Chapter 102
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 102
He spoke with such nonchalance, as if he were merely stepping out for an evening stroll.
Thalia’s eyes sharpened. "A 'light subjugation'?"
Barkas, who was handing a leather pouch heavy with gold coins to a man who appeared to be the local administrator, looked down at her. As if sensing her displeasure, a faint sigh escaped his firmly set lips.
"There have been reports of raiders setting up camp in this area. The stronghold is said to be small; I should be back by dawn."
Do you really have to go yourself?
The words nearly surged past Thalia’s lips, but she caught herself. Noticing the dozens of eyes watching them, she clamped her mouth shut. Her stomach churned with anxiety, but she refused to let this utterly stoic man see how much he was getting under her skin.
She brushed his hand off her shoulder and snapped coldly, "What do I care when you get back? I want to rest, so just show me to the lodgings."
From across the room, she heard the administrator, who had been nervously reading the atmosphere, let out a sharp, hitching breath.
Barkas, however, showed no reaction. He simply turned back to the official. "Where are the quarters?"
"Ah… this way, please." The man hurriedly took the lead.
Following him, a modest stone building came into view. As they stepped inside, the administrator continued his fumbling explanation.
"This building was originally used as official quarters, but we cleared it out the moment we heard Your Excellency would be visiting. Here, you may use this room." He cautiously pushed open a large door at the very end of the hallway.
Thalia scanned the dim bedroom with a look of practiced indifference. Despite its humble exterior, the interior was quite cozy; it was clear they had made a special effort to prepare for high-born guests.
The administrator added tentatively, watching her reaction, "If there is anything lacking, please tell me immediately. I will see to it at once."
"No, this is enough. You may leave." Thalia spoke with her chin held high, inspecting the bed covered in thick, clean sheets.
The administrator glanced at Barkas for approval before making a quick exit.
Thalia pulled off her heavy robe, tossed it aside carelessly, and flopped onto the bed. Barkas watched her in silence for a moment before approaching. Thalia deliberately ignored him, turning her back to him. She knew that if she looked at his face, she would only end up spitting out more spiteful words.
Groping for the blanket to pull it over herself, she muttered crossly, "I’m just going to sleep, so tell the nanny I don’t need dinner."
"Thalia."
Sensing a deep shadow looming over her, Thalia looked up with a start. Barkas was leaning over her, his hand braced against the mattress beside her pillow.
The light of the setting sun streaming through the window dyed one side of his face crimson. As she stared blankly at that enigmatic face, a cool finger brushed against her forehead.
"Do not skip your meals, even if you are tired."
"What does it matter to you whether I starve or not?" Thalia twisted her head away, coldly shaking off his touch. "Just hurry up and go kill your raiders."
A shallow furrow appeared between his brows. He looked as though he couldn’t even begin to guess why she was upset.
Thalia pulled the blanket all the way up to the crown of her head, hiding herself. Soon, she heard the sound of him rising from the bed. As his footsteps grew distant, a sudden, sharp 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 nothing but chains. A band of raiders should 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.
"Be… be careful," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes widened slightly. Seeing him react that way to such a simple remark made her heart sting with guilt.
She added sharply, as if to cover her tracks, "If something happens to you, my position becomes precarious. So, don’t go overdoing it."
A subtle expression—something between a smile and a grimace—flickered across his face before vanishing. Thalia hid herself under the covers again. A moment later, she heard his heavy footsteps approach.
"Do not worry. I will return shortly."
Leaning over the bed once more, Barkas gently stroked her hair. The unexpected contact made her heart drop. For some reason, that tender touch made her chest ache more than any passionate kiss ever could.
A short while 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 by in front of the manor. Before long, Barkas joined them. Thalia watched for a long time as he led the troops toward the outskirts of the village.
Even after his figure disappeared over the hill, she found it difficult to leave the window. Then, a familiar voice called out from outside the door.
"Your Highness, I have come to apply your medicine."
"…Come in."
The moment permission was granted, the healer of House Taren entered. Thalia limped over and sat on a chair by the fireplace. The woman knelt before her, carefully lifting the hem of Thalia’s dress.
"How is the condition?"
"The same as always."
The healer skillfully unrolled the bandages and closely 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. "No. Wrap them properly."
"The Grand Duke is away tonight, is he not? There is no need to keep the scars hidden…"
"Do you think I’m doing this because of Barkas?!" Thalia’s voice rose sharply.
The healer’s face stiffened in surprise. Staring at the woman’s tense expression, Thalia muttered in a low, hollow voice, "It’s because I don’t want to see it. So wrap it properly."
With a short sigh, the healer pulled out fresh bandages as if she had no choice. She meticulously spread a sticky ointment over the scars and then wrapped the bandages as loosely as she dared.
"Does the medicine made by the Eastern mage seem to be working?" the woman asked abruptly, wiping the ointment from her hands with a towel.
Thalia replied listlessly, "It doesn’t seem completely ineffective. My stomach hurts a bit because the medicine is so strong, but I feel all right the next day after taking it."
"Do you know what herbs are in it?"
"I only heard that it’s a blend of various herbs to restore vitality." Thalia looked down at the healer with a suspicious glint in her eyes. "Why are you prying so much? Are you worried they might be poisoning me?"
"…I was instructed by Her Majesty the Empress to look after Your Highness’s health," the healer began cautiously. "And there are many here who do not look kindly upon Your Highness’s 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 would be easily discovered?"
The woman fell silent, looking lost in thought.
Was there something bothering her?
Thalia, wearing an uncomfortable expression, added as if granting a favor, "If you’re that suspicious, I’ll leave a little bit of the medicine behind. Take it and check it yourself."