Ansel’s subordinate was a man of few words, as befits a soldier.

It was fortunate for Eloise, who had been agonizing over what to say if he asked about her relationship with Ansel Blaine.

However, she could not simply ignore the curiosity in his eyes, so Eloise told him that she and Ansel had been childhood friends, but lost touch a long time ago, and today they had a chance reunion.

The subordinate congratulated her on the amazing coincidence and informed her that Ansel had been commissioned as a captain in the intelligence division of the Brightnum County Office.

He added that although he had only been serving under Captain Blaine for just over a month, it was an honor to serve such an outstanding superior.

The man who said this looked at least six or seven years older than the twenty-four-year-old Ansel, but there was not a speck of pretense in his eyes.

His gaze was filled with genuine loyalty and recognition.

Despite having long heard of Ansel’s outstanding qualities since childhood, Eloise felt reassured anew.

‘He may have become a prodigal son to the family, but this aspect of him remains the same.’

She inwardly feared that Ansel’s adjutant would question their relationship, but fortunately, there was no sign of that.

Even if they were childhood friends, it might have seemed strange for him to order her to be taken to his private residence, but it turned out to be a groundless worry and there was no need for an explanation.

No matter how many times she had been approached by men in the capital, it seemed that she still did not appear to be a match for the great Ansel Blaine.

Come to think of it, the men who had approached her were all despicable fellows.

So, if one were to be precise, the world to which Eloise Bailey, who had neither status nor wealth, belonged was also the one where those filthy men existed.

When her thoughts reached that point, her face inevitably flushed.

“This way, please.”

When they reached the back of the main road, what came into view was a two-story house built of beautiful dark bricks.

“…So this is the house.”

Unlike Mrs. Mullitch’s house, which was covered in vines, the exterior walls filled with large windows framed by door frames had a neat and elegant impression.

It was a graceful mansion with a symmetrical structure centered around the pediment-decorated entrance.

However, it was smaller than she had expected.

Certainly, it was a magnificent house that could not be called anything but a mansion, but at a glance, it seemed to be about the same size as the Bailey family’s two-story house where four family members and three servants lived together.

Of course, the dignity flowing from the building was incomparable, but still, it was inevitable to find it unfamiliar that Ansel Blaine did not live in a grand mansion like Fairmont House.

‘Come to think of it, it was too much to imagine such a grand mansion even after hearing that he had left home and was living alone. There are so many rooms there that one could get lost inside.’

In the end, what mattered was the fact that she had agreed to stay with him here, in a house where they would inevitably be aware of each other’s every move.

Thinking like that, her mouth went completely dry. This was really an absurd situation.

She must have been out of her mind for a moment, intoxicated by the joy of seeing him again.

‘I was not at all rational earlier. When he comes back, we need to have a proper conversation…’

Even as she thought that, Eloise’s gaze was helplessly captured by the beautiful porch and the carved decorations here and there.

In the meantime, Ansel’s subordinate politely knocked on the door.

“Hello.”

It was only when she heard the man’s greeting that Eloise’s tense gaze finally turned forward.

The one who opened the door was a maid wearing a white bonnet and a matching white apron.

‘Ah, there was a maid.’

Well, he couldn’t possibly take care of the household chores himself, so it was only natural. While Eloise was having such trivial thoughts, the maid, who had quietly bowed her head in a polite manner, asked in a stiff tone,

“What brings you here?”

“This is the captain’s guest. I was ordered to escort her here.”

“…”

At those words, the maid’s dry gaze immediately turned to the woman who was said to be the captain’s guest.

As the maid’s gaze thoroughly swept over her from head to toe, Eloise’s toes curled up involuntarily.

Ansel had seen her covered in dirt or looking like a drenched rat many times since childhood, so he probably wouldn’t show any visible reaction, and since his superior was like that, his subordinate also couldn’t add any remarks.

On the other hand, the maid’s blatant expression was enough to make Eloise newly realize how disheveled she must look right now.

Thinking about how she would appear in the eyes of the maid who served that elegant and perfect man, she felt so ashamed that she wanted to sink into the ground right away.

It felt as if she were standing naked in the middle of the square, to exaggerate a little.

She was just a strange woman the maid was seeing for the first time, and the maid had not even insulted her with hurtful words, but whenever it came to Ansel Blaine, Eloise couldn’t help but fall into such extreme thoughts.

To begin with, it was a contradiction to even consider him and herself on the same level.

“Then I will take my leave now.”

“Ah, thank you. Your name is…?”

“I am Warrant Officer Bruis.”

“…Warrant Officer Bruis.”

As Eloise bent her knees in a curtsy, he also bowed to show courtesy.

