Chapter 90: Deeper Understanding of Agnes
An hour after dawn.
The morning sun seeped into Vivienne’s bedroom through the clear glass windows.
The door clicked open and Linda walked in, pushing a wooden cart containing toiletries and freshly ironed clothes.
Just a few steps into the room, a strong naughty scent filled her nose, and she saw scattered clothes everywhere.
Her gaze unknowingly turned toward the bed and she saw Vivienne and Vincent snuggling, completely in the nude and without a blanket over them.
Linda froze in her tracks as she realized she intruded upon something extremely private.
It was her daily schedule to bring this cart before her Madam woke up, but who would’ve thought that today...
Linda placed the cart in a corner and turned around to leave, but then stopped.
She first picked the scattered clothes on the floor, and then as she was about to pick it from the bed, she saw something she really shouldn’t have.
The young master’s shaft was still lodged in her Madam’s behind.
Her cheeks flushed.
Linda quickly picked the clothes, draped a blanket over the two, and hurriedly left.
She came back after a few minutes with another cart carrying toiletries and a change of clothes for Vincent.
She left and stood guard at the door, ensuring nobody accidentally intruded.
Three hours past dawn.
The main hall of D’Arc Manor was warm from the morning sun pouring through its tall windows.
Agnes sat on the couch opposite Vincent and Vivienne.
She wore the same pristine black dress Vincent remembered from the previous iteration. Her posture remained straight without appearing stiff, one leg crossed neatly over the other while her gloved fingers rested around a cup of unsweetened black tea.
Vincent was considerably less presentable.
His hair had been combed in a hurry, leaving several strands sticking out near the back. One side of his collar was slightly folded inward, and Anastasia had only noticed after Agnes arrived that two buttons on his waistcoat had been fastened through the wrong holes.
Fortunately, the table hid most of the damage.
The opening conversation proceeded almost exactly as Vincent remembered.
Formal greetings.
Agnes politely apologized for arriving on short notice.
Vincent asked about her journey.
Then he suggested dropping the unnecessary titles between them.
Agnes accepted and told him to address her by name as well.
[Ding!]
[Entanglement increased.]
[Subject: Agnes Falkner]
[Entanglement: Friction Link(stable) → Active Link(unstable)]
Vincent barely reacted to the familiar notification.
Vivienne similarly allowed Agnes to address her as Senior, and after that, the atmosphere became slightly less ceremonial.
Though, Agnes still did not seem like a casual acquaintance but an actual royalty with the way she carried herself. She didn’t even need a title to state who she was.
"So..." Vincent picked up his tea. "...what brings you here, Agnes?"
The conversation followed the past iteration’s flow.
The halted railways.
Factories slowing.
Coal and food shipments being delayed.
Commoners beginning to lose work.
Agnes wanted House D’Arc to find a middle ground before problems that could still be managed became a crisis.
Vincent zoned out once again when she was at the important parts.
He took a sip of tea, and his mind wandered to what happened in the morning when he woke up.
He woke up beside his mother, and found his morning wood not pressing against the usual fabric of his pants, but enveloped inside something warm and tight.
Knowing what was happening, he wanted to continue while kissing and cuddling, but Vivienne stopped him with one finger against his lips.
She then said, "My dear, desire is nothing to be ashamed of."
Vincent was glad to know this and wanted to continue, however...
"But allowing desire to decide when you eat, sleep, work and think is another matter entirely."
Vincent wasn’t so glad anymore.
"You are young. You have only recently discovered these pleasures, so mommy understands why you are excited."
Vivienne gently pinched his cheek.
"But remember something."
Her expression had turned slightly serious.
"A man who cannot govern himself has no business governing others."
Vincent actually paused everything and thought about this. This line struck harder than it should’ve.
He then tried to negotiate a kiss, but Linda walked in to state that Agnes was travelling toward the manor, and would be here soon.
What happened next wasn’t something Vincent expected.
His mother asked Linda to dress him up, then he was chased out of her bedroom.
Linda saw everything there was on him in the few seconds she took to dress him up.
Vincent’s face was red when he made his way toward his own room.
’I didn’t even get a kiss!’
Vincent glanced at his mother while taking another sip of tea.
Vivienne had no change of expression on her face.
’Does she even love me?’ He wondered, then shifted his attention back to Agnes.
He first replied to her. It was the same as before, but with a few changes that made Agnes speak about the different demands from the merchants, nobles, factory owners, and provincial officials.
Some demands contradicted each other entirely.
