TFM 113

Chapter 113

***

"Prepare the funeral according to protocol."

After confirming that his heart had completely stopped, Varkas instructed in a calm voice.

Raina, who had been sobbing while clutching her father’s hand as it grew cold, looked up and glared at him. She seemed to resent her brother for not showing any sign of grief.

In contrast, Lucas appeared quite composed. Although his eyes were bloodshot, he seemed to have already braced himself for this, and he soothed his younger sister with a calm demeanor.

“Stop crying now. Father has gone to a better place.”

However, Raina’s sobs showed no sign of subsiding.

Finally, Lucas wrapped his arms around her shoulders and led her outside. Only then did the priests who had been waiting lower the curtains around the bed and begin to wash the deceased’s body with water infused with herbs.

Talia watched the ritual in silence, then, overcome by exhaustion, tugged at Varkas’s cloak.

“Let’s go now. There’s no need for us to stay here any longer.”

Although a few cast disapproving glances their way, Talia paid them no mind.

Varkas, who had been looking down at his father’s cold, lifeless face, nodded impassively.

“Let’s go.”

Without further delay, they stepped out into the hallway.

Outside the bedchamber, servants who had gathered to witness the Grand Duke’s final moments were lined up. They all simultaneously removed their hats to pay their respects.

Talia scrutinized their expressions. Judging by the somber looks on most of their faces, that eccentric old man must have been a pretty decent lord after all. He was probably not a bad father to Lucas and Raina, either. But for Varkas, he must have been an exception.

Glancing sideways at him, Talia cautiously spoke up.

“Earlier… what was that all about?”

The man gave her a puzzled look. Talia continued awkwardly.

“Your father said something strange just now.”

“It was nothing more than the ramblings of a dying old man. ”

Speaking firmly, Varkas suddenly scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs.

Talia glared at him suspiciously.

“Why did he say such nonsense?”

After a moment of silence, the man spoke with a calm expression.

“Your Highness must have heard the rumors about our family as well.”

“The rumor that the ancient Shiokan clan used demonic powers?”

Varkas let out a dry laugh at her blunt remark and calmly acknowledged it.

“In fact, some members of the Shiokan clan were born with strange powers. My father believed I was one of them.”

Talia’s eyes widened.

“Is that really true?”

A cynical smile returned to his face.

“What do you think?”

She looked uneasy.

Seeing her expression, the smile faded from Varkas’s lips.

“Unfortunately, I possess no abilities whatsoever.”

Before they knew it, they had reached the bedroom door.

Varkas pulled the doorknob and strode into the room.

Talia shivered as the chilly air hit her. Seeing this, Varkas immediately set her down on the bed and draped a blanket over her shoulders.

A moment later, a few servants poured into the room, lit a fire in the fireplace, and set down trays of wine and food.

After the servants, who had been bustling about the room for a while, withdrew all at once, Talia asked her question again.

“Do you really have no abilities at all?”

Varkas, who had been taking off his coat and hanging it on the wall, turned to look at her and furrowed his brow.

After gauging his reaction for a moment, Talia pressed the issue persistently.

“According to rumors, Empress Bernadette could read other people’s minds……………….”

“It’s all nothing but baseless rumors.”

His tone grew sharp.

“She was simply a little more sensitive to others’ emotions than most people.”

Though she flinched at Varkas’s cold gaze, Talia pressed him again.

“So really, you can’t see anything at all?”

He stared intently at her face.

Talia felt she understood why the dead old man had believed his son possessed some special ability.

His blue eyes, strewn with silver flecks, were like living, breathing blades. As she froze, feeling as though those dagger-like eyes were dissecting every corner of her mind, Varkas suddenly let out a wry smile.

“Are you afraid I’ll see right through you?”

Talia flinched and lowered her gaze.

Varkas stepped closer to the bed, grabbed her chin, and stared intently into her face.

“I’m starting to wonder what you’re hiding in your head that has you trembling like that.”

“Who said I was trembling!”

Talia flinched and swatted his hand away. It was unlikely, but the thought that he might actually be seeing into her innermost thoughts made her break out in a cold sweat.

Varkas, who had been looking down at her with a cold gaze, said dryly,

“Your mind is safe, so don’t worry needlessly.”

