Ch#161
For a moment, her mind went completely blank, but Talia lowered her voice and tried to imitate the way the maids spoke.
“I am a maid. Can’t you tell just by looking at me?”
“Which department?”
“I work in the main castle.”
Despite her calm response, the soldier did not easily let go of his suspicions.
The man bent down as if trying to get a better look at her face and continued his interrogation.
“Why is a maid from the main castle heading out of the fortress at this hour?”
“I’m on an urgent errand to the market for the Head Maid.”
Avoiding the man’s gaze by turning her head the other way, Talia snapped back with a hint of irritation in her voice.
“So stop being so bothersome and just let me through. I’m in a hurry! If I’m late and get in trouble for this, are you going to take responsibility?”
“Take off that hood for a second. I can’t let you out without verifying your identity…”
“Oh, honestly! If you’re that suspicious, you can just confirm it with Head Maid Areta! She’ll know if you mention Yvonne. I’m already annoyed enough that she gave me such a tedious task, and now this…!”
When she specifically mentioned the Head Maid’s name, the man’s suspicion seemed to dissolve. He sighed and jerked his chin toward the gate.
“Geez, what a temper. Fine. Go on.”
Talia turned around immediately.
However, as she prepared to step away, she grew nervous that he might notice her unnatural gait.
She stepped forward as naturally as possible, watching the soldier’s movements over her shoulder.
Fortunately, he seemed to have already lost interest in her, as he was busy checking a freight wagon. Talia didn’t miss the opportunity, moving her stiff legs diligently as she made her way down the slope.
Soon, a wide road leading to the castle town and green meadows stretched out before her.
As she walked along the well-maintained gravel path, Talia judged that she was far enough from Raedgo Castle and turned south.
After walking through the grass for some time, a vast prairie where sheep and horses grazed and a forest of white birch trees came into view. Perhaps because it was late, there were few people coming and going.
She pushed through the knee-high grass, braving the damp wind.
Beyond the open field, the gray sky drew closer. The sun, pouring out red light through swirling clouds, was sinking into the west.
In another hour or two, it would be pitch black.
Only then did a sudden fear strike her. She felt lost, having no idea where she would spend this very night.
‘…Should I try to find a house?’
Perhaps she could spend the night in something like a barn.
She turned her steps toward the faintly rising ramparts beyond the hill. She planned to find a place to stay in the small village formed outside the city walls.
However, before she could reach any dwellings, the surroundings began to darken rapidly.
Talia suppressed her rising anxiety and dragged her heavy legs along. The pain in her pelvis and knees grew more intense, causing her pace to slow further and further. In the end, the sun set before she could even reach the vicinity of the ramparts.
Feeling her breathing grow shallow, she desperately scanned the area for any sign of light.
In the distance, she could dimly see soldiers patrolling with torches.
She limped toward that light for a while until her eyes, now accustomed to the dark, caught sight of a small vegetable garden and a single barn that seemed built for storing farming tools.
Talia tottered toward it. She felt as though she would collapse on the spot if she didn’t lie down somewhere immediately.
Fumbling through the pitch-black space to see if there was any room to rest, Talia found a pile of straw in a corner and crawled toward it, collapsing onto the heap.
The parched hay reeked of musty dust, but at that moment, she didn’t care in the slightest.
Curling her body as tightly as possible in a space that might be crawling with mice and insects, Talia looked up at the dark ceiling and gasped for breath.
Perhaps because of the sudden physical strain, the muscles in her calves and thighs throbbed painfully. Her knees and pelvis ached more than usual.
Groaning in the darkness, Talia fumbled beneath her tunic to massage her thighs.
Since she hadn’t wrapped them in bandages, her fingertips immediately brushed against the uneven scars.
Tracing the skin that felt as though it had been messily stitched together, she pressed down on the hardened muscles to massage them. However, the spasms, once started, showed no sign of subsiding.
‘I should have brought my medicine…’
She bit her lip, overwhelmed by a sense of defeat.
Just then, the surroundings grew noisy, and the sound of busy footsteps echoed from somewhere.
Feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, she hurriedly pushed herself up. She tried to crawl into a corner to hide, but a bright light suddenly poured over her face.
Talia looked up with eyes filled with terror. A man built like a mountain, clad in armor, stood there holding a torch.
He tilted the light to illuminate her face clearly and shouted over his shoulder.
“I found her!”
Her heart thudded rapidly. Like a mouse backed into a corner, Talia curled inward and quickly scanned her surroundings.
On one side of the cluttered space filled with farm tools, she saw another exit. Without a moment to think, she gathered herself to bolt for it, but a dark shadow burst in along with the sound of heavy footsteps.
In an instant, a chill that seemed to freeze the blood in her veins washed over her.
Talia looked up with a terrified expression at the dark silhouette of the man standing with his back to the light.
Feet encased in black sabatons approached slowly. For some reason, that disciplined gait only served to amplify the fear she felt.
“Talia Roem Sheikan.”
His voice was hauntingly soft.
Talia barely managed to raise her eyes to meet his.
The torches held by the knights dimly illuminated one side of his cold, frozen face.
There was no way to tell what it was about his calm appearance—which seemed no different from usual at a glance—that made her hold her breath.
The man spoke with a terrifyingly composed tone.
“It is time to go home.”
Talia instinctively recoiled.
Seeing this, a cruel light flickered in the man’s eyes.
“Do you wish to test my patience further?”
His low voice felt like it was clawing at her spine.
Talia, who had been darting her eyes around looking for an escape route, finally let her arms drop limply.
Throughout the journey back to the castle, he did not say a single word. Talia didn’t bother to open her mouth either. She had no desire to make excuses.
While being moved like a piece of luggage by his hands, she kept her eyes closed and ignored all the commotion surrounding her. At some point, she seemed to have truly lost consciousness.
Awakening from a light sleep, Talia realized she was lying on Barkas’s bed and looked around in confusion. At that moment, a sharp pain shot through her leg.
Clutching her cramped calf and groaning, Talia reached out toward the shelf. Before long, she was able to find the glass bottle containing her painkillers. Just as she gripped it and tried to pop the cap, a large hand suddenly reached out from the darkness and grabbed her wrist.
Talia flinched, her body freezing. Only then did she realize someone else was in the room.
Turning her startled eyes, she saw Barkas sitting in a perfectly upright posture amidst the deep shadows.
He was looking down at her with an uncannily quiet gaze.
“Do your legs hurt?”
Talia replaced her answer by pressing her lips thin and casting her eyes down. Then, she felt the hand gripping her wrist tighten until it was painful.
“I find myself unable to keep from asking. In your condition, just where did you intend to go?”
