If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 72
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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“If you’ve said all you have to say, you can leave now. I don’t want to face an incompetent gossip who can’t bring me the answers I want for too long.”
The dismissal came a bit earlier than usual. On any other day, the Grand Duchess might have indulged in gossiping about the Marchioness and laughing for a long while, but today she seemed noticeably irritable.
‘She’s someone whose mood swings frequently.’
With a formal bow, Teschen stood up.
On days like these, it was best to keep a low profile and not attract attention.
While the Grand Duchess could be generous and affectionate when in a good mood, sharing even her treasures, on days when she was displeased like today, one could easily become the target of her venting.
Lingering around trying to appease her mood could only get her more angry.
Without acknowledging Teschen’s courtesy, the Grand Duchess retreated to her inner chamber. Only when the Grand Duchess was out of sight did Teschen feel like she could finally breathe easier, exhaling the breath she had been holding.
How long must she play the role of a spy? She had thought enduring a little longer would prompt her getting called back to the Grand Duke’s residence, but contrary to her expectations, there was no word on when she could return.
Teschen couldn’t understand why she was instructed to send 50 servants to the Marquis’ residence to gather intelligence. The lengths to which they went to keep an eye on Marquis Vernat, enough to cause such trouble, were beyond her understanding.
Although Marquis Vernat had indeed gained significant influence, he did not pose a direct harm to Grand Duke Norfolk.
Emperor Vlahova, the Grand Duke’s brother, was the one who might check on the Grand Duke. After all, no matter how much influence a knight could amass, he could not rival the Grand Duke, who was born a royalty.
The Crown Prince will be the one to inherit the throne, so it was baffling why the Grand Duke, who was already distanced from the imperial throne, would bother with the rising star of the empire.
“Then, I’ll take my leave, Your Grace. Next time we meet, I will surely bring answers that will satisfy you. May the Grand Duchess be blessed with the sun’s grace.”
Teschen offered a salute towards the Grand Duchess, who had already exited the scene. Turning to leave, the maid who had shown her to the Grand Duchess’ chamber gestured for her to follow. Teschen gave the maid a displeased look.
She went back the way she came and got to her carriage. She leaned against the wall once it started moving. Despite the shorter than usual interaction with the Grand Duchess, the day felt unusually draining, as if more energy had been spent than on a normal day.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
The first day in Arta was coming to an end. Despite not having fully recovered from the fatigue of the month-long journey, Agatha was busy attending to her duties.
There was much to inspect. Although she had planned her schedule before leaving the capital, arriving in Arta revealed the need for adjustments to better fit the local circumstances.
“Miss, perhaps you should change into something more comfortable?”
Liana suggested, setting down Agatha’s luggage inside the tent. Cain, who had briefly shown Agatha around the tent, excused himself, citing urgent matters to attend to.
Liana, who had promised herself not to intrude on the rare moments the Marquis and the Madam spent together, found Cain’s abrupt departure disconcerting.
Of course, this was not a vacation spot, and Agatha hadn’t traveled all this way just for leisure.
Understanding that it wasn’t appropriate to suggest to the Marquis, who was diligently performing his duties, to take a break and enjoy some leisure time with his wife, Liana still felt it was somewhat improper to leave her by herself right after their arrival.
“Miss?”
Absorbed in her tasks, Agatha didn’t hear Liana’s first call. It wasn’t until Liana raised her voice that Agatha stopped what she was doing and looked up.
“Yes?”
“Your dress. Aren’t you uncomfortable? I’ve prepared something more suitable for you to change into.”
“Oh, right.”
Agatha realized the cloak’s tight collar had been bothering her. As she stretched her arms in a big yawn, Liana approached and skillfully helped her out of her outer garment.
“Your shoulders seem very stiff.”
“Hmm. I guess I’ve been quite fatigued.”
The moan escaped her lips automatically under Liana’s kneading hands. Although the journey to Arta was long, Agatha knew the knights and servants must have had a harder time, so she hadn’t complained much. But it seemed her body had accumulated quite a bit of fatigue unknowingly.
“Perhaps we should call a masseuse, Miss.”
“No need for that.”
“Even if we wanted to, we likely wouldn’t find one here… Your shoulders are very tense.”
This was a place where knights risked their lives to perform their duties. It wouldn’t be appropriate to fuss over her slight discomfort from a few days of travel in such a place.
Even if there were a masseuse available, Agatha believed it should be for those who truly needed it due to their arduous tasks, not for her.
“If you don’t get some relief, you might suffer more tomorrow.”
“It’s fine. This isn’t the mansion in the capital. I can’t complain about every little thing.”
“Then, how about a warm bath instead?”
“Here?”
