If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 174

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Liana was undoubtedly a pure and kind-hearted girl, but when it came to matters related to Agatha, she often let her emotions run too high, which sometimes made it better to hold back certain details.

“First, let’s get in the carriage. We can talk on the way back to the mansion.”

“Yes, Vaclav. I got too excited.”

She said this with a bright smile, and Vaclav patted her again. To him, Liana was just as dear as Agatha.

Of course, his approach to Liana was different from how he treated Agatha, but the underlying affection he had for both was the same. The difference was that one was someone he served, while the other was someone he cared for like a daughter.

Vaclav followed Liana into the carriage without realizing that there were eyes watching them from afar.

As the carriage, marked with Kristin’s seal, left, the eyes that had been watching in hiding slowly revealed themselves.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

At the southernmost tip of the Empire, Pahel.

Pahel, a key point in southern maritime trade, was one of the cities farthest from the capital, Reden. Below the southern region of Nikephos, there were dozens of small city-states, and the people in the southernmost part of the Empire made their living through trade with these states.

However, despite the grand titles like ‘hub of southern maritime trade’ or ‘flourishing commerce with dozens of city-states,’ the trade volume passing through Pahel was very small. This was due to the small size and weak national strength of the surrounding states.

Even when combining all the trade between Pahel and the city-states, it accounted for only about one-fifth of the trade from Reden to the south. Because of this, Pahel was able to engage in trade with multiple countries without interference from the Empire. Although it was a part of the Empire, it had a degree of autonomy.

This was also the main reason Agatha and her knights could move south without attracting attention from other nobles. Pahel, being of little interest to the nobility, was an ideal place for hiding as it allowed for swift movement by boat if necessary.

After two months of travel, Agatha and Karon arrived in Pahel, where they met with the young Count Burkin, with whom they had previously arranged a meeting. Burkin was the grandson-in-law and heir to Viscount Borgia. He had helped Charlotte, who had returned to the south from the capital, to resettle.

Hardly anyone knew about Burkin’s connection to the Borgia family. It was a bit of an exaggeration to say that the great nobles had any interest in small, local families.

Through Burkin, Agatha was able to reunite with Charlotte after more than ten years. She was living on a small island just two hours by boat from Pahel

After barely calming her stomach, which had been on the verge of nausea even from drinking water, Agatha climbed aboard the boat to meet Charlotte. After the long journey, they met, and Agatha cried for a long time with tears flowing freely.

“Miss, are you awake?”

In a daze, Agatha felt a hand gently brushing her hair and slowly opened her eyes. Through the blurry haze, she saw the familiar silhouette of someone. Seeking warmth, she buried her face and closed her eyes again.

“Oh my. You’re not fully awake yet.”

“Just a little longer… I want to sleep like this.”

How long had it been since she had acted like this? Agatha rubbed her cheek against Charlotte’s warm hand, as if she was a child being comforted.

“Our dear Miss, still a heavy sleeper, I see.”

A smile accompanied her words. Charlotte’s embrace was so warm, it almost made Agatha tear up. At that moment, it felt as though she had returned to her childhood.

She had never felt this at ease since her father’s passing. Agatha let out a soft sigh as she lay there.

“The outside is already this bright. Before long, we won’t be having breakfast, but lunch.”

There wasn’t anything urgent that needed to be done early, yet Charlotte persistently tried to wake Agatha. She wanted to make sure Agatha didn’t skip a meal, insisting on feeding her something.

The first time Charlotte had met Agatha as an adult was still vivid in her memory. The shy young girl was now replaced by a woman who seemed to have borne the weight of the world’s struggles, looking fragile despite her strength.

No words were needed. As Agatha cried, Charlotte simply pulled her into her arms.

She couldn’t help but feel her heart ache just thinking of the waves Agatha must have faced after losing her parents and being left alone in the world.

On the first night they reunited, Agatha had fallen into a deep sleep, as if dead. It wasn’t until a full day and a half had passed that she finally regained consciousness. Then, she began telling Charlotte about the events that had happened during their time apart.

“You got married?”

“Goodness, to him, to that Cain?”

“And then you divorced?”

What words could express Charlotte’s feelings after hearing the news of Agatha’s marriage and divorce? But even more shocking news followed.

“You’re… expecting a child?”

Charlotte’s gaze shifted to Agatha’s stomach. When they had first met, Charlotte hadn’t even considered the possibility of her being pregnant, since she had seemed so fragile. But now, her belly has become noticeably rounded.

The thought of her once-childlike Agatha now carrying a child of her own, alone, without a husband, was heartbreaking.

Charlotte swallowed her tears several times a day.