If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 274

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Blonde hair and green eyes. Who was she again? Agatha searched her memory.

“As always, he’s busy handling whatever duties he’s been assigned.”

“Is he still the acting commander of Leden?”

“Yes.”

It was amusing how the lady pretended not to know. Surely these noblewomen had investigated everything they could about her and Cain’s recent affairs.

They all knew that, for all his achievements in countless wars, Cain was still serving as an ‘acting’ commander—a meager post compared to what he deserved. Even after the promised year, he hadn’t been promoted.

Yet, here they were, asking as if unaware. Clearly, what they truly wanted was information only Agatha herself could provide. This question was nothing more than a way to break the ice and steer the conversation toward what they really wanted to know.

“Not the commander himself, just the acting commander? I had no idea the Marquis was still stuck with such a modest title.”

The Empress said, taking a sip of tea. Light danced off the gemstone on her finger—a pearl as large as a baby’s fist, glowing with an iridescent sheen. It was most likely the legendary jewel ‘Mermaid’s Tear’ which Stella had gifted to the Empress.

Agatha’s gaze sharpened for a moment upon recognizing the ring, but she quickly softened her expression.

That bribe, given to curry favor with the Empress, had in fact once belonged to the Kristin family. It was one of the treasures Stella had stolen—using the Kristin seal freely—while Agatha was kept locked away in the mansion as a child.

Agatha hadn’t expected to confront such undeniable proof of her past, so close and so publicly. Despite her best efforts to remain composed, her eyelids flickered involuntarily.

Had the Empress noticed her reaction? A gentle, almost benevolent smile appeared on the Empress’s lips.

“Don’t worry—I’ll put in a good word about the Marquis to His Majesty.”

It was already well known throughout Leden that Vlahova was bedridden, yet the Empress breezily promised to praise Cain to her husband. Agatha could not fathom her true intentions.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’m grateful for your kind consideration.”

“Oh, and this.”

Apparently pleased with Agatha’s obedient reply, the Empress fondly stroked the ring on her hand, as if remembering something. Instantly, all eyes in the room shifted to the Empress’s hand.

“I’ve been told that this originally belonged to Kristin.”

Agatha said nothing—she couldn’t possibly confirm or deny it. To claim ownership would be brazen, yet denying it would only make her look foolish, as if ignoring an open secret.

“The most beautiful and precious things should always be returned to their rightful owner.”

At the Empress’s gesture, the chief lady-in-waiting approached, carrying a jewel box. Agatha, not immediately understanding what was happening, simply watched as the Empress slipped the ring from her finger and placed it in the box.

“There. This is why I called you here.”

A look of shock crossed the Countess’s face—she clearly hadn’t expected the Empress to give away such a valuable gem. Judging by the similar reactions from the other noblewomen, this was certainly not something they’d been forewarned about.

Rising from her seat, Agatha knelt gracefully on the floor.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I am deeply moved by your generosity.”

It wasn’t the material value that moved her. What mattered most to Agatha was reclaiming something that should have always belonged in her father’s house.

“No need for such gratitude. I’m only returning what’s rightfully yours—I always intended to do so, and now simply seemed the proper time.”

“Your benevolence is boundless.”

By returning the gift she’d once received from Countess Calvino to its rightful owner, the Empress was sending a message—first, a signal of her desire for a closer relationship with Kristin, and second, a clear declaration of breaking ties with the Calvino family.

Accepting the jewel box directly from the Empress, Agatha slowly rose. Liana quickly moved to take it from her, and Agatha resumed her seat.

If the Empress had gone to these lengths, she surely had something in mind. As Agatha sat down, straightening her dress, she was acutely aware that unexpected and lavish gifts were often a prelude to an even bigger ask.

She waited quietly for the Empress’s next words, bracing herself for whatever would come.

“I suppose you’re wondering if I’m going to ask something in return now that I’ve given you this.”

The Empress fixed her with an intent gaze, her voice almost a whisper.

“That would be unthinkable, Your Majesty. I could never presume such a thing from the mistress of the Empire. If you wish anything of me—or of any of us—your word alone is command enough. There’s no need for an exchange.”

“No need for an exchange, you say. But what if I truly had given you the ring because I wanted something from you?”

“In that case, as your loyal subject, I would gladly obey Your Majesty’s command.”