Forgotten Fields - Chapter 300

Thalia nodded without a word.

"Alright, go back to your quarters and rest for today."

As soon as permission was granted, Tiuran immediately packed her bags and left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Thalia sat back down beside Khan and carefully placed the wolf's head on her lap. As she slowly combed its tangled fur with her fingers, Khan's eyelids trembled slightly, revealing his faintly shining blue-gray eyes.

Thalia looked closely at Khan with a worried expression. The wolf looked as if he had been dragged out of a long sleep. Khan blinked his unfocused eyes a few times, thrashed his legs as if trying to sit up, but soon slumped back down. It seemed the effects of the medicine had not worn off yet.

“Stay calm.”

Thalia gently soothed the wolf, which was growling low, and reached out to untie the iron chain wrapped around Khan's neck. However, the loop, tangled like a knot, would not loosen easily.

"Just how tightly did you tie it up?"

After trying a few more times, Thalia soon called in the guard standing outside the door.

"Please untie this."

The soldier did not move readily and just looked down at Khan as if keeping a watchful eye on him. Thalia urged him on in an irritated voice.

“Can you hear me?”

The hesitant soldier reluctantly approached Khan and untied the chains.

Thalia tightly embraced Khan, who was trying to sit up, and gently stroked his back. After struggling a few times, the wolf soon burrowed into her embrace. The soldiers, who had been silently watching, eventually picked up their chains and rose from their seats.

"We will take our leave now. Please call us if any problems arise."

"For a moment."

Thalia urgently called out to the soldiers who were about to leave through the door and gave them an order in a stern voice.

"Do not report what happened today to His Excellency the Grand Duke."

"That can't be..."

"You all know how busy Barcas has been lately. I don't want to worry him unnecessarily over something trivial."

The guards, who had been looking at each other awkwardly, soon nodded.

"Understood. I will not report to Your Excellency separately."

Relaxed by the compliant answer, Thalia added in a much softer voice.

"Tell Barcas when he returns that I plan to stay in the room on the second floor today."

Then, as she lightly waved one hand, the guards bowed in respect and left the room.

Thalia took a handful of sleeping herbs she had kept as an emergency measure in case Khan became agitated again and placed them in the incense burner. Soon, the distinctive bitter scent of the herbs rose faintly. Khan, who had twitched his nose a few times and grimaced as if the smell bothered him, closed his eyes again.

Some time later, after confirming that Khan had completely calmed down, Thalia let the wolf climb onto the bed and forced it to eat the food the maids had prepared beforehand. She hoped that if it filled its stomach, its violent temper might subside a little. However, Khan forced down a couple of pieces of meat that had been shoved in, then immediately clamped his mouth shut. Watching him, worry washed over her once again.

Why on earth is this happening all of a sudden?

He was a guy who had been behaving quietly just a few hours ago, no different from usual.

Could it be that he is angry because she scolded him? Or perhaps he is trying to attract attention with aggressive behavior because she doesn't care about him as much as she used to.

Thalia gently patted Khan, who kept growling with his face buried in her chest.

She wondered how long she had been doing that when she heard a knocking sound on the door.

Thalia spat it out half-heartedly without even bothering to check who it was.

“Come in.”

Soon after, heavy footsteps were heard along with the creaking of hinges. Thalia slowly raised her gaze, following the shadow that had rushed into the room. Barcas stood there, staring at her with an expressionless face, wearing a thin, dark blue tunka loosely draped over a pure white linen shirt.

“Are you here?”

Just as she was exchanging perfunctory greetings, Barcas strode across the room and threw open the window. Then, he covered the censer, which was sending up a thin stream of smoke, to extinguish the embers, and cast a reprimanding gaze at her.

"Are you trying to suffocate? Just how long are you going to be like this...”

Barcas, who had been snapping back harshly, suddenly fell silent. He seemed to have noticed that Khan was acting differently than usual. Seeing his lips stiffen, Thalia wrapped her arms around Khan as if to protect him and spat out an excuse.

"I couldn't help it. Today, Khan was acting a little... strange..."

Barcas, frowning, approached the bedside and examined Khan closely. Thalia could smell the scent of leather, mint, and a cool body odor reminiscent of an autumn breeze emanating from his body.

Suddenly, her mouth went dry. She was a little embarrassed by the fact that she was reacting so sensitively to his physical attractiveness, even while she was worried about Khan.

She opened her mouth, pretending nothing was wrong.

"It seems like he's on edge because he was left alone last night. On top of that, since he's suddenly not allowed to go outside, it looks like he's accumulated a lot of frustration."

"Did this monster cause some trouble today?"

Barcas, who had been observing Khan—who was still under the influence of the medicine—for quite a while, turned his gaze toward her and asked.

Thalia swallowed hard. Could it be that the guards ignored her orders and reported on the Khan?

She spat it out somewhat defensively.

"Khan didn't cause any trouble. He just looked a little anxious."

Barcas seemed not to believe those words at all. Seeing his gaze turn cold as he looked down at Khan, Thalia urgently added

"I think I'll have to stay with Khan tonight."

Then, wrapping her arms tightly around Khan as if hugging a large doll, she shot him a pleading look, and he let out a small sigh and nodded.

"Don't worry about me, please go to sleep."

Then, she instinctively grabbed him as he turned toward the door without hesitation. Since she couldn't understand why Khan had suddenly become aggressive, she knew in her head that it would be better to sleep separately from him for the day. However, as she actually tried to kick him out of the room, an inexplicable sense of anxiety washed over her.

She blurted it out inadvertently, as if pleading.

"...Can’t you stay here too?"

His Adam's apple bobbed violently.

Barcas, who had been standing motionless as if suppressing something and quietly looking down at her, eventually took off his shoes and coat and climbed onto the bed.

Thalia quickly stepped aside to make room. As Barcas sat on the empty seat and leaned back, the sheet sank deeply, and her back naturally pressed against his body.

Thalia buried one cheek in Khan's neck to hide her flushed face.

He loosely wrapped one arm around her waist and wiped her sweat-soaked forehead with the other. It was such a smooth touch that it felt entirely natural.

She hunched her shoulders involuntarily. They had been sharing a bed almost every day since Barcas returned. But why was she so nervous?

"I will keep an eye on Khan. So please sleep soundly."

She was trying hard not to let her emotions show when a husky, low voice tickled her earlobe.

She nodded slightly and closed her eyes, pretending as if nothing was wrong. However, all her attention was focused on the warm body heat pressing against her back and the heavy heartbeat.

She clutched the sheet tightly with her fingers and caught her breath.

He repeatedly wrapped her hair around his fingers and loosened it, as if savoring the touch of fine silk thread. For some reason, his indifferent play with his hands brought tears to her eyes.

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