If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 27
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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However, it seemed like such courtesy was a luxury when it came to this woman. In the face of the Countess’s determined expression as she rushed forward, ignoring his request to step aside, Cain’s patience finally ran out.
“Before I grab you by the collar and toss you aside, step back.”
He barely held back the urge to curse her and spit out insults. If it hadn’t been for Ethan, who had rushed over and noticed the increasingly serious situation, Cain might have actually grabbed the Countess by the collar.
Pushing the Countess aside, he quickly examined Agatha’s condition as he got on the carriage.
“Lady, are you alright?”
She had sweated profusely, and strands of golden hair were sticking to her forehead and neck. Even a casual glance at the exposed skin inside the partly undone flowing dress revealed its pallor.
“Since when has the Lady been in this condition?”
Cain, unable to get a response from Agatha, turned to the maid who had been sitting behind her and asked.
The maid seemed somewhat startled by the firmness with which he had silenced the countess, but she quickly explained, “Lady was fine until yesterday. She had a sudden accident this morning, and with no time for proper treatment, she was brought out like this.”
“If it wouldn’t be too forward, may I personally examine the Lady’s injuries?”
Instead of receiving a response from the unresponsive Agatha, the maid continued to assess the situation. She was grateful for the unexpected assistance from the Marquis, but she worried whether it was appropriate to agree so readily to his request to check the Lady’s condition in the middle of the street.
However, Cain didn’t have time to wait for the maid’s permission. He quickly wrapped his arms around Agatha’s shoulders to prevent her from falling forward.
As Agatha leaned against his arm, she seemed to be in a half-bent position, and the observant maid loosened the corset laces slightly. When the corset loosened, it revealed the thin chemise underneath, which had turned red from the stains. The bandages that should have been between the fabric and the wounds had already come loose and were not serving their purpose.
Agatha struggled to grasp the situation as her fading consciousness tried to hold on. She found herself in the arms of the Marquis, and he had partially removed her dress to examine the wounds. Everything had happened so quickly, from the carriage stopping to Stella’s scream and the appearance of a stranger, that she had no time to collect her thoughts.
It seemed like an infection had occurred due to the poorly disinfected wounds. Otherwise, there was no reason for her to suddenly develop a fever like this.
Agatha wanted to tell Cain that she was fine, that he shouldn’t touch her body, but all that came from her feverish lips were weak moans.
As the corset was undone and the bandages that had covered her wounds disappeared, a cold breeze touched her injuries, intensifying her discomfort and pain.
“It won’t do. I’ll move you to my carriage,” Cain said after finishing his examination.
No, it’s okay. There’s no need to do this. Please, stop…
She couldn’t tell if she was just thinking these words silently or actually speaking them out loud. Her vision blurred.
The air, once stifling, grew cold, and in the moment when the darkness was replaced by light, her vision flickered.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
She had a dream after a long time.
It was a dream with her father and mother. For nine years, she had wished to see them in her dreams, silently praying, begging them to appear. They never showed up during that time, and now that they finally appeared, she was overwhelmed with sorrow, feeling like tears would burst forth.
Father, Mother. She desperately called out to them, but no words came out. She wanted to ask why they left her all alone, tell them how much she missed them, and ask for just one hug.
However, it felt like her throat was dry somewhere, and under the heavy weight pressing down on her chest like gravity, she could barely muster a labored breath. At that moment, her parents drifted further away. No, please come back. Agatha reached out her hand into the empty air.
“Agatha?”
Gasp.
A voice, unfamiliar yet familiar, snapped her back to reality in an instant.
When she opened her eyes, the first thing that greeted her was the unfamiliar bedroom, accompanied by the concerned face of someone.
“Agatha.”
Could this still be a dream? The impossible sight of this person in her own bedroom felt too real to dismiss.
“Are you coming to your senses?”
It was all too vivid to be mere fantasy. The sensation of the sheets against her skin, the scent of the lit candles, and the warmth under her fingertips painted an unfamiliar yet undeniable reality.
“Here…”
“Don’t get up. It would be less painful if you stayed lying down. Suddenly getting up could reopen your wounds.”
Agatha, realizing that the man before her was not a figment of her imagination but a tangible presence, hastily tried to sit up.
However, the man acted slightly faster. His hand, gentle yet compelling, held down her shoulders as she tried to get up.
