A Barbaric Proposal

Chapter 88 Left Behind

translator/editor: astralmech

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That felt like a strange train of thought.

[Rienne] “But isn’t that place dangerous for her? It doesn’t make sense that she’d try and go back now. There might be people there who hold a grudge against her.”

[Black] “It’s just a guess. That’s the only place I can think of, but if it’s true that she went there, you have nothing to worry about. Phermos will be there.”

[Rienne] “I see. She was stuck there for a very long time……It’s possible she may have left something behind.”

[Black] “Most likely.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

For whatever reason, Mrs. Henton felt like she needed to go back there, but didn’t mention a word to anyone before leaving. That could only mean some secrets were still left unsaid.

[Rienne] “In that case, let’s go together.”

Rienne was filled with worry, fearing that whatever secret it was, it was a fragment of a past stained with pain and misery. Mrs. Henton had just started down the path of trying to overcome that sadness.

What if something happens?

[Black] “That might not be a good idea. If you ride a horse, you could hurt your back more.”

[Rienne] “It doesn’t hurt that much.”

Rienne was shaking her head firmly towards Black, but all he did was raise his eyebrow, looking as though he definitely didn’t believe her.

[Rienne] “If anything were to happen to her, then I should be there.”

[Black] “…….Then promise me. Once we get back, even if it doesn’t hurt that much, promise you’ll complain as much as possible about your pain.”

[Rienne] “Well that sounds a bit strange…….Remind me, who was the one who didn’t listen to me when I tried making a fuss just a second ago?”

[Black] “That’s why you have to complain extra hard. Don’t let me do that again.” ⁽¹⁾

Somehow, though Mrs. Flambard hadn’t been there, she understood exactly what they were talking about.

[Mrs. Flambard] “I will take responsibility over the Princess and ensure she does not overdo it. Let us be off.”

That was how even Mrs. Flambard ended up accompanying them to the Kleinfelder estate.

From both inside and outside the castle, guards began to turn the place upside down searching for the missing Mrs. Henton.

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[Phermos] “Ah…..I thought we agreed you wouldn’t come?”

And they ended up arriving nearly at the exact same time, too.

Black and Rienne appeared at the Kleinfelder estate just after Phermos and the other men succeeded in breaking past the main gate.

[Black] “That’s how it turned out. Is there any resistance?”

[Phermos] “Yes. Though I don’t know why, they’re refusing to open the door. At this rate, things might get difficult.”

[Black] “That only confirms something’s hidden here.”

But Rienne and Mrs. Flambard couldn’t hide their worry.

[Rienne] “You didn’t happen to see Mrs. Henton while you were here, did you?”

[Phermos] “Hm? What was that, Princess? You mean Sir Henton’s wife?”

[Rienne] “So you haven’t. Then that must mean she’s somewhere else, or she came here secretly.”

The estate was completely darkened, with both doors and windows sealed shut. It was entirely possible for her to be somewhere within, but with how things were, they’d have no way of knowing for certain.

[Phermos] “Hm……If that’s true, this complicates things. It could be that they’ve taken her hostage……Is that why they refuse to open the door?”

[Black] “Don’t jump to conclusions. It might not be her they want to hide. There’s plenty of other things they would want to keep hidden away.”

[Phermos] “Yes, that’s correct. First things first, we need to get past the door. If they are indeed holding her hostage, this will force them to reveal their hand. We can decide what comes next after that.”

Just as Phermos said that, Klimah perked up in the distance, rushing towards them at the news he had overheard.

[Klimah] “M, my mother is inside? But why?”

He looked so bewildered and shocked at the news that his mother was missing, it was clear he too was entirely left in the dark, unaware of the fact that she had disappeared.

[Rienne] “We’re not sure. But the guards and the knights are also looking for her right now, so please do not worry.”

[Klimah] “But still……How could this…..happen…….”

In contrast to his large size, Klimah panicked in a way that made him seem smaller.

With slouched shoulders and a slim figure, he used to always look so small, but looking at him properly, he was actually very big and tall. The ever-present melancholy that used to plague his expression had cleared, and the kindness of his presence stood out more clearly now.

Right now, Klimah seemed like an entirely different person.

How could someone like that be forced to endure such a life………? It was something that Rienne’s mind could not rationalize. Just thinking about the past was enough to make her heart ache for him.

Rienne patted Klimah’s arm.

[Rienne] “It’s okay. Everything will be alright. I will make sure of it.”

[Klimah] “. . .”

