Chapter 79

Chapter 79 | Dream (2)

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Just as Rienne was about to stand up, Black pulled her back, laying her down on the bed—his hazy looking eyes knocking the wind out of her.

[Rienne] “You said you couldn’t do it anymore.”

Right now, Rienne took his sudden trepidation to remove her stockings for her as a sign that it was too difficult for him. After all, stockings were made of thin fabric that was easy to tear and rip. Perhaps he thought he might ruin them by accident.

[Black] “Did you take that to mean that I was incapable of taking them off for you?”

[Rienne] “Um…..Yes?”

Black gave an unprompted smile, one vague in meaning.

[Black] “I told you. I’m not confident I can keep myself together at this rate.” (1)

Somehow, she vaguely remembered hearing something similar while she was half-asleep.

[Rienne] “I don’t understand. Isn’t it all the same in the end?”

[Black] “I think it’s a little bit different when I’m the one doing it for you.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

Something like that sounded terribly suggestive, but before Rienne could say anything further, Black wrapped his hand around her ankle, gently pushing up the end of her dress.

[Black] “Don’t lift a finger. You can do that, right?”

Rienne instinctively gasped, her face turning a charming red color like a fresh apple.

[Rienne] “It…it’s a little embarrassing……I should just do it myself.”

[Black] “It’s too late for that.”

Pushing her dress up above her knees, Black curled his large hand over the garter, carefully running his fingers along it and grabbing the knot.

Slip.

Holding it in his hand, he started to pull it away, the loosened stocking following along with his motion as it slipped down the side of her leg.

[Rienne] “. . .”

It was different from when she was half asleep, dazed in a blur of total exhaustion. 

Back then, his hands were careful not to touch her skin, but now, as he pulled down the thin fabric of her stockings, he brazenly caressed her bare leg with his palm.

[Rienne] “W, wait……H, hold on…..”

Her shoulders wouldn’t stop trembling, but Black pretended not to hear her feeble attempts at resistance, quieter than a mosquito.

[Black] “This one…..is off now.”

Tap.

Black took the removed stocking in his hand, gingerly dropping it to the floor.

Against the cold and clear light of dawn, Rienne’s skin looked the purest white. Holding onto her ankle, he held up her leg, pressing a kiss to her bare knee.

Again her body trembled.

[Black] “Onto the next.”

[Rienne] “W, wait…..I can do it myself.”

On her other leg, her unloosened garter was much higher up, and the knot was near her inner thigh.

[Black] “Why?”

[Rienne] “It’s embarrassing…..”

[Black] “That doesn’t sound like a very good excuse. You’re supposed to be getting used to things like this so they aren’t so embarrassing anymore.”

[Rienne] “Well, just imagine things the other way around. If you were wearing socks, Lord Tiwakan, would you be alright with me taking them off for you?”

[Black] “…….I’ll be looking forward to whenever that happens.”

Just mentioning that made Black’s eyes go a little hazy.

[Black] “I only wear socks when I need to go out……..When that happens, will you take them off for me, Princess?”

Rienne tilted her head at him, her face a little teary and pouty.

[Rienne] “…….Men’s socks don’t even come up to the knee.”

[Black] “Unfortunately.”

This man’s thoughts were awfully unpredictable sometimes.

[Black] “But it wouldn’t be hard to make a set that goes up farther than that if you want.”

That wouldn’t be hard…..but would she be able to do her part just as easily?

[Black] “If you’re feeling shy, I can close my eyes.”

…..But would that even help at this point?

[Rienne] “Is there any reason why you want to remove my stockings yourself so badly?”

With his eyes already closed, Black shook his head, chuckling as if he was honestly shocked she was even asking that.

[Black] “It would be faster to explain the reasons why I wouldn’t want to.”

[Rienne] “What do you mean?”

[Black] “Because there’s nothing to explain. No reason to speak of means it would be faster.”

Black ran his hand across Rienne’s knee and up her leg, her whole body reflexively flinching in response.

[Black] “Was it here……? Yeah, here.”

Thwip—

His fingers drew lines across her leg, touching against the knot keeping her garter in place, and the odd sensation forced a soft sigh from her slightly parted lips.

