He picked up his coat and was about to walk past her and leave the room when the woman, who had been frozen at his command, roughly grabbed the hem of his clothes.
"Khan did nothing wrong. I... I ordered Khan to attack Lucas, and Khan merely followed my orders. So, if you want to punish me, do it your way."
A pained groan escaped from her mouth.
Only after hearing that sound did he realize that he was gripping her arm so tightly it looked like he might break it, so he loosened his grip. However, his fingers remained stiff and did not budge for a while.
He glared at her with an icy gaze.
The hardships he had to endure all last summer to avoid seeing this woman ascend the guillotine flashed through his mind.
He had barely managed to prevent her from standing trial by destroying evidence unfavorable to her, threatening his retainers to keep them silent, and bribing the priests.
Intense anger surged at the woman's behavior, which rendered all those efforts futile.
"Let's assume that's true. Why on earth did you do that?"
As he looked up at her with a terrified expression, the woman bit her dried-up lips and lowered her eyes.
Barcas continued his interrogation as if pressing her.
"Did Lucas do something wrong to you big enough to end up like last time?"
The sound of someone swallowing dry saliva was heard.
The woman, who had been staring down at the floor for a long time as if hesitating about something, finally let out a strained voice.
"...I got worked up during the argument and blurted things out; I never imagined Khan would actually attack Lucas..."
The words that had been flowing intermittently suddenly stopped.
Barcas let out a hollow laugh as he clutched his throbbing temples.
"Could you call that an excuse...?"
The woman's shoulders twitched at the despondent muttering.
Barcas, looking down at the scene with a cold gaze, continued speaking in a voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Even if that were true, nothing would change. I told you clearly before, didn't I? If that monster harms people, there is nothing I can do."
The terrifyingly beautiful face crumbled miserably.
Looking straight down at that face stained with despair, he added, emphasizing each and every word.
"A direct blood relative of the Grand Duke family has been seriously injured. This is not a situation that can be brushed off with the excuse of an accidental incident. Above all, we cannot simply let a monster that has tasted human blood roam freely within our territory."
A faint sob escaped from her throat.
He took a step back.
He felt like he would completely lose his self-control if he faced her any longer.
Barcas immediately walked to the door and grabbed the doorknob.
At that moment, with a heavy impact, a slender arm wrapped tightly around his waist.
Barcas stiffened his body as if he were paralyzed.
The woman, who had hugged him tightly as if clinging to him, lifted her face, which was a mess from crying, and cried out desperately.
"No! Please, don't kill Khan. Khan is our child!"
A look of utter despair lingered on her.
As if she had completely lost her reason, she began to ramble on with incoherent words.
"Tiuran said so. She said a child who dies without being baptized is reborn as a beast. Khan, Khan, our child has been reborn. He was reborn as a wolf and returned to me!"
Barcas's face contorted horribly. He could not breathe from the sensation of something collapsing deep inside his chest. Before he could even compose himself, the woman poured out a rapid-fire barrage of words.
"It's true! If you look into Khan's eyes, you'll know. Khan is our son. It is our son, who never even took his first breath, who has been brought back to life! So please, don't harm our child..."
"Stop it!"
The woman flinched at the shout that burst out like an explosion and let go of his waist.
Barcas leaned his body, which looked as if it would collapse at any moment, against the doorpost and covered his face with his hands.
A convulsive tremor ran through his entire body. He looked down at his wife, who was broken beyond repair, through his trembling fingers.
The deep blue eyes, wet with tears, mercilessly tore at his heart. Feeling an indescribable sense of frustration weighing heavily on his body, he closed his eyes tightly.
How long will it be while catching one's breath like that?
Barcas, having finally regained his composure, straightened up and spoke as if spitting it out.
"I've heard enough nonsense."
The woman's eyes went blind. Turning away from the empty eyes where the spark of hope had died down, Barcas gripped the doorknob.
"Stay confined to your room until Lucas wakes up. I will decide your fate after I return from work."
Then, he threw the door wide open and gestured to the soldiers standing in the hallway.
“Take her to her room.”
The soldiers immediately surrounded her.
Thalia did not resist. With a pale face, she just stared blankly down at the floor.
Leaving that empty face, where even the tears had dried up, behind, he took a step toward the hallway where the sound of groaning was beginning to spread out.
He quickened his pace as if shaking off all the sticky emotions weighing heavily on his chest. His shadow stretched out as he descended the stairs, seeping into the dim darkness.
***
A punitive expedition was immediately formed.
As if they had been firmly plotting revenge during the past ten days when Lucas hovered between life and death, the enraged mounted warriors gathered in front of the castle gate.
Barcas selected thirty men and rode his horse out of the North Gate.
Before he knew it, the sun was sinking beyond the horizon. As he looked up at the sky, which was turning from purple to deep blue, he soon shifted his gaze to the birch forest where the twilight still lingered.
The wolf possessed above-average intelligence. It certainly wouldn't be lurking around open fields or near hills.
That said, it didn't seem likely that it had left Kalmor and run away far. Given its strong obsession with its master, it was probably wandering near the castle.
Barcas led his men across the field toward the Armund Forest.
Not long after, he was able to reach the entrance of the forest, which was beginning to be enveloped in blue darkness.
"From here, split up to search. Move in pairs of three, and send a signal as soon as you spot him."
As soon as his order was given, knights holding torches in one hand scattered throughout the forest.
He also gestured to Beirov and Legen.
"I am sufficient on my own. You guys search the north."
"But..."
Beirov, who was about to raise a counterargument with a flustered look on his face, soon fell silent.
The man, who had traversed the battlefield together for the past few years and knew better than anyone that he did not need an escort, turned his horse with a low sigh.
"Please send a signal if any problems arise."
Barcas spurred his horse without saying a word.
The torches held by the soldiers flickered and spread in all directions through the dense white trees.
Leaving behind the neighing of horses from all directions and the rustling of fallen leaves, how long had he traveled through the darkness where a biting wind was blowing? A foul, metallic stench began to mix into the air.
Before long, he was able to find the source of the smell. The remains of an animal, with all its flesh torn off, were buried in fallen leaves, emitting the stench of decay.
'Is it a wild boar?'
No, judging by the abnormal size of the skull, it seemed to be a dire boar.
He carefully examined the crushed bones, which looked as if they had been chewed by teeth, then soon raised his head and scanned the darkness.
Judging by the lingering smell of blood, it must not have been long since they feasted.
He jumped off the saddle and scanned the ground closely.
As if intentionally erased, there was no trace of it left anywhere on the damp dirt road. However, Barcas could clearly smell a strange odor floating in the air.
His senses were strangely on edge. Driven by an inexplicable instinct, he walked quickly through the shadows of the gloomy forest.
Just then, a rustling sound was heard from somewhere.
He took a bow from behind his back. Then, like lightning, he pulled an arrow from the quiver at his waist, grasped it, and pulled the string.
Almost simultaneously, the shadow of a huge beast appeared from among the thick bushes.
Barcas shot the arrow without hesitation. The beast hid among the trees in an instant, but the arrow, flying like the wind, had already pierced the monster's hind leg.
A low, rough howl cut through the night air. The massive body was seen staggering as if it had taken a fairly strong shock. However, the beast immediately composed itself and ran through the forest.
Barcas immediately mounted his horse and galloped through the trees like an acrobat.
Although countless obstacles blocked the view, shooting a beast the size of a calf was easier than hunting a rabbit or a small bird.
He fired arrows one after another at the beast running with all its might.
Several arrows pierced the creature's chest and flank. It seemed to have hit a vital spot this time, but the wolf's swift movements as it ran through the forest only grew more ferocious.
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