Several large wooden tubs were prepared in the yard.

The children were noisily chattering, each carrying their own belongings. Water overflowing from the tubs had splashed everywhere, threatening to create even more laundry.

Amidst the commotion, a child struggling to carry a blanket as big as themselves spotted someone in the distance and shouted.

“Louisa!”

The child immediately dropped what they were holding and began running towards her.

“Oh my. Yeriel! You shouldn’t do that with the blanket!”

Louisa cried out, looking aghast at the blanket rolling on the dirt ground.

“Wow, Louisa!”

The child shouted, diving into Louisa’s arms. But Louisa pulled the child out of her embrace and turned them around to face the mess they had made.

“Now, Yeriel. I’m glad to see you, but you must take responsibility for what you’ve done.”

Just then, Karen, who was carrying the last wooden tub with the children, noticed the scene and shouted—Oh goodness, Lili!— Yeriel looked back and forth between the blanket and her with a bewildered expression.

“Let’s go put the blanket back properly. Then you can greet me again.”

At Louisa’s urging, Yeriel took her hand and trudged along.

Yeriel picked up the blanket again and put it in the wooden tub. Karen, who had been waiting, then patted both the blanket and the child’s bottom.

“Louisa—”

Yeriel returned, hugging Louisa’s legs with a somewhat pouty expression. She picked up the clinging child and kissed their cheek.

“Good job. Have you been well?”

The child’s name was Yeriel Müren.

As the younger sibling of Alisa Müren, the Müren sisters were children with whom she had formed a connection since their time in Greensburg.

“Yes. No? I was lonely by myself. Elder sister didn’t come either.”

“Your elder sister Alisa is busy now, isn’t she? Students about to graduate can’t help it.”

“Yes. The deputy director said that too. So elder sister couldn’t see Louisa today, but I did, so I’m going to brag to her!”

The child smiled brightly. Finding it utterly adorable, Louisa kissed the child’s chubby cheek once more.

Yeriel’s older sister Alisa was a child who showed exceptional talent in academics.

At the time, she had belonged to an Earnest Foundation facility operated by the Phil family, but with the success of mana stone research leading to more generous sponsorship and support for college admission, she was now focusing on her studies as Edward’s junior.

The children who had finished preparing for laundry gathered in small groups and began splashing in the tubs.

Yeriel, who had insisted on playing with Louisa and refused to leave her side, was also stomping her feet, splashing water everywhere.

“Louisa! The deputy director keeps splashing water on me!”

“If you stomp harder, you can do it too, Lili.”

“But the deputy director is tall, so the water doesn’t reach her! Louisa, help me!”

“If I join in, you’ll get twice as wet. Are you okay with that?”

“No. I can dodge it!”

“Oh really? Then let’s give it a try.”

Louisa began stomping her feet in response to the child’s bold claim.

The cold temperature of the water soaking her feet and the soft sensation of bubbles passing between her toes.

The sound of splashing water and the clear laughter of children filled her ears.

The vitality of this place spread through Louisa’s heart like watercolor paint.

Dozens of children were laughing.

These were children who would live with gratitude and hope for those who had created this moment for them, instead of resentment towards others or self-blame.

Karen, who had been competitively splashing water beside her, said:

“How is it, Louisa? Quite chaotic, isn’t it?”

“Hehe. It sure is.”

At her refreshing response, Karen chuckled and said:

“I don’t know what you’re worried about, but if it’s a problem with a set answer, follow it even if it’s difficult. If not, go with your heart. That’s my motto.”

She said, splish-splashing as she stomped on the blanket with her skirt hiked up.

“Whatever hesitation you have, I’m sure you’ll overcome it well. Because you’re someone with that kind of strength, Louisa.”

“Strength……”

Louisa shook her head.

“I don’t know. To be honest, I feel like I’ve run out of that right now.”

It would have been nice if she had such fortitude or strength. Then they could have lived well without needing to show each other their pain.

Even after reaching a conclusion, her heart ached when she looked back. She should have been able to accept it calmly after giving up, but she still couldn’t…

“The important thing is that you’re still standing even while feeling that way. Like this.”

Karen said, spreading her arms.

“There’s probably a lot about you that I don’t know, Louisa. But the Louisa I know was someone who always found a way to take responsibility and work hard, no matter the circumstances. That’s really not easy.”

Louisa gave a bitter smile at her words.

