Chapter 134
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134
Barkas swept his gaze over the woman, scanning her from head to toe.
"What is it?"
"It is regarding Her Highness, the Grand Duchess. I felt Your Excellency should be made aware..."
The woman, who had been speaking with a stiff, formal expression, suddenly turned pale and fell silent. Only then did Barkas realize he was radiating a murderous pressure.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. It had already been thoroughly established that the incorrect prescription this woman had given his wife was a mere oversight. Furthermore, the testimony of several servants and assistant mages had confirmed she had been cautious with the medicine, especially since Thalia had repeatedly refused treatment.
The woman had already received a punishment befitting her error; there was no longer any reason for him to be hostile toward her.
Calming his nerves, Barkas asked in a blunt voice, "What is it that I should know?"
"It seems the Grand Duchess..."
The woman’s lips twitched anxiously as she glanced around, clearly concerned about prying eyes. He gestured with his chin toward a small drawing room located near the kitchen.
"Follow me."
Entering the dim room, Barkas set the tray of food down on a shelf and turned around. The woman, who had been standing by the door peering into the hallway, finally spoke.
"It is something I heard from the maids... they say it has been quite some time since Her Highness last received her moon guest. Judging by her recent symptoms, I believe she may be with child."
For a moment, Barkas could not grasp the meaning of her words.
As he stood there, frozen and dazed, the healer’s words began to tumble out in a rapid-fire succession.
"However, Her Highness’s personal healer has not breathed a word of it. I am well aware that this is not my jurisdiction... but there are many precautions to take during the early stages of pregnancy, so I felt Your Excellency needed to know as soon as possible. There are many skilled midwives in Kalmor, so it would be best to summon them and have her examined immediately—"
"Wait."
Barkas cut her off abruptly, clutching his forehead with one hand. A rough, strained voice forced its way through his constricted throat.
"So, you are saying my wife is pregnant?"
"Given Her Highness’s recent condition, there is a very high probability..."
Barkas licked his parched lips.
The image of his wife, who had been unusually lethargic and limp for the past few days, flashed through his mind. He remembered how she had suddenly started pestering him for food.
In an instant, blood rushed through his veins and his ears began to ring. He frowned, looking down at his faintly trembling hands. He couldn’t understand why his body was reacting this way. It wasn’t as if he had held her without knowing this was a possibility.
If a bull in heat is penned with a cow, a calf is bound to follow a few months later. That was simply the way of nature. If anything, it was strange that he hadn’t noticed sooner.
"Thank you for telling me. I shall summon a midwife to confirm it at once."
Giving a mechanical response, Barkas immediately headed for the door. He was about to leave the room when he remembered the promise he had made to her. He turned back and grabbed the tray.
Then, it occurred to him that this might not be enough. He felt he should gather more things from the kitchen that she might be able to eat. As he was turning away with that idle thought, the healer urgently called out to him.
"I wish to say one more thing to Your Excellency."
He looked down at the woman, making no effort to hide his irritation. She flinched for a moment but soon met his gaze with a firm look in her eyes.
"Please give me one more chance to serve the Grand Duchess."
Barkas looked at her with an incredulous expression. Even now, the memory of his wife losing consciousness while coughing up blood made him want to hang this woman upside down. He had only restrained himself because he knew such a punishment would be excessive for a vassal who had served the Grand Ducal household for a lifetime.
Had it not been for the subtle protection of the other officials—who suggested that since her skills were valuable, she should be put to work doing chores at the infirmary rather than being exiled—he would have issued an order of banishment long ago.
He spoke coldly, like a wolf baring its fangs. "Do you truly believe a tip like this is enough to atone for your negligence?"
"How could I possibly think that? I would never dare dream of returning as Her Highness’s personal healer." The woman bowed her head hurriedly, her face deathly pale. "I only... ask that you take me on as an assistant. If you allow me to serve as an aide under the person currently in charge of Her Highness’s care, I will do my absolute best to ensure that nothing like before ever happens again."
