Chapter 224
Raina, who looked as though she was about to argue back, clenched her fists and bit her lip. She seemed afraid that if she pushed any further, her tyrannical brother might truly ruin her marriage.
The young woman glared at him with bloodshot eyes before abruptly spinning on her heel and storming out, slamming the door behind her.
As though nothing had happened, Varkas picked up the parchment once more and signed it with quick strokes.
“I intend to keep Raina's engagement ceremony as modest as possible. Invite only the influential nobles who will serve as witnesses.”
“Your Grace, Miss Raina is the only daughter of the Grand Ducal House. If the ceremony is too plain, it may damage House Siorcan's reputation...”
“The war is not over yet. This is no time for lavish celebrations.”
Varkas cut off the steward's advice without hesitation before handing over the signed document.
“The wedding itself, however, will be held on a grand scale. If any of the retainers voice complaints, tell them exactly that.”
The steward could only fall silent.
After reviewing the remaining official documents, Varkas put on his coat and left the room.
She was nowhere to be seen. It seemed she had already finished her walk and gone elsewhere.
Standing alone in the middle of the garden, Varkas silently gazed at the flowers she had been admiring before turning toward the stables. He intended to inspect the territory for the first time in quite a while.
He gently coaxed Tork, who had been enjoying a rare day of rest, and led him outside the castle.
Crossing the moat and descending into the square, the prosperous city spread out before him. The town, which had suffered greatly from the raids of the Zram and the aftermath of the heretic hunts, now seemed immersed in peaceful tranquility, as though none of it had ever happened.
After surveying the bustling merchant district, Varkas guided his horse toward the northern gate. Passing beneath the great arched entrance, an endless expanse of grassland rushed into view.
He galloped across the vast pasture in a single stretch until he reached the top of a hill. The boundless sky, the wind sweeping across the open plains, and the pale birch forest shimmering in the distance filled his vision.
After quietly taking in the scenery along the ridgeline, Varkas turned his horse toward the ranch.
At that moment, a violent gust swept across the land.
Hearing the cry of a beast through the wailing trees, Varkas abruptly turned around.
The white-barked trees writhed together as though screaming. Something within them gave him the unsettling sensation that it was watching him.
His hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword.
Yet the chilling presence that had sent a shiver down his spine vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
After staring at the restless forest for another moment, Varkas urged his horse onward.
* * *
Several weeks later, Raina's engagement ceremony was held in the chapel of Laedgo Castle.
The Skart Count's family, along with the high-ranking nobles invited to serve as witnesses, filled the pews. At the front of the chapel sat the lawyers representing the interests of both families, the priests who would officiate the ceremony, and the retainers of the Grand Ducal House.
The engagement proceeded in an atmosphere of solemn dignity.
Raina, wearing a sullen expression, stood facing her visibly nervous fiancé across the altar. Representatives from both families stepped forward, exchanged the marriage contract, and affixed their family seals before handing the document to the lawyers. The ceremony then continued with the exchange of engagement gifts.
Elegant velvet-covered boxes passed back and forth without pause while scribes carefully recorded every exchanged gift upon parchment. Among them were rings crafted by a master dwarf artisan.
The groom first slipped the ring onto his bride's finger, after which Raina placed the ring she had chosen onto her future husband's hand.
Watching the exchange, the High Priest stepped before the altar and solemnly proclaimed the engagement between the two houses officially established.
Once all the formalities had concluded, the guests left the chapel and proceeded to the banquet hall.
Inside the magnificently decorated hall stood long banquet tables overflowing with every imaginable delicacy. Servants waiting by the entrance escorted each guest to their assigned seat, and Varkas raised his goblet high, signaling the beginning of the celebration.
At once, the restrained murmurs of the guests burst into lively conversation.
Bringing his goblet to his lips, Varkas slowly surveyed the hall.
His eyes fell upon Raina stomping angrily up the stairs with a sour expression, while her fiancé wore an ear-to-ear grin, far too busy receiving congratulations from the guests to notice anything else.
A brief, mocking smile crossed Varkas's lips as he watched him.
It seems he doesn't care in the slightest how his future wife feels.
Then again, that was only natural.
This marriage would bring him immense wealth and lands. Why would an irritable bride-to-be occupy any space in his thoughts?
With a quiet sigh, Varkas took a seat at the end of the long table.
Seeing the opportunity, Count Skart immediately struck up a conversation.
What began as light small talk gradually shifted into a discussion about the political situation ahead.
Varkas casually responded between sips of wine, but before long he felt his body growing heavier. Rising from his seat, he spoke.
“My apologies, but I'll excuse myself. I'm not feeling particularly well.”
“Ah, I heard you had been wounded. It seems you haven't fully recovered yet.”
Count Skart, who had been speaking so energetically moments earlier, now looked at him with genuine concern.
Varkas offered a polite smile.
“It's nothing serious. My strength simply isn't what it used to be.”
“Then you should go and rest immediately.”
The man replied with exaggerated eagerness, clearly trying to remain in his good graces.
“We're deeply grateful that you personally presided over the engagement ceremony despite not having fully recovered.”
“No thanks are necessary. This concerns my only younger sister's marriage. It is only natural that I oversee it myself.”
Without batting an eye, Varkas delivered the perfectly courteous reply before quietly leaving the banquet hall.
As he climbed the stairs, the slanting rays of the setting sun painted the castle walls crimson outside the windows.
He watched the fading daylight for a moment before his gaze drifted toward the detached residence standing in one corner of the rear garden.
She had declined to attend the engagement ceremony, claiming poor health.
As the Grand Duchess, it was behavior that could easily become a source of criticism, yet he had made no attempt to force her attendance.
The rumors surrounding her had not fully subsided.
He had no desire to expose a woman who had only just begun to regain her peace to the hostile stares of the nobility.
More importantly, he feared Raina would cause another scene.
Letting out a long breath, Varkas returned to his room and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Having barely slept over the past several days, his limbs felt heavy and his head clouded with exhaustion.
Pressing his fingers firmly against his brow, he reached for a drinking cup from the shelf.
If he didn't get some sleep soon, it would become genuinely dangerous.
After downing several mouthfuls of strong distilled liquor, Varkas opened a drawer and removed a scented candle the healer had prepared for him in advance.
He placed it inside the brazier and lit it.
Gradually, his eyelids grew heavy, and his thoughts became hazy.
Resting his head upon the pillow, he closed his eyes.
How much time had passed?
His consciousness, which had vanished for a moment, slowly returned, and the dimly lit bedroom came back into focus.
Frowning slightly, Varkas suddenly noticed a small figure standing before the fireplace.
He shot upright.
Talia stood there quietly watching him, her thick hair braided into a single plait that rested over one shoulder.
For an instant, he froze, convinced she was nothing more than an illusion.
Then he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
“What brings you here?”
Even to his own ears, his voice sounded harsher than intended.
It must have sounded even colder to her, for a trace of tension appeared upon her previously calm face.
“I'm sorry for coming without permission. There's something I wanted to ask of you...”