Chapter 55

Agnes gently patted Noah’s head, trying to distract him from staring so intently at Dylan.

“Noah, shall we look outside? There are so many fascinating buildings.”

Fortunately, Noah’s eyes brightened with curiosity, and he climbed onto her lap to peer through the carriage window.

The scenery outside was new to him. His small mouth rounded in wonder, and his soft cheeks flushed pink. Watching that innocent expression always made Agnes’s heart melt.

But after a short while, the repeating scenery lost its charm, and Noah turned his attention back to Dylan.

Dylan knew that his presence made Agnes uneasy, so he pretended not to notice the child’s gaze and continued reading his book.

However, even after all her attempts to distract Noah, the boy’s eyes remained fixed on him. Dylan eventually gave in and looked up.

Noah grinned and reached out his small hand toward him.

Startled, Agnes quickly bowed her head in apology.

“Your Grace, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why Noah is so fascinated by you.”

“It’s fine. A long journey can be dull for a child.”

Dylan glanced at her thoughtfully before extending his hand.

Noah grabbed Dylan’s fingers and shook them lightly up and down. His touch was so delicate that it barely felt like contact at all.

After playing with Dylan’s hand for a moment, Noah slipped off Agnes’s lap and steadied himself by placing a hand on Dylan’s knee. Then, he reached up again toward Dylan.

This had happened once before. Noah had called Dylan pretty, leaving both adults flustered.

Back then, Dylan had been standing, so they hadn’t realized it. Now it was clear that Noah wasn’t reaching for Dylan’s face but rather for his chest.

Dylan followed the boy’s gaze downward and noticed the intricate brooch pinned to his coat, crafted with gold and ruby.

“Oh.”

Understanding dawned, and Dylan smiled faintly. He must have been wearing this same brooch at the banquet.

Amused by the misunderstanding, he chuckled softly and unpinned the brooch, placing it in Noah’s tiny hand.

Noah tilted his head, looking between the empty spot on Dylan’s coat and the brooch, then began examining the jewel with fascination.

He smiled wide and lifted it up.

“It’s pretty.”

Agnes covered her mouth, laughing as she realized what had happened.

“Oh, the brooch…”

She guided Noah back to his seat, placing her hands on his small shoulders. The boy, however, kept his eyes fixed on the shining ornament.

“It might be a little heavy for you, but the design is timeless, so it’s fine.”

Agnes looked startled, glancing between Dylan and the brooch in Noah’s hand.

Shortly after the banquet, one of the Emperor’s attendants had brought several boxes as gifts. This brooch had been among them.

“Your Grace, that’s the one His Majesty gave you. We can’t accept something so precious.”

“It wasn’t given directly. It was sent through an attendant, so His Majesty probably doesn’t even remember it. It’s fine.”

The response was exactly what one would expect from someone who knew Cali better than anyone.

Still, to give away a royal gift simply because a child called it pretty was beyond comprehension.

“B-but still…”

Their quiet argument continued for a while, but Agnes eventually lost.

At that moment, she was reminded of just how high his status truly was.

Noah played with the brooch for some time before dozing off again. Agnes carefully took it from his hand and stored it safely.

Dylan also looked down at the sleeping boy, and the silence inside the carriage deepened. Yet it was not an uncomfortable silence. It felt peaceful.

Agnes broke it first.

“Thank you for being so kind to Noah. I’ve never seen him so comfortable with anyone besides me.”

Dylan smiled faintly.

“And I’ve never met a child who isn’t afraid of me.”

He turned his gaze from Noah to Agnes.

In truth, it wasn’t just the boy who fascinated him. Agnes did too.

Unlike Noah, she hadn’t always been at ease with him. When they first met, there had been fear in her eyes.

Yet despite that fear, her determination to help him had always been stronger.

Dylan could not shake the thought that both Agnes and Noah were special.

A journey he had taken countless times now felt entirely new with them by his side.

If the two of them could live peacefully and happily under his protection in the North, perhaps… he was not a monster after all.

* * *

Time passed, and the carriage finally arrived at the Vasteron territory.

Agnes gently woke Noah, placing him on her lap so he could look out the window with her.

The streets were quiet, except for a few people moving busily about.

The early summer air was cool and refreshing compared to the capital. The breeze against her skin felt pleasant, and Agnes thought that a light shawl would be enough to stay warm.

Yet the commoners outside seemed used to the chill. They walked around in short sleeves, comfortable and unbothered.

When the carriage passed, the townspeople glanced back in surprise. Once they recognized the crest on the door, they quickly bowed in greeting.

Usually, when a lord returned home after a long time or following a major event, the people would be gathered in advance to welcome them. Dylan, however, had given no such orders.

Agnes’s father, Viscount Everchen, and her former husband, Count Overhen, had both enjoyed such grand welcomes. To her, it had been the normal way of things.

As she looked curiously at the empty street, Dylan noticed and explained.

“It’s necessary to gather the people during wartime, when morale must be raised. But now is a time of peace. I believe it’s better for them to finish their work or rest. Early summer tends to be a busy season.”

Agnes smiled faintly, wondering what her father or Rickman would say if they heard such words.

The villagers, perhaps understanding Dylan’s intent, bowed quickly when the carriage passed, then returned to their tasks once it was gone. There was no trace of fear in their movements.

Then, in the distance, beyond the village and buildings, a great mountain range came into view.

“Wow…”

Agnes let out a quiet gasp.

The mountains rose high enough to touch the sky, standing like walls that guarded the Vasteron lands. Their peaks were capped with white snow, and the rugged stone below looked strong and unyielding.

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the breathtaking sight.

“That’s the mountain range you told me about, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

Because of those mountains, the air here was cool but not freezing. They were the natural walls that protected Vasteron.

Agnes found herself wondering about the native people who lived beyond the range, the ones Dylan said had adapted to the cold.

She explained what he had told her earlier in simpler words so that Noah could understand, and the boy listened with wide eyes and an excited gasp. His expression reminded Dylan so much of Agnes that he couldn’t help but stare at them both.

Before long, the carriage passed through the gates of the Vasteron duchy.

Unlike the villagers, the servants had lined up neatly on both sides, waiting for their arrival.

Gavelin was the first to step forward, bowing deeply as if he had been waiting there all along. The servants followed his lead, their voices ringing loud and clear.

“Welcome home, Duke Vasteron! Welcome home, Duchess Vasteron!”

The booming greeting startled Agnes. She quickly lowered her gaze, her expression tense.

This was not the townhouse. This was the true Vasteron estate.

Many of these servants had likely served Dylan since his days as a prince. She was certain they would see her as inadequate.

‘I have to stay strong.’

She clenched her knees once and exhaled slowly, determined to make a good first impression.

When the carriage door opened, Dylan stepped out first and extended his hand toward her.

Agnes took it and descended gracefully.

Though the servants kept their eyes forward, she could feel their furtive glances pricking at her skin.

She steadied her breath and stood tall. A moment later, Lizzie appeared, helping Noah out of the carriage.

With Dylan offering his arm, and Lizzie following behind holding Noah, Agnes walked forward through the line of servants.

“They’re all loyal people,” Dylan said quietly, noticing her tension.

Agnes smiled instead of explaining that it was precisely that loyalty that made her nervous.

It was enough for her to know that Dylan had spoken to reassure her. That alone was comfort.