Edward thought it was truly the worst date ever.

Both Louisa and he were in poor condition, and there wasn’t enough time for preparation.

Moreover, there were so many of their customs that he didn’t know about. Don’t do this, don’t do that – being among them made him feel like an ignorant fool.

On top of that, the suddenly appearing fiancé was rambling on about the past, and his wife told him not to do anything for her, as if mocking his efforts.

He got upset at that and ended up treating his wife harshly.

The sound of applause could be heard, signaling the end of the performance.

Edward clapped his hands a few times to match the rhythm and turned his head to look at his wife.

Louisa’s expression was also quite hardened, seemingly in a bad mood.

‘I wanted to cheer her up.’

At first, he didn’t intend to say that much. He thought he would just go along with everything, thinking it couldn’t be helped.

But to tell him not to do anything for her.

It sounded like she meant not to think about turning anything back.

As if their relationship had already ended, to stop, to stay quiet like this and part ways when the time comes.

It couldn’t be interpreted any other way.

He couldn’t accept that.

So he said those words. To give him charity.

He hated the thought that his wife might see him in the same light as the children in the facility. He had been trying not to earn such pity, but if the end result was losing his wife, such pride meant nothing.

He could become anything to keep his wife. Even if it meant being the object of her pity.

So his wife had to stay by his side, even if out of pity. She had to remain his wife for even one more day.

He blankly stared at his wife watching the curtain call.

The sparkle in her eyes that had been reflecting the stage lights until moments ago was now lifeless. The lively flush on her fair cheeks as she had been swinging his arm and sharing various impressions earlier was now gone, cooled without a trace.

Finally, the curtain call ended and the lights in the hall brightened like before.

Louisa grabbed the hem of her skirt and stood up. She buttoned up the cape she had worn and extended the back of her hand towards Edward.

“Please escort me. Gentlemen have the duty to offer an arm to lead ladies when accompanying them.”

At her words, Edward felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if it was being squeezed.

How had his wife decided to define their relationship from now on?

Probably not as ordinary spouses who exchange affectionate words and love as they live together. That was now out of reach.

Then what was he to his wife?

Edward looked at his wife’s face as she looked up at him with her hand extended.

Emotionless eyes. A sense of distance devoid of any feeling.

And amid that, remaining pity and sympathy.

Edward thought.

To his wife, he would be nothing more than a pitiful man she had to look after and sympathize with.

The sight of the Allen couple leaving the hall affectionately was witnessed by several nobles.

Some of them said they had seen the couple at the King’s Birthday Celebration before, while others expressed surprise that the rumors they had only heard turned out to be true.

The two walked together, leaving such whispers behind.

There were also those who approached them directly, but most of them were men with business connections to Edward, coming to greet him.

There was only one exception.

Emily Ernst, the second daughter of the Ernst family.

“Oh my. Hello, Mr. Allen.”

Despite the rather chilly autumn night, she seemed to have been lingering near the opera house entrance without even wearing an overcoat.

Emily touched her cheeks, flushed from the cold, as she approached him.

“You really came to see this performance. Did you enjoy it?”

She asked with a bright smile.

But Edward, not in a good mood, answered more curtly than usual.

“The female singer had a good voice.”

At his words, Emily laughed merrily as if something was very amusing and agreed.

“That’s right. It’s one of the reasons why Adelaide Page is so famous. By the way, I hope Mrs. Allen enjoyed it too, so I can save face a little. How was it?”

Louisa answered with a faint smile to her question.

“It was impressive. But hearing you talk about saving face, it seems you had a hand in today’s performance.”

“Of course. It’s a work I recommended.”

She chuckled and continued.

“I had seen it once before Adelaide became the prima donna, and when I heard she would be the lead this time, I thought I should see it again.”

Louisa just smiled at her confident claim of having recommended it to Ed.

There wouldn’t have been time for the two to talk at the King’s Birthday Celebration.

Then when and where did they have a conversation?

“Thanks to you, I got to see a good performance. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. If you ever need my insight, Mrs. Allen, just let me know. I can help you. Of course, you too, Mr. Allen.”

Emily gave Edward a subtle smile.

Edward, barely listening to her words, waved to a man greeting him and casually replied to Emily.

“I’ll keep that offer in mind. Well then, excuse me.”

He then leaned towards Louisa and whispered in her ear.

