Free Web Novel“Prepare the funeral according to proper procedure.”
After confirming that his father's heart had completely stopped, Varkas spoke in a calm voice.
Raina, who had been clutching the old man's cold hand and sobbing, raised her head to glare at him. It seemed she resented her brother for showing no grief.
Lucas, in contrast, appeared surprisingly composed. Though his eyes were bloodshot, he seemed to have prepared himself already and quietly comforted his sister.
“Stop crying now. Father must have gone to a better place.”
But Raina's sobs refused to subside.
Eventually, Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her outside. Only then did the waiting priests surround the bed with curtains and begin washing the dead man's body with water infused with medicinal herbs.
Talia silently watched the ritual scene for a while, but exhaustion finally overcame her, and she tugged at Varkas's coat.
“Let's go too. There's no reason for us to stay here any longer.”
Several people cast displeased looks at her, but Talia paid them no mind.
After gazing down at his father's cold face, Varkas calmly nodded.
“Let us go.”
Without another word, he stepped into the corridor.
Outside the bedchamber, servants who had gathered to witness the Grand Duke's passing stood in rows. They all removed their hats in mourning.
Talia carefully studied their expressions.
Most of them looked genuinely sorrowful. It seemed that ill-tempered old man had actually been a decent lord. He had probably been a good father to Lucas and Raina as well.
Only Varkas had been the exception.
Stealing glances at his profile, Talia cautiously spoke.
“Earlier... what was that?”
The man gave her a puzzled look.
“Your father was saying strange things.”
“That was nothing more than the ramblings of a dying old man.”
Varkas answered firmly before suddenly lifting her into his arms and ascending the stairs.
Talia eyed him suspiciously.
“Then why was he saying those things?”
After a brief silence, he answered with his usual calm expression.
“Your Highness must have heard the rumors about my family.”
“The rumors that the ancient Siorcan clan used the power of demons?”
At her blunt words, Varkas let out a dry laugh and acknowledged it calmly.
“There have indeed been members of House Siorcan who were born possessing unusual abilities. My father believed I would be one of them.”
Talia's eyes widened.
“Really?”
A mocking smile returned to his lips.
“What do you think?”
She wore an uneasy expression.
Seeing her face, the amusement vanished from Varkas's mouth.
“Regrettably, I possess no such abilities.”
By then, they had reached the bedroom.
Opening the door, Varkas strode inside.
Talia shrank her shoulders against the cold air. Seeing that, he immediately set her down on the bed and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.
A moment later, several servants flooded into the room. They lit the fireplace and placed trays filled with food and wine nearby.
After bustling around for some time, they withdrew all at once.
Talia immediately asked again.
“You really don't have any powers?”
Varkas, who had removed his coat and hung it on the wall, turned toward her with narrowed brows.
Watching his expression carefully, Talia stubbornly continued.
“According to the rumors, Empress Bernadette could read people's minds...”
“They are all nothing but foolish rumors.”
His tone sharpened.
“Her Majesty was simply more sensitive to the emotions of others than most.”
Though she flinched beneath his cold gaze, Talia persisted.
“So really, you can't see anything?”
His eyes fixed on her face.
Talia felt she finally understood why the dying old man had believed his son possessed some extraordinary ability.
Those blue eyes scattered with silver fragments resembled living blades. It felt as though those dagger-like eyes were dissecting every corner of her mind, and her body stiffened.
Then, suddenly, Varkas let out a crooked smile.
“Are you afraid that I might see inside you?”
Talia lowered her eyes guiltily.
Stepping up to the bed, Varkas grasped her chin and scrutinized her face.
“I find myself a little curious about what you're hiding in that head of yours, seeing how badly you're trembling.”
“Who said I was trembling?!”
Startled, Talia slapped his hand away.
It was absurd, but cold sweat broke out on her back at the thought that perhaps he truly could see into her heart.
Watching her with cool eyes, Varkas said dryly,
“Your thoughts are safe, so stop worrying about pointless things.”
Then he turned away, clearly having no desire to continue the subject.
