He twisted his eyes. Every word she uttered was like digging into his stomach.
"Why do you want a child so much?"
Perhaps it was an unexpected question, and a sense of bewilderment appeared on her face. The woman who was staring at him blankly lowered her eyelashes and frowned.
"...There must be a reason? It's natural for a married woman to want to have children."
Barcas grabbed her chin and looked straight into her dark, sunken eyes.
"Have you forgotten all the pain you went through throughout your pregnancy? You can't sit or lie down properly because of the pain, and you haven't been in pain for months."
"...It wasn't that much. It was bearable."
She stubbornly cried.
He felt his stomach twist violently and breathed in the cool air deep in his lungs.
The image of her still in pain was right in front of him. The image of Thalia shedding blood and tears and then drooping like a corpse is also vivid, as if it were yesterday.
What was it like after that? Didn't you completely let go of the grief of losing your child? Now that you have finally recovered my body and mind, will you repeat it again?
He spat it out coldly, as if it were worthless.
"No matter what you say, it's useless. I won't change my mind."
His face, which had been shining brightly at that resolute declaration, became bizarrely calm. The woman who was staring at him with dark shadows let out a ghostly voice.
"Even if I desperately want it?"
He tightened his mouth. The feeling of something sharp digging through his body became more and more intense. He tried to ignore it and said calmly.
"Even if you want to."
Her face froze even colder. Barcas, who had unconsciously reached out to her bloody cheeks, stopped and clenched his fists.
He could tell instinctively. She will no longer allow him to touch her.
As expected, Thalia, who tilted her head to the side to avoid his touch, gave her a cold look like a rainbow.
"Then there's no reason for me to be like this with you. If you won't give me what I want, get out of this room right away."
A soft voice grinded his cheek like a whip. He kept his gaze on her slightly trembling lips for a moment, and then slowly stood up.
Thalia, who was staring at him coldly, lay on the bed and covered her head with the blanket.
Barkas swallowed a heavy sigh and immediately turned around. Then he quietly walked out of the room with a calm step.
***
The rain showed no signs of stopping for several days.
In order to escape the occasional storm, the citizens of Kalmor naturally refrained from going out, and the market streets and squares, which would normally be crowded, were empty.
It was a welcome situation for the mounted warriors of the Grand Duke, who were wary of the leakage of information to the Zlams. Thanks to the early rainy season, it was possible to gather troops near the Armund Forest without attracting attention to those around them.
If this heavy rain had lasted for a few more days, the raid on the looters' stronghold would not have been leaked to the enemy, as information had been formed in the Grand Duke.
"The lord of Dorkaen has decided to wait in Brinac and join the main force on the appointed day."
"What is the trend of the lords in the West and East regions?"
"Since Sir Darren replied that he would conduct a follow-up investigation as soon as possible, there has been no news."
Beirov, who had been reporting in a calm manner, added with a thoughtful expression.
"A hasty search may only lead to opposition from the lords, so it seems that Sir Darren is also very careful in his investigation."
Barcas, staring down at the map spread out on his desk, leaned back on the back of his chair and pressed his eyes tightly.
"Tell them not to drag it out too long, because those who joined the traitor might destroy all the evidence."
"I will launch the messenger right away."
Beirov, who responded in a calm tone, winked at the servant who was waiting at the door. Hearing the silent instructions, the young man immediately left the conference room.
Barcas pushed the map aside and skimmed through the informants' newly written reports.
Preparations for the subjugation were progressing smoothly. For many years, the Iords, who had been troubled by the hordes of Zram marauders, readily expressed their willingness to participate in the war of subjugation, and several devout members of the Imperial Orthodox Church even contributed supplies from their own personal savings. Thanks to this, it was possible to secure sufficient forces without calling up the main force.
"Tomorrow morning. I will be able to pull out this one that I was sick of."
"Are you going to arrest the pagans all at once?"
Lucas, who was sitting quietly at the end of the desk in the conference room, spoke. Barcas nodded with a nonchalant face.
"Once you've wiped out the marauders, there's no reason to leave them alone. As soon as we set out, we will detain all those who are on the list of pagans. There is not a single exception."
"...I have something to say about that."
Lucas carefully parted his lips.
"The religious order came to demand that they personally secure the new recruits of the apostates."
Barcas narrowed the space between his eyebrows.
"I appreciate the offer, but the Eastern Church's forces are beyond their capacity. Respond by saying that after the Grand Duke has arrested them, they will be brought before the High Priest for trial."
"...That's why the central church dispatched the knights."
Barcas, who was picking up the next report, paused and looked back at him. Lucas continued, ruffling the back of his head.
"At dawn this morning, a large number of knights with letters with the seal of the Central Church entered Kalmor. It seems that the words leaked from the Eastern Church."
Barcas stiffened his face. The contents of the report posted by heresy investigators crossed his mind.
Although the High Priest had promised him to cover up rumors about Thalia, it was difficult to fully trust him. If the high priest broke his promise and spoke out about the allegations of heresy surrounding Thalia, it could have been difficult to protect her.
Didn't the central church regard the 'illegitimate Princess' as a thorn in the side? They will do whatever it takes to bring a damper to Senevere, and they will try to put Thalia on the judgment of heresy.
Barcas threw down the report he was holding and stood up.
"I'll meet you in person and talk to you."
Then he immediately left the conference room.
It was still raining in the sky. Wearing a black raincoat handed to him by the servant, Barcas dragged Tork out of the stable.
The fiercely raging wind and rain had left him extremely anxious. Barcas, who had calmed Tork down and taken him out of the castle, crossed the moat and into the square.
It only took about ten minutes to reach the main temple. Normally, the boat would have taken a long time, but thanks to the empty streets, it was able to cross half of the city in no time.
"Your Excellency! How could you come this far without warning in this inclement weather..."
As he entered the courtyard of the Great Temple, a priest recognized him and ran out of the cloister. Barcas jumped from the saddle and looked at the stables at the end of the garden.
The cramped barn was packed with huge war horses. It looked like a dozen or so.
He asked in a dry tone.
"I came to see the high priest."
"The High Priest is in the prayer room. Please dry off in the reception room for a moment, and I will send you a message...
"That's it. Let's wait in the chapel."
He strode past the priest into the huge stone building. As he passed through the magnificent arched entrance, the scenery of a wide corridor with faint lights spread out in front of him.
He breathed in the cool, heavy air characteristic of the cathedral and walked across the empty hall. Then he found a large shadow standing in front of the chapel altar and stopped in his tracks.
A tall man in a dark gray robe was looking up at the carvings carved into the walls of the chapel.
Sensing a powerful force in his unshakable back, Barcas deliberately made footsteps.
Then the big man looked over his shoulder.
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