Chapter 53
“From the Empire?”
“That’s right. I, I can prove it.”
The Finance Minister, who was trying to fumble through his pockets, convulsed as the muzzle of the gun pressed deeper into his thick chin.
“H-hyuk! The, the back pocket. In the back pocket, there is a letter from the Empire!”
At Lionel’s glance, Kalt pulled out a crumpled letter that had been pressed under the Finance Minister’s buttocks.
The scribbled cursive briefly detailed the ship intended to aid the Finance Minister’s asylum, the port location, and the departure time.
“Colonel, this paper is—,”
Wrinkles formed on Kalt’s forehead.
He took a step back and lifted the paper higher.
As it was held against the light, a subtle luster spread through the grain of the paper.
A faint scent of oil that could be felt without even getting close,
And a translucent texture. This was no ordinary stationery.
“It’s vellum.”
A recitation like a breath flowed from Lionel’s mouth.
High-grade parchment made by refining calfskin.
It was a material that could not be used for anything other than the correspondence of the Imperial Family or royal decrees.
A moment of silence passed.
Lionel pinched the corner of the letter. A slippery sensation, like leather, was transmitted.
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh burst from Lionel’s lips.
Apparently, there was something more to the war between the Empire and Sercadia than what had been revealed to the public.
After casting aside the trembling Finance Minister, Lionel swept back his disheveled bangs without letting go of the gun.
Even in the dim darkness of the night, his cold eyes flashed like those of a beast.
“Kalt.”
“Yes, Colonel.”
“It seems Rebelt isn’t the only thing we need to chase.”
Lionel’s voice was lowered infinitely deep, to a point where it could not go any lower. Carrying his anger.
“Find every single Sercadian official still remaining on this continent. And drag them before me.”
Lionel, who already looked busy, seemed even more frantic lately.
A schedule where day and night were blurred continued, but regardless, he returned to the mansion every single night without fail.
After finishing a simple meal, he would head to his office. A life was repeated where he went out again before the darkness of dawn lifted and returned when the sun began to tilt.
Even in the midst of that, Agnes was always with him during the time Lionel spent at the mansion.
Clearly, the meal time promised as compensation was only once a week.
From a certain point, Lionel shared dinner with Agnes every day.
And after that, he unfailingly headed to the office with Agnes.
And it was the same today.
The dining table was filled with the warm scent of spices.
Agnes was moving a piece of grilled eggplant to her mouth with a fork when she slightly turned her head.
It was because she felt Lionel’s gaze from a corner of her vision.
“……Do you have something to say?”
Agnes asked cautiously.
Then, instead of an answer, Lionel only let a strange silence flow.
Lately, Lionel had been staring at her intently like that.
While eating, or while looking at documents. He would suddenly lift his head and look at her.
That gaze was like someone trying to confirm something.
And once the confirmation was over, Lionel unfailingly furrowed his brows.
Because of that, Agnes would feel pointlessly intimidated even though she hadn’t done anything particularly wrong.
‘……Did I do something wrong again?’
Thinking that her very existence might be causing discomfort to Lionel, her shoulders repeatedly hunched.
Still, she had thought that they had become a bit closer now.
That, as expected, must have been her own delusion.
Agnes held her utensils properly to avoid any behavior that might grate on Lionel’s nerves.
“You wear that shawl often.”
Suddenly, Lionel pointed to the cloth wrapped around Agnes.
“Um…… yes. Because it’s warm.”
Agnes fiddled with the shawl around her shoulders awkwardly.
The light gray silk shawl, which perfectly matched her eyes, was the one Lionel had covered her with in the backyard of the Bardo trading company.
When she wore this, the memory of being held by Lionel would come back to life.
So Agnes frequently took out and wore this shawl.
However, since Lionel pointed it out and asked, her heart thumped as if her secret feelings had been discovered.
Agnes tried hard to maintain a composed face while quietly chewing on an eggplant she had pricked with her fork.
It was because she felt that if she were caught, this too might leave her hands like the toe shoes.
Because anything she held dear always ended up ruined in one form or another.
So, she intended to hide the precious things that would arise in the future deep within her heart, so that no one would notice.
