Chapter 200
The color drained from his sister's face in an instant as she had been hurling venom without restraint.
Only when he saw the terror frozen on her face did Varkas realize that one of his hands had wrapped itself around her throat.
Cold sweat beaded across her sun-darkened skin. Lightly pressing his thumb against the frantic pulse racing beneath it, he murmured quietly,
"It seems your ability to grasp the situation is remarkably lacking."
He had not even tightened his grip, yet her face had already turned ashen.
It was exactly the sort of reaction one would expect from a pampered noble lady who had never once faced physical violence in her life.
Twisting his lips into a cold smile, Varkas continued in an emotionless voice.
"To witness with your own eyes what your brother was forced to do because of the woman you're condemning... and still conduct yourself like this."
"B-Brother..."
"You should realize there is a limit to how long I can continue overlooking your behavior simply because Father spoiled you."
The reddish-brown eyes, wide with shock, slowly filled with tears.
Looking down at her without the slightest trace of pity, Varkas added in a gentle voice,
"If you ever speak recklessly about my wife again, you will pay the price. While I'm still willing to treat you as family, I'd advise you to conduct yourself accordingly."
Raina swallowed hard.
Goosebumps rippled across her neck, stiff as stone.
Releasing her, Varkas turned toward the servants and inner-castle guards who had gathered near the rear gate and gave a cold order.
"The Grand Duchess's sister is also confined to her quarters. Take her to the annex immediately."
The soldiers surrounded Raina without hesitation.
Watching the scene with detached eyes, Varkas turned sharply away.
Just as he was about to leave, a resentful voice rang out behind him.
"Why are you always taking her side?"
Turning back, he saw his younger sister standing there with her face flushed red, tears welling in her eyes as though the injustice of it all was too much to bear.
Unable to contain herself any longer, she raised her voice.
"You almost died because of that woman! Everyone said you were never going to wake up! She betrayed you in the cruelest way possible!"
Her shrill voice echoed across the yard.
Silently watching her, Varkas slowly flexed the joints of the fingers that had begun to twitch.
Whether she sensed the terrifying fury in his gaze or not, Raina faltered and instinctively took a step back.
Varkas let out a weary sigh.
"You truly don't understand a single word."
Spitting out the words as though they tasted foul, he jerked his chin toward the soldiers.
"Take her away immediately. She is not to leave her room until I permit it."
The soldiers hurriedly restrained Raina as she tried to protest, seemingly hoping to prevent the Grand Duchess's sister from earning an even harsher punishment.
Oblivious to their intentions, the young woman continued screaming at the top of her lungs.
Leaving all the commotion behind, Varkas crossed the yard.
As he emerged from the rear garden, he noticed his attendants waiting near the entrance to the inner wall.
Only then did he remember that he was supposed to attend the Kalmor Council Assembly.
He looked up, gauged the position of the sun, and calmly gave another order.
"Cancel all of this afternoon's engagements. Send a messenger to the assembly hall."
"...Is your condition worsening, Your Grace?"
The captain, fully aware that Varkas had been forcing himself through an unforgiving schedule before making a complete recovery, looked at him with concern.
Varkas shook his head absentmindedly.
"I've been told the Grand Duchess's wolf has disappeared. It may have left the castle. Dispatch the soldiers and search for it."
The man blinked in surprise before apparently realizing the seriousness of the matter and hurried off to relay the order to his subordinates.
While the captain passed along his instructions, Varkas walked along the outer wall.
If that beast had truly slipped past the guards and escaped the castle, then somewhere within the inner fortress there had to be a hidden passage.
Perhaps she had been using that same passage to leave the castle all along.
The thought made Varkas clench his fist.
If they really discovered such a secret route, the accusations of heresy against her would only grow stronger.
The testimony claiming the Grand Duchess had attended heretical gatherings would gain even greater credibility.
Feeling the sensation of needles driving into the inside of his skull growing steadily worse, he pressed a hand against his forehead.
Suddenly, a question crossed his mind.
Why was he trying so hard?
That woman cared about nothing.
Not about him.
Not even about herself.
As long as that wolf was safe, nothing else mattered to her.
Varkas let out a dry laugh.
Perhaps it would be better if that wolf simply disappeared forever.
Wouldn't that solve one of his headaches?
Did he really have any reason to find the beast and bring it back?
Staring up at the overcast sky with weary eyes, Varkas eventually forced his scattered thoughts back under control.
Even if it were not her request, he could not simply leave that magical beast alone.
If Khan caused trouble, even once, all the blame would fall upon her.
And cleaning up the aftermath would inevitably become his responsibility.
Laughing bitterly to himself, Varkas resumed walking.
He intended to leave the castle and search the Armund Forest.
If there were any place that monster would choose to hide, it would be there.
He passed through the inner wall and headed toward the north gate.
Then, from somewhere close by, he sensed an unusual presence.
His hand instinctively settled on the hilt of his sword as he turned to look around.
A massive shadow flashed between the trees in the small garden beside the castle chapel.
He immediately gave chase.
Pushing through the thick shrubs, he emerged into a small clearing behind the chapel.
Striding across it, Varkas suddenly came to a halt.
At the far end of the neatly kept courtyard stood a small gravestone.
Walking over to it, he noticed a pile of withered flowers heaped around its base, and a faint crease formed between his brows.
There was no inscription carved into the stone.
Even so, it had clearly been polished and cared for over a long period of time.
He crouched down and quietly ran his fingers over its smooth surface.
Then he heard the rustle of leaves only a few paces away.
Varkas spun around.
Standing motionless among the dense bushes was a great gray wolf.
Whatever it had been doing, the wolf was soaked through.
Its ash-gray fur, heavy with water, hung so limp that it appeared almost black, while clumps of mud clung to its paws.
Varkas slowly straightened.
The wolf never moved, its eyes fixed upon him.
Sensing the intense killing intent in that gaze, Varkas took one cautious step back and quietly called its name.
"Khan."
The wolf's ears twitched.
Then, slowly, it lowered its head.
Watching the beast carefully, Varkas continued in a soothing voice.
"Your mistress is looking for you. It's time to return to her."
The wolf stared at him for another moment before turning its head toward the gravestone.
For the briefest instant, a shadow of sorrow passed through the beast's blue eyes.
Varkas frowned.
It was more than extraordinary intelligence.
For a moment, the wolf looked as though it experienced joy, anger, grief, and happiness exactly as a human would.
Is it truly a dire wolf?
There were very few recorded cases of magical beasts being domesticated like livestock, making it impossible to tell whether this creature's behavior was normal.
Still filled with doubt, Varkas cautiously extended one hand toward the wolf.