TFM 120

Chapter 120

***

Talia felt something warm filling her inside as she let her limbs go limp.

The man who had been lying on top of her sat up. At the same moment, whatever had been filling her slowly slipped out.

Talia bit her lip at the unfamiliar sensation and pressed her thighs tightly together.

Just then, his hand settled on her bandaged leg. Talia let out a startled scream.

“Don’t touch me!”

In the darkness, she could see Varkas’s shoulders stiffen noticeably.

Ignoring that, she hurriedly pulled down the hem of her skirt, which had ridden up, and stepped off the bed.

Just as she was about to move her trembling legs toward the door, a strong arm wrapped around her waist. In an instant, she was pulled back onto the bed.

Talia instinctively flailed her arms.

“L-let go of me! It’s all over now. I’m going back to my room!”

He gripped her wrist tightly, his eyes blazing.

“You’re just going to finish your business and leave?”

“That’s what I said from the start.”

Talia swallowed the tears threatening to spill over and glared at him with a fierce look.

“I have no business with you anymore.”

For a moment, the air in the room froze solid.

She felt the painful pressure of his grip tightening around her wrist. She wrenched her arm free and crawled to the edge of the bed.

I never threw myself into his arms out of love. So there’s no reason for me to linger here.

Muttering to herself as if in a trance, she staggered out of bed.

At that moment, Varkas—spewing incomprehensible words in the Eastern language—snatched up the torch that had fallen to the floor and wrapped his arm tightly around her body.

Trapped in his firm embrace, Talia lost her composure and began to struggle violently.

“No! Let me go!”

But he didn’t even pretend to listen.

In the blink of an eye, Varkas, who had tightly wrapped himself around her, strode out of the room with his pants still hanging loosely around his waist.

The servants guarding the doorway stared at them with their mouths agape. But Varkas didn’t bat an eye.

Carrying her in his arms, Varkas walked straight down the hallway, climbed the stairs, and opened the door to the bedroom on the third floor.

Talia glared at him, her face streaked with sweat and tears. The light from the candlesticks illuminated his sweat-drenched, sleek torso, his disheveled silver hair, and his blue eyes and handsome features.

Even though he appeared more vulnerable than ever, he still seemed unyielding and cold.

“Is that enough now?”

Varkas spat out the words coldly as he set her down on the bed.

Talia pulled the blanket up to her chin and turned her back on him. She knew Varkas was angry, but it was none of her business.

“I want to be alone. Get out.”

“…”

“Please, I said get out.”

As she shouted harshly in a trembling voice, his expressionless face finally contorted.

Taking a deep breath, Varkas leaned down in front of her.

“Just tell me this. Did I hurt you?”

Yes. You always hurt me.

She was about to retort, but closed her mouth. She knew in her head that it was an unfair response.

It was she who had barged in unannounced and forced him into bed. She also knew that acting as if she’d been raped would make her look ridiculous.

But at this very moment, such rational thoughts were of no help at all. She shook her head, clutching her knees tightly like a caterpillar curled up inside its cocoon.

“I just want to rest. So please, just leave me alone. I don’t want to look at you anymore.”

Perhaps his patience had run out with her stubborn attitude. His entire body stiffened, and she could see tendons bulging all over his bare torso. It was a terrifyingly menacing sight.

But as always, he calmed down in an instant. Taking another deep breath, Varkas stood up with a stern expression.

“I’ll have a healer come so we can check on your condition.”

“I don’t need it.”

“I won’t leave unless you promise to get proper treatment.”

Suddenly, Varkas’s tone grew harsh.

Talia, who had been glaring at him with tear-filled eyes, nodded immediately.

“I get it… please, just go.”

His jaw clenched tightly.

The man, who had stood motionless for a long time as if wanting to say something, finally turned away.

Soon after, the sound of the door opening and closing echoed through the room, and a ruin-like silence settled in. Talia, who had been listening to the steady rhythm of his footsteps, curled up into a ball, lay down, and closed her eyes.

She was excruciatingly tired. So much so that she wanted to just melt away and disappear……

***

A flock of hawks was gliding in circles over a field bathed in autumn light. A few of them descended toward the ground in graceful arcs. Where they were heading, the carcass of a stallion, torn apart by a predator, lay sprawled out.

These were the traces of wolves that had appeared out of nowhere the previous dawn.

“Fortunately, I hear there were no human casualties. But I’m told the damage to the ranch is considerable.”

Varkas watched as the tawny bird of prey tore flesh from the horse’s ribs, then turned his gaze toward the gently rolling ridgeline.

Beyond the collapsed stone wall, he could see three or four mares lying on the ground. All of them had their throats and bellies torn open. Daren, who had followed his gaze, let out a deep sigh.

“I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that the Nornek Mountain stallions are unharmed……………”

“Have you assembled a punitive force?”

“The guards have been combing the Armund Forest since early this morning. But I hear they’ve vanished without a trace. It seems they’re a pack led by a very cunning leader.”

“Double the number of trackers and station guards around the ranches and the outskirts of the village.”

Varkas, gripping Torque’s reins with his leather-gloved hand, issued the order in a heavy, somber tone. Daren immediately nodded to the subordinates standing behind him.

“You heard that? Go relay His Excellency’s orders to your units immediately.”

Two soldiers leaped over the broken fence and ran toward the castle walls.

Turning his head again to assess the damage to the ranch, Varkas soon set off toward the village.

The small village north of Kalmore was teeming with people who had come out to catch a glimpse of the new lord. As he walked along the gravel-paved road without so much as a glance in their direction, Daren, who had been quietly following behind, cautiously spoke up.

“Troubles have been piling up one after another lately. As if the Zram drug addicts running rampant weren’t enough, now there’s a pack of wolves causing havoc as well.”

“…”

“I know you must be troubled by the string of unfortunate events since the succession ceremony, but please do take care of yourself. Your complexion hasn’t been what it used to be lately.”

Varkas, who had been walking in silence, came to a sudden halt and turned to look at him. Perhaps thinking he had offended him, the man immediately bowed his head.

“Please forgive me if that was an impertinent remark. It was out of concern for Your Excellency’s well-being…….”

“Do I look that tired that you’d worry about me?”

Varkas asked, stroking his chin.

After studying his face for a moment, the man scratched the back of his head and said awkwardly,

“You’ve seemed particularly sensitive these past few days. I wondered if perhaps you weren’t sleeping well.”

Furrowing his brow, Varkas turned away again and replied with a sigh.

“It seems I’ve caused you worry. I’ll try to keep it in mind.”

It was true that for the past few days, he hadn’t managed to get even three or four hours of sleep a day. It wasn’t just because of the mountain of official business piling up.

He turned his head and looked up at the fortress perched on the hill.

The midday autumn sunlight was pouring down upon the massive structure where she was staying.

That woman must still be holed up in her room right now.

Suddenly feeling a metallic, bitter taste spread through his mouth, he ran the tip of his tongue over the inside of his cheeks. Blood was seeping from the flesh caught between his molars. It was a strange habit he’d developed recently.

He scraped the flesh inside his tattered cheek with his tongue and swallowed the metallic liquid. As the scent of blood brushed the tip of his nose, an unpleasant afterimage surfaced.

Furrowing his brow at the strange heat rippling through his stomach, Varkas roughly ran his fingers through his hair.