TFM 64

Chapter 64

***

"Do you know why I want to marry you?"

Varkas stared at her intently. She spoke as if forcing the words out against her expressionless face.

"To watch you suffer. That’s why I want to marry you."

“…”

"I want you to be in pain. A lot of pain."

His eyes sank into the depths.

She held her breath, waiting for his reply. She hoped that his indifferent face would crumble, that he would fly into a rage, shudder with disgust, and cast her aside.

Tell me it won’t work out.

Tell me you could never take a woman like me as your wife.

Even if my heart shatters into nothingness, at least we might be able to save the rest of each other’s lives.

But as always, he betrayed her expectations.

As if he’d heard something trivial, Varkas let out a short sigh, brushed her hand off his clothes, and straightened his posture.

“The wedding will take place as soon as possible.”

Then he walked over to the window and opened it.

The breeze that brushed past her swept over her face.

Talia quietly took in the sight of him, bathed in the glow of the sunset. A deep, resonant voice drifted faintly to her ears.

“That would be better for both of us, wouldn’t it?”

What did he mean by that?

Did he mean it’s better to get annoying things out of the way quickly?

Talia, who had been staring into his eyes as if searching for an answer, soon felt a deep wave of fatigue and closed her eyes.

It didn’t matter anymore. She wouldn’t bother trying to uncover his true feelings any longer.

If he had taken her in out of a sense of duty, then she had chosen to stay by his side to repay the debt she owed him. Therefore, she wouldn’t make the foolish mistake of expecting anything from him.

She repeated the vow she had made thousands of times before.

Tonight would be the last night; she would put an end to this cursed love.

But she knew.

That the love she killed today would come back to haunt her tomorrow………….

***

The entire imperial palace was abuzz with excitement over the Second Princess’s upcoming wedding.

Under the Empress’s direct supervision, the maids of the main palace began lavishly decorating the ceremony hall, while the servants shuttled back and forth between the food storehouse and the kitchen without a moment’s rest, preparing the wine and food to be served to the guests.

Yet despite all the hustle and bustle, a heavy, unsettling atmosphere lingered somewhere within the palace.

As Edric made his way out of the supply depot, he spotted a group of cadets huddled in a corner of the drill ground, whispering among themselves, and his eyebrows knitted together. An utterly distasteful remark had pierced his ears.

“So, in the end, it seems the mother and daughter have had their men stolen from them across generations.”

He watched the boy who was chuckling frivolously with keen interest. As the son of Viscount Kendon, he was a troublemaker who had formed a clique among the squires.

The boy continued as he placed his training weapon on the rack.

“I hear the Second Princess is the spitting image of Her Majesty the Empress? With a face like that, it’s no wonder Lord Shiokan fell for her.”

“Do you think the Commander knows?”

The burly boy shook his head.

“It’s a marriage that wouldn’t have happened in the first place if it weren’t for His Majesty’s command. It’s just that Her Royal Highness the First Princess wasn’t the one.”

“Oh, you naive fool. What kind of family is the Shiokan? Do you think they’d just swap out a fiancé at the Emperor’s mere command?”

The boy clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Come on, they accepted it because they were willing to! Besides, wasn’t Lord Shiokan the Second Princess’s personal guard? If you think about it, maybe they’ve had their eyes on each other for a while? From what I heard from people who attended the pilgrimage, there was something a bit off about the two of them…………….”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Do you know how much the Second Princess tormented the Commander back when he was in the guard? What good is a pretty face? I saw her temper firsthand—I can’t believe they actually hit it off.”

An apprentice who was organizing arrows for archery practice snorted loudly.

“Besides, the Second Princess ended up disabled because of this accident. Who in their right mind would marry a woman like that when there’s someone like Her Highness the First Princess? There’s no doubt she pulled some kind of wicked scheme behind the scenes…….”

“It seems training these days is all talk.”

Edric, unable to bear listening any longer, suddenly interrupted, causing the apprentice knights to startle and snap to attention.

He scanned the boys with a cold gaze.

“Are you aware that the conversation you just had could be considered an offense of insulting the royal family?”

The boys’ faces instantly turned pale.

