Waking up abruptly, Louisa slowly opened her eyes.

The sunlight was bright beyond the canopy. She slightly raised herself and leaned against the bed head.

It seemed she had woken up much later than usual.

Louisa absentmindedly touched her stomach and took a deep breath. Her stomach felt much better, as if the discomfort had subsided.

She turned her head to look beside her.

The place where her husband had been sitting was empty. The chair was back in its usual spot, and the tray and glass on the table were gone.

She looked at the bed.

The leather bag that had kept her warm throughout the night was the only thing left beside her.

Louisa placed her hand on it.

The bag was still quite warm. Since the water’s warmth couldn’t have lasted half a day, it meant her husband must have warmed it up again.

A wave of emotion overcame her.

The man, always so worn out, had stayed up all night to be by her side.

In her memory, he was a man who, despite having little, filled her life with such meticulous care.

She must have been swayed and shaken by the memory of her once affectionate husband.
But my judgment had to be rational. Even if I leave the matter of following that judgment to the future, I couldn’t afford to be swayed right now.

Even if my heart ached, even if I remembered the happy and thrilling days of the past, the current behavior my husband was showing was just like ripples caused by a stone I had thrown.

I couldn’t hastily harbor expectations just by observing that. There were too many unresolved issues for that.

For starters, the most crucial thing was that our hearts differed fundamentally.

Even if we were both acting in each other’s best interests, the fact that it stemmed from guilt meant it was meaningless. Once he started chasing success again, we would inevitably drift apart once more.

And more than anything, I no longer had the strength to optimistically endure the possibility of further pain.

It was already difficult enough when I first brought up the topic of separation. But since then, the agony had become indescribably intense.

Every single action was noticeable, causing me to swing wildly between highs and lows, exhausting my emotions.

Knowing that a break-up not borne out of a loss of love wouldn’t be easy, I had still broached the subject. The words were thrown out in desperation, hoping to rid myself of the unbearable feelings as soon as possible.

But I didn’t realize that doing so would only increase my suffering.

I even thought that enduring his indifference might have been better. The recent roller coaster of emotions had drained me so much. But since I had already started, I had to endure.

‘I’ll probably have to endure like this for a longer time.’

They say a frog being slowly boiled in water doesn’t realize it’s dying.

But a frog thrown into boiling water will jump out in shock and survive.

So if I endure this pain and eventually part ways with him, if I just hold on a little longer…

Then one day, we might become a comfortable relationship, each finding our own happiness.

Louisa opened the drawer of the bedside table.

Inside was a framed family photo, the last one taken.

She took it out and gazed at the faces of her parents, whom she could no longer meet.

She touched their tiny printed faces with her fingertips.

All she felt was the cold, flat texture of the paper. Yet she continued to trace her parents’ faces with her hands.

Speaking to the photo, she said, “The fair is just a few days away, and my husband’s engine will surely catch the current swiftly. So even if I seem a bit foolish, trust and wait for your daughter.”

I’ll surely be happy. Don’t worry.

She looked at the photo for a while, then put it back in the drawer and got up.

Descending to the first floor, she realized it was already lunchtime.

“Good morning, Agatha. Although it seems a bit late to call it morning,” Louisa said, somewhat embarrassed by her late waking, as she greeted Mrs. Johnson with a shy smile.

Mrs. Johnson, who was replacing flowers in a vase, laughed and replied, “The master told me not to wake you. Are you feeling better now?”

“Thanks to him, I am,” Louisa said.

“That’s a relief.”

Mrs. Johnson inserted the newly arranged bouquet into the vase and then poured water from a jug into it.

“I prepared some ingredients in advance, as the master instructed to get ready for your meal once you’re up. Shall I start preparing it now?”
I wasn’t planning to have lunch since my stomach felt uneasy. However, hearing that preparations had already been made, Louisa nodded in agreement.

“Ah… then please go ahead with the preparations.”

“Alright, understood.”

As Mrs. Johnson, who had wrapped up the wilted bouquet in paper, was about to leave, Louisa asked, “Has my husband finished his meal?”

“The master said so and left for the laboratory, mentioning he needed to stop by. He said he would return before evening as we have to go to the opera.”

“Did he drive himself? He went alone?”

“Yes, he left without saying anything…”

“I see. Okay then.”

Louisa nodded, and Mrs. Johnson left the room.

‘He must have been up almost all night.’

Why would someone like that, who has servants, insist on driving alone?

Louisa worried for a moment whether his journey might be dangerous, then scolded herself internally.

Realizing she was foolishly concerned again, she shook her head and deliberately pushed thoughts of him out of her mind.