If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 114
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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Ethan arrived to see Agatha late at night, after the birthday celebration had concluded.
Cain, for some reason, was unable to return to the mansion. Agatha had no idea whether he was still at the palace or planning to sleep somewhere else entirely.
Although Ethan might know where Cain was, Agatha did not ask him.
“Sir, welcome.”
“I heard you were looking for me. What’s the matter?”
“Would you like some tea?”
“No, thank you. From what the maid said, it seems like it’s quite urgent…”
“I called you to ask something. Sir, do you know anything about John Calvino’s whereabouts?”
“Pardon? John Calvino?”
Ethan’s face showed surprise, clearly not expecting such a question.
“Didn’t the Commander inform you?”
“Not at all. I haven’t heard anything about John Calvino.”
“Oh…”
Ethan frowned, looking troubled. Agatha waited for his response.
“John Calvino was sent to the southern region for forced labor.”
“Forced labor?”
“Are you aware that twice a year, the palace sends criminals from the capital to work in the far reaches of the Empire?”
“I’ve heard about it.”
“The Commander included John Calvino in that procession. He likely went to the far southern end.”
“When did that happen?”
“About three years ago.”
“Is he still in the south?”
“Yes, most likely. But may I ask why you’re asking?”
“Is there any chance he could return to the capital?”
“Escaping from the imperial guards is not entirely impossible, but such things are extremely rare. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I understand now. Thank you, sir. Please go and rest.”
Ethan seemed to have many questions. He was naturally curious about why she was asking about John Calvino with such a serious expression. However, Agatha was too overwhelmed with her thoughts to engage in any more trivial conversation.
“Oh, one more thing, Madam!”
Just as Ethan was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and called her. Seeing his youthful smile, he looked genuinely pleased.
“Happy belated birthday.”
Throughout the day, Agatha had heard countless birthday wishes. However, among all those congratulatory messages, it felt as though she had just now heard a truly sincere one for the first time.
“…Thank you, Sir.”
“And I’m sure the Commander is celebrating in his own way as well.”
Ethan, acting as a faithful subordinate, made excuses for his superior who hadn’t even shown up at the party.
It couldn’t be true. He probably wasn’t celebrating in any way. Agatha suppressed her instinct to respond, and offered a faint smile.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
After Ethan left and the bedroom was quiet, Agatha began to sort through her thoughts.
If, by some chance, he really did escape from the south and return to the capital, what should she do? After much contemplation, Agatha came up with a few alternatives.
The first was to move to a place that John Calvino didn’t know about. Sending the seal and card among the crowd could be interpreted as a threat: ‘I know where you are. I can attack you anytime.’
If that was the case, the simplest and most effective way to counter this threat was to hide in a place he couldn’t find. If he doesn’t know where she is, he couldn’t harm her.
The second option was to find and reimprison John Calvino. However, this was a challenging task. Although Cain had previously dealt with John Calvino, there was no guarantee he would continue to do so in the future.
Agatha herself did not have the means to locate and imprison John Calvino. She could hire mercenaries for the job, but finding trustworthy and capable mercenaries would take significant time.
Given these considerations, the immediate course of action was the first option.
However, she couldn’t leave the mansion freely and for an extended period like Cain. Imperial law required that a married noblewoman obtain her husband’s permission to travel, typically allowing only one or two months of travel.
She also did not want to rely on Cain to protect her from threats. She had already received more than enough support from him.
And Agatha believed that she had expressed all her gratitude by not pressing further on his infidelity and keeping silent about it until now.
“…It’s time to find the knights.”
She needed to strengthen herself so that she could protect herself without relying on Cain. Four years ago, she couldn’t have done it, but now, as the head of the Kristin family, she could.
First, she would send people to find former members of the Kristin Order who had retired from the capital. Next, she would instruct her staff at the mansion to reorganize the Duke’s residence.
Quickly organizing the tasks in her mind, Agatha rang the bell to summon Liana, who was outside. Liana’s help was absolutely crucial to execute the plan flawlessly.
As she couldn’t move freely outside the mansion herself, Liana was the only one who could act as her hands and feet.
“Yes, Madam! Did you call for me?”
Liana hurried into the bedroom.
“Liana. We need to find some people.”
