Chapter 145
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145
Barkas massaged his temples with his fingertips as if a headache were coming on, letting out another heavy sigh.
“Regardless, separate rooms are out of the question.”
With that, he wrapped her tightly in the duvet and stood up.
Thalia, who had been pushing against his shoulders in protest, soon let her body go limp. As much as she loathed Barkas seeing her in such a pathetic state, her desire to be near him was just as strong. She didn’t want to waste her dwindling energy on a physical struggle.
“Move her things back to my room.”
Barkas barked the order to the maids waiting by the door and immediately stepped out into the hallway.
Thalia peeked through a gap in the blanket at the corridor bathed in lamplight. The servants all bowed their heads with practiced composure, seemingly accustomed to the sight of Barkas parading through the castle with her in his arms.
Barkas passed them with brisk strides and headed down the stairs. Just then, a familiar voice echoed from beyond the railing.
“Brother!”
Barkas came to a dead stop and looked down into the hall.
Following his gaze, Thalia narrowed her eyes. Two slender men draped in black robes were crossing the wide hall below. She recognized one of them instantly: Barkas’s arrogant half-brother.
The boy, who had grown significantly taller in just a few months, bounded up the stairs with long strides. Thalia pulled the blanket up to the bridge of her nose, scanning him warily.
After the funeral of the former Grand Duke, Lucas Raedgo Sieorkan had officially joined the Wolfram cavalry and begun his training. Consequently, she hadn’t crossed paths with him once over the past few months. Due to the wild tribes that had begun to run rampant since late autumn, most of the Wolfram cavalry had been stationed outside the castle walls.
The boy’s physique had become noticeably more rugged, as if life in the field had been harsh. He reached them in an instant.
“I apologize for the late hour. I’ve rushed here from the camp because there is news that must be reported immediately. It seems the Imperial Family—”
The boy, speaking urgently, caught a glimpse of Thalia held in Barkas’s arms and let his voice trail off.
Thalia clutched her lower abdomen, overcome by a wave of anxiety. It felt as though the bone-chilling cold she had experienced in the Imperial Palace was suddenly aching in her very joints.
As if sensing her trembling, Barkas pulled the blanket tighter and spoke in a frost-tipped voice.
“Wait in my study.”
“I don’t mind waiting, but it might be best to provide a room for our guest. He must be quite exhausted after the long journey.”
“It’s fine. I will wait with the young master.”
The man standing behind the boy suddenly interjected, pushing back his hood. Thalia’s eyes widened as she recognized his face.
Edric Rubon.
Of the countless personal guards who had crossed her path, this man had been particularly bothersome. Now, he stood there with a weary, travel-worn face.
In an instant, her trembling stopped. She couldn’t tell if she was shocked to encounter someone she thought she would never see again, or if she was simply surprised that she remembered his name so clearly.
As she stared at him blankly, the man sensed her gaze and bowed his head with an awkward expression.
“It has been a long time, Princess. I hope you have been well—”
“The head butler will provide a guest room if you ask. I’ll call for you in an hour; catch your breath until then.”
Barkas cut him off and turned toward his own quarters. The man scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.
Thalia, who had been staring intently at the scene, glanced up at Barkas. He didn’t seem particularly surprised by the sudden visit from his former subordinate.
Was this a scheduled visit?
Whether he noticed her questioning gaze or not, Barkas quickly traversed the hallway and entered the bedroom.
“I heard you haven’t eaten yet,” he said. “Is there anything you’d like?”
“……I’m not really hungry.”
“You must eat well, if only for the baby’s sake,” Barkas said coaxingly as he sat her down at the table set before the fireplace.
Thalia nodded reluctantly. Her appetite, which had been robust for a while, had vanished due to the persistent pain in her pelvis and back. However, the thought that the baby in her womb might be hungry brought a surge of duty. She would eat, even if she had to force it.
“Then I’ll just have a bowl of chicken soup.”
“You heard her. Prepare it at once.”
Barkas gave the instruction in a blunt tone to the attendant waiting at the door, then walked over to the fireplace to light the fire himself. Instead of dry logs that would produce smoke, the hearth was filled with fire magic stones and charcoal; it took less than a minute for the air in the room to turn warm.
“How is your throat? I heard you were coughing during the day……”
“It’s just because the air gets dry in the winter. More importantly, shouldn’t you go see them? They said it was urgent.”
“Don’t worry about it. A one-hour delay won’t cause any problems,” Barkas replied indifferently, poking at the flames with a poker.
Thalia studied his face with a searching gaze. Edric Rubon was a knight of the Imperial Guard. If he had returned to his original post without issue, he should be serving Gareth or Aila by now. Perhaps one of them had sent him.
“You will surely regret today’s work, Thalia Roem Guirta.”
Suddenly, her half-sister’s curse, which she had pushed to the back of her mind, echoed in her ears. Thalia unconsciously shielded her lower abdomen. The memory of those deep green eyes filled with hostility made her body tremble.
As if sensing her anxiety, the baby began to thrash about wildly. Startled by the violent movement, she let out a sharp gasp. Barkas—who had been hanging his doublet on the wall—whipped around instantly.
“What is it?”
“The baby... it suddenly kicked.”
She felt fetal movements often, but this was the first time she had felt such a strong surge. It left her feeling breathless and worried.
As she looked down at her belly, Barkas strode over and knelt before her.
“Does it hurt a lot?” he asked, his tone deadly serious.
Thalia looked at him as if he were being ridiculous. How much could something the size of a fist hurt, even if it kicked? She was about to say as much, but she fell silent when she met his eyes. They were filled with genuine, raw worry.
She wanted to make Barkas worry more. She wanted to make him unable to think of anything else but her and the baby.
“Yes. It hurts a lot. Judging by this brute strength, I think the baby takes after you.”
At her exaggerated words, his expression grew even more grave. Barkas, still kneeling on the floor, reached out his arm. Then, as if remembering that she hadn’t allowed him to touch her recently, he flinched and started to withdraw his hand.
After a moment’s hesitation, Thalia caught his wrist and placed his hand on her lower abdomen. She didn’t want to expose her swollen belly, but she wanted Barkas to feel the baby’s presence more vividly.
“I’ll let you touch it just this once, as a special favor.”
Barkas, who had been staring quietly at her face, dropped his gaze to where his hand rested. Just then, the baby moved again. For a moment, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
Thalia said triumphantly, “Very strong, right? It’s definitely a boy. And I think he’ll take after you a lot.”
She placed her palm over the back of his hand and applied slight pressure, guiding him to feel the life within. She wanted to make Barkas realize it clearly.
Inside here is your child. He is a part of you. So, no matter what Gareth or Aila says, you mustn’t be swayed. You must stand by our side, no matter what.
Swallowing the words swirling in her throat, she stroked the bulging veins and prominent knuckles on the back of his hand.
Ever since she had seen this hand wrap around Aila’s back protectively eleven years ago, she had desperately hoped that one day, this man would stand by her side.