Chapter 79

Agnes was not the only one watching Marcella.

Everyone present had turned their eyes toward her.

Even the Viscountess Tavella, who had been holding her son while calming her daughter, and the Baroness Arbil, who had been quietly chatting over dessert with her two daughters, were now staring in astonishment.

People gathered below the spectator stands near the hunting field, feeding sugar cubes to their horses as they waited for the event to start, were all gazing at Marcella with surprise.

Despite the attention, Marcella showed not the slightest sign of hesitation as she led her horse confidently into the hunting field.

Agnes’s expression grew tense as she looked toward where Dylan stood. She knew he was not the kind of man to show agitation in public, but she still could not guess what he might be thinking inside.

As she expected, Dylan merely raised his head briefly when the commotion began. His gaze brushed past Marcella as if she were nothing more than a passing shadow before returning to his horse, Nocturne.

If Agnes had not been watching him closely, she might have believed he had not seen Marcella at all.

Seeing Agnes’s uneasy expression, Baroness Orwellin carefully spoke again.

“Lady Peridot has always loved hunting. She never stays home for long, so perhaps she didn’t hear what her family said about today.”

The woman’s words sounded half like an excuse. Agnes gathered herself, smiled, and shook her head gently.

Dylan, who was the one with real cause for tension between the two families, remained calm. There was no reason for her, who knew so little of the matter, to lose her composure.

“It’s quite impressive that a noble lady enjoys hunting. Her horse is beautiful as well.”

Agnes’s gentle compliment made relief spread across Baroness Orwellin’s face.

‘As I thought, the Duchess of Vasteron dislikes conflict. She wishes for things to pass quietly. I should follow her lead.’

With that conclusion, the baroness brightened and matched Agnes’s tone with cheerful agreement.

“Exactly, I think so too. I’m far too timid to ride myself. How about you, Duchess? Do you enjoy horseback riding?”

Thanks to her smooth change of subject, the tense air quickly softened. Agnes followed along naturally, letting her attention drift from Marcella.

Others did the same. Since neither Agnes nor Dylan reacted, the crowd relaxed and returned to their own business as if nothing had happened.

By the time the long conversation ended and Baroness Orwellin returned to her seat, a young girl’s voice called out from somewhere nearby.

“Noah!”

It was Violet, Viscount Tavella’s eldest daughter and Noah’s friend.

Hearing the familiar voice, Noah perked up and began looking for her. He scanned the stands first, but Violet wasn’t there.

Agnes tapped his shoulder lightly to draw his attention, then pointed toward the hunting field.

Violet stood beside her father, Viscount Tavella, waving both arms energetically, her violet-colored eyes sparkling with mischief.

Unlike the other little girls dressed in frilly gowns, she wore a leather outfit that seemed heavy for a child her age.

It appeared she was preparing to enter the forest with her father. Her flushed, excited cheeks made her look adorably proud rather than afraid.

“Noah! Why aren’t you answering me?”

Her voice rang out, loud and demanding. She had been waving her arms so hard that she looked disappointed by Noah’s lack of response.

Noah fidgeted, glancing around nervously. He clearly did not have the courage to shout back across the open field the way Violet had.

“Shall we go a little closer?”

When Agnes asked, Noah nodded eagerly. She took his hand, and together they walked down toward the lower stands.

Noah moved with more confidence this time, perhaps because he was excited to see his friend.

Seeing Noah approaching, Violet began jumping with joy and waved even harder.

“Mom, hurry!”

It had been a long time since Noah had been this eager. Agnes’s chest warmed as she quickened her pace.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Before long, they reached Viscount Tavella and his daughter.

The viscount placed a hand over his chest and bowed politely.

“It is an honor to meet the Duchess of Vasteron.”

“There’s no need for such formality at a pleasant event like this. I’m only here as a guardian for a child meeting his friend.”

Her gentle reply made the viscount smile awkwardly. He was a quiet man, much like his wife.

It was a mystery how such an energetic girl like Violet had been born from such a calm couple.

With sparkling eyes, Violet tugged Noah’s hand and led him closer to her father’s horse.

“Violet, you should ask Lord Overhen’s permission first. He might not like horses, you know.”

“Noah likes them. Right, Noah?”

The viscount tried to correct her kindly, but Violet stood her ground. When Noah nodded, her confidence only grew.

“Noah, look. This is my father’s horse, Maple. Even after having a foal, she still runs really fast.”

Agnes held back a laugh at Violet’s proud but scattered words. It was obvious she didn’t fully understand what she was saying and was simply repeating her father’s words, which made it even more endearing.

Fortunately, Violet didn’t notice and placed her hands on her hips, tilting her chin up proudly.

“And today, I’m going to ride Maple myself.”

Noah’s eyes widened.

“You’re going to ride a horse? But you’re only six.”

“Yes! My father said he’d help me.”

Noah’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. In his world, that seemed impossible. He turned to Agnes with wide eyes.

“Mom, can a six-year-old ride a horse?”

To be honest, Agnes didn’t know. She had learned horseback riding before her marriage, but she had never seen a child ride, let alone with someone else. Her own skills were far from advanced.

But seeing the viscount smiling quietly behind them, it seemed possible as long as the child rode together with an adult.

“I suppose so. I didn’t know that either.”

Her honest reply made Noah even more amazed. He looked between Violet and Maple with growing admiration.

As that admiration slowly turned to envy, Agnes’s heart ached.

After a moment’s hesitation, she squeezed his small hand gently.

“Noah, Violet needs to get ready, so shall we head back to the stands? We can watch the other horses while eating something sweet. How does that sound?”

She knew it was hardly a real comfort, but she asked softly anyway.

Noah looked up at Maple for a moment, then nodded quietly.

He seemed to realize there was no other choice, and his resigned little face made Agnes’s chest tighten painfully.

“See you later, Violet. I hope you ride safely.”

Noah waved as he spoke, his words echoing the same ones Agnes had said earlier when handing Dylan a handkerchief.

Embarrassed, she turned away slightly, only to meet Viscount Tavella’s amused eyes.

The viscount, clearly holding back a laugh, seemed to find Noah just as endearing as Agnes found Violet.

After exchanging polite farewells, Agnes led Noah back toward the stands.

She wondered what treat she could give him, what story she could tell, to ease his disappointment.

As she pondered, a familiar voice called her from behind.

“My lady.”

Turning around, she saw Dylan approaching, holding Nocturne’s reins.

“Your Grace, I heard it’s about to begin. Did you need something?”

Her tone was curious. Dylan paused for a moment, as if weighing his words.

He was never one to hesitate when he had something to say, unlike Agnes, so his silence only deepened her curiosity.

After a brief thought, he looked down at Noah and cleared his throat softly.

“If you permit it, I’d like to take Noah into the hunting field with me.”