Chapter 95
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95
Barkas stared at the gem, which glowed with the crimson intensity of a flickering flame, before approaching the merchant and settling the debt.
Thalia looked down at the ruby brooch pressed into her palm, her eyes clouded with a lingering sense of dismay.
"Anything else?" Barkas asked, his tone nonchalant.
It was likely a casual inquiry, yet she felt as if he were probing her innermost thoughts. She forced her gaze away from the moonstone, anchoring it firmly elsewhere.
"I don’t need anything. It’s all just... mediocre."
The merchant’s face contorted slightly at the slight. Ignoring him, Thalia turned toward the exit. Barkas followed, wrapping a steadying arm around her waist. He seemed to be supporting her, knowing she was prone to stumbling.
Accepting the touch that had become familiar before she even realized it, she stepped out of the shop to find Daren Dru Sieorkan and the other vassals waiting.
One of them stepped forward to deliver a report.
"The market inspection is complete, My Lord. The supply of goods is stable, and trade in major commodities remains brisk. However, there have been several complaints that public order has become unstable."
As they passed through a corridor that had grown noticeably quiet, Barkas looked back at the man.
"Is there a problem with the guard?"
"It seems less a problem with the guard and more a result of the recent surge in bandit activity. There have been successive reports of attacks targeting merchant caravans."
A faint crease formed between Barkas’s brows. The vassal added cautiously, "The Lord of Dorkaen has requested an audience to discuss the matter. How shall you proceed?"
"…Fine. I will meet with the Lord of the Castle first."
Barkas nodded, stroking his chin in thought. Watching him, Thalia stole a glance behind her.
The gemstone she had left behind—the one she had tried to discard from her mind—flickered before her eyes.
She tried to console herself, telling herself that a trivial gem like a moonstone didn’t matter, but the nagging regret refused to fade. By the time they left the exchange and reached the carriage parked on the main road, a sense of genuine anxiety had taken hold.
Perhaps I will never find a gemstone of that color again.
Sitting on the velvet seat and looking down at the ruby with dissatisfaction, Thalia peered out the window. Barkas was deep in discussion with his vassals, relaying orders to the knights.
Sensing they wouldn’t be departing immediately, Thalia rummaged through the carriage’s storage compartments. After haphazardly tossing aside Barkas’s belongings, she found a leather pouch heavy with gold coins. She quickly tucked it into her clothes and stepped outside with practiced caution.
The soldiers were preoccupied, loading wedding gifts from the city’s influential figures into the wagons. Taking advantage of their distraction, Thalia hurried back across the main road.
As she re-entered the trade exchange, she saw merchants already beginning to pack up their stalls. She pulled her hood low and pushed through the crowded street. The hurried movement was too much for her; her calf muscles stiffened, and a dull ache spread to her pelvis. Ignoring the pain, she ducked into the jeweler’s shop and walked straight to the display counter.
The gem that resembled Barkas’s eyes emitted a soft, ethereal glow atop its red cushion. She picked it up, staring at it for a long moment, before turning to the merchant.
"I’ll buy this."
The man, who had been watching her with a startled expression, broke into a wide, greedy grin.
"You certainly have an eye for quality, Your Highness! This moonstone is a rare find with a truly unique color. Normally, I would ask for thirty-five Soldem, but for the Grand Duchess, I shall give it to you for thirty."
Thalia only half-listened to the merchant’s rambling as she opened the leather pouch. Just then, a gruff voice spoke from behind her.
"This guy is a total crook. Since when does a single moonstone cost thirty gold coins?"
Thalia turned her head, her eyes widening to find Lucas Raedgo Sieorkan standing there. He looked down at the gem in her hand and sneered.
"That’s not even worth five gold coins."
"W-what kind of nonsense is that!" the merchant barked, sounding wounded. "This moonstone is a rare, top-grade item! Do you think stones with this color and pattern are common?"
"Even so, it’s not worth thirty Soldem."
"Thirty Soldem is a bargain! If I put this up for auction, it could go for even more—!"
Thalia didn’t wait for the argument to end. She poured the gold coins out in front of the huffing, red-faced merchant.
With a sharp clinking sound, the coins minted by the Imperial Household piled up on the counter. At a glance, there were clearly well over thirty. She stuffed the gem into her pocket and spoke with cold arrogance.
