“It happened seven years ago, so I don’t know any more details.”
The fingers holding the paper turned white. Agatha lowered her eyes and tried to read the next sentence, but it did not come into her eyes easily.
“She returned first before the war ended and married Viscount Portoni through an introduction from the Aratus family. And I heard he passed away three years ago.”
“Have they been in touch with each other?”
“That’s not true. They haven’t exchanged letters or greetings with each other until recently.”
“So today was their first reunion?”
"That's right."
“Well, I guess it would be closer to the truth that I haven’t figured it out yet.”
Agatha closed the report, muttering to herself.
She doesn't know why Esther became Viscountess Portoni and not Marchioness Aratus.
Now it felt like everything was finally making sense.
'It was truly a political marriage.'
There was someone else Enoch had in mind.
‘I didn’t even know that and I was like an idiot...’
The research done before marriage was focused on the present, so there was no way she would have known about his lover from 7 years ago.
What would have been different if she had known then?
“Thank you for your hard work, Ethel. You should just go out.”
“Shall we dig deeper? Contacting Aratus’ relatives might reveal more.”
Agatha, who had been hesitating, shook her head. The condition he had set for their marriage was that they not associate with Aratus’ relatives.
She thought maybe this was also a condition that had been anticipated and walked into the current situation.
At that time, Agatha, remembering the relationship between Enoch and Aratus, shook her head with difficulty.
Wasn't it because of pressure from his relatives that he went to war?
Indeed, having watched Isabelle re-enter society and squabble over the position of Marchioness, Agatha was convinced that Aratus's relatives were on a par with her own.
It could be the case, but she wants to believe that's not the case.
“I’ll think about it later. Thanks for thinking about it, Ethel.”
Ethel, who had been staring at Agatha with pity, bowed and left the office.
As soon as her aide left, Agatha sank deep into the sofa. The maids who were with her approached her with worried faces.
"Lady."
"I want to be alone."
The maids who exchanged glances with each other came out of the office.
Bam, the door is closed.
The fingers holding the paper turned white. Agatha lowered her eyes and tried to read the next sentence, but it did not come into her eyes easily.
“She returned first before the war ended and married Viscount Portoni through an introduction from the Aratus family. And I heard he passed away three years ago.”
“Have they been in touch with each other?”
“That’s not true. They haven’t exchanged letters or greetings with each other until recently.”
“So today was their first reunion?”
"That's right."
“Well, I guess it would be closer to the truth that I haven’t figured it out yet.”
Agatha closed the report, muttering to herself.
She doesn't know why Esther became Viscountess Portoni and not Marchioness Aratus.
Now it felt like everything was finally making sense.
'It was truly a political marriage.'
There was someone else Enoch had in mind.
‘I didn’t even know that and I was like an idiot...’
The research done before marriage was focused on the present, so there was no way she would have known about his lover from 7 years ago.
What would have been different if she had known then?
“Thank you for your hard work, Ethel. You should just go out.”
“Shall we dig deeper? Contacting Aratus’ relatives might reveal more.”
Agatha, who had been hesitating, shook her head. The condition he had set for their marriage was that they not associate with Aratus’ relatives.
She thought maybe this was also a condition that had been anticipated and walked into the current situation.
At that time, Agatha, remembering the relationship between Enoch and Aratus, shook her head with difficulty.
Wasn't it because of pressure from his relatives that he went to war?
Indeed, having watched Isabelle re-enter society and squabble over the position of Marchioness, Agatha was convinced that Aratus's relatives were on a par with her own.
It could be the case, but she wants to believe that's not the case.
“I’ll think about it later. Thanks for thinking about it, Ethel.”
Ethel, who had been staring at Agatha with pity, bowed and left the office.
As soon as her aide left, Agatha sank deep into the sofa. The maids who were with her approached her with worried faces.
"Lady."
"I want to be alone."
The maids who exchanged glances with each other came out of the office.
Bam, the door is closed.
***
Meanwhile, Enoch was returning to the barracks, recalling the events of a little while ago.
"Lord Enoch."
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the barracks, so he went out and saw the woman.
Still the same as before, with green-black hair and blue eyes.
"It's been a while. Can you give me a moment of your time?"
At that moment, Enoch remembered a past from seven years ago, now covered up.
One day, when the successor, who was expected to die soon, survived the harsh battlefield and endured, his relatives sent a woman to him.
The woman they bought with gold and sent to the battlefield was wearing the false identity of a 'fiancée-to-be.'
"This is Esther Lakyo."
"I have nowhere to go now."
"Please just let me stay here."
Even when told to go back, the woman did not go back and settled down outside the barracks, using the leather as a blanket.
Esther openly served him while he ignored her and pretended not to see her.
Clean the barracks, fetch water, and run errands.
As Enoch was getting used to the presence of his 'future fiancee' who would not go away even if he kicked her out and would inevitably do trivial chores, he saw her eating porridge that even a dog would not eat.
"Is that your meal?"
Enoch eventually accepted the woman into his fold, providing her with food, and blankets, and allowing her to serve him.
"I wish Enoch liked me."
Enoch didn't answer her muttered words. But he didn't ignore them either.
She was someone he didn't like, but eventually accepted into his line.
He just thought he would take responsibility.
"Come back safely."
The day when the new commander, who did not listen to his words and acted as he pleased, suffered a major defeat and the army camp was in danger.
Enoch went out that day without even knowing that she had poisoned him.
If he thinks about it, he thinks he behaved more unstable than usual back then.
