Chapter 60 | Those Who Look Alike

[Rienne] Whats the problem?

Rienne looked up at Phermos, tilted her head.

[Phermos] As you know, theres a major roadblock presently on the path to your wedding ceremonythe Treaty of Risebury. You said that the Temple held the power to bypass it, but now the seat of the High Priest is empty, and the Treaty itself is rotten to the core, so we cant appoint a new one so easily.

That was correct.

The plan was to disrupt the connection between the Temple and the Kleinfelders by revealing that Linden Kleinfelder had ordered Klimah to kill the High Priest.

But if Klimah was gone, that plan was no longer possible.

[Phermos] So I urge you to reconsider, Princess. If we erase his sins, then its uncertain how much longer your wedding will have to be delayed.

[Rienne] ..But we cant kill him.

[Phermos] Then at least tell me the reason. The reason you insist upon saving him.[Rienne] . . .

Rienne sighed.

For Rienne, Klimahs life was a matter she was not willing to yield on. But Phermos was completely on Blacks side, so she needed to show her sincerity towards Black if she wanted him to listen.

Rienne took a deep and long breath, slowly exhaling.

[Rienne] I never had a child.

[Phermos] Oh, I heard. Although it was not my Lords biological child, Im very sorry for your loss.Wait, what do you mean, never?

Phermos didnt really care about this situation at all, so he tried forcing himself to speak some basic words of condolences. But the moment his mind cleared and he focused on her words, his eyes widened.

[Phermos] You mean you were never pregnant from the start? Is that true?

[Rienne] Yes.

[Phermos] And my Lord knowsAh, okay, that explains a lot. No wonder he looked so happy, his face looked a little stupid. Ah, but please dont tell him I said that. As you know, my Lord doesnt really express his emotions often. No one else wouldve noticed it, but those of us who know him well were so shocked that he was making such a strange face.

She didnt really mind the idea of that.

Rienne couldnt imagine Black making a goofy face, but she was certain he would look nice like that. It would probably look very soft and friendly. Maybe even a little happy looking.

Thinking about him like this makes me miss him.

[Rienne] I was going to continue lying until the very end. That was how I was planning on protecting the Arsak familys sovereignty. But..

[Phermos] Are you saying youve changed your mind?

[Rienne] Yes.

[Phermos] May I ask why?

[Rienne] Because Ive decided to become sincere to your leader.

[Phermos] Oh

Phermos sat still, just blinking in surprise. Whenever he moved, the muscles in his face shifted, accompanied by the sound of his monocle, clicking in place.

[Rienne] I have nothing left to calculate nor do I have anything left to fear or be disappointed by. I believe that Lord Tiwakan is a man lacking in nothing, and would make a fine king of Nauk.

[Phermos] Thats only obvious, but Im still a little confused. Im glad to hear you wish to be sincere, but it seems too early for you to be saying that..

[Rienne] Do you think Im lying to you?

Rienne turned and faced Phermos, her expression beyond calm.

Nothing she said was a lie. Yes, she had things she wished to keep hidden, but everything she said now was the complete and honest truth.

Besides, Phermos himself even said that Rienne was a terrible liar. If he looked at her properly now, he would be able to see her expression and recognize her honesty.

[Phermos] No, please forget what I said. Theres no reason for me to speak like this to you. As someone who has pledged my loyalty to my Lord, I am only happy to hear you speak of your sincerity.

[Rienne] And I only wish to do everything I can for him. I want Lord Tiwakan and those of his blood to become the rightful ruler of this land.

[Phermos] Well, if thats the case, then very well. But I fail to see what this has to do with covering up the sins of the servant.

[Rienne] Its important. Thats all you need to know.

[Phermos] HmYou dont seem to want to talk about it.

[Rienne] The way we help others can vary from time to time. But know that its for Lord Tiwakans sake that I wish to clear the servant of his sins. Lord Tiwakan is the only one on my mind right now.

[Phermos] W, well, if you put things like that.then I cannot refuse.

As if looking through a window, he felt like he could see the truth a little more clearly.

Phermos stuttered for a moment, feeling strange as if hed been stabbed somewhere.

Both his Lord and the Princess were coming at things from different angles, but what they were doing was exactly the same. Their feelings were genuine, so they wanted to do things for each other. And one of those things was keeping the servant, Klimah alive.