“That was just because of a small wish that there wouldn’t be any more children who had to dim even the light they had because of their parents or environment. It wasn’t their fault.”

So that there wouldn’t be any more children like Edward, so that he wouldn’t have to dwell on his pain.

But hearing her words, Karen laughed brightly and grabbed Louisa’s hands. Karen looked into her eyes and said:

“Everyone has their own reasons. What I want to say is that I’m always grateful to you, Louisa, and that you’re a person with plenty of strength and ability. Today, just like always.”

At her sincere words, Louisa turned her gaze to the side.

“Thank you, Karen.”

A strange emotion rose from a corner of her heart.

Even if one accepts that regenerating a decaying leg is impossible, deciding to amputate that leg is a separate matter.

Likewise, it would be different to feel the imbalance of a body that doesn’t match the amputated and emptied space.

And the time spent practicing to walk again wouldn’t be easy either.

But at the end of it all, someday she would be able to stand on her own again. And there would come a day when she could look back on these times and talk about them like past memories, saying, “That’s how it was back then.”

“Thank you. I’ll try to stay strong.”

Louisa comforted herself, resolving to try and leave that man, who lingered in her mind even in the children’s smiles, as a good memory.

* * *

In the reception room of the mansion.

Edward, who had been peeking out several times, hurriedly stood up from his seat.

The familiar sound of a car engine stopped, and Paul, who got out of the driver’s seat, opened the back door. As Louisa emerged, Edward quickly approached her and held out his hand.

Louisa, surprised to see the man standing in front of her, asked:

“Ed? What about work?”

“I’ve already been. I was able to come home early today.”

Edward quickly took Louisa’s hand, which she had raised in bewilderment, and escorted her.

But her attire was different from the morning. Looking behind, there was a large case, probably containing clothes she had borrowed after getting dirty.

“Did you have a good time? Your clothes seem different.”

“Ah. Yes. They got a bit wet. I borrowed Karen’s clothes.”

“I see.”

It was obvious that she had been helping with some chores again. He couldn’t hide the slight stiffening of his expression.

In fact, Edward wasn’t pleased with her going out for volunteer work at all.

Every time he saw his wife reaching out to the children at the facility, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. He couldn’t help but compare himself, wondering if he too had appeared to his wife as someone who needed to be cared for like that in the past.

But that’s why he couldn’t say anything.

The reason was too petty, too embarrassing for himself.

It drove him crazy that she came back after helping with menial tasks under the pretext of volunteering.

What was the reason she became accustomed to such work in the first place?

The things his wife had learned to do were like scars left by his own sins.

She was the noblest person of all. So he wanted her to receive the noblest treatment. He wanted to make it so, even if belatedly.

But why couldn’t he make it happen?

He swallowed the sadness that welled up inside him.

Edward forced a smile and said:

“I see. You must be tired. Let’s go in.”

Louisa looked up at him with the expressionless face she had grown accustomed to recently.

Edward looked at his wife’s unreadable face and thought:

‘Is this the unhappiness you spoke of?’

But even so, I love you. Embracing all this unhappiness is the only way I can live by your side.

He decided to tell a lie.

* * *

Louisa went up to her room.

“I wonder if it’s really okay for him to be out like that.”

She was truly surprised to see her husband waiting for her. It wasn’t just because he had never greeted her like this before, but more because she remembered how he was always exhausted.

“It would have been nice if we had days like this more often.”

Good job. Well done. If only there had been times when they held hands, looked at each other, and unwound from the day’s fatigue.

Knock knock.

She heard a knocking sound from behind. When she opened the door and went out, her husband was standing there.

“Ed?”

Edward, meeting her eyes, parted his lips for a moment and took a deep breath.

“I came because I have something to talk about.”

“Come in.”

Louisa opened the door wide. Edward looked at the table and the bed, hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a chair at the table and sat down.

“What kind of talk is it?”

“About what you said… I mean, about the divorce.”

“Yes.”

Edward interlocked his fingers. Keeping his gaze on his hands on his knees, he spoke quietly.

“I’m sorry, but could you postpone the conversation a little? To be honest, I wasn’t going to talk about it to this extent.”

“What do you mean?”

“…You know. I’m being attacked from all sides. Especially Westwood.”

He bowed his head and explained the company’s situation.

“In the current situation, even I can’t risk another blow from divorce rumors. So I was hoping we could postpone it until the company stabilizes. Please.”

He presented the lie he had prepared.