Chapter 34
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: Diva Chapter: 34 Chapter Title: Shadows in the Dawn -----------------------------------------------------------------
But the door didn't budge an inch.
Talia yanked on the handle several times before realizing there was a latch on the inside. She gritted her teeth.
'Damn you, Aila...'
The rage she'd suppressed all night boiled up, ready to explode at any moment.
She chewed on her chapped lips and glared at the firmly shut door before finally turning away.
Maybe it was for the best. If she acted on impulse without any preparation and failed, she'd just end up dying a dog's death.
She needed to prepare more thoroughly before making her move. The road ahead was still long, and she'd find an opportunity soon enough.
She steadied her ragged breathing and hurried down the corridor. As she headed down the stairs toward her room, she heard a clattering sound from somewhere.
She quickly ducked behind a pillar.
The corridor, now lit by the faint light of dawn, stretched out with dim shadows.
Talia, hidden in the darkness, cautiously peeked out to scan the hallway. A slender woman stood in front of the room next to hers.
She narrowed her eyes to study the woman's face. It was a middle-aged lady with dark brown hair and plain, unremarkable features.
It took a moment for Talia to recognize her as one of the attendants her mother had assigned.
The woman carefully closed the door, pulled a deep brown hood over her head, and slipped silently down the corridor. Talia stared intently at her retreating figure before following after her.
The woman exited the building and hurried along the muddy path pocked with puddles. Her quick, alert movements suggested she'd had spy training.
After scanning her surroundings, she stopped near a small garden behind the main chapel building.
Talia watched from behind an arcade pillar. The woman paced in front of the pavilion as if waiting for someone, then suddenly darted off upon spotting something.
Following her gaze, Talia spotted a priest in black monastic robes emerging slowly from the shadows. She narrowed her eyes.
His face looked familiar—he must have been one of the monks at the banquet.
The man, who appeared to be in his forties, pulled a small vial from his robes and handed it to the woman. She uncorked it, checked the contents, recorked it, and tucked it into her robe sleeve before turning back the way she'd come.
Talia bolted toward the lodging building.
She scrambled up the stairs and burst into her bedroom, her legs giving out beneath her.
Leaning against the door to catch her breath, she listened for sounds outside. Moments later, she heard the door open and close, and then silence fell like the dead.
Talia swallowed dryly.
She had no idea what the scene she'd just witnessed meant.
What was that monk up to?
Was he Mother's accomplice? If so, what had he given her? Was she planning to poison someone?
She forced saliva down her tight throat.
If it was poison, she could obtain it without outside help anytime. Something acquired through such a convoluted method had to be impossible to bring into the capital.
'What the hell are they plotting?'
She ran through various possibilities in her mind, but nothing came into clear focus.
'One thing's certain—something huge is about to go down.'
Senevia always got what she set her mind to. If she'd decided to eliminate her longtime obstacles, the Crown Prince was as good as dead. With any luck, Aila would vanish from the world too.
Feeling her heart pound with excitement, Talia let a satisfied smile curve her lips.
* * *
The long, tedious journey resumed.
Hundreds of knights and infantrymen marched silently under the blazing sun. At this pace, they'd cross the old Oshiria Kingdom border in ten days.
Edric Ruben unfolded the map to gauge the remaining distance, then turned to gaze at the eerily quiet carriage that resembled a coffin.
As always, the princess had thick curtains drawn over the windows, sealing herself inside.
He rode up beside the carriage and peered at the faint shadow on the curtain. Even the horses were panting in the stifling heat. He worried she might be found cooked alive inside.
"Your Highness, how about airing it out for a bit?"
"......Get lost."
At least she was still breathing.
Edric let out a small sigh and urged his horse to the front.
As always, the Crown Prince rode at the vanguard atop his golden horse from the Nornek Mountains.
Edric cautiously studied his face. Gares's cheeks were flushed red as he snapped irritably at Knight Sheerkhan, complaining about when they'd finally rest, from what he could overhear.
'This won't be an easy trip.'
The next few days would bring nothing but rugged plains and mountains like a wasteland. Could the finicky Crown Prince endure such hardship?
Edric shook his head and approached Barkas.
His superior ignored the Crown Prince's complaints with one ear while scanning the road ahead with a vigilant gaze. He didn't seem fazed even by the empire's heir barking at him.
Impressed anew by his commander's demeanor, Edric ventured carefully.
"Knight Sheerkhan, the men seem exhausted from the heat. It's a bit early, but shall we scout a spot to rest?"
Barkas, who had been riding forward in silence, turned to him.
Edric tensed involuntarily. He'd never seen this man lose his temper or raise his voice. Still, standing before Barkas always filled him with an inexplicable pressure.
He swallowed dryly and added hastily.
"Forgive me if that's overstepping. The rear lines keep lagging..."
"There's a lake half a mark ahead. We'll rest there."
Barkas cut him off. Edric stared blankly for a moment before nodding. The Crown Prince, watching with displeasure, grumbled loudly.
"He ignores me but listens to that brat?"
"I kept silent because no reply was needed, but I heard every word, Your Highness."
"Who says you decide if a reply's needed!"
The Crown Prince bellowed. His thunderous voice matched his massive build, making Edric's eardrums ring.
Edric bit back a tsk and rode back to the rear. It was oddly amusing how the notoriously hot-tempered Crown Prince turned into a petulant child before Knight Sheerkhan.
'......Things will be worrying after Knight Sheerkhan leaves the order.'
Once Barkas Raedgo Sheerkhan departed for the east, no one would be left to rein him in. The 1st Princess would go with him, leaving only Gares and Talia Roem Guirta in the palace.
The thought of the knights' order enduring those two hellions darkened his vision. With a heavy sigh, he approached Talia's carriage.
Moments later, a horn signaled rest from the front.
Edric halted his horse and ordered his men to pitch tents in a suitable spot. The knights quickly set up simple field tents on level ground to create shade.
He stopped the carriage nearby and lightly rapped on the window.
"It's time to rest. Come out now."
"......"
"How long do you plan to keep up this pointless stubbornness? You've been cooped up in there all day. Ease up, or you'll collapse."
He said it harshly, figuring he'd drag her out even if it earned him a slap, but no response came from inside.
Edric furrowed his brow.
Had she actually collapsed?
With a bad feeling, he yanked the door open roughly. A sickly sweet scent—like honey mixed with milk—wafted out along with air hot as a steam bath, hitting him in the face.
Grimacing as he peered into the dim interior, Edric froze at the sight of the princess slumped on the floor.