“Jane, this morning we have tomato and basil…”

Cain approached Jane as she came down from the second floor. Just before their eyes met, Jane turned to look at Joseph.

“Joseph, Mom will be back soon.”

Joseph’s eyes widened. Seeing Jane blatantly ignore Cain’s words for the first time, the child blinked, unsure how to react.

Jane went up the stairs and hugged the bewildered Joseph tightly. Then she kissed the top of his head and whispered.

“I’m sorry, Joseph. Dad did something wrong, so Mom is being a bit sulky. We’re not really fighting, so can you bear with it for a little while?”

When parents fight, children become anxious.

So Jane briefly explained the situation in her own way.

“Make up quickly.”

Joseph maturely accepted his parents’ quarrel and patted Jane’s back.

“I said we’re not fighting.”

“Still. I’ll put up with it for about two days.”

The child wrapped his arms around Jane’s neck. It was a very affectionate mother and son from the morning.

Meanwhile, Cain standing alone at the bottom of the stairs felt left out.

Is this what it feels like to be lonely even when together?

It seemed like Jane and Joseph were one family, and he felt like an outsider.

But there was no time to feel hurt about it.

He had to turn around Jane’s cold heart that had been chilly since last night.

“Jane, for breakfast…”

“I’ll be back, Joseph.”

Jane ignored Cain until the end and left for work at the recently renovated library.

It wasn’t for the money. Jane was helping out at the library purely out of a spirit of service.

It was something she did out of gratitude for the islanders who had taken care of her when she fled here, hurt by the Hastings in the past.

“Take care, Mother.”

Joseph bounced down the stairs like a rabbit to see Jane off.

Cain watched helplessly as Jane left without even glancing at him.

“Jane…”

As he mumbled vacantly at the closed door, Joseph approached him.

“Father.”

“Joseph, your mother and I aren’t fighting. I did something wrong, so your mother…”

They say people in love resemble each other, and to Joseph, Cain and Jane seemed to love each other very passionately.

Even in the midst of a marital quarrel – though they said it wasn’t one, it looked that way to Joseph – they both prioritized their son’s feelings.

Joseph nodded his head vigorously.

“You’re being scolded, right?”

“Hm?”

Joseph shrugged and slipped into the dining room. Soon after, he shouted from inside, “I’m hungry, Father!”

Cain looked regretfully at the plate he had beautifully plated for Jane.

He sighed deeply as he headed to the dining room.

All the while preparing Joseph’s breakfast, tidying up the house, and helping with the child’s studies, Cain pondered how to turn around Jane’s sulky heart.

However, no suitable method came to mind.

* * *

All day long, Cain thought about Jane.

It wasn’t unfamiliar to him, as he had thought of her and Joseph whenever he had a moment during their time apart, but the texture of his thoughts was different now.

Back then, it was reminiscing at the level of dissecting their memories in detail, but now he was in the process of studying Jane.

What does Jane like?

‘She likes flowers. Even when she was young, if there was just one flower blooming by the roadside, she would stare at it for a long time.’

Cain looked around the flower-filled garden and was about to pick a flower for Jane when he hesitated.

‘She cherishes the garden so much. What if she gets angry that I ruined it by picking a flower?’

Cain sat down on a small bench in the garden. He also put down the scissors he was holding.

Things Jane likes, she loved art.

She enjoyed Osguir’s paintings and Bierstadt’s poems.

However, it would take a lot of time to acquire those. It would also cost quite a bit, but money wasn’t an issue for Cain.

Next, she liked dolls, blue skies, dawn walks…

As Cain enumerated one by one, dark clouds settled on his face.

It was because he knew less about her than he thought.

Jane always said she liked whatever Cain did. She said she loved the letters he wrote, the food he bought, and all the gifts.

Suddenly, Cain doubted whether her words of liking were sincere.

Maybe she just pretended to like them out of consideration for him who prepared the gifts.

Perhaps she accepted Cain now because of Joseph, or out of pity.

Come to think of it, there was no reason for Jane to accept him.

Cain was no longer a duke or the owner of a great company like in the past, and he had even been to prison.

He felt smaller and smaller.

He became so dispirited that if Nathan, Vincenzo, or Lloyd saw him, they wouldn’t think he was the same person.

Jane was the only one who could make him like this.

That’s why Cain was even more unsure of himself.

Come to think of it, it seemed Jane forgave him too easily.

After all, isn’t he the son of the Whitney family’s enemy?

