“Ed, I’m sorry. I thought wrong… and made things too hard for us.”

Louisa’s voice was submerged as if confessing in a confessional.

Edward, deeply affected, sharply asked,

“What did you think wrong?”

“The thought that you and I could love each other like ordinary people.”

Edward burst out,

“Why? Why can’t we? Do you know how my day was? I was already overwhelmed with work, and distracted, making no progress. That just made things worse, and I had to leave work early just to make time for you! I’m dreading tomorrow, and now, what?”

“Yes, I know. It’s hard for you and for me. That’s why I’m saying this. Let’s make it easier for each other.”

Edward was speechless.

“Let’s end our unhappiness here, Ed.”

The conclusion was too clear.

Edward couldn’t accept that this ending was just separation.

“Let’s take some time to think.”

Edward decided to delay the conclusion.

He needed to talk with her to solve the situation, but he wasn’t in the state to do so. Above all, he couldn’t understand his wife.

Louisa looked at him pensively and spoke,

“Alright. I understand.”

“You seem stressed too. Why don’t you take a short trip somewhere?”

“A trip? No, I’m fine.”

“No. I heard about the autumn leaves in Qunel being beautiful. You could go there for the weekend.”

Edward hoped that some time off might improve the situation, even a little.

“Traveling alone… Alright, I’ll do that.”

Louisa responded calmly.

Edward felt a cold emptiness. The thought of his wife leaving felt like she was dissipating into mist.

He scratched his palm with his fingernail in frustration.

The sky over the industrial capital was always hazy.

Lindbroom station was bustling as usual. The heavy sound of an approaching train started to be heard from the platform.

Rachel, following Louisa, exclaimed excitedly,

“Madam, the train is coming!”

Paul Johnson, who had come to see them off, frowned at her outburst but then cleared his throat and relaxed his expression when Louisa smiled and shook her head.

They hurried towards the first-class carriage.

The sound that had been approaching was now right beside them.

Screech—

The train braked, releasing air with a hiss.

With a loud noise, the train’s door opened. Station workers bustled around, shouting.

Amidst the commotion, Rachel quickly boarded the first-class carriage.

Louisa followed her, folding her umbrella and boarding the train.

“Take care on your journey.”

“Thank you. We’ll catch up when I return.”

Louisa waved to him and boarded the train.
Rachel, having found their reserved seats, waved at Louisa.

“My, this train is really spacious!”

“It’s different from the outside, isn’t it? I was surprised too when I first rode one.”

Louisa opened the compartment door and carefully sat down, making sure her skirt didn’t wrinkle.

Rachel, fascinated, kept looking around. Louisa told her to put the luggage up and sit down. Rachel quickly complied, exclaiming in realization.

“Looking out through such a wide window, we’ll definitely enjoy the scenery along the way.”

Louisa watched her babbling companion, hiding a bittersweet smile.

On the way to Quenel for the autumn trip that Edward had suggested.

Instead of her husband, who usually found train travel boring, sat a young maid.

Louisa felt both sad and relieved.

Edward, who finally made time to talk, seemed burdened even by that brief moment.

She knew he was an extremely busy man, every minute precious.

All she needed was a husband who could wholeheartedly love her, but his ambition was to atone through success.

It must have been hard for him too. His tiredness wasn’t a lie; he was indeed exhausted.

But she felt the same. Enduring any more seemed like she might eventually give up on everything.

So, she decided.

No more expectations. It was time to let go.

She fought back tears that threatened to spill, feeling an unbearable ache in her heart.

Her decision was right.

Until the end, Edward couldn’t understand her. This must be the right path.

Maybe they were finally at the starting line for a bit of happiness.

A faint hope, but the thought of finding a new path brought her strength for the moment.

Louisa watched the small birds fluttering across the train window sky.

The train ride to Quenel takes half a day.

Rachel, who had been excitedly chattering, quieted down in less than an hour.

At first, she munched on snacks, imagining—red maple trees lining the roads, waving like red waves in the wind!

But later, she quietly took out her knitting and started making a muffler.

Rachel, unable to resist the boredom, fell asleep, and Louisa woke her up upon hearing the conductor’s arrival announcement.

Startled, Rachel hurriedly got up and took down the bags she had placed in the luggage rack.

Stepping off the train, they were first greeted by the dark evening sky and the cool air caressing their cheeks.

Louisa took a deep breath of the earth-scented air.

‘A familiar smell.’

She briefly recalled memories evoked by the familiar scent.

Their small house in Greenberg. The nights when she and Edward returned home after finishing work. Walking along the long road, sharing the cold night air and his scent filling her lungs.

“Wow, look at the stars, Madam!” Rachel, stretching her tired body, pointed at the sky and exclaimed.
Instead of the hazy dust floating in the air, Louisa’s cheeks flushed at the sight of the well-maintained resort.

Even under the dim streetlights, Rachel’s innocent laughter shone brightly, eliciting a faint smile from Louisa.

Couples with children and other pairs disembarked and headed towards their respective destinations. Rachel, observing them, adjusted their luggage with a grunt and exclaimed,

“Madam! Let’s go too!”

Louisa thought to herself as she looked at the young maid eagerly asking for directions to their lodging, instead of a rough, large hand to hold hers.

The first thing she needed to do was to practice not thinking about him.

Edward sat at his desk, blankly staring, pen in hand.

Anxiety that kept halting his hand now pervaded his mind, binding him.

Louisa must be on her trip by now. Will she calm down and return? Or will she come back and immediately say it’s over?

He was utterly unable to concentrate on his work, plagued by relentless thoughts. He knew the decision rested with Louisa, yet he couldn’t help but worry.

‘What will become of us now…’

The pen slipped from his weakened grip, leaving a large ink blot on the paper. Edward, lost in thought, didn’t notice the spreading ink.

Jeffrey, watching his boss, let out an exclamation of disbelief.

After a few seconds of staring, Jeffrey recklessly slid the cigar box towards Edward, hitting his pen.

“What’s this?”

“Light one up and clear your head,” Jeffrey suggested, pointing at the cigar box on Edward’s desk.

Only then did Edward notice the large blot underneath his hand.

“Damn it.”

He snatched up the paper, crumpled it fiercely, and threw it on the floor. Irritably opening the cigar box, he casually picked one, cut the end, lit it, and put it in his mouth.

Edward didn’t often smoke cigars, only when unbearable stress demanded a forced relaxation. But this time, the cigar hardly helped. Worries quickly resurfaced.

‘What if Louisa doesn’t return?’

He shook his head, muttering to himself, ‘No, she wouldn’t just leave me like that.’

We definitely loved each other. Definitely.

As the ash fell from the cigar, burning yet another piece of paper, he let out a sigh.

Frustrated, he crumpled that paper too and threw it away. Extinguishing the cigar, Edward stood up.

It felt strange, being this unsettled after all these years of marriage.

‘What are you thinking about right now? Will you return rested, both body and mind?’

For the first time, Edward found himself wondering about his wife’s wellbeing while at work.

Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she

really disliked him

Short intro:

What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.

Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.

Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!

She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.

*

At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.

This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!

***

Synopsis:

Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…

A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead

vs.

An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead

_____

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