If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 30
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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Under Stella’s watchful eye, Agatha received treatment not much different from the maids of the County. While she didn’t engage in the menial labor that the servants received, her life was still far from the luxurious and extravagant existence enjoyed by noble ladies of her age. She had led days that were worlds apart from the opulent lifestyle that young aristocratic women typically enjoyed.
Proper meals were scarce, and even her bed was far from comfortable. Her waist was at least an inch narrower than the other young ladies her age due to these circumstances, as she lived a life that was harsher than even those who celebrated their coming of age ceremonies.
Stella, who had meddled with her niece’s inheritance, muttered that it was a waste of money to spend on one’s appearance before coming of age. She forced Agatha to wear the dress she received as a gift from distant relatives when she turned seventeen. As the years passed, the sleeves grew shorter, and mismatched fabrics were added to make it fit.
Even though Agatha was the heiress of the prestigious Kristin Duchy, she only possessed three dresses. This alone spoke volumes about the kind of life she had led in the County. The best dress in her possession was still a comical one, made by repeatedly adding fabric to accommodate her growing height.
<“Is this all your luggage?”>
Cain’s voice on the day he came to collect Agatha’s belongings from the County still echoed strangely in her ears. He seemed utterly bewildered by the simplicity of her belongings.
With only a few sets of clothes and no extravagant jewelry, her modest bundle of belongings appeared more fitting for a commoner than a noble heiress. Cain remained silent for a long time, studying her as she quietly nodded her head in response.
Finally, he advised her to focus solely on her recovery and assured her that he would take care of the rest. For the next few days, he didn’t bring up any discussion related to their marriage.
“Miss, there’s a visitor for you today,”
Liana said with a remarkably flushed expression, delivering the news.
“A visitor? For me?”
Agatha felt a momentary panic, wondering if it could be someone from the County. However, she quickly remembered that Cain wouldn’t allow anyone from the Calvino family to enter his estate.
So, who could it be? The concept of having visitors was quite unfamiliar to Agatha, who had never really engaged in social activities.
“It seems like they’ve come from the dressing room,” Liana added.
“The dressing room?”
Liana pointed outside through the window, and as Agatha gazed down, she saw a line of carriages arranged in front of the mansion. Servants were busy unloading luggage from the carriages, and behind the ever-growing pile of belongings, a lavishly dressed figure stepped out of one of the carriages.
The woman’s hat featured a small feather, no bigger than a child’s height, and it was undoubtedly the ostrich feather hat that had been in fashion this year. Agatha recalled hearing Stella boast about ordering two ostrich feather hats at some point.
“No, why all of a sudden…”
Agatha began to say, but then she remembered the words Cain had spoken as he tended to her wounds the previous night.
He had mentioned that he would quickly inform the capital about their marriage and prepare for a grand wedding ceremony. Perhaps that was why he had summoned the people from the dressing room to the residence. There was probably no place as effective as the dressing room, where ladies of high society gathered, to spread the news rapidly.
Humans have a natural inclination to gossip, and among them, noblewomen with no worries about their livelihood were particularly enthusiastic about engaging in conversation at social gatherings.
“Shall I bring them inside?”
“…Since the Marquis has called for them, we can’t leave the guests waiting outside.”
Understanding Agatha’s words, Liana nodded and left to escort the guests inside.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Objects flew and shattered in all directions as Stella, in a fit of rage, continued to throw whatever came to hand. Despite the chaos and destruction, she showed no signs of calming down, venting her frustration loudly throughout the County.
The maids, who were observing her every move cautiously, exchanged anxious glances and thought to themselves that they would die trying to clean up this mess. While such incidents were not uncommon, today’s uproar seemed particularly severe.
After hours of turmoil, the maids’ faces were gradually turning pale.
“Look at this pathetic bloodline, acting out of control just because he had earned the Emperor’s favor!”
A maid who stood closest to her, got a piece of shattered jewelry box on her, shed a tear falling from her eye, muttered softly to herself. Isn’t Madam the one acting out of control?
Empty wine bottles rolled on the floor. Stella, who was already intoxicated despite the early hour, was causing a scene completely lacking in noble decorum.
