Ch#64
“Do you know why I’m going to marry you?”
Varkas stared at her in silence. Thalia spoke to that expressionless face, each word heavy with suppressed emotion.
“To see you become miserable. That is why I am marrying you.”
“…….”
“I want you to be in pain. Very, very much.”
His eyes sank deep into shadow.
She held her breath, waiting for his response. She hoped that indifferent face would crumble, that he would flare up in anger or recoil in disgust and push her away.
Tell me it’s no use after all.
Tell me you could never take a woman like me as your wife.
Even if her heart were to be crushed into formless dust, they might at least be able to save the rest of each other’s lives.
But as always, he betrayed her expectations.
Letting out a short sigh as if he had heard something inconsequential, Varkas pried her hands from his clothes and straightened his posture.
“The wedding will be held as soon as possible.”
He then walked to the window and pushed it open.
The wind that brushed past him poured over her face.
Thalia quietly took in the sight of him bathed in the light of the sunset. His heavy bass voice reached her as if from a great distance.
“That would be better, for both me and for you.”
What did he mean by that?
Did he mean it was better to quickly dispose of a bothersome task?
Thalia watched his eyes as if searching for an answer, but soon felt a profound sense of exhaustion and lowered her eyelids.
It didn’t matter. She would no longer struggle to dig into his inner thoughts.
If he had accepted her out of a sense of responsibility, then she had chosen the place by his side to return the wounds she had received. Therefore, she would not do anything as foolish as expecting something from him.
She repeated the vow she had made thousands of times.
That tonight would be the last, and she would put a period on this cursed love.
However, she knew.
That the love she killed today would come seeking her again tomorrow….
The entire Imperial Palace was buzzing with the upcoming wedding of the Second Princess.
Under the Empress’s leadership, the maids of the Main Palace began to skip about decorating the ceremony hall, and servants hurried back and forth between the food storehouses and the kitchens to prepare the wine and food to be served to the guests.
Yet, despite the bustle, a heavy and unsettling atmosphere loomed over the palace.
As Edric was leaving the logistics base, he narrowed his eyes upon spotting a group of apprentices whispering in a corner of the training grounds. Unpleasant talk drifted into his ears.
“In the end, it’s like mother and daughter have been robbed of their men across generations.”
He watched a boy snickering flippantly. It was the son of Viscount Kenden, a troublemaker who had formed a faction among the apprentice knights.
The boy continued as he placed his training weapon on the rack.
“I heard the Second Princess is the spitting image of Her Majesty the Empress. With a face like that, it’s no wonder Sir Si’eikan fell for her.”
“You think the Commander is like you?”
A large boy shook his head.
“That marriage wouldn’t have happened in the first place if it weren’t for His Majesty’s order. I just feel bad for the First Princess.”
“Ugh, you naive brat. What kind of family is Si’eikan? Do you think they’d swap fiances just because of a single word from His Majesty?”
The boy clicked his tongue.
“It happened because he was willing to accept it! Besides, wasn’t Sir Si’eikan the Second Princess’s personal guard? If you think about it, didn’t they fall for each other long ago? People who were at the pilgrimage said things were a bit strange between them….”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Do you know how much the Second Princess used to harass the Commander back when he was her guard? So what if she’s pretty? He saw that temper of hers firsthand; there’s no way he’d fall for her.”
An apprentice organizing arrows for archery practice snorted loudly.
“Besides, the Second Princess became a cripple because of this accident. Who would willingly marry a woman like that when someone like the First Princess is available? She must have used some wicked trick in the background….”
“It seems training is done with the mouth these days.”
When Edric, unable to listen any longer, abruptly intervened, the apprentice knights jumped in surprise and straightened their posture.
He swept a cold gaze over the boys.
“Are you aware that the conversation you just had could be considered an insult to the Imperial Family?”
The boys’ faces turned pale instantly.
Edric, carefully noting each of their faces, added sternly.
“The Roem Knights are an organization formed to protect the Imperial Family. If you intend to become a member, you should at least learn that you must not speak carelessly about the Imperial Family in public.”