Why must I react like this……? He didn’t even touch my skin directly that time.

[Black] “I might be slower since my eyes are closed.”

She knew he would stop if she truly asked, but the strangest thing about this whole thing was Rienne herself, who was unable to flatly reject his advances.

[Rienne] “Then open your eyes.”

[Black] “Aren’t you embarrassed?”

[Rienne] “………I have to get used to it eventually.”

So Rienne decided to close her eyes instead.

[Rienne] “Unless you suddenly change your personality, Lord Tiwakan, this is bound to happen again and again. I can’t afford to be shy every time.”

Being embarrassed by this kind of interaction every single time it happened would only end up hurting her.

And besides. It wasn’t as though she hated it.

[Black] “Isn’t it the same when you’re the one closing your eyes, Princess?”

[Rienne] “I’m taking baby steps……”

[Black] “Then it would be better if I moved.”

Black stood up from sitting near Rienne’s legs, propping himself above her and pinning her down below him. She was so surprised by the feeling of his body shifting that she opened up her eyes, only to immediately see his intense gaze.

[Rienne] “How will you take off my stockings like this?”

[Black] “If you help me, Princess, it’s possible.”

Looking down at her, Black lowered his head, and the moment their lips touched, a kiss naturally followed. Immediately, Rienne reached out her hands, running her fingers through Black’s hair, wanting to feel the soft texture against her skin as much as she could.

And as her lips parted, welcoming a deeper kiss, she felt Black slip his hand down her leg, reaching down to her inner thigh.

Ah……

Feeling his hand against her, she thought she was going to stop breathing for a moment. Opening her eyes slightly, she could see that Black’s eyes were closed, entirely lost in their kiss.

Thwip—

But at the same time, the knot of her garter was completely undone. As he tugged on her stocking, she instinctively bent her leg, feeling the fabric being pulled down. His hand swept down her thigh and along her calf as he effortlessly peeled off her stocking—all without breaking their kiss.

[Rienne] “……..I was told I should get a little bit of sleep.”

Breathing in deeply, Rienne weakly leaned against Black’s shoulder, her cheeks completely reddened.

[Rienne] “I don’t know if that’s possible anymore.”

[Black] “That’s not true.”

Unlike Rienne, who was red in the cheeks and visibly exhausted, Black looked completely fine. But looking closely, there was a dark haze lurking in his eyes.

[Black] “I’ll take off your outer clothes so you can sleep comfortably.”

Compared to her stockings, her other outerwear was nothing. There were three layers—a slip, an underdress, and then her outer dress. Her bare skin was at no risk of being touched or exposed.

Thinking this, Rienne carefully raised her arms.

Taking her cue, Black wrapped his arms around her, reaching to start undoing the buttons on the back of her dress.

[Rienne] “I have a question…..”

[Black] “What is it?”

[Rienne] “Where did you learn to take off stockings like this?”

[Black] “This is my first time.”

[Rienne] “That can’t be……You’re doing too well.”

[Black] “It must seem like that because this is your first time as well, Princess.”

[Rienne] “Is that so…….? I have another question.”

Although Rienne said earlier that sleep would be impossible, her eyelids were getting heavier, and there was a slight drowsiness to her voice. 

Her exhaustion didn’t escape Black’s notice, either. He smiled softly, kissing the corners of her sleepy eyes.

[Black] “Yes?”

[Rienne] “Did you have any other thoughts when you took off my stockings?”

[Black] “Like what?”

[Rienne] “I don’t know…..Anything sexual, perhaps.”

[Black] “. . .”

The hand that was unbuttoning her dress suddenly stopped, stiffening in the middle of her back.

[Rienne] “Because I did……But you don’t seem that way at all, Lord Tiwakan.”

[Black] “…….If that’s how I look to you, then that’s proof that God exists.”

[Rienne] “Hm?”

[Black] “I’ve been praying to look normal in your eyes this entire time.”

[Rienne] “Oh……Since when……?”

[Black] “Since the second you asked me to take your stockings off, Princess. In my head, many times, you and I already…..No, I shouldn’t say that. Just lift your arms up.”

The second Rienne lifted up her arms, he pulled off her outer dress as fast as he could.

