His eyes, as he turned away, were cold and sharp. He placed the ball on his fingertip and spun it lightly with just a flick of his wrist as he continued speaking.

“People should know when to stop at the right time.”

“……”

“If you don’t understand that, I’ll teach you myself.”

Watching the ball spin like a top on his fingertip, the child swallowed hard.

The child instinctively felt.

Whether or not he was as great as Father had said, one thing was certain – he was a scary person.

The child trembled and tried to run away.

“Greet him.”

Edric’s voice stopped the child who had just turned to leave.

Then the child who had been defiant even to scoldings from parents and teachers turned back with a suddenly docile attitude and bowed politely.

“G… Goodbye sir.”

Edric lightly flicked the ball with his fingertip, returning it to the child. Holding the ball that had landed precisely in his hands with a dazed expression, the child turned again. And walked away quietly.

He felt an eerie sensation that if he ran away, he might get caught by the scruff of his neck.

As the child moved away, Edric also began walking. But instead of returning to the shop, he headed for the alley connected to the backyard.

He felt tired from pretending to be fond of the child to show Melly. He needed a brief rest.

He put a cigar in his mouth as he walked.

As the scarlet light flared and faded at the end of the cigar, he thought.

‘What if it were my child.’

Would I find everything they did adorable then?

The answer flowed out with the smoke.

“Not particularly.”

“……”

The tray in her hands trembled slightly.

Melly gripped the tray tighter to keep the two glasses of ice-cold water from falling, then peeked her head out again beyond the shop wall.

Edric had already disappeared down the alley.

Just before, while the tea for the lady was steeping, Melly had taken out two glasses of cold water she had put in storage and hurried outside. She thought both of them would be thirsty after exercising under the autumn sun that was as hot as summer.

But what she saw was.

‘Little one, don’t you want to leave happily when you’ve won?’

The scene of him playing happily with the child just moments ago was still vivid.

But to think that had been a lie. Just for show. How could that be?

Melly couldn’t believe it.

But thinking about it calmly, that was the real Edric Pelton.

It was rather strange that Edric had played with the child in the first place.

He didn’t like children after all.

Yet the reason he patiently played with the child was.

‘Because of me. Because I want to have a child.’

Separate from feeling grateful to him, Melly felt conflicted.

‘You have a child.’

Before, she had to think about the process of bringing up those words. But now, she had to consider his reaction after saying them.

Whether he liked it or was bewildered, Melly had to figure out his true feelings. No.

At this point, she wasn’t even sure if she could tell him about the child at all.

Her courage had disappeared.

She turned to go back into the shop.

Returning the way she came, she was about to enter the shop again but changed her mind and withdrew her foot. Then she took a few steps back.

The shop sign came into view in her confused brown eyes.

“Jade.”

She read the sign aloud softly.

At that, her eyes became even more confused and lost, like someone who had lost their way.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Edric asked Melly, who had been listless for several days.

Melly hurriedly put on a smile.

“N-No. What makes you say that?”

“If not, that’s fine. I was just worried you might not be feeling well.”

Edric smiled kindly as he tucked her hair behind her ear. His attitude was full of undoubted affection, but Melly felt increasingly complicated.

‘I’d rather you neglect me if you could love the child.’

Now she felt that would hurt less.

It was then.

Suddenly the chime bell rang and Wilson entered the shop.

“Greetings, my lady.”

He politely bowed to Melly and handed Edric a letter.

After skimming the letter Wilson had delivered with a solemn expression, he said kindly to Melly.

“I’ll just pop over to the duke’s mansion for a bit. I’ll be back before the shop closes.”

“Take your time with your business. I’m not going anywhere.”

Melly said.

It was partly out of consideration for him, but also because she wanted time to think calmly alone. No, the latter was actually the bigger reason.

At Melly’s words, Wilson chimed in, reading the mood.

“It would be best to do as the lady says. It’s not a matter that can be resolved in half a day.”

“Will you be alright alone?”

To Edric’s concerned question, Melly answered confidently.

“Of course.”

And immediately added.

“So you don’t need to plant people around me.”

On the day they agreed to start over, Melly learned from him how lucky she had been to escape his domain. So she playfully let him know there was no need for that now.

“It’s not you I don’t trust.”

“……”

“It’s the hyenas around you.”

