Chapter 16
Episode 16.
With rough movements, Enoch untied the letter bound to his ankle and read the soft handwriting.
Greetings, daily affairs, and a few questions.
A faint warmth seeped into his dry face.
"A pen."
"Here you are."
The aide, Ched, who always carried a quill and short stationery, quickly offered it to Enoch.
Using his sturdy gauntlet as a stand, he pressed down firmly so his handwriting wouldn't become rough, and attached the neatly folded letter to the homing pigeon's ankle.
The pigeon, having eaten plenty of water and snacks, flew overhead once and disappeared.
"What did Madam say?"
"She told me to come back quickly."
"Kya."
The Second Deputy Commander, Huber Karwen, who had involuntarily exclaimed, quickly shut his mouth. Enoch was staring intently.
"Ahem, so how will you handle the situation, my lord."
"……."
Enoch slowly shifted his gaze and looked down at his retainers again. His hand, encased in a cool gauntlet, swept across his chin once.
It would be cleaner to just change the heir this time.
"From now on, the new Baron Tatcher will be the second son. Dispose of him."
"Please spare me. Family head, Family head…!"
The knights dragged the eldest son away. Enoch threw the family seal to the second son, who had suddenly inherited the family.
"I hope I don't have to come back a second time, new Baron Tatcher."
"……I will keep that in mind. I will never disappoint you."
Families that had secretly agreed were excluded.
Enoch, who had replaced the heads of three collateral families that had directly intervened, as an example, finally set off on his journey home.
His embrace held the four letters he had received over the past ten days.
Four days later, by the time he arrived in the capital, the moon had long since risen.
Enoch, slowly riding his horse through the quiet main street after passing through the city gates, gently pulled back on the reins and stopped.
"What is it, my lord."
"Towards the First Residence."
Deputy Commander Huber Karwen, realizing it was about Agatha's residence at the Nobilis First Residence in the capital, quickly replied.
"It has been quiet since our family took over the guard."
"No. Is she awake?"
"Pardon?"
"I need to check."
Enoch sent back all but about five or six of the knights who were rushing to follow him, and immediately turned his horse's head towards the Nobilis First Residence in the capital.
It had been about two weeks since Enoch left.
The wedding was about a week away.
During that time, Agatha had decorated the wedding venue, ordered wedding attire, prepared for the reception, and packed for her trip to Palavi Island to carry out the Emperor's command.
In the meantime, she had kept an eye on any potential movements from relatives and continued small-scale social activities.
The Aratus family had actively cooperated, and thanks to exchanging opinions with Enoch via letters, there were no obstacles in the proceedings, but it was no exaggeration to say that each day felt like a new one.
She also oversaw the renovation of the marital home and negotiations with the Mainyucore Empire.
Even late at night, at the First Residence, which was like a city that never slept.
Agatha was half-asleep, holding the last letter from Enoch in one hand and a document detailing the wedding preparations in the other.
"Young lady. How about you go to bed and get some rest."
Allen, the Head Butler of the Nobilis family, carefully spoke to her as he placed a warm cup of tea down. Agatha pressed her eyelids firmly.
"What time is it?"
"It's almost 2 AM."
"I understand. I'll just finish this."
"……."
The butler cast a suspicious glance.
As always, Agatha took the letter, signed at the bottom of the document she had finished reading, and naturally reached for another document, commanding.
"Allen. It's noisy outside, go and check."
"……Understood."
Unfortunately, Agatha's excuse was true. The residence had been in a commotion for the first time in a while at this late hour.
Had an assassin arrived?
She wasn't worried, as she was secretly guarded by the Aratus Knights as well as the Imperial Knights assigned by the Emperor.
Thanks to this, Agatha was able to finish processing the remaining documents without any need to be discreet.
It was just as she signed the last document and reached for her slightly cooled teacup.
"You told me not to overwork myself."
"……!"
"Marquis Aratus has arrived."
The man's voice was heard softly, and Allen announced belatedly.
