Chapter 50

After her mother’s death, everything changed. Viscount Everchen remarried, and he became so infatuated with his new wife that he neglected Agnes completely. The second Viscountess and her son were no different.

They mocked and used Agnes, who still tried to do her best for her family and their household. Even after marrying Rickman, they continued to exploit her.

Yet despite all that, Agnes already knew how to love and be loved.

Perhaps it was something she had learned from her mother when she was young.

Understanding Dylan’s words, Agnes lowered her gaze with a quiet smile. Her golden eyes, usually bright and clear, grew distant for a moment, as though recalling something far away, before returning to him.

“Maybe so. I’m sure my mother’s love had a good influence on me. But even if it hadn’t, I think I still would have come to care for Noah with all my heart.”

She smiled softly, her eyes curving.

“I’m certain of it. Love isn’t something you have to be taught.”

Just then, the trumpeters at the front of the parade raised their horns, and the sound of the procession began to echo through the streets.

Agnes sat beside Dylan and gazed at the people who had gathered to watch their public wedding parade.

At first, the view was familiar.

Grand mansions and townhouses lined the avenue near the Imperial Palace. Nobles watched from shaded balconies, fluttering their fans and parasols.

Farther away, Agnes even spotted people leaning out of coffee house windows, just as she once had when she was a child.

The nostalgic sight brought a gentle smile to her face.

But as the parade continued, the scenery changed.

The carriage moved through narrower streets, and she saw crowds of people filling every space, even the alleys between buildings. From their clothing and expressions alone, it was clear they were not nobles.

Agnes had never seen so many commoners gathered together.

She had not always been confined to her mansion, but the places she could visit were few and predictable.

Ballrooms, boutiques, noble estates, elegant coffee houses. The commoners she saw there were always servants, maids, or workers.

She had only once entered the back alleys of the capital when she visited a detective agency, but even those people had been different from the ones she saw now.

These people were diverse in appearance and expression. Their clothes varied widely, perhaps reflecting different customs or tastes from those of the nobility.

Watching them cheer for her and Dylan, Agnes smiled again. She met as many eyes as she could.

The crowd was lively, speaking to one another as they watched the parade.

A man lifted his child onto his shoulders.

A woman laughed with her lover.

Friends whispered and pointed excitedly.

She couldn’t hear their words, but their faces were full of life.

They all have someone beside them.

The thought warmed her. It felt as if the struggles she had endured to reclaim Noah had not been in vain.

As Agnes watched, lost in her emotions, Dylan leaned slightly toward her and said,

“If you wave to them, they’ll be delighted.”

“Would that be all right?”

Even if it felt like a festival, this was still a royal wedding. Would it be proper for her to do something so casual? Especially when she was not of royal blood herself?

Dylan nodded calmly.

“Yes. Show them that you were not captured by a monster.”

Agnes blinked, startled, before realizing he was joking. She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, then raised her hand and waved to the crowd.

The people erupted in cheers.

“Congratulations, Duchess!”

“May you be happy!”

Perhaps they were only excited to witness such a rare sight, but their voices carried genuine warmth. Their blessings felt real.

If it made them happy, Agnes thought she could keep waving all day.

The parade came to an end as their carriage passed through the crowds and returned to the Imperial Palace.

When Dylan helped her down, the Emperor greeted them personally with a bright smile.

“The most beautiful couple in the world is born today.”

She embraced Dylan tightly, then patted Agnes’s shoulder with gentle affection.

Each gesture carried unmistakable warmth toward her brother.

‘His Majesty cherishes all her kin. I am among those she holds dear.’

Dylan’s words from before echoed clearly in Agnes’s mind.

She also remembered what he had said about the Emperor deliberately drawing attention to him, placing him in the center of every gaze.

Recalling his warning not to get too close to the Emperor, Agnes bowed deeply.

“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

As Agnes straightened slowly, lowering her gaze with respect, the Emperor’s lips curved in a bright, composed smile.

Stepping closer, the Emperor spoke in a voice softer than usual.

“I trust you will make my brother happy, no matter what trials may come.”

It was a perfectly ordinary thing to say to a newlywed couple, yet the words carried a strange chill.

Agnes couldn’t tell whether it was her own prejudice against the Emperor or if there was a hidden intent behind that tone.

Keeping her confusion well hidden, she replied with a gentle smile.

“I will do my best, Your Majesty.”

“I shall look forward to it.”

The Emperor squeezed her shoulder once more before turning away. Dylan and Agnes followed behind her into the palace.

By the time the procession ended, the sun was setting.

But rest was still far away.

Agnes returned to the dressing room, where the maids helped her remove her wedding gown, clean off her makeup, and unpin her hair.

She was so exhausted she didn’t even feel hungry until Lizzie appeared carrying a basket of chocolate chip muffins. Only then did Agnes realize how empty her stomach was.

As Agnes ate, Lizzie continued chatting while pulling the last few pins from her hair.

“You wouldn’t believe how well Master Noah behaved. He sat so quietly through the entire ceremony. He clapped and said you were beautiful, of course, but everyone just laughed it off because he was so adorable.”

Then Lizzie’s tone grew playful.

“Oh, but I should stop calling you ‘Miss.’ I forgot, you’re the Madam now.”

“I suppose you’ll keep slipping up for a while.”

“Of course I will. You’ll always be ‘Miss’ to me. I never even got to follow you to the Overhen estate, remember?”

Her brows drooped at the memory, though her hands continued to work carefully, brushing through Agnes’s hair to ensure no pins remained.

“But the real question is, what did His Grace call you today? Did he say ‘my wife’? Or maybe your name?”

Her voice was full of excitement, clearly imagining something romantic.

Agnes, amused, chose not to correct her misunderstanding.

“Stop teasing me and check if the bath is ready. I’d do anything right now just to soak in warm water.”

Lizzie giggled. “Yes, Madam.”

She rushed out and soon returned with another maid carrying towels.

At last, Agnes sank into a bath filled with warm, fragrant water. The exhaustion from the long day melted away, and her body felt lighter.

She let out a quiet breath and rested her head on the edge of the tub.

The maid gently washed her hair and applied scented oil with care. Agnes understood why they were being so meticulous.

After all, once a wedding was over, the next step was always the wedding night.

With her eyes closed, Agnes smiled faintly.

Everyone believed that a couple so surrounded by gossip would, of course, spend their first night together.