Chapter 113
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 113
"Arrange the funeral according to protocol."
Barkas spoke in a flat, detached voice after confirming his father’s heart had stopped for good.
Laina, who had been sobbing while clutching her father’s cooling hand, looked up and glared at him. She seemed to loathe her brother for showing not even a flicker of grief.
In contrast, Lucas appeared remarkably resolute. Though his eyes were bloodshot, he seemed to have already braced himself as he calmly comforted his younger sister.
"Stop crying now. Father has surely gone to a better place."
However, Laina’s sobbing showed no sign of subsiding.
Eventually, Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her outside. Only then did the waiting priests lower the curtains around the bed and begin washing the body with water steeped in ritual herbs.
Thalia watched the somber scene in silence before tugging on Barkas’s coat, overcome by a wave of fatigue.
"Let’s go. There’s no need to stay here any longer."
A few people cast unpleasant looks her way, but Thalia didn’t care.
Barkas, who had been staring down at his father’s cold face, gave a dull nod.
"Let us go."
He stepped out into the hallway without delay.
Outside the bedchamber, servants who had gathered to witness the Grand Duke’s final moments stood in a silent line. They simultaneously removed their hats to express their condolences.
Thalia studied their expressions closely. Seeing that most of them looked genuinely somber, it seemed the eccentric old man had been a decent enough Lord of the Castle. He had likely been a good father to Lucas and Laina as well. But Barkas was clearly the exception.
Stealing a glance at his profile, Thalia spoke cautiously.
"Earlier... what was that about?"
The man sent her a questioning look. Thalia continued awkwardly.
"Your father said something strange before he passed."
"It was nothing more than the gibberish of a dying old man," Barkas replied curtly. He then swept her up into his arms and headed for the stairs.
Thalia peered at him suspiciously.
"Why would he say such nonsense?"
After a moment of silence, the man spoke with a calm, unreadable face.
"Your Highness must have heard the rumors regarding our family."
"The rumor that the ancient Sieorkan clan wielded the power of the devil?"
Barkas let out a dry laugh at her directness and calmly admitted it.
"In truth, individuals with strange powers were occasionally born into the Sieorkan bloodline. My father believed I was one of them."
Thalia’s eyes widened.
"Are you really?"
A cynical smile was his only answer.
"What do you think?"
Her expression grew uneasy. Seeing her face, the trace of a smile vanished from Barkas’s lips.
"Regrettably, I possess no such abilities."
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the bedroom door. Barkas pulled the handle and strode into the room.
Thalia winced at the chilly air. Noticing this, Barkas immediately set her down on the bed and wrapped a duvet around her shoulders. A moment later, several servants poured into the room to light the fireplace and set down trays of wine and food.
Once the attendants had withdrawn, Thalia asked again.
"Do you really have no power at all?"
Barkas, who was hanging his coat on the wall, turned back to her and narrowed his eyes. After gauging his mood for a moment, Thalia persisted.
"According to the rumors, Empress Bernadette could read the minds of others..."
"Those are nothing more than baseless rumors." His tone sharpened. "She was simply a bit more sensitive to the emotions of others than most."
Though she flinched at Barkas’s cold gaze, Thalia pressed one more time.
"So really, you can’t see anything?"
He stared intently at her face.
Thalia felt she finally understood why the dead old man had believed his son possessed a special talent. His blue eyes, flecked with silver shards, were like living blades. Feeling as though those dagger-like eyes were dissecting every corner of her mind, she froze.
Suddenly, Barkas let out a crooked laugh.
"Are you afraid I might look inside you?"
Thalia winced and lowered her gaze. Barkas approached the bedside, gripped her chin, and peered closely into her face.
"I’m becoming a bit curious about what you’ve hidden in that head of yours to make you tremble so much."
"Who’s trembling!" Thalia snapped, brushing his hand away.
It was impossible, of course, but she broke into a cold sweat at the thought that he might actually be seeing her inner thoughts. Looking down at her with cold eyes, Barkas spoke dryly.
"Your mind is safe, so do not worry over nothing."
