Chapter 22
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22
A solid, powerful physique, pale in the dim light, filled her vision. Thalia’s tongue felt as if it were glued to the roof of her mouth, refusing to move.
She swallowed hard, her gaze slowly tracing the lines of his form.
He seemed to have only just washed away the dust of the march. His pale blond hair, darker than usual from the moisture, was dripping. Droplets clung to his sculpted shoulders and the broad expanse of his back, glistening like dew.
Thalia followed the trail of a single droplet as it slid down the contours of his taut muscles. Realizing what she was doing, she hurriedly looked up, her face flushing crimson.
The hem of his loosely tailored trousers was also soaking wet, clinging to his long, powerful legs.
It was the first time she had seen him in such a vulnerable state since she was fourteen—back when she had spitefully ordered him to jump into a lake.
Thalia licked her parched lips, struggling to gather the shattered fragments of words stuck in her throat.
Then, a dry chuckle drifted toward her.
"To hear the word 'hierarchy' come from your mouth... it’s enough to make a dog laugh."
At the mocking voice, her embarrassment receded like the tide, replaced instantly by sharp irritation. She glared at him, her eyes narrowing as she let out a scoff.
"Hierarchy exists so that superiors can remind their inferiors of their place. And you knights are in a position where you must obey me, a member of the Imperial Family. So, make sure your subordinates know whose orders take precedence—unless you want to be lashed for lèse-majesté."
Barkas, who was sliding his arms into his shirt sleeves, shot her a look as cold as ice.
Thalia’s body tensed. Through bitter experience, she had learned exactly how ruthlessly this man—usually so agonizingly silent—could lash out with his tongue once he set his mind to it.
She watched his mouth intently, like someone wary of a venomous snake that might strike at any moment. However, Barkas simply grabbed his robe from the wall. Without sparing her a single glance, he walked straight out of the tent.
Thalia stared blankly at his retreating back for a moment before chasing after him. She wouldn’t have been this angry if he had hurled cruel words or cast a furious glare her way. But she could not endure being ignored, treated like a common pebble on the side of the road.
Catching up to him in an instant, Thalia raised her voice.
"Does it satisfy you to let everything I say go in one ear and out the other?"
At her ringing voice, the soldiers busy moving supplies stopped in their tracks and looked back.
Barkas, however, didn’t even pretend to hear. Seeing him walk forward as if she weren’t even worth acknowledging made the heat rise to the very top of her head.
Thalia grabbed his sleeve with a rough tug. Perhaps not wanting to suffer the humiliation of having his clothes torn in front of the servants, Barkas finally came to a halt.
Facing that arrogant face, Thalia spat out each word as if chewing them.
"How much have you been looking forward to this? You must be thrilled to death that you don’t have to follow the orders of a 'tiresome girl' anymore. That’s why you won’t even pretend to listen to me!"
"I would at least make an effort to listen if your words were actually worth hearing," he countered coldly, heartlessly prying her fingers off his sleeve.
Thalia gritted her teeth. A sense of humiliation washed over her as he brushed off his shirt, acting as if something filthy had touched it.
Perhaps it would be better if this man simply vanished from the world. Then she wouldn’t have to feel this miserable.
Thalia, who had been shooting him hostile glares, suddenly let out a harsh laugh.
"My words aren’t worth hearing? Then should I speak to you in the language of beasts, just like your barbarian ancestors did? Would you understand me then?"
The servants watching with bated breath turned pale, horrified by the blatant insult. Barkas, however, merely looked down at her in silence. Facing that frigid expression, Thalia continued to lash out.
"I can even mimic a horse’s neigh if you like. I’m sure you’d understand that much better. You’ve always preferred horses to humans, after all."
"It certainly would be better to talk to a horse than to deal with you," Barkas said mockingly. "My stallion is much easier to communicate with than you are. At the very least, he doesn’t make people sick of him by whining all day long."
Thalia’s shoulders trembled with indignation. Seeing this, the corners of Barkas’s mouth twisted into a scoff.
"You flush red at a mere counterattack like this, yet you don’t hesitate to go for the jugular of others... Do you act out like this because you believe other people can’t possibly be as despicable as you?"
She shot him a venomous look. Her throat swelled with the urge to refute him immediately.
What do you know about me?
Who else in this world knows the despicableness of humans as well as I do? It’s because I know all too well how ruthless people can be that I decided to be cruel first. If I don’t trample others down, you all will trample me.
But explaining all that would only reveal her own weaknesses.
She took a step back and adopted a detached expression, as if she hadn’t just been screaming a moment ago.
"I didn’t come here to engage in such a pointless argument. As I said before, I want to move my campsite elsewhere. Give the order to the knights to pack up immediately."
Barkas took a long breath, as if gathering his patience.
"I have no intention of dancing to your whims. Stop wasting your breath and go back to rest."
"I’m not asking to move the entire camp! Why can’t I?"
"I am under no obligation to explain every single one of my decisions to you."
"I am the Emperor’s daughter! If I demand it, you ought to obey—!"
"That’s enough."
Suddenly, a deep shadow loomed over her.
Thalia flinched, her shoulders shrinking back. Barkas, having discarded even the most basic formalities, whispered chillingly in her face.
"I’ve already exhausted my daily quota of patience for you. If you’ve pushed this far, you should know when to call it a day."
In contrast to his harsh tone, the face looking down at her was incredibly noble. He was a man who never lost his dignity, even when roughened by anger. That quality made her feel even more wretched.
"Escort Her Highness the Princess back to her quarters."
He straightened his posture and gave the order to the knights standing nearby. Those who had been silently watching the confrontation immediately obeyed.
"This way, Your Highness."
Thalia shot a sharp look at the knights blocking her path before turning her gaze back to Barkas.
He was already some distance away. Thalia ground her teeth, her eyes fixed on his back as he walked away with effortless grace.
That man didn’t even ask why she wanted to move the campsite. He wasn’t even curious about what she thought.
'I really do wish he would just die.'
She felt ridiculous for having been so frantic, worried that something might happen to him.
He was a man who would belong to another woman once this journey was over anyway. A man who would never be hers... What did it matter if she saw his corpse tomorrow morning?
Thalia turned away sharply.