Edward sat alone in the driver’s seat of his car, idly playing with a pearl in his hand.
“It would have looked so beautiful on her.”
He lifted an earring up to his eyes. Its pale and delicate beauty was strikingly similar to Louisa’s skin.
After staring at it for a while, he hid the earring in his fist and closed his eyes.
The image of Louisa, her cheeks flushed with excitement, asking about the party lingered in his mind, as did the moment her face clouded with disappointment.
But how could he possibly attend?
His background, like a tag following behind his wife’s name, was the issue.
Even if he avoided stepping out, he still heard the whispers.
The son of a swindler, unable to hide his origins, an upstart with no understanding of his place.
And Louisa, for accepting such a man as her husband, was deemed a foolish woman who chose her own disgrace.
Though the words directed at him were merely annoying, the ones aimed at Louisa were different.
They pierced his heart, and the silent gestures of exclusion, though incomprehensible, were deeply insulting.
How could he share such things with Louisa?
He had made those who insulted her pay, but that didn’t mean she should endure such words.
Pretending not to be hurt, pretending it’s all fine.
He didn’t want to show his wife a face putting on such tough fronts.
“What should I do with these?”
He looked at the pile of gifts in the back.
Maybe she would wear them if he attended the party with her.
But the thought of seeing Louisa standing tall amidst insults hurled at them, especially because of him, was terrifying. Honestly, he was afraid to see Louisa attacked because of him.
How wonderful it would be to see Louisa in a dress he chose for her.
Edward lay back in his car seat, lost in thought.
The morning air was brisk.
Trees in the garden began shedding leaves one by one.
As Paul swept the fallen leaves in the yard, he checked his watch.
“It’s already this late.”
It was almost time for Louisa Allen to leave for work. He leaned his broom against the wall and headed to start the car.
Reaching the garage, he found his employer, Edward Allen, already there. Paul greeted him.
“Master. Have a safe trip.”
“Ah, yes. You too, be careful driving.”
Edward returned the brief greeting and got into his car. But just before driving off, he hesitated and then suddenly reopened the door, leaning halfway out.
“Hey, Paul!”
Paul, who was cleaning the dust off Louisa’s car window, turned around.
“If you… if you find out what Louisa is thinking, let me know. It’s important, so keep it in mind.”
Paul smiled knowingly.
“Yes, I understand. Have a safe trip.”
Yet, Edward lingered, seemingly uneasy. It wasn’t until Louisa’s departure time was nearly upon them that he finally drove off.
“Oh? The master left a while ago. Was there a problem with the car?”
Rachel, who had come out to see Louisa off, noticed Edward’s car and commented.
Paul, following behind her, stopped the car in front of the mansion’s porch and replied.
“Just talked about the weather for a bit. The leaves keep falling, no matter how much we sweep.”
Paul stepped out of the driver’s seat, opened the rear door, and said,
“Let’s go, ma’am.”
Louisa, having watched Edward’s car leave, got into the car.
“To Valiant Palace, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right. As you always say, it’s quite a task starting in the morning.”
Louisa lightly joked, and Paul laughed along, saying,
“Well, it’s not as hard as what the wife does. Agatha is having a headache over the upcoming birthday celebration.”
“Always indebted to Mrs. Johnson.”
Paul Johnson started the car. The vehicle jerked as it exited the mansion’s gate. He glanced back and asked,
“Is everything going well with the preparations? It seems like the master is also paying attention this time.”
“Ah… it’s going fine. Someone’s helping me.”
Louisa, about to say there wasn’t much to prepare, realized she was talking to Paul Johnson and changed her response accordingly.
“Well, of course. My wife is really talented.”
He smiled his usual, good-natured smile and cautiously broached a topic.
“But it seems the master won’t be attending this time either.”
“It can’t be helped if he’s busy with work. You see it all from up close.”
“Yes, I understand. But that makes me realize even more how much the master has changed recently.”
Paul Johnson had been observing the Allen couple for three years. For the most part, their days were filled with a cold war.
However, recently something had been changing. They were still a young couple, with many trials and errors, but it was clear that Edward Allen wanted to make a change.
Paul genuinely wished for this mannerly and quiet couple to find more happiness. He cautiously suggested to Louisa,
“Why not ask the master to go with you this time?”
“There’s no need for that. It’s already hard enough for him to make time to come home.”
Louisa laughed off the suggestion lightly.
She had already had the same thought and asked him if he planned to attend the party.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
