The Forgotten Field - Chapter 106

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 106
She seemed to lack even the energy to be difficult.
‘Perhaps bringing her here was a mistake after all.’
Barcas, gazing down at her gaunt face with eyes clouded by concern, stepped out of the carriage.
Brilliant sunlight poured down upon them like a torrential downpour. The glare stung her eyes, and faint creases formed across her pale brow.
He cast a shadow over her eyes with the edge of his coat, then passed directly through the Castle Gate. Hundreds of curious gazes descended upon them like arrows. Suddenly, tension seized his spine.
He had grown accustomed to being the center of attention, surrounded by countless eyes throughout his life. Yet he found it impossible to remain composed when those same eyes lingered upon the woman cradled in his arms.
“It appears the Grand Duchess is unwell.”
The Guard Captain, who had hurried after him to provide guidance, glanced at her and murmured with evident sympathy. His eyes remained fixed upon her disheveled hair and the ivory pallor of her cheeks. Barcas spoke with deliberate coldness.
“I would be grateful if you would show us to the bedroom first.”
“Of course, we must see to your comfort. This way, if you please. Count Temuran has instructed us to attend to the Grand Duke with the utmost care.”
The man abruptly tore his gaze from her and began walking ahead.
As I followed him up the stairs, a tranquil hall reminiscent of a monastery and a dim corridor came into view.
“You may use this chamber.”
The man crossed what appeared to be a reception area and opened a door bound with iron fittings. Barcas entered the room and surveyed the orderly interior furnishings with deliberate care.
It was a modest yet dignified bedroom. Determining it would suffice for several days’ stay, he lowered her onto the bed.
By then, Talia had fallen asleep once more.
Perhaps the sedative provided by the Healer had not yet worn off. As I observed the woman, who scarcely regained consciousness, the Guard Captain appeared to linger at the doorway.
I posed a sharp question.
“What is it?”
“I beg your pardon, but Count Temuran has requested to see you immediately. Would it be possible for you to come to the Reception Hall at once?”
Barcas furrowed his brow.
It was customary to offer rest to guests who had traveled a great distance. This suggested that Temuran was either a man of poor manners, or possessed business so urgent that propriety could scarcely be observed.
Barcas, who had been regarding him with an appraising gaze, gave a slight nod.
“Very well. I shall come at once.”
The man, whose face had been rigid with tension, visibly relaxed.
He instructed a subordinate waiting in the corridor to summon the Healer, then followed the man without delay.
Before long, an antiquated space illuminated by bright flames came into view.
I passed over a carpet of intricate patterns and approached a heavy wooden table. The elderly man seated beyond it rose abruptly to greet me.
“Thank you for coming, Grand Duke.”
The old knight’s pallid complexion suggested the illness was no fabrication.
Barcas, observing him carefully, seated himself in silence. The elderly man, settling back into his chair across from me, opened his mouth with urgency.
“I beseech you, forgive my discourtesy. As you can see, my health is precarious, and I know not when I might collapse. In my desire to meet with you while my mind remains sound, I have dared to hasten your steps—a transgression for which a thousand apologies would not suffice.”
“Spare me the formalities. State the business for which you summoned me.”
Barcas cut through the lengthy preamble with a single stroke.
The old knight, wiping beads of sweat from his brow while gauging my reaction, finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
“In truth, there is one matter I wished to inquire about, which is why I requested this audience.”
The man extended one hand toward the Elderly Attendant standing behind him, and the youth, who had been standing as still as a shadow, handed over a parchment document.
The old knight unfolded it and continued in a tense voice.
“Recently, I learned that the Heimdal Family has been summoning warriors from the Northern Region. Is it true that the Crown Prince stands behind this?”
Barcas accepted the parchment document and began reading through it methodically.
It appeared to be information passed along by a merchant who frequently traveled between the Northern Region and the Eastern Territories.
The document, transcribed to conceal its author’s identity, contained details about the movements of Northern nobles and testimonies that Imperial Knights had been spotted in considerable numbers in Amasek.
As I tapped my fingers against the wooden table while reading the final section of the report, the elderly knight spoke with growing urgency.
“Recently, rumors have begun circulating about marriage negotiations between the First Princess and the heir of House Heimdal. I wonder if Your Grace is aware of these developments….”
“Precisely—what is it you wish to know?”
Barcas lifted his gaze from the parchment and asked directly.
The elderly knight, his face tense, moistened his lips before finally broaching the main subject.
“I would like to hear Your Grace’s precise position. Which side do we stand with?”
Rather than answer, Barcas simply fixed his gaze upon the man’s face.
Unable to bear the brief silence, the elderly knight spoke in a rush.
“Rumors are spreading that due to Your Grace’s marriage, the Eastern Territories may either return to neutrality or lean toward the Empress’s faction. Furthermore, the Crown Prince has recently begun cultivating closer ties with the Northern Region. Some fear the Empire itself may be fracturing.”
Barcas let out a soft laugh.
Only a few months had passed since my broken engagement and subsequent marriage. Everyone had certainly been busy in the interim.
Leaning back against the chair, I picked up the parchment and held it above the candle flame on the table. The yellowed document curled and blackened as smoke rose from it.
After watching it for a moment, I turned my eyes back to the elderly knight and spoke with firm resolve.
“Nothing has changed. The Eastern Territories support Gareth.”
“Then why does the Crown Prince reach toward the Northern Region….”
“A disloyal servant has cast his sister to the ground. He merely seeks to restore her honor by any means necessary. How many houses in this Empire could rival House Sierkan?”
Despite my certainty, doubt did not fade from the knight’s expression.
Barcas exhaled a weary sigh.
“I understand your concerns, given your position managing regions adjacent to the Northern Region, but you seem overly anxious. These are merely rumors, after all.”
“Does Your Grace mean to say you still stand with the Crown Prince?”
“Yes. House Sierkan will not come into conflict with the Crown Prince.”
Only then did relief appear on the elderly knight’s face.
“Thank you for your candid response. With Your Grace’s reassurance, I believe I can finally set my worries aside.”
“I’m glad it proved helpful.”
Barcas offered a formal reply and rose from his seat with measured composure.
The elderly knight followed suit, standing as well. With a light gesture, I stopped him and strode quickly from the Reception Hall.
Dusk had already settled over the Corridor. I walked along the deepening shadows, my mind working rapidly to organize my thoughts.
Gareth’s hasty actions were hardly surprising. Given his suspicious nature, my assurances would not have fully set his mind at ease. His reaching toward the Northern Region to build independent power was within the scope of expected movements. However, the speed at which these rumors were spreading warranted caution.
‘…It seems the Empress’s influence is beginning to extend into the Eastern Territories.’
Otherwise, there was no way the Crown Prince’s movements could have spread so quickly. That woman had not abandoned her plan to drive a wedge between myself and Gareth.
Barcas rubbed his chin and turned his gaze toward the window.
Gray clouds gathered in the sky as if rain were approaching, and dusk settled over the overgrown Flower Bed and pathways.
As I gazed absently at that desolate landscape, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
The woman I had personally laid upon the bed before departing was wandering the Garden alone, without even a single attendant to accompany her.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————