The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 107
THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL) – Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Varkas walked quickly down the hallway and headed down the stairs. When he stepped out through the back door, bushes with intertwined branches hid him from view.
As he passed through them at a hurried pace, he suddenly stopped upon seeing Talia sitting under the red mulberry tree. He felt a burning sensation in his throat, as if he had swallowed a piece of glass, upon seeing the woman dressed in a light nightgown sitting on the ground. He held back the sharp words that were about to escape his mouth and approached her with long strides.
“What are you doing in a place like this?”
The woman, who was gazing blankly at the garden, slowly raised her head. Her unfocused eyes swept through the air heavily. Varkas frowned.
“Have you lit the sleep herb?”
“No… I didn’t. I’m just a little fatigued,” Talia replied in a drowsy tone, and then lowered her gaze back to the garden.
Varkas followed her gaze and saw a dead bird hanging among the long blades of grass, causing his face to tense up. The bird’s belly was torn open, perhaps by a wildcat, and ants were swarming inside its exposed entrails.
In the past, Talia would panic at the mere mention of insects. She hated dirty things to the point of obsession and loved beautiful things to the extreme of being accused of extravagance. However, for some time now, she had begun to fix her gaze on ugly things. This strange change disturbed him.
He lifted her up relatively roughly and said:
“If you are tired, you must rest in your room. Why are you doing this?”
“I felt suffocated, so I came out to breathe some air. The room was strangely hot,” Talia murmured as a justification.
Varkas looked at her with stern eyes and then placed the back of his hand on her forehead. He felt no fever. On the contrary, her skin was cold, probably due to the freezing wind she had exposed herself to in her light clothing.
Varkas sighed lightly, took off his coat, and placed it over her shoulders.
“Come on, go back inside. Your body is cold.”
“Listen…”
He had his arm around her and was heading toward the back door when her muffled voice stopped him. He looked down at her. Her blue, shadowed eyes filled his field of vision. She bit her lips as if hesitating about something, and then spoke with difficulty:
“In the past…”
“Ah, here he is!”
A loud voice interrupted her words. Varkas turned toward the source of the sound. It was Darren Droshierkan, leading five or six of his men, crossing the garden while trampling the flowers on the narrow path.
“I have an urgent report. I went to the inn and met with the informants from the capital, and they said that the movements in the palace are not normal. It seems the Empress has begun to expand her influence in a serious manner…”
The man stopped suddenly upon noticing Talia. Varkas looked at her face. Her face, which before looked as innocent as that of a lost child, had frozen with coldness. She took a step back and murmured in a low voice:
“I will return to my room, carry on with your business.”
“I will accompany you to your bedroom.”
“I can go alone.”
“Have I not told you repeatedly that you must not wander around without a guard?”
A flash of discontent appeared on her beautiful face in response to his reprimand. She looked at the knights behind Darren and then pointed to the smallest among them:
“Then, let this man accompany me.”
The chosen soldier’s shoulders shrank in surprise. Since the incident in which Talia attacked Lucas and threatened to tear out his tongue, the family warriors treated her as a figure to be wary of. The chosen soldier seemed hesitant, observing Varkas with caution.
Varkas sighed in annoyance:
“What are you waiting for? Move and accompany Her Highness!”
The soldier hurried immediately upon hearing the order. Varkas reluctantly released the arm with which he held Talia. She walked away from him without hesitation.
Varkas watched her back for a few moments, then directed his gaze toward Darren, who immediately pulled a scroll of parchment from his chest and handed it to him.
“These are documents recording the events that have occurred in the capital since your departure.”
Varkas read the document carefully. The report mentioned the existence of a division among the conservative nobles, and that the Empress had begun to openly gather supporters of the Second Prince.
Varkas frowned.
‘This is not like her.’
The Emperor was still strong. If no unforeseen events occurred, the reign of Peros Room Guerta would continue for at least another ten years. Why didn’t the Empress wait until the Second Prince reached the age of majority?
This incomprehensible behavior aroused great caution in him. Just as she had provoked Garciel using his daughter, perhaps now she was trying to sow discord using her young son. If she was trying to push Garciel to act recklessly, this engagement could hide a much greater danger.
As he read about the start of serious discussions regarding the engagement of the heir of Heimdal and the First Princess, Varkas crumpled the document. It was not bad to strengthen relations with the North, but delivering Ayla to them was dangerous.
The people of the North were exceptionally attached to their bloodline. For centuries, they did not hesitate to marry among relatives to preserve their platinum blond hair and red eyes, traits of the ancient giant race. They would not easily accept a black-haired princess as their lady. They must have other intentions.
Varkas rubbed his temples thoughtfully and then left the garden. Following the butler’s indications, he entered the study, where a young servant offered him writing utensils. He sat at the desk and wrote several documents, ordering a thorough investigation into the size of Heimdal’s army and its money flows.
He sealed the documents and handed them to a messenger, then wrote two additional letters to the capital, one for Marquis Orestein and the other for Garciel. He wrote a warning as polite as possible about the dangers of the North, then signed the document and sealed it.
Darren watched him with his gaze and asked in an awkward tone:
“Do you intend to stop the engagement of the First Princess?”
Varkas looked at him with strangeness:
“Is there a problem?”
“Well… if you intervene, won’t it look strange?” Darren scratched the back of his neck. “People might think that the Grand Duke is still attached to the First Princess.”
Varkas let out a dry laugh:
“Nonsense.”
He did not care about the rumors. Preventing Garciel from causing trouble was more important. He rolled up the document and sealed it with wax:
“Choose the fastest messenger and send it to the capital.”
Darren looked at him with a strange expression for a moment, then took the document and left.
Varkas leaned against the back of the chair and looked out the window. The sky was dripping thin threads of rain. Suddenly, he remembered the image of Talia standing alone in the garden. What was she going to say at that moment?
Remembering her sad eyes while gazing at the dead bird, he felt an uncomfortable sensation in his chest. A vague anxiety washed over him, so he tapped his fingers on the desk and then left the study.
The hallway was noisy, as if they were preparing a reception. Varkas passed between the servants who bowed to him and went up the stairs.
When he opened the bedroom door, he saw a small silhouette curled up in the wide bed. He approached the bed. He noticed that her elegant pale cheeks had flushed with a slight blush. She had been like a sick chick all day, and it seemed that she had finally developed a fever.
Varkas sighed at length and took a clean towel from the shelf. He intended to wipe her face, but suddenly perceived a strange smell.
He stopped in his tracks. There was a dark red stain at the corner of her mouth. He stared at it for a few moments, then gently shook her slumped body. Her neck, soaked in cold sweat, fell limp without resistance.
It was then that he noticed a red stain spreading across the pillow. Varkas blinked slowly and then lifted her head carefully.
The dense smell of blood struck his nose. A red liquid in her mouth was flowing toward her pale neck.
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