If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 75
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
read more chapters on luna kofi
Petals partially concealed her, but the white cleavage exposed above the water appeared almost ethereal in its whiteness. Cain found it difficult to look away from her sleeping form that was exposed and vulnerable. His mind told him it was wrong to gaze at her like this, yet his body refused to comply.
What should he do? He couldn’t just lift her out of the water.
“Agatha.”
It was clear he needed to do something. Waking her seemed better than leaving her alone to call a servant. As Cain straightened up and placed the towel back where he found it,
“Good heavens, Marquis!”
Just then, Agatha’s maid entered the tent, perfectly timed. It was fortunate. Any later and an unfortunate incident might have occurred.
“I’m sorry, I should have been by Madam’s side, but I stepped out to fetch some tea leaves and didn’t expect you to return so soon.”
The maid was usually by Agatha’s side. It was odd not to see her.
“I didn’t know you would return so early. I apologize.”
The maid bowed repeatedly in apology. Cain thought it wasn’t something to apologize so profusely for.
“You don’t need to apologize to me. You should apologize for leaving the Madam undressed and alone.”
“Yes, yes. I’m sorry. I had instructed the servant to stay with her for the massage…”
She was referring to the servant who had fled in panic upon seeing him. Cain sighed softly.
“Miss, Miss?”
“Ung.”
“Miss, please wake up. His Excellency is here.”
“Umm…”
Agatha struggled to open her eyes, tossing a bit in her seated position, then quieted down again.
“She must be very tired from the journey.”
The maid looked helplessly between the nonresponsive Agatha and Cain.
“There’s no need for her to get up for me. But we should really get her dressed now that she fell asleep in the bath.”
“Yes, Marquis. Miss, Miss.”
Although there was no need for her to wake up just because he was there, the issue was that she had fallen asleep in the bath.
Following the maid’s gestures, Cain watched Agatha’s limp movements for a moment before moving his legs.
“I’ll lift her, you wipe her down with the towel.”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
Cain loosened his cloak and tossed it casually over a chair, then rolled up his sleeves. As he reached into the bath to lift Agatha, he averted his gaze. He ignored the smooth sensation against his fingertips as he lifted her up.
Despite his firm grip, Agatha felt unusually light. He had urged her to eat well while he was away, but it seemed she hadn’t gained any weight compared to two years ago.
“She usually isn’t this hard to wake up, but I gave her a mild sedative to help her relax…”
The maid continuously made excuses for Agatha, even though there was no one to criticize her for not waking up. She kept glancing at Cain, gauging his reaction.
It seems her insomnia hasn’t improved over the last two years, has it gotten worse with her needing medication? Concern showed on Cain’s face.
“Well done.”
Quickly, the maid draped a towel over Agatha’s body that was lifted by Cain, and swiftly wiped down the limbs that the towel didn’t cover.
He walked to the bed and carefully laid Agatha down, still avoiding looking directly at her.
At that moment, a couple more maids rushed into the tent, including the one who had run out earlier. They were carrying clothes.
Cain wiped off his hands and stepped back, then he drew the curtain that served as a privacy screen around the bed. This provided some privacy for the maids as they dressed Agatha.
Beside the bath, two scented candles burned on a wooden table. These were the same candles Cain had given Agatha on her first day at the residence, intended to help with sleeplessness, deep thoughts, or waking from nightmares.
The fact that she was still using them, even bringing them here, struck Cain anew. He averted his gaze, feeling unexpectedly touched.
“Your Excellency, we are done.”
Perhaps due to Cain’s awkward presence, the maids had dressed Agatha more quickly than expected. Watching their skilled hands tuck the blankets snugly around her small frame, Cain wondered if they had done this before.
“Does the Madam often take sleeping pills?”
“Not often, only occasionally, when she feels too exhausted and worries she won’t sleep well,” replied the maid.
“Hmm…”
As the maid hurried to clear the bath and tidy up, she kept glancing at Cain, trying to read his reaction.
“I will leave now. Please call if you need anything.”
The maid said, bowing slightly before quickly leaving the tent, as if wary of intruding on the couple’s late-night hours.
It felt like a swift storm had just passed through.
Left alone in the quiet tent, Cain stood.
He debated whether to wait for Agatha to wake or prepare for bed himself. Recalling the maid’s mention of the sleeping pills, he ended his brief contemplation and began to undo his armor straps.
Perhaps he, too, would benefit from a hot bath to ease the day’s wear.
