Chapter 193
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Well, the Marquis might feel at ease, but do you think our Duke would feel comfortable with the Marquis trailing after her like this?”
“She wouldn’t like it.”
Look at that. You knew it but you keep doing this? Rubens raised an eyebrow.
“However, the world is still far too dangerous for her.”
“That’s why our knights came here to protect the Duke, all the way to this remote place, far from the dangers of the capital.”
“Do you really believe this place is safe?”
No matter which direction he tried to maneuver, Rubens remained unmoving. Cain sighed softly and finally faced him. It seemed he had to confess the reason he was lingering around her despite knowing Agatha would dislike it.
“What do you mean? Are you suggesting that Pahel is dangerous?”
“Yes. As long as Pahel is under the ownership of Count Schuck.”
“What… does that mean?”
“Do you know who Count Schuck is connected to in the capital? Grand Duke Norfolk.”
“The Grand Duke and the Count? How…?”
“There have been some secret dealings between them. And not just any dealings, but the kind that are forbidden by the Empire’s law.”
It was clear that Rubens hadn’t known about this, and a look of surprise flashed across his face then quickly disappeared.
“…But what does that have to do with what the Marquis is doing right now? I don’t quite understand. Even if the Count and the Grand Duke had such dealings, it doesn’t harm our Duke, does it? Besides, the previous Duke wasn’t on bad terms with Count Schuck, was he?”
Rubens had heard of Count Schuck’s character and his dubious reputation. However, the previous Duke had maintained a working relationship with him, likely due to the Count’s considerable influence. Rubens frowned, trying to piece it together.
“And there’s one more thing. The whereabouts of John Calvino, who went to serve forced labor in the south, are unknown.”
“What did you say?”
“He’s been smuggled out, disguised as dead. Of course, the one who orchestrated this was John Calvino’s mother, Stella Calvino, but someone must have helped her. Whether for payment or a favor, someone with enough influence in the south helped her. The question is: who is the noble in the south with enough power to secretly smuggle a criminal out, defying a direct order from His Majesty?”
“Someone with that much influence in the south…?”
There was nothing more to say. Only one name came to mind for Rubens.
“You may consider it all speculation, but if there is even the slightest possibility that Agatha could be in danger, I will put my life on the line to protect her from whatever it may be.”
Cain quickly made his excuse for his strange behavior and pushed Rubens aside, hurrying off. His eyes frantically searched for Agatha, who had likely already disappeared into the distance.
“Did you see where she went?”
“She disappeared after turning down that alley.”
Lehman quickly followed Cain. Both of them walked briskly as they passed the merchants in the alley. The merchants, who had been casually watching the area, flinched and stepped back as the two sturdy knights with grim expressions passed by.
Before, it had been the Count’s mercenaries knocking over stalls and wreaking havoc. Now, it seemed like more knights were coming to stir up trouble again.
What could these kinds of people be doing in such a small town? One of the fishmongers nearby sighed deeply as he wiped his brow.
Cain began to walk faster, following the path Agatha would have taken. His long legs propelled him quickly, urging the knights behind him to pick up the pace.
“Agatha.”
When they turned the corner, they came across a bustling crowd. It looked like a plaza, and people were dancing in celebration, as if some festival were going on.
“Agatha, Agatha?”
Cain thought he would be able to find her easily, but as he searched the crowd, the small woman he was looking for was nowhere to be seen. Using his height to his advantage, he scanned the area quickly but couldn’t spot Agatha’s bright blonde hair.
“Agatha…”
Just as he was about to turn in the opposite direction, something caught his eye. A brief glimpse, but the impression was strong enough to immediately etch itself into his mind.
A middle-aged woman with long brown braids and a weary expression resembled someone from his memory—his mother.
“…Mother?”
Cain muttered under his breath so quietly that Lehman couldn’t hear. He immediately changed direction, pushing through the crowd to follow the woman he had just seen.
“Commander, where are you going?”
Lehman’s voice grew louder as Cain moved in the opposite direction, his eyes fixed on the figure he had just spotted.
“Commander!”
She had already vanished. It had been a woman with brown hair.
Cain pressed forward, shoving past more people with his arms as he made his way through the increasingly tight crowd.
It was impossible that his mother, who had supposedly died years ago under Count Schuck’s torment, could be here.
Yet Cain couldn’t shake the lingering image of the woman he had briefly glimpsed—she had looked so much like his mother.
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