“He liked you from the beginning.”

“Archibald, you…”

Eloise felt as if all thoughts had suddenly stopped.

She had exchanged silly jokes with Archibald countless times.

But what were the chances of him joking around now? And to his young master…

As her thoughts reached that point, her throat suddenly felt hot.

“How do you know that when you’re not even Ansel? If what you’re saying is true, there’s no way he could have been particularly close only to my elder sister. Can you explain that too?”

“It was just difficult for the young master to treat you. I don’t know how this will sound, but.”

Even as he said these unbelievable things, Archibald remained calm.

Eloise refuted, feeling absurd and even miserable.

“I’m younger than him, and I’m the daughter of a family without status, let alone wealth. What reason could he possibly have to find me difficult? If anything, it should be the opposite!”

“If he didn’t have feelings for you, he wouldn’t have cared. If you think about it the other way, the young master would have found it even harder to approach you because of that gap.”

“…”

“Just because he’s an aristocrat doesn’t mean experiencing new emotions for the first time isn’t difficult. Moreover, you were firmly misunderstanding the relationship between the young master and Miss Bailey, so to the young master, Miss Bailey seemed like the only way to get close to you.”

At those words, her lovely wheat-colored eyebrows furrowed weakly.

If what Archibald said was true, then Ansel asking about Sarah every time was to strike up a conversation, coming to Maybery on Sarah’s birthday was an excuse to see her, and sending letters to Sarah was also to write a single line of postscript addressed to her…

It was something that could never happen, but even if it were true, it was incomprehensible.

What could he possibly be so afraid of to go to such lengths? At that point, it would have been less troublesome to just confess his feelings.

‘Was liking a common girl of no significance so frightening to him?’

Eloise, who had been mulling over Archibald’s words with a bitter feeling, suddenly lifted her head. Her gentle face was flushed red.

“Wait, you said I misunderstood the relationship between Ansel and my elder sister? Didn’t you think the same as me?”

“No, Ellie. I knew.”

“…What do you mean, you knew?”

“Serving him closely, I naturally found out. That the young master liked you from the beginning. Of course, I heard it directly from the young master too.”

At his unbelievably nonchalant answer, she finally got angry.

“Not long ago, you firmly told me that Ansel’s heart was with my elder sister! Have you been deceiving me all this time?”

“Yes. I deceived you.”

“…Ha.”

A cold, hollow laugh escaped. If she had known beforehand that there was not a hint of falsehood in Ansel’s confession, at least she wouldn’t have rejected him so heartlessly.

Eloise poured out a fierce rebuke.

“Why? If you had told me earlier, at least things wouldn’t have come to this! Why didn’t you tell me? We’re friends, aren’t we? Or was I the only one who thought so?”

“I liked you too.”

At those sudden words, her teary eyes widened.

A reddish sunset rose over the clear blue eyes brimming with moisture. Eloise was frozen, unable to even blink. Her mouth wouldn’t open as if it were a lie.

Seeing Eloise staring blankly into the air, not asking if it was true, not scolding him to stop joking, not even laughing it off, Archibald’s throat somehow felt parched.

“Won’t you ask anything?”

“…What do you want to say?”

“Ellie, listen carefully. You are… suffering from a sickness of the heart. Your previously lively self has disappeared, and now you can’t even move your body as you wish.”

Swallowing a soft sigh, Eloise rubbed her sore eyes.

She was somewhat annoyed by her friend, no, the man she thought was her friend, suddenly diagnosing her as if he were a doctor, but there was nothing wrong with what he said.

“Time will solve it…”

“This isn’t a problem you can just rely on time for, Eloise. You need to leave home again. There’s no other way.”

“Hah.”

Eloise knew that fact better than anyone.

It was just that she had neither the justification nor the face to leave home. It was only recently that she had tearfully vowed to live for her family.

“I appreciate the advice, but what does that have to do with you liking me?”

Eloise moved her dry lips with a resigned spirit. The answer that followed was truly shocking.

“Let’s get married. And live together at the earl’s residence.”

“What?”

Eloise turned to Archibald with a horrified face. Finally, their gazes met.

“It wasn’t just the young master who liked you. I’ve liked you all along too. I was a step behind in holding you and confessing my feelings, but at least when it comes to proposing…”

“No, Archie.”

Taking a short breath as her lips trembled uncontrollably, Eloise managed to continue.

“That’s not what’s important. Are you being serious right now?”

