Chapter 14
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14
“Aren’t you going to go speak with him?”
The maids standing beside Aila urged her on, clearly frustrated by her choice to simply watch from a distance. They all seemed desperate for a closer look at Barkas. Among them were those whose gazes held a yearning that went far beyond mere admiration.
Aila turned a blind eye to their presumptuous desires. Her composure was born from the knowledge that Barkas would not spare another woman so much as a glance.
Then again, he has never looked at me with passion, either...
A bitter smile played on her lips.
From the very beginning, Barkas had lacked the capacity for such emotions.
He had been sent to the Imperial Palace at a young age and subjected to an education that bordered on brainwashing by fanatical fundamentalist priests, all to ensure he became a loyal tool of the Empire. In that process, he had been stripped of nearly all his humanity.
When Aila’s mother discovered the brutal discipline the son of Grand Duke Sieorkan was enduring at the hands of the priests, she had fought desperately to protect him. However, the young boy had already lost the ability to feel joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure—along with almost every basic human desire.
Aila’s expression clouded as she recalled their first meeting. She remembered how terrifying that young boy had been, with eyes as hollow as an insect’s molted shell.
Back then, Barkas had looked like a doll fashioned from hardened wax. He was so taciturn that he rarely spoke more than two words a day, and he would neither eat nor sleep unless someone specifically instructed him to do so. Having had every impulse strictly controlled for so long, he had become unable to recognize even hunger or the need for rest.
Compared to those days, the Barkas of the present appeared far more human.
Perhaps he will continue to improve as time goes on...
She cast a hopeful look toward her fiancé. Though she had vowed countless times not to expect too much, she could not stop her heart from fluttering whenever she saw him.
The beautiful boy who had remained steadfastly by her mother’s side... How could she not crave the man he had become—the most perfect specimen in the entire Roem Empire?
Aila knew that many women who harbored feelings for him had suffered the pain of unrequited love, but she believed she held an advantage they did not.
Though their union was established to strengthen a political alliance, she would soon be his wife and would one day bear his heir. If she poured her affection into him patiently over the long years they would spend together, perhaps his frozen heart would eventually melt.
Clinging to that hope, Aila cautiously approached him. Sensing a presence, Barkas, who had been standing with his back to the light, turned toward her.
For a moment, Aila felt a chill run down her spine. His face was cold, looking as if it were mocking all her dreams and hopes. The man, who had been directing an impassive gaze at her, straightened his posture and spoke in a flat, toneless voice.
“What is it?”
Aila steadied her racing heart and forced a bright smile onto her lips.
“I came out because I was curious if the travel preparations were going well.”
“They are nearly finished,” he replied indifferently, lightly stroking the horse’s sturdy neck. “I am concerned that the preparations took longer than expected. The journey will be arduous, as the weather has grown quite hot.”
“It couldn’t be helped. The schedule was thrown off because Gareth was being stubborn.”
Aila spoke cautiously, gauging her fiancé’s reaction. Her face grew hot with embarrassment at the thought of her brother’s childish behavior; she could hardly lift her head.
Not only had Gareth forced his way into the trip, but he had also acted as if he intended to pack up the entire Crown Prince’s Palace and take it with him. He had insisted on bringing dozens of servants to wait on him, as well as jesters to stave off boredom, a private chef, and even a tailor.
Aila felt a fresh wave of admiration for Barkas’s patience, as he had silently accepted all those demands and tantrums without once raising his voice.
She wore a guilt-ridden expression. “I only feel sorry for causing you such trouble.”
“It is not something Your Highness needs to apologize for. It was a task that had to be dealt with eventually.” He added nonchalantly as he handed the reins over to a stable keeper, “He is actually behaving quite civilly compared to what I expected. Considering he is seeing off his sister, this level of petulance is well within reason.”
Aila’s face darkened. At his words, the anxiety she had been trying to ignore reared its head.
Looking up at the magnificent, gleaming white fortress, Aila gripped her skirts tightly. Her heart felt as though it were tearing at the thought of leaving her brother alone in the Imperial Palace, a place filled with sorrowful memories.
Furthermore, did a wicked devil not live here, eyeing Gareth’s position? Could her brother, with his fiery temperament, stand against that cunning woman on his own?
“If it isn’t a burden to you, I would like to visit the Imperial Palace periodically even after we are married. Would that be all right?”
Barkas, who had been inspecting another horse, turned his gaze toward her. Seeing a faint crease form between his straight brows, Aila realized she had made a childish request and her cheeks flushed.
Managing the vast territories of the East and leading hundreds of vassals as the Grand Duchess was no simple task. Once married, she had to prioritize the affairs of House Sieorkan above all else.
However, Barkas, who had been watching her with a pensive gaze, nodded as if it were of no great consequence.
“As long as the long journey is not too much of a strain on Your Highness, you are free to come and go as you please. Was this marriage not arranged in the first place to lend strength to the Crown Prince?”
Aila’s expression faltered. To him, this was purely a political marriage, but to her, it was not. For a moment, she felt a pang of disappointment, but she forced herself to act pleased.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Barkas gave a slight nod and returned to inspecting the horse’s molars.
Aila swallowed a sigh and placed her hand on her fiancé’s forearm, drawing his attention. “I know you are busy, but could you spare a moment for me? There is something I want to give you before we depart.”
The man looked at her with a questioning gaze before finally turning toward her. He then instructed the junior knight standing nearby to move the inspected horses into the stable and escorted her to a relatively secluded spot.
Thanks to the maids tactfully stepping back, Aila was able to enjoy a walk with him alone. She rested her hand on his firm forearm as they moved along the well-kept forest path. As they entered the wide flower garden, a soft breeze gently tickled their faces.
The garden of the Main Palace was in full bloom. In the flowerbeds the servants had painstakingly tended, summer flowers of brilliant colors were unfurling their buds, and the perfectly maintained shrubs were thick with emerald leaves.
Aila took it all in with a sorrowful expression. This scenery always left a scar on her heart. But as the years passed, the Imperial Palace—now filled with traces of Senevia—had become a part of her daily life, and her mother’s garden was gradually fading from her memory. That fact was harder to bear than anything else.
“What is it that you wished to give me?”
Aila, who had been lost in remorse, turned to look up at Barkas. In his youth, he had spent a significant amount of time in the garden Bernadette had cultivated. Aila knew that he had found at least a small measure of healing for his devastated heart there.
Suddenly, she grew curious. Did this man miss her mother’s garden as well?
Staring up at his expressionless face, which showed not a hint of emotion, Aila let out a sigh of resignation and pulled a handkerchief from inside her coat.
“I embroidered the crest of House Sieorkan on it.”
The man’s gaze fell upon the neatly folded cloth. Suddenly, Aila’s mouth went dry. She began to chatter in an exaggerated tone, as if trying to shake off her nervousness.
“It’s tradition to gift a handmade handkerchief to one’s fiancé before a journey. Of course, we are traveling together, but still...”
“I am unworthy of such a gift.”
The man cut off her rambling and accepted the handkerchief. A ghost of a smile touched his dry lips.
Aila felt her heart swell. It was somewhat wounding to her pride that she was so anxious over his every move, but she was simply happy that Barkas, who was so stingy with his emotions, had smiled for her.
“I shall cherish it,” he said, tying the handkerchief to the hilt of his sword.
She smiled shyly.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from not far away.