If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 144
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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But the lady would never have to discard her name and status to live in hiding, like he had. Although she, too, had lost her parents and was alone now, the many knights who remained at the estate would surely stand by her.
There was no real similarity between them beyond the fact that they had both lost their families. Cain didn’t know why he was so bothered by it.
He, who had to beg for his life and swear loyalty to the enemy, was nothing like the noble Kristin lady. Even though they had both lost their parents, the difference between them was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
“We will begin the funeral procession.”
The lid was placed on the casket, and Rubens draped Kristin’s flag over it.
“Prepare yourselves.”
“Yes, Deputy Commander.”
Cain had the honor of being chosen as one of the knights to carry the Duke’s casket.
Honor. Was it really honorable to carry the casket of an enemy? Cain thought bitterly to himself.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
After the funeral, the hall was silent. Apart from the occasional sound of rain tapping against the window, no sound could be heard.
As they watched the rain fall from the window, the people of the Duke’s estate seemed to think that even the heavens were mourning the Duke’s death.
Some knights even said that since the great knight who had once illuminated Nikephos was now dead, it was only fitting that the heavens would shed tears. Cain barely managed to stifle a laugh at that.
How many lives had been lost because of his hands? The death of a war-hungry murderer—would the heavens really weep over that?
The life of one Duke was no more precious than the lives of hundreds of others. Cain mocked the idea internally.
The way some people revered every action of Duke Kristin made him sick. The knights who had blindly followed him kneeled, crying and calling him a great leader.
Cain had to leave before he was sickened further. He slipped away to a quiet place, away from the cries and tributes.
Only then did he feel his breathing ease slightly. He absentmindedly ran his hand along his neck. It felt as if something was choking him.
Would the cold rain help clear his mind? Cain ran out into the pouring rain, trying to shake off the discomfort that had lingered throughout the funeral.
He walked for a while.
As the rain gradually lightened, Cain found himself heading toward the central garden inside the mansion. This was a space reserved only for the Duke’s direct family, a place where only the gardener, who visited once a month, was allowed. His feet instinctively led him toward it.
Pushing through the dense foliage, he stepped deeper into the garden. In the center stood a grand, ancient tree. Beneath its thick branches hung a swing, swaying precariously in the breeze—perhaps put there for the lady.
Thud, thud.
The rain, which had seemed to stop, began to pour again. As if mocking the brief respite, the downpour intensified, far worse than the morning’s rain. It was a torrential storm.
The rain made it hard to see ahead. Through the blurred vision, a silhouette on the swing became visible.
It was Agatha.
The young girl who had just lost her parents at the funeral was sitting alone on the swing, listlessly tapping the ground with her feet. She made no effort to shield herself from the downpour.
Cain quickened his steps.
With long strides, he approached and stood in front of the swing. Without hesitation, he raised his hand to shield her head from the rain.
What if she catches a cold?
“Lady.”
Startled by his sudden appearance, Agatha looked up at him in surprise. The raindrops that had fallen on her hair ran down her face, rolling off her chin. It looked almost as if the raindrops were tears she hadn’t allowed herself to shed. Cain’s face tightened as he watched the sadness that wasn’t fully expressed in her innocent gaze spill out like the rain.
“It’s raining, Lady.”
Agatha didn’t respond. She simply stared at him, as if lost in thought. Cain thought of the sweet, caring little girl who had once warned him to take care lest he catch a cold. The sight of Agatha now, sitting in the rain, was so similar to how he had been on that day.
The grief he had tried so hard to suppress, so deeply hidden within him, had spilled out in the form of rain on that very day. And now, Agatha seemed to be doing the same.
Cain’s and Agatha’s gazes locked for a long while, hanging in the air between them.
“I know your heart, Lady.”
“More than anyone, I understand what you’re feeling right now… That’s why…”
“I will protect you. I swear it.”
The last words were spoken impulsively. Cain couldn’t even understand why he had said them. The sadness in Agatha’s eyes, the same as his sister’s, had simply broken his heart.
“I will protect you, Lady.”
He couldn’t stand the thought of someone going through the same pain he had experienced. He didn’t want Agatha to suffer like he had.
But there was no response from Agatha.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
A guardian appeared for the princess. Contrary to everyone’s expectations that a distant branch of the Kristin family would take the role, the person who stepped forward was Countess Calvino, who had severed ties with the Kristin family years ago.
She was the Duke’s younger sister, though they shared no blood. She was essentially just a legal family member, someone who didn’t have any real familial connection.
When she announced her intention to act as the guardian, there was immediate and fierce opposition.
However, after some political maneuvering, Countess Calvino succeeded in overcoming the objections and claimed the position of guardian just three months later.
