Chapter 86
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86
Unable to contain her boiling rage, Thalia grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him with all her might.
“If you have something to say, say it! Stop driving me crazy!”
The pillow, stuffed thick with down, struck the back of his head with a dull thud. Barkas, who had been methodically opening medicine bottles on the shelf to inspect their contents, cast a chilling glance over his shoulder.
Thalia flinched, pressing her back firmly against the headboard. She braced herself, tense and uncertain of what retaliation might follow, but Barkas merely let out a soft sigh and knelt beside the bed.
“Your hand. Give it to me.”
Thalia could only blink in confusion. Before she could respond, he reached out and pulled her hand toward him, holding it up to the light. The skin of her palm was red and swollen.
Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Barkas poured a viscous liquid onto the injury. The stinging sensation made Thalia instinctively try to recoil, but his grip on her wrist was like iron, leaving her unable to budge.
She glared at him, her eyes flashing with irritation. “What do you think you’re doing?!”
“It is medicine for the bruising,” Barkas replied bluntly, spreading the liquid evenly across her palm.
The strange sensation made Thalia’s toes curl. Every time his long, elegant fingers brushed against her sensitive skin, a tingling spark shot through her. Feeling the heat rise to her ears, she twisted her arm again.
“Th-that’s enough.”
“Stay still.”
His voice, deeper than usual, sent a shiver down her spine.
She stared at him with an uneasy expression before casting her gaze downward. He slowly traced the faint lines etched into her palm, his movements deliberate.
Is this really medical treatment?
The way his touch lingered, persistently tracing every curve of her hand, felt strangely suggestive.
“There is a bruise on your wrist as well.”
Suddenly, his voice dropped another octave. Thalia swallowed hard, her throat tightening. She had no idea why her heart had suddenly begun to race. Stealing a quick glance at his shadowed face, Thalia gathered her strength and yanked her arm out of his grasp.
“That’s enough. Get out of my room.”
She turned her back to him to lie down, but he abruptly hauled her around to face him. Thalia looked up, startled. Barkas leaned over her, his posture heavy with accusation.
“Why did you show up at the banquet hall today?”
Her face contorted. So that was why he was so angry. Shooting him a venomous look, Thalia asked sarcastically, “Why? Am I not allowed to attend a banquet?”
“……”
“You said it yourself. You said I was the highest-ranking person in this castle. So why do you want me locked up like a prisoner?”
“……You were the one who insisted on avoiding others.”
“Do you really not know why I avoid them?”
Suddenly, the resentment she had kept suppressed surged to the surface. Thalia shoved his shoulders roughly, then pulled her knees to her chest, glaring at him.
“It’s because I’ve ended up in this state!”
A dark shadow fell over his eyes. She barked at him like a debt collector demanding payment.
“Even if I am ashamed of myself, you shouldn’t be! Just because I try to hide doesn’t mean you should try to hide me too!”
The veins in Barkas’s neck tightened. His face was a mask of strained patience. Seeing him force himself to endure her outburst only cut deeper into her heart.
Thalia snatched the remaining pillow and swung it at him. Barkas winced as it clipped his eye. She rained blows upon his face, pouring out her reproaches with every strike.
“You want to know why I went to the banquet? I went to hear what you all were whispering about me! I need to know what’s being said about my future so I can find a way to survive! That’s why I slunk in there like a rat, wrapped in a robe, instead of dressing up!”
He caught the flying pillow mid-swing and pinned her down onto the bed. Under his brute strength, the thin fabric tore, and snow-white feathers scattered in every direction.
Thalia panted heavily, staring up at the feathers drifting down like snow. Barkas, pinning her wrists to the mattress, looked down at her with dark, unreadable eyes. His suppressed voice fell over the bridge of her nose.
“I understand perfectly.”
Taking a deep breath, Barkas added slowly, “The succession ceremony will be held within a few days. At that event, I will formally introduce you as the Grand Duchess of the East.”
Thalia felt the fine hairs on her neck stand on end. She couldn’t tell if it was because of the fate looming over her or because of the man looming above her. He reached out and brushed a stray hair from her cheek, his voice softening.
“So, until then, stay quiet.”
She kept her mouth shut, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes. A few feathers landed on his shoulder. Barkas brushed them off with a light touch and slowly stood up.
Soon after, the sound of the door opening and closing echoed through the room. Thalia stared blankly at the spot where he had been before pulling the covers over her head.
* * *
Following that brutal welcoming ceremony, a heavy tension began to permeate Raedgo Castle.
The maids, who had previously been stiff and cold, now acted with extreme caution, as if walking on thin ice. The guards held their breath and lowered their eyes whenever she stepped out of her room.
It seemed a rumor had spread that treating the Second Imperial Princess poorly would incur the wrath of the next Grand Duke. It was a misunderstanding born from the death of the vassal who had insulted her. That beast-like man had simply paid the price for challenging the heir of the Grand Ducal household, but Thalia saw no reason to correct their misconception.
It was safer to be feared than to be seen as an easy target. If she took a submissive stance to try and win favor, she would only be trampled. That was the survival tactic she had mastered over many long years.
“I don’t need any service, so stop bothering me and get out.”
Thalia waved a hand dismissively as she turned a page of her book. The maids standing by the door exchanged troubled glances. When they remained still instead of withdrawing immediately, Thalia sharpened her tone.
“Didn’t you hear me? I told you to leave.”
“Your Highness, the succession ceremony is scheduled for this afternoon.”
The head maid spoke with a solemn face. Thalia’s eyes widened.
“Already?”
She had heard from Barkas that the ceremony would be within a few days, but she hadn’t expected him to hold it so soon. Turning pale, she swung her legs off the bed.
“Where is Barkas now?”
“The Young Lord is currently meeting with the High Priest who will preside over the ceremony. Once the details of the ritual are finalized, the ceremony will begin immediately.”
Thalia’s brows shot up. “Why are you only telling me this now?!”
“The Young Lord instructed us not to let word reach Your Highness’s ears until the day of the event,” the head maid said with a sigh.
Thalia’s face twisted. She could guess his reasoning. He likely assumed she would hide or run away. Whenever something she disliked happened, she was prone to vanishing. Now was no exception; Thalia looked out the window, seized by a sudden urge to flee.
The head maid spoke in a gentle, soothing tone, as if to calm a startled animal. “There is still time, so you need not be so anxious.”
Thalia glared at her with sharp eyes before muttering in a defeated voice, “What am I supposed to do?”
“We have prepared traditional Eastern attire for Your Highness to wear.”
The head maid let out a small sigh of relief and stepped aside. Soon, several sturdy servants entered the room carrying piles of colorful garments adorned with elaborate, shimmering embroidery.
“Since these styles may be unfamiliar to maids from the central region, we ask that you entrust your grooming to us this time.”