Edward sat alone in the driver’s seat of the car, fidgeting with a pearl in his hand.

“It would have looked so pretty.”

He raised one earring up to his eyes. Its milky, delicate appearance was exactly like Louisa’s skin.

After staring at it for a while, he quickly hid the earring in his fist and closed his eyes.

He recalled his wife’s face, flushed as she asked if he was going to the party. The moment her face clouded with disappointment was also vivid.

But how could he possibly go?

His background followed like a tag after his wife’s name.

Even if he didn’t take a step, it didn’t mean he couldn’t hear the stories.

Son of a con man, someone who can’t hide his lowly origins. A vulgar fellow who doesn’t know his place.

And his wife became the foolish woman who chose that stigma by marrying such a man.

The words directed at him were irritating but not wounding.

But what his wife had to hear was different.

The words themselves carved into his heart, and the gestures of exclusion through silence, though incomprehensible, were insulting enough on their own.

But how could he share such things with Louisa?

He made sure those who insulted his wife paid the price, by any means necessary. But that didn’t mean he wanted her to hear those words directly.

Pretending not to be hurt, pretending to be okay despite it all.

He didn’t want to show his wife the face that pretended to be so tough.

“What should I do about this?”

He looked at the luggage piled behind him.

If I went to the party with her, would she wear it even reluctantly?

But he quickly dismissed the thought. He was afraid to see his wife holding her head high in the face of insults directed at them. Seeing Louisa under attack because of him was, yes, honestly frightening.

It would be nice if someday I could see Louisa wearing a dress I chose.

Edward reclined alone against the car seat.

* * *

The morning breeze was quite chilly.

The trees planted in the garden had begun to drop their leaves one by one.

Paul, who was sweeping fallen leaves in the yard, checked his watch once.

“Time has flown by already.”

It was almost time for Louisa Allen to leave for work. He leaned the broom he was holding against the wall and moved to start the car.

When he arrived at the garage, his employer Edward Allen was there. Paul greeted his employer.

“Master. Have a safe trip, then.”

“Ah, yes. You drive carefully too.”

Edward left a brief greeting and got into the car. But before starting the car, he hesitated for a moment, then suddenly opened the door again, leaned out halfway, and said:

“Hey, Paul!”

Paul, who was wiping dust off Louisa’s car window, turned around.

“If… if you find out anything about what Louisa is thinking, please let me know. It’s important, so keep it in mind.”

At his words, Paul smiled knowingly.

“Yes, I understand. Have a safe trip, then.”

Still, Edward stood there for a while longer, as if something was troubling him. Only when it was almost time for Louisa to leave for work did he finally start the car and depart.

“Oh? The master left a while ago, but was there a problem with the car?”

Rachel, who had come out to see Louisa off, noticed Edward’s car and said.

Paul, who followed behind her, stopped the car in front of the mansion’s porch and replied.

“We just had a brief chat about the weather. The fallen leaves keep coming no matter how much we clean.”

Paul got out of the driver’s seat and opened the back door as he spoke.

“It’s time to go, Madam.”

Louisa watched Edward’s car leave before get ting into the car.

“To Valiant Palace. Is that correct?”

“That’s right. As you said, another day of hard work from the morning.”

When Louisa brushed it off with a joke, Paul also laughed and said.

“Well, my wife is the one having a hard time. Agatha is fretting over the upcoming birthday celebration.”

“We’re always indebted to Mrs. Johnson.”

Paul Johnson started the car. With a jolt, the car passed through the mansion’s main gate. He glanced back and asked.

“Are the preparations going well? It seems the master is also paying attention this time.”

“Ah… yes, they’re going well. Someone is helping.”

Louisa was about to say there wasn’t much to prepare, just as she had answered Edward yesterday, but realizing her conversation partner was Paul Johnson, she changed the subject appropriately.

“That’s right. My wife is quite talented.”

He showed his characteristic kind smile. After observing Louisa’s expression once, he carefully opened his mouth.

“But it seems the master won’t be attending this time either.”

“He’s busy with work, it can’t be helped. You who watch from right beside us know that even better.”

“I know. But that’s why I feel the master has changed a lot lately.”

Paul Johnson had been observing the Allen couple for 3 years now. Most of the time he had watched, every day was just a cold war.

But lately, something was changing. They were still a young couple, so there would naturally be many trials and errors, but one thing was certain – Edward Allen wanted to change something.