Soon, the warrant officer, who had boarded the carriage engraved with the emblem of the Wellington Army, departed, leaving only Eloise and the maid with a sullen face.

“…”

Eloise fidgeted, clutching her luggage bag, somehow feeling a cold reception, although she had not expected a grand welcome.

‘Ah, should I ask her to show me inside?’

It felt awkward to ask the maid for something.

Although there were also people who helped with household chores at the Bailey home, the housekeeper, Mrs. Hurst, as well as the cook and the coachman, were more like family than servants, so Eloise was only uncomfortable with the idea of ordering people around.

“Shall I prepare a bath for you?”

At that moment, the maid suddenly asked. It was abrupt for a first remark.

“You look like you’ve come a long way, so I asked. Please hand me your luggage.”

“…Yes. If it’s alright, may I trouble you?”

The thought that she must look that terrible crossed her mind, but Eloise immediately smiled brightly and held out her luggage bag.

The maid’s face, which had been stiff, softened a little at the lovely smile despite the disheveled appearance.

“Please wait in the drawing room and I will have it ready in no time.”

With those words, the maid turned around as if to tell Eloise to follow her.

Taking a deep breath as if to soothe her nervousness, Eloise finally entered Ansel Blaine’s house.

‘What a wonderful house.’

As she followed the maid to the drawing room, Eloise’s trembling fingertips brushed across the teal wallpaper engraved with acanthus leaf patterns, as if drawing a line.

On the floor made of deep-colored walnut wood, an exotic-patterned carpet was laid out, creating a cozy atmosphere.

Eloise had to admit that the interior was as magnificent as the exterior, enough to make her feel embarrassed for thinking it was a smaller mansion than she had expected.

The interior, which had a refined elegance without being excessive, was sufficient to give an impression of coziness, and each piece of furniture exuded a sense of restrained dignity.

Thus, when she finally reached the drawing room, Eloise had to stop abruptly with her lips parted.

It was because she had discovered something unexpected.

“Oh…”

Her gaze stopped at the vase on the table, or more precisely, the bouquet of pink roses in it.

Although the flower petals were smaller than the roses that bloomed in the fields of Maybery, their color was so vivid that it instantly melted Eloise’s frozen heart.

In that fleeting moment, Eloise recalled countless scenes.

For example, memories of laughing while passing through a thicket full of summer roses, the faces of her family seen across the roses on the dining table, his long and straight fingers gently caressing the open rose petals…

“What is it?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Eloise, who had unwittingly blushed, smiled slightly.

A puzzled look appeared on the face of the maid, who had faint freckles, but she merely asked,

“Will you be staying the night today?”

“Pardon?”

It was embarrassing to be startled more than necessary, but the maid replied without any concern.

“I’m asking if I should prepare the guest room.”

“Ah… I think I’ll have to discuss the details again, but for now, it seems I’ll have to impose on you today.”

Instead of adding, ‘I have nowhere else to go,’ Eloise quietly sat down at the table.

As she leaned back in the plush chair, a distant sigh escaped involuntarily. It felt as if she could fall asleep like this.

“I understand. Then please wait here for a moment.”

“Thank you.”

Eloise, who had answered like that, immediately closed her eyes. She remained like that for a while, eyes closed, breathing slowly.

The clear scent of roses lingering around her made her feel at ease.

For a moment, it was as if she had returned to the old, happy two-story house in Maybery.

However, the moment she realized that the place she had set foot in was none other than Ansel Blaine’s house, her eyes fluttered open.

Some realities were more faint than dreams. So Eloise felt as if she had woken from a dream more vivid than reality.

Coming back to the capital, being kicked out of Mrs. Mullitch’s house, and even being humiliated at the factory, which was her last hope, all felt like a lie.

But none of the shocks she had felt in this series of events could compare to the surprise of encountering Ansel when she was crying, feeling as if she had been abandoned in the world alone.

‘Stay at my house.’

She clearly felt the sensation of her heart sinking at those words, and before she knew it, she was at Ansel Blaine’s residence. In the space where he falls asleep and wakes up every day…

Where had Eloise Bailey, who had vowed to forget about that person, gone? It was difficult for her to understand herself like this.

She had nothing to say about being criticized for being weak, but she did not want to be regarded as if she had secretly hoped for this to happen.

The fact that she felt ashamed of herself for not being able to reject him outright was proof of that.

“What do you want to do, really?”

In any case, it was certain that she had created a secret that she could not even tell her family.

It felt as if a heavy rock had been placed on her chest.

The moment Eloise let out a distant sigh, the maid returned and informed her that the bath was ready.