## Chapter 161
Her mind went completely blank for an instant; however, Talia deliberately lowered her voice and attempted to mimic the maids' way of speaking.
"I am a maid, indeed. Is it not obvious just by looking at me?"
"Which department do you belong to?"
"I work in the main castle."
Despite her calm response, the soldier did not easily abandon his suspicions. The man bent at the waist as if trying to examine her face and continued the interrogation:
"Why would a maid from the main castle go outside the walls at an hour like this?"
"I am on my way to the market in a hurry on an errand for the head of service."
Talia turned her head to the opposite side to evade the man's gaze and spoke with a tone steeped in annoyance:
"So stop being bothersome and let me pass quickly, I am in a hurry! Will you take responsibility if I arrive late and get reprimanded?"
"Take off your hood first. I cannot allow you to leave without verifying your identity…"
"Ah, seriously! If you doubt me so much, you can confirm it with the head of service, Areta! She will recognize me if you tell her I am Yvonne. I am already annoyed enough that she assigned me such a bothersome task from the very beginning…!"
As soon as she mentioned the exact name of the head of service, the man's suspicions seemed to vanish; he let out a sigh and nodded his head.
"Wow, what a sharp tongue you have. Alright, go ahead."
Talia turned around immediately. Nonetheless, she felt overcome by nerves as she began to walk, fearful that he would notice her irregular gait. She took her steps as naturally as possible while watching the soldier's movements over her shoulder. Fortunately, he seemed to have lost interest in her completely and was examining a luggage cart.
Talia did not waste that opportunity and moved her stiff legs swiftly to descend the slope. Soon, a wide path that led to the citadel and some green meadows opened up before her eyes.
Talia walked along the well-organized cobblestone path; when she noticed that Laidgo Castle had distanced itself enough, she changed direction toward the south. After walking for a while stepping on the blades of grass, extensive meadows where sheep and horses grazed appeared in her field of vision, so she entered a white birch forest.
Perhaps due to the late hour, there were very few people traveling through there. She faced the humid wind and advanced, making her way through the knee-high brush. Behind the open fields, the gray sky began to close in more and more. The sun, which poured a red light between the spiraling clouds, was hiding in the west. In an hour or two, the darkness would be absolute.
It was then that, suddenly, she felt fear. She felt helpless regarding where she would spend that night.
"… Should I head toward the residential areas first?"
Perhaps she could spend the night in a place like a stable. She directed her steps toward the walls that loomed white behind the hill; she intended to look for a place to stay in a small village that formed on the outskirts of the city. However, before she could reach the residential areas, the surroundings began to darken rapidly.
Talia repressed her growing anxiety and dragged her heavy legs as she walked. Due to the intense pain that began to increase in her pelvis and knees, her speed gradually decreased. In the end, the sun set before she could even get close to the walls.
She felt her breathing quicken and moved her eyes desperately in search of some light. She spotted in the distance some soldiers carrying torches and conducting patrols in a blurred manner. Following that light, she walked limping for a long time.
In her vision, already accustomed to the dimness, she glimpsed a small orchard and a cabin that seemed to have been built to store agricultural tools. Talia approached there staggering; she felt she would collapse on the spot if she did not lie down somewhere.
She felt around the dark space to find out if there was a spot to rest, discovered a pile of straw in a corner of the floor, and crawled toward it until letting herself fall stretched out. A smell of stale dust emanated from the completely dry straw, but that did not matter to her at all at that moment.
Talia curled her body in that place that could well be crawling with mice and insects, and contemplated the dark ceiling while panting heavily. Perhaps due to the sudden effort, she felt an intense throbbing pain in the muscles of her calf and thigh. Likewise, her knee and pelvis hurt more than usual.
Talia felt her thigh beneath her long jacket while groaning in the darkness. Since she had not put on the bandages, the tips of her fingers came into direct contact with the irregular scars. She felt the skin, which felt patched together in a chaotic way, and pressed the contracted muscles to massage them. However, the cramp that had begun showed no signs of subsiding.
"I should have brought the medicine with me…"
She bit her lips, experiencing deep frustration.
At that moment, the surroundings grew rowdy and the din of hurried footsteps was heard from somewhere. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, so she sat up her torso in a hurry. While she attempted to crawl toward the corner to hide, a bright light spilled over her face.
Talia lifted her gaze with her eyes sunken in terror. A burly man wearing armor and carrying a torch stood there. He tilted the torch to illuminate her face in detail and then shouted over his shoulder:
"I found her!"
Her heart beat forcefully and rapidly. Talia curled her body completely like a cornered mouse in a corner and examined the surroundings in a hurry. In a corner of that cluttered place where agricultural tools were accumulated, she spotted another exit. In the instant she intended to throw her body toward it without thinking too much, heavy footsteps echoed and a black silhouette broke into the narrow space.
At that moment, she felt as if the blood in her entire body had frozen. Talia contemplated with colorless eyes the dark silhouette of the man who remained standing with his back to the light.
The foot, clad in a black metallic boot, approached slowly. For some reason, that disciplined gait increased her fear to a greater extent.
"Talia Shierkhan."
It was a voice so soft that it caused chills. Talia lifted her gaze with great difficulty to face him. The torches in the hands of the knights dimly illuminated one side of his cold face. She did not know what it was that forced her to hold her breath before his calm appearance, which seemed normal at first glance.
The man contemplated her without moving, like a beast that lowers its body in silence before tearing its prey to pieces, and then spoke with a terrifying coldness:
"The time has come to return home."
Talia contracted her body backward unconsciously. Upon seeing that, a flash of cruelty gleamed in the man's eyes.
"Do you perhaps wish to test my patience more than this?"
That low voice seemed to scratch her spine. Talia moved her eyes in search of an escape route and, in the end, relaxed her arms.
The man who remained standing observing the scene finally bent down. His arms, extremely rigid as if repressing something with desperation, lightly lifted her body covered in sweat and dust. Talia looked at his tense neck where the veins stood out and then closed her eyes with weariness.
During the entire journey back to the castle, he did not utter a single word. And Talia did not open her mouth deliberately either; she had the least desire to offer any excuse. She kept her eyes closed the entire time he carried her like a bundle in his arms, and ignored all the bustle around her. Then, at a certain moment, she seemed to lose consciousness completely.
When Talia woke up from a light sleep, she realized she was lying on Varkas's bed and looked around in confusion. For an instant, she thought whether she might have had a strange dream. As if to mock that thought, an intense pain erupted in her leg.
Talia held her calf affected by the cramp while groaning, and extended her arm over the shelf while fumbling. Shortly after, she managed to find the bottle containing the painkillers. While she held it and attempted to open the lid, a large hand emerged from the dimness and seized her wrist.
Talia's body rigidified with a start. Only then did she understand that someone was present in the corner of the room. She looked back with surprised eyes and spotted the silhouette of Varkas, seated in an upright posture in the middle of the absolute darkness.
He contemplated her with strangely calm eyes and asked softly:
"Does your leg hurt?"
Talia limited herself to looking at him with her face bathed in a cold sweat. She felt a painful pressure on the hand holding her wrist.
"I cannot help but ask you. With this body, where did you intend to go?"
