Chapter 20

The sofa was elegant in design but sunken from use, the air thick with perfume so strong it made her nose sting, and the owner of the agency wore rings on nearly every finger.

Everything inside the office was something Agnes had never seen before.

She sat upright, careful not to seem rude by looking around too much.

Rebecca rubbed her hands together and sat slightly askew in front of her, just out of reach. It seemed she had learned that sitting directly across from wealthy clients sometimes ended with an ashtray thrown at her face.

“What brings a fine lady like you to a place like this?”

“It is nothing troublesome. I am looking for someone.”

“Ah, please, no need for such formality. Anyone can tell you’re from a noble family.”

“It is fine. I prefer to speak this way.”

Agnes smiled politely yet firmly, declining the invitation to relax her tone. Rebecca looked a little awkward but not offended.

“Of course. However you’re comfortable, my lady. So, who exactly are you looking for?”

As she leaned forward with curiosity, Pavel moved smoothly between them, his sharp eyes warning her not to come any closer.

“I only meant to be friendly,” Rebecca muttered, clicking her tongue softly against the roof of her mouth before leaning back again.

Agnes glanced up at Pavel, looking apologetic.

“Sir Pavel, I know this is difficult, but could you step outside for a moment?”

“That would be difficult.”

“I thought so.”

The sharpness in his gaze vanished at once. He turned to her with a gentle smile that made him look almost boyish.

“How could I leave you alone, my lady? I was ordered by my lord to protect you, but truthfully, I would worry even without that order.”

It was astonishing how natural he sounded, as if they had known each other for much longer than a day. Agnes had always thought knights were stern and intimidating, yet Pavel’s easy warmth was disarming and it made her feel even more guilty.

“Still, what I am about to say is something I cannot let anyone else hear.”

“I have ears that will not listen and a mouth that will not speak.”

“It is not that I do not trust you. I simply do not wish for anyone to know. It will only take a moment.”

Pavel hesitated, then nodded.

He knew this agency well. It handled troublesome errands for nobles but not crimes. Rebecca herself seemed harmless enough, and this was the sort of place young noblewomen occasionally visited for their little secrets. There was no real danger here.

“I will stand right outside the door then. That is as far as I can compromise.”

“Thank you. It will be quick.”

Lizzie looked uneasy but followed Pavel out nonetheless. Once they were gone, Agnes lowered her voice and spoke carefully.

“The person I am looking for is a commoner named Penny. She has green eyes and, about six years ago, she gave birth to a child.”

Just saying it made her stomach churn. It was a subject she had never wanted to speak of aloud in her entire life.

“She bore the child of the current Count Overhen.”

Rebecca’s expression did not change. She had heard far too many stories of nobles and their hidden lovers to find the situation interesting.

Still, she was not about to refuse business. Clicking her tongue, she scratched her head.

“That is a wide search, my lady. Any more details?”

“Hmm… I believe she lived in the capital. She must have met Count Overhen when he came here.”

“Was she a prostitute?”

“No. I do not know what kind of work she did, but she was not that kind of woman.”

“If I knew her occupation, I could find her faster.”

Rebecca shrugged, feigning disappointment.

“And what do you plan to do once you find her? That will determine how I go about the job.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you want her caught and dragged here by the hair, I can do that too.”

Agnes went pale. It was clear she had never even imagined something like that.

“No, that will not be necessary. I do not wish to meet her. I only want to know where she is and how she is living.”

To someone who ran an information agency, that must have sounded naïve or hypocritical.

But Rebecca had learned not to pry too deeply. Nobles rarely wanted their motives examined.

So instead, she said in an exaggerated tone, “Ah, of course. My apologies for the misunderstanding, my lady.”

“To be clear, I am looking for Count Overhen’s mistress who gave birth six years ago. Her name is Penny, she has green eyes, and she is a commoner. Correct?”

“Yes. Please keep this matter secret. I cannot allow any of this to spread.”

“That is the first rule of our business, my lady. Confidentiality is as sacred as life itself here. You have my word.”

Agnes did not truly believe that. She knew that to people like Rebecca, money mattered more than life.

But as long as no one paid her to speak, the secret would stay safe, and there was no one in this world who would want to expose it anyway.

She had no desire to let it see the light either. She only wanted a bargaining chip for her negotiations with Rickman.

Listening to Rebecca list off details for the record, Agnes gripped her skirt tightly, her hands trembling. Her face looked calm, but her heart pounded fast in her chest.

It was the first time she had ever said it aloud.

That she was not Noah’s biological mother.

Agnes had never wanted to marry Rickman, yet she had also never imagined she would have a choice.

Unlike other noblewomen, she had not even been given the courtesy of selecting her husband from a few prepared candidates. Her family had decided everything.

Even so, Rickman had not seemed like the worst outcome.

He was handsome enough, and though extravagant, his wealth made his indulgence forgivable.

He was only ten years older, which in her family’s eyes was a generous match. Agnes had been taught to be grateful.

And she was. Their marriage was not happy, but at least it was not shameful. People did not point or whisper behind her back. That alone felt like a small mercy, and she had promised herself she would be a dutiful wife.

Then came the wedding night.

She was dressed again after removing her gown, sent into Rickman’s room like a doll to be presented.

Her eyes wandered the empty room before she sat carefully at the edge of the bed.

The Viscountess Everchen had told her in excruciating detail what was expected of a wife, but she could not bring herself to perform such vulgar acts.

She had planned simply to stay still and let it pass.

Rickman entered a while later. He had been drinking at the reception and moved with a slight stagger, but he did not shout or stumble like her stepfather.

He looked at her for a moment, then sat beside her.

“There is no need to be nervous. This will not be the kind of wedding night you dreamed of.”

Agnes turned to him with steady eyes. There was no point in saying she had never dreamed of one.

“What do you mean?”

“I already have an heir. You will accept him as your own and raise him well. Do you understand?”

Agnes blinked in surprise but nodded quietly.

“Yes.”

“I will tell people in three months that you are with child. From then on, you will not leave your quarters. You may take short walks so it looks natural, but be careful to keep yourself hidden.”

“Yes.”

“Remember this. You must never tell anyone. Not the Everchen family, not my son, and certainly not your maids.”