Chapter 147
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147
The man gave her a look of utter disbelief before letting out a resigned sigh.
“Your Highness hasn’t changed at all.”
At the sound of his voice, tinged with a wry smile, Thalia arched an eyebrow.
“And just what is that supposed to mean—”
“Y-Your Highness!”
Just as she was about to lash out at the knight for his insolence, Barkas’s clumsy servant came rushing toward them, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste.
The boy’s face was as pale as a sheet, looking even more startled than she was by her near-tumble down the stairs.
“A-Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere...?”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
Despite her firm answer, the servant didn’t seem reassured. He scanned her with anxious eyes before hurriedly turning around.
“Still, just in case, I’ll go fetch a healer. Please wait right here!”
Before she could stop him, he went sprinting down the hallway.
Thalia frowned as she watched his retreating figure, then turned her gaze back toward the knight. He, too, was stealing concerned glances at her swollen belly. A flash of discomfort prickled through her, and Thalia pulled her cloak tighter to shield her form.
“You said you’d explain what business brought you here. Don’t just stand there like an idiot; speak up.”
“First, it would be best if you sat down.”
“It’s fine. There’s no need for that—”
Thalia started to spit out her habitual refusal but fell silent when she felt a slight tugging sensation in her lower abdomen. The thought occurred to her that the baby might have been startled by the commotion.
She gestured with her chin toward the drawing room across from the stairs.
“Fine. Follow me.”
They crossed the thick-carpeted hallway and passed through an arched entrance into a cozy space. She approached the fireplace, where the embers were still glowing, and carefully lowered herself into a chair.
The man, who had been standing at the entrance looking around awkwardly, took a seat opposite her. He seemed incredibly ill at ease now—a far cry from the boldness he’d shown when he was scolding her moments ago.
Thalia pressed the restless knight for an answer.
“Now, tell me. Who sent you?”
“I was sent by Sir Laoric Alderheim, the Commander of the Imperial Knights.”
Thalia raised an eyebrow at the unexpected response.
“Why would the Commander of the Imperial Knights send you?”
The man hesitated for a long moment, weighing his words before finally speaking.
“Recently, suspicious movements have been detected in the North. Upon learning of this, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor issued orders to mass troops in the regions bordering Balto to keep the North in check. His Majesty expects the East to participate actively in this endeavor.”
Thalia’s body went stiff. A sudden chill ran down her spine, and the hair on her arms stood on end.
“Does that mean... war is coming?”
“No!”
The knight hurriedly waved his hands.
“His Majesty does not wish for a direct conflict. At present, there is insufficient evidence of treason... He simply intends to send a tacit warning by strengthening the guard against Balto.”
“The North might perceive an Imperial warning as a threat and take an even harder stance,” Thalia argued sharply. “The Balto Noble Alliance, surrounded by the Imperial Army, will be overcome by a sense of crisis. Now that their rebellious intent has been exposed, they might believe the Imperial Household will never let them live and decide to go all-in.”
The knight blinked blankly at her point.
Looking at his dull expression, Thalia snapped at him in frustration.
“If His Majesty truly intends to avoid war, he shouldn’t be provoking them with an overt display of military force; he should be secretly gathering evidence of treason. It would be a much safer method to secure decisive evidence that no noble could dispute, and then launch a surprise arrest of the head of the Northern Noble Alliance!”
“...Your Highness’s words make sense, but if the North moves before we can gather decisive evidence, the situation will spiral out of control. The Emperor judged it necessary to assemble the army, if only to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
Thalia furrowed her brow. She felt the Emperor’s response was far too lukewarm.
If he was going to apply military pressure anyway, wouldn’t it be better to strike first? Sending troops to the Balto border might only provoke the North to further bolster their own military power.
Thalia opened her mouth to retort but quickly changed her mind and fell silent.
Edric Rubon was, at best, merely a messenger sent to deliver the Emperor’s word. Nothing would change by bickering with him.
Biting her lip anxiously, Thalia forced her thoughts in a more positive direction.