So that neither Mrs. Nora nor Chloe could touch them. Very tightly.
However, somehow, it felt like Lionel’s gaze lingered on the shawl for a long time.
Agnes unconsciously gripped the shawl tightly.
Seeing that, Lionel let out a dry laugh.
“Is someone going to snatch it away?”
As if he had never laughed.
Lionel, returning to an expressionless face, cut into the grilled eggplant following Agnes.
However, as the mushy texture was not to his taste, he wiped his mouth with a napkin while frowning slightly.
“As I mentioned before, we shall go for a walk in the garden after dinner today.”
Come to think of it, the day they promised to look around the garden was already today.
Agnes lifted her head.
Due to the shortened season, darkness was settling in even before evening arrived.
The scent of winter was creeping through the garden.
Whenever the wind passed, small branches brushed against each other, making a thin sound.
“Yes. I will get ready quickly.”
Agnes moved her small jaw busily, hurriedly swallowing the remaining food.
To try and increase the time she would spend walking with Lionel, even by a little.
“You are saying it is difficult to receive treatment today?”
Agnes’s hands, which were busy preparing to go out to the garden, stopped.
Because of the walk with Lionel, today’s rehabilitation was originally scheduled to be delayed.
Thinking that the office schedule might not end until well past midnight, she had intended to postpone the treatment.
However, Andrew was already in the room waiting.
Upon hearing about the walk, he spoke with a smile like someone who had thought of a good suggestion.
“That works out well. In that case, how about replacing today’s rehabilitation with a walk in the garden using crutches?”
“……Crutches?”
Agnes slowly put down the handkerchief she was holding.
“Andrew, that is too much.”
Agnes’s voice was firmer than usual.
“With crutches, standing is the most I can do.I cannot support my weight fully enough to walk.”
At her adamant attitude, the servants in the room watched her cautiously and held their breath for a moment.
“If I cannot move properly, the Duke will be inconvenienced; is that still alright?”
At the brief counter-question, the room became silent.
Just then, Mrs. Nora, who was watching the situation from the corner, wore a thin smile on her lips.
“Do not worry about that. It is because we can support you.”
It was a soft way of speaking, but a subtle pressure was mixed within it.
“If you were to stand up from your wheelchair and walk, Agnes, how happy would the Duke be?”
Nora’s gaze slowly scanned through the maids.
“Jessie.”
The short-haired maid designated by Nora flinched and lifted her head.
It was the same maid who had cleared away the broken water cup before.
“What are you doing just standing there. Instead of helping quickly. You are committing the rudeness of making Agnes wait.”
“I-I am sorry. Agnes, please excuse me for a moment.”
At Nora’s urging, Jessie reluctantly helped Agnes up.
At that sudden movement, Agnes’s legs swayed significantly.
As her body, having lost balance, leaned forward, Jessie squeezed her eyes shut and loosened the strength in her hands.
It was a split-second moment.
When Agnes grabbed the corner of the table to avoid falling, chwaak—. Along with the sound of water, a lukewarm liquid poured over her body.
It was tea filled with honey that had been sitting on the table.
Fortunately, since it had cooled down to some extent, she was able to avoid getting burned.
However, she could not avoid the stickiness.
Sticky and sweet water dripped down her hanging hair, drop by drop.
In an instant, a sneer burst out from somewhere.
Someone giggled and covered their mouth with their hand.
“I-I am sorry…… Agnes. I am truly sorry…….”
Jessie hurriedly set out to support Agnes again. Even in the midst of that, Jessie’s gaze repeatedly turned toward Mrs. Nora.
“I-I will prepare so you can get dressed again quickly.”
“……That’s enough.”
She could not face Lionel in such a messy state.
Nor could she say that she ended up like this because she was pushed around by the servants.
Because, clearly, he would surely look at her with pathetic eyes again.
“I have suddenly started feeling unwell, so I don’t think I can go out for the walk. Please convey that to the Duke.”
In any case, there was no time to wash her dirtied body and prepare again.
And Lionel was not the type to wait for that time.
Agnes spoke calmly as she wiped away the tea flowing down her face.
The tea sticking to her felt like her self-esteem, which had been cast into the mire.
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