He pricked up his ears at the ambiguous answer.
Then when on earth do you plan to talk?
Feeling frustrated, he approached her and nudged her shoulder with his head, but Thalia merely stroked his head half-heartedly, as if thinking he was just being cute.
He stared intently at Tiuran, as if asking her to persuade Thalia. As if sensing his silent plea, Tiuran knelt down in front of her and asked cautiously.
"Are you afraid that His Excellency the Grand Duke will not believe Your Highness's words?"
"...It's not necessarily just because of that."
Thalia, blushing as if struck by a painful truth, placed the teacup on the shelf and spoke.
"If you want to claim that Marisen was acting on the Crown Prince's orders, you ultimately have to explain that Khan killed her as well."
He flinched and tilted his ears back. Thalia stroked his head soothingly and continued speaking.
"Barcas is still wary of the Khan. If he finds out that the Khan has harmed anyone, he will try to keep him away from me, no matter the reason."
"But there is a reason why Khan acted that way, isn't there? If you explain it well..."
"How am I supposed to explain this?"
Thalia irritably interrupted Tiuran.
"Do you say Khan killed Marisen to avenge me and the dead child?"
A short snort escaped her lips.
"He won't believe me. He'll surely think I'm making up lies to protect Khan."
Tiuran fell silent, unable to find a word to rebut. He, too, slumped his head. It was a reaction entirely befitting of him, so he couldn't even feel wronged.
Thalia lightly scratched his ear and added, like a sigh.
"That doesn't mean I won't say anything forever."
Suddenly, her eyes darkened.
"For the past two years, I have only pushed him away and avoided him. Even if I bring this up suddenly, he won't be able to trust me easily. Maybe after we get a little closer..."
Thalia paused for a moment, then added quietly.
"I plan to confess when I am certain that Barcas will believe me."
Then, as if trying to shake off the somber atmosphere, she jumped up from the bed and said.
"Right now, mending our relationship is more urgent. Is there any good way to coax that stone-faced man?"
At the sudden question, a look of bewilderment flashed across Tiuran's face. She hesitated as she spoke.
"First, how about trying to spend more time together?"
"If that were possible, would I be doing this?"
As if anger was rising again, she nervously swept her disheveled hair back.
"Since returning to Kalmor, that man has done nothing but work from morning till night. He rarely even stays at the castle."
He retraced his memories of that time. Certainly, around this time, he was spending a hectic period catching up on half a year's worth of official duties, investigating the pagans, and devising plans to wipe out the looters. Even now, he was likely engaged in pointless arguments with his retainers at the assembly hall over all sorts of matters.
If his memory was correct, he would have returned just before midnight again today.
"That man will undoubtedly be holding nothing but reports right up until the moment he is buried. His tombstone will probably read, 'Cause of Death: Overwork.' His suicide note will consist of nothing but a long list of instructions for work he couldn't complete."
Thalia spewed out curses, seemingly getting angrier the more she thought about it. Tiuran gave a bitter smile and shook her head.
"Still, you share a bed at night, don't you? Why don't you try approaching him a bit more proactively then?"
"What else am I supposed to do here?"
Thalia glared at Tiuran, her pure white neck turning red.
"Even though I lay on his bed practically naked and did all sorts of things, that man..."
Thalia, who had been fuming, suddenly fell silent. Then, lowering her eyes, she muttered in a voice so small it was hard to understand.
"Ki... I’m telling you, he won’t do anything more than kiss."
Suddenly, Tiuran's gaze turned serious. She stroked her chin and, lost in thought for a while, spoke in a low voice.
"Could it be that His Excellency sustained a serious injury during the war? I mean... it's in a place that could interfere with his marital relationship."
He lifted his head sharply and glared at the healer. The woman wore a serious expression, devoid of even the slightest hint of humor. It seemed she believed that otherwise, it would be impossible to resist the temptation of Thalia Roem Sheerkhan.
He gritted his teeth, feeling a throbbing headache. Recalling how desperately he had endured back then, he even felt a sense of injustice.
The healer, unaware of his feelings, continued in a cautious tone.
"Shall I gently suggest that he get a medical examination there?"
"Are you crazy? Absolutely do not do that!"
Thalia raised her voice with a flushed face.
"I-I'm telling you, there's absolutely no problem over there! Every time... it just ends up being like that."
"...Every time?”
Tiuran asked back with a surprised expression. At her reaction, a look of anxiety crossed Thalia's face.
"Isn't that what happens when you touch a woman?"
The healer, who had been opening her mouth as if to explain something, wisely closed it again. Then, letting out an ambiguous smile, she blatantly evaded the answer.
"If there is no problem in that regard, perhaps he is deliberately holding back out of concern for straining Your Highness's body? Since Your Highness's health has not been good lately... I suppose he cannot approach you rashly."
"But now I've fully recovered."
Thalia lifted her chin and placed her hands on her hips, as if showing off her curves, which were more distinct than before.
"How on earth do I look like someone who's sick?"
"Perhaps the image of Your Highness when you were frail is deeply ingrained in His Excellency the Grand Duke's mind. When someone close to you falls seriously ill, those around them tend to become extremely cautious. He is anxious out of fear that the same thing might happen again."
The woman described his psychological state relatively accurately. However, Thalia still wore a look of disbelief. The healer, who had been pondering something while quietly looking down at her sullen face, suddenly spoke up.
"Why don't you try creating an opportunity that could dramatically change the relationship between the two of you?"
"Opportunity?"
Thalia leaned forward in front of her with an intrigued expression. Tiuran hesitated and opened his mouth.
"If Your Highness needs it... I will make you some medicine that might be helpful."
In an instant, he felt the hairs all over his body stand on end. He stared at the healer, his body stiff as if struck by lightning, when Thalia widened her eyes and asked back.
"When you say medicine, are you talking about that... love potion that was given to the village maidens during the festival last spring?"
Tiuran slowly nodded. He stared intently at that kind face, devoid of a single trace of malice, without blinking.
The woman added like a joke, a faint smile playing on the corners of her lips.
"I will make it for you at half price, especially for Your Highness."
"Do you think I'm a beggar?"
Thalia snorted and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"If I were to buy medicine from you, I’d pay ten times more than others. Do you even know how much I’ve made in the textile business?"
"Then, I should take this opportunity to make a solid profit out of this with a grateful heart."
The woman giggled softly and chimed in. It was so natural that for a moment, he even wondered if he had been mistaken.
Support Novellate!
I love that Talia had a friend, I just hope the friend can somehow make a difference...
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