If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 108
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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The maids, who had hesitated in disbelief despite Agatha’s cold voice, seemed to have finally realized that their Madam was genuinely rejecting the gift.
She refused something so expensive? And the Madam who always followed the Marquis’s words so obediently?
The whispers of the maids, who exchanged a few hushed comments, were followed by their bowing and retreating with the gift still in hand.
“Oh, and Teschen.”
Agatha called Teschen, who was about to leave, with a cold voice that seemed unfamiliar to her.
“Yes, Madam?”
Teschen, who had never heard Agatha speak in such a tone, blinked in surprise.
“You’re to stay here.”
“Yes…?”
Agatha, who had always spoken politely to Teschen, used a clearly dismissive tone, causing Teschen to look even more surprised.
Why was this noble lady acting this way today? Confused and unsure, Teschen was left behind as the other servants exited. The door closed with a click, leaving only silence in the bedroom.
“Teschen.”
With only the two of them remaining, formalities were unnecessary. Agatha called Teschen’s name directly, and Teschen braced herself.
“During the first few months after you came, you did me many favors.”
“Not at all. It was my duty.”
“I truly appreciate everything you taught me and the help you provided.”
“You flatter me, Madam.”
Agatha could clearly see Teschen’s unease as her eyes darted around. Teschen was curious about the purpose behind the sudden praise after calling her name so sternly.
“Let me ask you something. Are you truly loyal to me?”
“I am, of course, loyal to you, Madam.”
The quick and unwavering response, however, lacked sincerity. Agatha hadn’t expected anything more.
“Well, judging by how you report every detail of my actions to the Grand Duchess, it seems otherwise.”
Teschen hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands, caught off guard by the unexpected mention of the Grand Duchess’s name in such an unexpected context.
Teschen, along with fifty other servants, were covertly placed by Grand Duke Norfolk in the Marquis’s household. However, transferring information about her Madam to outsiders was a serious crime under Imperial law, so Teschen had kept her movements between the Grand Duke’s residence and the Marquis’s strictly secret.
Having prided herself on not being detected, Teschen was now deeply perplexed. Her face was flushed with confusion.
“Teschen, do you know how my father, the late Duke Kristin, dealt with traitors?”
Teschen’s face turned pale, and she looked around helplessly. She had no idea how far this seemingly naive lady knew about the secret connection between herself and the Grand Duchess.
“My father never trusted people. He was especially suspicious and wary of those closest to him.”
Teschen’s hands began to tremble slightly, which was understandable. She had never realized that the seemingly timid Marchioness could display such a fearsome demeanor.
“Perhaps you’ve misunderstood something.”
“Misunderstood?”
“As you mentioned, I was originally aligned with the Grand Duchess. However, when she sent me here, she ordered me to become completely loyal to the Marquis family, and since stepping foot in the Marquis’s residence, I have not transferred any information outside.”
This was a blatant lie that no one in the room would believe.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Teschen had followed orders to come, but she didn’t know what to do now. Arriving at the study, she stood silently without knocking or announcing her arrival. Holding the gift box, the only thing she could do was awkwardly smile.
She couldn’t even begin to think of how to explain this gift back to the Marquis. What had caused the sudden change in the Madam’s demeanor?
The transformation from a docile, almost animal-like demeanor to the sudden, inexplicable behavior like someone possessed by another soul overnight was simply bewildering. Teschen, who had been preparing excuses in her mind in case she was blamed, quickly moved towards the voice of Havel calling her to come inside.
“Did the Madam refuse the gift?”
“Yes, Sir. She refused to accept any gift at all….”
The sharpness of Cain’s gaze as he looked at Teschen from his seat was unmistakable. To be precise, he wasn’t looking at her, but at the gift she was holding.
Teschen wished she could offer some explanation. Cain just stared at the gift without saying a word.
In the midst of the awkward atmosphere and Teschen’s sweating, Havel tried to intervene.
“His Grace went to great lengths to procure this. Did you explain that properly?”
“Y-yes. I did explain several times how precious this gem is, but she wouldn’t even look at it and insisted on refusing it.”
It was a lie. Teschen had never imagined that the Marquis himself would go out of his way to obtain the gift for his wife, so she hadn’t been able to properly respond to the refusal of the gift.
