Chapter 14
He first met his nephew Timothy at Greta’s funeral.
The nephew, whom he had never seen before, was a boy with an unusually pale complexion and an appearance strikingly similar to Marquis Reynold.
Ethan hadn’t seen Greta once since she married Marquis Reynold. Though they had lost their parents early and were left with only each other, both siblings were of stoic temperament and far from affectionate.
He didn’t see the need to make time to meet her when he was busy. Though they didn’t meet, the letters they exchanged occasionally suggested Greta was doing well.
Even when she sent a letter informing him of her son’s birth, Greta didn’t ask him to visit. She, more than anyone, knew how busy Ethan’s life was.
Since Greta had married into the Reynold family, Ethan had to take over the responsibilities she had once handled. After all, she couldn’t continue managing family affairs as a member of another household.
At the time, Ethan was only sixteen years old.
It was a heavy burden even for someone like Ethan—managing the territory’s administration, fulfilling duties as a member of the royal guard, and serving as head of House Bartenberg. To make things worse, the overly active crown prince often dragged him into military expeditions. To put it mildly, Ethan had spent years barely able to breathe.
It was only when he returned from a campaign and had finally started adjusting that the news arrived.
The Marquis and Marchioness Reynold had died. Greta was dead.
The Greta he hadn’t seen in over eight years lay quietly in her coffin.
Side by side with the husband she had loved so dearly.
Leaving behind their young son alone.
“Johan, what was the official cause of death for Marquis Reynold and his wife?”
“I heard it was a tragic riding accident.”
“Greta fell from a horse?”
“Yes. It happened during a hunting trip in the estate’s grounds…”
“Hah.”
Ethan let out a bitter scoff without realizing.
Greta was more skilled on horseback than anyone—himself included. Even if she’d been out of practice for years, the idea of her falling during a leisurely hunt was laughable.
Ethan took Timothy from the funeral without hesitation. The Reynold family strongly objected, of course, but he ignored them.
The marquisate would eventually pass to the sole son, but only after he turned fifteen. If Ethan hadn’t stepped in, guardianship would’ve gone to a distant branch of the Reynold family—along with control of all Timothy’s inheritance and authority.
The hunting grounds where Greta had died belonged to the Reynolds. Ethan didn’t know who the murderer was, but it meant someone present that day was responsible.
He couldn’t hand over Greta and her husband’s only child to the very people who had likely killed them.
It wasn’t sentimentality that made him bring the boy—it wasn’t that Timothy, whom he’d met for the first time, looked particularly endearing. If he could find the culprit behind the Reynold couple’s deaths, Ethan was willing to return the child to innocent hands.
He didn’t think it would take long. So he figured he’d hire a half-decent tutor, give the boy food and shelter, and let him grow up on his own.
But finding even a “half-decent” tutor was no easy task.
For some reason, every tutor they hired quit within a few days. The aging butler was the one who suffered most from the revolving door.
A year passed like that.
They finally managed to find a new tutor, but she turned out to be troublesome in a whole new way.
“Welcome back, Your Grace.”
Before Ethan could speak, Johan stepped in front of Agnes.
“T-Teacher! What are you doing here? You’re not allowed in without permission!”
Agnes, with gauze on her cheek, replied nonchalantly.
“I didn’t go in. I was just waiting outside the door.”
Then, with an unbothered look, she peered over Johan’s shoulder at Ethan. Ethan let his gaze linger on her face. Despite the wide gauze, a red mark was still visible.
“What is it? Changed your mind and decided to quit?”
“Of course not.”
“Then?”
“I had something to say, so I waited. I wasn’t sure when you’d return, so I told myself I’d wait just one more hour. Looks like I got lucky.”
When Ethan didn’t stop her, Agnes began speaking without hesitation.
“…You really do talk a lot, teacher.”
“Try dealing with kids all day. It happens naturally. Anyway, Your Grace, I have something to say. Do you have a moment?”
“You’ve already said plenty. And you still have more?”
“I haven’t even started. Oh, are you tired? If you’re tired, I don’t mind waiting longer. I’ve got nothing but time today, and also…”
Agnes pulled out her pocket watch to check the time. It was past 5 PM.
“Who’s worrying about whom right now?”
“Ah…”
Only then did Agnes seem to realize who she was speaking to. Worrying about the man known as the empire’s top knight—it was laughable, really.
“Sorry. I was being silly.”
“No need to apologize.”
Ethan grabbed the door handle. Agnes stepped back briefly, then promptly followed him into the study.
Johan looked at Ethan cautiously and asked,
“Your Grace, shall I prepare your dinner?”
“Bring it here.”
