Chapter 189
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Honestly, I don’t understand why you’ve come all the way here.”
It seemed that Agatha had grown frustrated with Cain’s silence. She asked first why he had come here. Was she giving him a chance to explain his wrongdoings? With a thread of hope, Cain was about to answer when she spoke again.
“I don’t understand, but it’s not like I want to know the reason.”
The question of why he was here wasn’t about the reason for his visit; it was a rebuke. She wasn’t asking why he came all the way here but why he was bothering her after everything was already over.
“I don’t understand why someone as busy as you, following the Emperor’s orders, would come all the way to this small town at the edge of the south. I hope you take care of whatever business you have here and leave soon.”
Without waiting for a response, Agatha, having said her piece, began to get up. Charlotte, standing beside her, quickly moved to support her, and Agatha muttered, “I’m fine, Lottie,” under her breath.
Her expression was completely different from when she looked at Cain. For a brief moment, her face, which had been as cold as standing in the middle of an icy field, softened with a warm smile like spring sunlight before it quickly disappeared.
Even though the smile wasn’t directed at him, Cain felt something in his chest melt away at the fleeting expression Agatha gave him.
“Agatha. I came here… to apologize.”
Agatha, who had been about to leave, stopped.
“I came to apologize for the wrongs I have done to you, for the countless wounds I’ve caused you, for all of it.”
Agatha, showing only the side of her face, didn’t move. Only Charlotte, standing beside them, fidgeted, looking between the two of them nervously.
“I won’t ask for your forgiveness. I just want… to be able to confirm that you are safe, to be able to stay by your side and make sure you are not in danger…”
Very slowly, Agatha’s gaze met Cain’s face. Cain met her eyes with a trembling heart, but once again, he had to grit his teeth at the startlingly indifferent look on her face.
“I don’t know what Sir is saying. Why are you trying to stay by my side? We’re strangers now. And… even before that, I don’t think we ever had the kind of relationship where we could share sentimental words.”
“Agatha.”
“I told you not to call me that.”
Her face, cold as if wearing a glass mask, showed the slightest crack. It seemed that the way Cain constantly called her name finally angered her.
“You came here to apologize, but you’re still ignoring what I’m saying. Is this your idea of an apology, pushing for what you want and selfishly sharing your feelings without considering mine? If that’s what you call an apology, then I don’t accept it.”
“That’s not it, Aga…”
Cain almost called Agatha’s name again but quickly bit his lip in frustration.
“Madam.”
“Madam? I distinctly remember leaving the divorce agreement on your desk. Wasn’t that what you wanted?”
“…”
“The last memory I have of you was your disgust and discomfort even sharing the same space with me, much less breathing the same air.”
Cain had no response. Agatha had no idea of the pain he’d endured, the realization he’d come to about his feelings after the fact.
To her, he must seem like a madman, moving between extreme emotions and acting on impulse.
“You even said the sight of my face made you sick.”
The person who caused the wounds may not remember, but the one who was hurt remembers every moment. As Agatha spoke, Cain was faced with memories of other wrongs he hadn’t recalled even when reflecting on his past mistakes.
How many wrongs have I done to you, Agatha?
“Our contract is over. You and I are no longer bound by a fake name like ‘husband’ and ‘wife.'”
Has she always been so cold? Or had he made her this way?
The person who pushed her away with cruel words, who shut her out, was him. Agatha’s words, though far less harsh compared to what he had done, still cut Cain’s heart deeply.
But what could he do? It was all his fault. Agatha had done nothing wrong.
Throughout their conversation, Agatha never removed her hand from her stomach. Unless he asked, she seemed unwilling to speak of the child.
“Are you… pregnant?”
His throat tightened, and it was hard to speak a single word. After forcing his emotions down, he asked about the child. Agatha wrapped her arms around her belly.
“This is the child I’ve carried. It’s not something for you to claim.”
Was she worried he’d claim some right to the child? For a moment, her cold eyes flashed with anger.
“If you need an heir, take a new wife.”
“A new wife…?”
“There are still young ladies in Leden who admire you. They’ll flock to you the moment you show interest.”
“What do you mean by that? I have no intention of marrying anyone else.”
“How you feel is none of my concern. I have nothing more to say. Please leave when the sun rises.”
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