Ch#78
78화
At her blunt response, Thalia arched her brows.
She couldn’t tell if he was brushing her off because he found bickering tedious, or if he was simply agreeing because he genuinely didn’t care about his attire.
Thalia scrutinized his expressionless face as if trying to dissect it, but soon her shoulders slumped in exasperation.
“Sometimes, being with you makes me feel like I’m going to explode.”
Even at this sudden provocation, he showed no particular reaction.
As the silence stretched on, her agitation grew.
Thalia pulled the duvet up to her chin and turned her body the other way.
“Just leave now.”
“I will leave once I see you take your medicine.”
“I’m not taking it, so get out.”
“I will leave after I confirm that you’ve taken the medicine and are feeling better.”
“I said I’m not taking it!”
When she whipped around to face him again in a huff, his pale eyes, shimmering with hints of gold, locked onto her gaze.
He pulled a chair over to the bedside and sat down, speaking slowly.
“If you continue to be stubborn, I will have to force you.”
Thalia’s body went rigid.
Suddenly, memories of their wedding night scrambled through her mind.
That confusing memory—where she still couldn’t quite distinguish where the dream ended and reality began—replayed vividly in her head.
Was Varkas thinking of that day too?
Beads of sweat formed above her upper lip.
Unable to endure the strange tension permeating the room, Thalia awkwardly changed the subject.
“Have you been drinking?”
“A little.”
He leaned back against the chair, answering casually.
Watching him with wary eyes, Thalia snapped at him even more sharply than usual.
“If you’re drunk, you should wash up and go to sleep. Why come into someone else’s room and act like a nuisance?”
“I haven’t drunk enough to be intoxicated. They were holding a grand welcoming ceremony, so I merely played along for a bit.”
He gave a half-hearted reply and unfastened the cumbersome ornaments wrapped around his arm, placing them on the shelf.
Thalia, who had been staring at him, asked tentatively.
“Did no one complain that I didn’t show my face at all?”
“Who would dare say anything to you?”
A frown suddenly creased his brow.
“Your Highness is the highest-ranking person in this castle. There is no one here whose feelings you need to worry about.”
“Who said I was worried? I was just curious, that’s all.”
Thalia grumbled, glaring at him.
It was somewhat absurd to hear such words from a man who had never truly treated her like a princess himself.
Just as she was about to tell him to mind his own business, a knock sounded at the door.
“Young Family Head, I have brought the medicine.”
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a petite maid entered the room.
Taking the medicine bottle from her hand, Varkas sent the maid back out.
Thalia watched the bottle in his hand with a tense expression.
Strangely, her stomach knotted up.
She swallowed hard past her stinging throat as he shook the medicine bottle in front of her eyes.
“Drink.”
Thalia looked back and forth between the small blue glass bottle and his face.
If she didn’t drink this, would he kiss her like he did that night?
The sudden thought made her heart tighten.
When she avoided his gaze, unable to find her composure, he leaned his upper body forward and asked in a low voice.
“Are you not going to take it?”
Her face felt as if it were on fire.
She felt that if she persisted in refusing, he would see right through her inner thoughts.
With trembling hands, she snatched the bottle from him.
“I—I’ll drink it, alright?”
As if to show him, she popped the cork and tossed the bitter herbal extract into her mouth.
The bitter liquid, which felt as if it were burning her tongue, slid down her esophagus.
Thalia’s eyes welled with tears as she let out a dry cough. It was the bitterest medicine she had ever tasted.
“What on earth is this?”
“It is medicine prepared by the Si’eikan family’s healer,” he said, pouring a glass of cider from the shelf and handing it to her. “From now on, a healer from here will be in charge of your care.”
Thalia, who had taken the glass and was hurriedly gulping down the sweet liquid, glared at him in disbelief.
“By whose authority? I already have an exclusive healer. A high-ranking mage trained by the Taren family has been treating me—”
“That healer did little more than burn dream-grass and cast basic recovery magic. Your condition would never improve at that rate.”
Thalia’s eyes sharpened.
The healer currently attending to her was a skilled professional handpicked by Senebier.
Did he really think a shaman of the Khan people, who only knew ancient spells, could compare to a mage of the Taren family? Or did he have some other ulterior motive?
After glaring at him with a suspicious expression, Thalia snapped coldly.
“No. I will be treated by the mage my mother provided. How can I trust the people here? It’s obvious everyone hates me…”
His lips thinned into a hard line.
“Why do you think that?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot? The Si’eikan family supports the Crown Prince. I know they couldn’t possibly be pleased with me for pushing Aila aside and marrying you.”
Thalia spoke sarcastically.
“Who knows? They might even try to poison me.”
“Thalia Roem Si’eikan.”
His soft voice scraped chillingly against her eardrums.
Thalia flinched. More than the alien surname attached to her name, the hint of warning in his low voice froze her thoughts.
He added stiffly.
“I intend to indulge most of your whims. However, do not cross the line.”
The coldness in his voice made her temper flare.
She threw the glass she was holding at him.
“Who asked you to indulge me?!”
Sticky cider soaked his chest.
A dreadful silence descended.
Varkas let out a long breath and slowly stood up.
Startled, Thalia hid in the corner of the bed. Varkas watched her for a moment before shaking his head.
“Why do something that scares you so much?”
Thalia’s face flushed with shame.
He lightly brushed off the liquid dripping down his chest and added calmly.
“Regardless of how much of a temper you throw, it won’t work this time. Starting tomorrow, a new healer will examine your condition.”
“I clearly said I don’t want to!”
He didn’t even pretend to listen as he walked toward the bedroom door.
Thalia raised her voice at his retreating back.
“You liar! You said I was the highest-ranking person in this castle! So why are you doing whatever you want?”
“You should at least listen to your husband, even if you won’t listen to anyone else.”
Varkas stopped at the doorway and looked back at her, speaking as if soothing a spoiled child.
“Don’t I listen to you well?”
Then, as if to prove a point, he took off his loose outer coat and draped it over one arm.
Thalia’s mouth hung open blankly.
He pulled the doorknob and added calmly.
“Go to sleep now. You’ll need to rest for a few days to recover from the fatigue of the journey.”
Thalia threw a pillow at him, but she was too late; he had already left the room.
Looking down at the bundle of fabric rolling on the floor with a hollow expression, Thalia soon slumped onto the bed.
Why was it that this marriage felt like it was she, not him, who was being tormented? She felt a wave of indignation.
The next morning, Thalia woke up feeling relatively refreshed.
Perhaps because she had slept almost the entire day, the pain in her legs was less than usual.
Rubbing her bleary eyes, Thalia sat up in bed and looked out the window at the brilliant blue sky before ringing the bell beside her bed.
A moment later, a stern-looking middle-aged woman and a much younger maid entered the room together.
“Greetings, Your Highness. Please forgive our late introduction.”
The older woman spoke first.
“I am Areta, the head maid in charge of this castle’s staff. This is Brisa, the exclusive maid who will be serving Your Highness from now on.”
When the woman tugged on the arm of the dazed-looking maid, the girl named Brisa hurriedly bowed her head.
