Free Web NovelWhat greeted him when he returned to his bedroom that night was a bed still marked with vivid bloodstains.
The instant he saw them beneath the bright light, his stomach clenched so tightly that a chill seeped all the way into his bones.
He had wanted to go back and check her injuries, but the memory of her face as she pleaded to be left alone kept him from taking a single step.
How long had he stood there, unable either to advance or retreat, staring down at the cold bed?
At some point, an overwhelming urge to smash something seized him.
Everything grated on his nerves.
That woman who toyed with him as she pleased.
Himself, for allowing himself to be swept along by her.
And this body of his, consumed by an uncontrollable heat that refused to subside.
Varkas ground his teeth together.
She had always driven him into a corner with her reckless, thoughtless behavior. That night had merely been another extension of the same pattern.
He repeated that to himself over and over, yet his nerves, stretched as taut as drawn wire, refused to settle.
“What are your orders for the rest of today's schedule?”
As they approached the castle gate, Daren, who had followed him in silence the entire way, suddenly spoke.
Pulled from his thoughts, Varkas looked up at the sun sinking behind the castle towers and frowned.
Under normal circumstances, he should have been attending the gathering hosted by the Noble League by now.
But the main agenda would already be over. Showing his face this late would accomplish nothing except wasting time in pointless contests of pride.
Reaching a decision without hesitation, Varkas immediately changed course.
“We'll return for today.”
With that, he swung into the saddle and urged his horse forward.
By the time he arrived at the castle, the sky had already begun to take on a faint violet hue.
Lifting his gaze, Varkas noticed thin clouds gathering in the east, his brow furrowing.
It might rain again.
If it did, every trace left behind by the wolves would be washed away, making the extermination campaign considerably more difficult.
'Nothing has been going my way lately.'
Letting out a bitter laugh, Varkas lightly jumped down from Tork's back and climbed the steps.
As soon as he entered the keep, the servants waiting by the entrance removed the breastplate and cloak wrapped around him.
He dismissed their cumbersome attentions with a casual wave before striding straight across the spacious hall.
Then he noticed a quarter-dwarf woman coming down the staircase with an armful of clothes.
The moment she saw him, she froze.
Varkas strode directly toward her and questioned her without preamble.
“How was Her Highness today?”
The woman gave a start before hurriedly rattling off her report.
“At noon, she had a little fruit and some mead. For dinner, she managed a few spoonfuls of oat porridge with medicinal herbs. She also drank a fermented goat's milk beverage as a snack. Her stomach seems much better than before, so she's been eating a little more. It's all thanks to Your Grace's care.”
After silently listening to the lengthy explanation, Varkas asked carefully,
“And how did she seem emotionally?”
“Emotionally...”
The woman's face filled with uncertainty.
His gaze fell upon the bundle in her arms, and his lips twisted.
The brightly colored garments had all been ripped into tatters and rolled into a bundle.
Apparently, his wife, irritated by something, had vented her frustrations on her belongings.
“I suppose I don't need to hear the answer.”
“N-no, Her Highness is only a little sensitive right now. But today she seemed to have made up her mind and...”
The woman hurriedly defended her mistress, only to suddenly fall silent and lower her eyes awkwardly. freёwebnovel.com
Varkas waited for her to continue before realizing she had no intention of finishing her sentence.
With a quiet sigh, he resumed walking.
When he reached the door to his room on the second floor, the sunset streaming through the tall windows stretched long across the marble floor.
His gaze drifted toward the staircase leading to the third floor.
For a brief moment, he considered visiting her personally to see how she was doing.
But he abandoned the idea.
She would undoubtedly shut the door in his face.
Ever since that night, she had kept herself locked inside her room, stubbornly refusing to see him.
Rubbing the stiffness from the back of his neck, Varkas turned toward his own bedroom again.
Then suddenly—
A powerful fragrance brushed against his nose, and his body froze.
A strange shiver ran up his spine.
Before he even realized what he was doing, he had already seized the doorknob and pulled it open.
“You came back sooner than I expected.”
The cool, clear voice reached him the instant he stepped inside.
His gaze shifted toward the bed.
A woman dressed in a thin, deep-blue gown sat upon the white sheets, its long skirt spread elegantly around her.
Moving the book resting on her lap aside, she continued calmly,
“I heard you've been busy with official duties lately. I thought you wouldn't return until the middle of the night.”
“...Is that why you're here?”
He spoke while almost instinctively closing the door behind him.
“Because you thought I wouldn't be?”
“If I didn't want to see you, why would I be waiting in someone else's room? What I meant was... I thought I'd have to wait much longer before you came.”
She worried at her crimson-painted lips as she spoke.
He immediately realized she was only pretending to be composed.
In reality, she was terribly tense.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he watched her in silence.
The rich fragrance filling the room seeped into his lungs, sharpening nerves that had already been stretched to their limit.
Steadying his increasingly scattered thoughts, he fixed her with a guarded stare.
“You were waiting for me?”
“I just said I was.”
She snapped irritably before moistening her dry lips.
His gaze lingered there for a brief moment before shifting toward the window.
His lower abdomen tightened, and he felt his body temperature steadily rising.
The realization that he was growing restless like a stallion catching the scent of a mare filled him with irritation.
His voice came out sharp.
“Why?” freeweɓnøvel.com
The question emerged sounding far more accusatory than he had intended.
He strode to the bedside and looked down at her with unmistakable pressure.
“For the past several days, you've been avoiding me quite openly.”
“That was... I just needed time.”
Unease flickered across her deep-blue eyes.
A faint blush colored her pale cheeks and snow-white neck, making her scent even richer.
Clenching his damp fingers into a fist, he pressed further.
“What kind of time?”
She nervously gripped her skirt.
“Time to recover...”
The strained words instantly dulled the edge of his aggression.
Varkas bent down before her, his expression turning grave.
“That night... there was blood left on the bed. Were your injuries severe?”
“No. I'm fine. I was told it's perfectly normal.”
Relief washed over him at her answer.
Only for his body to stiffen again as she continued.
“My injuries have healed now. There won't be any problem sharing a bed.”
For a moment, he simply stared at her, unable to speak.
She continued in the same matter-of-fact tone.
“If we're going to have a child, we need to sleep together regularly. That's what my nurse said... She told me it's better if we do it as often as possible.”
Varkas stared blankly before letting out a dry laugh.
Apparently, this woman truly intended to treat him as nothing more than breeding stock.
He picked up the robe lying beside the bed and tossed it over her.
“I'm sorry, but I don't find the proposal particularly appealing. Please leave my room.”
“I already told you, you don't get to refuse.”
Straightening her back, she glared at him.
“This is a duty. Whether you like it or not, it's something that has to be done.”
His brow twisted.
He knew she was right.
Producing an heir was undeniably one of his responsibilities.
Even knowing that, he had never once demanded her presence in his bed.
Because he knew better than anyone how deeply she loathed a man's touch.
As long as Lucas remained an alternative, there was no reason to burden her body unnecessarily.
But if she was the one asking...
That changed everything.
Had he not secretly hoped that someday she might finally accept him?
If she reached out first, there was no reason to reject her.
Then why did he feel such resistance?
“You'll do as I say, won't you?”
Talia demanded in the imperious tone of a queen.
Yet fear, impossible to conceal, still shimmered in her eyes.
Almost impulsively, he answered,
“If that's what you want.”
Shame and relief crossed her face at the same time.
Watching her intently, Varkas added in a firm voice,
“However, this time, we'll do things my way.”
