Chapter 106
It seemed she did not even have the strength left to be fussy.
“Did I bring her for no reason after all?”
Varkas looked down at her gaunt face with worried eyes and stepped out of the carriage.
Bright sunlight poured down over their heads like a downpour. Perhaps it was dazzling, because faint creases formed between her pale brows.
He shaded her eyes with the hem of his coat and immediately passed through the castle gate. Hundreds of eyes filled with curiosity flew toward them. Suddenly, tension entered his spine.
He had always lived surrounded by countless gazes, so he was used to becoming the center of attention. Nevertheless, he could not easily calm himself under the gazes stealing glances at the woman in his arms.
“It seems the Grand Duchess is unwell.”
The guard captain, who had followed after them to guide him, glanced at her and muttered as if feeling pity. His eyes clung to her disheveled hair and ivory cheeks. Varkas spoke somewhat coldly.
“I would appreciate it if you guided us to the bedroom first.”
“Of course we should show consideration. This way, please. Sir Temuran repeatedly instructed us to attend to Your Grace with the utmost care.”
The man, who quickly tore his gaze away from her, began walking ahead.
Following him up the stairs, they came upon a quiet hall reminiscent of a monastery and a dark corridor.
“You may use this room.”
The man crossed what appeared to be a reception room and opened an iron-banded door as he spoke. Varkas entered the room and slowly looked over the neat interior.
It was a simple but not shabby bedroom. Once he judged that it seemed sufficient for staying a few days, he laid her down on the bed.
During that time, Thalia had fallen asleep again.
Had the sedative given by the healer not worn off yet? As he carefully examined the woman who could not seem to fully come to her senses, he saw the guard captain loitering by the door.
He threw out a sharp question.
“What is it?”
“My apologies, but Sir Temuran has requested to see Your Grace immediately. Would you be able to come to the reception room right now?” Varkas frowned.
Ordinarily, it was customary to offer rest to a guest who had traveled a long way. This meant that this man named Temuran was either an ignorant fool with no sense of propriety, or that he had urgent business so pressing that etiquette was difficult to observe.
After sending him a searching look for a moment, Varkas gave a slight nod.
“Fine. I will go at once.”
The man, whose face had been stiff with tension, brightened in relief.
After instructing a subordinate waiting in the corridor to call the healer, Varkas followed the man without delay.
Not long after, an old-fashioned space brightly lit with lamps appeared.
He crossed a carpet with intricate patterns and approached a heavy solid-wood table. The elderly man seated across from it sprang to his feet to greet him.
“Thank you for coming, Your Grace.”
As if the mention of illness had not been a lie, the old knight had a pale complexion.
Varkas quietly sat down while observing him carefully. The old man, who sat back down across from him, hurriedly opened his mouth.
“Please forgive my discourtesy. As you can see, my health is poor, and I do not know when I may collapse. In my desire to see you while my mind is still even a little clear, I dared to hasten Your Grace’s steps. Even if I apologized a hundred times, it would not be enough......”
“Enough of the unnecessary words. Tell me why you called me.” Varkas cut off the lengthy speech in one stroke.
The old knight, who had been wiping the cold sweat on his forehead while watching Varkas’s mood, finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
“The truth is...... I requested an audience because there is one thing I wish to ask.”
When the man held out one hand toward the attendant standing behind him, the young man, who had been standing silently like a shadow, handed over a parchment document.
The old knight unfolded it and continued in a tense voice.
“Not long ago, I received news that House Heimdal was gathering northern warriors. Is the rumor true that His Highness the Crown Prince is behind it?”
Varkas took the parchment document and began reading it slowly.
It seemed to be information passed on by one of the merchants traveling between the North and the East.
The document, transcribed so that the writer could not be identified, contained the movements of northern nobles and testimonies that many imperial knights had been seen in Amasek.
As he tapped the solid-wood table and read the last part of the report, the old knight continued urgently.
“Recently, I also heard that marriage talks have begun between Her Highness the First Princess and the heir of House Heimdal. Your Grace, are you aware of these facts as well......?”
“What exactly do you want to know?”
Varkas lifted his gaze from the parchment and asked bluntly.
The old knight, who had been nervously wetting his lips, finally brought up the main point.
“I wish to hear Your Grace’s exact position. Which side are we standing on?” Instead of answering, Varkas merely stared at the man’s face.
Unable to endure even that brief silence, the old knight poured out his words in haste.
“Rumors are spreading that, because of Your Grace’s marriage, the East may turn neutral or lean toward the Empress’s side. And His Highness the Crown Prince has recently begun forming a close relationship with the North. Some are concerned that the empire may be splitting apart.”
Varkas let out a laugh of disbelief.
Only a few months had passed since his broken engagement and marriage had taken place. In the meantime, everyone had certainly been busy moving around.
Leaning back against the chair, Varkas picked up the parchment and held it over the candle on the table. The yellowed document shriveled in an instant as it gave off black smoke.
After watching it for a moment, he turned his eyes back to the old knight and spoke firmly.
“Nothing has changed. The East supports Gareth Roem Ghirta.”
“Then why has His Highness the Crown Prince gone to the North......?”
“He is likely trying somehow to restore the dignity of his sister, which a disloyal subject threw to the ground. How many houses in this empire can compare to House Siarkan?” Even with his assurance, the doubt on the knight’s face did not disappear.
Varkas let out a sigh tinged with fatigue.
“Since you manage a region adjacent to the North, I understand that you may have all sorts of needless worries, but you seem overly sensitive. At most, they are only rumors.”
“Are you saying that Your Grace still stands on His Highness the Crown Prince’s side?”
“Yes. House Siarkan will not oppose His Highness the Crown Prince.” Only then did relief appear on the old knight’s face.
“Thank you for answering so readily. Thanks to Your Grace’s consideration, I feel I can finally be freed from my worries.”
“I am glad it was of help.”
After giving a formal reply, Varkas rose from his seat with disciplined movements.
The old knight stood up after him. Varkas stopped him with a light hand gesture and strode out of the reception room.
Before he knew it, dusk had settled over the corridor. He walked along the deep shadows and quickly organized his thoughts.
Gareth’s hasty actions were not particularly surprising. He was suspicious by nature, so he must not have been reassured even by Varkas’s assurance. That he had reached out to the North in order to build an independent power base was within the range of expected movements. However, the fact that the rumor was spreading too quickly was something to be wary of.
......It seems the Empress’s influence has begun to reach even the East.
Otherwise, there was no way the Crown Prince’s movements would have spread in such a short time. That woman had not given up on her plan to drive a wedge between him and Gareth.
Varkas rubbed his chin and turned his eyes toward the window.
Perhaps it was about to rain, for gray clouds hung in the sky, and twilight had settled over the flower beds thick with weeds and the paths.
Varkas, who had been indifferently sweeping his gaze over the bleak scenery, suddenly stopped walking.
The woman he had personally laid down on the bed had been wandering alone in the garden without even taking an attendant with her.
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