Fairmont House, situated on the sloping land of Longfield, was truly a luxurious mansion.

Not only was its grandeur remarkable, but the sight of angel sculptures densely carved on the facade and gilded window frames glittering at sunset was as beautiful as a glimpse of heaven.

Unlike the buildings in the capital that were constantly under renovation due to sensitivity to trends, this old mansion had an exquisitely aristocratic charm.

A stubborn dignity that remained unchanged over time, seemingly old-fashioned yet noble.

It was the year after they became friends that the Bailey sisters learned the boy they had met by chance in a lost carriage was staying at this mansion.

It would be a lie to say they weren’t surprised, but the sisters soon brightened their eyes and begged to be invited to the mansion.

For children who considered pigeon feathers as treasures, things like status or face were still far-off concepts.

Thus, the moment they first set foot in this majestic place remained vividly etched in the sisters’ memories.

Few could remain composed in front of the endless walkways, statues born from master craftsmen’s hands, fountains, and even an artificial waterfall installed in the vast garden.

Nevertheless, the mansion was extremely quiet.

This was because only the Earl of Huntington lived there, despite the spacious grounds.

Given its size, the number of servants was not small, but they were all like shadows, resembling their master’s nature.

The only guest at Fairmont House was the Earl’s grandson, who came with summer.

However, he always stayed quietly, so the servants often forgot there was a guest.

In other words, today was the day Fairmont House’s servants welcomed proper guests after a very long time.

They weren’t particularly refined guests, but the vitality and excitement they brought warmed up the mansion that had remained cool even under the summer sun.

However, once the brief meal ended and the guests left, the faint warmth that had lingered in the air vanished without a trace, leaving only the usual cold silence.

It was nothing out of the ordinary.

The old Earl spent most of his day in the study.

The room with chandeliers hanging from the distant ceiling was rather grand for a study, but the Earl stubbornly used it as such.

On one wall of the study was a massive arched window as tall as the high ceiling, and today too, the season outside was in full bloom.

The old man was receiving the early summer afternoon pouring in through the wide window with his whole body.

However, in contrast to the vibrant scenery outside, only a heavy silence lingered in the study.

The occasional sound of turning pages was the only noise in this place.

There was no conversation between the Earl and his grandson after the guests left.

The two men were each lost in their own thoughts. As always.

That’s why the sudden question felt particularly strange.

“Was there something you didn’t like?”

The deep gaze fixed on the pages of the book in hand slowly lifted.

The calm brow was now faintly furrowed.

“Pardon?”

“You had such a face.”

Ansel stiffened uncharacteristically. Not only was there little conversation with his grandfather, but this kind of talk was utterly unfamiliar.

This kind of casual chat, that is.

“…No, sir.”

“It was you who said it didn’t matter if they weren’t from a noble family.”

“Grandfather, I…”

Ansel paused briefly at the tone tinged with inexplicable mockery.

It was because he thought that perhaps the Earl was trying to test him.

A rather calm low voice continued.

“Why would there be any reason for me to dislike the marriage I requested?”

“There might be. If your father pushed for it.”

However, the Earl of Huntington seemed to have no intention of backing down. He even went so far as to mention the Viscount Monmouth. It was not a good sign.

“Suddenly saying you’ll hold the ceremony in three months, whose idea was that? Do you even know that marriage is a union between families?”

“…”

The old man’s gaze in the wheelchair remained fixed towards the window.

The clear eyes looking at that motionless back narrowed slightly.

Although they spent every summer together, his grandfather was hard to understand, but there were a few things that could be said with certainty about him.

One of them was that the Earl’s silence meant permission.

This was an unwritten rule of Fairmont House, almost a truth. The moment the reticent master broke his silence was the moment the mansion’s peace was shattered.

Ansel had come to Fairmont House immediately after visiting the Bailey house this morning and receiving permission for marriage, and informed the old Earl of this fact, and the old Earl maintained silence with a solemn face.

So why was he being capricious now?

Was it because he was thoroughly displeased with having a meal with those who weren’t nobles? If so, he could have just not invited the Bailey family to dinner in the first place.

Even though he wasn’t wearing a uniform, not even a cravat, just a shirt, the area around his neck felt stuffy.

