'' Agnes...
Won't you regret it?''
a deep, steady, anxious voice asking the woman sitting at the tea table in front of him; his dark black eyes were fixed at her through his glasses while she was staring at the dark sky from the octagon-shaped window.
Deep silence dropped.
The stars were bright and shining; even the moon was glowing. Agnes's golden eyes stared deeply at the moon. The man couldn't see her facial expression because the only light source in the room was the stars; her long black hair covered her face. She looked down at the cup of tea and reached for it with her pale white hand.
He bit the inside of his cheek; with an anxious, quiet voice, he mumbled
''I am just worried.''
Agnes's face shifted from the teacup to look at him; with a quiet, lovely voice, she said,
''Ren, it's going to be alright.
She paused for a moment and then continued.
There is nothing to regret; it's my choice at the end, my love.''
He walked closely to her, sat on his knees and put his head on her lap. She stroked his semi-long white hair carefully. Each stroke was with love and care, like she was telling him everything will be alright with every touch.
''I am sorry. I am sorry.''
Ren kept mumbling.
Agnes stayed silent, knowing that whatever she was going to say would make him feel heavier.
The sky softened from charcoal to pale blue. Light crept in gently in the room, waking up the sleeping beauty from her sleep – or that's what we thought would happen.
''AAAAAAGGGNEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS'' a loud voice came from a short red-haired woman as she was entering Agnes's bedroom.
The room was spacious, cloaked in a rich black theme. Golden lights glowed softly from above; in the centre stood a grand king-sized bed. Surrounding it, tall bookshelves lined the walls—dark wood filled with volumes that gave the space a sense of lived-in thoughtfulness. A small tea table rested near a large pentagon window, where the curtains looked heavy but open, inviting in a sliver of the outside world.
''Fidela, just five more minutes, please.'' Agnes drawled.
''Five more minutes, you say???? I worked so hard for the past six months so I can join you in your journey. Do you think taking two years holiday from the Black Knight crops is easy??? Good thing I have got more money than sense to pay some fees, or I will be doomed,'' Fidela said in a very pissed tone as she was removing the blanket from Agnes and waking her up.
''Awww, my cute little wolf is such a caring person,'' Agnes playfully said as she was hugging Fidela's arm.
''You don't have to worry about me, as I am going to wear something simple. You have to wake up Ren; he is such a heavy sleeper; it's going to be a pain to wake him up now,'' Agnes said as she let out a gleefully evil giggle.
Fidela looked at Agnes as she was patting her head and then said
''You both will be the end of me one day.
She sighed and then continued while she was leaving the room.
''Go get ready. I will go wake up Ren and make sure everything is alright before we depart, and you have to talk to your father. Don't forget.''
''aye, aye, Captain,'' Agnes laughed as she was entering the bathroom.
as she was washing her face,
Agnes stared into the mirror, eyes fixed but unfocused, like she was looking through herself rather than at herself. Her reflection was empty. There were no emotions, no tears, and no smiles.
Inside, there was nothing. not a single feeling; it felt like a
Black hole
consuming every emotion she has.
'This is the journey I've wanted for so long.
So why does it feel like I'm not even here?
Why does it feel like I am watching it from afar?'
She told herself she should feel something. Anything.
I should be crying. I should be smiling. I should feel alive right now.
But instead, her body felt heavy. Her chest was tight—not with emotion,
but with the absence of it.
What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me?
Her entire body trembled.
Trembled with fear,
Fear of the numbness eating her,
Fear of the black void consuming her whole mental existence,
She started to hit her thighs repeatedly.
Enough, enough, enough, please, please snap out of it.
After a couple of minutes, she finally snapped out of it; she washed her red hands and thighs with cold water to cool off the pain and the tension and then went to get dressed.
She dressed in a plain, under-knee-length brown farm dress, the kind that clung to routine more than style. Her dark black hair caught the morning light as she pulled it back into a simple ponytail.
She had to make sure she looked like nothing more than a simple traveller—certainly not the sheltered daughter of a wealthy merchant.
As she finished, a maid entered the room.
''Miss Agnes, Lord Greytusk is calling you.''
Agnes nodded and followed the maid down a hallway. Everything around her was astonishing—bathed in a warm gradient of orange and gold from the magic stones hanging along the walls. Magic rocks with these two colours were rare and costly because they weren't bright and they were warm, but such extravagance meant little to the Earl; he was a successful merchant afterall. A faint smile touched her lips as a thought crossed her mind:
He's really not making this easy for me.
There weren't many doors along the hallway—just four rooms besides Agnes's bedroom. A library that was beside her room, two other bedrooms for Ren and Fidela and At the end of the hallway stood the Earl's office, marked by a pair of tall, polished brown doors.
The maid knocked at the door as she said.
''Miss Agnes is here, my lord.''
A deep, cold but calm and steady voice spoke from behind the doors.
"You may enter.''