“Isn't it wonderful? They said my brother personally hunted it to cheer me up.”
Talia turned toward the voice.
Beyond the banister stood Raina, the silver pelt draped proudly over her shoulders.
Spinning in circles before the maids, she exclaimed proudly,
“If I have winter riding clothes made from this fur, I'll be able to ride Saika all through the winter, won't I?”
“Of course! They say Drakars make their nests even inside glaciers. It will have no trouble keeping out even the harshest cold.”
“The fact that His Grace the Grand Duke sent you such a magnificent gift can only mean he treasures you dearly, my lady.”
Raina beamed at the maids' flattering words.
“Do you really think so?”
“Well, why else would he present you with such an extraordinary treasure?”
The girl who had remained dejected ever since the funeral was finally smiling again.
Watching her from the top of the staircase, Talia silently turned away.
She had actually believed he had risked his life for her.
How shameless had she become over the past few months?
She had nearly made a complete fool of herself.
With heavy footsteps, Talia returned to her bedroom.
Yet the bitterness that lingered like ashes on her tongue gradually faded as evening approached.
She had already repeated to herself thousands of times that she would expect nothing from him.
Feeling disappointed over something like this was laughable.
Even if she had merely received what was left over, it remained an undeniable fact that he had sent her a precious gift.
The proper thing to do is thank him.
Otherwise, it would only seem unnatural.
If she sulked like a petulant child, it would mean she had been disappointed.
And if she had been disappointed...
Then it meant she had expected something from him.
Having finally made up her mind, Talia tossed aside the book resting on her lap and rose from the bed.
When she reached his bedchamber, the knight standing guard at the door hastily announced her arrival.
It almost seemed as though he hoped to get ahead of the situation before the Grand Duchess barged in and flung the door open as she always did.
But once again, Talia seized the handle before anyone granted permission to enter.
Limping into the room, she was met by the sight of a brightly lit bedroom.
He was the sort of man who always extinguished the lamps while waiting for her.
Had he assumed she would not be coming tonight?
Frowning, she swept her gaze around the room.
Then she noticed two shadows stretching across the floor before the fireplace.
Her head snapped toward them.
The moment she saw a young woman touching the bare upper body of the half-undressed Varkas, she sucked in a sharp breath.
“What are you doing?”
The woman sprang to her feet in alarm.
“Y-Your Highness, Grand Duchess...”
Only then did Talia recognize her.
She was the Grand Ducal House's healing mage.
The very woman who had once made her cough up blood.
The healer hurriedly bowed her head and explained,
“I was treating His Grace the Grand Duke's wounds.”
Talia shot her a murderous glare before turning to Varkas.
“Have you forgotten what a worthless healer she is? Why would you let someone like her...!”
Her words abruptly died in her throat.
Two long, diagonal gashes running from his shoulder across his chest caught her eye.
The injuries were far worse than she had imagined.
For a moment, her heart seemed to stop.
She hurried to his side.
“H-How did this happen? You said it wasn't anything serious!”
“It looks worse than it is. The injuries are not particularly severe.”
Varkas answered without emotion.
“No bones were broken, and neither the major muscles nor the nerves suffered significant damage.”
Talia stared at him in disbelief.
The skin surrounding the wounds was swollen and crimson, with purplish veins bulging beneath it.
Even at a glance, the injuries looked severe.
They had to be excruciatingly painful.
Unable to bring herself to strike him, she could only lash out in frustration.
“You call this nothing serious? If this isn't serious, then what is, you idiot?!”
The healing mage clapped both hands over her mouth in shock.
Varkas, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm.
He gave the healer a slight nod.
“You may leave.”
“B-But the bandages still...”
“I can manage the rest myself.”
After a brief moment of hesitation, the woman bowed and hurried from the room.
Without sparing her another glance, Talia extended her hand toward him.
“Give me the bandages. You can't wrap them properly with only one hand.”
