If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 152

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

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“Are you alright? Are you dizzy? Should I call for a doctor?”

The nausea felt like it had no substance, yet it was overwhelming. It wasn’t the same feeling she had experienced earlier from the smell of food. Was it an instinctive fear, a desire to flee from an unacceptable reality?

Eventually, Agatha’s fingertips began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Lady Agatha…”

Even after being called multiple times, she couldn’t respond. She felt as though if she opened her mouth, she would vomit. Her entire body was shaking as she held her mouth closed, and Esther’s face mirrored her paleness.

“I’ll fetch the doctor!”

Without waiting for Agatha to respond, Esther rushed out of the room. Agatha’s behavior was clearly troubling. To think about the possibility of pregnancy was one thing, but there was something about Agatha’s current condition that was far from ordinary.

The fact that she had traveled so far alone, without her husband, was suspicious enough. A noblewoman, traveling alone for a month to such a remote place. Then there was her reluctance to talk about her husband, coupled with her trembling hands at the thought of pregnancy.

“Could it be?”

There was something between Cain and Agatha, and it wasn’t something good. Esther nervously bit her lip.

What could she do now? Esther’s mind raced.

If there was one thing she had learned during her life as a wanderer, it was how to pick up on things quickly. Having no family or home, she had developed a sharp sense of awareness in order to survive.

Her finely tuned instincts told her that the best thing to do now was to alert her brother about Agatha’s condition. She didn’t trust Agatha’s claim that she had already informed Cain of her whereabouts.

“Call for a doctor! Quickly!”

“Doctor?”

“Yes, Lady Agatha needs one. Hurry!”

Two of the guards stationed at Agatha’s door hurriedly dashed out of the mansion, and Esther…..

“Letter…. I need to send a letter.”

After the Emperor had ordered the full withdrawal of the Vernat Knights, Cain had left a contact behind in case of emergencies, someone who could quickly relay information. Through this person, she could reach Cain in the capital.

Esther started running the opposite direction.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

With Christian’s visit, the atmosphere became even more tense. Ethan observed Cain anxiously like he was sitting on thin ice.

Christian had come as a sort of watchdog, to keep an eye on Cain on the Emperor’s behalf. The news of Agatha’s disappearance was hardly good for him.

Normally, Cain would have anticipated every possible variable and devised a thorough plan before acting. But this time, he had shown more of his uncharacteristicness.

In other words, Agatha had shaken Cain Vernat to this extent. Ethan cleared his throat loudly, trying to catch Cain’s attention.

“Commander.”

As expected, Cain didn’t respond.

“Seeing the administrator reminded me of something. Have you heard anything about John Calvino’s whereabouts recently?”

At the mention of John Calvino’s name, Cain finally looked up and met Ethan’s gaze.

“John Calvino?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you bringing him up? He’s probably buried in some rural southern town, doing menial labor or something.”

“Well… Madam asked me about John Calvino’s whereabouts not too long ago.”

“What? Agatha asked about John Calvino? Why?”

“I don’t know. I asked her why, but she didn’t give me a clear answer. However, since it seemed odd that an old name like his came up again, I had someone look into it.”

“And?”

“John Calvino’s name was missing from the list of laborers in the south. When I looked further into it, I found that his name wasn’t on the laborers’ list, but on the death list. Doesn’t that strike you as strange? Even though he’s marked as a criminal, he’s still from a noble family. If he really died during labor, the news would have reached the capital. But there has been no news of any funeral from the Calvino family either….What do you think this means?”

Cain had never heard this before. John Calvino was dead? While working? If the news had reached the capital, Joseph would have known. And if Joseph had known, he would have told him immediately.

“John, C…”

It seemed as if something clicked in Cain’s mind. He jumped to his feet and began rummaging through his belongings.

“What are you looking for?”

Ethan asked, confused, as Cain pulled out a jewelry box from the deepest corner of his sparse travel bag. It seemed strange to bring up a jewelry box while talking about John Calvino.

“Happy birthday, dear Agatha. – John, C.”

Cain’s eyes widened as he looked at the inscription. The C was familiar—was it Calvino’s C?

How, and when, had a man who should have been laboring in a southern mine managed to contact Agatha? Cain felt a sense of dizziness, as though struck by a blunt object.