If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 56
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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Even someone of such high stature and wealth would stoop to such antics just for a few pieces of jewelry. How could these people sent by the Grand Duchess be perfectly fine roaming around the Marquis’ residence? Agatha thought, though she did not show any reaction.
“Is your head still hurting?”
“Oh please, don’t mention it, Miss. I can’t even remember when I last lay down properly. The back of my head…”
Liana stopped herself from saying more. She knew how guilty Agatha felt every time her injury was mentioned.
“Miss, that expression again… Why do you blame yourself? It’s all because of John Calvino, you’re not at fault.”
“No. It’s still my fault that you got hurt.”
“No, I got a good rest for a whole month thanks to that. And the Marquis was generous with the medical expenses.”
It was meant to comfort Agatha. Knowing that, Agatha still smiled back at Liana.
“By the way, Miss, you’ll be sharing a bedroom with the Marquis now.”
Liana, who knew all the details of Cain and Agatha’s relationship, asked if Agatha was okay with that.
“Well, I can’t imagine anything will happen.”
There were many eyes watching. Rumors about the newlyweds not sharing a bedroom would be spreading like wildfire, and it was not a pleasant thing. Moreover, with the Grand Duchess’s people present at the mansion, they had to be extra careful.
Sharing a bedroom with Cain didn’t imply that something would happen between them. They were bound by contract, and Cain’s kindness towards her was mainly due to his lost younger sister.
Agatha wore a composed expression as she straightened the sleeves of her dress.
* * *
Even though she had said it was okay, as bedtime approached, Agatha unexpectedly felt a subtle wave of unease in her chest.
Cain was not the kind of person who would force her to share the bed without her consent. However, understanding something with the mind and feeling it emotionally were two different things, and Agatha was tormented by an unexplained anxiety.
In the process, the hem of her delicate dress wore out. It was because she had nervously scratched at it with her fingernails, trying hard to remain composed.
“…Where did I put the book?”
When her heart felt unsettled, pulling out a book and reading it had become a habit during her stay at the Calvino House. The only difference was that there, she had to sneakily read the same book repeatedly, while here, she could take out any new book and read it at her leisure.
After going through the ordeal with John, Agatha had been unable to sleep at night so she had been diligently reading an old novel given by Izelle. She appreciated the deep compassion and concern that the chief handmaid had shown for her during these trying times.
Silently offering a brief word of thanks, Agatha delved straight into the pages of the book. It wasn’t a particularly intriguing story, nor was it so captivating that it held her complete attention. Nevertheless, spending hours each night immersed in the world of the novel served as a form of self-defense.
Even though several days had passed, Agatha still suffered from the illusion that her throat was hurt. Her insistence on wearing a scarf despite the warming weather was also to cover the lingering bruise on her neck.
Cain had appeared in the nick of time to resolve the dire situation, but the traces of the Calvino family’s actions still haunted her.
Of course, there was no reason to inconvenience those around her by showing her discomfort, so she pretended to be fine.
During the day, she would spend time with Cain, who appeared at odd hours, enjoying walks as if nothing had happened. At night, she would immerse herself in reading, trying to distract herself from the painful memories.
Agatha handled everything gracefully after going through such a major ordeal, she thought to herself that to become the mistress of Marquisate Vernat, she needed this level of composure. Even if it were just an act, Agatha found solace in it.
Cain also seemed relieved that Agatha was doing better than expected.
“The love story of the century.”
The main plot of the novel was about a woman who had a difficult childhood but found her destined partner and dramatically became happy. Perhaps the protagonist was somewhat similar to her, aside from the fact that they both had troubled childhoods, they had nothing in common.
Notions like destiny or the love of the century didn’t feel realistic to her.
Love, destiny – did such things really exist? Agatha wondered.
She doubted whether even the institution of marriage, often considered the culmination of love, was ever purely built on love.
Or did it even exist? Agatha pondered. Among the people she had met, she couldn’t recall any lovers who had genuinely promised each other their love and lived their entire lives together.
She herself was also using the institution of marriage to achieve her own goals.
“…It’s so itchy, I can’t stand it.”
The dialogue between the characters in the novel felt oddly awkward. Phrases like “I can’t live without you” or “I’d rather die than be apart” made her toes curl. She scratched her feet intermittently between turning pages.
One and another one….
As she turned another page, her eyelids began to feel heavier. In the quiet space, except for the occasional sound of the wind through the window, Agatha slowly succumbed to sleep.
