Lucas immediately turned around and ran away.
Darren, who was watching the scene from nearby, clicked his tongue with a worried expression.
"Isn't that a bit too much? What if he harbors even antipathy towards Your Excellency?"
"Currently, Lucas is the only heir to the Grand Duke. If something happens to me, he should be the head of the family."
Barcas spat out dryly.
"Rather, I would like to ask you what you were thinking about leaving it until it got to that point."
"Your Excellency is so young and strong, why should we prepare the second Master as your successor?"
Darren shrugged lightly.
"Besides, you are married, so you will soon see your direct heir."
Without saying anything, Barcas opened the canteen tied to his waist and took a bite.
Among the busy soldiers, fourteen wagons and large four-wheeled wagons made for travel were seen.
In front of him, a quarter dwarf carrying a large basin approached. It seemed like he was trying to listen to his wife's body.
Suddenly, the astringency of chewing old metal spread to his mouth.
After injuring her leg, Thalia reacted extremely sensitively to exposing her body. Except for the healer that the woman, her mother, gave her, he couldn't even touch her legs.
When he remembered the image of her having a seizure every time he tried to examine the wound himself, the fishy taste in his mouth became even stronger.
He took another sip of hard liquor into his throat, which seemed to be covered in sand, and then consciously changed the subject.
"Was there anything special about Darken Castle?"
"I couldn't find anything particularly suspicious. It seems that he lust invited us with the intention of forming a bond with the Grand Duke."
Darren, who was stroking his beard, continued calmly.
"While Your Excellency was alone with the lord of the castle, I even looked at the military camp, and it seems to be true that the number of soldiers is insufficient."
"Is there a special reason for the decrease in troops?"
"I think it's because of financial difficulties."
Darren let out a deep sigh.
It seems that the lord of Darken Castle does not have much talent for managing the estate. Many warriors left Darken due to the failure to properly pay the locks, and even the looters took advantage of the situation, resulting in serious losses of troops. I don't think he will rebel against the Grand Duke."
Barcas looked at the sunset grass in thought.
His judgment was not much different from Darren's. While his father was sick, the local nobles increased their strength by increasing their troops.
For the castle lord, who did not have a proper army, the existence of neighboring lords who were becoming stronger day by day would have been a threat.
He would have thought it was better to support the new Grand Duke, even for his own safety.
The question was whether the man was really useful to him.
"Are you going to support Darken to keep other vassals in check?"
As he was tapping on the abacus in his head, Darren asked him a question.
Barcas shook his head slowly.
"Let's meet the rest of the clan before we decide."
"It's a wise decision."
After finishing his conversation with Darren, Barcas moved to the center of the camp.
Before he knew it, the soldiers were sitting near the bonfire and eating. He looked around the camp and turned to his barracks.
When he entered the dark tent, the strong smell of rose oil and the sticky smell pierced the tip of his nose.
Stopping at the entrance, Barcas turned his eyes to the bed lit by candlelight. He saw a woman in loose blue linen pajamas hanging down on the blanket.
In an instant, good air seeped through his ribs.
He strode over to the side of the bed and put the back of his hand on her cheek. A light cold sweat soaked into her smooth skin, like glazed porcelain.
Are you suffering from pain again?
Barkas, who was gathering his eyebrows, stood up and rummaged through the display case. If she were suffering from sleeping, it would be better to burn the herbs.
He pushed a bundle of dry herbs into a small incense burner that the healer had prepared in advance.
As he was about to light a fire on it, he heard a thin voice from a distance.
"... Barcas."
When he turned his head, he saw a hazy eye that had not yet disappeared.
She narrowed her eyes as if she were drunk on something.
Maybe she has already burned the sleeping candle.
He leaned over to her and put his nose on her collar, but he couldn't smell the smoke. Instead, the smell of flesh was so sweet that it made his throat fill his breath.
The overly strong stimulation made his mind go blurry. It seemed that the senses that had rotted and worn away a long time ago were awakened all at once.
Trying to shake off that strange feeling, Barcas carefully lifted his head, and he saw her shoulders shrinking as if they were uncomfortable with the distance he was getting closer. He pretended not to know it and asked in a casual tone.
"Do you have a fever?"
She pulled the quilt to her chest and replied bluntly.
"It's okay. I just forgot to sleep."
"Did you eat properly?"
"I ate it a while ago."
She gestured with her chin and pointed to the tray next to the bed.
He narrowed his brows as he looked down at the bowls full of food.
There were almost no signs of eating. Also, it's all she has to put in your mouth with honey wine or a few pieces of fruit.
Feeling the strange sensation that had been stirring his nerves turn into irritation in an instant, he scratched his head a little roughly.
Thalia looked at him. The restless appearance made his nerves sharper and sharper. It seemed better to stay outside until she fell asleep again.
He turned towards the entrance to the barracks.
"Just sleep."
"Bar... Barcas!"
At that moment, an urgent hand reached out from behind his back.
He looked back with surprised eyes. Thalia, who was rolling her eyes as she clutched the cuffs of his coat, let out a cracked voice.
"I...My legs hurt."
When he didn't show any response, Thalia, who had swallowed her dry saliva, struggled to continue.
"Give me medicine."
Barcas, who had been blinking blankly, lowered his gaze to her lips. The swollen, red flesh looked like a crushed pomegranate egg.
He remembered the sensation he felt when he put it in his mouth and sucked it. The feel of the moist flesh that had been gently wrapped around his tongue also came back vividly.
Suddenly, a thirst burned in the back of his throat. He slowly walked to the shelf and took out a small glass bottle. Holding it in hia hand, he straddled the bed, and a deep sense of anxiety appeared on her face.
He held out a vial as if to test it.
"Is this?"
A pink blush spread over her transparent skin, which was so transparent that he could see through the inside.
The woman, who was rolling her eyes around with her ears and neck dyed red, nodded gently.
He immediately opened the bottle cap and took a deep liquid into his mouth.
When he wrapped his arms around the slender nape of her neck as if it were about to break, he felt a fast and strong pulse.
It reminded him of the time when he held a small bird in his hand. Just like when he felt his heart pulsating vigorously under the soft and delicate skin, he felt anxious.
He wrapped his jaw around her delicate jaw like a sculpture and brought his lips over the thick flesh that looked like droplets of blood.
When he inserted his tongue into the fine gap, a moaning like a cat tickled his throat.
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