TFM 105

Chapter 105

***

Talia glared at them with a stony expression.

“What? Why the gawking? Didn’t they put it up there for everyone to see?”

At her sharp retort, the men, who had been clutching their bowls and blinking, awkwardly looked away.

Talia snorted defiantly, pushed Varkas’s arm away, and limped toward the front of the carriage.

Varkas, who had followed her, grabbed her elbow. Talia stared at him with a tense expression.

Any ordinary noblewoman would have collapsed in shock or politely averted her eyes from the corpse. Was he about to reprimand her for behaving inappropriately for a Grand Duchess? As she shot him a wary glance, Varkas gently turned her around.

“From here on, we must travel on horseback.”

While she stood frozen by his unexpected words, he led her toward the line of horses.

Talia spoke urgently.

“I can’t ride a horse!”

“Do not worry. Your Highness will ride with me.”

As he whistled lightly, Torque, who had been grazing in the pasture, came galloping over, his black mane flying.

Talia stared at the gray warhorse, which looked as if it were woven from steel, as if it were a terrifying monster.

Torque was a creature in a completely different league from the Nornech blood-sweat horse that Gareth paraded around for show.

With a frame more imposing than that of an ordinary steed, a ferocious temperament bordering on that of a wild horse, and an arrogance that looked down on every living thing except Varkas…

Talia detested this fierce horse that Varkas cherished so dearly. And she felt the same way about Torque.

She turned away in a fluster, trying to avoid the stallion that snorted at her the moment it saw her. But Varkas immediately grabbed her by the arm.

“Let go of me! I’m going to ride in the carriage!”

“The road gets rough from here on out. If you ride in the carriage, you won’t last even half a day before collapsing.”

“I’d rather collapse than ride that filthy, stinking beast!”

A few Easterners who were saddling their horses a short distance away shot her a look as if they couldn’t believe their ears. Their expressions seemed to say they simply couldn’t believe that anyone in the world could possibly hate horses.

They call them a horse-crazy people, after all.

Talia clenched her teeth.

“Let go of me right now!”

Varkas exhaled sharply, then swept her up in his arms and set her on the saddle.

Talia screamed and clung desperately to Torque’s neck.

Varkas, who had mounted behind her, pulled her stiff body close to his chest. Forgetting all sense of shame, Talia wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Her knees went weak, as if Torque were about to hurl her to the ground at any moment.

“Let me down.”

“Just relax and lean back. I won’t let you fall.”

Talia lifted her chin high and shot him a fierce glare.

She wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face, but she couldn’t move a muscle, afraid Torque might go berserk.

She ground out each word through clenched teeth.

“Put me down this instant!”

Varkas pretended not to hear her and gave the reins a sharp tug. Talia hurriedly clamped her mouth shut, afraid she might bite her tongue.

Her vision swayed unsteadily with the horse’s movements. Feeling a slight dizziness, she closed her eyes tightly, but then a familiar voice reached her ears from nearby.

“Everything is ready. Shall we depart immediately?”

It was a retainer named Daren.

Varkas nodded toward him.

“Divide the troops into two groups. Half will follow me, and the other half will follow behind, pulling the supply wagons.”

Following Varkas’s orders, the cavalry moved in perfect unison.

Talia, who had been watching the scene through half-closed eyelids, cringed when she spotted several more corpses hanging on one side of the village square. Noticing this, Varkas blocked her view.

“Don’t look.”

A stern voice brushed past her ear. He turned the horse’s head and added,

“They’ve raided this village countless times. We’ve put them on display to appease the villagers’ anger and send a warning to other raiders—not as a spectacle.”

Talia said nothing in reply. Varkas, who had been quietly watching her as she kept her lips tightly sealed, urged his horse onward up the hill.

A gust of wind, carrying the scent of grass, swept in from somewhere. The cries of beasts that had echoed through the night were faintly mingled within it.

A frivolous thought suddenly crossed her mind.

Would those criminals be reborn as beasts and sing songs for someone else?

Perhaps, someday, I too...

Talia, who had been gazing at the lush forest glowing a deep blue, soon shook off her futile musings with a bitter smile.

***

The tour of the domain was now drawing to a close.

Having visited every village, large and small, in the eastern and western regions, the cavalry turned north. Traveling diligently along the river, they finally reached their final destination, Tarlin.

Spotting the majestic sand-colored castle walls on the horizon, the cavalrymen let out a raucous cheer.

“Looks like we’ll be able to rest comfortably tonight.”

Daren pulled on the reins to slow down and called out in a cheerful voice. Varkas said nothing in reply, but turned his horse’s head to survey the group following behind. Among the long line of supply wagons, a luxurious travel carriage caught his eye.

He had forced her to sit on his saddle while traversing the rugged terrain, but since she was so frail and timid, she couldn’t even endure two hours of riding.

In the end, as soon as they emerged from the rough terrain, he had no choice but to put his wife back in the carriage. It seemed better for her to endure the swaying carriage while taking sleeping potions.

She was probably still drowsy from the medicine, enduring the motion sickness.

Varkas, who had been watching the curtained carriage window, soon moved to the front of the procession.

He felt he needed to hurry to their destination so she could get some proper rest.

He spurred his horse to increase their speed. Before long, the city walls encircling the town came into view. As he raised one arm, the cavalrymen following behind him hoisted high the banner embroidered with the emblem of the Black Horse. Soon, the iron-clad city gates swung wide open, and the bustling cityscape unfolded before their eyes.

“Thank you for making the long journey!”

As they moved along the main street, the city’s security guards came out to greet them. Varkas acknowledged their welcome with a slight nod.

“Who is in charge of this city?”

“Lord Temuran. He is the administrator personally appointed by Your Excellency’s father.”

A middle-aged man who appeared to be the captain of the guards replied in a calm tone.

“The Lord is currently in poor health and is convalescing at Tarlin Castle. He sends his apologies for not being able to greet you in person.”

Varkas gazed at the fortress towering over the city center. While it looked quite imposing from the outside, it seemed a bit too small to accommodate hundreds of knights.

He gave an order to Daren.

“We’ll have to leave only the bare minimum here and find separate lodging for the rest. See if we can rent out an entire inn.”

“Understood.”

Daren left behind a dozen or so elite knights, along with Lucas Raedgo Shiokan, and headed for the outskirts of the city.

Varkas gave a nod to his younger brother, who had visibly grown gaunt over the past few weeks.

“Don’t just stand back there—come over here.”

“Can’t I stay at the inn with Daren….?”

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

Lucas approached slowly, looking glum. Varkas, who had been watching him with a cold gaze, turned his attention back to the captain of the guard.

“Lead the way now.”

“Ah… please come this way.”

The captain of the guard hurried forward.

As they followed him into the city center, a wide plaza and a massive citadel came into view.

Varkas leaped down from his horse and approached a carriage parked at one end of the open space. He cautiously opened the door, and the figure of a woman slumped in the seat came into view.

He climbed into the carriage and lifted her by the back. The woman, roused from a light sleep, rubbed her eyes and let out a soft, nasal whimper.

“...Are we here?”

“Yes, we’ve just arrived. I’ll take care of this, so please get some more rest, Your Highness.”

Sliding his other arm under her knees, Varkas lifted her absurdly light body.

The woman, who would normally have thrown a tantrum insisting on walking on her own, surprisingly wrapped her arms around his neck.