I reflexively looked at Barcas's expression.
A dry wind was blowing over his loop cold face, where there was no emotion.
Barcas, who was looking up at the sun wrapped in a thin cloud curtain as if measuring time, cast a calm glance at the adjutant.
"Tell the Wolfram cavalry to hurry up and get ready to go."
"I understand."
As Darren withdrew, Barcas turned around without delay.
I didn't know what to say, so I only wet my lips.
Should I comfort him?
But Barcas really didn't seem to care.
Maybe it's a natural reaction. He was sent to the capital at the age of only five. There was no way he had any affection for his father.
"I think I have to start today. How are you doing?"
Barcas stepped into the hall and suddenly asked a question.
I replied in a nervous tone.
"I've had a good rest for a few days, and I'm fine now."
"You haven't fully recovered yet."
Suddenly, his voice became stiff.
"It will be a lot of pressure to go a long way with a bad body. If your condition deteriorates, please talk to me immediately."
After watching him for a moment, I nodded helplessly.
He climbed the stairs with a pace that was neither slow nor fast. I could see the cloudy sky through the window in the hallway. I thought that maybe it would rain at the funeral.
***
The return journey was smooth.
After diligently running through the open fields, we were able to reach Raedgo Castle two days ahead of schedule.
The gatekeeper, who saw us from a distance, blew the trumpet loudly, and the drawbridge came down. The Wolfram cavalry passed through the gates without delay.
"Welcome!"
As we entered the clearing, the waiting servants surrounded Barcas in unison.
Watching the scene through the window, I adjusted my clothes and went outside.
The maids who lined up at the entrance of the hall came down the stairs to greet us.
"You have had a lot of trouble traveling a long way."
The maid greeted me as a representative. I replied with a snap of my chin and walked over to Barcas.
Barcas, who was receiving a report from the butler, glanced at me.
"I think I should see my father right away. Would you like to go with me?"
I thought for a moment. Honestly, I didn't want to face that eccentric old man again. However, I did not want to leave Barkas alone. Even though I knew he didn't feel sad.
"...I'll go with you."
Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, but Barcas, who had been silent for a moment, looked down at his brother, who was standing in the distance.
"Follow me."
Lucas, who was standing there with a dark face, mechanically followed his brother's instructions. I consciously turned away from Lucas and chased after Barcas.
When I moved my stiff legs and barely entered the room, the scent of myrrh, frankincense, and sandalwood pierced my nose. All of them were incense burned for patients on the verge of death.
"Lucas!"
As we had just climbed the stairs, a slender girl jumped out of the Grand Duke's bedside.
"Why are you here now! How long can I be alone...!"
In an instant, a girl crossed the hallway and jumped into Lucas's arms. The boy, who had been stiff, hugged his sister's shoulders and burst into tears.
I, who looked at the scene with a puzzled expression, glanced away and looked at the dark bed.
In the room covered with smoke, high-ranking priests and vassals were lined up. Barkas strode into it and asked the priest a question.
"How are he?"
"...Sadly. It seems difficult to get through today."
The old priest with a haggard face said in a somber voice.
"Be prepared in your heart."
As if hearing the old priest's words, the girl's cry became even louder. I, who was standing awkwardly and rolling my eyes, quietly leaned over to Barcas's side.
As I cast a cautious glance at the bed draped with the drapes, I caught my eye at first glance, the ugly old man. He looked so old that it was hard to believe that he was a person who was teasing his tongue viciously.
How long have I been looking down at the man who has become a miserable person in just over a month? Someone pulled my coat roughly.
"Why is this woman here!"
Raina Raedgo Sheerkan's tear-stained eyes were shining vigorously.
"You said you cursed my father to go to hell? What kind of shame are you here! Go out! Get out right away!"
The girl who used evil gently pulled me to the door.
Barcas resolutely pulled her away and wrapped one arm around my shoulder. The girl's face became even more ferocious when she saw this.
"My brother is the same! You can't possess such a witch..."
"Stop, Raina!"
Lucas hurriedly pulled his sister to his chest and covered her mouth.
Raina Raedgo Sheerkan, who had been smiling with a sad face, immediately buried her face in his brother's arms and began to cry out with her throat open.
At that moment, a rough voice like scraping iron resounded.
"What kind of fuss is this?"
I turned my head slightly.
A man with his wrinkled eyelids lifted was glaring at us with frosty eyes. The weeping girl rushed to the bed.
"Father! Are you awake?"
The old man, who had been looking at his daughter's face for a while, rolled his eyes and scanned the room. Then he found me standing on one side of the room and squinted his eyes.
I leaned back behind Barcas's back. The old man didn't want me to be here either, I thought.
However, the old man was surprisingly quiet. The man, who had been staring at me for a while with dark eyes, finally turned his gaze to his eldest son. A strange light flashed on his grayish-dark face.
"...I've been waiting for you to come, Barcas."
A persistent cough interrupted his words.
The old man, who was breathing heavily, raised his hand, which was as stiff as a tree branch. At the unspoken request, Barcas bent over the bed.
The old man's pale eyes touched Barcas's cold face.
At that moment, the old man, who had not lost his toughness even on the brink of death, collapsed.
"You... You must be resenting me."
The words were more of a conclusion than a question.
Barcas just looked down at his father without agreeing or denying it. A violent turbulence rose over the old man's eyes. He grabbed the hem of Barcas's clothes with his slender fingers.
"I will answer you one thing. In your eyes... What do you see?"
The sudden question made the audience hold their breath in unison.
He continued desperately.
"There must be something in my eyes... Do you see something else? Tell me. You must know. What is behind death..."
It seemed that blood would gush out of his throat, where phlegm was boiling.
The faces of the people around the bed turned white. The fear of the old man on the brink of death seemed to overwhelm the left.
He pulled Barcas like a clench, spitting out the sound of iron.
"Come on! What is behind this..."
Only then did Barcas's tightly closed lips open.
"Nothing."
Not only the Grand Duke, but all those who froze and watched the confrontation between the two held their breath. I also stared at him with bewildered eyes.
Barcas, who was staring down at his father's white face, added gently.
"I can't see anything in your eyes. So calm down."
The corners of the old man's mouth convulsed.
The priest, who came to his senses belatedly, hurriedly approached the bedside and comforted the Grand Duke.
"Your Excellency, please let go of your fear. The messenger of God will lead you to the world of rest."
The old man, who was relentlessly glaring at his successor, soon lost all his energy and became limp.
Barcas, who was looking down at him with calm eyes, stood up.
I carefully grabbed his cuff. For some reason, I felt like I had to do that.
He looked down at me with glass-like blue eyes, then turned his gaze back to the bed.
Soon after, the priest began to read the prayer in a reverent voice. However, the fear in the old man's eyes did not subside.
The man, who had been spitting out nonsense and panting wildly, did not fall asleep until sunset.
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