"I am always thinking of Her Highness."
Barcas spoke in such a polite tone that it was difficult to find fault with him.
"Her Highness the Princess is resting comfortably, so I am telling you not to worry. Please do not feel bad about it."
He glared at Barcas with an irritated look and strode into the wide hall. It would only make him look ridiculous if he got angry at this stone-like man.
Gareth clicked his tongue lightly and crossed the hall, which was decorated just like any other noble banquet hall.
"Thank you for coming, Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
As he approached the long table covered with a pure white tablecloth, the abbot suddenly stood up and greeted him.
"Now, please sit here."
Gareth sat down in the spot he had moved away from and looked around the table. The abbot seemed to have no intention of living a life of austerity. The large table was filled with silver cutlery, gold goblets, and sumptuous dishes seasoned with various spices.
Gareth, who was looking over all of them with a satisfied look, nodded to the fifteen priests surrounding the table.
"Thank you for your warm welcome. Now, take your seats."
As soon as he finished speaking, the investigators all pulled out their chairs. Only Barcas, who was present as his escort, stood quietly behind him like a shadow.
Curious eyes flew towards him. They seemed surprised by the unusual appearance of the commander of the imperial knights.
Gareth furrowed his brows slightly.
It wasn't unusual, since Barcas had always attracted more attention than he should have. Still, Gareth felt a little annoyed that people paid more attention to Barcas than to him.
It was a tiresome experience when he was under the care of this man, but the unpleasantness never went away.
Gareth held his goblet high, trying not to show his displeasure.
"I would like to express my gratitude to the abbot for providing such a pleasant occasion."
The priests' eyes were drawn to him again. Gareth, who had been enjoying it for a moment, continued speaking slowly.
"I hope this time will be meaningful to everyone..."
As he was about to conclude his speech with a plausible remark, a golden ghost suddenly invaded his field of vision. Gareth froze and stared blankly at the entrance to the hall.
For a moment, he thought it was that nightmarish woman, Senevere.
He held the goblet viciously and looked his half-sister down from head to toe. Not even knowing the basic rule of wearing simple clothes in a monastery, Thalia Roem Guirta was dressed in a flashy way that would have caught the eye even at an imperial banquet. And it was so vulgar and vulgar.
He gritted his teeth in contempt. Thalia, her fresh curves still not fully ripe, clearly visible through the hem of her thin dress, slowly walked towards the table.
The priests looked as if they would faint at any moment. Some of them had their mouths wide open as if they had lost their minds. Gareth couldn't control his anger and got up from his seat.
"How dare you. Where the hell do you think you are, doing something like that!"
The wine overflowed from the glass he had set down with a bang. He slapped his hands without even thinking about wiping them dry.
"Didn't you hear my warning to stay out of my sight?"
"Oh, of course I heard about it."
The woman sat down in the chair right next to him as if it was natural, with a coquettish smile on her lips.
"If Your Highness wishes to see me, how can I just sit still? I couldn't resist the great Crown Prince's request, so I dressed up with such care."
Then, as if she were looking at him, she ran one hand down the hem of his clothes. He glared at his half-brother with a dumbfounded expression.
"What nonsense are you talking about..."
"Surely, it's not like my brother doesn't know about my miserable temper... Didn't you personally send the commander of the Imperial Knights to tell me that because you missed your little sister so much?"
Her pure cobalt blue eyes, unadulterated by any impurities, narrowed slightly.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has asked me so earnestly, so as his younger sister, I should live up to his expectations."
He had to muster up every ounce of self-control he had left to keep from waving his hand in front of the woman. Thalia continued speaking slowly, as if to provoke him.
"Ah, it's nice to see your face like this. Are you happy too, brother?"
"...It was fun until you showed up."
Thalia burst into laughter at the words that came out as if gritting his teeth.
"Then it was worth it to drag my tired body along."
Gareth clenched his teeth until his jaw broke. Every time this woman laughed like that, he couldn't resist the urge to crush that monstrously beautiful face. Gareth clenched his fists so hard that his shoulders shook, and he spat out each word as if he were chewing it up.
"How much longer do you plan on pestering me? Are you trying to test how much I can tolerate from you?"
"Why are you saying such sad things..."
The woman leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. The chandelier light poured down on her pitifully thin shoulders and prominent shoulder blades. The monks' eyes also turned to the exquisite female body, which seemed to be carved from ivory.
Snake bitch. He was gripped by intense disgust and gasped for breath through his teeth. As if sensing his anger reaching its limit, the corners of Thalia's mouth turned up.
"I just accepted the invitation. I don't know what I did to make you so angry. Don't you think it's too much for such a lovely youngest sibling?"
The woman turned her head toward the abbot sitting across from her as if asking for consent. The monk's face hardened in embarrassment at the sudden question. The woman's eyes furrowed strangely as if she found his innocent reaction amusing. Gareth felt a surge of disgust at the sight of her flirting like a prostitute. He roughly grabbed the woman's forearm.
"It seems like you're in heat. If you need a bed partner, choose one from your attendants. Don't even think about messing around with the priests... If you tarnish the royal family's name with dirty rumors, I'll make sure you'll never be able to show off that pretty face again for the rest of your life."
The woman's eyes sparkled at the murderous threat.
"What are you going to do?"
Thalia tilted her head as if to start a fight and spat out fiercely.
"When my brother says that, I'm dying to live up to your expectations."
He couldn't stand it any longer. He reached out and twisted the thin neck, which was no more than a handful.
At that moment, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
"Your Highness."
Gareth looked up, startled. Barcas Raedgo Sheerkhan was looking down at him with a calm face.
It was a face that was so indifferent that he had been tired of seeing it all the time, without a trace of emotion. But for a moment, Gareth felt threatened. Even though it could never have been.
"Everyone is waiting for Your Highness's congratulatory address."
He gave him a firm squeeze on the shoulder as if to tell him not to get caught up in Thalia's provocations.
Gareth slapped the hand away rather roughly, his fingertips trembling with the unrelieved desire for violence.
He clenched his fists as if trying to hide it and glared at the woman's languid face.
Thalia Roem Guirta is determined to scratch me. I must not get caught up in it.
Gareth, who had calmed down his boiling anger by repeating this to himself, let go of the woman's arm as if throwing it away. Then he picked up his glass again and shouted in an exaggerated tone as if he were putting on a play.
"We've wasted time with useless squabbles. Now, let's have some food. I would like to express my gratitude once again to the abbot for providing such a wonderful place... I hope today will be a meaningful day for everyone."
The monks, who had been looking back and forth between the Crown Prince, the illegitimate Princess, and the commander of the imperial knights standing behind them with frozen faces, timidly picked up their glasses. Only Thalia Roem Guirta watched the scene with her arms folded and a mocking look on her face.
Just as her rebellious attitude was about to flare up again, Barcas leaned over Thalia's head.
"Please show basic courtesy as a guest, Your Highness."
Then he gently opened the woman's hand and placed a silver goblet in hers. Thalia, who seemed startled by the sudden contact and froze, glared at him with a venomous look.
Gareth thought the woman would throw the glass down right away. Perhaps because they had been clashing over everything since they were young. Thalia was particularly impatient because she couldn't eat Barcas.
But contrary to his expectations, Thalia, who had been glaring like a poisoned cat, soon straightened up. He narrowed his eyes. It was not like Thalia Roem Guirta to back down after such a warning. Wasn't she always a woman who didn't know what was right? Instead of meekly submitting to Barcas's pressure, she should have frowned and rushed at him. That would have been more like her behavior.
'What are you planning?'
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