Chapter 48
At the ticklish sensation, Dylan unconsciously let a faint smile slip—then quickly composed his face and shook his head.
“You don’t need to apologize. However, there is one thing I absolutely want you to remember, my lady. Whenever you have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, you must never let down your guard and must always be cautious. I’m all the more worried because His Majesty seems quite taken with you.”
“Is it a problem if he likes me?”
At that guileless question, Dylan rubbed his brow, deep in thought.
After all, one could tell just by looking at how Agnes loved Noah.
She was the type of person who polished and cherished whatever she held dear like a piece of fine glasswork, caring for it so that not even the slightest flaw would appear.
But there were people in this world who, instead of cherishing what they liked, tested it and drove it into a corner.
Dylan knew very well how cruel Calia—both Emperor and sister—could be toward those she loved.
Rather than explaining all of that piece by piece, Dylan simply nodded and said,
“His Majesty cherishes all of his blood relatives. Not only his only child, Wilhelm, but also his younger sister, Serene—and… myself as well. I am one of the blood kin he values. If that weren’t the case, I would already be dead.”
The words sounded so strange to Agnes that she frowned and asked,
“But His Majesty… Your Grace… even knowing your circumstances, he keeps—”
Her voice was filled with confusion, the kind one felt when confronted with something utterly incomprehensible.
“There are such beings in this world,” Dylan said.
He leaned closer to Agnes and whispered in a low voice,
“So please be careful of His Majesty the Emperor. Whenever possible, I will accompany you when you have an audience with him.”
“…All right. I’ll be careful.”
Still flustered, Agnes nodded to show that she would heed Dylan’s advice.
In any case, once she left for the North, there would be few opportunities to meet the Emperor.
His interest in her would likely fade as well. She thought that as long as she remained especially vigilant during the wedding, everything would be fine.
Only after hearing Agnes’s firm response did Dylan straighten up, his face finally easing a little.
“And one last thing. Matters concerning Noah can’t be helped, but as for the wedding and the reception, how about entrusting more of that work to Gavellin?”
“Gavellin?”
When Agnes repeated the name, Dylan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked,
“Does Gavellin not follow your instructions well?”
“No, no! Not at all!”
To be honest, when Agnes had first arrived at the ducal residence, there had been a hint of that.
Gavellin had never been openly rude to her, but it was true that he had carried an air of, ‘Someone like her becoming the Duchess of Basteron?’
However, ever since the time Agnes had shielded Gavellin from the Emperor’s notice, he had never revealed any such negative thoughts again.
Whatever his true feelings might have been, outwardly he treated Agnes with utmost respect as the future mistress of the house.
“But Gavellin is already helping a lot. I don’t want to overwork him.”
Remembering what Dylan had said earlier—that she had no knack for taking care of herself—Agnes hurriedly added,
“I’ve been so busy with wedding preparations that he’s even taking on the duties the lady of the house should handle. Gavellin is probably one of the busiest people in the estate right now.”
“Even so, he’s not as busy as you are,” Dylan said firmly, rubbing his sharp jaw.
“My lady, Gavellin is a severe workaholic. The more work he has, the more he likes it. You can give him more.”
“What? B-but then all the more—”
“I’ve advised him many times, but it’s a bad habit that won’t change. At this rate, he might even start inventing work for himself. Before that happens, use him to the fullest one last time, and after you go to the North, you can fix him.”
At that, Agnes burst into laughter without realizing it.
“Then I’ll entrust him with just a bit more.”
“Very well.”
With that brief reply, Dylan stood first and extended his hand to Agnes.
By now, the sight of him offering his hand to escort her had become familiar. Smiling, Agnes placed her hand atop his large, solid one.
Dylan kissed the back of her hand and whispered in a calm voice,
“Remember that there are people who worry about you. Me—and Noah as well. I noticed earlier that the little one was very concerned about you.”
Agnes looked at Dylan with wide, surprised eyes.