“We—we are sorry, Sir Lubon.”
The boys bowed their heads, their faces stiff with tension.
After looking down at them in silence for a while, Edric slowly turned and walked toward the knights’ quarters.
Just then, a heavy arm dropped onto his shoulder.
Turning his head, Edric’s eyes widened when he saw his senior knight, Sir Theoric Hart.
Theoric grinned and spoke.
“Your discipline is quite sharp.”
“What brings you to the training grounds at this hour, sir?”
Edric looked up at the bell tower with a puzzled face.
It wasn’t even noon yet. Wasn’t this the busiest time for high-ranking knights as they attended to their duties in the Main Palace?
At his questioning look, Sir Hart let out a chuckle and ruffled Edric’s hair with his large hand.
“I ran over here to deliver some good news. Your probation has finally been lifted. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be back on duty in my direct unit.”
Edric hesitated and looked up at him. Although it was clearly good news, a rush of complicated emotions hit him for a moment.
He asked hesitantly.
“Then, who will be in charge of Her Highness the Second Princess’s protection?”
His superior’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He released his arm from Edric’s shoulder and let out a heavy sigh.
“The Roem Knights have been excluded from the Second Princess’s protection entirely. Her Majesty the Empress raised an issue, questioning if we intentionally neglected Her Highness’s safety. She even went so far as to declare that she won’t leave the Second Prince’s protection to the Roem Knights either.”
Edric’s face hardened. It was a move equivalent to dragging the honor of the Roem Knights through the dirt.
Since the founding of the Empire, the Roem Knights had served by the side of the Imperial Family to protect them. Their very identity was being denied.
Edric lowered his head weakly.
“I am sorry. Because I failed to fulfill my role, the Knights have suffered such humiliation….”
“It’s not your fault. This was an accident no one could have predicted. So there’s no need to blame yourself.”
Theoric patted his shoulder, offering comfort.
When Edric’s expression still didn’t brighten, Theoric massaged the back of his neck as if debating something, then suddenly led his subordinate out of the training grounds. Edric followed him with a bewildered expression.
After walking in silence for a while, Theoric finally spoke once they reached a deserted clearing.
“I know you’re a fellow with a strong sense of responsibility. But this really isn’t your fault, so don’t let it weigh on your mind unnecessarily.”
Edric furrowed his brows.
“I was her personal knight. Strictly speaking, the primary responsibility for the failure of protection lies with me. So how can I…!”
“The attack that day was a result of the Empress’s scheme.”
Edric stopped all movement and stared at his superior’s face with blank eyes.
Theoric, looking down at the ground with a dark expression, continued in a calm tone.
“Don’t you think it’s strange? That wyverns would attack an army in a pack at such a time…. Originally, large monsters like wyverns don’t attack armed troops unless their habitat is invaded. Moreover, our camp was located quite far from their nesting grounds.”
“Well, I thought it was strange too… but even so, to conclude that it was the Empress’s doing….”
“Before the attack, there were reports that the Second Princess’s attendants were showing suspicious movements.”
His tone turned stiff.
“Furthermore, traces of high-level magic being cast were discovered in the area near the accident. Most likely, someone intentionally agitated the wyvern habitat.”
Edric stood with his mouth agape.
As the implications of his superior’s words became clear, cold sweat broke out down his spine.
“But the Second Princess was also part of that pilgrimage. How could she do such a thing when her own daughter could have been harmed…?”
“Because of that, she was able to avoid suspicion easily.”
Edric looked at him with a bloodless face, lost for words.
Theoric continued in a gloomy tone.
“The Empress is a frighteningly thorough person. We conducted a secret investigation immediately after the accident, but she left behind nothing but a few pieces of circumstantial evidence and no decisive proof. Besides, the biggest victim of this incident is the Empress’s own daughter. In such a situation, who would dare raise a question?”
Edric slowly lowered his gaze.
The image of the Princess crying while buried under the pile of rocks came to his mind.
He also remembered how she writhed in pain throughout the emergency treatment.
That woman had been reduced to such a state by her own biological mother.
He felt as if his stomach were turning over.
