## Chapter 147
The man looked at her dumbfounded, and then let out a sigh of resignation.
"Your Highness remains the same."
Talia raised her eyebrows at his tone of voice, which denoted a bitter smile.
"What do you mean by..."
"Y-Your Highness!"
At the precise moment she was about to rebuke the knight for his impertinence, Varkas's naive servant ran toward them with clumsy steps.
The boy's face was as pale as paper, as if he had been terribly frightened when she almost fell in front of him.
"A-Are you alright? Is there anything out of the ordinary...?"
"I am perfectly fine."
Despite her blunt response, the servant did not rest easy; he observed her with eyes full of concern and then turned around in a hurry.
"Even so, I will call the healer just in case. Please wait for me a moment!"
And he ran out of the hallway before she could stop him.
Talia frowned as she watched him walk away and then turned back to the knight.
He too was contemplating her swollen belly with uneasiness.
Talia felt uncomfortable for a moment and covered her body with her shawl.
"Didn't you say you would explain the reason for your coming? Don't just stand there like a fool, speak quickly."
"First, it would be better for you to sit somewhere."
"It is not necessary. We don't have to..."
Talia was about to refuse as usual, but she fell silent upon feeling a slight tension in the lower part of her belly. She thought that perhaps the baby inside her womb had become agitated.
She pointed with her chin toward the reception room across from the staircase.
"Alright. Follow me."
She crossed the thick carpet that covered the hallway, passed under the arch, and entered a cozy, decorated space.
She cautiously made her way to an armchair by the fireplace, which was burning peacefully, and sat down.
The man, who had remained standing near the entrance looking around with an awkward gesture, sat across from her. He looked extremely embarrassed, after having rebuked her so boldly just a few moments ago.
Talia posed her pressing question to the troubled knight:
"Well, tell me now. Who sent you?"
"The person who sent me is Lord Lauric Alderheim, the current commander of the knights of the imperial palace."
Talia arched an eyebrow at that unexpected response.
"Why would the commander of the knights of the imperial palace send you?"
The man hesitated for a long time, as if he were weighing his words, and finally spoke:
"Worrying movements have been detected in the north recently. The Emperor, upon learning of this, ordered troops to be concentrated on the border with Balto to pressure the north. His Majesty desires that the east actively participate in this matter."
Talia froze. Suddenly, a shivering cold ran down her spine, and her whole body broke out in goosebumps.
"Does that mean... a war will break out?"
"No!"
The knight waved his hands quickly.
"His Majesty does not desire a direct confrontation. For the moment, the evidence of treason remains insufficient... His objective is only to send an implicit warning by reinforcing surveillance in Valto."
"But the north could view the imperial palace's warning as a threat and act with greater aggressiveness," Talia objected sharply. "The northern nobles' alliance, surrounded by the imperial army, will feel a severe crisis. Seeing that their treason has been discovered, they might think the imperial palace will not leave them in peace and risk launching a desperate attack."
The knight blinked in astonishment at her reasoning.
Talia directed her words toward that stunned face with desperation:
"If His Majesty truly desires to avoid war, he should gather the evidence of treason in secret, instead of exerting pressure with a public demonstration of military force. The safest way is to secure undeniable evidence that no noble can back, and then suddenly arrest the leader of the northern nobles' alliance!"
"...Your Highness's point of view is logical, but if the north moves first before we can gather definitive evidence, things will spiral out of control. The Emperor judged that it was necessary to mobilize troops in anticipation of the worst-case scenario."
Talia frowned.
She felt that the Emperor's course of action was far too hesitant.
If he was going to exert military pressure, wouldn't it be better to launch a surprise attack first?
Sending troops to the border region with Valto could only incite the north to strengthen its military power.
She was about to retort, but changed her mind and kept her words to herself.
Edrick Robon was nothing more than a messenger sent to deliver the Emperor's errand. Nothing would change by arguing with him.