“Ansel Blaine lives in a different world from us anyway. Do you know how arrogant his family is? It’s a miracle that they even allowed Miss Bailey. Even that has come to an end now, but from the beginning, Eloise, you wouldn’t even be…”

Archibald, who had been rambling on, swallowed his breath as if startled. He hastily added a few more words.

“Of course, I think you’re more attractive. Miss Bailey is certainly a beauty, but you’re the one who drives men crazy…”

Damn it. Archibald cursed under his breath, holding his forehead.

“…I’m sorry.”

He had no intention of babbling on about such vulgar inner thoughts. For a moment, he felt like a being worse than the dirt rolling on the ground.

He was curious about what expression Eloise, who remained silent, had on her face, but Archibald couldn’t bring himself to open his closed eyes as he continued his desperate confession.

“Ellie, forget about the young master. Even if we miraculously change the minds of the Blaine family, with what face will you face your family? I know well how much family means to you and how precious they are.”

“…”

“This may be sudden, but my feelings are sincere. I’ve been waiting for the day to convey these feelings… I may not be a great aristocratic gentleman, but I will make your happiness the sole reason for my existence. So let’s live together, Eloise.”

His tanned face, sunburned from the summer sun, was completely red. His strong jaw trembled.

“Ellie… Will you do that for me?”

Eloise’s profile, which he had mustered the courage to look at, was more serious than ever before.

He thought she had been quietly listening, but in fact, she had been deep in thought.

Finally, Eloise spoke.

“I guess leaving is the only way.”

“Does that mean…”

“I should leave after all. Thanks to you, I’m convinced now. So from now on… let’s not see each other again, Archie.”

At her terrifyingly cold voice, the corners of Archibald’s mouth crumbled weakly.

“…Eloise.”

“I don’t have feelings for you. You know that too.”

The voice devoid of any warmth dispersed in vain into the crimson sunset.

Eloise quietly rose to her feet. As if she had nothing more to say.

Archibald trembled with devastating sadness. With a face looking like he might cry at any moment, he grabbed Eloise.

“Eloise, don’t do this. Please…”

“Don’t make that face, Archibald. Losing a dear friend is a sad thing for me too.”

Eloise cruelly removed his hand that he couldn’t bring himself to grasp tightly.

“Take care.”

She turned away from her old friend silently, barely managing to keep her voice calm.

She kept her hands tightly clenched so as not to reveal her trembling fingertips.

She wanted to escape this place as soon as possible. Just imagining the sad face that would be following her back aimlessly made her heart ache.

But she couldn’t muster any strength in her legs to run. The only consolation was the certainty that he would not chase after her.

With a hollow heart, Eloise recited a single, common word.

Love.

A serene and noble force that kept them by each other’s side even in the midst of fierce storms. The love her parents had shown her was clearly like that.

In fact, it was everywhere. Even the old woman selling flowers on the dusty street praised love.

Some said that the only thing that keeps people alive is love.

But for some reason, Eloise felt deceived. Because it was none other than love that had shattered her world.

She believed that her current self was shaped by her dazzling childhood. No matter when or where, she could close her eyes and return to those shining days.

Brilliant sunlight, fresh early summer breeze, and happy laughter. That small paradise always existed inside her eyelids.

But at some point, cracks began to form in that heaven, and now it had completely collapsed.

The innocent children had disappeared. Love had taken everything away. Without a trace.

Why is my love so violent and cruel? Could it be that the love I know is different from the love the world speaks of?

Love only brought her miserable despair.

Even at the miraculous moment when the only love she had yearned for and suffered over came to find her, Eloise had no choice but to betray him.

Is there any misfortune greater than love in this world?

She hated herself for not being able to hold the hand of the man she desperately wanted to hold.

She hated the shabby house that made her feel infinitely small in front of that man. Even her family, even her sister who had been more precious to her than anyone else, were simply resentful.

If only her sister hadn’t been there, then she could have loved him without any guilt or worry.

When her thoughts reached that point, Eloise wanted to lose her mind.

This love that made her blame the people she had considered her entire life was like a curse.

There was only one thought in her mind. This can’t possibly be the love the world speaks of.

If she was the one who was wrong, then Eloise didn’t need this kind of love.

“…Let’s think of it as a bad dream. A dream to be forgotten when morning comes.”

Muttering in a low voice, Eloise hastened her steps home, wiping away her sorrowful tears. At the crossroads of two seasons, the red sunset quietly deepened.