It was because a conversation with the stubborn old Earl, though not as much as his father, could not be comfortable. Let alone such a long conversation.

“Of course it was my idea, Grandfather.”

Ansel straightened his broad shoulders, suppressing his thoughts, and opened his mouth in a low tone.

“The earliest date, allowing time to prepare what was needed…”

“Were you that eager?”

“…”

Ansel stopped speaking.

It was because he detected the cold anger permeating the Earl’s voice. At the same time, one fact became suddenly clear.

Not speaking up about the already decided marriage and tacitly allowing it to proceed wasn’t a sign of agreement, but…

‘Was it the minimum courtesy towards Viscount Monmouth?’

So the Earl was now urging his only grandson to call off this marriage himself. Quite firmly at that.

Although he was now living in seclusion due to his inability to move freely, the Earl of Huntington was a veteran soldier who had lived his entire life as a military man.

This meant he was well-versed in aggressive methods.

It also meant that there was nothing to be gained by going against his temper.

“Answer me, Ansel. Was this sudden marriage really your intention?”

“It was indeed my intention.”

Ansel closed his book with a thud. The old man’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“How reckless. Is it because this is your last summer here that you don’t care?”

“How could that be? I intend to come down here to live after the marriage.”

“…But there’s no military unit in this area.”

“I never intended to be commissioned from the start. I’m too inept in many ways to resemble you, Grandfather.”

“…”

Although this place was far from the capital, news that his only grandson was receiving everyone’s expectations at the Royal Military Academy had long since reached here.

Was it just the military academy? Ansel had shown prominence in military studies at private schools and universities as well.

As the grandson of a soldier and the son of a soldier, it was natural, if anything.

Even if it had been an effort for the family’s honor, it would have already become impossible to explain his life without it.

“From now on, I will pay my respects regardless of the season, Grandfather.”

A marriage worth throwing away what could be described as the entirety of one’s life.

“It’s your freedom not to become a soldier. The world has changed, after all. But I simply cannot understand why you would choose to leave the capital where you’ve lived your entire life.”

“Isn’t it a harmonious family? The Bailey family, I mean. Although it’s something I’ve never had, that’s why I hope even more that those bonds won’t be broken.”

The grown grandson was on the verge of graduating from the military academy, the final hurdle given to him.

Now only a bright and free future remained, like the scenery outside this window.

Ansel had not yet experienced anything that would make him feel so disgusted with the people in the capital that he would turn his back on it of his own accord.

Yet he was saying he would leave the capital, which was like his roots, to live in Mayberry where there was nothing, and the reason he gave was so sentimental it felt absurd and even vexing.

“If you’re not trying to imitate a retired officer, stop playing with words.”

The Earl’s lips twisted involuntarily.

“You never even glanced at all those marriage proposals. What wind suddenly blew to make you want to tarnish your own reputation?”

“It’s not something like a wind.”

“…”

“I have, for a very long time…”

“Are you saying you’ve been in love? With that eldest daughter?”

With that question, the Earl finally turned his head. The emotion in the eyes that met was indescribably heavy.

“Yes.”

In the profound silence, Ansel quietly closed and opened his eyes.

His pale lips parted.

“I know who you’re seeing through me.”

Eyes so straight without the slightest waver. How could they not overlap? Eyes so uncannily alike.

Even the gaze, seemingly calm yet passionate, was enough to instantly revive dusty memories carefully hidden away.

In the strange sensation of time rewinding, the old Earl lost his words.

Then, Helen’s child spoke.

“You should come out now. You’ve been in there for too long.”

“…”

“On the day my mother passed away, I too lost the most precious person that day. I understand the unfillable sorrow. But it wasn’t my father who caused mother’s death.”

A heavy silence flowed. The old man, without answering, threw his gaze back out the window.

The pale green afternoon was still dazzlingly brilliant.

This marked the end of the conversation.

Ansel quietly rose to leave the study.

He had no desire to disturb his grandfather’s resumed contemplation.

“Mother…”

So adding one more word as he passed the doorway was an uncharacteristic impulse.

“Must have been happy until the very end. I can be certain of that.”

The Earl did not look back. It was nothing surprising.

Ansel left the study without hesitation. The sound of his neat footsteps faded away.