[Black] “That’s out of the way. Anything else?”

[Rienne] “One more thing.”

Rienne leaned back into the bed, patting the space next to her with a sweet but tired smile.

[Rienne] “Lie down here with me.”

[Black] “…….God help me.”

Black muttered to himself as he quietly fell to the spot next to her as he usually did. Rienne pushed herself closer to him with so much familiarity, now feeling a little more comfortable with things like this than she was before.

[Rienne] “Why weren’t you asleep already?”

[Black] “I couldn’t sleep. You weren’t here.”

So he felt the same way she did. She could still remember her own emptiness when she tried to sleep without him by her side.

[Rienne] “So, does that mean we’ll be able to share a bed every night? Even after we’re married?”

[Black] “You won’t be able to kick me out. Unless you somehow manage to find mercenaries more competent than the Tiwakan.”

He didn’t sound like he was joking, but Rienne laughed at his attempt at humor all the same.

[Rienne] “Everyone will think it’s strange. Married nobles in Nauk don’t usually share a room with their spouses.”

[Black] “Are you worried about that?”

[Rienne] “No. On the contrary……I’m actually looking forward to their grumbling.”

[Black] “What makes you say that?”

[Rienne] “They might think it’s odd at first, but in the end, won’t it show them how close we are? That we’re so attached to one another that we cannot bear to be apart, even just for the night.”

[Black] “Would you like it if other people thought like that?”

[Rienne] “I have no reason not to.”

Rienne gently reached out her hand, quietly pulling on the hem of Black’s clothing, bringing him closer to her.

[Rienne] “I want everyone to know”

That you are my person.

And I am your home.

And that no one can ever take that away from us.

Black turned his head towards Rienne. Looking at her without saying a word, it was like he could hear exactly what she was trying to say. That feeling of understanding was somehow both fascinating and wonderfully familiar.

[Black] “I hope so, too.”

And after looking at her for a very long time, Black took Rienne’s hand, slowly interlocking his fingers with hers, holding it tightly.

[Black] “For the rest of our lives.”

[Rienne] “Yes. For the rest of our lives.”

And that’s how they fell asleep. At some point, their eyes closed, their hands still bound together. 

Sleeping while basking in the light of dawn, tucked away in each other’s arms, that moment was far sweeter than any dream could be.

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[Rienne] “What……? Is that true?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Yes, it is.”

Rienne ended up oversleeping.

If she had to make an excuse, it wasn’t that she did it on purpose, but she simply lost track of time.

Just before drifting off, she asked Black to wake her up when it was time, but he didn’t in the end. For that reason, Rienne ended up sleeping far longer than she intended to.

By the time Rienne stirred, it was nearly noon and half the morning was gone. But, on the bright side, as soon as she woke up, Mrs. Flambard excitedly said she had some good news for her.

[Mrs. Flambard] “She’s very good with her hands. Oh, and smart too! She might be better at embroidering than I am.”

A few hours after Rienne went to bed, the embroidery was entirely completed. 

Mrs. Flambard sent the captain of the castle guard to find and bring a seamstress to the castle. Though the woman was still not fully awake, she completed the embroidery as per Mrs. Flambard’s instructions, yawning the whole way through. 

And luckily, she did not do such an impossible job alone. She brought in extremely talented assistants, unlike the previous tailor, and with Mrs. Henton pitching in, the wedding attire was completely finished within half a day.

[Mrs. Flambard] “I held the seamstress back since we didn’t get the chance to do a fitting just yet. Should we not have Lord Tiwakan try it on first, just in case we need to do any last minute alterations?”

[Rienne] “Ah…..Yes, let’s do that. Oh, but I feel so bad. I was sleeping so comfortably and ended up leaving all the hard work to the both of you.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh, what are you talking about? You’re a bride who should be preparing your heart for getting married tomorrow.”

[Rienne] “Still, it’s not like the wedding is today. I have time.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “And yet we still have so much to do! You haven’t even tried on your dress yet, Princess.”

[Rienne] “Huh…….?”

So many things had been going on that the idea of her own wedding dress never even occurred to her.