To her, Noah was someone who absolutely required her protection and care. It had never crossed her mind that Noah might be worrying about her.
The thought that she had made such a small child worry tugged at her heart, yet at the same time warmth spread within her, and a smile bloomed naturally.
“Thank you for telling me. I’ll do my best so that you and Noah won’t worry… I mean, I’ll try not to overdo it.”
Agnes squeezed Dylan’s hand slightly.
She was deeply grateful that someone had noticed the child’s unease—something she herself had failed to see. It was a sense of stability she had never once felt while raising a child with Rickman.
Dylan had no obligation to do so, yet she could feel that he took responsibility for the mother and child and looked after them in his own thoughtful way.
The next day, following Dylan’s advice, Agnes went to see Gavellin and asked him to take on several tasks.
She broached the subject with difficulty, feeling as though she were dumping work on him, but Gavellin accepted every instruction without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing that, Agnes’s heart softened, and she ended up snatching back one of the documents she had just handed him.
Usually composed, Gavellin looked up at her with puzzled eyes.
“Why are you doing this?”
“If you’d at least complain a little, I could entrust things to you with an easier mind. But you act so unfazed that it scares me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It seems like you don’t even realize you’re overworking yourself.”
Agnes shook her head as if she couldn’t help it.
“Still, I’ll leave you with that much. And when we go to the North, let’s look for more efficient ways together. The Duchess and her steward will have a lot to discuss.”
She said it jokingly, her eyes curving into a smile. Gavellin stared at her, flustered.
From Gavellin’s point of view, even if Agnes disliked him, there was nothing he could do. Yet Agnes always treated him with a smile.
‘The Duchess and her steward will have a lot to discuss.’
With those words alone, Gavellin realized that the Agnes who had seemed purely innocent had actually thought quite far ahead about her relationship with him.
After Agnes left, Gavellin touched the back of his neck with an awkward expression. He felt childish for having been wary of Agnes on Dylan’s behalf.
That said, Gavellin was not brave enough to immediately call her back and apologize for the past.
Instead, he opened the documents Agnes had entrusted to him.
‘I’ll just work hard on what she’s given me.’
Once he finished all of this, there would be a chance to apologize to Agnes.
The busier one became, the faster time seemed to pass.
Agnes couldn’t even immediately answer what day it had been just yesterday.
The Emperor’s attendant, whom she had initially found uncomfortable, eventually became someone she didn’t mind at all—as long as she helped with the work, Agnes didn’t even care if she was being watched.
In fact, that same attendant, who had once observed her with an expressionless face, became so busy helping with wedding preparations that she barely had time to breathe.
Thus, after half a month passed, the wedding day finally arrived.
Agnes rose before dawn, bathed anew, and began preparing herself.
According to Sharon’s report, the banquet hall and the carriages for the wedding had all been prepared without issue.
Agnes was wearing a wedding dress with a beautifully revealed neckline and a design that wrapped around her shoulders.
The voluminous bell-line dress emphasized her slender waist, and the golden embroidery running from her shoulders to the hem made her look all the more noble.
The maids assisting her couldn’t stop admiring her.
“Just look at this embroidery. The color is beautiful, but I’ve never seen embroidery this intricate in my life.”
“It must have taken days just to make this one tiny part. It’s like a jewel.”
“A dress this splendid doesn’t suit just anyone. Miss, you’re truly beautiful today. His Grace will surely fall in love with you all over again.”
The small diamonds densely adorning the bodice down to the waist sparkled whenever they caught the light, illuminating Agnes’s fair face.
Finally, when she donned the translucent veil decorated with delicate embroidery and lace, along with a tiara adorned with crafted flowers, she became the most beautiful and mysterious bride in the world.
Standing before the beautiful and magnificent chapel within the imperial palace, Agnes lowered her gaze, holding her bouquet.
‘Whew….’
She took a deep breath, but beneath the veil her cheeks were still stiff with tension.
Imagining all the things that would change because of this wedding, Agnes waited for the doors to open.
