The Forgotten Field - Chapter 146

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 146
Yet he had always stood against me.
Now he played the devoted husband, but I could never know when he might turn his back on me again.
She continued with fervent intensity.
“Once this child is born, teach him to ride. You Eastern Faction people learn horsemanship before you even learn to walk, don’t you? This child is half Eastern, after all….”
Talia had been prattling on, intent on fostering Barcas’s attachment to the child, when it suddenly occurred to her what would happen if he actually placed an unsteady infant atop that foul-smelling, temperamental beast. She hastily added a caveat.
“But only after he’s grown enough. And… if he’s too frightened, I don’t want you to force him. This child takes after me….”
She had been about to say he might be timid, but quickly corrected herself.
“He might simply dislike horses.”
“…That would be rather problematic.”
Barcas gazed down at her lower abdomen, and a faint furrow appeared between his brows.
“To govern the Eastern Territories in my stead, horsemanship is essential. The heir of the Grand Ducal House must command six hundred thousand cavalry forces.”
Talia’s expression darkened.
She harbored not the slightest intention of sending the precious child growing within her womb to the battlefield.
Let Barcas and his knights handle such dangerous matters. My child and I would remain in safety, living happily together.
She swallowed the words she desperately wanted to speak.
What mattered was that Barcas clearly recognized this child as the heir to the Grand Ducal House.
“Then teach him slowly, so he comes to enjoy riding.”
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. His expression remained difficult to read, yet Talia found she could now discern the concern and anticipation glimmering in his eyes without difficulty.
He spoke gently.
“Do not worry. Once the child is born, I intend to raise him with patience and care. More importantly… does the child’s movement cause you distress?”
“Of course it does!”
In truth, such vigorous movements were unprecedented, but Talia deliberately exaggerated her complaint.
Barcas’s expression immediately hardened.
“Have you spoken with the Healer? Is there perhaps some method to alleviate the pain…?”
“She suggested using a sleeping draught, but I refused. It might harm the child.”
Eager for him to understand how deeply she cared for the child, Talia laid bare her concerns in meticulous detail.
Barcas stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.
“You may follow the Healer’s counsel. Your Highness must remain healthy to ensure a safe delivery.”
“I’m perfectly capable of managing now.”
Talia bristled in protest.
“Every woman in the world endures this. Why should I be any different?”
A skeptical look crossed Barcas’s face. As his gaze naturally drifted toward her legs, Talia felt her face flush with humiliation.
Why? Does he think I’m crippled and incapable of bearing a child? She barely restrained herself from hurling the accusation at him.
If his awareness of her damaged body deepened his guilt and sense of responsibility, if it made him prioritize her and the child above all else, then she could endure any amount of shame.
She concealed her aching heart and offered him a deliberately coy smile.
“Why are you taking it so seriously, you fool? I was merely being petulant.”
“….”
“You’ve always been like this, but you’re far too rigid. You never joke, and you take even the lightest banter far too seriously.”
“How can I treat my pregnant wife’s suffering as a jest?”
Barcas exhaled a sigh of exasperation. Mollified by his words, Talia allowed him to continue caressing her belly a while longer.
Shortly after, the Handmaidens entered the chamber bearing food.
Barcas watched her eat, then changed his clothes and departed.
Talia waited for his return late into the night, but exhaustion claimed her—days of sleeplessness had drained her completely, and she surrendered to slumber.
She collapsed into unconsciousness so profound that pain became meaningless. When she finally stirred, the sun had already climbed to its zenith the following day.
Rubbing her gritty eyes as though sand had lodged beneath the lids, I first placed my hand upon my lower abdomen to confirm the child’s wellbeing.
Yesterday it had thrashed so violently, yet today it lay still and docile. Perhaps the child, too, had needed a deep, restorative sleep. Lost in such musings, I surveyed the chamber.
Barcas was nowhere to be seen, yet traces of his presence lingered throughout the room. He must have slipped away quietly, unwilling to disturb my much-needed rest.
I rose from the bed at once and began to dress. Perhaps among Barcas’s attendants, stewards, or soldiers, someone had overheard news brought by Edrick Lubon. I intended to interrogate them.
“Forget that coat. Bring me something that won’t draw attention.”
The Handmaidens exchanged uncertain glances as they retrieved the silver-furred cloak.
Talia tilted her head in confusion.
“Why?”
“No matter what you wear, Your Highness will surely stand out.”
The Handmaiden flushed crimson, her voice dropping to an embarrassed murmur. In no mood for flattery, I released an irritated sigh.
“Then just bring me any coat.”
The Handmaiden promptly returned with a thick woolen robe. I draped it across my shoulders and carefully left the chamber. Fortunately, the pain in my lower back had subsided enough that movement proved manageable.
“Do you know what the Knight who visited last night said?”
As I traversed the Corridor, I spotted Barcas’s attendant and fired the question at him without preamble.
The boy, who appeared scarcely twenty years old, flinched as though struck by a whip and stammered helplessly.
“I, I… that is…”
I scowled. Most people treated me as though I were an infected wound best left untouched, but lately that tendency had intensified.
I pressed him further.
“Why can’t you speak plainly? Did you overhear anything?”
“I’m terribly sorry, Grand Duchess. I know nothing. I retired early last night…”
“Then who attended to Barcas last night?”
“That is… I’m not entirely certain…”
What kind of simpleton does Barcas keep around him?
I glared at the boy, who could barely open his mouth, when a weary voice sounded from behind me.
“If you have questions, ask me directly. Why interrogate an innocent?”
I spun around reflexively and froze upon seeing Edrick Lubon scratching the back of his head.
He released a heavy sigh and strode toward me with deliberate steps.
“I’ll answer whatever I’m able to. First, let’s move to a more private location…”
My eyes instinctively fixed upon the sword hilt at his waist.
The thought seized me that perhaps this man had come at Aila’s or Gareth’s command to do me harm. Gripped by irrational dread, I stumbled backward. My footing faltered, and I lost my balance entirely.
In that instant, the man lunged forward with startling speed, seizing my wrist and yanking me toward him with brutal force. My nose collided with the hard breastplate of his armor, and I recoiled with a grimace, my body jerking away. A rough voice thundered from above my head.
“Stay still! You nearly fell down the stairs!”
I spun around in alarm.
The first step of the long staircase descending to the ground floor lay directly behind my heels.
Realizing I had nearly tumbled down those stairs, I wrapped one arm protectively around my belly and hunched my shoulders in horror.
The man who had dragged her deeper into the corridor raised his voice in exasperation.
“Damn it, Your Highness—why must you be so reckless? How much longer must you torment everyone’s peace of mind…?”
“I understand. Let go.”
Talia wrenched her wrist free from his grip and studied the Guard Knight’s ashen face intently. When she saw him place a hand over his chest, breathing deeply as though his heart were racing, her anger dissolved entirely.
She felt foolish for having suspected that this man might be an assassin sent by her half-brothers.
This fool had stood against the Crown Prince of the Empire in his zeal to fulfill his duty as a Royal Guard Knight. Had he possessed the cunning for something as underhanded as assassination, he would never have committed such a stupid act in the first place.
Talia let her shoulders slump and spoke in a flat tone.
“It’s because you startled me. This is all your fault.”

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