Chapter 2 – Part 6

“Eli, just a moment.”

“If there’s something left behind, I’ll send someone later.”

“It’s not just the greeting…”

“Ruby.”

As Eli hastily left, Lord Del was seen catching his breath, following the two.

How dare he call Ruby by her name? Eli’s mood turned unpleasant for a moment.

“Lord Sorvan.”

“I didn’t hear your answer, so I thought I should know the address to send a letter…”

Lord Del couldn’t take his eyes off Ruby, and the meaning behind his gaze was crystal clear.

“I’ll send the letter later……..”

Moreover, Ruby seemed not to have mentioned that she was his wife.

Why? For whatever reason, there wouldn’t be a valid reason for her to welcome Lord Del.

“Send it to the house of Marquis of Grit, if you have something to ask of my wife”

Eli said, each word as emphatic as the last as if to tell Sorvan he knew the subject.

“And normally a person of good manners would not address the Marchioness by her first name. Be prepared for that next time.”

It was a kind of warning not to touch his wife. In fact, from his perspective, it was rather considerate.

“That was very rude.”

Ruby spoke, unable to take her eyes off Lord Del, seemingly worried about him.

“At least I didn’t use my fist on a man who was flirting with your wife.”

Eli thought so. Ruby didn’t even seem to think it was flirting.

That could mean she didn’t know, or it could mean she wasn’t interested in Viscount Del.

Eli hoped it was the latter.

With that thought, he felt a bit relieved, just a little.

“That guy…… that Viscount. You said you met him in the capital.”

“He was having trouble at the dessert shop, so I helped him.”

“How can one be troubled at a dessert shop?”

It wasn’t a sarcastic question, Eli was genuinely curious.

It was hard to be troubled at a dessert shop, and meeting Ruby again at her one and only friend’s wedding was enough to make anyone suspect an intentional approach.

But how can she not be suspicious?

Eli was worried about Ruby, but he was also determined to find out more about Viscount Del.

“Anyway, today’s party was important to him.”

“It’s not your concern.”

“……It is.”

Eli, feeling somewhat sorry for Ruby, didn’t say more.

“When are you going to the royal palace tomorrow?”

“Why would I go to the royal palace?”

Eli was planning to take a break.

“… Did you receive my letter?”

“What letter?”

Having just returned, he rushed to the capital without a clear mind. So, he wasn’t aware if there was a letter from her.

“A letter I sent. Probably the first letter we exchanged.”

Eli decided he needed to contact Leton and ask him to bring the letter back in its original condition.

But he was taken a back by her next words

“I sent a letter proposing a divorce.”

“What did you send?”

“If you just tell His Majesty, it will be done quickly…”

“No.”

Eli firmly refused.

“Ruby, I have no intention of getting a divorce.”

All he could think was that he had to stop her from getting a divorce, no matter what.

There’s a lot he has to do for Ruby. Besides, she doesn’t know how much he’s changed. It’s different from before.

While chewing on a selfish comfort, he gently but firmly rejected her.

“What… What are you saying?”

“I mean it. I’m saying we’re going to stay married.”

The two of them stared at each other as if in a standoff.

“I’ll go first.”

Unable to give Ruby, who was looking at him with pleading eyes, the answer she wanted, Eli turned away from her gaze and stalked away from the carriage.

“Why all of a sudden?”

Before he could get far, Ruby caught him.

“All of a sudden?”

“It’s not a big deal if we get divorced.”

“It is a big deal. That’s why I’m refusing it. Now, let’s stop talking about this.”

“Then tell me the reason why it can’t be.”

Ruby was persistent.

“If I tell you, will you try to eliminate that reason?”

I knew what Ruby’s silence meant, but I could never give it to her. Even if her determination ripped his heart to shreds, it was better than nothing.

So, Eli ran away from Ruby, who wanted to escape from him.

***

Eli, who had run away from Ruby, couldn’t fall asleep.

There were still many things to do.

“Make all the carriages new. Strong enough not to break in any situation, with the sturdiest material.”

Entering the office, It was the first command he gave.

“All of them?”

Damon asked at the abrupt order.

“Yes. I don’t care how much it costs, as long as it’s strong.”

“But they’re still in good condition…”

Eli, not being someone who frequently changes items, Damon found the sudden command somewhat puzzling.

“It doesn’t matter. Change them.”

Eli only said that to Damon, who was looking for an explanation.

“Understood.”

Damon didn’t ask any more questions.

He just thought about where the best place to make carriages was in his mind.

“And we’re going to organize the lineage.”

“Organize?…”

“It’s been stagnant for too long. Shuban needs a generation change.”

“But it might be too sudden…”

Damon asked carefully again.

Eli wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Damon without saying anything.

“We need to change the stagnant water before it rots.”

The note Eli handed him listed the names of the vassal families he’d been serving since the last Marquis of Grit.

“Is it okay? There might be opposition.”

Damon asked, unable to hide his surprised expression.

“We need to find reasons they can’t object to. Bring all the information about the families listed there, and you collect the recent situation.”

This order meant there was no room for refusal.

Although Damon couldn’t understand why his master was acting so strangely all of a sudden, he replied that he understood and left the office to gather the documents.

“Oh, and send someone to Leton. He’ll be in Miligal.”

“What should I send?”

“There’ll be a letter from Ruby. Tell him to keep it in the box and bring it back in the same condition he received it.”

“Okay.”

Damon could only speculate that the letter contained important information.

***

The next morning, Ruby came to Eli’s room.

It was almost the end of the morning, and Eli, who had roughly organized his work, had just laid down to close his eyes.

“I’ll be the first to tell His Majesty.”

“What?”

Even though his body was desperately yearning for more sleep, waking up to Ruby’s voice in the morning wasn’t so bad.

“Our divorce.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

The conversation wasn’t exactly what he’d hoped for.

“If there’s another reason, if it’s something you can’t talk about, then I’ll make up an excuse, myself”

“What reason? Are you going to see another man?”

Eli, who had just raised his body with anticipation. Viscount Del, a thought flashed through his mind.

“Would that be enough?”

At Ruby’s continuing response that seemed like she had been waiting, he became even more uneasy.

“Try it, then.”

“What…?”

“That man will disappear without anyone knowing. If you’re curious about what it means, try it once.”

At that moment, Eli felt an impulse that he couldn’t just stand by if Ruby had such a partner.

“…Let’s talk about this later.”

Ruby turned to leave, her mind racing.

“Planning to leave like this? You woke up a sleeping person, you should take responsibility.”

He hadn’t seen her since last night.

Eli quickly grabbed her before Ruby, who was about to leave, could do so.

“…Shall we have a meal here?”

Eli, who wanted to feel more of her warmth, pulled Ruby closer.

“Ruby, don’t you know what a married couple should do when they’re alone in a room?”

Even though she showed a confused gesture, Ruby’s nonchalant appearance was cute, and Eli playfully responded. Then he kissed her on the cheek.

It was a gesture that came out naturally after her cute impression.

Why didn’t he know about this before? