Four days ago.

As usual, there was a report from Wilson about Melly’s movements that day.

“Madam says she will start delivering to the construction site herself from today.”

So she’s choosing to take on this hardship.

Edric let out a chuckle. But on the other hand, he thought.

It was truly incomprehensible.

He had succeeded in drawing most of her shop’s customers to his side.

The fortuitous assault incident involving the building owner’s husband further strengthened his position. He was able to bribe the victim’s side to demand a considerable settlement.

So that even the most compassionate landlord would have no choice but to raise the rent.

He thought that in the face of such continuous adversity, all she could do was sit and guard her empty tea shop, waiting for the situation to improve, for customers tired of the large tea house Lumière to return to her modest shop.

But instead of passively sitting and waiting, she actively set out to find a way to survive.

A construction site? How did she even think of delivering food to such a place herself?

This was so unlike Melly.

The Melly Enwood he had known was the type to meekly submit to fate.

Even when she occasionally showed will, it was at a timid level of just comforting herself.

What could it be? What had happened in her life over the past three years to make her so solid and strong?

Edric became curious.

He had thought it didn’t matter at all who she had met and how she had lived during that time, but now he wanted to know.

But not now.

“Um, should I go help her a bit?”

“Leave it.”

Edric instructed, rejecting Wilson’s offer of sympathy for Melly.

“Just keep watching for now.”

Wilson now obeyed the given instructions obediently, without asking for reasons or meddling in tasks he wasn’t ordered to do.

“Understood.”

Shortly after Wilson left, Edric also left the temporary office set up on the upper floor of the tea house building.

As he came down to the lower floor, the employees parted to make way for him.

His neatly pressed suit elegantly accentuated his tall and toned body. Customers were so busy following him with their eyes that they didn’t notice cake falling onto their dresses.

Edric strode across the square. Then, as soon as he turned right past the flower shop, he encountered a bicycle rushing towards him from the opposite direction.

“Mo… Move aside!”

The bicycle, unable to slow down in time, urgently warned him. But Edric, as if he had anticipated it, lightly grasped the handlebar of the approaching bicycle and steadily brought it to a stop.

“Th… Thank you.”

Leaving behind the dazed thanks of the young man on the bicycle, Edric continued forward.

The crimson roof of the assembly hall, supported by wooden beams, began to appear over the fence.

The dust in the air seemed to lower the saturation of the surrounding scenery by two levels.

To think she would be handing out sandwiches and tea in such a place. The Duchess of Pelton, no less.

A chuckle involuntarily escaped.

‘Let her experience some hardship.’

In this heat, with heavy loads too. How long could she last? Two days, three days?

‘I bet my pride she won’t last four days.’

Just as Edric’s lips curved into a crooked smile, it happened.

Suddenly, Melly appeared on the far side of the road. As Edric had predicted, she was struggling along with heavy baskets in both hands. Even as she was hit by the pale dust raised by a carriage, she stubbornly protected her baskets.

Though she was standing where he could see her just by turning his eyes, she didn’t notice Edric and continued walking towards the assembly hall under the scorching sun without a single tree for shade.

The smile that had been on Edric’s lips disappeared without a trace. Instead, he threw words of encouragement at her with cold eyes.

“Struggle on, Melly. And come back soon.”

Edric’s resolve held firm. Until he spotted a young worker in blue overalls appearing from around the corner. He impulsively called out to him.

“What business do you have……”

The young worker, who looked like he had just come of age, asked with his head bowed, overwhelmed by Edric’s aura.

“Do you work at the assembly hall?”

“……Yes, I do.”

Edric gave him a gold coin and pointed at Melly.

“Would you carry that woman’s luggage for her?”

It was too easy a proposal for the worker in his prime.

“Yes, I’ll do that, sir.”

Just as he was about to put the gold coin in his pocket, Edric gave him another gold coin.

“This is for lying.”

While the naive worker tilted his head, not understanding what he meant, Edric continued.

“Make it seem like you’re helping of your own accord.”

“Ah…..”

The worker smiled brightly as if he finally understood and nodded. Edric then brushed past the man.

His eyes had hardened. It was because he was displeased with his own actions.

It was something that brought him no benefit. It would only delay the time it would take for Melly to return to him.

He didn’t even know why he was doing it himself. Perhaps he thought that offering that much help wouldn’t be a big problem.

No. No, that’s not it. The reason was elsewhere.

It was because her face, wet with sweat, looked brighter than the brilliantly shattered summer sunlight.

Melly shone more now than when she lived as the Duchess of Pelton, more than when she wore expensive clothes adorned with numerous luxurious jewelry.

He wanted to watch that appearance a little longer.

It was truly a foolish thought.

