The Forgotten Field

The Crown Prince’s face twisted horribly at the cold attitude that showed not even the slightest trace of welcome.

The Imperial Princess gently patted her younger brother’s arm and spoke in a mild voice.

“Come, let us go inside.”

Then, turning toward the attendants lined up along one side of the garden, she issued instructions in a calm yet dignified tone.

“Leave only the minimum number of people here. The rest are to wait at the encampment.”

The attendants immediately began to disperse in perfect order.

The two members of the imperial family watched them for a moment, then climbed the steps and entered the main castle. Varkas, who had entered the hall ahead of them and was giving several orders to the servants, addressed them in a flat tone.

“We are still in the midst of dealing with the aftermath of the war, so I cannot arrange a grand welcoming ceremony for you. I ask for your understanding.”

“We did not come here to be treated as guests. We understand the situation of the grand ducal house, so you may dispense with any troublesome formalities.”

A generous smile appeared on Aila’s lips.

After briefly resting his gaze on her composed face, Varkas gestured with his chin toward the maids lined up along the wall.

“Escort the guests to their rooms. Take particular care to ensure they suffer no inconvenience during their stay here.”

As though he had fulfilled all his obligations with that, he began walking toward the stairs. The corners of the Imperial Princess’s mouth, which had remained relaxed until then, tightened stiffly.

Gareth stepped in front of his twin sister and hurriedly stopped him.

“Wait!”

Varkas glanced back over his shoulder. At the obvious annoyance in his eyes, Gareth’s dark complexion flushed visibly red.

Ordinarily, the man would have immediately exploded in a fiery rage, but he clenched his teeth as though swallowing the humiliation and drew a deep breath. Then he continued in a considerably calmer tone.

“I have something important to discuss with you. Arrange somewhere we can speak in private.”

“Say it now.”

“It will only take a moment. You can spare that much time for someone who has traveled such a long way.”

Gareth raised his voice, his expression bristling with resentment.

Varkas looked down at his second cousin with eyes steeped in fatigue and spoke as though sighing.

“Settle into your rooms first. We will speak once I have finished all my official duties.”

“I want to speak right now......!”

“Gareth.”

The Imperial Princess gently restrained her younger brother as he was about to rush forward in anger.

“We came here to help the grand ducal house. We must not interfere with the Grand Duke’s duties, must we?”

At the tone she used, as though soothing an immature child, Gareth’s eyes twisted viciously.

However, perhaps realizing that insisting any further would only diminish his own dignity, he loosened the hand gripping Varkas’s forearm. Then he roared at the servants.

“Did you not hear him? Why are you standing there instead of showing me to my room!”

The servants, who had been watching the situation with tense expressions, rushed forward like horses struck by a whip.

“P-please follow me. I will guide you to your room.”

After directing a blazing glare at Varkas, Gareth followed the servant away.

Aila, who had hesitated as though she wanted to say something to him, also climbed the stairs connected to the guest rooms under the maids’ guidance.

Once the unwelcome guests disappeared from view, Varkas resumed walking.

He passed through the dark corridor and entered his office. The cool air, heavy with the scent of ink and candle wax, seeped hazily into his mind, which had been heated by exhaustion.

His vision suddenly went black, and he braced one hand against the doorframe.

He did not know how long he stood there. Gradually, his wavering vision settled.

As though nothing had happened, he sat at the desk and picked up one of the official documents stacked beside it. At that moment, a cautious voice sounded nearby.

“Your Grace, shall I bring you some tea that is good for fatigue? I heard that you have not eaten anything all day.......”

He flinched and raised his head. Only then did he realize there was someone else in the room.

Narrowing his eyes, he stared at the small-framed man standing by the door.

He could not immediately tell who it was. Perhaps because he had pushed himself far too hard over the past few months, people’s faces sometimes appeared to him as pale lumps of plaster.

Pressing his fingertips firmly between his eyes, he waved one hand in a somewhat irritated manner.

“There is no need. Leave.”

The man hesitated, lingering for a moment, then opened the door and went out.

Varkas lowered his gaze to the parchment document again.

The city’s reconstruction was proceeding smoothly. Since the bands of marauders that had run rampant for some time had been completely rooted out in one sweep, the flow of goods had also begun moving without obstruction. The end of the civil war in the North was likewise acting as a catalyst that restored vitality to the eastern economy.

Although the investigation into the forces behind all the chaos had made little progress, after witnessing the complete ruin of House Heimdal, they would have no choice but to keep their heads down as well.

Unless some major variable arose, the age of the Empire would remain unshaken.

After signing the budget proposal for the construction of new trade facilities throughout the East, Varkas set down his quill and leaned back against the chair.

At some point, the world beyond the window had grown noticeably dark. He could not tell whether it was because the sun had set or because storm clouds covered the sky. From a certain point onward, the heavens had always been a dark shade of ash.

As he stared blankly at the plains gradually turning black, a powerful wave of dizziness suddenly struck him, and he covered his eyes with the back of his hand. Then, at some point, it seemed as though he simply released his hold on consciousness.

Varkas’s eyes flew open at the sound of knocking. He looked around the study submerged in darkness with a bewildered expression. For a while, he could not understand where he was.

Had he not been preparing to march from the military camp?

He gripped his throbbing temple and tried to bring order to his tangled thoughts, but the urgent knocking struck his ears again.

