Chapter 34
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34
The door wouldn’t budge.
Thalia yanked the handle several more times before realizing the bolt had been thrown from the inside. She ground her teeth in frustration.
‘Damn that Aila...’
The rage she had suppressed all night simmered, threatening to boil over at any moment. Biting her lip until she nearly drew blood from the scabs, Thalia glared at the firmly shut door one last time before finally turning away.
Perhaps this was for the best. If she acted impulsively without preparation and failed, she would only be throwing her life away in vain.
She needed to be more thorough. There was still a long road ahead, and she was certain another opportunity would present itself soon.
Steadying her ragged breath, she hurried down the hallway. She was about to head down the stairs toward her own room when a faint rattling sound caught her ear.
She quickly ducked behind a pillar.
Faint shadows stretched across the corridor as the first light of dawn began to filter through the windows. Hidden in the darkness, Thalia cautiously peeked out to scan the hallway. A woman with a slender build was standing in front of the room right next to her own.
Thalia narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the woman’s face. She was middle-aged, with dark brown hair and unassuming features. It took a moment for Thalia to recognize her as one of the attendants her mother, Senevia, had assigned to her.
The woman carefully closed the door, pulled a dark brown hood over her head, and slipped silently down the hallway. Thalia stared at her retreating back for a moment before following.
The woman left the building and walked briskly down a muddy path riddled with puddles. Judging by her agile movements, she seemed to have received some form of intelligence training. After glancing warily at her surroundings, the woman stopped near a small rear garden located behind the main chapel.
Thalia hid behind an arcade pillar and watched. The woman paced near a pavilion for a while as if waiting for someone, then moved quickly when she spotted a figure approaching.
Following her gaze, Thalia’s eyes narrowed as she saw a monk in black robes walking slowly out of the shadows. His face looked familiar; he was one of the monks who had attended the banquet.
The monk, who appeared to be in his forties, pulled a small vial from his robes and handed it to the woman. She took it, opened the cap to check the contents, then recapped it and slid it into her sleeve. Without a word, she turned and began to retrace her steps.
Thalia bolted back toward the guest quarters.
By the time she scrambled up the stairs and burst into her bedroom, the strength had drained from her legs. Leaning her back against the door to catch her breath, Thalia listened for any sign of movement outside. A moment later, she heard the sound of a door opening and closing nearby, followed by a silence as heavy as the grave.
Thalia swallowed hard. She couldn’t be certain what the scene she had just witnessed meant.
Who was that monk? Was he her mother’s hidden accomplice? If so, what was in that vial? Were they planning a poisoning?
She struggled to swallow past her constricted throat. If it were a common poison, it could have been obtained without an outsider’s help. If they had to go through such a convoluted method to acquire it, it meant the substance was something that couldn’t be brought into the monastery through normal means.
‘What on earth is she plotting?’
She ran through various theories, but no clear picture emerged.
‘One thing is certain: something massive is about to happen.’
Senevia always achieved whatever she set her mind to. If she had decided to eliminate her long-standing obstacles, the Crown Prince was as good as dead. With any luck, Aila would vanish from this world as well.
Feeling her heart pound with dark excitement, Thalia allowed a satisfied smile to spread across her lips.
*
The long, tedious journey resumed.
The escort, comprising hundreds of knights and infantry, marched silently under the scorching sun. At this pace, they would cross the border of the old Kingdom of Osiria in ten days.
Edric Rubon unfolded his map to gauge the remaining distance, then turned his head to look at the carriage, which remained as silent as a coffin. As always, the Princess remained secluded inside, the thick curtains drawn tight over the windows.
He rode his horse alongside the carriage and observed the faint shadow cast against the curtain. The heat was so intense that even the horses were panting; he worried he might find her boiled alive inside.
“Your Highness, perhaps you should open the window for some air?”
“...Go away.”
Fortunately, she was still breathing.
Sighing softly, Edric spurred his horse toward the front of the line. At the very head of the procession sat the Crown Prince, mounted on his golden horse from Mount Nornek.
Edric cautiously observed his face. Gareth, his skin flushed red from the heat, was snapping irritably at Lord Sieorkan. From what Edric could catch, he was demanding to know when they could finally rest.
‘This is going to be a difficult journey.’
For the next few days, they would be traversing rugged fields and highlands that were little more than a wasteland. He wondered if the impossibly fastidious Crown Prince could endure such a grueling trek.
Edric shook his head and pulled up beside Barkas. His superior was letting the Crown Prince’s complaints go in one ear and out the other, his eyes focused intently on the road. He didn’t seem to care in the slightest that the future master of the Empire was barking orders at his side.
Admiring his commander’s stoicism once again, Edric spoke up cautiously.
“Lord Sieorkan, the soldiers seem quite exhausted from the heat. It’s a bit early, but perhaps we should find a suitable spot to rest?”
Barkas, who had been riding in silence, turned to look at him. Edric instinctively tensed. He had never seen this man lose his temper or raise his voice, yet he always felt a strange pressure whenever he stood before Barkas.
Swallowing hard, Edric added quickly, “Forgive me if I’m overstepping. It’s just that the rear ranks seem to be falling behind...”
“There is a lake about half an hour ahead. We will rest there,” Barkas interrupted.
Edric stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding. The Crown Prince, watching the exchange with displeasure, grumbled loudly.
“You didn’t even pretend to listen when I was talking, but you listen to this greenhorn?”
“I merely remained silent because I felt my answer was unnecessary. I have been listening to every word Your Highness said.”
“Who are you to decide if an answer is necessary!” Gareth barked.
His booming voice, fitting for his large frame, made Edric’s eardrums ring. Suppressing the urge to click his tongue, Edric moved back toward the rear. It was fascinating to see how the Crown Prince, notorious for his fiery temper, became nothing more than a petulant child in front of Lord Sieorkan.
‘...I worry about what will happen after Lord Sieorkan leaves the knights.’
Once Barkas Raedgo Sieorkan left for the East, there would be no one left to restrain Gareth’s rampages. Since the First Imperial Princess would also be going to the East with Barkas, only Gareth and Thalia Roem Guirta would remain in the Imperial Household.
The thought of the knights having to endure those two unruly royals made the future look bleak. He let out a heavy sigh as he approached the Princess’s carriage.
A short while later, the sound of a whistle signaled a rest period from the front. Edric halted his horse and ordered his subordinates to pitch tents. The knights immediately set up simple field tents on the level ground to create shade.
He stopped the carriage nearby and lightly tapped on the window.
“It is time for a rest. Please, come out now.”
“...”
“How long do you intend to keep up this stubbornness? You’ve been shut inside all day. You’ll collapse if you don’t stop this.”
He spoke harshly on purpose, thinking he might have to drag her out even if it meant getting hit, but there was no response from within.
Edric furrowed his brow. Did she really collapse?
Driven by an ominous premonition, he threw the door open. Immediately, a wave of air as hot as a boiling bath hit his face, carrying a sweet scent that seemed to be a mix of honey and milk.
Frowning as he peered into the dim interior of the carriage, Edric froze. The Princess was slumped motionless on the floor.