Daniel took a deep breath to calm his excitement.

“Alright. What’s done is done. But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Do you understand what I mean?”

She sighed heavily after preventing a fight between her elder brother and ex-husband.

Having made this excuse, she now had to wear the dress she bought with him. Otherwise, Daniel would surely storm out of the mansion shouting, “Allen, you shameless bastard!”

“Yes, of course. These days, I find myself thinking how happy I am, with each day being truly peaceful and enjoyable. Don’t worry too much, elder brother.”

She said with all sincerity.

“Then I’ll go and start getting ready now. Thank you, elder brother.”

Though it felt like she was pushed into the decision, she didn’t feel bad. The dress he personally chose beside her. It was entirely hers and her own memory.

“Alright. Since you’re going anyway, go and make them say you’re the most beautiful person there.”

Daniel said with a gentle smile.

Before long, the sun began to set and the time for the party approached.

Daniel’s face lit up with a bright smile when he saw Louisa dressed up.

“You look truly beautiful. I’m worried some worthless fellow might try to steal you away.”

Her light blonde hair and deep navy blue made an elegant combination despite being complementary colors, and unlike her usual ones, the transparent jewels containing a brilliant light created an illusion as if dew had fallen only around her, softly illuminating her.

The skin revealed between the long gloves and the dress sleeves finished with frills was alluring, and the delicate lace adding splendor made the heavy fabric feel lighter, creating an atmosphere like a delicate flower.

Louisa smiled and said,

“Even a hedgehog thinks its own baby is the prettiest, elder brother might need to reconsider.”

The siblings looked at each other and laughed.

Clank. Louisa turned her head at the sound of the large iron gate opening.

A vehicle entering beyond the gate could be seen. It was the familiar black car of Allen Company.

The car stopped smoothly and the driver’s door opened. It was Edward who got out. He still seemed to find Paul’s driving frustrating.

Daniel frowned upon seeing Edward enter his mansion. It was quite vexing that he even thought of showing his face here again so shamelessly.

Sensing this atmosphere, Edward’s face was stiff as he approached. It was hard to believe it was the face of a businessman who could manipulate people with his clever tongue.

“We meet again, Lord Averitt.”

Edward bowed his head politely.

Daniel received the greeting with evident displeasure on his face.

“I thought we’d never see each other again, but human affairs are truly unpredictable.”

As he made no effort to hide his anger, Edward’s head bowed even lower.

“I’ll provide a driver for you, so at least for occasions like this, avoid driving yourself, Allen.”

“…Yes. I understand.”

Edward answered with a thoroughly strained voice.

Daniel didn’t soften his expression even as he watched Louisa take Edward’s arm.

The way he glared as if to bore holes made Edward feel as if he were facing a gun barrel pointed right at his nose.

“Elder brother. We’ll be going then.”

Louisa greeted with a bright smile, trying to ease the atmosphere a little.

“Take care. And give my regards when you get there.”

“I will.”

She smiled sweetly.

“We’ll be going now.”

As Edward spoke while gauging the situation, Daniel reluctantly responded.

“I hope you’ll at least faithfully fulfill that role, as you still have obligations to each other.”

“Of course.”

Edward endured the gaze boring into the back of his head as he moved his feet.

The party to decorate the end of the year was held.

The Duke of Portland’s capital mansion was of a scale comparable to a prince’s palace, boasting a size that wouldn’t lose to any other family’s country house.

Opening the main gate revealed a wide central garden with a fountain, a small pond when entering the left side, and beside it a small white temple where one could watch the frolicking fish.

The central fountain had soldiers holding guns sculpted as if to show it was a military man’s mansion, with water streams pouring from the gun muzzles. Throughout the mansion were weapons or their remnants displayed in glass cases, left as memorials of the battles he had been through.

After entrusting the car to the servants standing at the main gate and getting out, a greenhouse on the right and a garden decorated with trees surrounding it came into view.

“It’s really amazing.”

Louisa said as she looked around.

Bright lights were lit throughout the garden and fireplaces were placed at regular intervals.

