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Chapter 16
With clumsy hands, Enoch untied the letter fastened to the pigeon’s ankle and read through the soft, rounded handwriting.
Greetings, bits of daily life, and a few questions.
A faint warmth seeped into his otherwise dry expression.
“Pen.”
“Here you are.”
Ched, his adjutant—who always carried a quill pen and small stationery—quickly handed them to Enoch.
Using his solid gauntlet as a writing surface, Enoch pressed firmly so his handwriting wouldn’t grow rough, then neatly folded the letter and tied it to the pigeon’s ankle.
After gulping down plenty of water and snacks, the pigeon circled overhead once before disappearing into the sky.
“What did the madam say?”
“She says to come back quickly.”
“Wow.”
The second vice-commander, Hubert Carwen, let out an involuntary exclamation and quickly shut his mouth. Enoch was staring straight at him.
“Ahem. So, how shall we proceed, my lord?”
“……”
Enoch slowly withdrew his gaze and looked down at the family members again. His hand, encased in a cold gauntlet, brushed his chin once.
This might be a good chance to change the heir as well—clean and simple.
“From now on, the new Baron Datcher will be the second son. Dispose of the rest.”
“Please spare me! My lord, my lord…!”
The knights dragged the eldest son away. Enoch tossed the family seal to the second son, who had suddenly become the head of the house.
“I hope I won’t have to make this trip twice, Baron Datcher.”
“…I will remember that. I will never disappoint you.”
Leaving aside the families that had secretly sympathized with them, Enoch made examples of the heads of three collateral families who had openly opposed him. Only then did he finally begin his journey back.
In his coat were four letters he had received over the past ten days.
Four days later, by the time he reached the capital, the moon had long since risen.
Just after passing through the city gates, Enoch was riding slowly along the quiet main road when he gently pulled the reins and stopped his horse.
“What is it, my lord?”
“The First Estate.”
Hubert Carwen, realizing he meant the Nobillis First Estate in the capital where Agatha was staying, answered quickly.
“Since our family took charge of the guard, everything’s been quiet.”
“No. I mean… is she awake?”
“Pardon?”
“I should check.”
Sending everyone but five or six knights back, Enoch turned his horse straight toward the Nobillis First Estate.
Two weeks had already passed since Enoch left.
There was about a week left until the wedding.
During that time, Agatha had decorated the ceremony hall, commissioned her wedding attire, prepared the reception, and packed for the journey to Palavi Island to carry out the imperial order.
At the same time, she kept watch on the movements of potential relatives, continued small-scale social engagements, and handled countless details.
Thanks to the Aratus family’s active cooperation and her constant exchange of letters with Enoch, things progressed smoothly—but each time she opened and closed her eyes, it felt as though another day had passed.
There was also the renovation of the newlywed residence, managing retainers, and reviewing negotiations with the Maynukor Empire.
Even late at night, the First Estate was as brightly lit as a city that never slept.
Agatha, half-dozing, held the last letter she’d received from Enoch in one hand and documents detailing the wedding preparations in the other.
“My lady, wouldn’t it be best to retire to bed now?”
Allen, the chief butler of the Nobillis family, carefully spoke as he set down a cup of warm tea. Agatha pressed her fingers firmly against her eyelids.
“What time is it?”
“It’s nearly two in the morning.”
“Alright. Just let me finish this.”
“……”
The butler looked at her skeptically.
As always, after tucking the letter away and signing the bottom of the document she’d finished reading, Agatha naturally reached for another set of papers and spoke.
“Allen. It’s noisy outside—go take a look.”
“…Very well.”
Unfortunately, her excuse was true. The estate had become unusually restless at this late hour.
Could it be an assassin?
Between the Aratus knights and the imperial knights assigned by the emperor, security was tight, so there was little to worry about.
Thanks to that, Agatha was able to finish the remaining paperwork without concern.
She had just signed the last document and reached for her slightly cooled teacup when—
“You told me not to overdo it.”
“……!”
A man’s low voice was heard, and a moment later Allen announced belatedly,
“Marquis Aratus has arrived.”
