If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 272

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

On top of that, the matter of Princess Alexandra was still occasionally a topic of gossip, so from the Empress’s perspective, it was no surprise that she would not welcome a new Duchess Kristin like Agatha.

But why, then?

“The Empress herself summoned me—of course I have to go, don’t you think?”

Agatha, who usually favored plain and simple clothing, had gone out of her way to dress up as much as possible for this occasion. After all, it was the first time she had been invited to an imperial event since becoming the mistress of Kristin.

She was determined to make a fitting impression. The fact that she, too, had received an invitation meant there would be quite a large gathering. That was what Agatha thought. Perhaps even people from the Grand Duke’s side would be present.

“Yes, since Her Majesty personally sent an invitation… But I do worry about your health, Miss. After being invited to the palace, what if something happens again?”

Ever since they got into the carriage together, Liana had been fussing over Agatha’s hair, but now she let her hands drop limply with worry. Her voice was little more than a whisper, as if recalling the last time Agatha was suddenly summoned by the Grand Duchess, only to find herself caught up in an unexpected incident.

“It’s all right. Things are different now. No one can mess with the mistress of Kristin so easily. And besides, look at all the people I have around me for support.”

When Agatha showed Cain the invitation from the Empress, saying she would be attending the imperial prince’s birthday celebration, he nodded without protest. Still, perhaps remembering what had happened last time, he assigned two of his most trusted knights to accompany Agatha—Ethan and Lehman.

Ethan, who had been with Agatha during the previous incident with the Grand Duchess and felt guilty for failing in his duty then, initially tried to refuse. But at Cain’s suggestion—reminding him that past events should make him all the more vigilant—he ultimately accepted the role of protector.

Thus, as Agatha’s carriage headed for the palace, it was surrounded front and back by knights from both the Kristin and Vernat orders.

“Presenting Duke Kristin!”

While they were still chatting, the procession arrived at the palace. Naturally, not everyone could enter the palace itself.

Agatha stepped down from the carriage. Royal attendants, who had been waiting to escort Duke Kristin to the banquet hall, lined up to greet her.

“Thank you for making the long journey, Duke Kristin. I know you’re not in the best of health.”

“Oh, think nothing of it. When the Empress herself sends an invitation, it would be unthinkable not to attend.”

At the very front of the line, welcoming Agatha, was the chief lady-in-waiting of the Empress. Her dark hair was neatly pinned up, and she had a gentle smile. Discreetly, her eyes darted to Agatha’s hands and then to the space behind her, checking whether the young Duke had come along as well.

The invitation congratulated her on the birth of her child and, if possible, asked her to bring the young duke to the celebration.

But Agatha had chosen not to comply. Although more than a hundred days had passed since his birth—meaning it was now possible for him to go out—she had no desire to expose her child to what was essentially a battlefield disguised as a sophisticated social gathering.

If she could help it, she wanted her child to see and experience only the good things in life.

And as Liana had said, there was no telling what schemes might be lurking behind this invitation. There was nothing wrong with being cautious about her child. If anything, the only risk was that she was defying the Empress’s request by not bringing him, but that could easily be explained away by citing the child’s health.

“Congratulations on the birth of the young duke.”

“Thank you.”

“It seems you haven’t brought him with you today.”

“He’s still too young to endure such a long journey.”

“I understand.”

The chief lady-in-waiting looked as if she might say more, but simply bowed again with polite formality and began leading Agatha and her party onward to the banquet hall.

Long ago, when she was a child, Agatha had once attended an imperial party with her father. The memory had grown hazy with time, but now, being here again, the past and present seemed to blur together for her.

“The Empress is waiting for you.”

Instead of leading her to the banquet hall, the lady-in-waiting took Agatha towards the Empress’s private palace. She was to pay her respects before the festivities began.

When was the last time she had seen the Empress in person? Even as she tried to recall, Agatha’s feet dutifully followed the chief lady-in-waiting.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

It was Agatha’s first time in the Empress’s residence. As the daughter of one of the empire’s four great houses, the Kristin mansion where she’d lived before her father’s death was certainly splendid, but it was nothing compared to this. Perhaps such splendor followed the character of its owner.

Did the Empress have a taste for luxury? Surrounded by dazzling decorations, Agatha nonetheless carried herself with perfect composure, her expression calm and serene despite the flurry of thoughts in her mind.

She followed the chief lady-in-waiting inside. After passing through the guards’ inspection, the corridor she entered looked almost like a temple—everything was white and gold.

“Her Majesty is waiting for you.”

After walking for some time, the chief lady-in-waiting stopped and turned to face Agatha.