Although his body refused to listen to him and he suffered a severe sword wound to his face, he succeeded in defeating the royal army.
When he returned to the barracks after the battle, Esther Lakyo had run away.
But now, here it comes.
He knew it the moment he heard it.
This is the work of relatives.
Otherwise, there was no way this woman would have approached him again.
"Are you still angry at me?"
He bit the vassals who were having a fit of chaos as if they were having a seizure, looking at his still-wet eyes.
Although most of the nobles were hunting in the forest, there were invisible eyes and ears everywhere.
"Follow me."
The woman he encountered in the quiet forest was different from before, wearing clean and nice clothes and having the appearance of a noble lady.
Enoch listened silently to Esther's confession.
"At that time, I had no choice. Those who sent me threatened to kill Enoch if I didn't do so...!"
This was something everyone had expected. Since it was her relatives who sent her, it must have been her relatives who told her to eat poison.
"I don't know how much I regret running away like that. Even though it was scary, I should have told Enoch about what happened..."
Enoch leaned his back against the tree behind him in silence. Taking a deep breath, he finally opened his mouth.
"Then for now."
"Yes?"
"Is it your will to come here today?"
Esther, who was momentarily taken aback, soon made up her mind and opened her mouth.
"Actually, I came here because I have something to tell you."
"What?"
"Do you know Baron Thatcher?"
Enoch's mind flashed back to one of the clans that had been vying for the position of Marchioness in late spring.
It seems that the head of the household and the successor were changed as an example.
"That person came to me as a representative. He said that if I didn't cooperate with what they were doing, they wouldn't leave me alone..."
But it seemed like the warning wasn't enough.
And seeing this kind of trick prepared again.
"These guys are trying to harm Enoch again. This time, I couldn't just sit still and do nothing because I felt I had to let you know!"
No, maybe it was his fault that this situation had come to this.
Was this the kind of woman she was?
Enoch stared at the woman standing before him again.
Thirteen years old.
What was not visible then became visible.
Enoch now knew how to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Seven years ago, the woman who had looked so desperate and pitiful was secretly observing him and assessing him with fake tears in her eyes.
Whether he will accept it or not.
"Ha."
"Lord Enoch?"
He couldn't believe that he had seen this woman and Agatha for even a moment.
Agatha's 'I like you' and this woman's 'I like you' were completely different.
His feelings were also completely different. If Esther was his responsibility, Agatha was...
"..."
Enoch covered his eyes silently. Only then did regret come rushing back to him like a tidal wave.
He's so immersed in this topic that he can't even see anything else.
It couldn't be more pathetic that he only realized that now.
"You don't believe me? This time it's real. It really happened to Enoch's relatives..."
"Stop."
He straightened up and wiped his dry eyes.
He just felt a lot of movement and then it disappeared.
Now, it doesn't seem like it really matters if the past is known.
He didn't want to do anything that would cause any more problems in his relationship with his wife.
"Please go away."
Whenever I recalled Agatha's wet eyes looking up at him as she spat out those words, he felt hia breath catch in his throat even when he wasn't aware of it.
Now, he felt like his throat was blocked.
Can it be reversed?
"Oh, Enoch."
To do that, the past right before his eyes had to be completely liquidated.
"I'll take care of my relatives' problems. Go back. Don't come to me again."
"...Are you abandoning me again? You did the same thing seven years ago. If Enoch had just told me that he would definitely take me as your wife, I wouldn’t have done that."
"You poisoned me with your own hands and now you blame me."
Enoch, who had been laughing softly, soon hardened his face. Esther's face turned pale as she was overwhelmed by the subtle flow of energy.
"Uh, Enoch. That's not what I meant... !"
"Haven't you already been paid enough? Instead of asking for assurances from me, it seems like you received clear compensation from your relatives."
His sharp gaze took in the glossy, rich dress and the small, jeweled brooch.
Tears welled up in Esther's eyes.
"How can you say that..."
"I guess I'll have to revoke all the titles of the collateral line. If I combine what happened seven years ago with what's happening now, I don't think His Majesty will stop it. Don't you think?"
Enoch's gaze passed over Esther and turned to a large tree trunk inside the forest.
Esther was startled and trembled.
"There's nothing there, Enoch!"
"If you don't want to come out, don't listen there."
Even over his leather hunting attire, his well-trained arm rested on the loosely tied sword belt. The moment his long, straight hand grasped the sword handle, a bloody aura shot out and covered the bushes.
"Bring the mastermind of what happened 7 years ago and the mastermind of what happened today to me. If not, I will strip you of your titles and hang you all on the castle wall for the crime of disturbing the family."
"Haven't you already been paid enough? Instead of asking for assurances from me, it seems like you received clear compensation from your relatives."
His sharp gaze took in the glossy, rich dress and the small, jeweled brooch.
Tears welled up in Esther's eyes.
"How can you say that..."
"I guess I'll have to revoke all the titles of the collateral line. If I combine what happened seven years ago with what's happening now, I don't think His Majesty will stop it. Don't you think?"
Enoch's gaze passed over Esther and turned to a large tree trunk inside the forest.
Esther was startled and trembled.
"There's nothing there, Enoch!"
"If you don't want to come out, don't listen there."
Even over his leather hunting attire, his well-trained arm rested on the loosely tied sword belt. The moment his long, straight hand grasped the sword handle, a bloody aura shot out and covered the bushes.
"Bring the mastermind of what happened 7 years ago and the mastermind of what happened today to me. If not, I will strip you of your titles and hang you all on the castle wall for the crime of disturbing the family."
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