Forgotten Fields - Chapter 250

It was the voice of the head maid.

Thalia looked toward the door with a suspicious gaze.

“What’s going on?”

"A messenger has arrived from the northern border. His Excellency the Grand Duke has sent various items, and I have brought them here as I thought it would be best for Your Highness to inspect them personally."

Thalia froze at the unexpected words. She could feel the two healers beside her stealthily glancing at her.

She composed her expression, which was about to waver, and replied in a calm tone.

“Yes, come in.”

Soon, five or six servants entered the bedroom one after another, carrying gleaming lacquered chests. Thalia watched the scene with a tense gaze.

"What is all this?"

"These are tonics that help restore vitality and rare medicinal herbs found only in the North. It seems they were sent in the hope that they would aid in Your Highness's recovery."

The head maid explained in her characteristic businesslike tone and held out a parchment document bearing the seal of the Grand Duke's family to her.

"Would you like to check if any items are missing?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than the servants opened the chest lids one by one to show the contents. On the velvet cushions were neatly arranged dark red dried meat that appeared to be animal intestines, various plant roots, and fruits of unusual shapes.

Thalia, glancing at them casually, asked in an impatient tone.

"Is there any other news?"

"What news are you talking about?"

Noticing that she had little interest in the list of items, the head maid folded the parchment document in half again and asked curtly.

Thalia glared at her with an annoyed look.

"I'm asking if you haven't heard anything at all about the war situation in the North!"

"The messenger sent by His Excellency handed over only the supplies and headed straight to the meeting hall. Therefore, I was not informed of the detailed inside story regarding the situation."

The head maid replied in a calm tone.

Thalia, who had been giving her a suspicious look, wondering if she was lying, soon asked in a dejected voice.

"...Did you have any other message for me?"

The head maid gave a strange look instead of an answer.

Thalia blushed, realizing that she was recalling all the wicked things she had done to her husband. The stern eyes of the older woman seemed to condemn her shamelessness in expecting news from him.

Thalia, turning her head abruptly to avoid the head maid's gaze, snapped at her sharply.

"If you didn't say anything else, that's fine. You may go now."

"...His Excellency the Grand Duke said that he plans to visit the castle once before the season changes."

After a long pause, the head maid finally spoke.

Thalia, startled by the unexpected news, opened her eyes wide, but the head maid, glancing down at the wolf in her arms, added in a cautious tone.

"I heard that His Excellency expressed concern upon hearing the news that Your Highness had taken in a direwolf pup."

As she reflexively tightened her grip on Khan, Thalia felt the wolf twitch its legs as if uncomfortable and flinched, tightening her hold.

Instead of immediately pulling away from her embrace, the wolf straightened up and brought his soft, downy face close to her chin. Her lips naturally curved upward at this gesture, which seemed intended to reassure her.

The head maid, who had been watching the scene with a pensive gaze, soon turned around with a low sigh.

"I will store this medicinal herb separately in the precious materials storage room. Please let me know if you need it."

"Is that necessary? If you give it to me, I will immediately brew the medicinal herbs for Your Highness."

Marisen, who had been silently listening to the back-and-forth conversation, suddenly spoke up. As she looked down at her for a moment with a pensive gaze, the head maid shifted her eyes back to the ritual room as if seeking her opinion.

Thalia nodded nonchalantly.

“Do it that way.”

"Understood. Then I will organize these medicinal herbs in the storage cabinet in the dispensing room."

With those words, the servants swarmed out of the room. Only then did Thalia put strength into her shoulders.

Marisen, who had been glancing at the scene out of the corner of her eye, was the first to pick up her medical tools and stand up from her seat.

"We will take our leave now as well. Please feel free to call us anytime if needed."

Thalia leaned back against the chair and gave only a half-hearted nod. Soon, the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance, followed by the sound of a door closing.

Thalia, who had been staring out the window with a half-dazed look on her face, suddenly felt a piercing gaze and lowered her head. As she met those beautiful blue eyes that were always fixed on her like sunflowers chasing the sun, her heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, quickly calmed down.

She gently stroked Khan's pointed gray ears.

"Don't worry. Barcas will surely soften his heart when he sees you. Because..."

As she playfully tickled the nape of his neck, the wolf flinched slightly. Looking down at him with affectionate eyes, Thalia whispered softly, as if to tell him something.

"You and Barca have identical eyes. Beautiful silver spots are scattered in his eyes, just like yours."

The wolf blinked its big eyes blankly and tilted its head.

Thalia was sometimes seized by the delusion that this wolf really understood everything she said.

Khan seemed to empathize with all the emotions she was feeling. It was a completely new experience for her. Someone to whom she could cast aside any caution or suspicion and pour out her wholehearted affection. Someone who returned as much love as she gave—no, even more. Thalia, who had never experienced anything like that before, fell even deeper for Khan.

“Shall I show you?”

Thalia stood up from her seat with Khan in her arms. Then she walked over to the side of the bed and opened the cupboard. She saw a small jewelry box sitting at the very back of the drawer.

As she carefully took it out and placed it on the blanket, Khan pricked up his ears.

Thalia placed the compartment on the bed and carefully opened the jewelry box. Then, the dry, brittle yellow flower petals came into view. Thalia, having pulled out a thumbnail-sized moonstone from among them, proudly held it out right in front of Khan's nose.

"I got this not long after I came to the East. How is it? It looks just like your eyes, doesn't it? Your dad's eyes are exactly this color, too."

The wolf stared intently at the small gemstone without moving a muscle.

After briefly looking puzzled at that strange reaction, Thalia took out a ruby brooch and a handkerchief with Eastern-style embroidery one by one and showed them.

"Your dad bought this for you before. Isn't it cool? They are all my treasures."

The wolf, who had not moved for a while, raised its head and looked at her.

Thalia wiped the smile from her lips. It looked just like a wolf in agony.

Thalia sprang to her feet with a startled look and lifted the wolf high in her arms.

"What's the matter?"

The wolf trembled and burrowed into her arms. Worried that he might be in pain, Thalia fidgeted anxiously, but realizing that he was simply feeling uneasy, she patted his small back.

She wondered how long she had been doing that. Suddenly, a languid sensation spread throughout her body. It seemed the ointment the healer had applied was finally taking effect.

Her stiff leg muscles relaxed wearily, and soon a sensation of floating came over her, as if her body were floating in the air. Overwhelmed by the ecstatic sensation of her body melting away, Thalia closed her eyelids.

Before she could even realize it, a song flowed out from between her half-parted lips. It was a melody Mom used to hum whenever she was in a good mood.

Thalia, who had been giggling with a strange sense of happiness, suddenly felt her vision blurring and lay down on the bed.

Then, at some point, it seemed she had dozed off.

Thalia, who had barely come to her senses just as the sun began to set, looked out the window with hazy eyes.

A burning sunset was visible beyond the window. As she stared blankly at it, a burning thirst tightened around her throat. She fumbled and reached for the water kettle on the shelf.

At that moment, a scorching heat, as if she had stepped into a fire, overwhelmed jer.

Thalia let out a sharp, rough groan. It was as if a celestial being had turned into firewood. It was strangely blinding, and her skin burned as if it were on fire.

As Thalia twisted her body in pain, she urgently pulled the rope attached to the side of the bed.

Previous                Next

Support Novellate!