Agatha stared blankly at the man standing at the door, which had opened silently.
"……Enoch?"
At that moment, his attire felt a bit rougher than when they first met.
A dusty black robe, leather gloves reinforced with steel, clothes faintly smelling of blood, and sturdy military boots.
Due to the forced march, his already sharp jawline now looked like it could cut something.
Seeing that he had come straight here after his return, Agatha, flustered, rose from her seat.
"What brings you here so late at night? Is there a problem?"
"……."
The man, standing somewhat askew, soon sighed and politely knocked on the office door.
"I apologize for the intrusion at this late hour. May I come in."
"Of course. Allen, bring some warm tea."
"Tea is fine. I plan to leave soon."
"Ah, yes. Then please sit here."
Agatha guided him to the office sofa. Sitting opposite each other, he simply gazed at her for a while without speaking.
"Um, did the matter you went for go well?"
"Yes. I wrapped things up cleanly, so there won't be any disturbances for a while even if I'm away for a long time."
"That's a relief."
By the way, why had Enoch visited the residence tonight?
Of course, she was happy, but she was still worried if something had happened.
Enoch, who had glanced at the desk behind the sofa for a while, opened his mouth.
"You seem to have gotten paler since I last saw you. Were you very busy?"
"Is it that noticeable?"
Agatha laughed awkwardly and stroked her cheek.
She had hoped to look pretty after seeing him for the first time in a while, but…
She slept at dawn every day, so her face couldn't possibly look good.
"It's not just that I'm busy, but I dislike letting things pile up. If I don't check them on the day, sometimes problems arise later that I have to fix…."
Having to manage this large family all by herself, there was always a lot of work.
If she didn't handle it little by little, she would suffer when special events like this occurred.
Of course, things rarely went as planned due to relatives, but…
It was an embarrassing topic to bring up with someone who had just returned from a forced march, visiting multiple families in just two weeks.
"You must be tired, so please go and rest. I'll escort you to the entrance-"
"Agatha."
"Yes?"
This was the second time he had cut her off.
"If it's alright, may I know your schedule for tomorrow?"
"……? Of course. It's possible."
Was he curious about how things had progressed?
Letters alone were insufficient, so Agatha explained her schedule for tomorrow, incorporating aspects of the work direction.
Enoch listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
"I see. It's very late, so I'll escort you to your room."
"No. I-"
"It's the middle of the night. It seems too late to say goodbye in the hall."
That was true, it was.
As she placed her hand on the arm he offered, Agatha couldn't shake off the feeling of being led.
In the end, Agatha, the mistress of the house, was escorted to her door by the visitor. She exchanged goodbyes with Enoch at the entrance.
He did not leave until Agatha had gone inside.
Allen, the Head Butler of the Nobilis family, who was watching him with a pleased expression, bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for your help, Marquis."
"I would have done it even if you hadn't asked."
He had said he had been busy ever since he collapsed and got back up. He must have stayed up many nights without showing it.
"I see something in her schedule for tomorrow that I can handle."
"Shall I organize it and send it over?"
"I will come back early in the morning. Do not wake Agatha. Submit all documents requiring approval to me."
"Understood."
Receiving the respectful farewells of the servants, Enoch mounted his horse again.
Today, he finally seemed to understand why Agatha was overworking herself.
'She has no one to rely on around her.'
She must have handled everything herself until now.
Because she had to do it herself.
Furthermore, he understood the identity of the subtle sense of kinship he had felt towards Agatha until now.
When he lost both his parents in an instant and was thrown onto the battlefield, wasn't he the same?
And now, unlike him, who had gained strength and escaped that mire, she had a clear face, unaware of what the problem even was.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
Leading a group of knights, Enoch tightened his grip on the reins as he turned.
If he hadn't known, he wouldn't have cared, but now that he knew, he had no intention of leaving her be.
Agatha was now his wife.
And he was not such a foolish man as to repeat a mistake he had already made once.
