At the end of repetition came a disconnection.

He and I could not understand each other. The misunderstanding bred endless arguments, which plunged our emotions into an abyss.

Only she was clinging to the memories of an old love. In fact, she could no longer be certain if what she had believed to be love all this time was even real.

The long conflict made her doubt even the time that had passed.

Happiness disappeared like a bubble along with success, leaving only money and time handed over like paying a debt.

Perhaps even accepting the proposal was just an inability to refuse due to guilt. From the day he knelt before her, he had mortgaged his life to her.

The belief that had been supporting the past time in Louisa’s heart shattered. Once doubt took hold, it robbed her of the strength to endure this situation.

She had been holding on with the belief that love might return someday, but perhaps such a thing never existed in the first place.

‘Then what am I?’

To him, to Edward Allen, what was Louisa Averitt?

The answer was obvious.

A burden weighing down on life, the source of lifelong guilt. The object of resentment and anger because of it.

She was only that much of a person to Edward. She had to admit it.

Tears welled up in Louisa’s eyes.

I now admit that holding onto you with this heart was nothing but my selfishness.

I admit that this selfishness blinded my eyes and even broke my heart.

So for both of us, this would be the right choice.

She decided.

We had to part ways.

* * *

Louisa covered her mouth with her hand and tried to steady her rapid breathing.

Edward stared at her blankly, unable to give a proper answer.

“Wait. What did you say?”

He finally managed to speak, still staring at her with his mouth slightly open.

“Did I hear that right? You want to break up?”

In the silence that settled in the drawing room, only the sound of raindrops hitting the window pane could be heard.

Edward furrowed his brow, seemingly a bit perplexed by her unfamiliar demeanor, then lowered his head and placed his palm on his eyelids.

What’s this all about now? Why are you doing this to me?

He stood like that for a long time.

After rubbing his face dry and letting out a deep sigh, Edward picked up the water bottle on the table and poured it into a glass.

He gulped down a glass of water, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and said,

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“It’s not sudden.”

“Then?”

Louisa spoke without even thinking to wipe away her flowing tears.

“I’ve just realized. That I should have done this long ago…”

I realized it too late. She laughed weakly.

Edward looked at her in dismay at her words. He wanted to just shout at the top of his lungs.

Should have done this long ago? Do you know how I’ve been living for you? You know what efforts I’ve made. Yet to you, I’m nothing but an eternal sinner…

He forced out words through his throat that felt completely blocked.

“Stop talking nonsense, and let’s… talk again tomorrow. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything today, so you’d better go in and rest for now.”

Edward decided to postpone the conversation for now. He had to leave for now. When the sun rises, when they both become a bit more rational, then…

“Alright. Good night then.”

Louisa bid him goodnight.

Click. The sound of the door closing reached Edward’s ears.

An empty drawing room.

Now there was no reason for him to stay here.

But Edward remained there for a long time. Standing still, just staring at the door his wife had left through.

* * *

In the dim dawn.

Edward, tossing and turning in the cold bed, suddenly came to his senses at the chill enveloping his whole body.

“…What time is it?”

His eyes were so heavy that it was difficult to even open them properly.

Edward buried his face back into the pillow and just stretched out his hand to rummage through the bedside table.

I’m sure I threw it here yesterday…

After fumbling around a few times, his fingertips felt the cold hardness characteristic of a metal object. He grabbed the pocket watch and checked the time with his eyes barely open.

The watch hands were pointing to 6 o’clock.

“…Hah.”

Edward buried his face in the pillow again.

I’m tired. I want to rest.

After letting out a groan, Edward forced himself to get out of bed.

When he pulled the bell-pull, moments later the servants came in to help him prepare for work.

It was the start of another busy day.

Except Louisa wasn’t there.

Mrs. Johnson, noticing Edward’s gaze lingering on the spot where Louisa always stood, said,

“The madam seemed tired today and said she would sleep in a bit more. She didn’t appear to be unwell, so you needn’t worry.”

“Ah. I see.”

He deliberately turned his head away, pretending not to care.

As usual, the servants saw him off, and Edward sat in the damp car and started the engine.

It was a morning not much different from any other.

But the memories floating in his mind clearly told him that yesterday and today were different.

[Let’s… break up.]

He thought things would be better than yesterday after sleeping on it. But it wasn’t at all.

‘Why on earth?’

He was still unable to break free from the events of the previous night.

‘You should have done it long ago… You realized it too late.’

His hands gripping the steering wheel tightened.

With what feelings I’ve been by your side, did you really not know that when you spoke to me like that?

Or perhaps she too had spoken out of anger. Maybe she had heard something about him in the parliament.

It wouldn’t be strange if those glib-tongued members had said something about her.

There had been such incidents before.

