Chapter 25
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25
“I am merely concerned for Your Highness’s well-being.”
Barkas spoke in a tone so impeccably polite it was impossible to find fault with.
“I only meant to say that the Princess is resting comfortably, so you need not worry. Please, do not take offense.”
Gareth glared at Barkas with irritation before stepping boldly into the wide hall. Losing his temper with a man as immovable as a boulder would only make him look foolish.
Clicking his tongue, Gareth crossed the hall, which was decorated as lavishly as any noble’s banquet room.
“Thank you for attending, Your Highness.”
As he approached the long table draped in snow-white linen, the Abbot stood abruptly to greet him.
“Come, please. Take your seat.”
Gareth sat in the chair the Abbot had vacated and scanned the table. It was clear the Abbot had no intention of even feigning a life of asceticism. The wide table groaned under the weight of silver utensils, golden goblets, and decadent dishes seasoned with every imaginable spice.
Scanning the spread with a satisfied gaze, Gareth nodded toward the dozen or so priests surrounding the table.
“I appreciate the warm welcome. Everyone, sit.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the monks pulled out their chairs and sat in unison. Only Barkas, attending as his guard, stood silently behind him like a shadow.
Curious glances flickered toward Barkas. They seemed startled by the Imperial Knight Commander’s imposing presence.
Gareth’s brow furrowed.
It wasn’t unusual; Barkas always drew more attention than necessary. Nevertheless, Gareth felt a prickle of annoyance that people were paying more heed to his knight than to him. It was something he experienced to the point of exhaustion whenever he was in the man’s company, yet the unpleasantness never quite faded.
Struggling to hide his irritation, Gareth raised his goblet high.
“I express my gratitude to the Abbot for arranging such a pleasant gathering.”
The priests’ eyes shifted back to him. Savoring the moment, Gareth paused briefly before continuing.
“I hope this time will be deeply meaningful for everyone—”
Just as he was about to finish his toast with a few more graceful words, a golden specter suddenly flickered into his line of sight. Gareth froze, staring blankly at the entrance of the hall.
For a split second, he thought Senevia—that nightmare of a woman—had appeared.
He gripped his goblet with white-knuckled force, scanning his half-sister from head to toe. As if she were ignorant of the basic rule that one should dress modestly in a monastery, Thalia Roem Guirta was dressed so flamboyantly she would have stood out even in an imperial ballroom. Moreover, her attire was utterly scandalous.
He gritted his teeth in contempt. Thalia walked slowly toward the table, her thin dress clinging to her body and revealing every curve of her youthful form.
The monks looked as if they might faint on the spot. Some stared with their mouths agape, completely entranced. Unable to contain his rage, Gareth surged to his feet.
“How dare you… showing up here in such a state!”
Wine slopped over the rim of the goblet as he slammed it down with a heavy thud. Without even thinking to wipe his wet hand, he pointed a finger at her.
“Did you not hear my warning to stay out of my sight?”
“Oh, of course I heard it.”
The girl pulled out the chair right next to him and sat down as if it were the most natural thing in the world, a coquettish smile playing on her lips.
“Since my dear brother said he wanted to see me, how could I possibly stay away? I even took such care to dress up, unable to ignore the request of the great Crown Prince.”
She ran a hand down her skirt as if to show it off. Gareth glared at his half-sister, his expression one of sheer disbelief.
“What nonsense are you—”
“Surely Brother hasn’t forgotten my twisted nature… Sending the Imperial Knight Commander himself to deliver such a message—didn’t that mean you were dying to see your sister?”
Her eyes, a pure cobalt blue without a single impurity, narrowed wickedly.
“Since the Crown Prince requested it so earnestly, as your sister, I had to live up to your expectations.”
Gareth had to summon every ounce of his meager self-control to keep from striking the girl across the face. As if to provoke him further, Thalia continued slowly.
“Ah, it’s so good to see Brother’s face. Are you enjoying yourself as well?”
“…I was, until you showed up.”
