Chapter 175
Eshar let out a small sigh.
“Just as expected.”
The four fell into silence for a moment.
Lynette stepped forward and knocked on the door again, but no response came from inside.
It seemed she was determined to ignore them completely.
‘If we had plenty of time, we could’ve approached slowly…’
Unfortunately, they didn’t have that luxury.
She asked Eshar in a low voice.
“What is the lady’s name?”
“Agnis.”
“Agnis, can we talk for a moment?”
Even to this earnest request, the woman gave no answer.
“This is a situation where we need her cooperation. How troublesome.”
Euphen frowned slightly and swept his hair back.
If this was a matter that could be resolved by forcing their way in, they could use force as much as needed, but doing that would solve nothing. It would only earn them more of Agnis’s resentment.
The four exchanged glances. Then Eshar, seeming to think of something, knocked on the door again.
“Agnis, don’t you want revenge on the Count’s family?”
“Get lost.”
It really was such a fitting response for her.
‘Revenge.‘
Lynette suppressed her laugh.
It seemed Agnis didn’t desire revenge.
Perhaps she simply didn’t want to be involved.
“You are the only one who can manage the Count’s family.”
Euphen spoke politely.
“That place deserves to rot.”
A vexed reply came back.
They had expected her not to be particularly cooperative, but this was far worse than anticipated.
‘She seems completely sick of it. Bringing up her nephew won’t help either.’
It was unlikely that any affection would suddenly appear for a child she’d never even properly faced before, even if told he was in danger.
Lynette gently stroked Edwin’s head as he rested in Sillian’s arms.
It seemed that resting for a couple of hours at the inn had helped, as he looked comfortable. He’s still deep in sleep, though.
How should they speak to make her listen?
Eshar was already trying another approach. This time, she offered financial support.
Of course, it was rejected with sharp words.
“Agnis.”
Lynette stood right up against the door. Even though there was no answer, she calmly continued speaking, believing Agnis was listening.
“I understand that the people who were supposed to be your family hurt you, Agnis.”
“…”
“I won’t say I know how you feel.”
She couldn’t offer empty words claiming to understand everything. She had never been a Count’s daughter, nor had family hurt her in that way.
For Lynette, family were people who, at any moment, were prepared to sell each other out for a few loaves of bread.
“Telling you not to hate Edwin because he’s innocent probably just sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”
“You know well.”
A sarcastic reply came back.
The voice was close, close enough to know that Agnis was standing right in front of the door.
“But the Count’s estate is something your parents cherished, isn’t it? Are you going to let some random person ruin it like this?”
“…It deserves to be ruined.”
“What about the people of the territory?”
Lynette said calmly. No answer came back.
“Even if you didn’t cherish the people you called family, you cherish the people of the territory, don’t you?”
It was nothing more than an assumption.
She could have left, but Agnis had continued to live here. If she had gone far away, she wouldn’t have had to watch the Count’s family crumble, yet she had stayed until the end.
Moreover, hadn’t she recognized Edwin immediately, even though it must have been a long time since she last saw him? She might resent and hate him, but she had undoubtedly kept watching from afar.
“If that man completely takes hold of the Count’s title, you know better than anyone what will happen, don’t you?”
Now, no sound could be heard at all. When Lynette glanced back, she saw Euphen wearing a slightly surprised expression, as if he hadn’t expected her to say something like that.
‘It was just a guess, to some extent.’
She simply smiled faintly. She didn’t truly know whether the loan shark who became the Count had ruled the territory well or poorly. She hadn’t stayed long enough to know such details, nor had she investigated this place as thoroughly as Euphen and Eshar.
But isn’t it said that from one thing you can infer ten? Based on the method he used to seize the Count’s position, his subsequent behavior, and seeing his subordinates roughly pushing and pulling people while searching for her and Sillian in broad daylight, she could guess that the current Count wasn’t a very good lord.
She didn’t add things like, ‘The people of the territory will suffer if things continue like this’, or ‘You can help them, Agnis’. Instead, she took a step back from the door.
‘If this doesn’t work, what should we do?’
She wasn’t confident this talk would get through.
With a hint of anxiety, she turned to look back. Sillian took a step closer, giving a slight nod.
“That was the best possible thing to say.”
“Thank you.”
She caught sight of Euphen, who had been watching the two of them, biting his lip slightly and turning his head away.
Lynette subconsciously clasped her hands tightly together.
At that moment, the firmly closed door slowly opened. Agnis, her face stiff, looked at the four of them in turn.
“Just who are you people?”
Her voice, now completely different from the one that had been telling them to get lost or shouting in informal speech that she didn’t want to listen, felt awkward to hear.
“People who are being pursued by the current Count.”
Euphen stepped forward and answered. It was a heavily condensed statement, but it was the truth nonetheless.
As if trying to infer what was contained within those words, the woman frowned slightly, hesitated, and then stepped aside.
“Come in for now.”
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