Things like a woman who paid her debts with her body instead of money, or a noble who doesn’t know shame, marrying a laborer of unknown lineage.

There were also comments that she showed signs of having grown up as an orphan, given how she spoke without manners.

Now that she had the backing of the Allen family, things had improved a bit, but given their true nature, this meeting would have been no different.

Yet his wife had to go out nonetheless.

‘Come to think of it, Councilman Valeria is concerning.’

His fingers tapping on the steering wheel drummed the handle.

Recently, there was an incident where he had been considering a contract with Valeria for the supply of magic stone engines to Allen Company, but at the last moment, he had signed with another competing company that offered better terms.

He had heard that Councilman Valeria, harboring resentment over this, had been going around the neighborhood saying that “Edward Allen is a con artist just like his father, cut from the same cloth.”

Lost in these thoughts, Edward had been sitting still with a serious expression for 30 minutes after arriving at work, when Jeffrey, unable to bear it any longer, approached and pressed him.

“Boss. What’s wrong with you today?”

Startled by the sudden question, Edward retorted.

“Why are you asking that out of the blue?”

“Because you’re suddenly acting strange today.”

“I don’t know what you mean by strange.”

“There’s too much to list, but of course, I can tell you everything if you want.”

Jeffrey raised one eyebrow and said nonchalantly.

When they were younger, he would have given him a smack on the back of the head for that, but not anymore. Edward, grumbling inwardly, just waved his hand and said,

“Forget it. And let me be clear, nothing’s wrong.”

“Ah. Yes. Whatever you say.”

Jeffrey snorted and returned to his seat.

“Hah, I really can’t fire him.”

Edward rubbed his hair vigorously, unable to contain his frustration.

Jeffrey was his junior from the college he graduated from, though they didn’t have much contact during their school years.

But many things changed in the year Edward turned twenty-two, that is, the year before he was to advance to his final year at college, when his father, Benjamin Allen, disappeared.

In fact, everyone knew the truth behind Benjamin Allen’s so-called disappearance.

It was a major incident where Benjamin Allen, a fairly renowned engineer, fled with a huge amount of investment money as soon as he realized his ongoing research was flawed.

That alone was shocking, but what made it even more vicious was that before fleeing, he had requested additional large sums of investment from the Averitt family, who had been supporting him with trust.

And Benjamin Allen gathered all of that and ran away.

Shocked by this, Philip Averitt collapsed and passed away not long after. And as if following him, Philip Averitt’s wife Scarlett also ended her life.

When he first heard the news, he just felt lost. He thought this must be what it feels like to fall into a bottomless abyss.

But when he saw the young girl who showed compassion in a situation that must have been even more desperate than his own.

When he saw that shining yet delicate person, he forgot how to breathe amidst the flood of emotions rushing over him.

Such a dazzling person. A person I must atone to for the rest of my life.

Edward decided.

Ah. No matter what happens, I must give this person, only this person, a happy life. I must live for that purpose.

He thought it was an inappropriate first love.

[That looks interesting. Would you like to do it together with me?]

And as he was immersing himself in research as if throwing everything else away, Jeffrey Curtis appeared before him.

At first, he refused. In a world where even children are abandoned, no matter how difficult, he had to conduct the most important research alone.

But Jeffrey kept coming back.

[What exactly is your purpose?] [Research, of course.] [You’re crazy. Get lost.] [No, let’s do well together, I’m saying?] [I don’t trust guys like you.] [Trust? Come on. That’s rich coming from you. If you’re going to bring that up, at least don’t look for an engineer with a con artist father!]

Scathing words.

But precisely because of that, he accepted.

Those who try to deceive others tend to coat their tongues with sweet words, and this was based on an old adage and his experience derived from his father.

Edward decided to conduct research with Jeffrey.

After much struggle, they finally achieved results. So he thought that now he could finally make his wife happy.

‘But she says we should break up.’

His reminiscence returned dejectedly to the present. Louisa’s voice echoed in his head.

Let’s break up. Break up. Break up…

“…Boss! Boss!”

A loud voice reached Edward’s ears. It was Jeffrey.

“What. Why?”

“Did you check the approval I sent up there? Can I proceed with the modifications as is?”

“…I’ll check it now, just wait a moment.”

He picked up the approval documents piled in front of him.

Perhaps feeling sorry for him looking so distracted, Jeffrey, unusually, said he would go brew some coffee and left his seat.

A few minutes later, Jeffrey, who never bothered with saucers, plonked down a research lab mug and said,

“Three shots.”

“Three? Is it poison?”

“It’s for you to wake up after drinking triple the caffeine.”

Jeffrey just said what he had to say bluntly and returned to his seat.

That’s right. There was work right in front of him now.

But even knowing this, Edward couldn’t concentrate on work at all throughout the morning.