In the end, the wolf hung its head weakly.
She stepped back hesitantly. Khan stood motionless, staring blankly at her.
Is he waiting for her to change her mind? No. Perhaps he simply doesn't want to follow her. Returning to Raedgo Castle would only reveal the cold stares of the people and a stifling life. He might want to live freely, even if it means leaving her behind.
Thalia slowly lowered her gaze, feeling a chill run down her spine. Just then, she heard the rustling sound of dry grass. Raising her head again, Thalia met the wolf approaching her and let out a small sigh of relief.
Khan let out a low hum and rested his head against her neck. Thalia raised her arms and wrapped them around Khan's head. The warmth transmitted through the damp fur gradually subsided the anxiety that had been weighing down her chest. With a much calmer expression, she wiped the moisture from her wet cheeks.
"...Let's go back now."
The wolf, who had been staring at her with sorrowful eyes, eventually turned toward the direction of Raedgo Castle. Thalia quietly followed behind him.
Before anyone realized it, the rain had completely stopped. Sunlight streaming through the clouds brightly illuminated the vast reed field, and whenever the wind blew, golden ripples spread to the very edge of the field.
As she crossed the beautiful yet desolate landscape, she tightened her collar. For some reason, the sadness gradually faded, and peace settled in her heart.
Perhaps it was because she had stopped resisting the emotions that had tormented her for so long. As she accepted the fact that she could not ultimately escape her feelings for him, the raging agony subsided as if by magic.
She slowly retraced her steps, running her fingertips over the dry ears of grain. The plains receded behind her, and before she knew it, a birch forest blocked her path. Thalia pressed her body against Khan's side and took a bold step through the trees.
Although it was still midday, the forest was dim. Thalia carefully climbed the slippery slope, holding Khan by the nape of the neck with one hand. Just then, Khan, who had been walking a step ahead, suddenly stopped and lifted his head sharply. Thalia held her breath and scanned the surroundings.
"What's the matter?"
Khan growled and stared intently through the trees. At that moment, a faint presence was heard from a distance.
Thalia froze. Wondering if a group of raiders was camped in the forest, she quickly grabbed Khan by the nape of the neck.
"Khan, let's go over there, quickly."
Khan, his body taut and the hairs on his back standing on end, glanced back at her. Thalia noticed that Khan was conflicted about something and swallowed hard.
Surely he isn't planning to attack them. As she clutched her gray fur nervously, the faint outlines of men on horseback emerged through the trees. Recognizing the emblem of the Knights of Wolfram emblazoned on their cloaks, Thalia bit her lip with a look of despondency.
'Could it be that you came looking for me?'
No. They might just be patrolling the forest to search for looters.
After a moment of hesitation, Thalia pulled Khan closer. She wanted to return to the castle quietly, without encountering them, if possible.
Let's go somewhere else quickly."
Khan quietly turned around, as if he had somehow managed to hear the whispered words. Thalia followed him into a thicket of bushes. However, before she could take even a few steps, heavy footsteps echoed from behind her, and a rough hand grabbed her wrist.
She gasped in surprise and spun around. Then, a broad chest plate filled her vision.
Thalia flinched, took a step back, and craned her neck to catch a glimpse of Lucas breathing heavily. She stiffened her shoulders. He looked down at her with a paler-than-usual complexion, his soaking wet black hair pushed back as if he had been in the rain for quite some time.
Suddenly, her heart sank. Lucas, looking down at her with an icy expression, looked for a moment chillingly similar to Barcas. He pressed himself close to her and spoke in a cold voice.
"What on earth are you doing in a place like this?"
Thalia, snapping back to her senses, hurriedly shook his hand off. However, the man's fingers remained wrapped around her wrist, refusing to budge. Thalia glared sharply.
"Can't you let go of this right now?"
"Is that all you have to say?"
The man gritted his teeth and pulled her strongly.
"I spent nearly half a day scouring the entire estate trying to find you. But you..."
At that moment, Khan let out a fierce growl. Thalia, who turned her head in surprise, urgently reached out her arm upon seeing Khan glaring at Lucas with his fangs bared.
“Khan, no!”
However, before she could even reach Khan, Lucas roughly pulled her behind his back and grabbed the hilt of the sword at his waist with his other hand. Seeing this, Thalia shouted, with a face as pale as blood.
"No! If you hurt my Khan, I won't let you get away with it!"
Lucas's body stiffened for a moment. He glared at her, clenching his teeth until the veins in his belt bulged, before finally releasing his hand from the hilt. However, the hand gripping her wrist showed no sign of loosening. Turning her around, he announced in a harsh tone.
"Let's return to the castle first."
Then, without waiting for an answer, he led her to where the knights were waiting. Thalia obediently followed her brother-in-law, fearing that Khan might be provoked.
“Excuse me?”
Finally, when they reached the place where the horse was tied up, Lucas grabbed her waist with both hands, lifted her up, and seated her on the saddle. Then, before she could even react, he nimbly slid onto the back of her and shouted loudly at his men.
“Everyone, return!”
Almost simultaneously, Lucas's warhorse strode forward. Only then did Thalia come to her senses and raise her voice in anger.
"What are you doing! Can't you put me down right now?"
"Please stay still."
Lucas, having easily subdued the struggling woman with one arm, growled low at her bedside. Thalia felt a shiver run down her spine and instinctively hunched her shoulders. Even the voice sounded chillingly similar to Barcas's. Feeling heat rise in the back of her neck in an instant, she leaned your body close to the saddle.
Lucas, who had been looking down at her with a piercing gaze, soon spurred his horse on.
Thalia hurriedly turned her head to check if Khan was following properly. Fortunately, the gray wolf was hot on their heels. She let out a small sigh of relief at the sight, but her nerves were on edge at the sound of heavy breathing coming from above. She pulled forward in the saddle to create even a little distance from Lucas. At that, Lucas tightened his grip on her waist and whispered softly into her ear.
"If you don't want to fall, please stay put."
Thalia, who had been hunching her neck, lifted her head high to snap a remark. Then, she froze as she came face-to-face with a masculine face that looked as if it had been roughly chiseled.
Dark hair, golden eyes, bronze skin... He was a man who looked as if Barcas had been turned upside down. But why did they look so alike? Lucas, having completely shed the appearance of a youthful man, looked just as intimidating and sharp as his brother.
She hurriedly lowered her eyes to hide her fear.
"I'll stay still, so keep your distance."
Only then did the strength drain from the arms that had been tightening around her waist. Thalia struggled with all her might not to lean against him and gripped the handle at the front of the saddle tightly.
How long did they drive along that winding forest path? At the edge of the forest, Raedgo Castle came into view.
Thalia gazed with a desolate look at the sandy fortress towering over the hill. A beautiful, empty prison devoid of any hope was drawing closer. Soon, it would be time to pay the price for the reckless actions she had committed.
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