If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 132
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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After loading her luggage, she climbed into the carriage.
Since she had to travel a long distance, she chose a simple rental carriage without any cumbersome decorations. It was part of her effort to avoid drawing attention.
In case of a possible attack, she had no choice but to take multiple coachmen with her.
Although the combat ability of a coachman was minimal compared to trained soldiers, it was still better to have some untrained men with her for the journey, especially since traveling alone as a woman outside the capital could be quite dangerous.
“We’re ready to depart.”
Agatha signaled with her hand, and with a loud call from the coachman, the carriage began to move.
She had been keeping an eye on the royal knights through the carriage window, and once they were out of sight, she allowed herself to relax, leaning back into the seat.
Since spotting the Palatine, her heart had been racing, and she let out a long, deep sigh to calm herself.
Although he had been severely injured and was no longer part of the Vernat Knight Order, he had become the Palatine and joined the royal court, yet he remained one of Cain’s closest friends.
If she had encountered him before boarding the carriage, he would likely have recognized her immediately.
She felt lucky that they didn’t cross paths.
In the brief time it took her to leave the mansion, reach the station, and board the carriage, she had already faced several unexpected obstacles.
But now the carriage was finally on its way.
She would soon arrive in Gulem.
Gulem was a transfer point between the central and southern parts of the continent. Once there, she could take transportation south, southeast, or southwest.
If she chose the southern route, she could meet Charlotte, her former nanny. Before leaving the Vernat estate, Agatha had considered visiting Charlotte in Quogga, located in the south. However, given that John Calvino was after her, hiding in a place with no connections was far too risky.
She needed a place with some connection to her family and the ability to exert some influence, while still being free from the many eyes and ears of the capital.
After much thought, Agatha decided on a suitable hideout—Arta, in the northwest, near the border. Over half of the region was owned by the Kristin family. It would be an ideal place to lay low, gather strength, and find allies.
Although the Vernat Knights had stayed there until a few months ago, since the knights had returned to the capital by imperial order, they wouldn’t be returning to Arta anytime soon.
Even if Cain were to lead the knights to Arta, it wouldn’t matter. Even if he somehow discovered her whereabouts and managed to get permission from the Emperor to leave the capital and pursue her to Arta, considering all the possible probabilities and physical time constraints, it would take him at least a month.
By the time he arrived, Agatha would likely have already achieved her goal and left Arta.
She had already contacted former members of the old Kristin Knights through Vaclav and instructed them to head to Gulem. The journey from the capital to Gulem would take two full days at a fast pace. Once she met the knights, she would be able to travel safely to Arta.
Leaning back in the carriage, Agatha closed her eyes.
Though it had been less than half a day, it had already been an exhausting one.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Two days had passed since Agatha disappeared. During that time, Cain had secretly mobilized his knights to search for any trace of her around the estate. However, despite sending people to search every corner of the capital, no information about her whereabouts had surfaced.
Agatha Kristin had truly vanished without a trace. This was a matter involving not just all the servants in the estate, but also the guards who protected the estate, and even the estate’s master, Cain Vernat himself.
The direct servants who were most responsible for her disappearance would be the ones to bear the heaviest punishment. The penalty they would face could not be resolved in a day or two.
The more the investigation unfolded, the more it became clear how much the servants, particularly those from the Grand Duchy, had looked down on and mistreated Agatha. Even the deputy butler, Patricio, had played a substantial role in this.
Cain Vernat had brought out all the servants involved with Grand Duchess Norfolk, for punishment. As a result, more than half of the estate had been uprooted.
After holding Teschen, Patricio, and the rest of the servants accountable, Cain would turn his attention to the knights who failed to secure the estate at dawn. They too would face severe punishment.
The tense atmosphere had the servants skittering about, avoiding any unnecessary attention.
“Commander!”
Cain returned, having rushed out of the estate in the early morning hours. Lehman, who had been waiting for him for more than half a day, hurried to follow Cain into the study.
“Commander, where have you been so early?”
Cain roughly pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning back in it with a heavy sigh.
“Commander?”
“Huh…”
The sigh that came from deep within his chest was heavy.
Lehman, who had come to report on the events at the capital’s border, looked worriedly at his superior, who had yet to respond despite being called several times.