Vincent frowned and couldn’t help but ask, "Doesn’t listening to all of that annoy you?"
This was a new response from Vincent.
The hands about to lift the teacup stopped, and Agnes met Vincent’s gaze.
Vivienne glanced at him too.
"It does," she said.
The question Vincent asked was a personal one, something an acquaintance would ask.
To see him be informal and worry for her was what surprised Agnes slightly. They had only just met and he seemed to have gotten comfortable around her.
Vincent did not understand the weight of his own words yet and continued, "Then why entertain all of it?"
Agnes glanced down at her cup.
"Even if they’re wrong, they’re the kingdom’s subjects. As the next in line, it’s my duty to listen."
Her tone remained calm.
"A merchant considers his business. A worker considers his wages. A lord considers his territory. All of them understand their interests, and none of them understand the kingdom as a whole. This makes them appear wrong but..."
Agnes glanced at Vincent while lightly resting one hand over the other.
"...it’s not their responsibility to think about the kingdom. That responsibility belongs to the Crown."
Vincent learnt something new today, and understood what it means to be a King.
Though, he still wondered, "What if they’re actually very selfish and also wrong?"
"I’ll still listen."
"And then?"
"I’ll decide."
There was no arrogance in those words.
Agnes stated it like an unavoidable fact.
"Speaking is their right, coming to a decision is mine. Refusing to simply listen because I expect disagreement is a foolish thing to do as a ruler."
Her gaze then lowered briefly toward the railway reports on the table.
"I can’t satisfy everyone’s needs, but if there comes a situation where everyone leaves satisfied, then it means I probably avoided making a decision at all."
Vincent went silent as those words settled in.
Something then clicked.
In the past iteration, he thought that maybe Agnes liked efficiency and helped her with it.
But now, he knew that wasn’t quite right.
She did not hate discussion because it wasted her working hours.
She most likely hated useless delay because problems continued worsening while people argued.
She listened because she had to understand what’s best for the people overall and for the kingdom.
Once she understood enough, she would come to a decision and bear whatever followed from it.
Vincent leaned back.
’So that’s what it is.’
He understood Agnes better now.
He looked toward the railway map.
"I understand. Let’s make this simpler then."
Agnes’s attention returned to him.
"House D’Arc will restore civilian railway operations."
Her expression barely changed, but Vincent noticed her shoulders ease slightly.
"However, there will probably be shortages for a while. Too many trains have been halted at once."
"That is unavoidable."
"Right."
Vincent straightened his back and stared at her seriously.
"Rail is a vital infrastructure of House D’Arc. It’s our pride, and we wouldn’t let anyone else interfere with it."
Vivienne and the maid nearby looked at Vincent, amused by the words he had just spoken.
Before, he never considered the house affairs, let alone being proud of it.
Now, it was different. He had changed, and everyone could feel his love for the house from one sentence itself.
"However..." Vincent looked at Agnes and continued, "you can make decisions for the railways and direct wherever you wish them to go."
Vincent’s eyes turned serious.
"But let me make one thing clear. It’s you, Agnes, who D’Arc likes. The control is in your hands, not the Crown’s. If we see more involvement than necessary..."
Vincent didn’t continue and let Agnes interpret it however she wished.
The hall fell silent.
Agnes’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Vivienne calmly took a sip of tea while the maids clutched their dresses.
The atmosphere was tense as the young master had given a warning to the Crown Princess so blatantly.
This was not the way one spoke with royalty!
Even if they dropped formalities, the status was still there which shouldn’t be ignored.
A few seconds later, a notification rang in Vincent’s head as a line of words appeared before his eyes.
[Ding!]
[Entanglement increased.]
[Subject: Agnes Falkner]
[Entanglement: Active Link(unstable) → Resonant Link(unstable)]
Vincent almost raised an eyebrow.
"I understand," Agnes said. "House D’Arc has my sincerest gratitude."
Vincent shook his hand. "There’s no need to be so formal. We’re friends now, aren’t we?"
He smiled.
A slight flicker ran through Agnes’s eyes as Vincent’s words echoed in her mind.
’Friends...’
The word continued to linger.
A second later, Vincent got another notification.
[Ding!]
[Entanglement increased.]
[Subject: Agnes Falkner]
[Entanglement: Resonant Link(unstable) → Resonant Link(stable)]
Vincnet was surprised and dumbfounded by the development.
He looked at Agnes and wondered, ’Lady, you just wanted some friends!?’