Chapter 14 (1/2)

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CH14

Last night's conversation, which she had barely forgotten about, came to mind again.

Her mind became complicated.

“Princess?”

“Nothing much. I just wanted to get to know him since he's family now. Anyways, what happened with the beasts that broke through the northern line of defence?”

Agnes changed the subject.

“Ah, it's solved now. Due to the large numbers and a form of evil that we've never encountered before, we had a lot of trouble dealing with it.”

“Did you get any injuries?”

Laslo shook his head lightly.

“No.”

“You've worked hard. By the way, have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“No, I haven't eaten yet.”

“Do you want to get breakfast together?”

“Let's do that.”

The couple headed to the dining room in good company.

The meal was simple. The maid didn't even have to move the plates many times. (1)

Boiled potatoes without any seasonings were served.

Laslo picked up the hot potatoes with his hands and quickly put them on Agnes' plate.

“Eat up.”

That way, you'll grow taller. It was as if he omitted that part.

“Potatoes…”

“Huh? Do you not like potatoes?”

There was hot steam rising from the potatoes.

Agnes looked at the potatoes on the plate for a while.

In that moment, she recalled the bundle he handed her on that last day. There were some potatoes like this inside.

She remembered eating it raw because she didn't know how to make a fire.

That wasn't the only thing.

Clothes, small jewellery, coins to use, maps, and dry food were packed into the bundle as well.

What was he thinking about as he was packing it?

What was he thinking about when he sent me away, staying alone to get his limbs cut off and killed?

“Why do you try to bear everything by yourself?”

“What?”

“Why won't you share your baggage with me?”

The contents she had suppressed in her heart spilled out.

Laslo, who didn't understand what she meant, put down his utensils and stared at Agnes.

“What are you talking about?”

“I said I don't regret it.”

As her expression looked grave, he sent out the attendants in the room first.

“Princess.”

“I told you I don't regret marrying you.”

Agnes' voice trembled.

She clenched her fist hard. The fingernails dug into her palm. Still, Agnes couldn't feel any pain.

She could only focus on the man in front of her.

“Remember? What I said to you that night?”

“Yes, I remember.”

Laslo replied quietly.

Agnes confronted him while holding back the surging emotions within her as much as she could.

“You remember? Do you remember? Then why did you cancel the rite? Did what I said sound funny? Did you think it was okay to ignore it because it was spoken by an immature princess?”

Agnes couldn't tell whether this hot feeling rising from deep within her was anger or sadness.

She just felt so stuffy and miserable inside, and so kept tearing at her chest with her hands.

As Agnes spoke louder, Laszlo quietly called out to her.

“It's not that, I just.”

Laslo awkwardly turned his head away and evaded her gaze.

“Is it because of the former d.u.c.h.ess?”

“Princess”

Laslo's eyes changed in an instant.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then let out a deep sigh.

“You must've heard it from Zoltan. I didn't know the two of you would get so close.”

“I don't know what kind of life the former d.u.c.h.ess of Alpharde has lived. So I can't just judge(2).”

“Stop talking about it.”

His voice had gradually become lower and eventually sounded like an animal growling.

Of course, Agnes wasn't scared at all. Rather, she took a step closer to Laslo.

“I do not regret it.”

Agnes dwelled over the sentence several times.

“I'm going to die here.”

Her glowing eyes were incredibly firm.

“In this castle, I'm going to die with you. I will never run away again, nor will I be the only one to survive.”

Agnes panted heavily, unable to calm her agitated self.

She still dreams of a blood-soaked Zoltan and of Laslo's severed right arm, with only half the flesh remaining.

Ney would wake Agnes up, drenched in cold sweat and ask her what kind of nightmare it was, but she couldn't get it out of her mouth.

Her eyes turned red.

Agnes did not want to tear up again in front of this man, so she stubbornly raised her head to the ceiling. As she took a deep breath, her tears dried up.

Only then was she able to make eye contact with Laslo.

“So please believe in me. Accept me as your wife.”

The wrinkles on Laslo's forehead deepened.