Cain kept telling himself that he should have done better to apologize to Jane, forgetting that he had overthrown the country for her.

After sitting for a long time with a dark expression under the clear sky, Cain got up.

No matter how long and deeply he thought, the conclusion was the same as when he first sat on the bench.

Be better to Jane.

First, he should meet Jane.

Cain picked up the gloves he had taken off and the scissors he had put down and ran into the house.

Then he laid out on the bed the clothes and shoes that Nathan had sent from the capital recently.

They were splendid clothes and smooth shoes that he used to wear in his duke days.

‘Let’s ask her out on a date.’

Having made up his mind, Cain pondered and pondered over who to ask to take care of Joseph’s dinner, and where to go with Jane on this small island.

* * *

“Jane, is something wrong?”

Anna, the librarian sitting next to Jane, asked her.

“No. Why?”

Jane hurriedly moved her pen, which had been still.

“You seem unable to concentrate on work today.”

Anna retrieved the member list that Jane had written down.

“I guess I’m tired.”

Jane spoke casually and put down her pen.

She even smiled, but Anna didn’t believe it.

“Is your husband troubling you?”

“What?”

When Jane’s shoulders jerked, Anna, with an expression that said ‘got you’, brought up words she hadn’t been able to say.

“I mean your husband who came from the capital. Everyone’s been worried about Jane. I heard he treated Jane quite badly?”

What kind of rumors could have flowed from the capital to this far-off island?

Jane looked around with an awkward expression.

She was hoping to use library patrons as an excuse to stop Anna’s words, but today the library interior was unusually empty.

“That’s…”

“Look even now. You’re working outside while the man is just lounging around. Isn’t that how nobles are? Lazy, not working. Ah, Jane is from a noble background too… but you’re a really rare exception.”

“No, I’m the same…”

“It seems you’ve had a big fight. At times like this, you need to show him who’s boss. Jane, what are you doing today?”

She should say she has plans, but the words wouldn’t come out readily because it would be a lie.

As Jane hesitated, Anna gripped her hand tightly.

“Jane, that’s great! This is perfect. Come with me today. Granny Yona has been asking to have dinner with you and me for a while now. I’ll contact Granny Yona.”

Anna, who was usually slow at work, moved like lightning. Jane didn’t even have a chance to refuse.

After that, work poured in. By the time they finished organizing existing work and the newly donated books, it was close to closing time.

“We came in ten minutes early, so let’s go now!”

Ten minutes before closing time, Anna gathered her bag and coat and pulled Jane along.

Jane, who had been finishing up work and writing down tomorrow’s tasks in her notebook, followed her out in a daze.

“Anna, wait a moment. It would be better if we each went home for dinner. There’s someone waiting for me at home.”

If Yona had prepared dinner, she would feel sorry, but Jane, who had ignored Cain and left this morning, felt uneasy about it.

She wanted to have dinner with her family.

“No, Jane. That won’t be necessary.”

Anna said, blocking the library door.

“There won’t be anyone at home.”

“Whose home?”

Jane’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. Anna moved to one side of the door. Jane looked curiously at the red flush on Anna’s face, then slowly turned her gaze towards the library door.

There stood Cain.

No, there stood Cain Hastings.

Dressed smartly, he was holding a bouquet of flowers, but next to him who had clearly dressed up for the occasion, the bouquet looked colorless.

Jane glanced at Anna. She was biting her lips, desperately trying not to let her mouth corners rise.

Her cheeks were already red, and her eyes were sparkling, apparently smitten with Cain.

At least it was certain she was captivated by his handsome appearance.

Although there was no chance of any mishap now that he was known as Jane’s husband, Jane didn’t want anyone else to harbor feelings for Cain.

That’s why she had insisted on doing the work herself, citing her thorough knowledge of the island.

Jane chuckled.

‘I’m quite serious, aren’t I.’

Trying to hide Cain away so tightly.

Jane shook her head.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to ask for a date. Let’s have dinner together tonight, Miss Jane.”

Cain asked politely.

“I’m sorry, but Jane has prior plans with me today.”

Anna, whom Jane thought had been entranced by Cain’s looks, chimed in resolutely.

“Is that so? I didn’t check Miss Jane’s schedule properly. Then, I’ll come again next time.”

But Anna wouldn’t let him go.

“Wait a moment! Would you like to come with us?”

“Anna!”

“Alright.”

Cain grinned and Jane sighed.

Jane predicted that Cain would regret those words, and her prediction was not far off.