Chapter 30

Agnes held back her tears and smiled brightly as she led Noah toward the garden they used to visit together.

Once they arrived in that familiar place, Noah’s expression gradually lightened.

He especially loved the gazebo tucked into the corner of the garden. For a child who preferred quiet places and disliked attention, it was the most comfortable spot to rest.

Agnes entered the gazebo with Noah and sat beside him.

“Pavel, you have what I asked for, right?”

“Of course, my lady. Here.”

Pavel took out a small notebook and a pen from his coat and handed them to her.

“Thank you. Can you all give us a little space now, so Noah and I can talk alone?”

“But…”

The two knights hesitated.

It was understandable. This was Rickman Overhen’s estate, a place far from welcoming to Agnes.

Moreover, they didn’t know her well yet. The knights still carried doubts about what she might do once left on her own.

In that tense pause, it was Pavel who stepped in to ease the situation.

“My lady, if we stay far enough that we can’t hear your conversation, would that be acceptable? What about over by that tree?”

“Sir Daren, it would be dangerous if we were too far away. We wouldn’t be able to react quickly in an emergency.”

“What do you mean, Sir Daren? We’re Vasteron knights. You really think we couldn’t respond from just that distance? Besides, armed knights standing too close might frighten the young master.”

Pavel turned his gaze toward Noah as he spoke. The boy clung to Agnes with wary eyes. But instead of being offended, Pavel only chuckled.

“Yes, yes, young master. It’s all right. We’ll stay by that tree over there, not any farther. Please understand, my lady and young master.”

“Haa… all right.”

In the end, Pavel and the two knights reluctantly stepped back. Still, Agnes could feel their vigilance. All three remained alert, their attention fixed on her surroundings.

Agnes hugged Noah gently, then pulled away with a light laugh.

“Aren’t the knights impressive? Thanks to them, I’ve been safe all this time. How have you been, Noah?”

She handed him the notebook and pen. Noah held the pen tightly with his small fingers and began to write in big, careful letters.

‘I’ve been studying hard. I’ve been training in swordsmanship too. I missed you, Mom.’

Each word pierced her heart like a needle. But she wanted to show him a strong face, not a sad one.

“That’s amazing, my Noah. But remember what I always said? Your health is the most important thing. Have you been eating well? Sleeping well?”

Noah didn’t move for a while. He was a child who couldn’t lie easily. Yet he hesitated, afraid she might be disappointed if he said no.

Agnes stroked his soft, reddish-brown curls and spoke gently.

“You have to eat properly and sleep enough. That’s how you grow tall, study well, and get better at swordsmanship. Everything starts from there.”

Only then did Noah nod firmly and write again.

‘Then can you come home now, Mom? Will Father let you?’

Agnes’s heart sank heavily.

Even a small child understood.

He knew she hadn’t left by choice. He knew the true master of this house was Rickman, and Rickman alone.

Which meant it was time to tell him the truth.

“Noah, your father and I… we’re divorced. Divorce means two people decide to end their marriage and live separately. So, I wanted to ask you something.”

Noah’s face filled with confusion and surprise.

Agnes spoke calmly.

“Noah, would you like to leave this house and come live with me? You wouldn’t get to see your father often, but I’ll do everything I can so you never feel lonely.”

Some might say explaining this to a child was pointless.

But Agnes knew the truth.

Noah was being abused, not physically perhaps, but through constant emotional cruelty.

That was why she hadn’t heard his bright chatter in so long. As his mother, it was her duty to protect him from further harm.

At the same time, she didn’t want to force him.

If he didn’t want to go, she needed to know why. Whether it was fear, confusion, or her own failure to give him faith, she wanted to understand.

Everything she did was for his happiness.

Noah blinked rapidly, his eyes filled with uncertainty, then wrote again.

‘Then we’ll go to your house?’

“Hmm, well…”

When Agnes had spoken with Rickman earlier, she’d thought she’d changed.

She’d found the courage to face him, and she had someone who would stand by her now. She believed she was stronger than before.

But standing before this small, fragile child, all that confidence melted away.

Her voice trembled.

“My home… it’s not really my home. But it’s a place where we’ll be safe.”

No matter what she said, her words sounded vague and uncertain. She bit her lip, trying to hold back a sigh.

“I’m sorry, Noah. Let me explain better. If you come with me, it won’t be to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It’ll be somewhere new. It’s a bit far from here, but…”

Her lips were dry, and her throat tightened as she struggled to continue.

Then Noah tugged at her sleeve and wrote again.

‘Far away with you. That’s fine. I want to go.’

The handwriting was neat and careful, a quiet proof that this moment mattered deeply to him.

Agnes couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. She pulled him into her arms and held him tight.

“Thank you, Noah. Thank you so much. I’ll make sure you never regret this.”

She wiped her tears quickly and looked at him again.

His lovely green eyes shone brightly as they met hers, full of warmth and trust.

“I’ll tell you what’s happened to me and what’s going to happen next, all right?”

Agnes held both of his hands and explained everything.

That she had met a good man and married him, that he was helping them live together again, and most importantly, that she truly wanted to be with Noah.

Noah listened quietly and filled the notebook with questions, ending every sentence with a question mark.

Answering them one by one, she found their talk lasted much longer than expected. But she didn’t mind at all.

Noah was afraid to hear that she wouldn’t take him right away, and that fear pained her too.

Still, Rickman cared too much about his social reputation to mistreat Noah any further now. Even if his name was already tarnished, he wouldn’t dare cause more scandal while the court’s eyes were on him.

So Agnes reassured Noah again and again, promising she would come for him soon.

This time, she wouldn’t be forced away.

* * *

Agnes left the townhouse without saying goodbye to Rickman.

When he heard the news, he hurled his teacup across the floor.

Porcelain shattered, and boiling tea splashed onto a servant’s leg, but Rickman didn’t even glance at him.

“Agnes… that woman has lost her mind. How dare she defy me?”

He stormed across the office, unable to contain his rage.

He wanted to summon Noah immediately and demand what they’d talked about, but that would only be foolish.

He already knew what Agnes had said, and he could easily guess what that weak-hearted boy had answered.

But Noah was the heir of the Overhen family. Discipline was necessary, yet he could never become a target for his father’s fury.

Especially now, when everyone’s eyes were on him and his disgraced household.