Chapter 93

After finishing her tea time alone with Noah, Agnes headed straight to the study.

It was still March. Too early to head to the capital. The social season didn’t start until May, and Dylan wouldn’t be able to move until around mid April since he had to prepare for leaving the North unattended.

Even aside from that, Dylan, who was especially sensitive about his duties as a member of the imperial family, wouldn’t like heading to the capital too early.

In that case, it seemed better for Agnes and Noah to go ahead first.

Agnes calmly organized what needed to be done in her head.

‘First, I need Dylan’s consent. The boutique is already booked, so I’ll have to send a proxy. And while I’m gone, I need to hand things over so Gavelin can manage the household…’

She then checked whether there was anything among her duties as lady of the house that needed urgent handling.

Servants’ wages, buildings damaged by frost and snowstorms that needed repairs. There were a few matters, but thankfully, all of them could be resolved within a week before leaving.

More important than any of that was what she would say to Dylan.

‘I don’t want to tell him everything.’

That didn’t mean she wanted to hide the truth from him or avoid it.

Dylan had already distanced himself from Noah once after realizing the child could see the red jewel in his chest.

She didn’t want to see that again. The way he pretended nothing was wrong while separating himself from the child out of fear that he might harm him.

She wanted to protect the image of Dylan letting Noah ride on Nocturne’s back, roaming the hunting grounds together, awkward yet still taking care of him.

If Dylan found out about the conversation with Marcella…

‘He’ll avoid him even more than before.’

Thinking about his past decisiveness and resolve, he might even decide never to face Noah again.

If there was a problem that truly needed to be resolved, she would tell him. But for now, she didn’t want to trouble his heart with something that was still uncertain.

Once she left for the capital and put some distance between them, she would also be distancing Noah from the danger Marcella had warned about.

After confirming Noah’s condition with the Imperial Magic Division and reaching a clear conclusion, she could explain everything to Dylan then.

Having finished her thoughts, Agnes rang the bell and asked the maid to call Sharon.

Sharon appeared almost immediately, as if she had been waiting right outside the study.

“Madam, you called?”

“I think we’ll need to go down to the capital a bit earlier. But canceling the boutique reservation now would be a waste, so Sharon, could you go as my proxy?”

“Oh my, there’s no way I could have taste as refined as yours, Madam.”

At her modest reply, Agnes smiled. She knew better than anyone how capable Sharon was as head maid.

“I know you’ll do well, Sharon.”

Hearing the complete trust in Agnes’s voice, Sharon covered her mouth and laughed softly.

“If you say it like that, how could I possibly refuse. I guess it’s been a while since I showed my skills. But you’ll still go get measured first, right?”

“Of course. Noah’s growing every day, so the old measurements won’t do. Could you tell the boutique we’ll visit tomorrow?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll pass it along properly. Oh dear, it’s such a shame you’re leaving early. I’ll miss seeing the young master’s smile.”

Her gentle tone made Agnes smile despite herself.

They were just about to discuss things further when it happened.

Knock knock.

At the sound of the study door being knocked, both Agnes and Sharon turned toward it.

“I’ll get it, Madam.”

Sharon stood up with a smile, opened the door, and after confirming the visitor, stepped aside to let him in.

Only Dylan or Gavelin would come here, and as expected, Gavelin entered the study and bowed.

He looked the same as ever, expressionless as he carried a silver tray. But his movements and the way he looked ready to speak suggested urgent business.

Sharon seemed to sense it too and moved to leave through the open door.

“Oh my, this looks serious. I’ll come back later, Madam.”

“No. It would be better if you listened as well.”

“What is it?”

A bad feeling crept in. While the ducal household was managed by Agnes, Gavelin, and Sharon together, the areas Gavelin and Sharon handled were clearly divided.

If this was something urgent that Sharon also needed to hear, it meant it was important to the entire House of Vasteron.

Sharon closed the door she’d been about to leave through and stepped beside Gavelin with a serious expression.

“…Go on, Gavelin.”

Prompted, Gavelin held out the silver tray toward Agnes. At its center lay an envelope adorned with ornate decorations.

Even the paper alone looked valuable, but what mattered was the emblem stamped on it.

As Agnes recognized the imperial crest and her eyes widened, Gavelin spoke.

“It’s a personal letter from His Majesty the Emperor. It seems different from the usual invitation to attend the social season.”

Of all times.

She couldn’t even imagine what that inscrutable emperor had written inside.

With a tense expression, Agnes picked up the letter from the tray.

Holding her breath so as not to damage it, she carefully opened the envelope with a paper knife.

The letter wasn’t written by a proxy. It was in the Emperor’s own handwriting.

‘I’m writing because I have a small family request, and I hope you won’t refuse.

My son and the Empire’s Crown Prince, Vincent Harkvitz, is a bookworm and rarely interacts with children his age.

Would you let him spend about a month in the North and give him something to talk about?

You can bring him along when you come to the capital for the social season, so it won’t be much trouble.

He’s a good child who doesn’t cause problems.

For reference, I’ve already sent him, so refusing won’t help.

Oh, and by now your newlywed phase should be over, right?’

For a letter from the Emperor, it was astonishingly light, with not a shred of dignity to be found.

Yet the unilateral proposal that allowed no refusal was nothing short of a bomb dropped on the Vasteron ducal residence.

As Agnes reread the contents with a stunned expression, Sharon cautiously asked.

“Madam, what does it say?”

“…It says the Crown Prince is on his way to the Vasteron ducal residence.”

At that, Sharon covered her mouth in shock, while Gavelin narrowed his brows and rubbed his forehead as if he’d half expected it.

“He’s not saying he wants to come. He’s already coming?”

“Yes. It leaves no room for refusal.”

Letting out a deep breath, Agnes placed the Emperor’s letter on the desk. Neither Gavelin nor Sharon dared to look at it.

Agnes bit her lower lip.

‘Why now of all times.’

She’d planned to ask Dylan’s permission and go down to the capital first with Noah. But if the Crown Prince was coming, everything changed.

If the Crown Prince visited the territory, even if she’d already departed for the capital, it was the lady of the house’s duty to return.

‘I want to show Noah to the Imperial Magic Division as soon as possible and confirm that he’s alright.’

But it was already set in motion. The Emperor had sent the Crown Prince, and there was no right to refuse.

Though her thoughts were in chaos, Agnes was already issuing orders.

“Sharon, as you know, we need to thoroughly clean the residence. We can’t host His Highness in the main building, so we’ll need to renovate a separate wing. It’ll be tight, but please take care of it.”

“Yes, Madam. I’ll make it so perfect you won’t recognize it. Don’t worry.”

“And separate the children who have enough education to attend the imperial family and give them focused training. You can go start right away.”

At Agnes’s instructions, Sharon promptly withdrew from the study.

Left alone with Gavelin, Agnes looked at him and asked.

Since Sharon would handle hosting the Crown Prince, it was time to raise their guard.

“What do you think His Majesty’s intention is?”

“He’s likely trying to assess the situation in the North. Whether there are any hidden conflicts, how strong Vasteron’s military forces are. And above all…”

After clearing his throat and choosing his words, Gavelin spoke plainly.

“He’s likely curious about His Grace’s succession. He’ll want to see whether the relationship between His Grace and Madam is harmonious.”

Agnes felt as if her breath was being squeezed out of her.

She couldn’t understand how the Emperor could send a child barely fourteen years old as an inspector.