Yet, at the very moment she needed help, she remained silent before him.

His heart sank into self-reproach. Had he been such an untrustworthy husband to her? Were all his efforts to make her happy utterly worthless to Laura?

Did she even see him as her husband?

With a heavy heart, he left for Leeds.

Upon arriving in Leeds, he threw himself into his planned schedule to forget his troubled mind. He inspected the five or six textile processing and parts factories he owned and held a lengthy meeting with the president of Leeds Industrial University.

Ian proposed a major curriculum reform, and though the president seemed taken aback by the sudden suggestion, he responded positively. This was partly because Ian provided significant funding for the university, and his argument that the university’s growth would lead to the city’s development was quite compelling.

Together with the president, Ian toured the university facilities, met with professors, and envisioned the future of Leeds University. Given the region’s characteristics, mechanical engineering should be the focus, but he planned to develop it into a comprehensive university that would excel in the humanities as well.

To achieve this, they would need to recruit outstanding professors. He mentally reviewed the professors and scholars he had met at various seminars during his Cambridge days.

Then, out of the blue, the president, who had been guiding Ian around the campus, asked, “That pocket watch—it seems like a cherished item.”

“Pardon?” Ian replied.

The president nodded toward the pocket watch hanging from Ian’s vest.

“You’ve been fidgeting with it the whole time.”

Only then did Ian realize his hand was clutching the pocket watch.

He quickly withdrew his hand.

“It’s a gift from my wife.”

“Oh, right, you got married a year ago, didn’t you? Belated congratulations.”

Ian gave a curt nod and continued walking.

Yet, as he walked, he noticed his hand kept drifting back to the pocket watch whenever his mind wandered. He tried clasping his hands behind his back, stuffing them in his trouser pockets, and buttoning his jacket tightly. All in vain.

The president, walking beside him, chuckled. “Just keep holding it, Mr. Dalton. It’s only natural in the first year of marriage.”

Ian ended up tucking the pocket watch into his jacket’s breast pocket—a spot awkward to reach—so he could stop touching it.

That night, in his hotel room, Ian gazed at the pocket watch.

It was a gift from Laura for his first birthday after their marriage. She had personally attached it to his vest, saying, “Like this watch, I’ll strive to always stay by your side and be useful. That’s the only way I know how to love.”

Back then, Laura’s love felt tender and endearing. But sitting in the hotel room, reflecting on her words, they seemed rather sad. To think that being useful was her only way of loving.

Considering her life, it made sense. Her very existence had been fodder for gossip, so she always had to prove her worth to survive. Being useful was likely her only way to escape criticism.

Deeply rooted in her was an obsession with being useful, and her love was expressed through sacrifice. She believed she had to give rather than receive, to enable others to enjoy rather than enjoy herself.

“Helping the person she loves is her ultimate expression of love.”

Staring at the pocket watch, he peered into her heart and realized that his disappointment and anger toward her had completely vanished.

“Laura didn’t keep everything a secret because she didn’t trust me. It was because she loved me too much. She didn’t want to burden me with her worries.”

His vision blurred with tears. Laura seemed so noble and lovable.

He wanted to see her again soon, to apologize for not understanding her heart.

But Ian shook his head and quickly wiped away the tears.

“Laura needs to know. That’s not the kind of love I want.”

A wife who swallows her pain alone and serves her husband as if nothing is wrong—such a wife is a blessing from God. Laura would willingly be that wife, even for a lifetime.

But Ian didn’t want to find happiness through Laura’s endurance.

Life is inertia. Those accustomed to enduring continue to endure, those who serve continue to serve, and those who work keep working. Laura had spent thirty years accustomed to the inertia of giving.

Ian resolved to break that inertia. She shouldn’t compare herself to a watch hanging on a vest. She wasn’t a mere object that loses value if broken.

She needed to know that by marrying him, she had saved the life of a man named Ian Dalton.

“I should be the one giving. The one protecting, serving, and enduring.”

