The momentum of autumn, attempting to break even the faintest hint of summer, was remarkable. In Rodinia, where storms raged every few days, there was a sense that just as the heat had come early, the cold would arrive prematurely as well.

Edwin, having set down Baron Zimmerman’s letter, turned his head to calmly gaze at the rain streaking outside the window.

Vivian’s diligent efforts had paid off. She had often been holding Charlotte, and now Baron Zimmerman wrote that Charlotte had responded to his feelings, and if it was alright, he wished to prepare for marriage.

He pleaded that even if her heart had changed, he would not covet the dowry or the good opportunities he had added as extras, but would just ask for permission to marry.

He expressed his love for Charlotte with fervor, saying he had fallen in love with her to the point of giving his life, that he would love her until his dying breath, that Charlotte’s name was already engraved on his soul, and he poured out his feelings for Charlotte with all his heart and soul.

Though uncertain what Vivian had instructed Charlotte to do, the prevailing assessment was that, judging by her focused reading of the romance novel “Emily in Francis Territory,” she must have easily guided the love letters as well.

Yet he hadn’t hoped for someone to be deceived by such fake love letters to the point of giving their life.

Nevertheless, as it wasn’t bad for Charlotte, he decided to set aside his disappointing feelings towards the baron.

Royce, who had come to see Edwin, stood in front of the unlit fireplace, before the coffee table crowded with documents. Edwin gestured with his coffee cup, indicating for him to read the papers below.

Seated, Royce began to scrutinize the documents closely. Edwin, having emptied his cup, stood behind the sofa where Royce sat.

“How are the movements on Corbin’s side?”

It was an unexpected question for Royce, who hadn’t heard Edwin’s footsteps. Showing no sign of surprise, Royce put down the papers.

“There are no particular movements visible. It doesn’t seem like Corbin has any other ideas. As he sincerely wants to achieve reform, he won’t act rashly.”

“Still, keep tailing him just in case. If there’s any other intention, we need to deal with it as quickly as possible.”

“Oh, it seems Corbin is looking for someone.”

“Someone? Who?”

“He’s been sending letters to the south consistently. He says it’s a friend, but it appears the person he’s looking for is close to the Bannister royal family. That’s all the information for now. Should I find out more?”

Edwin turned and leaned against the sofa. As Edwin pondered deeply, Royce stared at his back for a moment before turning his attention back to the documents in front of him.

“Find out who Corbin is looking for.”

“Yes.”

“Have you checked the list for the upcoming royal event?”

“Yes. Welwood is also on the attendance list.”

“I see.”

“However, perhaps due to Her Majesty the Queen’s… hobby, he says he’ll return a day early.”

The rumors about Queen Newway were particularly notorious even in Preston.

Especially in the exceptionally conservative Preston, they denounced Queen Newway’s bad habits, calling her a vulgar prostitute, and in turn, pointed fingers at the people of Newway as descendants of beasts who had abandoned even human dignity.

The incident where the Earl of Welwood, Preston’s Minister of Foreign Affairs who had led the peace treaty with Newway, harshly despised the royal couple of Newway at a drinking party was repeatedly discussed in their noble society.

“And recently, Miss Eveline came to me asking about the Duke.”

Royce’s voice, which had rarely mentioned Eveline before, awkwardly carried her name.

“Eveline?”

“It wasn’t a special question. She asked why the Duke hasn’t married.”

“Marriage?”

“Yes.”

It was already amusing that she had sought out Royce first, but to have gone all that way just to ask why he hadn’t married.

As expected of the love messenger who had shown remarkable concentration while reading “Emily in Francis Territory” and who had played a significant role as an intermediary between Charlotte and Baron Zimmerman, all she had to ask was the trivial question of why he hadn’t married.

“So what did you say?”

Vivian Eveline, who probably didn’t think of Royce as particularly comfortable, must have hesitated.

Should I ask, or not? She must have agonized countless times. Yet she couldn’t contain her curiosity.

Imagining Eveline’s expression, which must have been quite sentimental for her to seek out Royce, made him laugh involuntarily. Though she might have been restless, she didn’t have the habit of biting her nails, so she must have been rolling her large gray pupils back and forth while trembling at the corners of her lips.

Royce turned to look at Edwin, whose laughter was resonating through the air. Edwin, covering his forehead and shaking with laughter, perplexed Royce. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must have seen wrong.

Confirming that he hadn’t seen wrong, Royce averted his gaze, and Edwin’s fist lightly struck Royce’s arm. Royce, swaying like a roly-poly doll, rotated his struck shoulder stiffly.

“Hm? So what did you say?”

“Well, just… that I didn’t know.”

“Oh? And then?”

“She didn’t say much.”

“So what was that ‘not much’?”

“Just that she understood.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes.”

Edwin, seemingly disappointed, clicked his tongue while leaning against the sofa, picturing Vivian.

He quite liked the always angry, huffing and puffing Vivian too. Even though that appearance seemed exactly like her father, it was just like a tiger cub yapping and not at all threatening. It was just pitiful and weak enough to make him want to teach her how to really frighten someone.

She probably keeps getting angry because she doesn’t know that. The more she does, the more he wants to provoke her.

At first, it was an impulse, and now it had become a daily routine. Being consumed by the desire to touch Vivian, to be close to her.

He wondered if it was because of the hallucination he had recalled recently, but no. Somehow, this desire seemed to have been inherent within him for much longer.

Then, since when?

Edwin closed his eyes and slowly traced back his trajectory with Vivian.

