In the end, Edward purchased a rather stunning navy blue dress and a Calihae pearl set.

Of course, along with that, he added a shawl said to be woven in the East, a rare feathered hat with some “Bur-something” name, and gloves and shoes to match the dress.

Even as they were being loaded into the car, these items boasted such splendor that it made one wonder if this was really appropriate.

Still, the Calihae pearl set was relatively simple, and even he thought it would suit Louisa’s taste quite well.

Emily quietly approached his side and greeted him.

“Thanks to you, today was fun.”

“Thank you for your help, Lady Earnest.”

Edward said as he slammed shut the rear door of the car loaded with packages. Emily took another step closer to him and asked.

“You’ll escort me home, won’t you, good sir?”

It was a question asked with the natural assumption that he would. But Edward’s answer was unexpected.

“I’m sorry, but I want to get back to my wife quickly today. I’ll send compensation through Gilford later.”

“…Pardon?”

Emily Earnest’s face hardened. She looked up at him, not even thinking to unfurl the fan she usually used to hide her expressions.

“There are plenty of cabs around here, so can’t you go by yourself? Look, there’s one coming now.”

Edward pointed to a commercial vehicle approaching in the distance across the street. He adjusted his clothing once and said as he opened the driver’s side door.

“Well then, I’ll be going first.”

Thunk.

The car door closed.

The black car Edward boarded soon left without hesitation. Emily Earnest was left standing alone in Central Square, staring at the rear end of the departing vehicle.

* * *

As the evening twilight began to rise at sunset.

Louisa sat down heavily on the bed as soon as she entered, without even changing her clothes. She wanted to just bury herself in the soft bed and fall asleep.

Apart from her body feeling sluggish, her head felt tired. The various events crashing down on her lately were wearing out both her body and mind in many ways.

Leaning against the headboard and blankly staring up at the canopy ceiling, Louisa muttered.

“Sweets… I need something sweet.”

She was the type to eat especially sweet desserts when tired. This time too, as soon as she thought of sweets, she immediately pulled the bell rope.

Not long after, Rachel came up.

“Madam?”

“Ah, Rachel. I’m sorry before dinner, but could you bring me a glass of honey water? I’m craving something sweet.”

It was an unusual request for someone who normally lived so regularly. Rachel carefully examined her complexion, and upon noticing the fatigue settled around her eyes, began to make a fuss, asking what on earth she meant.

“Madam! With your complexion looking so poor, how can you ask for mere honey water? Instead of that, shall I prepare something like chocolate fondue as usual?”

“What about the meal that’s already being prepared?”

Louisa waved her hand. But by Rachel’s standards, a stress-relieving dessert for Madam couldn’t possibly be just honey water. She spoke again.

“If chocolate fondue doesn’t appeal to you, how about chocolate cookies? I’ll prepare them with sugar cubes and black tea.”

There was no winning against the child’s fussing. Louisa, who finally burst into laughter, covered her slightly parted lips with her hand and said.

“Alright. Then bring that. Thanks to you, I’ll be having dessert before dinner.”

“Yes, Madam!”

The child brightly scurried down.

But a moment later, the one who came through the suddenly opened door with a tea set was not the child, but someone else.

Edward, who entered while propping the open door with his shoulder, said.

“What dessert are you having before dinner? It’s not good to fill your stomach with such things.”

“My goodness. What’s the occasion for you to bring such things?”

Louisa said as she approached him. As she reached out to take the tea set, Edward raised the tray he was holding higher and said.

“Never mind that, go inside. Let’s sit down.”

“Ed.”

“Come on.”

Louisa glanced slightly at him as he gestured towards the table with his chin.

What could be the matter with someone who normally never made time like this?

Though there was something unsatisfactory about it, Louisa went and sat where he indicated for now.

Even though she had seen him often recently, she was more surprised by him bringing such things to her room at this hour than by him being here at this time. That somehow made her heart feel more relaxed.

As Louisa sat in the chair, Edward also calmly came and sat across from her.

“What’s the occasion for you to bring all this suddenly?”

Edward, who had set down the refreshments and teacups on the round tea table with quite skillful hand movements, said.

“Just because. I saw the child carrying dessert and wanted some too.”

He carefully poured black tea into the teacups, holding the teapot. Then, turning the teapot he was holding left and right, he said.