“Yes, understood—”
“Wait! Your Grace! You don’t have any more plans for the evening, do you?”
Agnes suddenly cut in, interrupting Johan. He shot her a worried look.
“Please, teacher…”
“This is perfect! I was just about to ask a favor. The doctor said I fainted from shock, and due to accumulated fatigue, I should rest for a few days. I was fine, really…”
“You should listen to the doctor, teacher.”
Ethan propped his chin as he sat in his chair.
“I do think it’s best to listen, but I’m not in bad enough shape to need a vacation. Still, the butler heard the diagnosis and forced me to take five days off. Isn’t that unfair?”
“…”
“So, I have to return home for five days. But I’m really worried about leaving Timothy alone. I just can’t bring myself to go.”
“…”
“I’ve been eating lunch and dinner with Timothy lately, even though we haven’t officially started a curriculum. If he suddenly has to eat alone, he’ll be so lonely…”
“That’s not something you need to worry about, teacher.”
Ethan spoke with mild sarcasm, indicating she was overstepping.
Agnes clearly picked up on his tone. She played dumb, but she wasn’t actually oblivious. She could sense the exact moment Ethan was about to get truly annoyed—and backed off just in time.
It was that constant teetering on the edge that made him let her keep talking. Tilting his head, he noticed a flicker in her gray eyes.
He saw an unpleasant emotion cross her face, then vanish.
It wasn’t the kind of positive emotion Dalia had shown him when looking at him. In fact, she looked more frightened than anything else. But it passed quickly, and she opened her mouth again.
“You’re right. But Timothy’s table manners still need work.”
“…”
“So, I’d like to ask you for a favor. Not much—just dinner for the next five days. Or even just three. Could you have dinner with Timothy?”
“I’m busy.”
“Then just today. You said you don’t have any plans tonight.”
“Didn’t you hear me tell Johan to bring dinner to my study, teacher?”
“But it’s just a little over an hour…”
“I’m not so idle that I can waste an hour on something unnecessary.”
“…”
“If you’re done, you can leave.”
But Agnes didn’t leave.
Ignoring her wasn’t difficult. He was used to being stared at.
Rather than order her out again or have Johan throw her out, Ethan decided to just let her be.
Time passed. At least 20 minutes must have gone by.
Ethan eventually looked up. He grew curious about the expression on Agnes’s face now that she was finally silent. She always babbled nonstop in front of him, like silence was a threat. The mere fact that she was quiet was strangely fascinating.
The fading sunlight fell across her worn face.
Agnes was very expressive. Her words were loud, and her expressions just as noisy. But now, her face was unreadable as she stared at him.
Did she finally lose her spark?
Her blank expression looked grim, like she was deep in thought. Ethan spoke first.
“I told you to leave.”
“…”
“If you still have something to say—”
“I was thinking.”
Agnes replied curtly.
“I managed to reach Timothy’s heart by being persistent—by repeating myself, showing interest, and repeating again…”
“Did it work?”
“Maybe just a little?”
“And the reward for his ‘slightly open heart’ was getting covered in dye and fainting? I’m curious what I’d get if he fully opened up.”
“Well, yes. But still…”
Agnes quietly inhaled and continued.
“I was wondering… how I might convince Your Grace to help me.”
“It’s wise to give up on impossible things, teacher.”
“…”
“A deal only works if both parties gain something. I have nothing to gain from you, do I?”
Ethan found himself talking more than usual around Agnes. Maybe because if he didn’t reply, the conversation would never end. A few responses turned into more.
Agnes suddenly lifted her head, eyes sparkling.
“How about compensation?”
“…”
“You said Timothy is under your care, so the accident is your responsibility, right? And you said you’d offer compensation!”
“You’re the one who turned down the compensation.”
“I don’t need money.”
Ethan let out a laugh.
“So you think your bruised cheek is worth my time?”
“No. Not my injury—your sense of responsibility is what’s valuable.”
She had a way with words. Ethan looked at her grinning face in disbelief. She seemed convinced this ridiculous idea was brilliant.
“Think about it, Your Grace. It’s not such a bad deal. You have to eat anyway. And you did say you’d take responsibility…”
“Enough.”
His head throbbed. Agnes wasn’t disheartened—once she got going, she kept talking. If he let her be, who knew how long she’d go on?
“I get it. Now leave.”
“Roger!”
“If you say one more word, I’ll pretend this never happened—and you’re fired.”
“Mm!”
Agnes clamped both hands over her mouth.
“Out.”
Still muffling her mouth, she nodded vigorously. She didn’t even reply, but her expression alone was loud.
It was a strange kind of talent.
