Home/My Youngest Keeps Bringing Me Male Leads/ch 28

Chapter 28

"You intend to wait and see."

"Yes. It would be inconvenient if they realized we know who's behind it."

"How long?"

"When he tries to release the captain, we can track him then."

"Is there a way?"

Agnes fell silent for a moment at that.

Covert investigation and tracking were unfamiliar territory for her, having grown up as a viscount's daughter.

Silmare smiled faintly.

"You're hesitating again. You think I'm well-suited for the job, don't you?"

Agnes silently nodded.

"Yes. I'd appreciate it if you could do it as you did last night, but..."

She was more proactive than yesterday, but hesitation still lingered.

All sorts of worries and anxieties rippled in her eyes.

Watching her, he found it strange how much he wanted to do everything for her.

Even though he hadn't known her for long.

"Agnes, you can tell me anything you want."

Silmare reached out his hand.

Thinking he wanted to check the mark, she extended her hand.

He bowed his head and pressed his lips deeply to the back of her hand.

It was no light greeting.

The cool, soft sensation reached even between her fingers.

Startled, she pulled her hand away, and his breath brushed her fingertips.

She wanted to tell him he shouldn't do this, but seeing Silmare's gaze, she couldn't say a word.

Silmare was still looking up at her with his head bowed.

As if gazing at something dazzling.

"Do you know what it feels like to be fated as your Seed from birth?"

"What did it feel like?"

"At first, it was bewildering and overwhelming, but now I'm glad it's you."

"Why... I'm just an ordinary person."

"Everyone around you has their own dark motives for staying by your side, so I have my reasons too. So feel free to use me. I am simply someone who belongs to you."

When he whispered that with those beautiful lips—

Had her heart stopped for a moment?

Or was it beating so fast that her ears were numb and she couldn't hear?

In a sensation where the surrounding noise grew distant, he reached out to her.

His slender, elegant fingertips touched her burning cheek coolly.

She had closed her eyes without meaning to, so she couldn't see his expression.

When she opened her eyes again, Silmare had returned to a calm expression, as if nothing had happened.

"Agnes."

Leaning back slowly into the sofa, Silmare continued with quiet eyes.

"Tell me in detail what you want done. It's my task, so the decision is mine."

She had intended to do this for Amy, who was struggling far away.

'But it might be dangerous.'

With a heavy heart, Agnes nodded.

"Yes. I'd like you to go, Sir Silmare."

"However, I'm worried because I'm quite conspicuous."

"That problem can be solved. My siblings are in Calben City right now. If I say that since you're staying at our house and it's your first time in the empire in a long time, my siblings are showing you around... that would be a plausible excuse."

"On the other hand, it's also a way to protect your siblings."

"That's right."

Agnes let out a groan-like sigh.

"I know it's shameless of me to ask for even more after all you've done..."

"So you won't ask?"

Silmare smiled playfully, and Agnes couldn't help but smile back weakly.

"No. I really want to ask you."

"Good. If anything else troubles you, feel free to tell me."

It seemed he was referring to last night's incident, but unlike Ignitan, his manner was gentler and warmer.

"That's not being shameless. It's you opening your heart to me."

"It's not an imposition or making you uncomfortable?"

"I'd prefer to say it's leaning on each other."

Silmare's playful expression suddenly turned serious.

"Sometimes, someone with no stake in the matter can offer a more honest hand. Above all..."

He paused briefly, then averted his gaze like a sulking child.

"When you say that, it sounds like I have no connection to you and no right to interfere—that makes me a little sad."

"Well..."

Agnes started to deny it, but then lowered her head.

A complete stranger.

Not someone related to her, someone who would soon leave.

So it was right not to exchange more help than necessary.

Could she say she didn't think that?

"I'm sure there will be times when I need to ask Agnes for help in return."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Or you could pass on the help I've given you to others. Like the cycle of nature."

Hearing that, she felt a little lighter.

Her heart swelled almost ridiculously, so Agnes bit her lip to keep from showing it.

"In that spirit, Agnes, I have something for you."

"Pardon?"

Before she could decline, Silmare took a handful of half-dried herbs from his bosom.

"It's an herb called Lapatio. It grows not far from here, so I picked it on my way back."

"I've never heard of it."

"If you dry the leaves and brew them as tea, it relieves fatigue. Try it on mornings like today, when you haven't slept."

How did he know she hadn't slept a wink all night?

Startled, she looked up, and Silmare smiled softly.

"I thought you would."

"Are you also knowledgeable about herbs?"

"Of course. All living things are my friends."

He bowed his head gracefully.

"Shall we go have breakfast together? After the meal, I'll depart for Calben City."

"Thank you, Sir Silmare."

"Agnes."

After a brief hesitation, he tilted his eyes and smiled warmly.

"Your happiness is my joy. Please don't forget that."

Before Silmare left for Calben City.

Agnes wrote a letter to the city magistrate of Calben.

'I wrote down everything that happened yesterday, but...'

According to the information from Silmare, it seemed they wouldn't take any special action.

'They only broke in—there's no proof they tried to kill anyone, so it could be brushed aside as a simple trespassing.'

If it was just going to be treated as trespassing, they could simply give a light punishment, so why imprison Miller?

'Perhaps they're being extremely cautious in case of trouble.'

Thinking of him as a scapegoat to cover something up made everything fall into place.

After sealing the letter, Agnes said goodbye to Silmare.

After he finally left for Calben City—

Returning to her room, Agnes took out a letter she had kept in the drawer.

It was from the Countess of Waldemar.

The leave Agnes had first been promised was one week.

Before the deadline was even up, the Countess had sent Agnes a letter.

Having heard rumors that Agnes was repairing the mansion, it said she could stay longer for the time being.

When she had later replied that it seemed difficult to continue as a governess—

'I was worried she might be angry or upset.'

The Countess's reply was unexpectedly warm.

She expressed surprise that Amy's money from the Crack had eased things, and wrote, "You can take your time repaying the debt, so focus on your family's affairs for a while."

Only the last line bothered her.

[Leonard and Cedric miss you very much. Please be sure to visit them soon.]

'To repay the Countess's kindness, I'll go whenever she calls.'

Making that vow, Agnes wrote a reply and entrusted it to Alfred.

"Next..."

She had to deal with the ledgers that had triggered yesterday's incident.

Looking at the pile of promissory notes stuffed in the filing cabinet, a sigh escaped her.

"How am I ever going to get through all of this."

But thinking of Amy snapped her back to attention.

She was exhausted from not sleeping a wink last night, but Agnes had the Lapatio from Silmare.

Amazingly, after drinking the tea, her fatigue eased somewhat, just as he'd said.

Thanks to that, she was able to focus on calculations through the afternoon.

But by late afternoon, unable to fight the drowsiness, Agnes fell asleep at her desk.

How much time had passed?

The door opened silently.

Beyond it stood a man with black hair falling to his waist, wearing a navy shirt and black jacket.

Entering a noble lady's room without permission, Cesenor moved naturally.

As if he'd known she would be the only one there.

Leaving the sleeping Agnes undisturbed, Cesenor picked up the scattered papers on the desk one by one and examined them.

The papers were covered with Agnes's scribbled calculations in pen.

A smile crossed Cesenor's lips as he saw them.

When Agnes opened her eyes—

The room was dark, the sun having set.

A warm blanket was draped over her shoulders.

In front of the desk, Cesenor sat leaning back in a chair.

"Are you hurt?"

"M-Marquis?!"

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