Chapter 99
The castle lord, who had been watching his mood with a stiff expression, let out an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head.
“I was being tactless. I apologize if I offended you.”
Varkas looked at him with cool eyes, then crossed the courtyard.
In front of the castle gate, the cavalry had already finished preparing to depart and was lined up.
Varkas looked over them, then stopped walking when he spotted Thalia passing along the dirt path.
Her pale yellow-brown hair, neatly braided down, glittered like pure gold in the autumn sunlight.
After carefully examining her pale face tinged with fatigue, Varkas left his horse to his squire and approached her from behind.
Then the woman, who had been grasping the door handle to board the carriage, glared at him warily.
“W-what…”
Varkas, who had been about to help her into the carriage, slowly withdrew his hand.
His wife was like prey with a natural enemy before her eyes.
When he met her frightened blue eyes, a faint spasm arose somewhere deep in his stomach, in a place he could not clearly identify.
He quietly examined her face with narrowed eyes, then took one step back.
Only then did the tension leave her body, as if she felt relieved, and a bitter taste spread through his mouth.
Ignoring the strange reaction of his body, he calmly opened his mouth.
“From today onward, I intend to travel on horseback. I will assign a separate guard beside the carriage, so call them if anything happens.”
A faint relief crossed her face.
As if hiding it, the woman lowered her long, thick lashes and answered bluntly.
“Do as you like.”
Then she pushed herself into the carriage as if fleeing.
Standing by the door and quietly watching her, Varkas let out a small sigh and turned away.
It seemed all the effort he had put into making her get used to his touch had gone to waste.
Thinking back on his impatient actions last night, it was not such a strange reaction.
It would be better not to touch her for a while.
She was a woman as sensitive and fearful as a young wild horse.
If he wanted to ease her wariness, it would be better not to approach carelessly for a while.
Feeling the bitterness in his mouth grow stronger, he lightly mounted the saddle.
“Once again, thank you for accepting my invitation, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”
The castle lord, who had been waiting a short distance away, approached his side again.
Varkas turned his horse’s head toward the front of the long cavalry line and lightly nodded.
“I will resolve the matter of the raiders as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you. Then I will visit Kalmor soon.”
The man shouted in a booming voice.
He immediately spurred his horse.
Once they passed through the castle gate, the mounted warriors followed in formation.
Their bodies were steeped in the strong smell of wine, as if they had enjoyed themselves quite noisily the previous night.
Varkas slowly looked over the cavalrymen’s faces, then spoke dryly to Tyrone, who was riding very close by.
“Bring Lucas to the front. Until we return to Kalmor, I will educate him personally.”
The man sent him a worried look.
Was he worried that I might harm that green brat?
Letting out a faint sneer, Varkas added coldly.
“Must I say it twice?”
“…I will bring him at once.”
The man turned his horse and moved toward the rear of the formation.
Not long afterward, Lucas rode over with a stiff face.
Varkas looked over his younger brother with dry eyes, then lightly gestured with his chin.
“From now on, you will serve as the guide. Come to the front.”
Clear tension appeared on the youthful face, which had not yet lost all its softness.
It seemed he had sensed the hardship that lay ahead of him.
Varkas gestured again.
“What are you doing not coming to the front?”
After hesitating briefly, the boy swung the reins and moved to the front.
Varkas added sharply to that rigid back.
“From now on, you are not allowed to leave the formation as you please or move out of my sight. If you fail to fulfill your role, you will also bear responsibility for it.”
“Your Grace, Young Master still lacks experience…”
“Tyrone El Drakan.”
The man who had overstepped and cut in immediately closed his mouth.
Varkas gave his first and final warning.
“If you interrupt me one more time, you will pay the price for it.”
A cold silence flowed among the cavalrymen.
They seemed to have realized that his warning was directed at everyone present.
Varkas looked over the cavalrymen with sharp eyes, then turned his gaze back to Lucas.
“Now depart.”
Lucas glanced at him over his shoulder, then spurred his horse.
Varkas immediately followed behind his younger brother.
They were scheduled to make a broad circuit through the northeastern region before heading south.
After traveling to the borderlands of the old Arex Kingdom, they would turn west again and inspect the southeastern region.
Finally, after looking around the northwestern area, the territorial tour would end once they arrived in Kalmor.
At most, it would take about fifteen days.
It was enough time to discipline his immature younger brother.
He carefully watched the surroundings while following closely behind Lucas.
Unless there was great danger, he intended not to interfere with his brother’s guiding.
Fortunately, Lucas found the way skillfully without straying far from the set route.
However, because he had no experience leading a group, he often entered remote paths thoughtlessly without considering those following behind.
In the end, Lucas had to retrace the path they had come from and became visibly dejected.
“Memorize the map properly. Tomorrow, we must reach the area near Brinac.”
Only when it was almost sunset did Varkas arrive at the campsite and speak sternly to his younger brother.
“If we fall behind schedule, it will all be your responsibility. Stay alert and fulfill your role properly.”
“…Why is that my responsibility?”
Varkas, who had dismounted and was leading his horse toward the water, paused and looked back at his younger brother.
Lucas glared at him with rebellious eyes.
“The schedule was delayed because Brother took out your childish anger over yesterday’s incident on me!”
Rough gasps were heard from all around.
Tension also appeared on Lucas’s face.
However, perhaps thinking that Varkas would not do anything to him, his bronze neck was held stiffly upright.
Varkas let out a long sigh and slowly approached his younger brother.
Lucas showed the reckless courage of lifting his chin high and glaring fiercely at him.
Varkas let out a dry laugh and reached out, sweeping back the disheveled black-brown curls.
Lucas’s shoulders stiffened, as if startled by the sudden touch.
Varkas gripped the back of his younger brother’s head and lowered his face close over Lucas’s colorless one.
“If I intended to take out my anger over yesterday, I would have put you in the training yard instead of going through this troublesome effort.”
The blood drained from the sun-browned face.
To that carefree face that had never once borne responsibility in its life, Varkas added softly,
“Be grateful that you are not yet an adult, and that you are my younger brother, Lucas. Otherwise, instead of putting you before me on the road, I would have placed you in the same place as Alek Gutvan.”
“……”
“If you understood what I mean, you should politely apologize to this elder brother.”
“…I apologize, Brother.”
“Good. I forgive your rudeness.”
He continued softly.
“Soon, you will also apologize for carelessly running your tongue at my wife. For now, I am merely leaving you be because she says she does not even want to see your face.”
Lucas bit his lip.
Varkas silently looked down at his face, flushed red with humiliation, then released him as if throwing him off.
“Now do your duty.”
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