Though their methods were different, for some reason it felt like they wanted the same things.

But they had no idea because they werent talking to each other.

Feeling a little frustrated, Phermos aimlessly scratched his head.

He once heard that humans often gave their affection to those they felt were similar to themselves, and though he had his doubts before, seeing the two of them now, he felt like it was true.

The two of them, though completely different on the outside, were eerily similar on the inside.

[Phermos] If this cannot be helped, then we will find another way.

As if she were relieved, Rienne smiled widely.

[Rienne] Thank you.

[Phermos] Ah..Yes. Thank you, too.

At that moment, Phermos was so stunned that he ended up accidentally saying the wrong response.

[Rienne] What are you thanking me for, Lord Phermos?

[Phermos] When you smile like that, of course such a sight is something worth being thankful forAh, wait no, what am I sayingI, Ill be taking my leave now.

And without even saying a proper goodbye, Phermos stood up squarely from his seat and quickly left the room.

[Rienne] .?

Even Rienne had to take pause at how strange that wasa behavior so unlike the Phermos she knew. It wasnt as though she expected Phermos to be polite to her all the time, but it was still very weird.

[Rienne] Well, anyway, Klimah..needs to find a proper hiding place. If he stays in the Temple, the Kleinfelders might find him.

But Rienne had so much other work to worry about.

Not to mention Klimahs mother, who was a hostage under the guise of working at the Kleinfelder estate, also needed to be rescued somehow.

[Rienne] What should I do about that..?

But little did Rienne know that Mrs. Hentons circumstances were a concern she didnt need to think about. After all, she was already far away from that house. Somewhere safe and sound.

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The fact that the Kleinfelder estate was turned upside down made the remaining five families tremble in anger.

Or was it the fear making them shake so much?

Even if Linden Kleinfelder was away, the door to the estate should not have been broken down so easily. But the fact that it was, just proved how much stronger the Tiwakan were than all of them, even if they were to combine their strength.

They couldnt stop them.

[Ellaroiden] Goddammit.

Ellaroiden spat under his breath.

Despite the fact that his visit had been announced, the Rosadel mansion still wasnt ready to receive him. He cursed, thinking even his harsh swears were too polite for slow, bastard workers.

[Ellaroiden] Why havent they opened up yet?

This was a crisis for all six families.

This wasnt just some political spat or general disagreement. This was a bloody threat, one that could potentially take all of their lives directly.

If they allowed the situation to remain like this, they would lose everything they had to those barbarous Tiwakan.

So the six families had to join together with what forces they had. Even if it resulted in war or the crime of treason, they had to do everything they could to drive out the Tiwakan.

These talks should have been led by Linden Kleinfelder, but because he was still in prison, Ellaroiden had no choice but to step up, take the risk, and make his own move.

But these days, with Castle Nauk newly defended and the Tiwakan roaming the streets, it was terrifying even leaving the house.

Not to mention that Ellaroiden had his own sin to beareven if it was merely the sin of a messenger.

Just as Linden had asked, he sent on the message to the servant that hed mentioned. There was no word of the man being caught yet, but the Tiwakan had already trampled on the head of the delegations home.

And that meant his own home wouldnt be safe either.

Whether Princess Rienne returned or not, he thought the remaining five families would be left alone, but now that couldnt be guaranteed.

Bang, bang!

Feeling nervous, Ellaroiden put strength into his fist, banging against the door of the Rosadel estate.

He was wearing the clothes of a worker and left behind his escort all for the sake of avoiding the eyes of the Tiwakan. He had to do this himself.

[Ellaroiden] Open the door! Hurry up!

Click. Squeak!

Eventually the door opened, but only by barely an inch.

[Butler] Shush.. You must be quiet.

It was the butler of the Rosadel estate who answered the door. But Ellaroiden had been kept waiting so long, he was furious.

[Ellaroiden] If you were going to open the door eventually, why did you make me wait so long? How could you keep me standing out here?

[Butler] My master doesnt wish to see you, sir. Please, you should return now..

[Ellaroiden] What?

Ellaroidens face twisted.

[Ellaroiden] How dare you! Get out of my way!