Before he knew it, it was the fourth day he had confidently bet his pride on.

Melly, of course, didn’t quit. It was because Edric had instructed the young man to help Melly at the same time every day.

He intended to watch her for a while longer. The beads of sweat on her forehead, glistening like sunlight on a lake’s surface, and her confident smile, having finally gained a sense of agency in her own life.

“……”

Edric let out a wry laugh at the strangely unfolding situation.

What he had started to destroy her world instead allowed him to see her from a different angle.

He thought that perhaps he might surrender before Melly……

“Let me take that. I’ll carry it for you.”

As Melly appeared from across the square carrying luggage, once again the young man who had been waiting rushed over to take the load.

“Thank you. Every time.”

She said with a bright smile.

Watching this scene from across the street as always, Edric thought.

If it had been him carrying her luggage, would Melly have smiled at him like that?

Though he had been confident at every moment until now, at this moment alone he couldn’t be sure.

Knowing that he would only receive contemptuous glances from Melly……

He watched the two people crossing the square for a moment before turning away.

That afternoon, the young man who had helped Melly came to receive his daily wage at the same time as the day before.

Edric paid him generously. But for some reason, the young man didn’t leave immediately and hesitated.

“Um, sir.”

Finally, he opened his mouth with difficulty.

“I know it’s not my place to interfere, but…… I just feel this isn’t right.”

Edric raised an eyebrow. At that sharp look, the young man wrung his hands and continued speaking incoherently.

“My mo… mother always said to be suspicious of money earned too easily…… And, also, since I’m not inexperienced in lo… love myself, I just couldn’t let it go……”

Though he kept glancing nervously, he bravely spoke to the end.

“From tomorrow, please help her directly without going through me!”

“……”

“Women often don’t understand unless you tell them.”

Edric’s gaze remained fixed on the young man as if frozen. If his shirt collar hadn’t fluttered in the wind that blew just then, one might have thought time had stopped.

Eventually, Edric’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses as if focusing. The young man surely thought he was angry because of his presumptuous advice.

“I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… said unnecessary things. I’ll be… be going now.”

He apologized trembling, then retreated from Edric’s presence with unsteady steps.

But the young man’s words were not at all unnecessary as he had said.

‘They don’t understand unless you tell them……’

Edric retraced his memories.

What was the first thing he had intended to say when he met Melly?

‘I love you.’

That’s what he had meant to say. But he didn’t. Why?

Instead of saying ‘I love you’, did he think it was enough to visit her every day, watch over her, wait, and burn the divorce papers?

What else did he do?

Just as one blocks rabbit holes to make rabbit hunting easier, didn’t he try to destroy her small, modest place so that she would have nowhere to return to but him, her husband?

Like that day long ago.

‘Melly. My mother doesn’t want to live with you.’

Even to the point of driving a nail into her heart to keep her by his side.

‘I love you.’

That one phrase would have been enough, why did he do that?

Why did he keep it so tightly guarded? Why?

Edric rose from his seat.

The sun had long since set behind the western mountains. By now, business would be over, so she wouldn’t have the excuse of customers to avoid talking to him.

Edric went down the stairs, passing by women who cast admiring glances at him, and walked out the door.

His steps naturally quickened.

Now that he had made up his mind, he felt impatient.

What if Melly had already locked the shop door?

He could easily break the lock, but that would only widen the distance between Melly and himself. But.

‘I love you.’

May those words offset her contempt.

‘I love you.’

He repeated those words with each step he took, so as not to forget.

I love you, Melly. I love you. From the moment you advised me not to live like that, you were all I had.

Otherwise, why would my eyes always be turned towards you?

Even when I was at balls, I always looked at the clock.

Wondering if Melly would be sleeping at this hour.

Whenever I saw sweet desserts, I invariably thought of you.

Melly would like this.

What should I do to make you smile brightly?

Would it work if we held hands and jumped on the bed together like when we were young?

I always thought only of you like that. It took me too long to realize that feeling was love, and even longer to say it, but Melly.

Just as the sun and moon constantly shine in the sky even if one doesn’t know the words for them. My love was always there too, even if I didn’t recognize its name.

‘I love you.’

The corner of the street came into view.

The ivy vines swaying gently in the cool evening breeze seemed to be cheering on his love.

‘I love you, Melly.’

Hoping this would be his final practice, Edric turned the corner.

The shop door was closed, and a dim light was seeping through the curtains.

So she hasn’t gone to bed yet. Edric’s lips curved into a faint smile of relief.

He grasped the doorknob. But.

“I’m quite a good man. I’ve saved up some wealth. I can give you everything you want. Except the position of legal wife.”

His smile froze at the scene before his eyes.