Then, as if he had no intention of continuing the conversation, he turned his back on her.

“Have your dinner first. If you’re going to attend the funeral tomorrow, you’ll need to replenish your strength today.”

After offering this advice in a gruff voice, Varkas set the tray of food beside the bed and walked over to the fireplace to stoke the flames.

Talia, who had been silently watching his back, lowered her gaze to the tray.

Perhaps it was because she had grown accustomed to him feeding her over the past few days. Trying to eat on her own made her feel a little empty. As if to shake off that feeling, she picked up a small piece of bread and forced herself to take a bite.

As her head cleared, she felt ashamed of her absurd suspicion. He couldn’t possibly have the power to read minds, could he? If he did, he would never have felt any pity or sense of responsibility toward her.

If he knew how long she had been obsessed with him, he would surely have been disgusted…

***

Just as she had foreseen, on the day the funeral began, ice-cold rain poured down from the sky. However, from the very next day onward, sunny days followed one after another.

Thanks to this, the late Grand Duke of Shiokan was laid to rest in the cathedral crypt east of Kalmore, bathed in dazzling sunlight.

After the private family funeral was held in a solemn atmosphere, mourners lined up to pay their respects.

Envoys who had traveled from afar attended the grand funeral mass and stayed at Raedgo Castle for about a week before departing.

The Grand Lord’s funeral lasted anywhere from one to three months, and during that time, the castle transformed into a gathering place where envoys exchanged views. And because of this, Talia was forced to endure a grueling time.

Dressed in traditional Eastern attire and leaning against the railing, Talia looked down at the bustling hall as if she were thoroughly fed up with it all.

Although she had been using her health as an excuse to skip banquets and funeral masses, she could not avoid making an appearance before the guests.

She reluctantly descended the stairs. As she stepped into the hall, taking care not to reveal her limping gait, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned toward her. Her heart sank.

Although she no longer panicked as she once did, she still found people’s stares uncomfortable. This remained true even after she realized that most people didn’t notice the scar on her body.

She managed to force something resembling a smile onto her stiff face.

“Thank you all for coming such a long way. Please make yourselves at home.”

“Thank you for your kind welcome, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

A young man, gazing up at her with rapt eyes, replied in an enthusiastic tone.

Talia turned away naturally, trying hard not to let her unease show.

At that moment, someone deftly stepped in front of her.

“I’ve been told that our guests have brought a special gift for Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”

It was Daren Dru Shiokan.

The man, impeccably dressed in formal attire, led her effortlessly into the banquet hall. It seemed he was determined to drag her into the social gathering of the Eastern nobility, even though she had intended to slip away after a brief greeting.

Suppressing the urge to shake off the hand resting on her forearm, Talia strolled leisurely through the crowd of guests.

As she stepped into the lavishly decorated banquet hall, she spotted Lucas and Raina, both dressed in mourning attire.

It was only upon seeing their somber expressions that she finally realized this chaotic scene was actually a funeral.

Swallowing a sneer, Talia took her seat at the head of the long banquet table.

Raina, seated a short distance away, shot her a sharp glare the moment she saw her.

Ignoring it, she spoke to Daren in a disinterested tone.

“You said you prepared a gift? Bring it over.”

The man, giving a wry smile at her haughty attitude, beckoned to the servants. Soon, a chamberlain arrived carrying a large chest.

“This is a gift prepared by Baron Basilar.”

Inside the box was a fabric of mysterious hues, clearly crafted by the elves.

Exclamations of awe erupted from all around at the rare gift, whose value rivaled that of a whole castle. The man who had presented the gift also looked triumphant.

However, Talia felt no sense of excitement. Ever since she’d been scarred, she had completely lost interest in personal adornment.

Talia, who had been staring down at the chest with a disinterested expression, muttered a perfunctory greeting.

“Thank you. I’ll make sure to keep it safe.”

Seemingly taken aback by her dry response, the baron’s face stiffened slightly.

Ignoring it, she was about to rise from her seat when the sound of hurried footsteps reached her from outside the hall. It seemed another distinguished guest had arrived.

She let out a weary sigh. Just then, the butler’s breathless voice cut through the room.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, a diplomatic delegation has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”