Thalia burst into laughter at his words, which were spat out through grinding teeth.
“Then it was worth dragging my tired body all the way here.”
Gareth clenched his jaw so hard it felt like it might shatter. Every time this girl laughed like that, he found it difficult to resist the urge to crush that unnervingly beautiful face. His shoulders trembled as he balled his fists, and he spoke, chewing over every word.
“How much longer do you plan to act out? Are you trying to test the limits of my patience?”
“How can you say such hurtful things…”
The girl leaned in, resting her elbows on the table. The light from the chandelier poured down over her pitifully thin shoulders and prominent shoulder blades. The monks’ gazes also poured over her exquisite body, which looked as if it had been carved from ivory.
Snake-like bitch. Gareth breathed heavily through his teeth, overwhelmed by a surge of intense loathing. As if sensing his anger reaching its breaking point, the corners of Thalia’s mouth curled upward.
“I merely accepted an invitation. I don’t know why you’re huffing and puffing when I haven’t done anything. Don’t you think you’re being too harsh… to your lovely youngest sister?”
The girl turned her head toward the Abbot sitting opposite her, as if seeking his agreement. The monk’s face stiffened in embarrassment at the sudden question. Finding his reaction amusing, the girl’s eyes curved suggestively. Gareth felt a wave of nausea at her acting like a common harlot. He grabbed her arm roughly.
“If you’re in heat, pick one of your attendants to bed. Don’t play games with the monks… If you tarnish the Imperial name with a filthy scandal, I’ll make sure you can never show that pretty face of yours again.”
At that savage threat, the girl’s eyes flashed.
“And what exactly are you going to do?” Thalia snapped, tilting her head as if picking a fight. “Since Brother says it like that, I’m dying to live up to your expectations.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out to wring her slender neck.
At that moment, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
“Your Highness.”
Gareth jerked his head up. Barkas Raedgo Sieorkan was looking down at him with a calm face.
It was the same expressionless face he had seen a thousand times, devoid of even a trace of emotion. Yet, for a fleeting second, Gareth felt threatened—even though such a thing should have been impossible.
“Everyone is waiting for Your Highness’s toast.”
Barkas pressed down firmly on his shoulder, a silent command not to fall for Thalia’s provocation.
Gareth brushed the hand off roughly. His fingertips trembled with the unfulfilled urge for violence. Clenching his fists to hide the tremor, he glared at the girl’s enchanting face.
Thalia Roem Guirta was deliberately trying to get under his skin. He must not be swept away by it. Repeating this to himself, Gareth calmed his boiling rage and released the girl’s arm with a shove. Then, he picked up his goblet again and shouted in an exaggerated, theatrical tone.
“We’ve wasted enough time with useless bickering. Come, let us eat! I express my gratitude once more to the Abbot for arranging this fine occasion… I hope today will be a meaningful day for everyone.”
The monks, who had been watching the Crown Prince, the illegitimate Princess, and the Imperial Knight Commander with frozen expressions, hesitantly picked up their goblets. Only Thalia Roem Guirta watched the scene with her arms crossed, a mocking smirk on her face.
Just as Gareth’s temper was about to flare again at her rebellious attitude, Barkas leaned over Thalia.
“Please show the basic courtesy expected of a guest, Your Highness.”
He then gently pried open the girl’s hand and placed a silver goblet in it. Startled by the sudden contact, Thalia stiffened and shot him a venomous look.
Gareth expected the girl to hurl the goblet immediately. Because they had clashed over everything since childhood, Thalia had always seemed particularly intent on making Barkas’s life miserable.
But contrary to his expectations, Thalia, who had been glaring like a spiteful cat, soon straightened her posture. Gareth narrowed his eyes. Backing down after such a warning was unlike Thalia Roem Guirta. Was she not the girl who always ran wild without knowing any bounds? Instead of submissively yielding to Barkas’s pressure, it would have been more like her to lash out in a fit of rage.
What is she plotting?