Though it was called a ball, it seemed they had prepared attractions to enjoy a garden stroll as well. It felt like they had paid utmost attention to the guests’ entertainment for the celebration that would continue until dawn.

Edward also glanced around every corner of the mansion and said,

“They’ll be excellent customers for our company in the near future.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our company is planning to start manufacturing small fireplaces. We’re also considering lighting, and with a garden like this, they’re proven customers with great spending power.”

Louisa then properly scanned her surroundings again.

They had replaced all the trees with evergreens so the garden could be utilized even in this winter, and set up gas lamps and fireplaces at maximum brightness in between, creating an atmosphere as if enjoying a daytime party.

“I suppose it’s strange that such products haven’t come out yet, given how obviously useful they are in daily life. Come to think of it, the starting point of discussions on energizing magic stones was the fact that magic stones themselves were luminous stones that emitted light.”

“Other things were more profitable. But now it’s time to touch on that too. In fact, it’s all too obvious that we can make money as soon as we launch it.”

Edward kindly added an explanation. His wife, finding such a husband somewhat unfamiliar, muttered.

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“That I’m having this conversation with you as if it’s the most natural thing.”

Though her elder brother Daniel worried, Louisa was truly at ease right now. She showed a very soft and pleasant smile.

Edward felt a lump in his throat.

What was so special about this mere conversation?

He answered while averting his eyes from his wife.

“There’s nothing strange about it. It’s just that the foolish Allen has been driven from his place.”

The two walked along, chatting quietly.

That’s a fragment from the Occlado conflict, I hear.

That broken gun barrel over there is said to be from guns used by Occlado soldiers.

The owner of that gun must have died.

Probably. Soon, things obtained from the Nexenburrow front will be displayed there too.

As the two arrived at the mansion while slowly conversing, quite a few invited guests could be seen entering around them as well.

The guests glanced at the appearance of the Allen couple entering together.

“My goodness. Is that dress perhaps made entirely of velvet?”

Someone’s voice rang out particularly loud. With those words, people’s gazes gathered on them.

The women began to talk about how expensive and beautiful the things Louisa was wearing were, while the men stared at Louisa walking gracefully in that dress, captivated by her beauty.

Louisa herself was cut off from all those sounds, but they were clearly audible to Edward’s ears.

He escorted his wife with a very satisfied smile.

Among those they encountered in passing were some who frequently had business exchanges with Edward.

They greeted Edward lightly with eye contact or nods. Edward, who had no intention of leaving his wife’s side right now, also returned the greetings with just nods.

Then Louisa asked.

“Ed. Is it alright not to go and talk to them?”

Edward raised one eyebrow at the sudden question and asked.

“Why that all of a sudden?”

“I thought more conversations might be needed at this time.”

Louisa gestured with her eyes toward a corner of the garden where businessmen were gathered.

Edward nodded as if he finally understood and said.

“No. My place is here, so if they really want to talk, they should come to us.”

“Pardon?”

“If not that, they can go find Gilford.”

Edward tossed it out lightly as if it were nothing, but it wasn’t so for Louisa.

The words that his place was here, by her side.

‘Truly, as if he’s in love…’

Her heart fluttered. She couldn’t tell if it was tension from fear or excitement about the ambiguous situation.

Edward said to his wife who was silently looking at him.

“Then let’s go in.”

As they entered the hall, the overlapping voices of people could be heard faintly buzzing.

As Louisa looked around, focusing on the sounds, Edward asked.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked around a few more times before answering.

“…It’s nothing.”

Though she could hear the sounds, they were so faint that she had to turn her head several times just to guess the direction. It seemed it would be difficult to rely on sound in practice.

Just then, a particularly deep noble male voice was heard from behind compared to others.

“The great engineer has arrived.”

Edward was the first to recognize the unwelcome voice. He turned around with a stiff face.

The name of the person who started with such an unpleasant first greeting was Logan Westwood.

He was the owner of Westwood Company, Allen Company’s long-standing competitor.