[Rienne] “I’m so scatterbrained. It completely slipped my mind.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Then come with me. Lord Tiwakan said he had your dress brought to the jewelry room.”

Though it was called the ‘jewelry room’ and Mrs. Flambard still insisted on calling it that, it was more similar to an empty space, given that all the jewelry was sold off long ago.

[Rienne] “……..Yes.”

Rienne quickly finished her late breakfast. Even her nanny, who would normally scold her and encourage her to eat more slowly, did not do so this time. 

Even she was beyond excited to see the wedding dress.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Let’s go.”

The woman joyfully took Rienne’s hand, leading her to the jewelry room.

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[Rienne] “I….have no words……”

The wedding attire they had prepared for Black turned out much nicer than expected. Mrs. Flambard’s insight when it came to clothing plus the extra funds made for a truly stellar outfit.

But the wedding dress that was prepared for Rienne was beyond unbelievable.

[Rienne] “What kind of fabric is this….? I’ve never seen it before in my life……”

It looked like it was made of snow.

The brilliantly white fabric was both thin and light, but the skirt was long and flowing, like a river of pure white fluttering down the waist.

The accessories were all made of finely crafted pearls, intricately decorating the dress. From afar, each piece looked like a stunning flower, but when seen up close, one could truly appreciate the craftsmanship needed to make such a subtle yet gorgeous piece.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Truly, Princess. Who could’ve made this…..? It can’t be someone from Nauk…..Oh.”

Mrs. Flambard circled the dress, walking around with a pleased expression.

[Mrs. Flambard] “It already looks absolutely breathtaking, but once you put it on, Princess, it will shine that much more brightly.”

[Rienne] “I think people will probably notice the dress more than me.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh, nonsense. There is nothing on this earth more vibrant and beautiful than you, Princess.”

[Rienne] “You would say that, you were my nanny.”

Rienne looked away, blushing in embarrassment.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Would you like to try it on now?”

[Rienne] “N, no, maybe in a little bit. Perhaps later?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “……? But you need to try it on to see if it fits well.”

[Rienne] “Still, I need a minute. I have to mentally prepare myself before wearing something so wonderful. Besides, we need to focus on Lord Tiwakan’s outfit.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Well, personally I think it’s all the same whether you wear it now or later……But I think I understand. Look at this, here. The seamstress did a wonderful job.”

[Rienne] “Yes. It’s very well made.”

Rienne smiled as she looked at Black’s wedding outfit.

Time was quickly running out to get it finished, so she was feeling nervous about whether or not the seamstress could really pull it all together in time, but it was truly nice. Especially since it managed to make it past Mrs. Flambard’s discerning eye.

[Rienne] “I want to see him wear it soon….Oh, I forgot to put this on, too.”

Rienne turned to the table behind her, opening the lock on the box with the key she remembered to bring with her.

[Mrs. Flambard] “What is it, Princess?”

[Rienne] “I wanted to add a finishing touch. I left a blue gem here somewhere….”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Are you talking about the sapphire inlaid with the symbol of the royal family?”

[Rienne] “Yes.”

It was one of the only gems left in Rienne’s personal possession. The only reason it and a few other smaller earrings and hairpins were left behind was because they were too small to determine a decent selling value.

[Rienne] “Oh, or maybe I put it over there instead.”

Seeing the box was empty, Rienne turned to the wardrobe in the opposite corner of the room.

[Rienne] “But this doesn’t have a lock on it. I don’t think I would’ve kept it here………”

Then Rienne’s whole body stiffened.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Princess?”

Seeing Rienne come to a standstill, Mrs. Flambard walked up to her, curious what all the fuss was about.

[Rienne] “What…..is this?”

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T/N: (1) When Black said “I’m not confident I can keep myself together at this rate”, he doesn’t actually specify “himself” in the raws due to the nature of subject dropping. For the sake of an understandable English translation, I had to make the assumption that he was talking about himself. However, when Rienne heard him say that, she made the assumption he was talking about her stockings and that he was afraid he might rip them.

It’s an interaction that’s really hard to translate since it’s a misunderstanding that definitely wouldn’t happen if the conversation was natively in English, and it makes Rienne sound a lot denser than was shown in the raws. But I did my best, ha.