“I’ll just go greet someone for a moment. Chat with her for a bit. I’ll be right back.”

“Alright. Take care.”

Louisa waved her hand with a kind smile so that others wouldn’t notice the rift between them.

She kept thinking about what this situation meant.

Emily was subtly looking down on her and pressuring her. She had seemed strangely aggressive before, and it appeared she had some kind of purpose.

But she still couldn’t quite grasp what it was. Louisa responded defensively to the one looking down on her.

“I appreciate your offer to lend your insight, but I’ll just gratefully accept the sentiment.”

“Is that so? I thought we would surely have similar tastes. I guess not.”

Emily laughed, tapping her mouth with her fan.

Because of that, Louisa inadvertently fixed her gaze on the other woman’s lips.

And she saw it.

A slightly darker shade of lipstick that other women rarely use.

Louisa felt a chill run down her spine, as if cold water had been poured over her entire body.

The one on Edward’s desk, whose owner was unknown—

‘Deep pink.’

She recalled the metallic lipstick case in the corner of her husband’s desk.

There was no guarantee it was the same product. But she had never seen anyone else wear lip makeup of that color.

‘No. Just because there was something I didn’t know doesn’t necessarily mean it was this person. But—’

At least this person is interested in Edward.

Louisa now thought she understood her purpose.

At first, she thought there was some grudge against Allen Company because she kept doing things that would involve her husband in rumors.

But that wasn’t it.

The grudge was not against her husband, but against her.

Louisa smiled naturally. No matter what she felt inside, smiling was something she was good at.

“It’s not so much a matter of taste as it is the difference between what’s acceptable and what’s rude.”

“Oh my. It’s alright. It’s not like it’s the first or second time.”

Emily waved her hand lightly and laughed.

A woman who seemed to have feelings for her husband.

A woman who probably freely enters and exits his research lab, which she had only managed to visit once in years after begging and pleading.

Louisa’s mind became complicated.

Once the thought took hold, it kept connecting the two facts.

Since when had she been freely coming and going? How much does this person know about Edward that she doesn’t?

But then,

“The dress you changed into at the King’s Birthday Celebration, I wanted to tell you, albeit a bit late, that it really suited you well.”

An unexpected topic came up. Louisa thought it was a bit strange but responded anyway.

“Ah… yes. Thank you. I was fortunate that my husband prepared it for me.”

“That’s right. Mr. Allen seems to prefer more glamorous things than what you usually choose, Mrs. Allen. You have no idea how much trouble I went through to match his taste.”

She thought she had become used to these things by now. But at those words, she really couldn’t keep smiling.

Louisa spoke with a smile that seemed somewhat cracked.

“Matching my husband’s taste, what do you mean by that…?”

“The dress, and even the earrings you wore, I chose them. Did you like them?”

It felt as if muddy water had been poured over her head.

The joy and excitement she had felt that day upon seeing her husband’s gift were now stained with black ink, leaving dark smudges.

“That’s why I told you that day. If you wear something more glamorous with more satin, your husband would like it too.”

The memory, torn and burnt black in places, paralyzed her thinking.

Louisa’s face turned as white as a sheet.

‘I, I need to say something. Anything—’

She kept telling herself inwardly that she needed to respond with something. But her mind was completely blank, and no words came to her.

Everything she had worn and loved all day long was all with this woman…

That was the only thought that came to mind.

How could she have been so stupidly happy?

Not knowing how her husband’s time that she didn’t know about was filled, with whom, and not realizing that the things she had begged and pleaded for were not exclusively granted to her. She had just foolishly been happy, thinking she had gotten a little closer.

Louisa stood there in a daze. But then a voice ending this situation came from behind.

“Louisa.”

It was Edward who called her. His breathing sounded uneven, as if he had come in a hurry.

He placed Louisa’s hand on his arm and said,

“I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but my wife seems very tired, so we’ll be leaving first. Well then.”

Edward pulled Louisa close, almost embracing her by wrapping his arm around her waist.

He quickly nodded once and then walked past Emily.

Belatedly, Louisa’s pounding heart disturbed her ears. Despite the chilly weather, cold sweat was soaking her back, and her chest felt tight as if something was blocking it.

She felt foolish. Truly foolish.

‘What a pathetic woman.’

She bit her lip until red blood appeared.

Louisa Allen. No, Averitt.

It was the name of the most pathetic and stupid woman she knew.