As the sun glowed in deep orange and began to dip in the west, Edward, who had said he would return before dinner, entered through the mansion’s main gate only after the sun had almost set. His face was heavy with fatigue.

After closing the front door, Edward slowly removed his hat and coat.

“You seem very tired,” Paul, who was attending to him, commented softly.

Taking Edward’s hat and coat, Paul listened as Edward massaged near his temples and said, “Indeed. Louisa wasn’t feeling well all night.”

“I heard from Agatha. She told me to buy butternut squash because Madam wasn’t feeling well.”

“Ah, butternut squash soup. That’s good,” Edward nodded.

Butternut squash was a food his wife had often eaten since the old days. He remembered often steaming it and preparing butternut squash salad for her.

“What’s Louisa doing now? We need to leave soon,” Edward inquired, pulling out his pocket watch. The hands were already pointing to six.

Hearing this, Paul asked in surprise, “Aren’t you having dinner? You might get hungry during the opera performance if you skip it.”

Paul expressed his concern, but Edward shook his head, “Rushing to eat now will only trouble Louisa. We’ll eat after the outing if she feels better.”

“Understood.”

As they were speaking, Louisa came downstairs.

Hearing her, Paul turned and said, “Madam, you’ve finished getting ready quickly.”

“To reach the opera house on time, we should be ready by now,” Louisa replied as she descended the stairs slowly, followed by Mrs. Johnson carrying her coat.

Seeing Louisa, Edward scrutinized her from top to bottom with a hardened expression.

There was a significant issue with his wife’s attire.

She was dressed as if attending a party. The evening gown was deeply cut at the chest, and the sleeves were entirely open. Although long gloves covered some skin, it lacked any warmth.

And the skirt was another matter. It was heavily layered and puffed up, looking very heavy.

‘And she’s not in the best condition…’

Still on the stairs, Edward asked in disbelief, “What is that outfit? Where are your usual outdoor clothes?”

He had indeed suggested she dress more glamorously, but not to disregard time and place like this.

“Usual clothes? This is my first time going to the opera here, Ed,” Louisa replied, not understanding his point.

Was he assuming she frequently went to operas like everyone else? Yet, he often told her to go out more, like other ladies.

With questioning eyes, Louisa looked at him.

Edward, feeling a bit stifled, rubbed his neck and crossed his arms, saying, “I know you don’t usually go to such events. I mean the outdoor clothes you wore just until yesterday, the ones with a jacket.”

Louisa then realized what her husband meant.
“You know I don’t usually go out to see such things. What I meant was the kind of outdoor clothing you wore until yesterday, with a jacket and all.”

Louisa finally understood what her husband was referring to.

It seemed he was talking about the demi-toilette she usually wore when going out.

Her husband, being unfamiliar with opera himself, had no idea about the dress code there.

She pondered how to convey this without upsetting him.

“Um… Ed,” she hesitated before speaking, “When going to the opera, it’s customary to dress formally.”

That was all she said, but Edward quickly grasped the situation.

“Ah, so you mean full dress? What an odd culture.”

He frowned, clearly displeased with the idea of such a dress code. Edward spread his arms and looked down at his own attire.

“Do I need to change too?”

He had only briefly visited the laboratory during the day and was not in attire befitting a formal event.

Louisa felt apologetic, though it wasn’t her fault, and replied cautiously, “It would be better. You said you’d check yesterday but couldn’t, I guess.”

“There were pressing matters, and even if I had seen it, I wouldn’t have known.”

He must have been referring to staying by her side all night.

Louisa felt uneasy about both the events of last night and this outing, feeling it was all because of her.

“You must be tired. It’s okay not to go out today. Just rest since you’re already home.”

“What are you talking about now?” Edward ruffled his hair and said, “I’ll change and be right back.”

He strode quickly towards the stairs, followed hurriedly by Paul.

However, halfway up, Edward paused and looked back, asking with a skeptical frown, “You don’t mean to say I shouldn’t wear a coat over this, do you?”

“Of course not.”

“How are you going then?”

At her husband’s query, Louisa extended her hand backward.

Mrs. Johnson draped a fur-trimmed cape over her shoulders, and Louisa clasped the cape’s collar, showing him, “Like this.”

“Alright, wait for me.”

Having seen that, he hurried up the stairs.

Soon, Edward returned to the landing, his hair, which had been ruffled like a bird’s nest, now neatly combed.

With a face clearly expressing his discomfort, he shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the irritation.

“I really wish they’d spend time learning not to be rude to others instead of fussing over such things.”

Having often witnessed the rudeness of the nobility, Edward’s words were sincere.

Louisa just smiled at her husband’s comment.

She found it somewhat endearing how much it bothered him.

“Don’t worry too much,” she consoled him, albeit predictably.

Edward, constantly fidgeting with his high collar and bow tie, saw Louisa fasten the last button of her cape and said, “Let’s go then.”

It was the Allen couple’s first outing to the opera house.

In front of the opera house.
A stream of cars flowed in, and Edward’s car came to a stop behind them.

Paul, who got out of the driver’s seat, opened the rear passenger door.

Edward nearly sprang out of the car, grumbling, “I should have driven.”

He held the door with one hand and extended the other to help Louisa out.

“You shouldn’t drive when you’ve hardly slept. For your sake, you need to be more careful about such things in the future,” Louisa chided, concerned about her husband’s future.

To her, Paul’s driving seemed perfectly fine, but Edward was particularly impatient with it, constantly snapping, ‘Just step on it,’ or ‘Just zip through,’ and eventually closed his eyes in frustration, as if to ward off an impending headache.

“If one day of hardship could knock me down, Allen Corp wouldn’t exist by now,” Edward stated proudly. Louisa could only sigh at her husband’s response.

“Right. There’s nobody in the world better than you.”

“Are you scolding me now?”

“Of course not. How great you are.”

Louisa’s teasing elicited a flabbergasted look from him. As she started walking towards the entrance, he quickly followed her, saying, “You might be used to such frustrating driving, but I can’t take it again. I’ll drive next time.”

“I won’t stop you, but remember, your safety is your responsibility.”

As they bickered, Paul, the subject of their debate, could only bow his head with a chuckle, wishing them a good time.

That’s when it happened.

“I wouldn’t recommend driving yourself,” a man’s voice said from behind them. Edward frowned and turned around.

There stood a tall, blonde man, his height matching Edward’s.

He stepped forward and extended his right hand to Edward.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Allen. It’s been a while,” he said.

It was Evan Winston, the eldest son of the Winston family.