Chapter 37
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: Diva Chapter: 37 Chapter Title: Forgotten Field -----------------------------------------------------------------
Talia couldn't find any words to excuse herself and just worked her lips silently. She wanted to muster her usual brazen attitude, but with her body and mind pushed to their limits, her thoughts simply wouldn't cooperate.
She yanked her hood down to quickly hide her flustered expression. Then, trying to brush past her brother blocking the entrance, Gares swiftly grabbed her wrist.
"I asked why you were rummaging through Barkas's tent."
"Let go!"
She shook her arm fiercely, but his grip clung like glue, refusing to budge.
He yanked her toward him with brute force, growling like an angry wolf.
"Tell me what scheme you were up to!"
His grip crushed into her bones, and Talia bit her lip.
Brute with nothing but muscle, just like always.
She kicked her brother's shin without mercy. Since he wasn't armored yet, Gares cursed under his breath and hopped back in pain.
Seizing the moment, Talia wrenched her arm free. She bolted out of Barkas's tent and broke into a mad sprint.
She could hear things crashing and breaking behind her as Gares gave chase. But Talia didn't look back, weaving wildly between the tents.
Soon, her own carriage came into view. She dove inside, locked the door tight, and curled up in the corner.
A wave of worry hit her—what if Gares, furious to the core, tried to smash the carriage? But after a long wait, no commotion ensued. It seemed he'd stopped pursuing her due to the eyes on him.
Talia let out a sigh of relief and buried her face in her knees. Then a sudden disgust twisted her features. She was sick of herself for acting like a complete fool.
Why had she lost her senses and checked on his well-being? Showing Gares her rattled emotions felt slimy too.
He hadn't noticed anything, had he?
Talia chewed her lip anxiously before cautiously peeking out the window.
She saw knights dismantling tents. They didn't seem aware of the commotion she'd caused.
Pressing her face to the glass and scanning around, Talia drew the curtain shut again.
As the sky brightened, knights mounted their horses and formed ranks. Barkas was among them. Talia stole glances at him inspecting the lines through the curtain gap, then hid when he headed toward her carriage.
Was he coming to question her after hearing something from Gares?
As she scrambled for excuses in her head, Barkas stopped near the carriage, gave orders to the knights, and rode back to the front.
Talia slumped in relief. Then a guard knight's booming voice rang out.
"We'll be departing shortly."
She made no reply. Not expecting one anyway, the knight spurred his horse forward without another word. Soon, her carriage lurched into motion.
Talia leaned back into the seat, gazing at the whitening sky through the curtain slit. In the end, nothing had happened, and the tedious day was about to begin.
The march that started at dawn halted before the sun even began to set.
Gares, at the end of his patience, had unilaterally declared they wouldn't move any further today.
Strictly speaking, the journey's schedule fell under the authority of Barkas, the overall commander. But few dared defy the crown prince.
In the end, with Barkas's tacit approval, they set up camp on the open plain, the second holy site—Ulgram Hill—just ahead.
The soldiers, eager to escape the plains as soon as possible, grumbled, but it was a blessing for Talia. Cooped up in the jolting carriage all day without proper food or rest, her strength was spent.
She lay on the carriage seat, blinking her dizzy eyes.
Then an irritating voice came from outside.
"Your Highness, I've brought some fruit."
Talia scowled. After the dressing-down yesterday, the knight's persistence baffled her.
Unless he had some ulterior motive, why fawn over her like this?
She snapped curtly.
"Get lost."
"You said you couldn't eat because you didn't know what might be in the food. Fresh, unprocessed fruit should be fine, right?"
Too annoyed to respond, she clamped her mouth shut. Undeterred, the knight rudely flung open the carriage door and thrust a tray of fruit in her face.
"I'm worried you'll turn this into a funeral procession. Please drop the stubbornness and eat something."
Talia glared at him in disbelief, then glanced down at the silver tray. It held ripe red apples, plums, and green grapes.
Staring blankly at it, she muttered in a deflated voice, as if too drained even to get angry.
"How do I know you didn't poison the peels?"
One might think he'd give up by now, but the knight didn't budge. With a heavy sigh, he picked up an apple from the tray. He took a big bite, then offered it to her, bite mark and all.
"Good enough now?"
"You expect me to eat your leftovers? It's disgusting—take it away!"
The knight looked like he wanted to strangle her. Ignoring him, Talia turned her back. Truth be told, she was starving, but she couldn't stomach food touched by others. Forcing it down would just come right back up.
"I said enough. Stop bothering me and get out."
"Is 'get lost' the only thing Your Highness knows how to say?"
His increasingly insolent words sparked her fury.
Talia shot to her feet. Dizziness hit briefly, but hating to show weakness, she braced her legs and stood firm.
Once her vision cleared, she ignored the knight watching her warily and stepped out of the carriage.
The sky had shifted from deep blue to pale orange. After gazing at it a moment, Talia slipped away from the prying eyes to the edge of the camp.
She wanted somewhere quiet and alone to rest. But straying too far would bring knights trailing after her.
After a moment's thought, she headed to a dense thicket a short distance from the supply wagons.
At this range, they could keep visual tabs on her without hovering as escorts.
Talia leaned against a sturdy tree and deeply inhaled the cool evening air. How long she sat like that, a faint chuckle sounded nearby.
Her eyes snapped open. She wasn't the only one seeking solitude; through the spaced fir trees, she spotted Aila strolling leisurely.
Talia's face twisted.
Exhausted in body and soul, she couldn't bear that blissfully happy expression.
She jumped up to leave. But then another figure came into view from behind the tree.
It was the man she'd prayed would just stay alive that very morning.
Talia stared at him blankly. Barkas, quietly holding Torque's reins in one hand as he followed Aila, looked more serene than ever.
She was so used to his cold expressions and furrowed brows that this tranquility felt alien.
Did he always wear that face around Aila?
Lost in staring, Talia watched Aila tug Barkas's arm and rise on tiptoe, tilting her head up. Realizing what she wanted, Talia held her breath.
She didn't want to see it. She didn't want to etch a scene she'd chew over in her mind forever into her eyes.
Screaming inwardly like that, Talia still couldn't tear her gaze away. Maybe she hoped he'd coldly refuse. But like a loyal hound, Barkas granted Aila's wish.
The moment she saw him lean down toward her, Talia turned and ran. But she was quickly caught.
She looked up in shock. Gares, cheeks flushed like he'd been drinking, gripped her arm and stared down intently.
Under his scrutinizing gaze, Talia ducked her head hastily. But it was too late—he'd already spotted the moisture in her eyes.
"No way..."
Gares muttered with a hollow laugh.
Talia twisted violently to break free, but the crown prince wouldn't let go.
Gazing down at her face—still raw with emotion—like it was some rare spectacle, Gares finally burst into laughter.
"So that's how it is?"