If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 116
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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Agatha had come to a painful realization over the past few months: whatever feelings Cain might have had for her had long since withered away.
Each morning she woke up, dreading what new revelation would shock her next. But no amount of preparation could shield her from the fresh wave of disappointment Cain managed to deliver.
He always found a new, unexpected way to crush her hopes.
“But still… to ally with Calvino…”
Muttering under her breath, Agatha bit the inside of her lip.
Could that be why Stella had so confidently mocked her during the memorial service? Did she know something that Agatha hadn’t? Was she gloating inside, thinking ‘Your illustrious husband no longer protects you. He’s sided with me.’
Could that secret have fueled her boldness?
Agatha’s hand, clutching the teacup, began to tremble. She could no longer trust Cain Vernat.
“…he said he would protect me.”
A bold-faced lie.
Has the oath he swore, staking his honor as a knight, been so easily broken? All it took was another woman, and suddenly he could deceive the wife he had shared his life with so utterly?
“But even so…”
After sitting there for what felt like an eternity, Agatha finally made up her mind. She got up from her chair with a resolute expression.
Though she could reluctantly accept Cain’s emotional betrayal—pushing her aside for the sake of some new woman—she found it impossible to believe that he would join hands with the Calvino family.
Hadn’t he once said, even without invoking Kristin’s name, that the mere thought of the Countess’s cruelty made his blood boil? Could he have really forgiven that so easily?
With determination, she rang the bell.
“Yes, Madam! Did you call for me?”
No matter how much Cain tried to avoid her, this was something she had to confront him about directly.
“Liana, is Sir Ethan in the estate? Find him and tell him to take me to where Sir Cain is.”
“He has just returned, Madam. The Marquis went straight to the annex a while ago. Should I inform him that you wish to see him?”
“No. I’ll go myself.”
“Very well, Madam. I’ll lead the way.”
By now, night had fallen. Although the annex wasn’t far from the main estate, even a short walk would require a lamp. Liana hurried to grab one, lighting the way for Agatha as they made their way outside.
They say that anger can overcome fear.
Agatha, who had avoided confronting Cain for fear of the harsh words he might use to wound her, found that this time, her fear had vanished. All that remained was disappointment, betrayal, and anger.
As she stepped out into the cool night air, she could only hope that these emotions wouldn’t morph into something even more devastating—despair.
Her thoughts swirled as they walked toward the annex.
She was determined to ask Cain about his dealings with Count Calvino, but how should she begin? Should she unleash her anger? Or suppress her emotions and approach calmly? What if the answer she feared most was confirmed—could she maintain her composure?
In the span of a few steps, countless questions raced through her mind.
“Wait, Liana.”
Agatha suddenly said, halting in her tracks when he saw an unexpected figure in front of the annex.
“Is something wrong, Madam?”
“That person….”
Agatha’s eyes were fixed ahead, locked on a figure she hadn’t seen in years but instantly recognized.
How could she not? Before she came to the Marquisate, she had seen that face almost daily for ten years.
“Gasp, Ma, Madam.”
Liana followed Agatha’s gaze and gasped in shock.
The man stepping into a carriage, escorted by Patricio, wore a uniform adorned with a gold insignia. He had just come from the annex and was someone both Agatha and Liana knew all too well.
“Christian…”
It was Christian, Count Calvino’s second son. The visitor to Cain had been none other than him.
A heavy weight dropped in Agatha’s chest, leaving her frozen in place.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Agatha had seen Christian Calvino leaving after meeting with Cain Vernat, confirming the rumors she had once dismissed.
The moment she witnessed it, she could no longer ignore the whispers about Cain and Count Calvino joining forces. Agatha spent several sleepless nights wrestling with her thoughts.
Had Cain truly forgiven those from Calvino’s household, the very people who had inflicted irreparable harm upon her family and herself? Or had it always been only she who harbored anger toward the Calvinos? Had Cain never been on her side to begin with?
The thoughts spiraled into dangerous conclusions.
Could Cain be trusted? Could she continue in a relationship with someone she no longer trusted? After days of agonizing reflection, Agatha reached a bitter realization: the answer to all of her questions was a resounding ‘no.’
With her decision made, Agatha summoned Vaclav back to the estate.
Now that she had resolved to return to her family and reclaim her place as Duchess of Kristin, there was no longer any reason to hide her meetings with him.
Cain didn’t care enough to notice who visited or what meetings took place under his roof. And even if he did find out, it wouldn’t matter to her anymore.
