Chapter 226
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
Cold sweat formed on her forehead. It was hard to tell if it was from the tension or exhaustion—maybe both.
This was the most critical moment she had faced since leaving the capital. Self-reproach flooded her heart again, wondering if she should never have decided to head south.
But she forced her mind blank. There was no time for regret now. First, she had to stay hidden and endure so that the knights’ efforts wouldn’t be in vain.
Thud.
Liana, having safely descended, closed the door behind them. Dust rained down from the ceiling, making it hard to open her eyes properly. The cellar hadn’t been used in a long time.
“How long do we have to stay here?”
“Not more than a few hours. At least until dawn…”
Liana tightly held Agatha’s hand. Seeing her pale hand, paler even than Agatha’s own, Liana’s concern was touching. Agatha found a quiet corner, curling up.
The musty smell, the darkness with no light, the dampness… Agatha knew such places well. When she displeased her Aunt Stella, she was often confined to a similar cellar for days.
The memory made her choke momentarily, but Liana’s gentle pat helped her steady her breath.
They hid there for a long while. An hour? Two? Agatha lost track of time, listening intently to the sounds outside as blood slowly drained from her limbs.
It was suffocating. Stifling. Terrifying…
The time when she lost her parents and was alone. The painful days she endured by herself. The desperate struggles to escape Stella’s grasp. The difficult memories she had buried deep within her mind resurfaced one by one.
[Oh dear. Seems the Lady intends to refuse my proposal again.]
But oddly enough, at the end of these painful memories, Cain’s voice echoed in her mind.
[If that’s the case, will you accept my proposal?]
[I was asking if you would marry me if I said I loved you.]
Cain, who had appeared in her most desperate moments to offer a hand of salvation.
[I think of the Duke when I look at you, and I can’t stand it.]
Cain, who pushed her back into the mud just as she was finally finding happiness in her daily life.
“Ah, Miss.”
Footsteps began pounding from above, breaking the silence. The two women, who had briefly relaxed their guard, clung tightly to each other, nerves on edge.
The footsteps stopped right above where they were sitting.
Thump, thump, thump.
Agatha’s heart pounded wildly. Who was it? Karon? Rubens? Lottie? Or worse, the bandits…?
Click, creak.
Someone who clearly knew about the secret basement had come here. They didn’t hesitate to open the door on the floor.
Creak.
The door opened. Dust fell again from the ceiling, and Agatha raised trembling eyes to look toward the door.
Who was it? Who…?
“Agatha.”
A familiar voice.
“You were here, Agatha.”
It was Cain.
“How did you get here?”
Agatha didn’t finish her question. Cain immediately raised a finger to his lips, telling her to keep silent. She understood instantly and stood up supported by Liana.
Having sat curled up for so long, she felt dizzy when she stood. As she began to fall sideways, Cain rushed to catch her.
“Are you alright?”
Cain’s lips moved silently as he spoke.
Agatha looked from his hand to his face repeatedly. Was it just a fearful hallucination? But the warmth she felt against her skin was real.
It wasn’t an illusion. The person standing guard beside her was Cain. How had he come here, and at this moment? A dozen questions flooded her mind, but now was not the time to ask.
Agatha bowed slightly as Cain instructed, hiding her face, and moved forward carefully. She climbed the stairs back up, peeking out slowly to check the changed atmosphere outside.
Smoke still filled the hallway, but the mood was very different from before—giving her some relief. Those moving through the corridor were no longer the bandits but well-armed knights.
Somehow, Cain had timed his arrival perfectly, leading the knights here.
“Careful. Watch your step. Can you walk? If you’re too weak, lean on me…”
Only after they were fully outside did Cain speak to Agatha. He seemed deeply worried, his face was full of concern for his wife.
“I’m fine. Just a little startled. Not so much that I can’t walk.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“If anyone’s hurt, it’s the knights. Thanks to their protection, I’m unharmed.”
There was a trace of guilt in her voice at the end.
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