If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 138
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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“…I’ll meet with the Palatine first and then report back.”
Ethan quietly tucked the sealed envelope into his coat.
After sending Ethan off, Cain returned to his study and unrolled the map once again. He had examined it countless times already, but he wondered if there was something he might have missed.
He marked the path connecting the mansion to Theion Street in red and the route from Theion Street to the post office in blue. Cain stared intently at the red line on the map, muttering to himself. The only area that raised suspicion was the station.
But traveling by train was too risky. Agatha, having planned her escape so meticulously, wouldn’t have used the train, knowing the danger of being recognized.
The trains on the southern, northern, and eastern lines ran only four, four, and three times a day, respectively. Moreover, Countess Duflo, the Emperor’s illegitimate child, had traveled by train just two days ago, meaning no trains would have run that day.
Even if Agatha had hidden out near the station for an entire day and boarded the next train, it seemed impossible she would have managed to escape the capital unnoticed by using the train.
So, where had she gone? And how?
Cain’s brow furrowed deeply. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no answer. He had already checked every possible scenario.
Yet, despite all his efforts, there was no trace of Agatha anywhere.
Now, the only option left was to send a large number of knights to search for her, even if the rumors leaked out. It would be easier to find her that way than if he were to act secretly. But doing so would mean admitting that their relationship had ended.
It was a dilemma. How desperate had he been to even reach out to Joseph? He didn’t want Agatha’s situation to become known outside the mansion, but with the Palatine, who had eyes and ears everywhere in the capital, Cain knew he could track Agatha more effectively than he could.
“Huff….”
Cain closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath as pain shot through his head. Whether it was from lack of sleep or the immense stress, it felt like long needles were being stabbed into his temples and twisted. His eyes ached as if they were going to fall out, and when he closed them, the headache only worsened.
His hopes of easily finding her had been shattered, and for the past few days, his mind had been constantly haunted by the conversations he had had with her. Actually, there hadn’t been much of a conversation—whenever she tried to speak, he had simply dismissed her.
It was true, what he had said before—seeing her had reminded him of Duke Kristin, and it had been unbearable. But that didn’t mean his anger, which should have been directed at the Duke, was rightfully turned on her. It had been a blatant act of frustration.
Cain faintly realized that it was wrong to treat Agatha so harshly, especially when she knew so little of what was happening. Yet, he couldn’t control himself. During the day, he shuddered at the memory of being deceived by the Duke and used by him and his family. At night, Agatha’s sorrowful face haunted him, making it hard to sleep.
In a single day, he found himself switching between different versions of himself, each time pushing the responsibility for his suffering solely onto Agatha. His statement that he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way was nothing more than a useless excuse.
In truth, it was his actions that had allowed the maids and the head maid to deceive Agatha, the Marchioness, and it was almost as though he had helped them.
His mind understood. He knew, with his rational mind, that he was to blame. But the anger and confusion that remained unresolved clouded all his reasoning. He couldn’t think of a way out.
It was as if he was buried in a thick fog—everything before him was dark, and his mind felt helpless. He had never been this afraid, not even in the most grueling battles. Yet, without understanding what exactly he was afraid of, Cain could only focus on one thing:
He had to find Agatha.
He needed to find her.
Once that thought settled in his mind, Cain abruptly stood up. Until Ethan returned after meeting with the Palatine, all he could do was try to find Agatha’s whereabouts through her maid.
With eyes red and bloodshot, Cain staggered towards the place where Agatha’s maid was.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
“Where did Agatha go? Please, tell me.”
A problem had arisen because of someone else’s mistake. To solve it, the first thing that had to happen was for the person responsible to acknowledge their fault and swallow their pride.
Cain decided to accept the raw criticism that Liana had given him.
If there was nothing unjust about it, it would have been a lie. But even though he could have argued about the small details, his worry about Agatha’s disappearance outweighed everything else.
What mattered most now wasn’t his fragile pride, but protecting Agatha.
He called her by her name instead of the title ‘the Marchioness.’ Cain didn’t seem to realize the significance of how he called her, but Liana, who heard it with her own ears, certainly did.
Originally, Liana had decided she would never reveal where Agatha had gone. She had sworn she would keep silent, no matter the punishment or even torture. But now, Liana has started to change her mind.
It wasn’t because Cain had threatened her with his fierce face, warning her to speak quickly or face dire consequences.