At that point when he clearly thought it wasn’t, come to think of it, it was funny. What was the reason he wanted to specifically confirm Theo Evans’ words?

From the time he wanted to desperately unravel the scarf meant to hide the bruises from being strangled. Or was it the moment he smelled Vivian’s strong scent lingering on the scarf?

If not all of these, then.

From the beginning.

That moment when they encountered each other after 14 years. From that time when she mistook me for someone else and showed humility.

Edwin opened his eyes, having found the past that led to this moment. From the moment he met the scrawny, unremarkable Vivian Eveline, she was already his.

Theo Evans’ words were not wrong. He was no different from the beasts at the auction house he had mocked.

He wanted an Eveline completely soaked in his name, chewing and swallowing every part of that woman, down to the last hair.

However, while he stopped at the thought of wanting, she wasn’t an object he particularly desired to possess. There was no need to leave more traces of a woman who should be killed, as ruthlessly taking Vivian Eveline, who would be his anyway, would only leave behind empty and trivial emotions.

***

The morning air leaving Rodinia was clear and light. A slight chill signaled the end of summer. The scorching sunlight was more beautiful and brilliant than ever.

Vivian, making a final check of her appearance in front of the mirror, nervously smoothed out the folds of her skirt with a face mixed with anxiety and tension.

‘I’ve decided to take you along to the royal event too.’
‘We’ll depart early and stay in Rothermond for five days, then head to the capital for about a month, so it’ll be a long journey.’

Her opinion didn’t matter in his decision. This was the second reason for her antipathy towards the irresponsible announcement.

Though she would already be the subject of others’ gossip, there was no need to add more fuel to the fire. The first reason for her objection was that merely being seen with Edwin would be fodder for those addicted to gossip.

‘Charlotte will be coming too.’

The reason for changing her mind was the fact that they wouldn’t be alone.

However, it was extremely difficult for her, as someone who was nothing to Edwin and the culprit who had massacred his family, to attend a royal event and see his adoptive mother.

Vivian’s steps halted as she was about to descend the stairs. Just as she was about to turn back, lacking the courage to voluntarily enter into this series of events, she encountered Charlotte wearing the hat Vivian had gifted her.

“Where are you going?”

Vivian, frozen in place, turned her steps back as if nothing had happened.

“Oh, it’s nothing. By the way… you’re wearing that hat. It’s really pretty. It suits you well.”

Although the courage to leave home hadn’t returned, it was something she had to do anyway. She questioned herself why she had tried to run away when she knew she couldn’t escape.

“Thank you.”

Charlotte, blushing as she touched the hat, shyly expressed her gratitude.

“It’s going to be a very long journey. Even though Rothermond looks close on the map, it’s farther than you think. It’s my first time going from Rodinia to Rothermond too, but it won’t be an easy journey.”

“Our bottoms will suffer a lot, I guess.”

As Vivian whispered softly, Charlotte giggled. Just as the two women finished descending the stairs, Edwin, Royce, and the butler Abernathy also appeared. The gazes of the two women, alerted by the footsteps, turned in one direction.

Edwin headed straight towards Vivian without distraction, and Charlotte’s gaze, following Edwin, landed on Vivian who had turned her head away.

As he came down to the lobby, the two women and the servants didn’t forget to show respect to the master of the mansion.

Edwin took the lead, passing by the two women. As they left the mansion, the first thing that caught their eye was the line of carriages standing in a row. Edwin, who had taken the lead, made way for the two women to board first as the carriage door opened.

And he displayed a gentleman’s courtesy to ensure the two women could safely board the carriage.

Vivian, who suddenly found herself holding Edwin’s hand, hesitated at the outstretched hand but couldn’t delay and reluctantly grasped it.

Vivian, who boarded first, secured the window seat. As Charlotte sat next to her, she was about to suggest sitting opposite. She hadn’t prepared herself mentally to travel a long distance with Edwin right in front of her.

But as Edwin boarded first and took the window seat opposite, an uncomfortable journey began.

“Duke, this is the new hat Miss Eveline gifted me. How is it? Does it suit me?”

Charlotte, who used to chatter endlessly with a nightingale-like voice until she clashed with Edwin over the marriage issue, was now addressing Edwin as before, without even thinking of rebelling, her spirit properly broken by the previous incident.

Vivian was grateful to Charlotte for distracting his attention, as she was already uncomfortable with his blatant gaze.

“The hat you bought with the money from selling embroidery?”

Edwin’s eyes, after following the decorated feathers upward, turned back to Vivian. Clearly, it was Charlotte who had asked about the hat, but it was Vivian who captured his attention.

“…Yes.”

Vivian answered in a small voice, feeling embarrassed. Charlotte, who had asked the question, also awkwardly adjusted her hat. Edwin’s expressionless face turned back to Charlotte.

“Well. Does it suit you?”

The answer was ambiguous, but his gaze examining the hat closely was persistent.

“Charlotte. Sell me that hat.”

Edwin’s subsequent statement shocked both women considerably. It wasn’t a particularly good suggestion for either the gift-giver or the recipient.

Charlotte glanced at Vivian.

Vivian’s eyes, biting her plump lips with an apparently exasperated expression, were far from affectionate. However, Edwin’s gaze looking at the hat Vivian had gifted was somehow unfamiliar and uncharacteristically gentle.

It was a look that truly seemed to want this.

“I’ll pay you properly for it.”

Vivian, who had let out a quiet, rough breath, turned her head towards the window. Charlotte looked back and forth between the two with a troubled expression.

It really seemed like it would be a long journey.