The Forgotten Field

The man glared at her as though she were utterly ridiculous before finally letting out a sigh of resignation.

“Your Highness truly hasn't changed.”

There was a bitter smile in his voice.

Talia narrowed her eyes.

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean...?”

“Y-Your Highness!”

Just as she was about to sharply rebuke the knight for his insolent attitude, Varkas's clumsy attendant came running toward them in a panic.

Apparently believing he had just witnessed her falling right before his eyes, the boy's face was as white as kneaded dough.

“A-Are you all right? Is there anywhere you're hurt...?”

“I'm perfectly fine.”

Despite her firm reply, the attendant continued examining her with anxious eyes.

Then he suddenly turned around.

“Just in case, I'll fetch a healer! Please wait here for a moment!”

Before anyone could stop him, he dashed down the corridor.

Watching him disappear, Talia frowned before turning back to the knight.

He too was glancing worriedly at her swollen stomach.

Feeling unexpectedly uncomfortable, Talia subtly concealed herself beneath her cloak.

“You said you'd explain why you came. Stop standing there like an idiot and start talking.”

“First, I think you should sit down.”

“That's unnecessary. There's no need to—”

She had been about to refuse out of habit, but the slight tightening in her lower abdomen made her stop.

Perhaps the baby had been startled.

She gestured toward the sitting room across from the staircase.

“Fine. Follow me.”

Crossing the corridor lined with thick carpets, they passed through an arched entrance into a comfortably furnished room.

Talia walked over to the fireplace, where glowing embers still burned, and carefully lowered herself into a chair.

The man looked around awkwardly from the doorway before finally taking the seat opposite her.

Only moments ago he had confidently scolded her, yet now he seemed strangely uncomfortable.

Looking at the fidgeting knight, Talia pressed him.

“All right, now tell me. Who sent you?”

“The person who sent me was Sir Raoric Alderheim, the current Commander of the Imperial Knights.”

Caught off guard, Talia raised one eyebrow.

“Why would the Commander of the Imperial Knights send you?”

The man hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking.

“Recently, suspicious movements have been detected in the North. After learning of this, His Majesty ordered troops to be concentrated in the regions bordering Valto in order to keep the North in check. His Majesty also wishes for the East to actively participate in this operation.”

Talia's entire body stiffened.

A cold chill suddenly ran down her spine, raising goosebumps across her skin.

“Does that mean... there's going to be a war?”

“No!”

The knight hurriedly waved both hands.

“His Majesty has no desire for a direct military conflict. At present there still isn't sufficient evidence of treason... He merely intends to strengthen the defenses along the Valto border as an implicit warning.”

“But the North could interpret that warning as a threat and respond even more aggressively.”

Talia challenged him sharply.

“The Northern Noble League will feel cornered once they find themselves surrounded by the Imperial Army. If they believe the Imperial Palace won't spare them now that their ambitions have been exposed, they might decide they have nothing left to lose.”

The knight merely blinked blankly.

Looking at his foolish expression, Talia spoke with obvious frustration.

“If His Majesty truly wishes to avoid war, then instead of openly displaying military force to intimidate them, he should be secretly gathering evidence of their treason. Once he has undeniable proof—proof no noble could possibly dispute—he should arrest the leader of the Northern Noble League in a surprise operation. That's the safer course!”

“...What Your Highness says certainly has merit. However, if the North were to make the first move before such decisive evidence could be gathered, the situation would become impossible to control. His Majesty judged that assembling the army was necessary, if only to prepare for the worst.”

Talia frowned.

The Emperor's response seemed far too indecisive.

If you're going to apply military pressure anyway, wouldn't it be better to strike first?

Sending troops to the Valto border might only encourage the North to strengthen its own military even further.

She was about to argue exactly that before changing her mind.

Edrick Rubon was merely a messenger dispatched to relay the Emperor's orders.

Arguing with him would accomplish absolutely nothing.

Anxiously biting her lip, Talia forced herself to look at the situation more positively.

Perhaps seeing the overwhelming military strength of the Roem Empire with their own eyes would create divisions within Valto itself.