“Y-Your Grace, His Highness the Crown Prince is asking to see you. W-what should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should you do! Get out of my way!”

A rough voice thundered from beyond the door, and a dark shadow soon forced its way into the room.

“What in the world are you doing in a place this dark?”

The man who had barged in without permission shouted at the servants standing near the door.

“Why are you not lighting the lamps at once!”

Pale lights immediately bloomed throughout the room. Only then could Varkas recognize the man standing before him.

Gareth Roem Gwirta.

Come to think of it, he had arrived at the castle during the day.

It was strange. Why had he forgotten that?

Varkas frowned, then rose from his seat.

“What is it you wish to discuss?”

“Come and sit down. This is not something we should discuss while standing.”

Gareth sat on the long sofa placed before the fireplace, picked up a glass of liquor brought by the servants, and arrogantly jerked his chin.

Varkas silently looked down at his conceited face before taking the seat opposite him.

“I would appreciate it if you kept this brief. I am rather tired.”

“Do not worry. I have no intention of dragging it out either.”

After gulping down the wine, Gareth spoke in a stiff voice. Unlike his outwardly relaxed manner, he seemed quite tense inside, for the knuckles of the hand gripping the glass had turned white.

“I formally sent a letter of apology to House Bleston.”

After a long pause, he finally began.

“If necessary, I am even prepared to visit the young lady of House Bleston in person and court her. I understand now that the only way to soothe public sentiment in the North is to take the daughter of the house representing Valto as Crown Princess.......”

“How remarkably swift of you.”

Varkas brought the glass handed to him by a servant toward his lips and sneered sarcastically.

Gareth glared at him with an indignant expression, then drew a deep breath as though struggling to suppress his temper before continuing.

“I am apologizing to you right now. I made a mistake. I should have followed your judgment, but I did not. This will never happen again.”

Varkas erased the mockery from his lips and stared at Gareth’s serious face.

Gareth tapped his fingers anxiously against his knee and added in a low, subdued voice.

“From now on...... I have decided to trust you no matter what happens. Whatever anyone says, you are on my side.”

“Am I?”

Varkas tilted his head as though hearing this for the first time.

Gareth’s face instantly flushed red.

“You can never betray me. Even if you wanted to, you could not. Is that not so?”

Varkas gave no answer.

Taking his silence as agreement, a triumphant smile spread across Gareth’s lips.

“I had my doubts before...... but this incident confirmed it. You are physically bound by something. Because of that, you can never stand by when Aila or I are placed in danger. Am I right?”

Leaning his body forward from the back of the chair, the man grinned and added,

“But that does not mean I am ungrateful for your devotion. I still consider you no different from a brother.”

“How deeply moving.”

Varkas set the glass in his hand down on the table and let out a quiet sigh.

“Is that all you wished to say?”

“I have not even reached the main point yet.”

Having completely regained his confidence, Gareth continued with an easy manner.

“I want to repair our broken alliance.”

Varkas raised one eyebrow.

Realizing that the other man had not understood his meaning, Gareth added impatiently,

“I am saying that I want to revive the marriage between you and Aila. His Majesty the Emperor has already given his approval. If you accept, everything will proceed without delay.”

For a long moment, Varkas showed no reaction.

Leaning against the armrest and pressing firmly against his temple, he eventually let out a humorless laugh.

“I wondered what you were taking such a long and winding path to say.......”

Shaking his head, Varkas rose and picked up his coat.

“I have heard enough nonsense. I believe I have shown all the courtesy required of me as a subject, so I shall take my leave.”

He turned and was about to leave the study when Gareth hurriedly seized his shoulder.

“If you need time to settle your feelings, we can postpone it until next year. If we move forward with the marriage after a year has passed, no one will have reason to gossip. Aila can wait that long.......”

“That is enough.”

Varkas coldly shook off the hand resting on his shoulder and glared at him with irritation.

“As I have told you repeatedly, I have no intention of divorcing her. If you came here to make such an absurd proposal, leave this castle immediately.”

“What are you talking about?”

Gareth stared at him in confusion.

“What divorce? You simply have to marry Aila.......”

Gareth faltered with a dazed expression, then suddenly widened his eyes like a man struck by a shocking realization.

Varkas looked down at his second cousin as though utterly sick of him, sighed, and turned away. He could not even remember the last time he had slept properly. He had no strength left to endure this man’s tantrums.

He slowly crossed the room and gripped the doorknob.

At that moment, Gareth violently spun him around.

“Do not tell me...... you still believe that woman is alive?”

At the words that crossed the line, Varkas’s eyes froze cold. He seized Gareth by the collar with one hand and warned him in an ominous voice.

“Do not speak carelessly about my wife. I made myself clear. If you want me to remain on your side until the end, do not even think of harming her.”

Gareth opened his mouth with a devastated expression, then abruptly twisted his face in fury.

“Damn it, you have completely lost your mind!”

The veins in his neck bulged as he screamed.

“Come to your senses! That woman is dead. Talia Roem Gwirta no longer exists in this world!”

At that moment, he heard something snap inside his head.

Before he was even aware of it, his hand shot out and mercilessly shoved Gareth backward. Before he knew it, both of his hands were clamped ruthlessly around the Crown Prince’s throat.

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