“If you need anything, just tell me.”

His voice was serious. Melly turned around again.

Then, apart from his serious voice, the faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth looked playful.

Just like five years ago.

‘I’ll buy you a meal later. You’ll be grateful to me.’

That day, in his room, he had said that while hugging her waist and striking a strange pose. And right after, Edric had entered… He had changed… They got married.

‘Is there anything I can help with? If you need anything, just tell me.’

Melly now realized what Francis was saying.

He knew.

He had smelled from Melly the scent of a woman who was not loved.

So he thought it was time for him to step up again.

‘Do you think you could have been in that position even if that didn’t happen back then?’

Melly felt like she could hear Francis’s inner thoughts.

“It’s alright.”

She raised her chin and spoke as if she had no idea what he meant.

“What help would I need from you? I have so many people around me.”

That’s right. I have so many people around me.

There’s Oz, Lena, Sara, Lisa. And there’s Russell the butler, and also… also…

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Francis spoke just as she was about to run out of people to think of. He didn’t linger.

“But keep my words in mind. Don’t take that medicine. And take care of your body as much as possible.”

He was merely advising her like a doctor. Melly couldn’t help but ask in this moment.

“Why do you keep telling me not to take the medicine? Are you saying it doesn’t suit me somehow?”

But then her vision swam again. Francis reached out again, but before his hand could touch her, Melly quickly regained her balance.

“This is proof that the medicine doesn’t suit you.”

Francis said as he withdrew his hand.

“If the medicine suited your body, you wouldn’t get anemia, would you?”

“…..”

It made sense.

Melly nodded to indicate she understood. Then she left the Anderts’ guest bedroom.

As she turned the corner in the hallway, she ran into Jaina, who was bringing honey-sweetened milk. No, it seemed she had been standing there. For a while.

“Are you alright, madam?”

Jaina asked as she held out the milk. Melly did not take the milk.

Because she was angry at her for making her alone with Francis again.

But she was indebted to her anyway, so Melly politely greeted her.

“Thank you for today.”

“Not at all. We’ll be holding a review meeting soon. Make sure to come then.”

“I will.”

After exchanging brief greetings, Melly left the main building.

Outside, the sun was already setting.

Melly headed towards the carriage parked beyond the fountain, following the stone path that was beginning to dim.

She felt like Francis’s gaze was following her from behind.

He would surely sigh and mutter like this:

‘She’ll probably need my help.’

Melly wanted to turn around and shout:

‘I don’t need your help. And even if I did, I’d rather let the flames die out naturally than have them artificially fanned by your help.’

But the flames of love will never die.

The total amount of his and my love does not change. If his love cools, I will love him that much more.

[This is the timeline separator]

The morning of their fifth wedding anniversary dawned.

Melly carefully reminded Edric as she saw him off.

“Today… You didn’t forget, did you?”

“I remember.”

His tone was dry. But Melly’s face, flushed red as she smiled, was full of the fresh vitality of youth.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Edric merely nodded once at those words and got in the carriage.

Suddenly Melly realized that in her haste to remind him of their promise, she had forgotten to tell him not to skip meals. She hurriedly said:

“Darling. Make sure to eat and take it easy…”

But she couldn’t finish her sentence as Wilson shut the carriage door. Edric was obscured by him and not clearly visible.

Would she come across as a selfish woman only pursuing her own pleasures again? Melly walked with heavy steps, her heart filled with worry.

But the closer she got to her residence, the lighter her steps became. Excitement had chased away her unease.

‘A date with him.’

There had been times they briefly rested by a riverside or park on the way back from attending a hotel event or banquet, but this was the first time going out solely for a date.

It may be nothing special for ordinary people, but it was a tremendous change for them as a couple.

No. There was no need to compare with others.

The important thing was that Edric had taken time out for her. A man who values work so much, doing it just for me.

Melly vowed to treat Edric even better.

If Edric showed consideration once, she would show it tenfold. If she received ten, she would give a hundred. No matter what she received from him, Melly would give much more, and her gratitude would deepen.

She was that kind of person.

“Madam, what are you doing? You need to go to the bath quickly.”

When she returned to her residence, Oz urged her while holding a bathrobe.

She was even more excited than Melly herself.

“Leave your styling to me today. I’ll make you look the prettiest ever, madam.”