After all, how many people would willingly throw away their lives in a war they were almost certain to lose?

If some of Valto's nobles defected to the Imperial side, perhaps the flames of war would die out before they could spread.

“So... how did Varkas respond?”

“He agreed to His Majesty's orders and said he would dispatch cavalry units to the regions bordering Valto.”

Without realizing it, Talia released a sigh of relief.

Only then did she recognize what had truly frightened her.

She had been afraid Varkas would leave her side.

It's simply better for him to be here than not.

She tried to justify it to herself, yet the explanation felt woefully inadequate to account for the fear she had experienced.

Leaving behind the painful realization that she was still hopelessly obsessed with him, Talia forced herself to focus on the conversation before her.

“So you'll be returning to the Imperial Palace with his reply?”

“Yes. I'll be leaving today.”

The man shifted his gaze toward the window.

Talia looked surprised.

“Already?”

“Given the seriousness of the situation, we can't afford to delay even a single day.”

He rubbed the back of his neck with a faint smile.

“To be honest, I should have departed at sunrise. But I delayed my departure a little because I wanted to see Your Highness.”

“Why me?”

Talia looked at him suspiciously once more.

Seeing her expression, the man awkwardly scratched the back of his head before speaking.

“I haven't had a chance to see Your Highness since we returned from the pilgrimage. I wanted to know whether your health had recovered afterward.”

Caught completely off guard, Talia's eyes widened.

Smiling sheepishly, he added gently,

“I'm relieved to see you looking much healthier than the last time we met. The maids told me Lord Siorcan treasures Your Highness greatly. It put my mind at ease to know you've been doing well.”

“Why?”

Genuine curiosity filled Talia's eyes as she stared directly at him.

“Why do you care whether I'm doing well?”

The smile on his face faded slightly.

After fumbling awkwardly for a moment, he finally revealed his feelings with disarming honesty.

“I was Your Highness's Imperial Guard knight. I've carried the burden of believing that your injuries were my responsibility ever since.”

“...So you only wanted to see me to ease your own guilty conscience?”

Talia asked spitefully.

The words struck him like a blade.

His shoulders twitched before he quietly admitted,

“...Perhaps that's true.”

He let out a self-deprecating sigh.

Talia knitted her brows together.

She had never met anyone so painfully honest about their own feelings.

Suddenly, she found herself genuinely worried about this half-witted man.

“...With a personality like yours, you won't survive long in the Imperial Palace.”

“That's what everyone keeps telling me.”

The man exaggerated his misery as though trying to lighten the mood.

“My career prospects already look pretty hopeless.”

It sounded like a joke, but Talia nevertheless felt a weight settle in her chest.

Perhaps he had ended up running errands simply because he had fallen out of the Crown Prince's favor.

Looking at him with unexpected sympathy, she spoke generously.

“If your future really looks that bleak, come to the Grand Ducal House. I'll ask Varkas to hire you.”

“Edrick Rubon is one of the elite knights of the Roem Knights.”

A cool voice interrupted them.

Turning her head, Talia's eyes widened as she saw Varkas standing at the entrance to the sitting room.

Apparently he had hurried over, because his appearance was slightly disheveled.

Crossing the room in long strides, he added in his usual blunt tone,

“It would be a waste to leave someone destined to become one of His Majesty's Imperial Guard knights languishing in a remote frontier like this.”

“...I never realized Lord Siorcan held me in such high regard.”

Edrick Rubon muttered with an amused smile.

Varkas answered only with a cold look.

“I heard you helped my wife when she nearly suffered a serious accident. You have my gratitude.”

“Not at all. If anything, I was the one who startled her and nearly caused something terrible to happen.”

Talia shot the knight an exasperated glare.

Did this fool truly not realize that his habit of blurting out things better left unsaid was exactly why his career kept running into dead ends?

She barely resisted the urge to click her tongue.

At that moment, Varkas suddenly bent down.

Sliding one arm beneath her knees while firmly supporting her back with the other, he carefully lifted her into his arms.