If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 98
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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He looked at her with a face that was almost angry. No, more like he was glaring at her.
Why is he so mad at her? For a moment, she was scared from his intimidating presence. Her heart that was suffering from the unfairness of his unwarranted coldness gave Agatha the courage to straighten her back and meet his gaze directly.
“You were here. I thought no one was here since I didn’t sense anyone.”
“I asked what you were doing there.”
“…Were you here all day?”
Cain didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and glared at her with a frightening expression.
“I asked what you were doing.”
His formal tone vanished, replaced by a harsh condescending tone Agatha had never heard from him before, causing her eyes to widen in shock.
“What did you just say?”
“Do not, without my permission, enter here so recklessly, Agatha Kristin.”
Cain’s warning surprised Agatha. Why is he so angry at her? Because she entered the study without permission? Just for that? His actions were incomprehensible, his anger unreasonable, leaving her confused.
As Agatha stood there, speechless and trying to steady her breath, he hurriedly grabbed some books to cover the drawing, as if trying to protect something precious from a threatening intruder.
“I wonder if you even knew what day it is today.”
Agatha’s voice sharpened in response to his irrational behavior. Who exactly should be angry right now? She remembered she had come to the study to confront him about his absence from the memorial service.
“What were you doing, holed up in the study, not attending the memorial service?”
“There was no reason for me to attend.”
Cain was clearly angry. The anger on his cold face was evident, and it wasn’t small. This was absurd. Who exactly should be angry right now? Agatha clenched her small fists.
“What did you say?”
Cain’s grip on her slender wrist tightened. As the sharp pain made her face contort, she struggled to maintain her composure and meet his fierce gaze.
“I didn’t attend because I had no intention of mourning.”
“Do you even realize what you’re saying?”
“I wonder if you know what kind of person the Duke really was.”
“What…?”
He was talking about her father. His anger didn’t seem directed at her but rather at the late Duke Kristin. She had so many questions for him as he continued to utter incomprehensible statements.
“Stop beating around the bush and just say what you mean.”
“Unfortunately, you’re not the one who needs to hear what I have to say.”
“What happened while you were away in the North? In the four years you’ve been gone, you’ve changed so much from the person I knew.”
“You… you really are very much like the Duke.”
Cain murmured, staring at Agatha’s face. His whisper was so faint that if she hadn’t been listening closely, she might not have heard it.
“You look just like him. Anyone could tell you are of Kristin’s blood.”
“…”
“That’s why I can’t stand to look at you.”
Her heart sank. She already knew he had been avoiding her, but this direct confirmation was brutally shocking.
“Seeing you reminds me of the Duke, and I can’t bear it.”
“Is that why you didn’t attend the memorial service today?”
“There’s nothing more to say. Leave. And never come in here without permission again.”
She had come seeking answers but received none. His back as he turned away felt unkind.
“Is it because of the woman in that drawing?”
Driven by impulse, Agatha asked the question she shouldn’t have.
“Be honest. Is my father just an excuse, and the real reason you can’t stand to see me is because of the woman in that drawing?”
Even as she spoke, she knew she would soon regret her words. But at that moment, the impulse to confront him, fueled by her need to understand, outweighed the future regret.
Cain didn’t answer. He stood there, concealing his fierce anger behind a cold mask.
After staring at Agatha for a long moment, he suddenly reached out and pulled her close. It happened so quickly that she didn’t have time to react.
Cain grabbed her by the back of her head and pressed his cold lips to hers.
“Mmph.”
It was a kiss she hadn’t anticipated. She felt both shocked and humiliated. Just moments before, he had been radiating an icy anger, and now she couldn’t understand why he was kissing her.
She tried to break free from his grasp, but it was of no use. He was far too strong for her to resist. The kiss was relentless and rough. As he continued, Agatha squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a sharp pain as her dry lips cracked under the pressure. She tasted the metallic taste of blood.
Cain must have tasted it too. He paused for a moment, then abruptly let her go and stepped back. Neither of them spoke. The room was filled only with the sound of their heavy breathing, cutting through the stifling silence.
They stood like that for what felt like an eternity. Cain looked at her with an unreadable expression before hastily leaving the room.
Left standing there alone, Agatha felt not just physically abandoned, but as if her very soul had been rejected.