But on the first day, when Melly told her about their plan to have a date at Milord Square, Oz’s expression was bad.

‘Having your anniversary date at a place like that?’

On such a special day, her thought was that they should have a fancy meal with a great view and perform an expensive necklace presentation ceremony.

But Oz hid her apathetic reaction and gladly joined in Melly’s joy. Because she knew such opportunities were rare.

‘What an awful person. She’s so happy, so how nice would it be if he took her out more often.’

Oz was displeased with Edric’s indifference. She had been enraged by his attitude of only seeking his wife when he needed her, and pushing her aside otherwise.

Oz had watched Edric longer than Melly, but she was completely on Melly’s side.

Oz fervently hoped that the kind-hearted duchess’s bright and fresh smile would not fade after today.

If only that happened, she would be full even if starving, and not cold even if curled up in an attic room to sleep.

“What time is it now?”

Melly asked as she returned from the bath. Water dripped from the ends of her hair sticking out from the towel.

“There are still two hours left.”

“Didn’t you say two hours a while ago too?”

“Barely ten minutes have passed since then.”

Oz shook her head and added:

“And madam, you finished your bath and came out in ten minutes.”

“Ah… I did that?”

Melly said with an embarrassed expression. She would surely ask the same question ten minutes later.

Because time was passing far too slowly for her.

[This is the timeline separator]

Edric, who had smoothly finished his work, looked up at the wall clock.

It was well past five o’clock.

‘It’s already this late.’

Considering the distance and traffic congestion, it was proper to leave now. He took off his glasses, closed the file, and got up from his seat.

Just as he draped his jacket over his body from the tree branch-shaped coat hanger, there was a knock at the door.

He was relieved it wasn’t Lucius.

“Come in.”

“Your grace.”

It was Wilson. But there was someone else behind him. They were far away so their face wasn’t clearly visible. Edric put his glasses back on.

“What is it?”

Edric asked, recognizing the emperor’s head attendant. Meanwhile, the head attendant emerged from Wilson’s shadow and politely greeted Edric.

“His Majesty the Emperor wishes to see you for a moment. He says he has an urgent matter to discuss.”

“…..”

The attendant didn’t say anything else, but Edric had a rough idea of what the emperor wanted to say to him.

‘It must be about the World Expo’s opening schedule.’

Originally, it was scheduled to open in three months.

But now that the neighboring Kingdom of Kaide had declared they would hold their own new technology exhibition, he must have thought it proper to revise the plans on this side as well. They wouldn’t want to lose the opportunity to unveil the machines they had invented by pouring in massive funds to the world for the first time.

Edric had already anticipated that the impatient emperor would seek his advice around this time.

It’s just that he didn’t know it would be today.

‘Of all days.’

If it were Lucius’s request, he would refuse as much as he wanted, but the emperor’s summons were of a different nature.

Moreover, it was a matter connected to massive profits. The calculator in his head spun rapidly…

“I’ll be right there.”

Edric said. The head attendant must have been anxiously worrying about being refused, as he let out a sigh of relief. As he withdrew with a much more relaxed face, Wilson spoke.

“But your grace, don’t you have an appointment today?”

“I’m just going to see him for a moment.”

But Edric did not want to repeat the same mistake as before. He declined the notion of once again feeling his heart burn black in a congested road. Moreover.

‘A moment’ could end up longer than he thought.

“Wilson.”

He gave an order to Wilson.

“Go back home and tell Melissa.”

“…..”

“That it seems difficult to go out together today.”

Because one’s heart inevitably grows impatient when someone is waiting.

Moreover, it’s cloudy today so the sunset won’t be very visible either.

In any case, isn’t her goal the sunset? Not an anniversary party.

Last year and the year before, they had celebrated their anniversary a few days late due to circumstances at the time.

[A stroll, evening sunset, Milord Square, Edric Pelton who wants to do all this together.]

If the goal is watching the sunset together, they can watch it tomorrow. If not tomorrow, the day after. If not then, whenever it’s possible.

As long as the sky doesn’t collapse, the sunset will blaze anytime, and there will be plenty of time for him and her to be together in the future. So for now…

‘Work comes first.’

Because while Melly will wait for me, work and results will not wait.

Prioritizing what will not wait for him was entirely natural to him.

Melly will understand too.