Ch#175
“That will absolutely never happen.”
She spoke firmly.
However, Barkas noticed that she wasn’t entirely certain of that fact. Within her confident smile, he glimpsed the specific expression she wore whenever she was bluffing.
He suspected that she, too, might be feeling uneasy about the Dire Wolf’s innate aggression.
‘…I should prepare capture magic tools, just in case the magical beast goes on a rampage.’
In principle, a magical beast that attacked a human deserved to be disposed of on the spot, but he worried that Talia would be traumatized if she witnessed such a sight. Even if a moment came where force had to be used against the Dire Wolf, he felt he should strictly instruct his subordinates to prioritize capturing it alive.
He let out a weary sigh and pulled away from the window.
“Then, I shall go and convey my decision to the vassals.”
“You’re going right now?”
Barkas, who had been walking toward the door, came to a dead stop and looked down at her.
Talia, who had been fidgeting with her long, damp hair, murmured awkwardly.
“You’ve only just returned. I thought perhaps you should get some rest first….”
He narrowed his eyes, seized by suspicion.
She was a woman who used to find it painful just to be in the same space as him. Though he had moved in and out of the castle frequently over the past two years, she had consistently avoided him. Why had her attitude suddenly changed?
“…As Your Grace said, I have only just returned, so there is much work to be handled. Regrettably, it seems rest will have to be postponed.”
He saw a flicker of disappointment pass over her face. As if to hide it, she twisted her lips into a smirk and spoke bluntly.
“Ah, is that so? Then go on ahead.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled the doorknob. Immediately, a giant gray wolf, standing guard before the door like a sentinel, filled his vision.
As if resentful for being separated from its master, the beast glared at him with flashing blue eyes before roughly squeezing through the open door.
Pushed aside by that heavy mass, Barkas frowned and glared back at the wolf.
The Dire Wolf crossed the Grand Duke’s bedroom as naturally as if it were entering its own home and sat by Talia’s side. Looking at the wolf, her eyes sparkled with joy.
The woman tightly embraced the beast, which was pressed close to her side wagging its tail, and buried her face in its thick, shaggy neck.
Barkas stood silently watching the scene for a moment before closing the door.
“Your Grace is far too soft on the Grand Duchess.”
Barkas, who had been scanning petitions while sitting at the head of the council chamber, looked up at the elder councilman seated to his left.
The man, a stubborn-looking fellow in his fifties, held the role of a magistrate who mediated various legal disputes in Kalmor.
He wiped his dwarf-made monocle with a handkerchief and let out a heavy sigh.
“Until now, we have overlooked many things out of consideration for the unfortunate incidents the Grand Duchess has endured, but we cannot accept her reckless behavior forever. Because of that wolf, many within the castle are uneasy, and unnecessary friction is being created with the Church.”
“I intend to have an audience with the Grand Priest soon. I will resolve the conflict with the Church personally, so do not bring this matter up again.”
“But….”
“Since when did the men of the Sheikan family become so timid? Making such a fuss over a single wolf.”
When Barkas threw a bundle of petitions onto the conference table and spoke irritably, the family leaders filling the chamber stiffened their faces.
One of them spoke up, showing his displeasure.
“Your Grace, everyone seated here is a follower of the Imperial Church who has undergone two rites of baptism. According to the doctrine, are not magical beasts creatures fashioned by demons to bring harm to mankind? For the Grand Duchess, who should be an example to all Easterners, to carry such an evil creature around is damaging to the authority of the Grand Ducal family….”
“As I recall, you have fathered three illegitimate children with three different women.”
At his remark, the man’s face turned bright red.
Barkas let out a sigh laden with fatigue.
“Must I really go as far as to bring up such stories? I can guarantee that no one in this room has lived strictly according to the doctrine. So, let us stop this business of biting at each other’s flaws.”
A heavy silence descended upon the room.
Scanning the faces of the vassals surrounding the long table, Barkas added in a somewhat softened tone.
“If you all turn a blind eye to my wife’s minor eccentricities, I, too, intend to cover for your minor problems. Is it not the duty of a family to protect one another’s shortcomings?”
Sensing the subtle threat embedded in those words, tension gripped the vassals’ faces.
They glanced at one another for a moment before hurriedly shifting the topic to the next agenda item. It seemed they did not wish to risk having all their weaknesses exposed just because of a single wolf.
Barkas stamped his seal on several legislative amendments and stood up.
As he was leaving the council chamber, Lucas followed him and spoke in a firm tone.
“Do you truly intend to leave that predator be?”
“Don’t make me say it twice.”
“Brother, I am concerned about my sister-in-law….”
When Barkas stopped walking and turned to look at him, the man hastily corrected his form of address.
“I am saying this because I am worried about the Grand Duchess. I don’t know how she persuaded you… but that beast is dangerous. It will surely become a major problem someday.”
“When that time comes, I will take responsibility and clean up the mess, so stop pestering me. That is an order.”
At the cold, stinging words, the man’s mouth clamped shut.
Barkas turned and began walking down the long corridor.
Just then, the faint sound of laughter drifted in from outside the window.
Unconsciously turning his head, Barkas spotted her sitting on a long marble bench and halted his steps.
By Talia’s side, that giant beast was standing tall as always. As if it had been rummaging through the garden, the Dire Wolf—with grass and petals stuck all over its shaggy body—dropped something it had been holding in its mouth onto her lap.
Barkas frowned as he realized it was an armful of flowers.
Despite the stems being crushed and the petals messy from being bitten by teeth, she pulled the bouquet into a happy embrace. As he watched the scene blankly, Lucas stepped up beside him and murmured as if it were absurd.
“That cunning thing is only pretending to be docile in front of its master. In truth, it is extremely violent….”
“Lucas.”
He sternly cut his brother off.
“I was told that wolf only bares its teeth to protect my wife. Has it ever threatened her?”
His brother waved his hands in flustered denial.
“Never! Of course, we have the occasional verbal spat…. But that is only because I worry about the Grand Duchess in my own way….”
“It would be best if you didn’t linger around her in the future.”
He spoke chillingly.
“Then that wolf will have no reason to show aggression toward you.”
His brother’s cheeks flushed as he fell silent.
Barkas, watching him with eyes as cold as lead, turned and began walking again.
After spending the afternoon touring Kalmor, Barkas retreated to his study and wrote a letter to Daren.
Since the conservative nobles were set to lead the conference, the chance of trouble was low, but it was better to be perfectly prepared.
He wrote instructions not to lower their guard against Duke Heimdall to ensure no mishaps occurred until the conference ended, then poured wax and pressed his seal.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“What is it?”
“Excuse me, Your Grace. I have come at the instruction of the Grand Duchess.”
Barkas wore a puzzled expression before giving permission to enter.
Shortly after, the healing sorceress in her flowing robes cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.
“It has been a long time, Your Grace. I truly… am glad to see you have returned safely.”
“Enough with the pleasantries. Tell me why you’ve come.”
The woman, moistening her lips with a nervous face, approached the desk and set down a small glass bottle.
“The Grand Duchess told me to deliver this to you. It is a special reagent made from Mandrake extract.”
Barkas looked down at it with narrowed eyes before shifting his gaze to the healing sorceress’s face.
“She told you to give this to me?”
“Yes. After hearing that Your Grace has been working without a moment’s rest since returning to the castle… she seemed to be very worried.”
