The Forgotten Field

For a split second, her mind went completely blank.

Even so, Talia deliberately lowered her voice and imitated the way the maids spoke.

”I am a maid. Can’t you tell just by looking?”

”Which household are you assigned to?”

”I work in the main castle.”

Despite her calm answer, the soldier did not let go of his suspicion so easily.

He bent down, as though trying to get a better look at her face, and continued questioning her.

”Then why is a maid from the main castle leaving the castle grounds at this hour?”

”The head maid sent me to the market on an urgent errand.”

Avoiding his gaze, Talia turned her head away and snapped irritably,

”So stop making this such a nuisance and let me go already. I’m in a hurry! If I’m late and get scolded because of you, are you going to take responsibility?”

”First, take off your hood. I can’t let you leave without confirming your identity—”

”Oh, honestly! If you’re really that suspicious, then go ask Head Maid Areta yourself! Just tell her it’s Yvonne and she’ll know! I’m already annoyed enough because she dumped this bothersome errand on me...!”

The moment she mentioned the head maid’s name so precisely, the soldier seemed to lose his suspicion.

He let out a sigh and jerked his chin.

”Good grief, you’re noisy as hell. Fine. Go.”

Talia immediately turned away.

But the moment she tried to walk, anxiety gripped her.

What if he noticed her unnatural gait?

Doing her utmost to appear normal, she began walking while secretly watching the soldier over her shoulder.

Fortunately, he had already lost interest in her and was busy inspecting the supply wagons.

Without missing the opportunity, Talia hurried her stiff legs down the sloping road.

Soon the broad road leading toward the walled city spread out before her, bordered by lush green fields.

After following the neatly maintained gravel road for some distance, she judged that Laedgo Castle was finally far enough behind her and turned south.

As she continued through the grass, a vast pasture where sheep and horses grazed came into view, along with a forest of brilliant white birch trees.

Perhaps because it was already late in the day, very few people were passing through.

Facing the damp breeze, she pushed through grass that reached her knees and continued onward.

Beyond the open plains, the gray sky seemed to draw ever closer.

The sun poured crimson light through swirling clouds as it slowly sank in the west.

In another hour or two...

...it would be completely dark.

Only then did fear truly seize her.

She had no idea where she would spend the night.

’...Should I head toward a village first?’

Perhaps she might be able to spend the night in someone’s barn.

She changed direction toward the pale silhouette of the city walls rising beyond the hill.

Her plan was to find somewhere to stay in the small settlement outside the city.

But before she could even reach it, darkness rapidly descended over everything.

Suppressing the anxiety rising within her, Talia dragged her heavy legs forward.

The pain in her hips and knees steadily worsened, slowing her pace with every step.

In the end, night fell before she could even reach the city walls.

Feeling her breathing become increasingly labored, she desperately searched for any sign of light.

In the distance, she could just make out soldiers carrying torches as they patrolled.

Following that faint light with a limp, she eventually noticed a small vegetable garden and what appeared to be a shed built for storing farming tools.

Talia staggered toward it.

If she didn’t lie down somewhere immediately, she felt certain she would collapse where she stood.

Feeling her way through the dark interior in search of somewhere she could rest, she discovered a pile of straw stacked in one corner.

She crawled over to it and collapsed.

The dry hay reeked of stale dust, but at that moment she couldn’t have cared less.

Curled up tightly in a place that might very well be crawling with rats and insects, Talia stared at the pitch-black ceiling as she struggled to catch her breath.

Perhaps because she had pushed herself too hard all at once, the muscles in her calves and thighs throbbed painfully.

Her knees and hips ached even more than usual.

Groaning quietly in the darkness, she reached beneath the tunic and carefully felt along her thigh.

Since she hadn’t wrapped it with bandages, the uneven scars immediately met her fingertips.

Tracing the skin that felt crudely stitched together, she pressed firmly against the hardened muscles, trying to massage them.

But once the cramps had begun, they showed no sign of easing.

’I should have brought the medicine...’

Overcome with regret, she bit down hard on her lip.

Just then, noise erupted outside.

Hurried footsteps rapidly approached.

Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, she quickly pushed herself upright.

She was just beginning to crawl toward the corner to hide—

When bright torchlight flooded over her face.

Talia looked up in terror.

A mountain of a man clad in armor stood there holding a torch.

Tilting the light to illuminate her face more clearly, he shouted over his shoulder,

”We found her!”

Her heart pounded violently.

Curling herself up like a cornered mouse, Talia frantically searched her surroundings.

On one side of the cluttered shed where farming tools had been piled up, she spotted another exit.

Without giving herself time to think, she was about to throw herself toward it—

When heavy footsteps thundered inside.

A pitch-black shadow entered the shed.

At that instant, an icy chill swept through her as though every drop of blood in her body had frozen.

Talia stared up with terrified eyes at the dark silhouette of the man standing with the torchlight behind him.

Feet encased in black sabatons slowly approached.

For some reason, those measured footsteps only magnified the terror gripping her.

”Talia Roem Siorcan.”

The voice was unnervingly gentle.

Barely managing to lift her eyes, Talia looked at him.

The torches held by the knights faintly illuminated one side of his cold face.

He appeared outwardly as calm as ever.

Yet she could not understand what it was about that composed expression that made her stop breathing.

The man spoke with terrifying composure.

”It’s time to go home.”

Without realizing it, Talia shrank backward.

A cruel gleam flashed through the man’s eyes as he watched her.

”Do you wish to test my patience even further?”

His quiet voice seemed to rake down her spine.

Her eyes darted desperately around, searching for some avenue of escape.

At last, her arms fell limply to her sides.

* * *

Throughout the journey back to the castle, he did not utter a single word.

Neither did Talia.

She had no desire to speak.

There was nothing she wished to explain.

The entire time she was carried by his hands like a piece of luggage, she kept her eyes tightly shut, shutting out all the commotion around her.

At some point, she seemed to lose consciousness for real.

When Talia awoke from her light sleep, she realized she was lying on Varkas’s bed.

Confused, she looked around the room.

At that moment, a sharp pain shot through her leg.

Grabbing her cramped ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) calf, she groaned softly while groping toward the shelf.

After a moment, she found the glass bottle containing pain medicine.

Just as she grasped it and tried to remove the stopper—

A large hand suddenly emerged from the darkness and seized her wrist.

Talia flinched and froze.

Only then did she realize that someone else was in the room.

Turning with startled eyes, she saw Varkas sitting perfectly upright in the darkness.

He looked down at her with eyes that were unnaturally calm.

”Does your leg hurt?”

Keeping her lips tightly sealed, Talia merely lowered her eyes in answer.

Immediately, she felt the hand gripping her wrist tighten until it hurt.

”I simply cannot refrain from asking.”

His voice remained eerily composed.

”With your body in that condition... where exactly were you trying to go?”