A Barbaric Proposal

Chapter 24 | Requiem (4)

If he looked too closely, everything Rienne felt when she saw him-all the confusion, admiration, and bewilderment-he'd see all of it.

[Rienne] "Still, please close your eyes."

After that, Black murmured slowly.

[Black] "...........I don't want to."

[Rienne] "What?"

[Black] "I don't want to do that."

[Rienne] ". . ."

Where was all this stubbornness coming from?

Rienne wasn't sure if water had gotten into her eyes or something, but her lips tightened together as she struggled to see in front of her, rubbing the cloth perhaps a little too hard.

Drip.

[Rienne] "Ah....!"

But Rienne only ended up surprising herself. As the hair around his forehead was swept away, suddenly blood began to drip down from his forehead.

[Rienne] "You're hurt here too!"

In a panic, Rienne started brushing his hair out of the way.

She thought it was just mud that got caked up, but it was all dried blood. It made the wound on his hand look like nothing.

[Rienne] "Did this somehow escape your notice, too?"

[Black] "I knew about this one. I just thought it would be fine since the bleeding stopped."

And if Rienne hadn't agitated it, the bleeding wouldn't have started up again.

[Rienne] ". . ."

I guess that makes this one my fault.

Rienne's hands paused, filled with remorse.

[Rienne] "I shouldn't have touched it."

[Black] "No."

As Rienne's hand was stopped midair, Black grabbed it and pinned it to his face.



[Black] "Keep going. It doesn't hurt."

.......There's no way it doesn't hurt.

[Rienne] "Let go of me, please. You need to clean that wound with water."

[Black] "Are you going to do it for me?"

Honestly, what's going on with him?

He should be able to handle something like this on his own.... Ah, but he hurt his hand, didn't he?

With a wound like that, Rienne couldn't ask him to do it by himself.

Thinking that, she gave a soft nod.

[Rienne] "Yes, if you let me go."

[Black] ". . ."

Eventually, he relented and Rienne's hands were freed. Rienne put the cloth down and began leading him towards the water basin.

[Rienne] "You'll need to close your eyes."

Black obediently lowered his head down near the basin and Rienne got to work cleaning the wound. Immediately, she saw the blood spreading throughout the water as soon as it rolled off of him.

You're terribly hurt.....

Why on earth would you leave such a serious wound alone? Why would you come straight here instead of getting it treated first?