He turned his back, as if he had no intention of continuing the topic.
"Eat your dinner first. If you intend to attend the funeral rites tomorrow, you’ll need to replenish your strength today."
Barkas offered the advice in a blunt voice, placed the food tray beside the bed, and walked over to the fireplace to stoke the flames.
Thalia watched his back in silence before looking down at the tray. Perhaps she had grown accustomed to him feeding her over the past few days, because eating with her own hands felt strangely lonely. As if to shake off the feeling, she picked up a small piece of bread and forced herself to take a bite.
As her head cooled, her absurd suspicion began to feel embarrassing. There was no way he had telepathy. If he did, there was no way he would feel pity or a sense of responsibility toward her.
If he knew how many years she had been obsessed with him, he would surely have been repulsed...
* * *
Just as she had sensed, an icy rain poured from the sky on the day the funeral began. However, sunny days followed from the second day onward.
Thanks to that, the former Grand Duke Sieorkan was able to be interred in the Cathedral mausoleum east of Kalmor under brilliant sunlight. After the family funeral was held in a solemn atmosphere, a steady stream of mourners followed.
Envoys who had traveled long distances attended the grand funeral mass and stayed at Raedgo Castle for about a week before departing. The funeral of a Great Lord could last as short as a month or as long as three, and during that time, the castle transformed into a meeting ground for envoys to socialize. Consequently, Thalia found the ensuing days grueling.
Dressed in traditional Eastern attire, Thalia leaned against a railing and looked down at the bustling hall with a look of loathing. She had been absent from the banquets and funeral masses using her health as an excuse, but she couldn’t avoid showing her face to the guests entirely.
She reluctantly descended the stairs. Entering the hall while taking care not to let her limping gait show, hundreds of pairs of eyes swarmed toward her. Her heart sank.
She no longer panicked as she once had, but the gazes of others were still uncomfortable. It was the same even after realizing that most people didn’t notice the flaws on her body. She managed to force something resembling a smile onto her stiff face.
"Thank you all for making the long journey. Please, make yourselves comfortable during your stay."
"Thank you for your kind welcome, Your Highness the Grand Duchess."
A young man looking up at her with enchanted eyes responded with a heated tone. Thalia struggled not to let her discomfort show as she naturally turned away. At that moment, someone subtly blocked her path.
"I heard the guests have prepared special gifts for Her Highness."
It was Daren Dru Sieorkan.
The man, dressed smartly in formal attire, naturally led her toward the banquet hall. It seemed he was determined to drag her—who wanted to flee after a single greeting—into the social circle of the Eastern nobles.
Thalia suppressed the urge to shake off the hand touching her arm and walked leisurely through the visitors. As she stepped into the lavishly decorated banquet hall, Lucas and Laina, dressed in mourning clothes, came into view. Only after seeing their somber faces did she remember that this chaotic scene was, in fact, a funeral event.
Thalia swallowed a sneer and sat at the head of the long dining table. Laina, seated a short distance away, glared at her with thorns in her eyes the moment she saw her. Ignoring her, Thalia spoke to Daren in a bored tone.
"You said they prepared gifts? Bring them here."
The man let out a bitter smile at her arrogant attitude and signaled the servants. Soon, an attendant arrived carrying a large chest.
"This is an item prepared by Baron Basilard."
Inside the box was a fabric of mysterious, shifting colors, clearly crafted by the fairy race. Exclamations erupted from all around at the rare gift, which was worth as much as a castle. The man who presented the gift looked triumphant.
However, Thalia felt no inspiration. Since the scars had appeared on her body, she had completely lost interest in grooming herself. Looking down at the chest with an indifferent expression, Thalia recited a formal greeting.
"Thank you. I shall cherish it."
The Baron’s face stiffened slightly, seemingly flustered by her dry reaction. She was about to stand up, ignoring him, when busy footsteps were heard from outside the hall. It seemed another important guest had arrived.
She let out a weary sigh. Just then, the head butler’s breathless voice cut through the room.
"Your Highness, an embassy has arrived from the Imperial Palace."