Ch#102
His tone was as casual as if he were simply going out for an evening stroll.
Thalia’s brows shot up.
“A light subjugation?”
Varkas, who was handing a leather pouch filled with gold coins to a man who appeared to be an administrator, looked down at her. As if sensing her displeasure, a faint sigh escaped his firmly set lips.
“There have been reports of marauders camping in this area. The size of their base is supposedly small, so I should be back by dawn.”
Do you really have to go?
Thalia started to snap the words out, but caught herself and pressed her lips shut when she realized dozens of eyes were watching her.
Anxiety churned in her stomach, but she didn’t want to let this indifferent man see how flustered she was.
She brushed his hand off her shoulder and spoke sharply.
“I don’t care when you come back. I want to rest, so just show me to the quarters.”
From across them, she heard the administrator, who had been nervously watching their exchange, let out a sharp intake of breath.
Varkas, however, showed no reaction. He turned back to the administrator and asked, “Where are the quarters?”
“Ah… please, come this way.”
The man hurriedly began to lead the way.
Following him, a modest stone building came into view.
Stepping inside, the administrator continued his stuttering explanation.
“This building was originally used as an official residence, but we cleared it out upon hearing that Your Grace would be visiting. Here, you may use this room.”
He cautiously pushed open a large door located at the very end of the hall.
Thalia surveyed the dim bedroom with a bored expression.
Unlike its humble exterior, the interior was decorated quite cozily. It seemed they had made a special effort to prepare for guests.
The administrator added cautiously, watching her for any sign of disapproval, “If there is anything lacking, please tell me immediately. I will see to it at once.”
“No, this will do, so you may leave,” Thalia said, lifting her chin arrogantly as she inspected the bed topped with thick sheets.
The administrator glanced at Varkas before quickly making his exit.
Thalia shed her heavy robe, tossed it aside carelessly, and flopped onto the bed. Varkas, who had been watching her in silence, approached her side.
Thalia intentionally ignored his presence and turned her body the other way. She felt that if she looked at his face, she would only end up spitting out more spiteful words for no reason.
Groping for the blanket to pull it over herself, she muttered crossly, “I’m just going to sleep today, so tell Nanny I don’t need dinner.”
“Thalia.”
Feeling a dark shadow loom over her, Thalia’s eyes darted up. Varkas was leaning over her, his hand braced beside her pillow.
The sunset filtering through the window stained one side of his face crimson. While she was dazed by that enigmatic face, a cool finger touched her forehead.
“Even if you are tired, do not skip your meals.”
“What do you care whether I starve or not?”
Thalia twisted her head away, coldly shaking off his touch.
“Just hurry up and go kill your marauders.”
A shallow furrow appeared between his brows. He looked as though he hadn’t the slightest clue why she was upset.
Thalia pulled the blanket up to the crown of her head.
Soon, she sensed him straightening up from the bed. As the sound of his footsteps grew distant, a sudden surge of anxiety gripped her.
He was a man who could easily take down a giant twice his size. She had even seen him bring down a wyvern with chains. A band of marauders would be nothing to him.
But nothing in this world was absolute.
She bolted upright and grabbed the hem of his cloak.
He paused and looked back at her. She murmured in a small, crawling voice, “Be… be careful.”
His eyes widened slightly.
Seeing him react that way to a simple sentence made her heart sting with a prick of guilt.
She added sharply as if making an excuse, “If something happens to you, my position becomes unstable. So, don’t go overdoing it.”
A subtle expression—somewhere between a smile and a frown—flickered across his face before vanishing.
Thalia hid herself under the covers again. Shortly after, she heard his heavy footsteps.
“Do not worry. I will return shortly.”
Leaning over the bed once more, Varkas gently stroked her hair.
The unexpected touch made her heart drop.
For some reason, that gentle gesture made her heart ache more than any passionate kiss ever could.
A moment later, he left the room.
Thalia poked her head out slowly, like a snail emerging from its shell.
Approaching the window, she saw hundreds of soldiers standing in wait in front of the residence.
Before long, Varkas joined them. Thalia watched for a long time as he led the army toward the outskirts of the village.
Even after his figure disappeared over the hill, she found herself unable to leave the window, until a familiar voice came from outside the door.
“Highness, I am here to apply your medicine.”
“…Come in.”
As soon as permission was granted, the healer from the Taren family entered.
Thalia limped over and sat on a chair placed before the fireplace. The woman knelt before her and carefully lifted the hem of her skirt.
“How are you feeling?”
“The same as always.”
The healer skillfully unrolled the bandages and carefully examined the marred skin.
“The skin has finally started to chafe. It would be best to leave the bandages off tonight.”
Thalia glared at her with sharp eyes.
“No. Wrap them properly.”
“The Grand Duke is away tonight. There is no need to hide the scars…”
“Do you think I’m doing this because of Varkas?!”
Thalia’s voice rose sharply. The healer’s face froze in surprise.
Staring at that tense face, Thalia muttered in a low, sunken voice, “It’s because I don’t want to see them. So wrap them properly.”
With a short sigh, the healer took out fresh bandages as if she had no choice. After meticulously spreading a sticky salve over the scars, she wrapped the bandages as loosely as possible.
“Do you feel the medicine made by the eastern sorcerer is working?” the woman asked abruptly while wiping the salve from her hands with a towel.
Thalia replied indifferently, “It doesn’t seem entirely ineffective. My stomach hurts a bit because the medicine is so strong, but I feel alright the day after I take it.”
“Do you know what herbs are in it?”
“I only heard it’s a mix of various herbs to restore strength.”
Thalia looked down at the healer with a suspicious gaze.
“Why are you prying so much? Are you worried they might be feeding me poison?”
“…I received instructions from the Empress to look after Your Highness’s health carefully,” the healer began cautiously. “And there are many here who do not look kindly upon your presence. One can never be too careful.”
Thalia, staring at her with a hardened expression, countered coldly, “If they were going to poison me, they would have put it in my food or wine. Why would they mix it into medicine where it’s bound to be discovered immediately?”
The woman fell silent, appearing lost in thought.
Was there something bothering her?
Thalia, looking uneasy, added as a gesture of generosity, “If you’re that suspicious, I’ll leave a little bit of the medicine behind, so take it and check for yourself.”