How could he make her understand this clearly? He considered confessing his feelings openly or writing a letter. But neither seemed right.

Laura always valued her husband’s opinions, but when it came to her convictions, she was incredibly stubborn. No matter how he tried to persuade her, she wouldn’t compromise on diligence, service, or sacrifice.

“Then there’s only one way.”

To Laura, he was an irreplaceable husband. In love, he must carry a weight and presence equal to hers—a love worth giving her life for, a love whose absence would wither her entirely.

Ian decided to use her love for him, just a little. He would pretend his anger from leaving her hadn’t fully subsided, instilling in her the fear of possibly losing her husband.

When she was in despair, he would extract a firm promise: that she would come to him first with any difficulties and rely on him completely for protection.

Nothing worked better than shock therapy to change one’s nature. To this end, Ian decided to act like a slightly domineering, tyrannical husband. The kind who would shout, “Stop thinking and just trust me!”

It was an unappealing image of masculinity, but for his wife, Ian was determined to play the part.

While wrapping up his schedule in Leeds, he began planning how to act in front of Laura. They would sleep in separate rooms for a while and eat separately. (What if Laura gets hurt?) He’d stop putting flowers in the study’s vase and cease visiting her there for conversations. (She’ll be so disappointed.) Even if she wanted to see him, he’d turn her away, saying he didn’t want to see her. (Damn, what if she cries?)

Thinking of his wife’s sadness weakened his resolve. Each time, he steeled himself. This was for Laura. It was a necessary step for her to live comfortably in the future.

Though he occasionally recalled that acting in front of Laura had never yielded good results, he dismissed the thought. This time would be different. This time, he would succeed.

If his sister, Mrs. Fairfax, knew of this thought process, she would have clicked her tongue and said, “What a waste of a Cambridge degree, you fool.”

His resolve remained firm as he took the train back to his estate, heading toward Whitefield Hall. Though his heart raced at the thought of returning to Laura, he forcibly restrained it.

The carriage passed through the white birch forest and entered the estate’s gates. Anticipating that Laura might be waiting for him, having calculated the train’s arrival, he hardened his expression further.

The carriage stopped in front of the mansion. As he stepped down, he saw Remwick standing there. Remwick was the only one to greet him.

Ian glanced toward the library study, where Laura might be, and then asked Remwick, “All well?”

“Yes, sir,” Remwick replied.

With his hands in his trouser pockets, Ian ordered, “I’ll be using the east guest room for a while. Light the fireplace and prepare my clothes.”

Remwick looked surprised but carried out the order without question.

After a quick shower, Ian ate dinner in his room. When he finished, Remwick visited to discuss the issue with Henry at Dunville Park.

Remwick had already briefed him via telegram, so he went straight into the status report.

“Young Master Henry has five broken ribs and a minor skull fracture. Still, his life isn’t in danger, and he can speak without issue. Knowing this, the inspector from the local prosecutor’s office is questioning him about the thief’s description for the investigation. But the young master has consistently refused to give a statement. We need to prepare our response, as the thief did enter this estate.”

“We can’t falsely accuse an innocent person, so we can’t proceed with a lawsuit. We’ll need a convincing reason for the public.”

Ian rubbed his index and middle fingers, deep in thought.

“Ian Dalton hired a private detective to catch the thief but forgave him after hearing his circumstances. That sounds plausible.”

“That seems fitting. If the victim drops the charges, there’s no reason for an investigation. You’ll need to coordinate with Young Master Henry. Shall I send a letter?”

“No need. I’ll visit him myself.”

Remwick looked at his master with an uneasy expression. Ian chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to punch a man on his sickbed.”

“…I’d prefer if you didn’t bring a gun.”

“There are plenty of guns at Dunville Park.”

“Still, sir, you should…”

Remwick stopped mid-sentence.

“What about me?” Ian asked.

Remwick opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it firmly and shook his head.

“It’s nothing. May I take my leave?”

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

Remwick shook his head again. Ian shrugged.

“You’re not one to hold back something important. Go on, then.”