If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 196

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Why is he saying this now? Agatha bit her inner lip.

Cain’s hands continued to move, as if unaware of Agatha’s reaction.

Having used the story of his younger sister to justify past mistakes, Cain remained silent for a long time, completely absorbed in massaging Agatha’s legs.

“How do you feel? Is it much better now?”

It wasn’t an exaggeration when Cain mentioned his knowledge of muscle shapes and their usage from physical work.

Agatha tested her legs, which felt much lighter. Charlotte’s hands, which had been massaging her legs every night, were helpful, but Cain’s touch seemed to have made a greater difference.

“…Yes.”

“I’m glad. I’m happy to be of some help to you.”

What is this man really thinking? Agatha lifted her gaze from her feet and studied Cain’s face. His expression was hard to read, but at first glance, it appeared to be that of a loving husband carefully massaging his wife’s legs. She nearly laughed, but caught herself.

She decided it was none of her business, even if there was some reason behind his strange mood. No excuse would justify the pain she had suffered, after all.

Still, their time together continued for a while longer.

As Cain’s hands continued their work, Agatha’s eyelids grew heavier. She didn’t want to fall asleep while leaning into his touch, so she tried to fight it, giving her eyes a few more blinks, but it was no use.

Wasn’t it said that the heaviest thing in the world is eyelids? Eventually, she rested her head on the bedpost, gradually dozing off.

Noticing her state, Cain carefully moved to lay her down on the bed.

This wasn’t the first time he had touched her while she slept, but he was extra careful this time. As he pulled a pillow under her head, memories of the past resurfaced, and a pang of guilt struck his chest.

Feeling guilty even for feeling guilty was shameful. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel relieved to be near her in this way.

Once Agatha was settled, Cain let out a short sigh of relief and sat down on a chair beside the bed.

He covered her slightly exposed legs with the blanket and gently placed his hand back on her leg. His touch was much softer than before.

Her legs were still delicate, but due to the strain from the day, they were swollen. It made him feel sorry for her.

From what Charlotte had told him, a woman carrying a child doesn’t have a normal body. Especially someone like Agatha, who had always been physically frail, carrying life inside her was close to a miracle.

Hearing that her legs were swelling from the weight of the life she was carrying, Cain had no hesitation in fetching the water and going straight to her room to help.

There was the added hope of having some time alone to talk with her, but more than that, he truly wanted to help her, even if only in a small way.

As he sat awkwardly and then shifted to a more comfortable position, Cain pressed his fingers gently against Agatha’s feet, hoping her legs wouldn’t hurt any more when she woke up.

She seemed to fall into a deep sleep quickly. After taking a quick glance at her face, Cain lowered his gaze again. He didn’t think it was his place to be watching her while she slept.

“…When I was very young, Agatha.”

Cain began softly, though he knew she wouldn’t hear him, as she had already fallen asleep.

“My mother used to gently massage my legs like this. The ladies-in-waiting would try to take over, telling her that they could do it instead, but my mother’s subtle stubbornness always won out. I still remember her loving face as she smiled and massaged my legs, leaving behind the ladies-in-waiting who couldn’t do a thing about it. That image of her is still vivid in my memory.”

His voice was slightly wet as he recalled the past, but he quickly composed himself, pretending it didn’t affect him. He continued.

“When my father would scold me, my mother would always side with me. She often said that love could change someone more than anger ever could.”

Agatha’s eyes, which had been tightly shut, remained closed.

“I lost my mother… just like that. Not only her, but my father, the knights, and the servants who served me like family, the one I saw and talked to every day—they all disappeared in the flames.”

There was no response from her, only the soft whisper of Cain’s words and the occasional chirp of insects from outside the window.

“It was an agonizing time. There were countless moments when I wished I could have died with them, but I couldn’t, not without finding my mother and sister…”

“…”

“The one who promised me he would help me find them was your father, Duke Kristin. I believed in that promise, and I swore I would give up everything—my name, my status—to start a new life and find them. But all the time I spent searching for them came to nothing.”

“…”

“I thought your father had deceived me at that time. I had completely lost my reason. So, I took out all my anger on you, even though your father was already gone. Yes, it was pure venting.”

Agatha’s chest rose and fell rhythmically.