As he yelled out in anger, Ellaroiden pushed past the butler, forcing his way through the door.

[Butler] No, you cant! Sir!

[Ellaroiden] Shut up and call Lord Rosadel. How dare you tell me what I cant do!

With heavy steps, Ellaroiden stomped through the mansion recklessly. The butler tried to stop him, but he couldnt touch him, so all he did was follow after him as he yelled.

[Ellaroiden] Rosadel! Come on out! Do you really think youll be safe if you hide!? Do you think those barbarians will leave you alone if you hunker down like this!?

[Butler] S, sir! Please lower your voice. My master did not mean to offend you..

[Ellaroiden] Then what is this?

The butler didnt know what to do, so he awkwardly shut his mouth. But just as he was about to shrivel away, Rosadel finally showed himself.

[Rosadel] Quiet, sir.

[Ellaroiden] ..? Lord Rosadel?

Ellaroidens mouth was left agape.

Rosadels lack of energy was already suspicious, but looking at his face, he looked deathly exhausted and defeated.

After losing sixteen soldiers in a single encounter, Rosadel collapsedsuffering after hed heard the news. Out of those sixteen men, only one managed to barely escape with his life. But hed lost an arm, and couldnt even be called a knight anymore.

Some may think losing sixteen soldiers out of two-hundred was hardly cause for concern, but not for Rosadel.

Because in less than an hour, those sixteen men were utterly decimated like mashing rotten grain.

And apparently, it wasnt even a true battle. All of this carnage was carried out by a single man.

The Tiwakan were a disaster. Like a blighted swarm upon the land. They were not something that could be stopped using human power.

Realizing this, Rosadel had already lost his will to fight.

[Rosadel] I already know what youre here for, and I dont agree. Im pulling myself out of this fight. So justsend him back outside.

[Ellaroiden] What the hell are you talking about!?

During this entire conversation, Rosadel didnt even bother inviting Ellaroiden to the drawing roominstead just having him stand in the main hall.

And now he was being sent back outside.

[Ellaroiden] Are you just going to give up?

[Rosadel] I dont want to fight the Tiwakan. Its impossible..

[Ellaroiden] Wake up! Do you really think the Tiwakan will leave you alone? You were the one who delivered that message to the servant of the Kleinfelders!

[Rosadel] You!

Rosadel shouted, pointing his finger at Ellaroiden.

[Rosadel] What are you talking about!? You did that all on your own! You were the only one who spoke to that slave!

[Ellaroiden] Do you think theyll care about that!? That day, both of us spoke to Lord Kleinfelder! Thats all they know!

[Rosadel] Ah..no.

Rosadel fell to his knees on the ground.

[Butler] Oh, master. You cant sit in such a cold place.

Loyal as he was, the butler grabbed onto Rosadel, trying to bring him back to his feet. Meanwhile, Rosadels body was staggering as he shook his head.

[Rosadel] NoI didnt do anything. Everything was done by the Kleinfelder family and the Ellaroiden family.

As Rosadel sat on his knees, Ellaroiden looked at him, clicking his tongue in near shock.

[Ellaroiden] Such a shameful display as a lord. Are you not ashamed of what the name Rosadel has become?

[Rosadel] I didnt do anythingI didnt do it

[Ellaroiden] Ha, this is!

Ellaroiden clicked his tongue, exhaling harshly.

He didnt understand why Rosadel was so terrified, but clearly he was useless now.

[Ellaroiden] Fine, Ill go back for today, but you should really come to your senses. Do you really expect to protect your familys name with such a pathetic look? This is the time for the six families to be working together.[Rosadel] . . .

Rosadel stayed quiet.

[Ellaroiden] Ill come back. I dont know what happened, but pull yourself together.

Ellaroiden turned on his heel.

Right now, he needed to decide if he should make a move, or pretend he knew nothing of what was going on and watch the situation for now.

[Ellaroiden] Theres still no word on what happened to Princess Rienne. Should I plant a man in the castle..?

But the moment he was muttering to himself and opening the door to leave

[Ellaroiden] ? ..A, ah!

At first, he thought his eyes were lying to him, but there was no mistaking it. As soon as the gates were opened, the first thing he saw was that terrifying black armor.

[Ellaroiden] T, Tiwakan.!