"I can’t be bothered to count them. Just take what’s yours."
With that, she turned and walked out of the shop.
The mounted warriors stood waiting outside the store with grim expressions. Thalia held her head high and walked past them. However, before she could take more than a few steps, Lucas caught up to her.
"Hey! If you just wander off like that—!"
"Hey?"
When she shot him a fierce glare, the boy flinched and lowered his eyes. This was the hard-won result of her diligently badgering him over the past few days.
Lucas corrected himself, his expression suggesting he was barely suppressing his irritation.
"You shouldn’t wander off without an escort, Sister-in-law."
"I was going to return immediately."
"Still, you should have said something. What if you just sneak away and something happens?"
Thalia brushed his hand off her shoulder sharply.
"I am not a prisoner of House Sieorkan. I have no obligation to report my every move to you."
"That’s not what I meant! What if—!"
Thalia ignored his nagging and turned toward the square.
In the meantime, the knights had finished their preparations and were all mounted. Thalia hurried toward the carriage. As she approached, Barkas, who had been conversing with a nearby noble, sent a cold, piercing gaze her way.
Thalia swallowed hard. Was he angry because she had disappeared without a word?
As she stood there, tense and waiting for a rebuke, Barkas let out a small sigh and gave a light tilt of his chin toward the door.
"Get in. I must travel on horseback."
He then turned and walked toward the knights. Thalia let out a small sigh of relief and climbed into the carriage.
A short while later, the carriage began to roll along the main road. Thalia pulled out the gem she had tucked inside her coat. The silver-blue mineral emitted a pale, haunting light in the shadows. She stared at it for a long time, like someone who had discovered a treasure for the first time in her life, before tucking it back into her bosom and looking out the window.
The sky, which had been bright only hours ago, was now choked with light gray clouds. The scent of dry grass mingled with the chilly air, and the summer heat had vanished entirely. Judging by the humidity, rain was imminent.
Just as she expected, by the time the carriage left the city center and passed through the fortress walls, the thickening clouds broke into a drizzling rain. Thalia pressed her cheek against the cold glass window and looked ahead.
Atop a gentle hill shrouded in misty rain, a rugged fortress rose sharply against the sky. That was Dorkaen Castle.
"Thank you for coming!"
When they arrived at the castle gate, a man with a bearskin draped over his shoulders ran out to meet them. He was a middle-aged man with a thick, unruly black beard. He bowed respectfully toward Barkas, who led the procession.
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency. I am Uzan Darken, the one in charge of managing this region."
Barkas leaped down from his horse, accepting the greeting with a stoic expression.
"I am Barkas Raedgo Sieorkan."
The man, observing his new lord with curious eyes, wore a practiced, gentle smile.
"You must have had a difficult journey coming such a long way. Come, please enter. I have prepared a grand banquet for Your Excellency."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
After offering a polite response and handing his reins to a servant, Barkas approached the carriage. Thalia, who had been standing blankly in the drizzling rain after stepping out, hunched her shoulders against the cold. Barkas immediately spread the hem of his heavy cloak, creating a shield over her head.
The Lord of the Castle, watching the scene with interest, spoke cautiously.
"This beautiful lady must be Her Highness the Grand Duchess. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness. Please, feel free to call me Uzan."
Thalia replied with a simple, curt nod.
The man, showing a hint of embarrassment at her brevity, quickly forced his smile back and began to shower her with flattery.
"It is an infinite honor to welcome such a noble person. I will do my best to ensure your stay is comfortable."
"Enough with the pleasantries. Just lead us to our room," Thalia snapped coldly. "How long do you intend to keep us standing in the rain?"
Startled, the man hurriedly scrambled up the stairs.
"Oh, my apologies, Your Highness! Come, this way."
Following him into the massive stone building, the smell of burning firewood and tallow candles filled her nose. Thalia stayed close to Barkas’s side as she looked around the old castle, which exuded a somber, ancient atmosphere.
As if it were a relic from the Era of Nations, the interior of the aged castle was steeped in deep shadows and thick, damp moisture.
"You may use this room."
The Lord of the Castle led them to a room on the second floor. It was a bedroom that, despite the castle’s age, had been decorated quite cozily for their arrival.