Chapter 252
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
Agatha returned to a place she had lived for four years, but left a year ago—swearing at the time never to come back. Yet here she was again.
Agatha stood just inside the bedroom door, taking a moment to look around. Nothing had really changed since the day she left the Marquisate.
The blankets, the carpet, the tapestry hanging over the window—all of it neatly arranged, almost exactly as it had been when she walked out for what she thought would be the last time.
“I never thought I’d find myself here again.”
“Sorry? Did you say something?”
“No, nothing. Anyway, shouldn’t we settle the baby down?”
“Yes, I already asked the butler to bring the cradle in here. The servants should be bringing it soon, Your Grace.”
“Good.”
“The young master is so quiet, I hardly even realize he’s in my arms. He’s such a calm baby.”
Liana gave a little shrug as she cuddled the sleeping child. Her movements were careful, as if she was afraid to disturb his peaceful slumber.
Watching her baby’s sleeping face, Agatha couldn’t help but smile warmly.
The gentle flush on his cheeks made him look all the more adorable, and the soft, even breaths he took as he slept made everything feel almost dreamlike. All the pain she’d gone through to bring this child into the world faded away whenever she looked at him.
“Aren’t you hungry, Agatha?”
Cain suddenly asked. He had come upstairs with her, but stood awkwardly outside the bedroom door, hesitant to enter. Perhaps he knew well that her return to the Marquisate wasn’t because she wanted to be with him.
“I need rest more than food right now.”
Just then, two of the marquisate’s servants entered with bowls of warm water. Charlotte quickly washed her hands and gently took the baby from Liana. Now freed, Liana helped Agatha out of her outer dress and passed it to another maid.
After placing the warm water, the servants returned with five more staff members in tow—presumably to assist Agatha from now on. There would be time for introductions later; for now, making sure the baby was settled came first.
While the servants wiped the baby’s hands, feet, and face and tidied up the room, Agatha turned to look at Cain, who was still standing just outside the doorway. Even though he had returned home, he looked like someone who felt he didn’t belong there.
As she watched him, Agatha suddenly remembered the day, three months earlier, when she’d given birth.
In the midst of agony, when she felt she might lose consciousness, Cain’s booming voice jolted her back, giving her the strength to push through and deliver the precious child safely.
Everything was a blur, but she recalled that in her daze, she’d found herself searching for Cain, the baby’s father. When she finally came to her senses, he was by her side, looking down at her with an anxious, worried expression.
[A fine young lord.]
Charlotte had said excitedly, and Agatha remembered how strange Cain’s face had looked at that moment—not like a father overjoyed at the birth of his child, but instead a mix of sadness, shock, and even confusion.
It wasn’t the kind of expression one would expect from a new father.
For a moment, she wondered if it was because this wasn’t a child he’d wanted or hoped for, but then Cain’s emotional voice reached her.
[Thank you, Agatha. I’m so relieved, so grateful…]
So, it wasn’t that he wasn’t happy about the birth. If anything, it seemed he was overwhelmed. Even in her exhaustion, Agatha felt comforted by that.
After all, he should be one of the happiest people at the birth of this new life. If she had seen any sign that he was unhappy about the baby’s arrival, she wasn’t sure she could have faced him again.
It seemed silly to think such things in the middle of such pain, but his reaction had affected her more than she realized.
“The bed is ready.”
One of the maids announced, coming back with fresh, warm water after cleaning the baby. There was another set of clean cloth and the baby’s cradle and she bowed before leaving.
“Oh, the young master is awake! And not even a single fuss.”
Charlotte said, turning around. The baby, who had been sleeping so soundly, was now wide-eyed, gazing up at his mother.
Apparently, he had woken during the move from Liana’s arms to the bed, but instead of crying, he simply smiled up at her.
“He looks just like you did as a child, Miss, especially when he smiles like that.”
No one could deny the baby also bore a striking resemblance to his father.
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