Following the central hallway of the viscount’s mansion to the northernmost interior, a massive walnut door appeared.

Carved on that door was an eagle spreading its wings and taking flight, its eyes so lifelike that the viscount’s young son would often freeze before it, unable to rashly extend his arm over the door.

The bird of prey above the door had not dulled at all since the distant childhood days.

However, the viscount’s son had now grown enough to no longer feel choked by the door’s imposing presence.

After a polite knock, Ansel strode into the study of William Blaine, the 1st Viscount Monmouth.

As always, the inside of the door was filled with the heavy scent of leather and the sharp smell of formaldehyde.

The study’s air, with the added scent of tobacco, gave a strange sense of pressure to those who entered.

What made the space even more peculiar, as if time had stopped, were the taxidermied animals.

A hawk with spread wings, a roaring bear, a black panther and lion baring their teeth fiercely.

All were hunted by Viscount Monmouth.

Looking into their dull, lifeless eyes, one was reminded that history is made by the victors.

They say only the dead can see the end of war.

Ansel felt he finally understood where the gaze of these stiffened beasts was directed.

Only now, as he was about to leave Monmouth Manor where he had lived his entire life.

“To Longfield,”

The viscount, seated before the heavy mahogany desk, spoke after a long silence.

The large man, seated beneath the head of a giant stag, looked at his only son with eyes like the tip of a well-sharpened blade.

“You say you’ll stay by your maternal grandfather’s side.”

“Yes. The mansion is too large for him to live in alone.”

Despite Ansel’s neat reply, the viscount remained silent for some reason. He seemed lost in thought.

Even so, his golden eyes were as sharp as those of a bird of prey watching its prey.

Except during wartime, the old earl, who had never left the kingdom’s capital in his lifetime, moved to the villa in Longfield right after Viscount Monmouth’s first wife passed away.

The old man, who had been pathologically fond of his only daughter, left behind everything he had built up as soon as she disappeared from the world.

The earl’s long-standing opposition to his daughter’s marriage to William Blaine was, in fact, quite natural.

The man his daughter fell in love with was, coincidentally, a soldier, and a cold-hearted man without any warmth.

He couldn’t give his daughter, more precious than a thousand gold pieces, to such a person.

However, unable to ignore Helen who begged with tears day and night, the earl finally allowed the marriage.

He even went so far as to directly petition the royal family to give William, who couldn’t inherit a title as the second son of a marquis family, the title of Viscount Monmouth.

All to let his precious daughter Helen live as a noble lady.

But when his daughter passed away meaninglessly several years later, the earl lost all meaning in life. All that remained for the old man was skepticism and anger.

His hatred was especially great towards Viscount Monmouth, who took a new wife less than a year after Helen’s death.

Of course, as a viscount, he needed to resolve the deepening emotional rift for the sake of inheritance issues and family honor.

Thus, the method he devised was to send his son to the earl every summer.

The old lion of Longfield would grind his teeth at the mere thought of his dead daughter’s husband.

If the viscount reached out first, he might point a gun even with his frail body that could barely move.

But he couldn’t do that to his grandson, who was the spitting image of his daughter.

Reluctantly allowing him by his side, and as time passed, his heart would become tender like when he dealt with Helen. That was the viscount’s judgment.

Indeed, that prediction hit the mark.

It was surprising when he learned that the earl had allowed his grandson to bring commoner children he had become acquainted with by chance into the mansion, but the earl not only didn’t object to Ansel’s marriage, he even agreed to let the grandson and his wife stay at Fairmont House.

Moreover…

“I obtained permission. For that family as well.”

The Bailey family, those unremarkable people, he agreed to allow them to cause a commotion in the mansion?

‘That stubborn old man…’

He had somewhat expected that the earl would come to recognize Ansel not simply as a grandson but to cherish him quite a bit, but at this rate, it seemed that it wasn’t just Ansel that he had come to cherish.

In fact, the viscount himself agreed that the eldest daughter of that insignificant family was quite presentable.

He had no intention from the start of allowing just any woman his only child wanted.

“It seems the old man took quite a liking to that commoner family.”

The viscount murmured in a seemingly mocking tone, curling up one corner of his mouth, but quickly stiffened his face.

The voice that followed was colder than ice.

“But I don’t recall ordering you to live in that mansion to win your grandfather to your side.”

“No, you didn’t order such a thing.”

“It means there’s no need for that, Ansel.”