Edric studied each of their faces closely before adding sternly,

“The Roem Knights are an organization formed to protect the Imperial Family. If you intend to become a member, you’d do well to at least keep in mind that you shouldn’t speak carelessly about the Imperial Family in public.”

“I’m—I’m sorry, Sir Rubon.”

The boys bowed with stiff, contrite expressions.

Edrick watched them in silence for a moment, then slowly turned and began walking toward the Knights’ quarters.

Just then, a heavy arm landed on his shoulder.

Edric turned his head and his eyes widened at the sight of his senior knight, Sir Theoric Hart.

He chuckled.

“They’re in top form.”

“What brings you to the training grounds at this hour?”

Edric looked up at the bell tower with a puzzled expression.

It wasn’t even noon yet. Wasn’t this the busiest time of day for senior knights, busy with their duties at the main palace?

At his questioning gaze, Sir Hart chuckled and ruffled his hair with his large hand.

“I came running here in a hurry to share some good news. Your probation is finally over. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be serving in my direct unit again.”

Edric paused and looked up at him. Even though it was clearly welcome news, a wave of mixed emotions washed over him for a moment.

He asked hesitantly.

“Then, who will be in charge of Her Highness the Second Princess’s escort?”

His superior’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He removed his arm from Edric’s shoulder and let out a heavy sigh.

“The Roem Knights have been completely excluded from the Second Princess’s guard. Her Majesty the Empress raised the issue, questioning whether we had intentionally neglected Her Highness the Second Princess’s protection. She even made it clear that she would not entrust the Second Prince’s guard to the Roem Knights either.”

Edric’s face hardened. It was a decision that effectively dragged the Roem Knights’ honor through the mud.

Since the founding of the Empire, the Roem Knights had served as the royal family’s personal bodyguards, protecting them at their side. Their very identity had been denied.

Edric dropped his head in defeat.

“I’m sorry. Because I failed in my duty, the Knights have suffered such humiliation………… .”

“It’s not your fault. This was an accident no one could have foreseen. So there’s no need to blame yourself.”

Theoric patted him on the shoulder in consolation.

But when his face remained grim, Theoric—who had been rubbing the back of his neck as if deep in thought—suddenly led his men out of the training ground. Edric followed him, looking bewildered.

After walking in silence for a while, he finally spoke once they reached a deserted open space.

“I know you’re a man with a strong sense of responsibility. But this really isn’t your fault, so don’t worry about it unnecessarily.”

Edric furrowed his brow.

“I was Her Highness’s personal knight. Strictly speaking, the primary responsibility for the failure of her protection lies with me, doesn’t it? So how can I…!”

“That day’s attack was the result of the Empress’s scheme.”

Edric froze, staring blankly at his superior’s face.

Theoric, who had been staring at the floor with a somber expression, continued in a calm tone.

“Don’t you find it strange? That wyverns would attack an army in a pack at a time like that… Large monsters like wyverns don’t usually attack armed troops unless their territory is invaded. Besides, our camp was located quite a distance away from their habitat.”

“Well, I did think it was strange too… but even so, I can’t just conclude that the Empress orchestrated it…”

“Before the attack, there were reports that the Second Princess’s attendants were acting suspiciously.”

His tone grew stiff.

“On top of that, traces of high-level magic were discovered in the area near the incident. Most likely, someone deliberately stirred up the wyverns’ habitat.”

Edric stared blankly, his mouth agape.

As the full implications of his superior’s words sank in, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

“But the Second Princess was also participating in this pilgrimage, wasn’t she? How could Her Majesty do such a thing when her own daughter could have been harmed…?”

“That’s exactly why she was able to easily avoid suspicion.”

Edric stared at him, speechless, his face drained of color.

He continued in a somber tone.

“The Empress is a frighteningly thorough person. She conducted a secret investigation immediately after the accident, but aside from a few circumstantial clues, she left not a single piece of conclusive evidence behind. On top of that, the biggest victim in this incident is the Empress’s own daughter. In a situation like this, who would dare to raise any questions?”

Edric slowly lowered his gaze.

The image of the princess, buried under a pile of rocks and weeping, flashed through his mind.

He also recalled how she had writhed in agony throughout the emergency treatment.

That woman had been reduced to that state by her own mother.

It felt as if his stomach were turning inside out.