“–You think I hired you for pity.”

After Bernard’s words, she said.

“Is that wrong?”

He took a deep sigh and started his confession.

“In the beginning, it was a petty revenge.”

“!”

Agnes quickly turns pale, confused as if trying to remember what did she do to him.
Bernard immediately shook his head and denied.

“No, you didn’t do anything bad. I’m at fault here.”

Agnes, who has no idea what he is saying, leans her head.
Bernard started talking as he was almost crushed by his own guilty conscience.

“… 5 years ago”

It can be called a fatal event.

The daughter of a count and the son of a Viscount, their encounter was inevitable.
Agnes was a celebrity in social circles, and Bernard was one of those that nobody knows.
There was no way he would leave a good impression — no, to be noticed by someone who was greeted by dozens of people more notorious than him.

“I don’t suppose you remember, but we were at an evening party–“

“I remember.”

Agnes puts her hand on her chest and says happily.

On the other hand, Bernard had an even more guilty look.

“At that time you stared at me, your eyes narrowed because your vision is so weak.”

“Yes. I heard the name and remembered the bear knight, so I was wondering who he was–“

“Is that so…”

“Yes. Now that I think of it, it was very rude of my part.”

“No, that’s fine. The problem is what I did after that.”

“?”

(Come on! Make the decision and confess!)

“… At that time, I thought that you were looking down on me, because I was a country aristocrat”

“Well, I narrowed my eyes and stared at you in that way, so that’s under–“

“Yes, I know! I was narrow-minded, and it was a one-sided mistake on my part.”

He turned away from the truly pure essence of Agnes, believed the rumors and formed a false image of her.
That she was a proud high-ranking noble without moral.

He told her that he decided to hire her, as a humiliation in retribution for what he thought she did at that evening party.
For the prideful noblewoman he imagined, having to serve as the servant of a low-ranking aristocrat, would be intolerable.

“So that’s why! I’m not the kind of guy you think I’m! I’m impatient, shallow, and narrow-minded!”

“No, Bernard…”

“No! You are projecting your ideals on me, but I’m not like that!”

“No, I don’t think–“

He pushed Agnes’ shoulder away since she was trying to close the distance between them, thinking she was just trying to deny it to not see who he really is.
However, she didn’t obey this time, she got closer to him again and said.

“… Even if the first hand that you extended to me had other intentions, I know that Bernard is a kind person and has noble aspirations. You’re always a knight.”

A part of what Bernard said is true, when she met him she projected her ideas of the perfect knight on him, but as time passed by, she fell in love with the real Bernard.

“I don’t think all the good memories I got from the time spent here, are all lies.”

“That is–“

As Agnes said, the time they lived together in that house, their good and bad moments, their feelings, everything… There’s no lie in it.
The revelation was so stunning and it reached him so fast that he couldn’t respond.

“I feel like, since I came here, you’ve been protecting me… even now! And this feeling… I believe it’s true, it’s a pure pure feeling!”

“…”

“So, this time, I want to protect Bernard.”

Agnes is weak and does not have the power to protect anyone.
So, she offered all she has, the necklace of her mother to Bernard, praying that it protects him from now on.

“I can’t accept such an important thing”
“Can you wear it for a while and then return it to me?”

She only wants that Bernard’s problem resolves fast, so he doesn’t have to worry that much every day.

“This is also a selfish wish of mine.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to… be a little bit more connected with Bernard. Could you fulfill such a shallow woman’s wish?”

Bernard instinctively covered his face with one hand.
… If he is not the kind of man she thinks?

Agnes gently put her hand on his fist that was still strongly gripped on his knee.

“I’m worried that my weak eyesight fails me…”

She smiles, as if saying that she is glad of having poor eyesight, because she has an excuse to be close to him.
The moment he heard it, the Bernard worries disappears, as if the black mist covering him suddenly becomes beautifully bright.

“Thank you… Agnes”
“I will return you the same words.”

After it, Bernard received the offered necklace.

He picked up a square lamp to illuminate the blue round gemstone.
It’s a mysterious thing with multiple layers of cracks, but it gives off a beautiful glow when illuminated.

Suddenly, Bernard notices.

“What’s this?”

Agnes didn’t understand the meaning, and asked if something went wrong.
He was looking at the wall and at the necklace at the same time.

“This is–!!”

The white wall was dyed blue because the square lamp’s light was being reflected by the jewel.
But that is not all.
The blue light projected in the wall was showing an image, something like a map.

“Is this a map of the capital?!”

“Yes, I think it’s.”

The picture of a treasure chest was drawn in the forest near Bernard’s house, just outside the royal capital.

“Is there something…?”

“Don’t you know about it?”

“No, I was told to use it when I was in trouble, that is all.”

“Yes. That’s right, maybe your mother didn’t know about it either…”

Bernard was relieved while talking.
Now everything is more clear, the wedding dress stolen, a newspaper article as if to find Agnes, the mystery of her father’s scandal.

All the incidents are starting to connect.

“Agnes, did you tell anyone about this necklace?”

Listening, she shakes her head.

“Ok, don’t tell anyone from now on.”

Agnes nodded without asking why.
Bernard still feels a little worried about her obedient attitude.
As a precaution, he asks her to promise it.

“I will keep this.”

“Thank you”

“Do you remember your promise?”

“Don’t talk about the necklace.”

“Ok”

Agnes hold her little finger in the air, toward him.

“What?”

“It’s a magic spell for making promises.”

“…”

To entwines their little fingers.
Bernard recalled how many times he had done it with his mother and Gigille, when he was a child, saying he would never do it again.

He’s an adult now, so he has more reasons to not do it.

“Bernard”

“…Uhm?”

When they stare at each other eyes, their pulse accelerates.
Just to avoid it, he accepts to do take the oath in that way and entwined his little finger with the thin little finger of Agnes, feeling awkward.
Agnes whispers as if singing.

“–I swear that my promises will be kept forever”

“… I swear”

Although her finger is weaker, Agnes doesn’t let go of him.

“Hey”

“Ah, sorry”

Agnes turns her face away while her cheeks dyed red.
Bernard does the same, thinking that she looks too cute, if he kept looking at her, he will end up confessing more things he doesn’t want to.

Thus, their long conversation is over.

◇◇◇◇

Next day, Bernard goes to work and spends his day as usual.

Regarding Agnes, he was thinking of consulting with his boss, before going back home.

Tomorrow is a holiday, and he was planning to go on a picnic as he promised to Agnes.
But just looking the amount of work he has to do for the day, he already wants to go back home.

When the bell that signals the end of the break rings, he changes his mind.

“Take a look at the documents that have been delivered this morning, it’s about the theft that happened the other day.”

“No new information has been reported.”

If you read a report that doesn’t make any progress on the case, you will naturally get wrinkles between your brows.
At the same time as the bell rings, signaling the end of the daytime shift, a subordinate come.
He is coming to talk with Bernard.

Bernard asked what he wanted, the name of his sister-in-law Ingrit, spilled from his lips very shyly.
He went to the meeting room while tilting his neck, and found Ingrit with a blue face sitting there.

“… Sister-in-law?”

“I’m sorry, Bernard”

(Ingrit is apologizing? For what? For having come to my workplace without telling me first?)
When asked if something happened, she nodded heavily.

“–Agnes has been kidnapped.”

Translated by Djurasico (dot) home (dot) blog