Edric said as he placed a quick kiss on her lips. Wilson’s face turned red as he quickly averted his gaze.

The three of them left the shop.

A black car was already waiting in front of the shop.

“Get in.”

“After I see you off.”

He got into the car, receiving Melly’s warm send-off.

Whirr—

As the window lowered, he rested his arm on the empty frame and asked.

“Is there anything you want?”

“Hmm……”

After thinking for a moment, Melly said.

“Macarons.”

He laughed at that. It meant she was still modest.

“Alright. I’ll buy you some.”

He said that and leaned back against the seat.

The car slowly turned, its back to her. Melly waved. His hand suddenly stuck out the car window in response to her farewell.

Melly felt a lump in her throat at the parting gesture she had always hoped for.

Despite the homework still weighing heavily on her heart.

She returned inside the shop.

After flipping the sign on the door to “Open”, Melly prepared to welcome customers.

She turned the upside-down teacups right side up and checked the freshness of the fruits for juice. She also diligently inspected the desserts to see if any shapes were distorted, trying to fill the emptiness inside her.

How could she have left him for three whole years when she felt this way just being apart for a short while?

“……”

Melly burst out laughing and shook her head at the incomprehensible contradiction.

It was then.

Ding—

The clear sound of the chime bell rang out. Melly turned to greet the customer with a kind smile.

“Welco—”

Like her unfinished greeting trailing off, her smile also slowly faded away.

The autumn breeze was pleasantly cool, and the car sped comfortably down the road. But.

Sigh—

Edric’s mood was not very good as he leaned his head back in the rear seat and let out a deep sigh.

There were two reasons.

‘Is the organizing not done yet? When do you think it will be finished?’

‘Just a little longer. Please wait just a little longer.’

Melly, who kept delaying the moving date, was one of them.

He wondered if she didn’t like the house, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Oz and Russell had told him the other day that she had looked around the house with admiring eyes, and Melly herself had been greatly relieved that the house they were moving to was not the duke’s mansion but that place.

So it wasn’t a problem with the house.

‘Then what is it? Could it be……’

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind, but Edric quickly erased it.

Surely it couldn’t be because of him.

After pledging her love so firmly these past few days, she wouldn’t do that now. She probably wasn’t hesitating, thinking that entering that house was like crossing a river of no return. Surely.

It must be, as she said, that she simply has a lot to organize. Whether it’s luggage, thoughts, or something else.

Edric hastily concluded and set that matter aside.

Then he began to dwell on another reason that was bothering him.

It was something completely different from the former, related to the rejection of approval for some urban redevelopment projects he had intended to push forward.

The old-fashioned nobles had banded together to oppose his plans.

“They’re opposing it even though Your Grace said you’d bear all the costs.”

Wilson said in a tone of utter incomprehension. Edric calmly replied.

“The cost isn’t what’s important.”

Only their position matters.

Well, it’s understandable.

What Edric was trying to do might contribute to blurring the boundaries of the hitherto unshakeable class system.

The task of creating a door in the wall that firmly separated nobles and commoners, which was unthinkable before. Thereby enabling interaction between the two through the open door. Furthermore, purifying the stagnant, rotting water. That was the potential danger that his attempt might cause.

At least that’s how it would feel to them.

While he could understand the nobles’ opposition, that didn’t mean he would change his plans.

Edric Pelton was a man who never backed down from something he had set his mind to. If the nobles banded together to push back, he would personally loosen their tight-knit relationships.

That was what he did best.

He was certain. Nothing would be able to stop him……

“Oh, I saw that person, Your Grace.”

Wilson suddenly said as if he had just remembered. Edric closed his eyes to rest and asked.

“Who?”

“Well, I’m not sure of the name actually. I mean, I know the name but it’s not the current name, it’s the old name. Since there’s clearly a different owner of that name now, I’m not sure if I should call him by that name……”

“Just say any name.”

Edric cut off the lengthening preamble in an irritated voice.

So Wilson said with relief.

“I mean Viscount Adel, Lord Francis.”

“……”

“I caught a glimpse of him earlier when I came to pick up Your Grace. It seems he had some business in this town.”

To Wilson, who didn’t know the details, Francis was just an unfamiliar face he was surprised to see in a strange neighborhood after a long time. But not to Edric.

“Turn the car around.”

He commanded in a heavily sinking voice.