Chapter 109
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 109
The healer, who had been watching her in silence, finally spoke with a cautious tone.
“His Excellency remained by Your Highness’s side the entire time. He only left in haste after receiving word that raiders had appeared outside the castle walls.”
Thalia froze at the unexpected news.
She didn’t even have the luxury of feeling embarrassed that her inner thoughts had been read. She bolted upright, her hand shooting out to grab the hem of the healer’s robe. A sharp, stabbing pain flared in the pit of her stomach from the sudden movement, but she didn’t care about that for even a second.
“R-raiders? Since when?”
“About four hours ago,” the healer replied calmly.
Thalia pressed her, her voice laced with anxiety. “How many? Is it dangerous? How many troops did he take with him…?”
The questions poured out like rapid fire until Thalia’s vision suddenly turned white. She bit her lip, swaying.
Before she could even realize what was happening, her body tilted forward. Had a tanned, steady hand not caught her by the shoulder, she would have tumbled straight out of bed.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she looked up at the healer. The woman laid her back down against the pillows with a firm, practiced touch.
“I will cast recovery magic on you, so please, try to stay calm for now.”
“Barkas is…”
“His Excellency will be fine. There are only a few dozen raiders at most, and His Excellency leads the strongest cavalry in the East.”
Reason finally returned to Thalia at the healer’s composed response. She steadied her ragged breathing and stared out the window, which was glowing with a pale, white light.
If he had left four hours ago, the skirmish might already be over.
Yes, she told herself. Even during the large-scale subjugation operations in the past, hadn’t he always returned within half a day as if nothing had happened? There was no need to be this restless.
As she repeated those words to soothe her nerves, a thin, calloused hand came to rest on the back of hers. Soon after, a lukewarm heat began to flow into her body.
“I have applied healing magic as well, but magic is less effective on internal injuries. Please refrain from any strenuous movement for a while.”
Thalia closed her eyes tightly instead of answering. The healer, after quietly observing her condition for a moment longer, slipped out of the room.
A short while later, her nanny returned carrying a tray of food. Unable to withstand the woman’s nagging, Thalia managed to swallow a few spoonfuls of vegetable porridge. As the food went down, her stomach stung as if she had swallowed needles. After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, Thalia finally drifted into a fitful sleep around sunset.
By the time she regained consciousness, a thick darkness had settled over the room.
Waking with a parched, burning thirst, Thalia flinched when she saw a large shadow cast in front of the fireplace. Barkas was standing by the window in a thin shirt. She didn’t know when he had returned.
Fortunately, he didn’t appear to be injured.
Thalia let out a long sigh of relief, but then her breath caught in her throat. Eyes as silent and cold as a frozen lake were staring intently at her.
On the surface, he looked no different than usual, yet her heart sank for reasons she couldn’t name.
The man, who had stood motionless for a long moment, approached with slow, deliberate steps. Thalia swallowed hard instinctively.
He maintained that unnervingly quiet gaze as he turned toward the shelf. He picked up the pitcher from the tray and poured her a glass of water.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Thalia replied, taking the cup hesitantly and feigning a nonchalant tone.
Originally, she had intended to scold him thoroughly. See? What did I tell you? I told you I didn’t want to take that medicine. This happened because you forced it on me. But the words she had planned to spit out died in her throat.
Glancing at him—noticing he seemed even more subdued than usual—Thalia added cautiously, “It’s nothing much. They said my stomach is just a little damaged.”
For a split second, something like a flash of lightning flickered across Barkas’s face. He shot back sharply, a fierce light in his eyes.
“It is not ‘a little damaged.’ It was serious enough that you were vomiting blood.”
Thalia looked bewildered by his harsh reaction. Barkas gripped her shoulders, his voice pressing.
“If I had found you just a little later, you might have choked to death on your own blood. Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you weren’t feeling well?”
“That’s because… I’m always in some kind of pain anyway. I didn’t realize it was so serious.”
At her weak excuse, the muscles in Barkas’s face hardened further. Clenching his jaw as if enduring a great weight, he walked over to the window and breathed in the cold night air. When his voice finally drifted back to her, it had settled into a much calmer, flatter tone.
“We have decided to stay at this castle for the time being so you can recuperate.”
“What about the inspection tour?”
“We have already finished visiting all the major cities,” he replied bluntly, rubbing his temple with his index finger. “Your Highness should focus only on recovering your health.”
Thalia nodded with a reluctant expression. His overbearing tone annoyed her, but she didn’t want to argue when he looked so utterly exhausted. She murmured in a dejected voice, “I get it, so stop being so angry. I’m already having a hard enough time.”
Barkas’s lips parted as if to say something, but he closed them again. The flickering firelight greedily licked at his fatigue-stricken features. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
“Don’t just hold it; drink. You lost a lot of blood. Even if your stomach is uncomfortable, you must stay hydrated.”
Relaxing at his much softer tone, Thalia emptied the glass. A sharp pain flared as her stomach tightened from the sudden liquid, but she hid it and buried herself under the covers.
Just then, she felt a radiating heat behind her back. Thalia’s body went stiff.
Barkas, who had settled down behind her, naturally pulled her toward him. Then, with one hand, he began to gently stroke the area over her stomach where the pain was most knotted.
Her eyes grew hot at his tender touch. Was this behavior born out of pity? Thalia, who habitually dissected the hidden meanings behind his actions, forced her thoughts to stop.
She didn’t want to torment herself with self-deprecating doubts anymore. She simply wanted to accept this warmth for what it was.
Blinking in the darkness, Thalia turned around and burrowed into his arms. Barkas wrapped his arm around her back. Through his thin shirt, she could hear the dull, heavy thud of his heart.
Listening to that powerful, steady rhythm, Thalia carefully wrapped her arms around his waist.
*
The castle, which had been as quiet as a grave, was now in an uproar.
Entering the hall, Lucas frowned as he surveyed the kitchen, which was swarming with peddlers. Among the merchants who had brought various ingredients, he spotted a familiar face.
He strode into the crowded space. “What are you doing in a place like this?”
“Ah, Young Master Lucas.” Daren, who had been haggling with the merchants, waved at him with a cheerful expression. “Have you finished all the tasks His Excellency assigned to you?”
“I’m all done,” Lucas replied snidely. “I didn’t miss a single morning training session, and after taking care of the horses, I polished all of my brother’s armor and weapons until they shone.”
“Well done.” Daren patted his head as if he were proud of him.
Brushing the hand away roughly, Lucas asked in a sullen tone, “So, what is all this mess?”
“I’ve personally sourced ingredients to serve the Grand Duchess. It seems there isn’t much in the way of Eastern food that she can digest. I had no choice but to purchase several ingredients separately from the merchants of the Central region.”
Lucas frowned as he looked around at the sacks filling the dining hall. How much could that tiny woman possibly eat for them to buy this much?
Surely they aren’t planning to spend an entire season here, are they?
He looked up at Daren with a serious gaze. “Is her condition really that serious?”
“According to the healer, her stomach is in complete ruins,” Daren said, his face clouding with worry.