Chapter 79
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“The family likely moved here from the northern border area, Madam,” Ethan replied, taking over from the coachman who was guiding them.
“From the north?”
“Yes. The initial conflict with the pirates in the north was to protect the imperial citizens living in the border areas. The knights show up and temporarily improve things, but as soon as they leave, the pirates start raiding again. Lord Cain issued orders to relocate those people to safer areas.”
“But don’t the children look too thin?”
“Ah, those children… they’re probably from a gypsy family.”
“Gypsies?”
“Yes. You may have heard stories of groups who wander aimlessly, struggling day by day. This is my first time seeing them, though.”
“And why are these nomadic people working there?”
“Well, they might be serving a penalty for committing crimes.”
“Crimes? What crimes could such young children commit?”
“They move as a family. When one family member commits a crime, often the entire family is held accountable.”
As the carriage continued, Agatha kept her gaze fixed on the people disappearing into the distance through the carriage window.
“Don’t pay too much attention, Madam.”
“Why not?”
“They are not of a status worthy of your concern. Moreover, they are a kind who, if shown the slightest kindness, will betray your trust and show no gratitude.”
A hint of anger flashed in Ethan’s eyes as he spoke, and Agatha speculated that he must have had a personal encounter with them.
What kind of crime had they committed to involve even the children in labor? If they were serving military duties, they must have violated martial law—could they have harmed Cain and his knights?
“Especially those people, their crimes were bad. I heard they were caught trying to steal weapons from the knight’s armory.”
“Weapons?”
“There’s a woman who leads their group. They said that gypsy drugged the knights’ drinks and then attempted to steal gunpowder. Lord Cain intervened and was injured in the process. Imagine the severity of their crime: not only did they target the knights’ property, but they also harmed the commander.”
So he did get injured.
Remembering Cain’s uneven breathing the previous night as he held her, Agatha’s face also showed a trace of anger. Even though she had no way of knowing that his discomfort wasn’t due to his shoulder at all.
In reality, Cain had been hurt more than a month ago, and during the month it took her to reach Arta, his wounds had nearly healed—a fact Agatha had not fully realized.
Seizing the opportunity as Ethan mentioned Cain’s injury, Agatha asked all the questions she had been curious about. She wanted to know the extent of the wound, how serious it was, how long it would take to heal, and how much pain he was in.
Watching her bombard him with questions, Ethan looked as though he regretted mentioning the injury, but that didn’t matter to her. She only wanted to know about Cain’s condition.
Cain was not one to show weakness or share his true feelings easily. Asking him directly would likely yield nothing more than reassurances not to worry.
“According to the servant who cleans the wound daily, the injury is quite extensive and limits his movement. However, they also said that the pain isn’t as severe as one might expect from the size of the wound, and with proper medication and minimal movement, it should heal quite easily.”
That was enough for Agatha.
After getting her answers from Ethan, she returned to the tent and prepared various items for Cain, including the medicines and ointments she had brought from the capital. As someone frequently in battle, he would likely know the best remedies and treatments.
“I’ve brought some hot water, miss.”
“Place it on the table, please.”
“Yes.”
“Has Lord Cain arrived?”
“Yes, miss. I heard that his procession has just entered the camp.”
Agatha had asked the knights about Cain’s return time and had arranged for hot water to be prepared accordingly. She intended to assist when the attendant told her about cleaning the wound every night, unwrapping and disinfecting the wound. She also planned to check the wound with her own eyes at the same time.
After inspecting the medicines one by one, Agatha lit the scented candle she had brought. The scented candle has calming effects.
It wasn’t long before Cain entered the tent. Agatha, who was about to get up eagerly, settled back down upon noticing Ethan and Lehmann entering with him.
“Welcome, Sir. You must be tired.”
She greeted calmly, hands neatly folded on her lap. She tried not to appear overly eager, even though she had been eagerly awaiting for him.
She forced herself to look down, ignoring the heat rising to her ears.
“Have you been waiting?”
“…Yes.”
“You should rest. It’s late, and you must be tired.”
Cain’s voice softened as he glanced between the array of items on the table and Agatha’s face.
“What are all these?”
“The Madam was very concerned about the Commander’s injury. She gathered all the best medicines from the capital…”
“Sir Ethan.”
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