If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 223

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Whenever Agatha felt the floor seemingly dip downward then rise up again, she would cover her mouth with her hand, trying to fall asleep.

After some time, when Liana urged her to eat something—even if only forcefully—Agatha lifted her incredibly heavy eyelids.

“This is porridge made from soaked oats mixed with ground beef. It’s cooked as softly as possible to aid digestion. It might be hard to swallow, but please try a little.”

“Just the smell makes my stomach churn…”

“Think of the baby in your womb and take at least one spoonful, Your Grace.”

Everyone in Kristin’s entourage was focused solely on Agatha, but despite their efforts, her condition wasn’t improving.

Returning to the estate as soon as possible was the best option. Watching Agatha struggle to lift the spoon, Liana thought hopefully she might at least get somewhere safe to rest if returning to the estate was impossible.

“I really can’t eat any more. Could you bring some tea?”

“Should I prepare some warmed milk as well?”

“No, just the tea leaves. I don’t think I can even take milk right now.”

“Understood, Miss. I’ll prepare it right away.”

Every subtle gesture Agatha made as she wiped her mouth with a napkin and leaned back was handled with great care.

She was painfully aware that the sea journey was wearing down her body far worse than expected. The child who had kicked so actively in Pahel hadn’t moved much for several days now.

“Baby.”

She gently caressed her belly. The child who always responded when called was quiet this time.

“Baby, are you alright?”

She called again, but there was no reaction.

Agatha suddenly recalled Cain’s startled expression when he first felt the baby’s movement—a look unlike any she had seen before.

“The baby’s moving inside.”

“The baby is….growing well.”

Agatha smiled softly, then quickly stiffened her lips as she realized she had smiled thinking of Cain.

She still hadn’t clearly decided how to deal with him.

He had a painful past, had been disappointed by her father, and taken out his frustration on her. That was how Agatha understood Cain’s strange behavior.

She didn’t know the details. He reportedly regretted his outbursts deeply after losing her, but by then Agatha had already locked away her heart with a heavy latch.

“Still, I guess I did rest a day.”

During seasickness, she couldn’t think about anything else. Seeing Cain’s face sneak into her thoughts meant she was feeling a bit better.

She continued stroking her belly. Just as she was exhausted, the child inside must be struggling too.

Baby, it’s okay now. She thought quietly, moving her hands gently.

She felt sorry for the knights outside who suffered alongside her. Her stubborn insistence on coming to Pahel seemed to have caused all this trouble.

Though it had been a necessary choice to find Charlotte, watching the group abruptly change course and detour weighed heavily on her.

If she were alone, she might have endured the hardship silently. But for the child’s sake, suppressing pain wasn’t a good idea.

That helplessness weighed heavily on Agatha’s chest.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Two days passed quickly. Tomorrow, a new dawn would see them leave again. Though they hadn’t unpacked much, there were still many things to prepare.

Watching Liana busily sorting clothes, Agatha quietly reached out to help. But Liana swiftly took the laundry away, saying, “Staying still is helping.” Embarrassed, Agatha withdrew her hand.

Here, she felt like a useless burden. A feeling she had forgotten while diligently training to inherit her title.

Long before, when she was bound to the Calvino family, she had carried far worse feelings in her entire being.

Agatha sighed slowly. She needed something to shake off the lingering unpleasant emotions she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She never wanted to feel that sickening helplessness again.

Getting up from her seat, she moved toward the window. Outside, it had already grown dim, and knights patrolled the flop house boundaries to protect her.

“I wonder if he’s eaten, if he’s taking proper rest…”

She murmured softly to herself, but Liana was too focused to hear.

Agatha continued to gaze outside for a long while—a new habit since arriving in Pahel. She let her complicated thoughts drift away with the calm scenery.