The Forgotten Field

As if his head were pounding, Varkas rubbed his temple with his fingertips before letting out another heavy sigh.

“No matter what, you cannot sleep in a separate room.”

Then he wrapped the blanket tightly around her and rose to his feet.

Talia, who had been pushing against his shoulder in defiance, soon let the strength drain from her body. As much as she hated showing Varkas an unsightly side of herself, she also wanted to stay with him. She had no desire to struggle with him physically.

“Move her belongings back into my room.”

After giving the order to the maids waiting by the door, Varkas immediately left the room.

Peering through a gap in the blanket, Talia secretly observed the corridor illuminated by lamplight. Perhaps they had already grown accustomed to seeing Varkas carrying her through the castle, because every servant simply bowed calmly as he passed.

Ignoring them, Varkas strode quickly down the hallway and descended the stairs.

Just then, a familiar voice echoed up from beyond the banister.

“Brother!”

Varkas stopped abruptly and looked down toward the foot of the stairs.

Following his gaze, Talia narrowed her eyes as she saw two slender men in black robes crossing the spacious hall.

She recognized one of them immediately.

It was Varkas's insolent younger half-brother.

The boy, who had grown remarkably taller over the past few months, bounded up the stairs with long strides.

Pulling the blanket all the way up over the bridge of her nose, Talia examined him warily.

After the funeral rites for the previous Grand Duke had ended, Lucas Laedgo Siorcan had officially joined the Wolfram Cavalry and begun his training. As a result, she had not crossed paths with him even by chance during the past several months. Ever since late autumn, the frontier raiders had become increasingly active, forcing most of the Wolfram Cavalry to remain stationed outside the castle.

Life there clearly had not been easy. The boy's frame had become noticeably broader and sturdier as he reached them in an instant.

“My apologies for coming so late. There was urgent news that had to be delivered, so I came straight from the encampment. It seems that the Imperial Palace—”

The boy, who had been speaking in haste, glanced at the woman in Varkas's arms before trailing off ambiguously.

A wave of anxiety washed over Talia as she instinctively wrapped an arm around her lower abdomen. It felt as though the icy chill she had always experienced whenever she breathed the cold air of the Imperial Palace was once again piercing straight through her bones.

Perhaps sensing her trembling, Varkas pulled the blanket more tightly around her and spoke in a cold voice.

“Wait in my study.”

“I don't mind, but it would probably be better to prepare a separate room for your guests. They've traveled a long way and must be exhausted.”

“That's quite all right. I'll wait together with the young master.”

The man standing behind the boy suddenly joined the conversation as he pushed back his hood.

The moment Talia saw his face, her eyes flew wide open.

Edrick Rubon.

Among the countless Imperial Guard knights who had passed through her life, he had been one of the few who had persistently gotten on her nerves. Now he stood there looking utterly exhausted.

The trembling in her body stopped instantly.

She couldn't tell whether she was shocked because she had unexpectedly encountered someone she had believed she would never see again, or because she still remembered his name so clearly.

She stared blankly at him, blinking slowly.

Feeling her gaze upon him, the knight awkwardly lowered his head.

“It has been a long time, Your Highness. I hope you have been well during this time...”

“Tell the chief steward to prepare a guest room. I'll send for you in one shichen. Rest until then.”

Cutting him off, Varkas turned and headed toward his chambers.

Edrick scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Watching him intently, Talia glanced up at Varkas. He did not seem particularly surprised by the unexpected visit from his former subordinate.

Had this meeting been planned?

Whether he noticed her questioning gaze or not, Varkas quickly crossed the corridor and entered the bedroom before asking,

“I heard you haven't eaten yet. Is there anything you'd like?”

“...Not really.”

“You should eat properly, if only for the baby's sake.”

Setting her down at the dining table beside the fireplace, Varkas spoke gently, almost coaxing her.

Talia reluctantly nodded.

For the past several weeks, the pain in her pelvis and lower back had completely destroyed the hearty appetite she had enjoyed before. Still, the thought that the baby inside her might go hungry if she refused to eat filled her with a sense of obligation strong enough to force herself.

“Then I'll just have a bowl of chicken soup.”

“You heard her. Prepare it immediately.”

After curtly ordering the attendant waiting by the door, Varkas walked over to the fireplace and personally lit the fire.

Instead of dry logs that produced smoke, the hearth had been filled with fire mana stones and charcoal, so it took less than a minute for warmth to spread throughout the room.

“How is your throat? I heard you were coughing earlier today...”

“It's only because the air gets dry in winter. More importantly, shouldn't you go? They said it was urgent.”

“There's no need to concern yourself. Delaying the discussion by one shichen won't cause any problems.”

Varkas replied indifferently as he stirred the flames with the poker.

Talia studied his face carefully with a searching gaze.

Edrick Rubon belonged to the Imperial Guard. If he had returned to his original post without incident, he should have been serving Gareth or Aila by now.

Perhaps one of them had sent him.

"You're definitely going to regret what you did today, Talia Roem Gwirta."

Without warning, her half-sister's curse, buried deep in the back of her mind, echoed through her ears.

Unconsciously, Talia wrapped both hands around her lower abdomen.

The moment she recalled those deep green eyes stained with hatred, an uncontrollable tremor spread through her body.

As though sensing her fear, the baby suddenly began kicking violently.

Startled by the abrupt movement, she involuntarily gasped.

Varkas, who had been hanging his doublet on the wall, immediately spun around.

“What is it?”

“The baby suddenly kicked.”

She often felt the child moving, but this was the first time the movement had been so powerful. It left her feeling unexpectedly uneasy.

As she looked down at her stomach with worried eyes, Varkas, now dressed only in a thin shirt, strode over and bent down before her.

His voice was grave.

“Does it hurt very much?”

Talia stared at him in disbelief.

How much could something no bigger than a fist possibly hurt by kicking?

She was about to say exactly that, but the genuine concern in his eyes made her swallow the words.

She wanted Varkas to worry even more.

She wanted to make him incapable of thinking about anything except her and their child.

“Yes. It hurts terribly. Judging by how ridiculously strong it is, this child must take after you.”

Her exaggerated complaint only made his expression grow even more serious.

Varkas knelt on the floor and reached a hand toward her.

Then, apparently remembering that she had forbidden him from touching her, he hesitated and pulled his hand back.

After a brief pause, Talia reached out, took hold of his wrist, and placed his hand upon her lower abdomen.

She hated exposing her swollen belly, but she wanted Varkas to feel the baby's existence more vividly.

“Just this once, I'll make a special exception and let you touch me.”

Varkas quietly watched her face before lowering his gaze to where his hand rested.

At that exact moment, the baby shifted forcefully.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face.

Triumphantly, Talia smiled.

“Strong, isn't it? I'm sure it's going to be a boy. And I think he'll look a lot like you.”

She laid her own hand over the back of his and gently pressed it down, helping him feel the baby's movements more clearly.

She wanted him to understand without any room for doubt.

Inside me is your child. A child who resembles you.

So no matter what Gareth or Aila say, you must not give in.

No matter what happens, you have to stand on our side.

Swallowing the words that endlessly circled in her throat, she slowly traced the prominent veins and defined joints on the back of his hand.

Ever since eleven years ago, when she had seen those very hands wrapped protectively around Aila's back, she had desperately wished that one day... this man would stand on her side instead.