Paul Johnson truly hoped this polite and quiet couple would become a little happier. He carefully suggested to Louisa.

“Why don’t you ask the master to go together this time?”

“There’s no need for that. It must be hard enough for him to make time to come home like this when he didn’t used to.”

Louisa smiled lightly and let the suggestion pass.

She had already had the same thought. That’s why she had already asked if he was thinking of going to the party.

But what the expectation brought was only a painful reconfirmation of reality.

Unaware of this fact, Paul spoke to her again.

“I can’t say I know much about women’s society, but there are things I’ve come to learn from hearing through my wife. Like the looks women receive when they seem distant from their husbands.”

“Yes. It’s all just people living, how different could it be? You’re right.”

Louisa said with a bitter smile.

“But let’s bury this conversation here. This is as far as we’ll go.”

She didn’t want to speak ill of her husband unnecessarily, nor did she want to lie and say she was fine.

Louisa thus swallowed her pain deep inside herself.

* * *

The Allen Research Institute was enveloped in silence.

Edward stared blankly at the result he had produced, as if he couldn’t believe it.

It was Jeffrey who broke the heavy silence. He jumped up from his chair and shouted.

“We did it… We did it! We did it!”

At his shout, the employees who had been anxiously staring at the test results began to cheer.

“Good heavens!”

“Has it really been an hour already? Did we really succeed?”

“It just passed! It’s the 61st minute now!”

“Oh my!”

The staff of Allen Research Institute were caught up in a frenzy of excitement, hugging each other in bewilderment.

Before their eyes, Allen Company’s engine, using the energy of magic stones as power, was moving a large propeller with enough output to potentially move not just trains, but even military ships.

“What will people say when they see this! This could really change the course of the world. This is no joke, I’m telling you!”

An excited Jeffrey spat out words like a machine gun.

“Westwood Company, struggling just to do something with a single car, will never be able to catch up! No matter how much research they do!”

He strode over, grabbed his boss’s shoulder, and said.

“Seeing this output, people will surely come running from all directions. If they have eyes, they can’t help but do so. They’ll be lining up, drooling!”

When he even started shaking the shoulder he had grabbed, Edward swatted Jeffrey’s hand away and straightened his collar, saying.

“I know that better than anyone.”

“Boss, at times like this, don’t act like a stranger and join in with us. You’re happy too, aren’t you?”

Jeffrey grabbed his own cheeks and stretched his mouth into a grin while bouncing up and down.

Edward shook his head at his junior’s undignified behavior, brought over a chair, and sat down in front of the propeller.

As he took his seat, the employees completely abandoned their work and began to gather around him.

Edward glanced at them and said gruffly.

“If you’re just going to sit and watch anyway, bring some chairs or food or something.”

At that, the employees dispersed like the receding tide, each returning to their places to gather something before coming back.

Another hour passed, then two more…

A total of 7 hours until the activated magic stone exhausted its power.

That night, all the employees of Allen Research Institute gathered to raise a toast.

* * *

The chime of the grandfather clock rang particularly loudly in the quiet air.

After finishing its ten chimes, the clock fell silent, and Louisa, who had been sitting in the reception room drinking milk with honey, put down her cup.

“If you’re going to be like this, you shouldn’t have said anything at all.”

Her husband had always worked late without notice. It wasn’t particularly strange for her to be alone at home at this hour.

But Louisa felt odd. Even though it was something that always happened, today it felt more hurtful than usual.

It was because Paul had said those things today, for no reason.

It was because they had been spending more time together lately, for no reason.

It was because… she had foolishly held out hope that he might come, for no reason.

[Even so, just in case… if I’m going to be late… I’ll contact you.]

She felt foolish for having waited for him, thinking he might at least contact her.

Her husband, who had left for work earlier than usual in recent days, had not returned even as the sun set and night deepened.

It was something she always experienced, but after spending just a few days together, the empty space felt this desolate.

“So why make promises you can’t keep?”

Louisa let her resentful words drift into the empty air.

She turned off the lights in the reception room where she had been sitting.

As she was about to close the door, she paused for a moment. She looked at the stairs leading up to the servants’ quarters.

[If you’re really worried about me being late, wake up Paul and send him.]

The voice echoing in her mind was vivid.

Recalling the words he had spoken to her in a kind voice, Louisa turned her head again to look at the darkness of the dim reception room.

After standing there looking at that darkness for a moment, she finally closed the door and went up to her room.