“Eat dinner first. If you intend to attend tomorrow's funeral rites, you will need to regain your strength tonight.”
Speaking in his usual blunt voice, Varkas placed the tray beside the bed and walked over to the fireplace to feed the flames.
Talia silently watched his back.
Perhaps she had become too accustomed to him feeding her during the past few days.
Trying to eat by herself felt strangely empty.
As though trying to shake off the feeling, she picked up a small piece of bread and forced herself to bite into it.
Once her mind cooled, she became embarrassed by her ridiculous suspicions.
There was no way he possessed something as absurd as mind-reading.
If he had, he would never have felt pity or responsibility toward her.
If he knew how many years she had obsessed over him...
He would surely have been horrified.
* * *
As though her premonition had come true, icy rain poured down from the sky on the day the funeral began.
From the following day onward, however, clear weather continued.
Thus, beneath dazzling sunlight, the former Grand Duke of Siorcan was laid to rest in the great cathedral mausoleum east of Kalmor.
After the solemn family funeral concluded, mourners came in endless succession.
The envoys who had traveled from afar attended the grand funeral mass and stayed at Laedgo Castle for roughly a week before departing.
The funeral of a great lord could last anywhere from one month to three, and during that time, the castle transformed into a gathering place where envoys and nobles exchanged visits.
And because of that, Talia was forced to endure an exhausting ordeal.
Dressed in traditional eastern attire and leaning against the railing, Talia gazed down at the bustling hall with obvious weariness.
She had avoided banquets and funeral masses under the pretext of poor health, but she could not escape showing her face to the guests altogether.
Reluctantly, she descended the stairs.
Taking care not to reveal her limp, she entered the hall—
And hundreds of eyes turned toward her at once.
Her heart lurched.
She no longer panicked as she once had, but people's gazes still made her uncomfortable.
That remained true even after she had realized that most of them failed to notice the scars on her body.
With difficulty, she formed something resembling a smile on her stiff face.
“Thank you all for making the long journey. Please stay comfortably and enjoy yourselves.”
“Thank you for your gracious welcome, Your Highness, Grand Duchess.”
The young man, who was staring at her with enchanted eyes, answered enthusiastically.
Suppressing her discomfort, Talia naturally turned away.
At that moment, someone skillfully blocked her path.
“I heard that the guests have prepared a special gift for Your Highness, the Grand Duchess.”
It was Daren Dru Siorcan.
Dressed splendidly in formal attire, the man naturally guided her toward the banquet hall.
It was obvious that he had no intention of allowing her to escape after offering a single greeting. He intended to drag her into the social gathering of the eastern nobility.
Suppressing the urge to shake off the hand resting on her arm, Talia gracefully moved through the crowd of visitors.
As she stepped into the lavishly decorated banquet hall, she spotted Lucas and Raina dressed in mourning clothes.
Only after seeing their gloomy expressions did she remember that this chaotic gathering was, in fact, a funeral ceremony.
Swallowing her sarcasm, Talia sat in the seat of honor at the long table.
The moment Raina, seated some distance away, saw her, her eyes sharpened like thorns.
Pretending not to notice, Talia lazily addressed Daren.
“You said there was a gift. Bring it here.”
The man gave a bitter smile at her arrogant attitude and gestured to the servants.
Soon, an attendant approached carrying a large chest.
“This was prepared by Baron Basilar.”
Inside the box lay a strangely luminous fabric that was unmistakably crafted by the fairy folk.
Gasps rose from all around at the priceless treasure, whose value rivaled that of an entire castle.
The man who had presented it looked exceedingly proud.
Yet Talia felt nothing.
Since the scars had appeared upon her body, she had completely lost interest in adorning herself.
Staring down at the box with an indifferent expression, she recited a formal reply.
“Thank you. I shall treasure it.”
The baron's face stiffened slightly at her dry reaction.
Ignoring it, Talia rose from her seat—
When hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall.
Another distinguished guest seemed to have arrived.
She let out a weary sigh.
Then the breathless voice of the head steward cut through the hall.
“Your Highness, Grand Duchess! An imperial delegation has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
