Immediately, she shot him a fierce glare.
“I won't let anyone except my nanny take care of me! You brought me here on your own, so take responsibility and bring her!”
His blue eyes took on an icy light.
Talia clenched her fists until her bones ached.
He was the sort of man who allotted a fixed amount of patience to her every day.
She thought he might simply become fed up and leave.
But apparently today's share had not yet run out.
Walking to the door, he called over one of the servants.
“Send someone to the palace immediately and bring me one quarter dwarf.”
“Pardon? Right now?”
“Yes. Send whoever has the fastest feet.”
Closing the door in the servant's astonished face, Varkas turned back and threw her a sharp glance, as though asking if she was satisfied now.
Talia avoided his eyes.
Letting out a long sigh, Varkas picked up a robe from a shelf and handed it to her.
“Wear this at least until someone comes to attend you.”
Talia immediately took it and threw it over her dress.
Then, in a voice that broke apart with each word, she demanded,
“You can leave now. I want to stay alone until my nanny arrives.”
“This room is mine as well.”
At once, her vision spun, and cold sweat dampened her palms.
Clutching the tightly closed front of her robe, she moistened her dry lips.
“T-Then I'll leave. Show me another room.”
“Your Highness.”
He rested one hand on her shoulder.
When she managed to lift her head, she saw blue eyes darkened by shadows.
“You are the one who said you wanted this marriage.”
She stared at his expressionless face with widened eyes.
So you're staying here?
With me?
Fear shriveled her insides.
Her gaze dropped to her aching knee.
She remembered Senevier's eyes as she stared at the scars.
Her mother's dark eyes, filled with the disgust of someone looking at something repulsive, suddenly transformed into Varkas's silver-blue eyes.
Before she could control herself, tangled words burst out.
“Then... then let's just cancel it. How am I supposed to share a room with you? I only... I only married you to torment you. And you only married me because the Emperor ordered you to. You don't want to be with me either. So let's just pretend none of this happened and—”
“Talia.”
He knelt before her, cupped both her cheeks, and brought his face close.
As though trapped, Talia met his eyes.
Her pale face, damp with cold sweat, was reflected in those beautiful eyes scattered with fragments of silver.
His voice came out rough, as though something had scraped his throat.
“I won't do anything to you.”
“......”
“Just for tonight. I bribed the priest beforehand, but I can't silence every servant. At the very least, we need to share a bedroom on the first night.”
His calm demeanor gradually steadied her wildly churning heart.
Biting her lip, Talia nodded.
Seeing that she had calmed down, Varkas slowly rose.
Still unable to let go of her wariness, Talia followed his movements with her eyes.
After removing his rain-soaked coat, he remained in his thin shirt and sat down in the chair by the window.
His sturdy body, always so impeccably composed, sagged with exhaustion.
A heavy sigh stretched through the room.
Some time later, servants brought trays of food and liquor.
Mechanically, Talia forced down a single piece of bread.
Then, instead of sleeping grass, she drank a glass of strong liquor.
As the alcohol spread through her, the stiffness in her muscles loosened, and the pain became more bearable.
She poured herself another drink into a golden goblet.
How many cups had she emptied?
Varkas, who had silently let her do as she pleased, finally took the bottle away.
“That's enough.”
Talia immediately rose from her chair to snatch it back.
But her legs, already weakened, had become soft and useless from the alcohol.
She staggered like a boneless creature.
Catching her collapsing body, Varkas lifted her and laid her properly on the bed.
Even half out of her mind from the drink, Talia first checked the hem of her skirt.
Looking down at her with shadowed eyes, Varkas pulled the blanket up over her shoulders before walking to the window and drawing back the curtains.
The sunset, which had deepened from scarlet to violet, flooded over him.
Watching his broad shoulders, their firm lines stained copper-red beneath the light, Talia slowly blinked.
Even beneath the blazing sunlight that resembled flames, he looked unbearably cold.