Agatha stared blankly for a moment at the man standing before the silently opened door.
“…Enoch?”
He looked rougher than when they had first met.
A dust-stained black robe, leather gloves reinforced with steel, clothes tinged with a faint smell of blood, and sturdy military boots.
Because of the forced march, his already sharp jawline looked as though it could cut.
Every detail made it clear he had come straight here the moment he returned, and Agatha rose from her seat in surprise.
“At this hour… what brings you here? Did something happen?”
“……”
Standing at a slight angle, the man soon let out a sigh and politely knocked on the office door.
“I apologize for the rudeness at such a late hour. May I come in?”
“Of course. Allen, bring some warm tea.”
“The tea won’t be necessary. I plan to leave shortly.”
“Oh… I see. Then please, sit here.”
Agatha guided him to the sofa in the office. Sitting across from her, he watched her silently for some time.
“So… did everything go well with what you went to handle?”
“Yes. I wrapped it up cleanly. Even if I’m away for a while, there shouldn’t be any trouble for the time being.”
“That’s a relief.”
Still, why had Enoch come here so late at night?
She was happy to see him, of course—but she couldn’t help worrying that something might be wrong.
After glancing toward the desk behind the sofa, Enoch finally spoke.
“You look more unwell than before. Have you been very busy?”
“Is it that obvious?”
Agatha smiled awkwardly and touched her cheek.
She had hoped to look nice, since it had been a while.
But with going to bed at dawn every day, there was no way her complexion could be good.
“There’s a lot of work, but I also hate letting things pile up. If I don’t check them the same day, problems sometimes crop up later, and then I have to scramble to fix them…”
Managing such a large family alone meant there was always too much to do.
If she didn’t take care of things little by little, she’d suffer later when something unexpected came up.
Of course, problems caused by relatives made things rarely go as planned.
It felt awkward to bring all this up to someone who’d just returned from an exhausting two-week campaign visiting multiple families.
“You must be tired. You should go and rest—I’ll see you to the entrance—”
“Agatha.”
“Yes?”
This was the second time he interrupted her.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I know your schedule for tomorrow?”
“…? Of course. That’s fine.”
Was he curious about how things had progressed?
Since letters alone couldn’t convey everything, Agatha explained the next day’s schedule while weaving in the overall direction of the work.
Enoch listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
“I see. It’s quite late, so I’ll escort you to your room.”
“No, I—”
“It’s already dawn. It seems too late to exchange farewells in the hall.”
That was true… but still.
Even as she placed her hand obediently on his offered arm, Agatha couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being gently led along.
In the end, though she was the homeowner, she was escorted all the way to her door. They exchanged farewells there.
Enoch didn’t leave until she went inside.
Watching the scene with satisfaction, Allen, the chief butler, bowed deeply.
“Thank you for your help, my lord.”
“I would have done it even if you hadn’t asked.”
She had said she’d been busy ever since collapsing and getting back up. Even if she hadn’t shown it, there must have been many nights she stayed awake.
“Looking at her schedule, there are things I can take over.”
“Shall I organize them and bring them to you?”
“I’ll return early in the morning. Don’t wake Agatha. Bring all documents requiring approval to me.”
“Understood.”
With the servants’ respectful send-off, Enoch mounted his horse once more.
Only now did he understand why Agatha was pushing herself so hard.
‘There’s no one around her she can rely on.’
She must have handled everything on her own until now.
Because if she didn’t do it, no one else would.
At the same time, he realized the source of the subtle sense of kinship he’d felt toward her.
When he lost both parents in an instant and was driven onto the battlefield, hadn’t he been the same?
But unlike him—who had gained power and clawed his way out of that mire—she still wore a clear, innocent expression, unaware that anything was even wrong.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Turning back with his knights, Enoch tightened his grip on the reins.
If he hadn’t known, that would be one thing—but now that he did, he had no intention of leaving it be.
Agatha was now his wife.
And he was not foolish enough to repeat a failure he had already lived through once.