Klimah was quiet for a moment, looking at Rienne with his lips slightly parted in surprise. But then, after a while, he nodded.

[Klimah] “If my mother came here…….she would’ve used that path.”

[Rienne] “That path? Is there another way in?”

[Klimah] “Yes, it’s the path I would use……whenever I had to leave for a job. My mother knows about it, too.”

[Rienne] “Oh……”

[Klimah] “But it’s very narrow, only one person at a time can get through……I always had to lower my head a lot, too……”

Phermos frowned.

[Phermos] “What? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

[Klimah] “You didn’t ask……”

[Phermos] “I didn’t ask because I didn’t know! But in that case, we can enter through there while the men by the front door keep their attention. Will you go yourself, my Lord?”

[Black] “No. Send Randall.”

That was unexpected. Phermos would’ve thought he’d want to take care of this himself, like most things.

[Phermos] “That’s a surprise. I almost assumed you would go straight there yourself……..Though I suppose the Princess is here as well. That makes sense, sir.”

Rienne turned her gaze up, grabbing Black’s sleeve.

[Rienne] “Let’s go together. If it’s all of us, we’ll be able to find her faster.”

But although Rienne was asking him very earnestly, Black looked down at her, his expression darkly serious.

[Black] “Absolutely not. That’s why I said I would stay here with you.”

[Rienne] “It won’t be dangerous. You’re here with me.”

[Black] “I’m only one man. And we’re still in the dark about what exactly is going on in there.”

[Rienne] “But…..”

Listening to the hushed whispers of Black and Rienne’s disagreement, Phermos shook his head, and Mrs. Flambard nodded as if she understood.

[Phermos] “I will send Randall in, so don’t argue over nothing. It was my own fault for asking in the first place.”

After that, their course was quickly decided.

Randall and three other mercenaries entered the Kleinfelder estate, being led through that narrow path under the careful guidance of Klimah.

But what they were greeted with was a deafening silence enveloping the detached house with all the doors sealed off. And in a room of the annex was Mrs. Henton—bleeding out from a stab wound on the floor.

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[Rienne] “Ma’am? Ma’am? Can you hear me? Mrs. Henton!”

[Mrs. Henton] “……..Prin…cess…..?

Mrs. Henton finally regained consciousness half a day after being moved back to the castle.

[Rienne] “Hah……I’m so relieved.”

Seeing her wake up safe and sound, Rienne weakly fell to the floor—completely exhausted. On the other side of the bed was Klimah, quietly sobbing as he held his mother’s hand.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh, Princess!”

Bringing back fresh water, Mrs. Flambard returned just in time to see Rienne sink to the ground. True to herself, she didn’t spill a single drop of water as she rushed to her.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Goodness! You’ve woken up!”

And yet, the second she noticed Mrs. Henton, who had finally opened her eyes, Mrs. Flambard immediately spilled the water as she tried to help Rienne up.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Ah, what have I done?”

The water pooled on the floor as both of their dresses became soaked. Normally, she would’ve handled such an accident with skill and grace, but she was so flustered right now, acting like a toy with missing sprockets.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh goodness….”

[Mrs. Henton] “I’m not dead, so hurry up and clean up the water properly.”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Henton, who had been found on the cusp of death and barely survived, somehow managed to look more alive than anyone else in the room.

Only then did Rienne and Mrs. Flambard come back to their senses. They quickly cleaned up the mess on the floor and rushed to call a doctor.

Though, it wasn’t a doctor, per say—it was Phermos. But he knew more about examining wounds than most doctors would, especially wounds inflicted with a blade.

[Phermos] “I need you to move your hand.”

But while trying to examine Mrs. Henton’s condition, Phermos noticed Klimah, stuck in the same idle position holding her hand. He was sitting so still, he looked like a stone statue.

[Phermos] “I told you she wouldn’t die. Let go of her hand and step back. You’re so big, I can’t examine her if you remain tethered to her like this.”

Eventually Klimah nodded, painstakingly letting go of his mother’s hand.

Right now, Klimah was the only apprentice among the Guardian Knights of the Arsak family. He said that he wanted to do it, and that this would be his way of atoning for all the lives he’d taken. By becoming a protector instead.

It caused a bit of a stir, since the person he was becoming a protector of was an Arsak, but the Tiwakan welcomed him with open arms nonetheless. Everyone in the Tiwakan was excited to receive their first apprentice. They were all too enthusiastic to give him all the lessons he would need to become a knight among their ranks.

But because of that, Klimah’s days had become more busy and hectic, and so he had no idea that something was going on with his mother.

