Chapter 45

Meanwhile, Rickman, imprisoned behind iron bars, was pounding the cell door and shouting in fury.

Not long ago, the temple had declared that the gods had spoken and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

They said he might be released only through a special pardon from the Emperor, but everyone knew that was impossible.

The Emperor was committed to abolishing slavery and had no mercy for criminals who defied imperial law to continue trading and owning slaves.

Rickman had been making a racket for quite some time, yet no one came to see him. Eventually, he kicked the bars one last time and collapsed onto the cold stone floor.

A rat was eyeing what remained of his lunch. Disgusted, Rickman wrinkled his nose and was about to throw his shoe at it when footsteps echoed down the hall.

A guard appeared first, followed by a slender figure draped in a robe.

“If anything happens, call for me at once.”

The guard bowed respectfully to the robed visitor before turning and walking away.

Now only two people remained in the cell corridor. Rickman did not need to see the face beneath the hood to recognize who it was.

“What are you doing here, Agnes?”

Agnes let out a quiet sigh and lowered her hood. Her pale, clean face looked entirely out of place in the dark, damp prison. After glancing around once, she looked back at Rickman and spoke with effort.

“I never imagined there would come a day when I’d see you like this.”

“So, you’re here to laugh at me, is that it? You think you can do that to me?”

“You’ve always been like this. You think if you don’t step on someone else first, they’ll mock you instead.”

Agnes furrowed her delicate brow and shook her head as though tired of it all.

“I didn’t come here to do something that petty. I didn’t even want to see you like this. I told you from the start, didn’t I? If you sent Noah away safely, I wouldn’t do anything to you. I even said I’d return him to the Viscount’s house when he became an adult. The state you’re in now is the result of your own choices. You have no right to blame me.”

There was no hatred or resentment in her voice, which only cut deeper into Rickman’s pride.

His eyes burned with anger, but Agnes met his glare with calm composure.

“I came here because I needed to ask you something. You knew about Noah’s magical ability, didn’t you? Your brother, Hasel Overhen, was a mage.”

If Rickman answered that, it would be the same as admitting that Noah was not his child but Hasel’s. So, even in this situation, he stayed silent.

“I wanted to ask if you ever measured Noah’s magical ability. The new test takes quite a while, and I need to know how gifted he is, whether there are any risks, and if his power is something the Empire might consider dangerous.”

Rickman scoffed, but Agnes didn’t stop speaking.

“I’m raising Noah now. If you ever cared for him at all, you’d understand how important this is. Tell me what you know. Not for me, but for Noah.”

Rickman’s answer came cold and venomous.

“Utter nonsense.”

Agnes closed her eyes and took a deep breath to hold back her anger.

Then Rickman said something even worse.

“Noah is my son. Why should he need that kind of test? What does Hasel have to do with any of this? I’m not a mage, so how could my son be one? Isn’t that right?”

Agnes’s eyes flickered with contempt. Then came resignation.

She had always been the kind of person who could pick herself up, calm her heart, and find strength again no matter the setback. But looking at the man before her now, she felt no will to persuade him and no reason to try.

Staying here any longer was a waste of time.

As she turned to leave, she paused and looked back at him with an empty gaze.

“Rickman, I’ve learned something from you. How greed can rot a person from the inside. If you’d only had a little less of it, if you’d shown a bit more kindness to me and Noah, I might have endured it to the end. And that sweet child might never have turned his back on you. Your greed tripped you up, and that’s what allowed us to escape.”

Agnes shook her head slightly, her small gesture carrying more disdain than words ever could.

Rickman screamed after her, hurling every curse he could think of, but Agnes never looked back. Her steps did not falter once as she left the prison behind.

What mattered to her was no longer behind her, but ahead.

* * *

After returning from visiting Rickman, Agnes was immediately swept into a whirlwind of work.

A wedding with a duke, and one attended by members of the Imperial Family, required a staggering amount of preparation.

And because the ceremony would be held twice, the workload was doubled. There were dresses, banquets, guest lists, and even the royal carriage that would symbolize their union in front of the Empire.

Even amid that busy schedule, Agnes never neglected her time with Noah. Spending time with him was important, but she also wanted to personally meet the doctor who would oversee his treatment and the tutor who would guide his education.

Now that Noah’s magical ability had begun to show, she also needed to arrange a proper examination to assess his condition.

As the doctor consulted Noah, Agnes sat beside him, looking through a catalogue of curtains for the ballroom.

The physician had been recommended by Gavelin and was said to have treated many children with similar cases.

Meeting him in person reassured her. He had a gentle, composed manner that immediately put her at ease.

When the consultation ended, the doctor approached Agnes and spoke kindly.

“The young master still feels anxious, but his desire to recover is strong. That alone will help his progress. Of course, we’ll know more once treatment begins.”

“There’s no need to rush. Please make sure he doesn’t feel pressured.”

Agnes emphasized this, and the doctor nodded with a smile before leaving.

Once they were alone, Agnes lifted Noah onto her lap and sat with him on the sofa. He felt heavier than before, and that weight filled her heart with quiet warmth.

But what she wanted to say next wasn’t easy, so she kissed his forehead and took a moment to think.

Finally, she decided to be simple and honest.

“Noah, would you like to come to Mom’s wedding?”

Noah nodded right away, and Agnes smiled, stroking his soft cheek.

“But there will be a lot of important people there. His Majesty the Emperor, Her Highness the Princess, and the Crown Prince too.”

Noah’s eyes rolled thoughtfully before he whispered, “Scary?”

Agnes’s heart swelled at how much his speech had improved. She gently touched his cheek.

“No, they won’t be scary. But you might get bored because you’ll have to sit still for a long time. Will that be alright?”

Her voice was calm and reassuring.

“During the ceremony, you’ll be with Lizzie instead of me. I’ll come to you as soon as it’s over, but I’m worried because I won’t be able to stay by your side the whole time. It’ll be a new place for you.”

Noah opened his mouth, trying to say something. A small “Ah…” came out, his voice trembling against her chest. He still struggled to form longer sentences.

He frowned in frustration, then nodded quickly.

Agnes couldn’t help but laugh, pinching his cheek lightly.

“So you still want to come?”

Noah nodded even harder this time.

“My Noah is growing up so fast.”

“Noah growing up fast.”

He repeated her words exactly, mimicking her tone. Speaking on his own was still hard, but echoing her words came naturally.

That alone made her proud. Agnes hugged him tightly, smiling at the sound of his pure laughter.

She kissed his little nose again and said, “Then we need to pick an outfit for you too. Want to choose it together?”

“Yes!”

This time, his answer came bright and clear instead of a nod.

Agnes patted his head and asked Lizzie, who was standing nearby, to bring over the catalogue.

When Agnes first came to the ducal residence, Lizzie had been working in the kitchen as a maid. Back when Agnes was still the daughter of the Everchen family, Lizzie had served as her personal attendant.

When Dylan learned that, he immediately reassigned Lizzie to assist Agnes again.

Agnes felt a little sorry for how busy Lizzie had become because of her, but Lizzie never complained. She cared for Agnes and Noah with her usual cheerful smile.

Now too, Lizzie smiled as she handed over the catalogue.

Agnes and Noah sat side by side on the sofa, flipping through the pages of little gentlemen’s formal wear together.

She was exhausted from her endless tasks, but this small, peaceful moment with Noah made all her weariness fade away.