“It's unnecessary.”
“Unnecessary, my foot. Stop arguing and hand them over.”
After quietly studying her for a moment, he finally held out the bandages.
Snatching them from him, Talia dragged a chair over and sat opposite him.
Seen from up close, the wounds looked even worse.
Ointment glistened over the long gashes, while clear fluid seeped from the torn flesh.
The skin, redder than usual, radiated heat.
Biting her lower lip, she carefully wrapped the cloth around his chest.
Perhaps because she had spent every day inspecting and retying the bandages on her own leg, she had little difficulty securing his wounds.
“Are you really going to be all right? This won't cause problems later...?”
“Once the poisonous energy has completely left my body, magic will heal the rest.”
He spoke as calmly as ever.
“There is no need to worry.”
“Who said I was worried about you? If something happens to you, it'll only make my own situation worse...”
“I know.”
His reply remained even.
“I merely meant to reassure Your Highness that you need not fear becoming a widow.”
Talia found herself speechless.
Leaning back against the chair, Varkas watched her in silence for a while before lightly taking hold of her wrist.
“Why did you come today?”
The question struck her without warning.
Her heart dropped as though she had been ambushed.
Does he not want me here?
She cautiously glanced at his face.
Firelight flickered across his expressionless, handsome features.
Tilting his head slightly, he continued,
“You said you wouldn't be sharing my bed for the time being. Have you changed your mind?”
She instinctively jerked her hand free.
“I haven't! Do you think I'm desperate enough to sleep with someone who's in that condition?”
“Then why did you come?”
He leaned closer.
Flustered, Talia's eyes darted about until she finally remembered the excuse she had prepared.
“I... I just came to thank you for the gift.”
He remained silent for quite some time, as though weighing the sincerity of her words.
At last, he spoke.
“Did you like it?”
“Who wouldn't like a gift like that?”
For some reason, she found it difficult to meet his eyes and lowered her gaze awkwardly.
“But don't go hunting monsters again.”
“No matter how sorry you felt for your little sister, the ruler of the East shouldn't recklessly get himself wounded just because...”
She stopped mid-sentence.
“For the sake of a younger sister... what man would go this far?”
Startled, Talia slowly looked back up at him.
Without her noticing, Varkas had begun idly playing with her hair.
The absent-minded movements of his fingers resembled a cat amusing itself with a ball of yarn.
Lightly stroking the strands, he continued in the same calm voice,
“Your Highness used to catch colds even in the middle of summer.”
“The winters here are far harsher than those in the central provinces.”
“You'll need something of that quality to make it safely through them.”
“...That was when I was a child.”
Swallowing hard, Talia deliberately looked away.
“Everyone survives the winter. You're making far too much of it...”
“Not at all.”
Those pale blue eyes slowly traveled over her from head to toe.
Without realizing it, Talia clutched the shawl around her shoulders.
There was no way he hadn't noticed how painfully thin she had become after the accident.
Yet, for some reason, she suddenly felt ashamed.
Hurriedly, she changed the subject.
“Anyway, don't even think about hunting monsters again.”
“Make your subordinates do it instead.”
“Do you still think you're just some ordinary knight?”
“You're the Grand Duke now.”
“What are your soldiers there for?”
“It was more efficient for me to handle it myself.”
His tone remained perfectly matter-of-fact.
“And above all...”
“I couldn't very well ask my soldiers to risk their lives for a gift meant for my wife.”
The casual way he referred to her as his wife made her ears burn.
Praying the glow of the sunset would conceal the blush creeping across her face, she snapped irritably,
“If it's too dangerous to order your soldiers to do it, then you shouldn't be doing it either, you idiot!”
“...I thought you came to thank me.”
He raised one eyebrow.
Talia let out a derisive snort.
“I came to scold you, too.”
“Your body doesn't belong to you alone anymore.”
“If you go throwing it away without my permission, I won't forgive you.”
