Chapter 21
After Ergon left, Agnes entered the main mansion with Mas.
The grand hall, made of natural marble, greeted her at once.
There was a time when she had considered this place the safest in the world—back when her father was the head of the household.
But now, the Earl’s residence had become a battlefield where Agnes must continue to fight.
Since her brother Enoch was alive, there would be no need to completely destroy the House of Winchester. Enoch had to become the next head of the family.
Nevertheless, she could not forgive her uncle and his family. By any means necessary, she would drive them out of this estate.
After gazing quietly at the hall for a moment, Agnes slowly climbed the stairs on the opposite side. Mas followed a few steps behind her.
After a while, Agnes spoke softly.
“How is my brother doing?”
“He is recovering in a safe place.”
“A safe place?”
Agnes lifted her tone and turned her shoulder. Mas answered firmly from two steps below.
“Don’t worry. My older sister is taking good care of Enoch.”
“Your sister?”
“She’s my half-sister, but she means as much to me as my own life. She saved me when I was near death.”
Mas’s eyes grew warm as he thought of her. Agnes felt a strange sense of kinship with him.
“My brother is like my own life to me as well.”
That was why she had tried to kill herself several times after Enoch went missing. She had been so despairing, as if all light in the world had vanished forever.
But now that brother of hers was alive. Mas was the only one who knew where Enoch was.
“When can I see my brother?”
“It may be difficult right away. I have brought a letter from Enoch.”
Mas took a folded piece of paper from the pocket of his gray knight’s uniform.
Agnes unfolded the letter with a fluttering heart and read it. The crooked handwriting pained her. Even though he was recovering, it seemed he still had difficulty holding a pen.
[Agnes, are you doing well? Your brother is fine. I will definitely see you again once I am healthy.
P.S. Hold on tenaciously. If you die, my life will have no meaning either.]
“Sniff…!”
Agnes burst into tears. Even through the letter, she could feel Enoch’s warm nature.
Enoch had never found Agnes frustrating nor looked at her strangely for shutting herself in her room, clenching her fists. He had always treated her kindly—just like their father.
As Agnes wiped her wet eyes, Mas spoke gently.
“If you wish to send a reply, write it anytime and give it to me. I will deliver it.”
“Thank you.”
Agnes spoke sincerely. Absentmindedly, she extended her gloved hand to offer a handshake. Instead, he knelt on one knee and kissed the back of her hand.
It was the first time she had received a kiss from a knight, and Agnes flinched.
“It is a sign of loyalty.”
Mas explained the meaning of his action. Agnes could only return an awkward smile.
After returning to the mansion, Ergon replayed the scene he had witnessed at the Earl’s residence.
Even though notice had been given in advance, the Earl and his wife had never come out to greet Agnes. And she was, after all, the Duke’s fiancée.
Even the gatekeepers had not been polite to her.
Ergon recalled his time with Victoria. He had often visited the Earl’s residence for their dates, but he had never seen Agnes, nor had he ever heard Victoria or her family mention Agnes’s existence. Moreover, it seemed Agnes had never once danced at a ball.
He had long suspected how Agnes was treated in that house, but seeing it firsthand left a bitter taste in his mouth. Just then, a forgotten fact suddenly occurred to him.
There was one person—exactly one person—who had come out to greet her. That knight named Mas.
In Ergon’s long experience observing the behavior of playboys, Mas was a born womanizer.
He seemed to instinctively know how to lower a woman’s defenses. Though not strikingly handsome, he had a charming eye-smile, and above all, once he set his sights on a target, he never looked away.
Ergon recalled the way Mas had looked at Agnes and clicked his tongue lowly. It was like the gaze of a beast eyeing its prey. That was why he had impulsively said “my little bird” to Agnes in front of Mas. Honestly, perhaps he had wanted to emphasize that Mas was no match for her. She was the ability user he had chosen.
“Look deeper into that Mas fellow you mentioned before. His family background, his origins, everything.”
At Ergon’s somewhat belated command, Ian’s eyes went wide.
“Why? Are you still angry that you ended up looking like a fool because of him?”
Ergon shook his head.
It wasn’t that simple. What bothered him more than Mas being a womanizer was the fact that Agnes had declared him to be on her side. Being on her side didn’t mean being on Ergon’s side—the one with whom she had a contract. Quite the opposite, perhaps. So if that Mas ever became an obstacle or ruined his plans, it would be troublesome. He was merely preparing for that day in advance, so he could dispose of him immediately.
“Understood. I’ll look into it. By the way, I saw it last time too—Lady Agnes is a really good actress. ‘The only one I love is His Grace the Duke! My eyes see no one but him!’ she said. Or… could it be that it wasn’t acting? That she’s genuinely fallen for you?”
Ian, mimicking Agnes’s tone, looked at Ergon with bright, clear eyes.
“…”
Instead of answering, Ergon gave a bitter smile. He recalled what Agnes had said earlier.
“Well, those young ladies probably truly liked His Grace the Duke.”
That meant she did not truly like him.
Ergon looked at Ian, who had been almost fooled by Agnes’s acting, and shook his head.
And to think he had entrusted a man as dense as this with matters of love and womanizing.
“Tsk, tsk.”
As Ergon clicked his tongue, Ian’s eyes lit up as if he had just remembered something.
“Ah! There is news from the Imperial Palace.”
Ian, a bookworm, often visited the Imperial Library and brought back information that might be useful to Ergon.
“I heard that Her Majesty the Empress recently thought she was pregnant, but when she found out she wasn’t, she was deeply distressed.”
“Again?”
“Yes. This is the fourth time just this year.”
Empress Melody had been suffering from infertility for over eight years. Perhaps due to the pressure of needing to bear an heir, she openly disliked and was wary of Ergon, the Emperor’s younger brother by five years. Though she never showed it in front of the Emperor, she invariably revealed her hostility when alone with Ergon.
Well, whether she was merely being wary or actively trying to sow discord between the brothers remained to be seen.
“Oh, and the Hunter has returned.”
A welcome piece of news reached Ergon’s ears, pulling him from his thoughts.
“Hunter?”
For once, Ergon burst into loud laughter. And for good reason—he had never seen a knight quite like Hunter.
“That love-struck fool who applied for three years of paternity leave has finally returned.”
Agnes’s uncle and his family all returned home only in the evening. Since they couldn’t very well refuse to show their faces if the Duke visited while they were home, they had all deliberately vacated the estate at that time.
Unfazed, Agnes had rested in the annex. When they returned, she moved back to the main building.
Though shabby and lacking sunlight, the annex still felt comfortable to her. Moreover, it held memories of her brother, making it the perfect place to rest one last time before entering the lion’s den.
Entering the main building, Agnes’s heels clicked crisply as she walked. Her uncle’s family was eating in the dining room.
Even when Agnes entered the dining room, they didn’t spare her a glance. So Agnes drew their attention herself.
“I am moving my residence to the main building.”
“What?”
Four heads turned toward her at once. All their eyes were sharp and hostile.
“I am to be wed to His Grace Duke Ergon. I am to become the Duchess. I can no longer live in a shabby annex.”
Agnes declared firmly.
The reason for moving to the main building was clear. To eliminate her uncle’s family, she needed to uncover their weaknesses and secrets. Since her ability only activated upon touching her target, she needed to be as close to them as possible.
Of course, she didn’t expect her request to be readily accepted. Agnes deliberately raised the corners of her mouth and added:
“I heard the family is in debt. If you want to repay it, you’ll have to grant my request.