Talia bit her lips anxiously, and then guided her thoughts in a positive direction.
Perhaps a division would occur within Valto upon seeing the overwhelming military force of the Roehm imperial family with their own eyes. How many people would be willing to sacrifice their lives in a war that was clearly already lost? If some nobles of Valto defected to the side of the imperial palace, the spark of war would soon be extinguished.
"So, what did Varkas reply?"
"He said he will send a unit of knights to the region bordering Valto, following His Majesty's instructions."
Talia let out a sigh of relief without meaning to. It was then that she realized she had been worried about Varkas leaving her.
'It is because it is better for him to be here instead of being absent.'
She tried to justify it to herself, but that was not enough to explain the terror she had felt.
Talia ignored the painful certainty that she was still attached to him, and focused firmly on the conversation with the knight in front of her.
"So, must you depart and return to the imperial palace with the response?"
"Yes, I will leave today," the man said, turning his gaze toward the window.
Talia was surprised.
"So soon?"
"As it is an urgent matter, it cannot be delayed for a single instant."
The man rubbed the back of his neck and sketched a slight smile.
"Actually, I should have left as soon as the sun rose, but I delayed a bit so I could see Your Highness."
"Why me?"
Talia looked at him cautiously once more.
The man, who was observing her with a melancholy smile, finally spoke:
"I hadn't had the opportunity to see Your Highness since your return from the trip. I was worried to know if you had recovered your health."
Talia's face showed bewilderment at his unexpected words.
The man scratched his head in embarrassment and added with a forced smile:
"I am glad to see you look healthier than the last time I saw you. I heard from the maids that Lord Shierkan takes great care of Your Highness. I felt relieved to see that you are living well."
"Why?" Talia asked out of pure curiosity. "Why do you care how I am?"
The smile on his lips faded a bit. The man stammered with an embarrassed face and then revealed his most sincere and pure feelings:
"I was Your Highness's knight. My heart continued to carry the guilt that you suffered that injury."
"...So, you came to see me to relieve the burden on your heart?" Talia said harshly.
The man winced as if he had been stabbed with a knife, and then admitted truthfully:
"...It could be that."
Then he let out an ironic sigh.
Talia contemplated him as if she were observing a strange creature. It was the first time she had encountered someone so honest with their feelings.
Suddenly, this naive man began to genuinely worry her.
"...You won't last very long in the imperial palace with a personality like that."
"Those around me tell me that very often."
The man feigned annoyance and let out an exaggerated laugh, as if trying to change the atmosphere.
"In fact, I am already going through difficulties in my professional career."
Although he said it as a joke, Talia felt a heaviness in her heart.
Perhaps he had been removed from the imperial guard for having angered the Crown Prince. Could that be the reason why he had become a messenger?
Talia looked at the knight with compassionate eyes and said as if she were doing him a favor:
"If your professional career is truly stagnant, come to the Duchy. I will ask Varkas to hire you."
"Edrick Robon is one of the elite knights of the knights of Roehm."
At that moment, a cold voice was heard.
Talia turned around and opened her eyes wide upon seeing Varkas standing at the entrance of the reception room.
Varkas crossed the room with long strides, looking somewhat tense, and added in a dry tone:
"It is not right for a talented person to be wasted instead of becoming a knight of the guard of His Majesty the Emperor in a place so remote as this."
"...I didn't know Your Excellency valued me so highly," Edrick Robon murmured, blinking slowly, appearing amused.
Varkas threw a cold look at the knight.
"I heard you helped my wife when she almost suffered a major accident. I thank you for it."
"No, on the contrary. I almost caused a catastrophe by startling her."
Talia looked at the knight with desperation. Could it be that he truly did not realize that this clumsiness of speaking an unnecessary truth was what held back his professional career?
She was about to emit a sound of annoyance, but she held back.
Varkas suddenly leaned down, placed one arm under her knees and the other around her back. Then he lifted her up gently.