Ansel replied calmly.

“I know. I merely judged it as something I should gladly do. Improving relations with grandfather is the most important thing for our family.”

“Hmm…”

The viscount hummed lowly, slowly stroking his chin.

His son, who had always been stiff like a taxidermy specimen since losing his mother, had been unusually talkative lately.

“So I intend to try playing the role of mediator. To eliminate the long-standing discord and smoothly inherit what he has built.”

It was an attitude noble to the point of being lofty. Naturally, Viscount Monmouth detected a strange sense of dissonance. It was not at all difficult for the innately cold-blooded soldier.

“That’s an admirable thing to say, but wouldn’t it be better to live in the capital even after marriage?”

“…”

“There’s no need to rush the succession. Right now, it’s more important to continue your activities in front of the royal family. This mansion will soon be yours too, so stay here comfortably. If you want a place to live alone with your wife, I can prepare a new mansion nearby…”

“No.”

At that moment, the viscount’s eyes sharpened like a cold blade.

It was truly exceptional for his reticent and elegant son to object to his father’s words.

Moreover, the rudeness of interrupting him was more than enough to upset the viscount’s mood.

“…I apologize.”

It seemed to have been an unintentional mistake, as Ansel’s upright head dropped hurriedly.

Soon, a respectful voice followed.

“But as the grandson of Earl of Huntington and the only son of Monmouth, I feel a heavy responsibility. Fulfilling that responsibility is more important to me than marriage. So I would like you to allow it.”

Ansel’s gaze, which had been directed downward, finally met his father’s eyes.

“I won’t disappoint you, Father.”

It was a morning when her eyes opened earlier than usual, perhaps due to nervousness.

Eloise flung open the damp curtains. As she did so, old dust fell with a thud, and at the same time, pale lemon-colored sunlight rushed in fervently.

Suppressing an oncoming yawn, she opened the window, and a fresh breeze swept in, swirling around the room.

Behind her, as she stretched like a lazy cat, the structure of the room she hadn’t examined closely last night was clearly revealed in the bright light.

First, the floor, which creaked with every step, was covered with an old carpet.

Like the curtains, it was surely full of dust.

However, the knitted fabric that added a cozy atmosphere to the cold space didn’t feel entirely bad.

In fact, the desk, chair, and single sofa covered with thin striped fabric all looked old and were covered in dust, but Eloise didn’t despair.

“This isn’t bad at all.”

Eloise recited bravely, as if making a pledge, then took off her thin nightgown and changed into a brick-colored poplin dress.

After braiding her hair, which her older sister had always lovingly combed for her, she stretched once more and began to clean the room.

The summer air in the capital was cooler than that of Mayberry.

But there was no need to think negatively about it. Even if it was a bit cold, even without Ansel Blaine, outside was clearly summer.

“A summer that only begins when that person comes… It’s time to forget such an arrogant season.”

Although it wasn’t a morning covered in the scent of roses, he and her sister weren’t here. Her family wasn’t here either.

It meant she didn’t need to worry every moment about being caught with unforgivable feelings.

So Eloise didn’t dislike the free summer of the capital. She might even come to like it more and more.

Though she didn’t know how long it would take, as the number of seasons spent here increased, the aching emotions would gradually fade.

After finishing cleaning, she went downstairs to the first floor, where Mrs. Mullitch was sitting in an armchair, knitting.

The lady’s vicious and wrinkled cat was sleeping on her lap.

“Good morning, Mrs. Mullitch.”

Eloise greeted calmly, just as her older sister Sarah used to do.

Careful not to run down the stairs unconsciously, lest the lady insult the family again.

The old lady, pushing up her glasses over her protruding nose bridge, glanced at Eloise and returned a brief response.

“Eat.”

Though she hadn’t expected a boisterous and affectionate morning greeting like Mrs. Hurst’s, Eloise couldn’t hide the strangely sorrowful feeling in her heart. But this was Mrs. Mullitch’s house.

If this was her way, then as a boarder, she should quietly follow suit.

“Won’t you eat together?”

Hiding her lonely feelings and asking casually, she was immediately met with an incredulous look.

She knew the lady wasn’t particularly kind, but it seemed she was a bit more prickly in the mornings.

‘…Perhaps she has low blood pressure.’

Feeling awkward for having disturbed the lady’s work, Eloise fidgeted with her hands and headed towards the kitchen behind the stairs.