“I didn’t know, but our house tea set is quite fancy. Is it to your taste?”

“I do like it. But you’re the one who chose it.”

“…I see.”

Edward, who didn’t know he had gifted it, set down the teapot he was holding.

He had asked the department store to bring some nice things at some point before, and it seemed this had been mixed in then.

He quietly put sugar cubes into the cup of black tea and said.

“You seem to like fancy things too, unexpectedly. I thought you only liked simple things since you always look for those.”

Louisa smiled silently at his words. After confirming her smile, Edward carefully broached the subject.

“Then how about dressing up a bit more for the royal party this time?”

“By royal party… do you mean His Majesty’s birthday celebration?”

“Yes.”

When Edward nodded, Louisa asked.

“Are you planning to go this time?”

Louisa’s heart pounded with sudden excitement.

Belatedly, her husband was changing little by little. Just as it wasn’t awkward for him to be home at this hour, the day might come when it wouldn’t be awkward for him to go to parties with her.

But such expectations of hers were dashed.

“No.”

Edward answered flatly.

“I can’t for the time being because the project is busy.”

Louisa’s cheeks, which had been flushed with excitement, cooled.

“I see… It can’t be helped if work is busy.”

Louisa picked up the teacup with three sugar cubes in it. Craving something sweet, she took a sip of the black tea and bit into a cookie.

Watching Louisa munch on the dessert, Edward asked.

“Have you prepared everything for the party?”

“What is there to prepare? I just need to dress neatly, so don’t worry about it.”

“Why, everyone else goes all out, don’t they? From what Gilford said, it seemed like you needed to prepare quite meticulously.”

At Edward’s words, Louisa swallowed the words that had risen to her throat.

That no matter how much she dressed up, going alone without her husband every time only made her be treated like a gaudy peacock.

But she couldn’t say such things to her husband.

Because she vaguely guessed why he didn’t go to parties.

‘It’s not easy to be so nonchalant among the nobles. It can’t be helped.’

She thought of the cold treatment she had received from them.

Even she, who had been a fairly prestigious noble, had to be the subject of others’ gossip as soon as her family fell.

The things this man would hear would surely be worse, not less.

It wasn’t pleasant for her either to have her husband hear unnecessary things. So she understood why he didn’t go.

The only regrettable point was that the few parties he had to attend due to unavoidable business reasons were not with her.

‘It’s regrettable and sad, but it’s okay because I understand rather than not understanding.’

So there was no need to pour out complaints to him about why he didn’t come.

Louisa took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart.

“No. His Majesty said he liked my neat appearance because it was easy on the eyes, so I’m planning to go like that this time too.”

“Well, you’ve shown the neat style once, so try a slightly different style this time. Then you can hear what they say again. I’m sure His Majesty will say it looks good too.”

“No. It’s really fine, so let’s stop this conversation here.”

Before my understanding of you becomes deeper resentment.

But at Louisa’s words, Edward’s expression hardened.

He thought of the time he spent in an odd boutique instead of the lab, and the gifts he hadn’t even taken out of the back seat of the car yet.

Would you have said this if you knew how I spent my day today?

He couldn’t understand why she so firmly rejected only his suggestions.

The conviction and firmness to carry out what she had decided was one of the reasons he fell for her, but right now, that resoluteness was truly vexing.

Not knowing with what heart he had prepared the gifts, it was just upsetting that she cut him off so sharply like this.

“Fine. You just like those things.”

He said, unable to hide the resentment welling up.

“I said something foolish. Like an idiot.”

“What do you mean by that? Foolish?”

“You, you don’t properly use any of the things I’ve given you.”

“…”

“I really can’t figure out what your taste is, so later I just swept up everything there was and stuffed it in this house. But you didn’t even look at it.”

That’s not it, Louisa wanted to say. It was just that it hurt her heart too much to be treated like a peacock and an abandoned wife.

But she stopped her lips just as she was about to speak.

There was no point in conveying such words to someone who had no intention of attending parties. There was no need to add such a story to the guilt that was likely already weighing him down.

Louisa raised her hand and pressed it firmly against her chest.

She said quietly.

“I’m sorry.”

Edward stared at her for a long time, then furrowed his brow and left the room.