If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 135
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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The two elderly men, their hair now graying, seemed to return to their youthful days as knights during their conversation. Watching Karon and Rubens bicker, Agatha couldn’t help but think of Cain and Joseph. She hated the fact that even on this journey away from him, Cain kept appearing in her thoughts. Quietly, she bit her lip.
“An orphanage for war orphans has been established on the outskirts of Arta.”
“And?”
“The official sponsor of the orphanage is the late Duke Kristin.”
“What?”
At Karon’s nonchalant tone, Rubens raised his voice in surprise. His expression seemed to say, How do you know something I didn’t even know? He then turned to Agatha, as if asking if Karon’s words were true.
“How did the late Duke Kristin become the official sponsor of an orphanage?”
Duke Kristin had passed away many years ago, and now his name was listed as the official sponsor of a newly established orphanage. Agatha had also learned about it only after sending Liana to send investigators to Arta, and it was a fact that took some time to confirm. There was no way a deceased person could suddenly become a sponsor.
Agatha, encountering her father’s name in such an unexpected place, couldn’t help but feel a sense of disquiet. She had to investigate further to understand what had happened.
She worked tirelessly to piece together the situation. Cain had acquired a mansion in Arta, designated it as an orphanage, and named the institution after the Kristin family. He had then officially made Duke Kristin the sponsor.
Agatha was shocked to hear the news. At first, when she had heard about the orphanage being founded, she thought it was simply a clever excuse to hide his mistress’s activities. But the fact that he had attached Kristin’s name to it made it clear this was no trivial matter.
Becoming the official sponsor meant that all the funds for the orphanage would come from the Kristin family, and even more seriously, it meant that everything happening at the orphanage—its operations, rumors, and events—would be the responsibility of the Kristin family.
Agatha had never thought Cain would be the type to tarnish his family’s name for some affair with a mistress.
But no matter how she tried to rationalize it, she couldn’t understand what he was truly thinking.
If she were to try to put a positive spin on it, perhaps it could be seen as the Kristin family showing compassion for the poor orphans who had lost their families in the aftermath of ongoing invasions and small skirmishes after the conquest wars.
However, with the Emperor officially labeling the vagrants from the western border as ‘pirates,’ using Kristin’s name as the sponsor for an orphanage that supported them could easily lead to undeserved accusations of wrongdoing.
Cain Vernat, of all people, would not have been unaware of that.
“Vernat has established the orphanage?”
“Cain, you mean?”
Despite now being a high-ranking Marquis, to Karon and Rubens, Cain was still the fresh-faced young knight they remembered.
Karon gave Rubens a pointed look, but since there were no other eyes on them, Rubens shrugged and dropped the honorifics.
“The Emperor has forbidden such matters, and now that bastard is using the Duke’s name for it… What is he thinking?”
“That bastard? He’s the Marquis now, and the Duchess’ husband.”
“You’re still the type to curse the Emperor when no one’s around. What does it matter if he’s been given a title?”
The two began bickering again. After a few more heated exchanges, they noticed Agatha watching them and quickly straightened themselves up.
“Yes. So, I intend to see with my own eyes what he is really thinking and why he did such a thing.”
“Would it not be better to leave that to us? You don’t need to go to such a dangerous place…”
“No. I have to go. I’m the last of the Kristin bloodline.”
If Cain had used her father’s name to cover up some foolish deed, she would be the one to tear it all down. If it were the Cain Vernat she had known her whole life, he would never have done such a thing, nor would he have dared to stain her father’s name.
But after seeing how far Cain had fallen, obsessed with a woman and making such foolish choices, Agatha could no longer say she truly knew him.
That’s how people are. Even if they seem like they belong entirely to you, they don’t. Even if you think you know everything about them, you really know nothing at all.
Maybe trusting someone is nothing but an illusion, Agatha thought.
Meanwhile, the carriage wheels continued to rattle and bounce along the uneven road.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Agatha pushed aside the curtain with her fingers to look outside. The sun had completely set, and the twilight had been swallowed by darkness.
It was so dark she could barely see an inch ahead.
She had been sitting in the carriage for a full day. Except for a brief rest to keep the horses from collapsing, they had been moving nonstop. During that time, Agatha had become visibly tired, while Karon and Rubens took turns keeping watch on her and the surroundings.
“Your Grace, are you alright?”
Rubens asked, noticing Agatha’s pale face. The long, difficult journey was clearly taking its toll on her. Given how frail she had been since childhood, they were deeply concerned for her well-being.
“I’m fine.”