Perhaps internal divisions would arise within Balto once they witnessed the overwhelming military might of the Roem Empire with their own eyes. How many would be willing to throw away their lives in a war they were destined to lose?
If some of the Balto nobles turned to the side of the Imperial Household, the sparks of war would soon be extinguished.
“So, what did Barkas say in response?”
“He said he would dispatch cavalry units to the regions bordering Balto as per His Majesty’s instructions.”
Thalia let out a sigh of relief despite herself. Only then did she realize she had been worried that Barkas might leave her side.
It’s better to have him here than not.
She tried to make that excuse to herself, but it was woefully inadequate to explain the terror she had felt at the thought of him leaving.
Pushing aside the bitter realization that she was still obsessed with him, Thalia forced herself to focus on the knight.
“Then you’ll have to head back to the Imperial Palace with the reply immediately?”
“Yes, I plan to leave today.”
The man spoke as he shifted his gaze toward the window.
Thalia looked surprised. “Already?”
“The matter is so urgent that I cannot afford to delay for even a moment.”
The man rubbed the back of his neck and let out a faint laugh.
“Actually, I should have left as soon as the sun rose, but I delayed a bit because I wanted to see Your Highness.”
“Why me?”
Thalia cast a wary look at him once more.
The man watched her with a bittersweet expression before finally speaking.
“I haven’t had the chance to see Your Highness since we returned from the pilgrimage. I was curious to know if you had recovered your health.”
Thalia’s face went blank at the unexpected words.
Scratching the back of his head as if embarrassed, the man added with an awkward smile, “I’m glad to see you look healthier than when I last saw you. The maids say that Lord Sieorkan cherishes Your Highness very much. I am relieved to see you are doing well.”
“Why?”
Thalia studied him intently, overcome by genuine curiosity.
“Why do you care whether I’m doing well or not?”
The smile on his lips faded slightly. After stammering with a flustered face, the man revealed his blunt, honest feelings.
“I was Your Highness’s personal guard, was I not? My heart has been heavy all this time because I felt responsible for you getting hurt.”
“...So in the end, you only wanted to see me to ease the burden on your own conscience?” Thalia spat out spitefully.
The man flinched as if stabbed by a blade, but he soon admitted it honestly.
“...That might be true.”
He let out a self-deprecating sigh.
Thalia stared at him as if observing a strange creature. He was the first person she had ever met who was so honest about his own feelings.
Suddenly, she began to feel genuinely worried for this half-witted man.
“...With a personality like that, you won’t last long in the Imperial Palace.”
“People around me say that often.”
The man let out an exaggerated laugh, trying to lighten the mood, and complained playfully, “As it is, my path to success is looking rather bleak.”
He seemed to be joking, but Thalia felt a weight in her heart.
Perhaps he had been pushed out of the Imperial Guard because he had fallen out of favor with the Crown Prince. Was that why he had ended up playing the role of a messenger?
Casting a pitying look at the knight, Thalia spoke as if granting a favor.
“If your future is truly that bleak, come to the Grand Duchy. I’ll ask Barkas to hire you.”
“Edric Rubon is one of the elite members of the Roem Knights.”
A cold voice rang out. Thalia turned her head, her eyes widening to find Barkas standing at the entrance of the drawing room. Having strode across the room looking somewhat disheveled, as if he had rushed there, Barkas added in a blunt tone:
“We cannot allow a talent destined for the Emperor’s personal guard to rot away in the provinces.”
“...I didn’t realize you held me in such high regard, my lord,” Edric Rubon murmured, blinking as if amused. Barkas threw a frigid gaze at the knight.
“I heard you supported my wife when she almost had a serious accident. You have my thanks.”
“Not at all. If anything, it was my fault for startling her and nearly causing a disaster.”
Thalia glared at the knight in frustration. Did he really not know that it was exactly that kind of stupidity—saying things that didn’t need to be said—that blocked his path to success?
She was suppressing the urge to click her tongue when Barkas suddenly bent down. He slid one arm under her knees and wrapped the other firmly around her back. Then, he carefully lifted her into his arms.