Chapter 90
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90
Thalia turned to him, her expression hardening.
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means we must stay together from now on,” he replied calmly. “We may have to ride on horseback during the tour, but I intend to share a carriage with you whenever possible.”
She swallowed hard. “Then, the accommodations…”
“We will be sharing those as well.”
Her heart sank with a heavy thud. She couldn’t tell if the sensation was born of fear or the same agonizing emotion that had tormented her for years.
Twisting the jade ornament around her wrist, Thalia spoke irritably. “Is that really necessary?”
Barkas didn’t offer an immediate response, and Thalia lashed out.
“It’s not as if you didn’t know what people would say when you married me. The whole world knows the truth behind this union. If we pretend to be a happily married couple now, it will only look more ridiculous.”
“There is no need to appear ‘happily’ married.” Barkas let out a long, slow breath. “It is enough if we appear to be a couple capable of a marital relationship.”
Thalia, who had been looking bewildered, suddenly widened her eyes in shock.
Did "marital relationship" mean what she thought it meant?
She stared blankly at his stoic face. It showed not a trace of human desire as he continued nonchalantly.
“Regardless of the circumstances, we are now husband and wife. Your Highness must be aware of the obligations that follow for a married noble. Simply appearing as a normal couple will benefit your position as much as mine.”
Thalia’s face turned a deep crimson. It seemed his definition of a "marital relationship" was indeed what she had imagined.
Foolish words spilled from her trembling lips. “So, what you’re saying is… we have to look like we’re sleeping together?”
Fine lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes. It was a strange expression, caught somewhere between a smile and a frown.
“To put it bluntly? Yes.”
Thalia bit her lip hard, her eyes slowly scanning him from head to toe.
Beneath the lustrous, thin silk of his clothes, his lean and powerful physique was clearly defined. Broad shoulders, a chest tightly knit with refined muscle, a slender waist, and legs as long and sturdy as a stallion’s…
Suddenly feeling short of breath, she hurriedly cast her gaze downward. Through the thin fabric of her own skirt, she could faintly see the outline of her gaunt legs.
Her stomach churned. Those were scars that had made even her own mother frown in disgust. Even the nanny who had raised her since infancy couldn’t hide her distress whenever she had to wash Thalia’s body.
The mere thought of exposing something so hideous to him made her break out in a cold sweat. She tore at her hem, her voice sharp and biting.
“I won’t do it. Let them gossip however they want. People are going to talk regardless; that’s what mouths are for. Why should I put on such a ridiculous performance just to please the subordinates—”
“Thalia.”
A large hand covered the back of her stiffened fingers. Thalia flinched and looked up at him. Barkas, gripping her cold hand firmly, spoke with quiet determination.
“I am not asking you to put on a performance.”
“…”
“We simply need to show the world that we are spending time together.”
Barkas’s words sounded more like a request than a command. That subtle shift stifled the refusal rising in her throat.
With eyes flickering with agitation, Thalia studied his face. He looked tired. Judging by the Grand Duke of Sieorkan’s attitude, Barkas’s own position was likely unstable. While she had been shut away in her bedroom, he must have been pushing himself relentlessly to solidify his standing.
Suddenly, her mouth felt bone-dry. If Aila had come here, she would have rolled up her sleeves for Barkas. She would have used her natural leadership and dignity to help him secure his position. He wouldn’t have had to make such a request of her. The two of them would have spent a normal first night together and naturally continued their relationship as husband and wife.
Thalia bit her lower lip, self-deprecating thoughts spiraling one after another. How would Barkas have treated Aila? Given that he was generous even to Thalia—who snarled at him like an enemy—he would have been even more so with Aila.
Just as he tried to touch her whenever he had the chance, he would have laid hands on Aila’s body without hesitation. She pictured Barkas stroking Aila’s cheek, or wrapping an arm around her waist. In her imagination, the two of them went even further without a second thought. The more she pictured it, the more her heart ached as if it had been burned.
Thalia roughly pulled her hand from his grasp. She turned her gaze out the window, struggling to suppress her boiling emotions.
“Do whatever you want.”
A heavy silence settled between them. She wanted to check his expression, but for some reason, she was afraid. Thalia rested her elbow on the windowsill and pretended to watch the cavalry.
Before long, with the thunderous blast of a horn, the carriage began to move.
Thalia leaned her head slightly out the window. As the carriage passed through the castle gates, a vast field unfolded before her. A fierce gale swept across the plains where the earth met the sky. Watching the meadows turn to shades of amber, Thalia stole a glance at him.
Barkas was also looking out at the fields. The brilliant white sunlight cast a dazzling backlight over his features.
A strange emotion tightened her chest. In this unfamiliar and beautiful land, she had to spend her time with him.
Will I be able to protect the walls I’ve barely managed to build?
*
Lucas whipped the reins without hesitation.
It had been nearly a week since he’d last been on a horse. Turgan, who was as irritable as could be after being neglected for days, snorted fiercely as he galloped across the plains. Lucas felt the stallion’s taut muscles surging beneath his thighs.
He stood up in his stirrups and let out a boisterous cheer. The dry wind scraped harshly against his skin. It felt incredibly refreshing.
“Do not break formation!” Tyron, who had pulled up beside him, shouted.
Lucas looked back at him with a dissatisfied scowl. “It’s just a little run!”
“I barely managed to get permission for you to come along under the pretext of teaching you how to conduct yourself as a vassal! What does it make me look like if you act so recklessly?”
Lucas clicked his tongue sharply and pulled the reins. Once he finally calmed the excited horse, Tyron slowed down as well, closing the distance between them.
“As I said before, you will be serving as His Excellency’s junior knight for the time being. Do not stray far from the carriage.”
“You really don’t get it. I’m doing this for my brother’s sake,” Lucas said sarcastically. “Brother would probably hate me hanging around even more. And that woman would be the same.”
He spat the words out with a thorny tone and looked back at the carriage slowly crossing the hill far behind them. The place where that woman had struck him still felt itchy. The cheek that had been swollen red for days had only just subsided.
He pouted. “You saw what she did to me that day.”
“I also saw you put your nose to her neck,” Tyron replied flatly.
Lucas flinched, his face turning red. “When you put it like that, it makes me sound like a total pervert! I just smelled something strange and wanted to check!”
“…No matter how you put it, it sounds perverted.” Tyron shook his head. “As His Excellency said, both of you need to learn the etiquette of the nobility. You’ve lived far too freely under the excuse of the former Grand Duke being bedridden.”
Lucas glared at him resentfully. He was annoyed by Tyron’s words, which subtly took Barkas’s side. “You’ve completely fallen for Brother, haven’t you?”
Tyron didn’t bother to deny it. It seemed he had already accepted Barkas as his lord.
This wasn’t just true for Tyron. While the stuffy old elders expressed concern over Barkas’s radical moves, the hot-blooded warriors offered their enthusiastic support. Everyone had been starving for strong leadership.
To be honest, Lucas himself was half-enchanted by the overwhelming martial prowess Barkas had displayed. However, he didn’t want to admit it so easily.
“Fine. I’ll admit I was a bit rude. But that woman was no pushover either! Why are we the only ones getting punished?”
“She is a member of the Imperial Family,” Tyron said indifferently. “Furthermore, she is now the Grand Duchess. So, you’d better watch your mouth from now on. You heard what Sir Daren said, didn’t you?”
He made a gesture of slitting his throat with his fingertip.
“She’s someone who doesn’t even blink while spitting venom in front of the Grand Duke of Sieorkan himself. She’ll strip the flesh from your bones with nothing but her tongue. So, for the sake of peace in the East, don’t go provoking her temper for no reason.”