"Denied. I have no intention of entrusting my wife to someone who committed such a fatal error—"
Barkas stopped mid-sentence.
Regardless of her past, this woman was renowned as the most brilliant pharmacologist in the East. In fact, had she not neutralized a monster’s venom in just a few days—something even high-ranking priests had been unable to handle?
In the unlikely event that a problem arose that mages or priests could not deal with, this woman might be of help. Above all, he felt uneasy leaving Thalia entirely in the hands of a mage from House Taren. If he kept someone from the Grand Duke’s household by her side, they could ensure no foul play took place.
Quickly organizing his thoughts, Barkas clicked his tongue.
"Fine. I will allow you to return as an assistant healer."
A flicker of relief crossed the woman’s face. He watched her quietly before adding, "However, if my wife refuses you, you will return to the lowest duties at the infirmary."
"I shall keep that in mind."
The woman bowed her head, her expression darkening. She seemed to recall the venomous attitude Thalia had shown her. However, it was not his place to intervene in softening her guard. If she lacked even that much tact, she could go back to scrubbing floors.
He turned away coldly.
He intended to hire additional healers to look after Thalia anyway. It might also be a good idea to have the High Priest reside at Raedgo Castle. While it was somewhat against protocol, the High Priest would not refuse if he offered to fund an expansion of the church. If he used the construction as an excuse to have the clergy stay at the castle, he could mobilize divine magic in case of an emergency.
Barkas, his mind racing, only let out a long-held breath once he reached his bedchamber.
His heart, which had never faltered even after riding for half a day without rest, was beating rapidly. Whenever it concerned her, his body always seemed to spiral out of control.
In the past, he had hated that sensation beyond measure. Whenever he was with her, he felt as if he were constantly at war with himself. He had wanted to gouge those fragile, haunting eyes out of his mind—the eyes that made him feel things he didn’t want to feel and want things he didn’t want to want.
When was it that he had escaped those thoughts?
"I... I knew. I knew you would come to save me... I knew."
He hurriedly pushed away the memory that suddenly surfaced. He had a premonition that if he dwelled on that moment, something inside him would shatter beyond repair.
Clearing the clutter of thoughts from his mind, he pulled the door handle.
As he stepped into the room, a dense fragrance filled his lungs. Inhaling her scent, which had deeply permeated his bedroom, he crossed the space bathed in warm light. As he approached the bed, he saw her lying there, curled into a ball.
He set the tray on the shelf and sat on the edge of the bed. When he pressed the back of his hand against her flushed cheek, he felt a lukewarm heat. Was this also a common reaction in the body of a woman carrying a child?
As he examined her complexion with a worried gaze, her long, limp eyelashes fluttered upward.
"...Are you just getting back?"
Blue eyes, still hazy with sleep, looked up at him. She rubbed her eyes with her fists and let out a small yawn. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
"Just the drink for now..."
A voice so strained it sounded foreign even to his own ears came out. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice anything strange. Thalia pressed her body against his side and made her demand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Then hurry and feed me."
She tilted her head back and slightly parted her rose-red lips.
Barkas, his body stiffening as he looked down at her, gripped the cup and took the tart liquid into his own mouth. As he cupped her soft cheeks with both hands and carefully fed her the drink, his body became as hot as a fireball.
He pulled her into his arms and lay down on the bed. Then, remembering the healer’s words about being careful during the early stages of pregnancy, he barely managed to pull himself together.
"...Why aren’t you doing it today?"
As he caught his breath while holding her body, which was limp and languid from the slight fever, she sent him an anxious look.
He stroked her rose-tinted cheek and murmured, "You have a fever. I won’t do anything until you’re better."
"I’m fine, though..."
He closed his dizzy eyes for a moment before opening them again. "You’re not fine."
He let out a sigh-like breath and stroked her soft, slender waist.
Perhaps his child was inside there.
He dwelled on that fact, which still felt utterly surreal, as he gazed at her clear face, which was already nodding off again. When she wasn’t scowling, Thalia looked just like a young girl. Seeing that youthful appearance made his heart sink like a lead weight.