[Phermos] How do you know that.?

[Black] If thats what she intended, she wouldnt have called for us both at the same time if she wanted to be smart about it.

Phermos was confused by that as well. If that was the case, then was Princess Rienne really as innocent as she seemed? Is that what was making his Lords heart turn soft like pudding?

[Phermos] Then. does this mean you trust Princess Rienne?

Only

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T/N: (1) This is more in reference to physical discomfort rather than emotional.

(2) The term used here is , which lit. means in this context to be done with something/to move onto the next.

(3) Just as a note, Phermos refers to both the Kleinfelders and Rafit as being mice/rats pretty consistently throughout this whole section. I replaced some of those instances with just Kleinfelder to break up the repetition, but I feel like this is important to know. Shows you how much he respects them lol.

Translator Comment: This is great, Siri play Everytime We Touch by Cascada Also I feel bad for Phermos. It probably isnt easy when your cool, epic boss man suddenly turns into a simp.