Chapter 80: A Foreign Prince (1)

Chapter 80 A Foreign Prince (1)

Rienne pointed to the heavy wardrobe, crafted with rosewood.

It was originally a place to store jewelry. It was inlaid with dozens of small drawers and hidden compartments, each of them locked with a separate key hole. However, the jewelry inside had already been sold off, so even the locks were kept undone, with the key being left in the King's Office.

But the drawers, which should have been empty, were not.

As if they were never gone from the start, there were countless gems and jewelry pieces perfectly placed in their rightful spots.

[Mrs. Flambard] "What's wrong......? Oh!"

Even Mrs. Flambard was stunned into silence, clasping her hands over her mouth.

[Mrs. Flambard] "What happened here, this is—ah."

But surprisingly, she seemed to know something.

[Rienne] "Ma'am."

[Mrs. Flambard] "No, it's......"

Mrs. Flambard walked past Rienne, reaching towards the drawer that was once home to the prized sapphire pendant of the late Queen, which had been sold to the jeweler not long ago.

As expected, the pendant was neatly placed inside like it had always been there.

[Mrs. Flambard] "I......told him. I said to him that this was something you cherished, Princess."

[Rienne] "W, who......? Lord Tiwakan?"

[Mrs. Flambard] "Indeed."

[Rienne] "Does that mean he got all of these?"

Letting out all her complicated feelings with a sigh, Rienne's head jolted up with a sudden thought as she quickly started searching through all of the drawers.

And without a doubt, the jewelry pieces started to pile up. Some she even recognized as ones she'd sold in the past while others were slightly different in shape.

[Rienne] "He did this on purpose, didn't he?"

[Mrs. Flambard] "What do you mean?"

[Rienne] "There's only one jeweler who caters to the royal family in Nauk. If he asked them, he would've known exactly what they bought from me......."

And regardless of value, he found a way to get it back, just to fill up this empty space. And if he couldn't find the exact item Rienne sold, he got something similar to take its place.

[Rienne] "I can't believe this. Why would he buy all of this? When did he even have the time?"

[Mrs. Flambard] "I thought so as well. It hasn't even been a few days since I told him."

But even as Mrs. Flambard tried to sound exasperated, there was a certain thrill to her voice, as if she found this entire situation to be both funny and exciting. But Rienne couldn't believe it.

This man was completely out of his mind.

No matter how much he could afford, this was too much to accept. If she counted the value of all the gems and jewelry pieces that were here now, it would easily sum up to the entire kingdom's year long budget for the next several years.

To him, that might not seem like much, but Rienne couldn't bring herself to accept such an overwhelming gift. Honestly, he was the one who deserved to get things from her. Why was she yet again on the receiving end of his kindness?

She needed to do more for him—somehow, some way.

Rienne turned her entire body around, heading for the door. Seeing Rienne charge off like that, Mrs. Flambard ran after her all flustered.

[Mrs. Flambard] "Princess? Where are you going? You have to try on your dress."

[Rienne] "Even if I don't, I'm sure it'll be fine. I know it'll fit me perfectly."

[Mrs. Flambard] "How do you know that?"

[Rienne] "Because he was the one who gave it to me."

[Mrs. Flambard] "But no matter how good his eye is, he's still a man. So that isn't necessarily true."

[Rienne] "Anyway, Lord Tiwakan needs to try on his clothes as well. I'll go get him."

[Mrs. Flambard] "What? You're going in person, Princess?"

[Rienne] "It'll be faster that way."

Before Mrs. Flambard could say anything else, Rienne was already making her way through the door, biting hard down on her lip.

No matter how hard she thought about it, it was too much.

She had to tell him to sell it again. This entire wedding was being funded out of his pocket, and he was already spending far too much money on everything.

Moreover, Black mentioned his intentions of building a fortress, raising a wall around the empty land near the south. After the drought started, most of the people south of the dry river had completely left.

Empty land was bound to be vulnerable to outside attacks. Knowing that, he didn't seem to want to keep that land unprotected because that would allow for gaps in their home's defenses.

Rienne agreed that was necessary, but she knew it would be a costly endeavor.

And because she knew that, she could not allow him to spend this much money on jewelry for her. He did it so quietly like it was only natural, but this really wasn't needed. Such wealth was something she dared not touch.

Rienne pulled up the fabric of her skirt, running off to find Black.

She asked the first mercenary she ran into on her way out of the jewelry room near the northern tower, and he told her Black was just about to leave the castle to take a look at the southern fortress' progress. Without a moment's hesitation, she once again grabbed the hem of her dress, running off towards the castle square.

Truthfully, there wasn't much rush for her to do this now. She would inevitably see him tonight when they went to bed, but she felt like she couldn't wait.

Or maybe she just wanted to see him now.

