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Chapter ‌‌22
As the firelight cast his muscular frame in pale luminescence, filling my entire vision, ‌‌my tongue cleaved to ‌‌‌‌the ‌‌‌‌roof of my mouth as though frozen in place.
I swallowed hard, my gaze trailing slowly down the length of him.
He ‌‌had only just washed away the dust accumulated during the march—his pale golden hair, darkened by moisture, dripped water steadily, while his sculpted shoulders and broad back glistened with moisture.
Following the contours of ‌‌his taut musculature as water droplets cascaded downward, I felt heat bloom across my face and hastily lifted my gaze.
Even the loosely cut waistband of his trousers clung damply to his long, powerful legs.
It was the first time I ‌‌‌had seen him ‌‌in such an unguarded state since that day at fourteen, when I had ‌spitefully commanded him to wade into the Lake.
I moistened my parched lips, struggling to gather the fragmented words scattering through my throat.
Then, from nearby, came a dry laugh.
"Hierarchy—coming from your lips? That's rich indeed."
The mocking tone drained my bewilderment away like a receding tide, leaving irritation in its wake. I fixed him with a sharp glare and let out a scornful laugh.
"Hierarchy exists for ‌‌‌superiors ‌‌to invoke against their inferiors. And you knights are bound to obey me—I am of royal blood. So ‌‌make it abundantly clear to your subordinates whose orders take precedence. Unless you wish to be flogged for insolence."
Barcas slid his arms into ‌his shirt sleeves, his gaze turning glacial.
I tensed. Through bitter experience, ‌‌‌‌I had learned precisely how ruthlessly this taciturn man could wield his tongue once he set his mind to it.
I watched his mouth as though monitoring a viper poised to ‌‌‌strike, when Barcas retrieved his robe from the wall and, without so much as a glance in my direction, strode out of the Barracks.
I stared after his retreating figure in dismay, then ‌‌‌immediately pursued him. Had he hurled cruel words or cast an angry look, my fury would not have burned so fiercely. But to be dismissed as nothing more than a pebble in the road—that I could not endure.
I caught up to him in moments and raised my voice sharply.
"You only feel satisfied ‌‌‌when you let everything I say go in one ear and out the other, don't you?"
At the piercing sound, soldiers busily moving supplies paused and turned to watch.
Yet Barcas did not even ‌‌pretend to listen. He walked forward with grim indifference, as though I were beneath acknowledgment, and heat rose to the crown of my head.
I seized his garment roughly. Unwilling to suffer the humiliation of torn fabric before the servants, he finally halted.
Facing that cold visage, I spoke through gritted ‌‌teeth, each word clipped and deliberate.
"How much you must have ‌‌‌‌resented it inwardly. Free at last from obeying that tiresome girl's commands—it must feel wonderful, doesn't it? That's why you won't even pretend to listen to me!"
"I would acknowledge words if they were worth hearing."
He coldly removed my fingers from his sleeve with callous precision.
I clenched my teeth. ‌‌The way he ‌‌brushed at his shirt as though something filthy had touched it filled me with humiliation.
Perhaps it would be better if this man simply ‌ceased to exist. Then I would never have to feel this degradation.
My eyes blazing with hostility, I suddenly released a harsh laugh.
"My words don't sound like words to you? Then shall ‌‍I ‌‌‌speak to you in the beast's tongue, as your barbaric ancestors did? Would that help you understand?"
The servants watching anxiously gasped at ‌‌‌the insult that crossed all bounds, their faces draining of color. Yet Barcas ‌‌‌merely gazed down at me in silence. I continued my tirade against that frigid countenance.
"If you wish, I can even imitate a horse's neigh. You'd certainly understand that better. You prefer horses to humans, after all."
"Conversing with my stallion is preferable to dealing with you."
Barcas spoke with contempt.
"My breeding horse at least understands ‌reason. He doesn't whine endlessly and exhaust people."
I trembled with indignation ‌‌‌at the insult. Seeing my reaction, Barcas twisted his mouth in disbelief. ‌‌
"You blush at such a mild ‌retort, yet you have no qualms excavating others' vulnerabilities.... Do you truly ‌‌‌‌‌believe no one else can be as contemptible as you?"
I shot him a venomous look. ‌‌My throat swelled with the immediate urge to refute his words.
What do you know of me?
Who in this world understands human depravity as I do? Because I have ‌‌felt the bone-deep knowledge of how merciless humanity can be, I have chosen cruelty. ‌‌‌If I do not crush them first, they will crush me.
But to voice such things would only expose my weakness.
She stepped back and composed her expression into one of utter indifference, as though she'd never displayed ‌such viciousness moments before.
"I didn't come here to engage in this pointless bickering. As I said earlier, I want to ‌‌‌relocate my Campsite elsewhere. Order the ‌‌knights to pack up immediately."
Barcas drew a long breath, as though gathering the last reserves of his patience.
"I have no intention of indulging your whims. ‌‌‌‌Stop deluding yourself and return to your quarters for rest."
"I'm not asking to move the entire Camp! Why won't you allow it?"
"I have no obligation to explain my decisions to you." ‌
"I am the Emperor's daughter! When I command, you ‌‌‌are bound to obey...!"
"That's enough."
Suddenly, a deep shadow fell across her head.
Talia flinched, her shoulders tensing. Barcas, having abandoned even the pretense of formality, spoke to her with chilling coldness.
"I've exhausted my daily allotment of patience for you. By now, you should know when to yield and hope for tomorrow."
His face, gazing ‌‌down at her, was ‌‌‌elegant despite the harshness of his tone—a man who never ‌‌‌surrendered his dignity, even when anger roughened his voice. That very quality made her feel all the more wretched.
"Escort the ‌‌Imperial Princess to ‌‌‌‌her quarters."
He straightened and issued the command to the knights standing nearby. They, who had silently ‌‌‌observed the confrontation, immediately obeyed.
"This way, Imperial Princess."
Talia cast a sharp glance at the ‌knights blocking her path, then turned her gaze back toward Barcas.
He had already moved far away, walking with flawless ‌‌‌‌elegance. Talia stared ‌‌fixedly at his retreating figure and ground her teeth. ‌‌
He doesn't even ask ‌‌‌‌‌‌why I want to move ‌‌‌the Campsite. He has no interest in what I think.
'I wish he were dead.'
The thought of herself panicking over his safety seemed absurd.
After this journey ended, he would ‌belong to ‌‌another woman anyway. A man who would never be ‌hers.... What did it matter if she saw his corpse tomorrow morning?
Talia turned sharply and walked away.

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Brought to you by ‌‌‌‌‌Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly ‌‌‌‌on our official site: valirscans.org
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