TFM 121

Chapter 121

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 That night, when he returned to the bedroom, he was greeted by a bed bearing distinct bloodstains.

The moment he saw them in the bright light, his chest tightened and a chill seeped into his very bones.

He wanted to go back to her to check on her wounds, but the image of her pleading to be left alone flashed through his mind, and he couldn’t bring himself to take a step.

How long had he been staring at the cold, lifeless bed, unable to decide what to do? Suddenly, he was overcome by an urge to smash something.

Everything annoyed him—that woman who treated him however she pleased, himself for letting her sweep him along, and his own body, which refused to calm down, consumed by an uncontrollable heat.

Varkas clenched his jaw. She had always pushed him to his limits with her reckless and rash behavior. That night was simply more of the same. He tried to tell himself that, but his nerves, now on edge, refused to settle.

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

Just as they reached the city gates, Daren, who had been silently following behind, suddenly asked.

Snapping out of his reverie, Varkas frowned as he looked up at the sun sinking toward the castle tower.

Under normal circumstances, he should have been attending a gathering hosted by the Noble Alliance by now. But the main agenda items would surely be over by now. Showing up late would only mean wasting time on pointless posturing.

Having quickly reached a decision, Varkas immediately changed course.

“Let’s call it a day and head back.”

With that, he hopped onto his saddle and spurred his horse on.

By the time he reached the castle, the sky was already beginning to take on a faint purple hue.

Lifting his head, Varkas saw thin clouds gathering in the east and narrowed his eyes. He wondered if it might rain again. If that happened, the tracks left by the wolves would be washed away, and the hunt would face difficulties.

‘Nothing’s been going right lately.’

With a wry smile, Varkas leaped lightly from Torque’s back and climbed the stairs.

Upon entering the castle, servants waiting near the door removed the breastplate and cloak wrapped around his body.

He dismissed their intrusive hands with a casual wave and immediately crossed the spacious hall. Just then, he spotted a quarter-dwarf descending the stairs, carrying a bundle of clothes. Varkas strode up to the woman, who had frozen the moment she saw him, and asked her point-blank.

“How was Her Highness today?”

The woman, who had flinched slightly, soon began to chatter away.

“During the day, Her Highness had some fruit and a little mead, and for dinner, she had a few spoonfuls of oatmeal porridge with herbs. For a snack, she also had a drink made from fermented goat’s milk. Still, her stomach seems to be much better than before, as her appetite has increased slightly. It’s all thanks to the Grand Duke’s care.”

After listening silently to her lengthy explanation, Varkas asked in a cautious tone.

“How did she seem to be feeling?”

“Her mood was……………”

A look of embarrassment flashed across the woman’s face. Varkas glanced at the bundle of clothes cradled in her arms and twisted his lips. The colorful, ornate fabrics were torn to shreds and rolled up in a heap.

It seemed his wife, clearly upset about something, had taken her frustration out on the clothes.

“I suppose I don’t really need an answer.”

“Ah, Her Highness is just a little on edge. Still, she’s changed her mind today and…………….”

The woman, who had been hastily defending her mistress, suddenly fell silent and awkwardly lowered her gaze.

Varkas, who had been waiting for her to continue, realized she had no intention of finishing her sentence. With a faint sigh, he resumed his steps.

When he reached the door on the second floor, he saw the light of the setting sun streaming through the tall window, casting a long shadow across the marble floor. He turned his gaze toward the staircase leading to the third floor.

For a moment, the thought crossed his mind to go see her in person and check on her, but he dismissed the idea, knowing he would surely be turned away at the door. Ever since that day, she had kept her door locked and steadfastly refused to see him.

Rubbing the stiffness in the back of his neck, Varkas turned his head back toward his own bedroom.

Suddenly, he felt an intense fragrance brush against his nostrils and froze.

A strange shiver ran up his spine. Before he even realized it, he was gripping the doorknob and yanking it open roughly.

“You’re back sooner than I expected.”

The moment he stepped into the bedroom, a cool, delicate voice reached his ears. He turned his gaze toward the bed. The woman wearing a thin, deep-blue dress sat there, the flowing hem of her skirt spread out across the white sheets.

She pushed the book resting on her lap aside and continued speaking nonchalantly.

“I heard you’ve been busy with official business lately, so I thought you wouldn’t be back until the middle of the night.”

“……So that’s why you’re here?”

Almost instinctively, he closed the door behind him and asked,

“Did you think I wouldn’t be here?”

“If I didn’t want to run into you, why would I have been guarding an empty room? What I mean is…… I thought I’d have to wait quite a while for you to arrive.”

She said this, pursing her red-painted lips.

He realized she was only pretending to be calm and was actually extremely nervous, so he crossed his arms over his chest.

The rich fragrance filling the room seeped into his lungs, making his already frayed nerves even more on edge.

He gathered his wandering thoughts and glared at her warily.

“You were waiting for me?”

“That’s what I said.”

She snapped back irritably, then moistened her parched lips. She glanced at them briefly before turning her gaze toward the window.

He felt his lower abdomen stiffen as his body temperature gradually rose. Feeling irritated at himself for fidgeting like a stallion that had caught the scent of a mare, he snapped back sharply.

“Why?”

His voice unintentionally took on an accusatory tone.

He strode up to the bed and looked down at her menacingly.

“You’ve been blatantly avoiding me for the past few days, haven’t you?”

“That was… I just needed some time.”

A flicker of anxiety crossed her deep blue eyes. A faint blush rose to her pale cheeks and snow-white nape, and her scent grew even more intense.

Clutching his sweat-dampened fingers tightly, he pressed her harshly.

“What kind of time?”

She clutched the hem of her skirt with a nervous gesture.

“Time to recover…………….”

Her voice, squeezed out as if from a tight grip, instantly softened his aggression.

Varkas leaned forward toward her with a serious expression.

“That night, there were bloodstains on the sheets. Was the wound serious?”

“No, I’m fine. I heard it’s just a natural part of things.”

His relief at her answer was short-lived; her next words made him stiffen again.

“The wound has healed completely now, so we can sleep together without any problems.”

He stared down at her face, momentarily at a loss for words. She continued in a flat tone.

“If we want to have a child, we need to have sex regularly. The nanny said… it’s best to do it as often as possible.”

Varkas, who had been staring blankly, let out a dry laugh the next moment.

It seemed this woman was determined to treat him strictly as a stud for breeding.

He picked up the robe lying next to the bed and tossed it over her.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not really in the mood. Please leave my room now.”

“I told you, you don’t have the right to refuse.”

She straightened her back and shot him a sharp glare.

“This is your duty. It’s something you have to do, even if you don’t want to.”

He scowled.

Intellectually, he knew she was right. It was clearly his duty to produce an heir.

The reason he hadn’t demanded intimacy until now, despite knowing this, was that he was well aware she found a man’s touch utterly repulsive.

As long as Lucas was an option, there was no reason to place an unnecessary burden on her body.

But if she were to ask, that would be a different story. Deep down, hadn’t he hoped that someday this woman would be able to accept him? If she were to reach out to him first, there would be no reason to refuse.

So why did he feel this aversion?

“You’ll do as I say, won’t you?”

Talia pressed him in a haughty, queenly tone. Yet a flicker of fear, which she hadn’t quite managed to hide, shone in her eyes.

He blurted out somewhat impulsively.

“If that’s what you want.”

Shame and relief flashed across her face. Staring intently at her, Varkas added in a firm tone.

“However, this time, I’ll do it my way.”