The Forgotten Field

But he had always stood on the opposite side from her.

Now he was playing the role of a devoted husband, but there was no telling when he might turn his back on her again.

Continuing eagerly, Talia said,

“When this child is born, teach them how to ride a horse. I heard you easterners learn horseback riding before you even learn how to walk. This child is half Easterner too, so...”

She had been talking nonstop in the hope of making Varkas grow attached to the baby, but suddenly another thought occurred to her.

What if he really put a child who couldn't even walk onto one of those smelly, violent beasts?

She hurriedly added,

“But only after they've grown enough. And... if they're too frightened, don't force them. If the child takes after me...”

She had been about to say they might be timid, but quickly changed her words.

“They might just hate horses.”

“...That would be rather troublesome.”

Still gazing silently at her lower abdomen, a faint crease appeared between Varkas's brows.

“If they are to succeed me as ruler of the East, horseback riding will be indispensable. The heir to the Grand Ducal House must command sixty thousand cavalrymen.”

Talia frowned.

She had absolutely no intention of sending the little fairy growing safely inside her womb onto a battlefield.

Dangerous things like that can be left to Varkas and the knights who follow him. My baby will stay somewhere safe with me and live happily.

She swallowed those words before they could escape.

What mattered was that Varkas clearly regarded this child as the heir to the Grand Ducal House.

“Then teach them slowly, so they'll come to love horses.”

The man lifted his head and looked at her.

His expression remained as unreadable as ever, yet Talia could now easily recognize the concern and anticipation hidden within his eyes.

He spoke softly.

“Don't worry. Once the child is born, I intend to raise them patiently. More importantly... doesn't it hurt when the baby moves like this?”

“Of course it hurts!”

In truth, this was the first time the baby had moved so forcefully, but Talia deliberately exaggerated.

Varkas's face stiffened immediately.

“Have you spoken with the healer? Surely there's some way to ease the pain...”

“They wanted me to use sleep herb, but I refused. It might harm the baby.”

Wanting him to understand just how much she cared about their child, Talia told him everything in detail.

Varkas stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

“You should follow the healer's advice. Your Highness must remain healthy if you're to have a safe delivery.”

“I can manage perfectly well as I am.”

Talia immediately shot back.

“Every woman in the world goes through this. Why would I be any different?”

A skeptical look appeared on Varkas's face.

Talia noticed his gaze naturally drifting toward her legs, and humiliation flooded her cheeks.

Why? Because you think a cripple like me can't even give birth?

She barely restrained herself from saying it aloud.

If remembering her broken body made him feel even greater guilt and responsibility toward her—if it made him put her and the baby above everything else—then a little humiliation was a price she could easily bear.

Concealing the bitterness in her heart, she deliberately smiled with feigned petulance.

“Why are you taking it so seriously, you idiot? I was only complaining.”

“...”

“You've always been like this. You're far too rigid. You never joke around, and you take every little tease so seriously.”

“How am I supposed to treat it as a joke when my pregnant wife tells me she's suffering?”

Varkas let out an exasperated sigh.

His response softened Talia's heart, and she allowed him to keep caressing her stomach for a little longer.

A short while later, the maids entered with the meal.

Varkas watched her eat, then changed his clothes and left the room.

Talia waited for him to return until quite late, but eventually exhaustion overwhelmed her and she fell asleep.

Several sleepless nights had drained every ounce of her strength.

She collapsed into a deep sleep without even having time to notice the pain, and did not awaken until the sun was already high the following day.

Rubbing her gritty eyes, Talia's very first action was to place a hand over her lower abdomen to make sure the baby was all right.

Yesterday the child had been kicking so wildly, yet today they were perfectly quiet.

Maybe they finally got a good night's sleep too.

Thinking absentmindedly, she looked around the room.

Varkas was nowhere to be seen, yet traces of him remained everywhere. He had probably slipped out quietly so as not to wake her after she'd finally managed to sleep soundly.

She immediately got out of bed and began getting dressed.

Perhaps Varkas's attendants, the chief steward, or even some of the soldiers had overheard the news Edrick Rubon had brought. She intended to question them.

“Forget that cloak. Bring me something as inconspicuous as possible.”

The maids, who had just taken out a silver fur cloak, exchanged awkward glances.

Looking puzzled, Talia asked,

“What is it?”

“Your Highness... no matter what you wear, I think you'll still stand out.”

One maid muttered in a timid voice, blushing.

Talia had no patience for flattery today and merely let out an irritated sigh.

“Then just bring me any cloak.”

The maid promptly returned with a thick woolen robe.

After wrapping it around her shoulders, Talia cautiously stepped outside.

Fortunately, the pain in her lower back had eased somewhat, making it much easier to move around.

“Do you happen to know what the knight who came last night reported?”

Spotting one of Varkas's attendants in the corridor, Talia questioned him without preamble.

The boy, who looked no older than twenty, flinched like a horse struck by a whip and stammered,

“I-I... well...”

Talia frowned.

She had long grown used to people treating her like a festering wound that should never be touched, but lately that tendency seemed to have grown even worse.

She pressed him harder.

“Why can't you answer properly? Didn't you overhear anything?”

“I-I'm sorry, Your Highness, Grand Duchess. I don't know anything. I went to bed early last night...”

“Then who attended Varkas last night?”

“I-I don't really know that either...”

Why does Varkas keep someone this useless around?

She glared irritably at the boy, who could barely get a sentence out.

Then a weary voice sounded from behind her.

“If there's something you'd like to know, ask me directly. Why are you troubling an innocent person?”

Startled, Talia turned around.

Edrick Rubon stood there scratching the back of his head.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he strode toward her.

“I'll answer whatever I'm permitted to answer. First, perhaps we should move somewhere else—”

Talia's eyes instinctively dropped to the sword hanging at his waist.

For an instant, she wondered if this man had come under Gareth's or Aila's orders to kill her.

Overcome by irrational fear, Talia instinctively backed away.

Then she stumbled and lost her balance.

In that instant, Edrick rushed forward like an arrow, seized her wrist, and yanked her toward him with surprising force.

Her nose slammed into the hard breastplate covering his chest.

Frowning, she hurriedly tried to pull away.

Then his rough voice thundered above her head.

“Hold still! You almost had a serious accident!”

Startled, Talia looked behind her.

Just inches beyond her heel was the first step of the long staircase leading down to the first floor.

Realizing she had nearly tumbled all the way down, Talia instinctively wrapped one arm around her stomach and shrank into herself.

Dragging her farther into the corridor, Edrick raised his voice.

“Damn it! Why are you always in danger, Your Highness? How much more are you planning to ruin other people's peace of mind?”

“All right, I get it. Let go.”

Pulling her wrist free from his grasp, Talia carefully studied the knight's deathly pale face.

Seeing him press a hand against his chest as he took deep breaths, apparently trying to calm his racing heart, all the tension drained from her.

She felt like an idiot for suspecting that this man might be an assassin sent by her half-siblings.

This fool had once challenged the Crown Prince himself simply because he believed it was his duty as an Imperial Guard knight.

If he had been clever enough to carry out an assassination, he never would have done something so hopelessly foolish in the first place.

Letting her shoulders sag, Talia spoke in a flat, indifferent tone.

“You're the one who startled me. It's all your fault.”