That’s why he was taking this even harder than he normally would have.

[Phermos] “Alright then. Let me examine your wounds, ma’am. Here, correct?”

Phermos removed the bandages he had wrapped with more skill than a doctor, inspecting the wound. It was just between the left side of her ribs. If the stab wound had been even a little bit off course, he couldn’t guarantee she’d still be alive.

[Phermos] “The wound itself is a clean cut, but it’s very deep, so the blade must have been incredibly sharp. Rather than one of the servants, the person who did this must’ve been a knight, I assume?”

[Mrs. Henton] “. . .”

Mrs. Henton’s expression turned troubled. She looked like she wanted to open her mouth, but for some reason, she couldn’t.

[Phermos] “I’m asking this now because I’m curious, but if you don’t wish to answer, you may remain silent. Luckily, the wound is healing properly, so the only thing left for you to do is rest, eat well, and take your medicine. Do that for a month, and you should recover nicely.”

Considering the state they found her in, she was very fortunate that was the extent of it.

After examining the injury, Phermos applied the medicine and bound the wound with fresh bandages.

[Phermos] “I applied plenty of medicine, so reapplication won’t be necessary for another two days. I will check on your pain at that time as well. I ask that you refrain from moving and lie flat on your back when you sleep to avoid agitating the wound. Do you understand?”

[Mrs. Henton] “…..The….re……”

Then, Mrs. Henton finally struggled to slowly speak.

[Phermos] “Ma’am? What was that?”

[Mrs. Henton] “The room where I was stabbed. That was his room.”

[Phermos] “His……? Who are you talking about?”

The woman quickly jerked her head. The wounds that still had yet to heal burned red hot in her eyes.

[Mrs. Henton] “Him………Theran Kleinfelder.”

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Theran Kleinfelder was the head of the Kleinfelder family twenty-one years ago.

His death was very sudden. And strangely enough, his eldest son and Rafit’s father, who was meant to be the next head of the house, also died around the same time.

Once again, everything seemed to be moving along the same course as the treason that took place twenty-one years ago. Something like that couldn’t be passed off as a coincidence.

[Mrs. Henton] “In that house, I was in charge of looking after him. He was like the living dead.”

But the truth was that Theran Kleinfelder didn’t actually die. He merely collapsed from a stroke. After that, he was rendered entirely immobile. The only thing he could move was his eyes.

[Mrs. Henton] “Some of the family members said that it would’ve been better if he had died rather than suffering from such a terrible disease.”

It was called a disease now, but back then, without knowing the cause of it, everyone was quick to call his stroke a curse from God. It was only natural that others were reluctant to speak of one who had been cursed under the name of the heavens.

[Mrs. Henton] “For twenty years, I had to feed, clothe, and bathe such a corpse-like person.”

Mrs. Henton hadn’t forgotten he was her enemy, but there was little she could do when there were constant eyes on her. The best she could get away with for the longest time was secretly mix things in with his food or throw his medicine away by saying it wouldn’t settle well with his meals.

[Mrs. Henton] “But his will to live was unshakable. Even after I was liberated from that house, he was still holding onto his last breath. So today I went to…….”

The woman’s face distorted.

[Mrs. Henton] “I wanted to finish it with my own hands……..”

Theran Kleinfelder was not the one who killed Sir Henton. He was not the one who killed her second son by stabbing him in the heart, nor was he the one who forced her and her eldest son into servitude.

But Mrs. Henton needed someone to focus her resentment on.

That was Theran Kleinfelder.

[Mrs. Henton] “I went to kill him, but……but he was awake. He was standing on his own two feet with a cane—staring at me.”

The butler, who was supporting Theran, ordered a soldier to kill her.

The moment she fell after being struck with a blade, all she could see was Theran Kleinfelder’s back, leaving that room alive. It was such a shameful sight. Her enemy was escaping and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

That was why the estate was so empty.

Now that Theran could move, he would’ve hastily packed up what fortune he could and fled somewhere.

Just as there were several underground rooms and secret passages in Castle Nauk to help protect the royal family from invaders, the Kleinfelder estate was no different. Theran Kleinfelder must’ve carefully hid himself away, attempting to escape the merciless eyes of the Tiwakan.

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^{T/N: (1) He’s talking about when he pushed a kiss on her last chapter. He uses a word [엄살], which means to exaggerate or make a fuss over nothing in regards to one’s pain, so he wants her to exaggerate her pain so that he can dissuade himself from doing that sort of thing again.}