## Chapter 146
But he always positioned himself on the opposite side from her.
Now he was acting like a devoted husband, but he could turn his back on her at any moment.
She continued speaking in an enthusiastic tone:
"When this baby is born, you must teach him how to ride a horse. Don't they say that men from the east learn to ride before they learn to walk? This child is also half eastern, so..."
Talia chattered on and on with the intention of making Varkas grow fond of the baby; then, she quickly added for fear that Varkas would put the child, while still very small, onto that violent and smelly animal:
"But you must teach him after he grows big enough. And... if he is very afraid, I hope you don't force him. Because this child might resemble me..."
She was about to say "might be easily frightened," but she quickly changed the meaning of her sentence:
"He might hate horses."
"...That would be a bit worrisome."
Slight wrinkles appeared on Varkas's forehead as he looked down toward her lower belly.
"If he is to rule the east after me, knowing how to ride is indispensable. The heir to the Grand Duchy must lead sixty thousand knights."
Talia frowned.
She did not have the slightest intention of sending her child, who was growing healthily in her womb, to a battlefield.
"I will leave those dangerous tasks to Varkas and his subordinate knights, and my child will live with me safely and happily."
She suppressed the desire to say that out loud.
Regardless, the important thing was for Varkas to clearly recognize that this child was the heir to the Grand Duchy.
"Then you will have to dedicate a lot of time to teaching him, so that he comes to love horses."
The man raised his head and looked at her.
His face was still difficult to decipher, but Talia was now able to read the worry and expectation in his eyes with ease.
He said calmly:
"Don't worry. I plan to raise him with patience when he is born. But... doesn't it exhaust you that the baby moves that way?"
"Of course it's tiring!"
In reality, it was the first time she had felt such intense fetal movement, but Talia feigned discomfort on purpose.
Varkas's face tensed immediately.
"Have you spoken with the healer? Is there any way to relieve the pain...?"
"I refused to use the sleep herb when she suggested it. It could harm the baby, you know."
Talia revealed everything to him with the intention of letting him know how much she was sacrificing herself for the child.
Varkas rubbed his chin for a moment and then spoke:
"You can listen to the healer. You have to be healthy to be able to give birth safely, don't you?"
"I am perfectly capable of enduring it now."
Talia objected stubbornly.
"All women in the world go through this. Why shouldn't I be able to?"
A look of skepticism crossed Varkas's face.
Talia felt offended as she noticed his gaze naturally directing itself toward her legs.
"What? Does he think I can't give birth because I am crippled?"
She barely contained herself from exploding at him.
If remembering her damaged body made him sink into an even stronger feeling of guilt and responsibility, placing her and the baby above everything else, then she could endure any humiliation, no matter how great.
She hid her bitterness and flashed a feigned smile.
"Why do you take it so seriously, you fool? I was just complaining."
"..."
"You have always been like this, your mind is too rigid. You don't understand jokes and you take jests very seriously."
"How could I take it as a joke that my pregnant wife complains of pain?"
Varkas let out a helpless sigh.
His words reassured her, so she allowed him to keep caressing her belly for a while longer.
Shortly after, the maids entered the room bringing the food.
Varkas watched her eat, then changed his clothes and left.
Talia waited for his return until late, but finally exhaustion overcame her and she fell asleep. Her energy had been depleted due to the insomnia of the last few days.
The next day, Talia woke up when the sun was already high in the sky; she had fallen into a sleep so deep it felt like a faint, without feeling any pain whatsoever.
She rubbed her tired eyes, feeling as if there were sand in them, and placed her hand over her lower belly to first ensure the baby was well.
"Yesterday he was moving violently, but today he is calm. Perhaps he also slept well after so much time."
She thought simply as she looked around her.
Varkas was not there, but there were traces of his presence everywhere.
Surely he had left stealthily so as not to wake her, seeing that she had finally managed to fall into a deep sleep.
She got up immediately and began getting ready.
It was likely that someone had heard the news brought by Edrick Robon, whether it was Varkas's servant, the head butler, or even one of the soldiers. She intended to interrogate them.
"I don't need this coat. Bring me clothing that is less conspicuous."
The maids holding a silver fur coat exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Talia asked in strangeness:
"What is the matter?"
"It seems Her Highness will draw attention no matter what she wears," a maid whispered with a flushed face.
Talia was in no mood for flattery, so she sighed in annoyance:
"Then bring any coat."
The maid immediately handed her a thick wool robe.
She put it on and cautiously left the room. Fortunately, the pain in her waist had subsided a bit, so moving was not difficult for her.
"Do you know anything about what the knight who visited us last night said?"
Talia asked Varkas's servant directly upon encountering him in the hallway.
The boy, who did not look even twenty years old, startled as if he had been struck with a whip and looked at her with fear.
"I, I... actually..."
Talia frowned.
She was already used to most people treating her like a sore that should not be touched, but it seemed that attitude had worsened lately.
She pressed him with the question:
"Why can't you speak clearly? Didn't you hear anything?"
"I am sorry, Your Excellency. I know nothing. Last night I went to sleep very early..."
"Then, who attended to Varkas last night?"
"I, I don't really know either..."
"Why does Varkas keep such a fool by his side?"
As she looked with annoyance at the boy who could not even speak properly, she heard a voice mixed with a sigh behind her back:
"If you have any questions, ask me directly. Why trouble an innocent person?"
Talia turned around suddenly and froze upon seeing Edrick Robon scratching the back of his neck.
He advanced toward her with heavy steps.
"I will answer to the best of my ability. First, let's change locations..."
Talia reflexively looked at the hilt of the sword hanging from the man's waist.
Perhaps this man had come to kill her by order of Ayla or Garis.
Flooded by that irrational fear, she took a step backward.
Then she lost her balance and was on the verge of falling.
In that instant, the man rushed toward her at lightning speed, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her forcefully.
Talia, annoyed by the impact of her nose against the hard chest covered by the knight's armor, hurried to pull away.
It was then that she heard a rough voice above her head:
"Stay still! You almost caused a catastrophe!"
Talia turned, dumbfounded.
The first step of the long staircase leading to the first floor was right behind her heels.
Realizing that she was about to fall and roll down the stairs, Talia covered her belly with one hand and shrugged her shoulders.
The man dragged her back into the hallway and suddenly raised his voice:
"Damn it! Why is the Princess always in danger? How many times do you have to ruin people's dreams to feel satisfied...?"
"It's fine, let go of me."
Talia withdrew the wrist he was holding and examined the face of the knight, which had turned pale.
Seeing him bring a hand to his chest and take a deep breath, as if his heart were beating violently, she felt relieved.
She felt foolish for having suspected that this man could be an assassin sent by her step-siblings.
This foolish young man was the same one who had challenged the Crown Prince himself just to fulfill his duty as an imperial guard.
If he knew how to carry out acts as cunning as an assassination, to begin with, he never would have done something as stupid as that.
Talia relaxed her shoulders and spoke in an indifferent tone:
"You were the one who scared me. It is all your fault."