Her thoughts spiraled as she ran, running out of breath quickly.

It felt like it had been so long since she last saw him.

[Rienne] "Hah...hah...."

Keeping up her step, Rienne eventually arrived at the castle square's entrance, but what she was met with was not the sight of Black mounting his horse, but rather something else entirely.

It was a brilliant looking carriage, one she had never seen before.

[Rienne] "Who.....?"

And what she saw next to it was a young man, leaving the carriage while being escorted by a mercenary.

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[Mercenary] "The Lord has already departed for the southern fortress."

The first to speak was once of the mercenaries, who had escorted the young man's carriage to the castle square.

[Rienne] "Oh, then I must be too late."

[Mercenary] "I know the Lord will be disappointed as well."

The Tiwakan mercenary bowed his head to Rienne, who looked extremely regretful, before turning back to the strange young man.

[Mercenary] "Sir Phermos is inside. I will take you to him."

[???] "Don't worry, there's nothing urgent about my business. First and foremost, I should introduce myself."

The young man looked exceedingly expensive, as if his whole body had been dipped in valuable perfume.

His smile was smooth like silk and his clothing was just as dazzlingly brilliant as the carriage he arrived in. And it wasn't just that, but looking closely, his hair appeared to be done up using a hair oil that was hard to obtain in Nauk.

[Darren] "If my eyes don't deceive me, this beautiful woman must be Princess Rienne of Nauk. This is the first time we've met, I believe. I am Darren, Grand Prince of the Grand Duchy of Alto." (1)

Rienne's whole body stiffened when she saw him so quickly descend to one knee, naturally taking her hand. The Grand Duchy of Alto.....was apparently a place that took care to ensure they showed the proper courtesy.

[Rienne] "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I do not know what your business here is, but if you've come with good intentions, then I welcome you with a happy heart."

[Darren] "You are as elegant as you are beautiful, my lady. It is an honor to meet you in person. Indeed, you are certainly alluring enough to keep the God of War himself on solid ground. Thanks to you, this continent may finally breathe a sigh of relief."

[Rienne] ".......How can one's appearance alone be enough to ensnare a god? Though you may not have intended it this way, your words sound more like an insult to both him and I, so I must decline your compliment."

There was something deeply uncomfortable and unsettling about Prince Darren's praise.

He spoke to her as if she and Nauk were nothing but artistic pieces, adorning the wall. And his phrasing and tone of voice made it sound more like it was a problem that Black was here. But the truth was the exact, and his presence had become extremely vital.

And giving her his unwarranted and unwanted opinion on her appearance, calling her 'beautiful'? There was only one man who was allowed to say that to her.

[Darren] "Is it considered rude in Nauk to compliment a vision on her beauty?"

[Rienne] "I think anything could be considered rude if the other party does not wish to hear it."

[Darren] "And why might you not want to hear of your beauty from me, Princess?"

[Rienne] "Because my fiancé is the only man who may speak of that to me. In any case, I'd like to change the subject if that's alright. The Grand Duchy of Alto has had no contact with Nauk up until now. Did Lord Tiwakan give you permission for such an unexpected visit?"

[Darren] "Just him........? Isn't that a little absurd? The god above Nauk that has granted you such visionary beauty must be enraged at that."

[Rienne] "Nauk is too busy to feel any kind of emptiness at that. Considering you are the heir to the Grand Duchy of Alto, I hope you will understand my position right now. Seeing as how the knights of Nauk are not hostile towards you, I can only assume you visited with permission."

The Grand Prince's expression was elegant, but there was a sense of arrogance there too, as if he was inwardly feeling disbelief that there was something a man such as he was being denied.

Darren shrugged, dramatically sweeping a hand across his own cheek.

[Darren] "You wound me, Princess. It feels as though I've just been slapped in the face. I apologize for taking up so much of your busy time."

[Rienne] "And I appreciate the apology. I'll leave you to your business now. Take the Grand Prince to Lord Phermos. And I wish to follow Lord Tiwakan. Do any of you know the way?"

[Mercenary] "Really? He moves pretty quickly, so it's likely impossible to catch up with him by now. But I can escort you to the southern fortress myself. I will begin preparations at once, so please wait a moment."

But Darren once again stepped in.

[Darren] "I could accompany you."

Both the Tiwakan mercenary and Rienne looked at him with disbelief in their eyes.

[Rienne] "No, you are a guest of Nauk. It would be rude to force a visitor to head back out on the road before relieving them of the fatigue built up from their journey. Lord Phermos will welcome you from here."

[Darren] "It was you, Princess, who told me to take care of my business. And as it so happens, my business is with the leader of the Tiwakan, not with his aide. If Lord Tiwakan is currently busy and cannot take guests, then I don't mind going to meet him in person."

.......Well, when he put it like that, he made it very difficult to deny him.

Shaking her head, Rienne turned to the mercenary next to her, covering up her displeasure.

[Rienne] "Is the road to the southern fortress appropriate enough for a guest to traverse?"

Outwardly, it sounded like she was showing concern for Darren, but truthfully, she was asking if it was alright for others to know about his presence.

[Mercenary] "The road is safe, so he should be fine. But will you really allow him to accompany you?"

The corners of Rienne's lips twitched, though it was barely noticeable.

[Rienne] "As per Nauk's customs, I cannot leave Lord Tiwakan's guest unattended."

[Mercenary] "The Lord won't care much."

It certainly seemed that way. If this guest were really that important, would he not have told her of his visit in advance? However, the courtesy required of his status was strict, so she could not afford to ignore the Grand Prince of another land.

[Rienne] "Very well, then."

Rienne smiled slightly at the mercenary, reluctantly accepting this new companion on her trip.

[Rienne] "Then let us head off together. But I would like this to be a brief trip, so please refrain from any unnecessary stops, Grand Prince."

[Darren] "Indeed."

Once again, Darren dramatically bent one knee to show his courtesy.

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[Rienne] "Ah......"

The terrain was so different from what she could remember. This was the first time in years since Rienne traversed the land south of the river.

The land was completely abandoned, so the only things that remained were dilapidated and abandoned houses that were in the midst of being removed, empty land, and a lot of dry weeds.

This must be the way.

Entering her vision were large corner stones that were meticulously and carefully placed, as if they were preparing for the foundations of a fortress. It brought to mind exactly what kind of castle that could potentially be built here.

[Black] "What brings you all the way out here?"

Turning her gaze away from the dried up river, Black approached her.

The mercenary was right in saying Rienne wouldn't be able to catch up with him. He arrived here long before she did.

[Rienne] "I brought a guest."

Rienne pulled at the reins, shifting her body to dismount her horse. But before she could, Black wrapped his arm around her waist, gently hugging her before bringing her to the ground.

[Black] "A guest?"

Though she was already safely on the ground, the hands he had on her waist stayed perfectly in place. Feeling his steady touch still securing her down, a pleasant redness rose to her cheeks as she smiled.

[Rienne] "Yes. He is following behind me, though his carriage is a bit slow."

They were told the road would be too narrow for a carriage to pass through comfortably, but Darren had insisted. Apparently it was because he didn't want any dirt to touch him.

But seeing how expensive his satin clothes must've been, it was a little understandable. One single speck of dust on them, and they would probably immediately devalue to half the price. But he was taking so long, lagging behind her the whole ride there.

[Black] "If they're not your guest, Princess, then I think I know who it is. You did a good job."

Black smiled down at her as he brushed away the dirt from Rienne's cloak.

[Rienne] "Was it pointless that I came here?"

[Black] "Of course not. Your sincerity matters."

Black took Rienne's wrist, holding it in his hand and delicately holding it up to his lips, pressing a kiss into her skin as he whispered to her. For them, just being in each other's presence was a valid enough reason for the trip.

[Black] "But didn't you have things you needed to take care of? I came here because I didn't want to bother you."

[Rienne] "I still have some work I need to do, but it's not something I can do alone."

[Black] "Did you need me for something?"

[Rienne] "Yes, but I ended up running into this guest by chance. So I came here with him."

Even during such a short conversation, not once they did they turn their eyes away from each other.

Black moved his hands from dusting off Rienne's cloak to randomly touching her collar and rearranging her messy hair, while Rienne also carefully touched his face—brushing her fingers against his forehead and his nose as if she were unconsciously following his movements.

No matter how often she took in his features, she would never get tired of it.

[Randall] "Ahem, sir."

Randall cautiously called out to Black from behind.

[Randall] "The carriage has arrived."

But Black responded without ever taking his eyes off of Rienne.

[Black] "Must've come from Alto. Count up the sums." (2)

[Randall] "No, I don't think it's that kind of carriage."

[Black] ".......?"

Finally, Black's gaze turned away from Rienne, looking off into the distance at the oncoming carriage. And as he looked at it, his face immediately contorted with displeasure.

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T/N: (1) Darren is the son of the Grand Duke, thus making his title that of a Prince. Sons and daughters of Dukes are often referred to as Princes and Princesses, especially if their territory is an independent one, like the Grand Duchy of Alto.

(2) Black mentioned in an earlier chapter that the Grand Duchy of Alto owes him money as part of the mining rights for the gold mine he owns the title for. When he says "Count up the sums", he assumes that the carriage was sent as part of that.

There he is. The bastard man himself I translated a lot of these chapters a while ago, but there's no art until the chapter gets released by Web Novel, so this is my first time seeing Darren's face. You may have noticed already, but he's a little....eek.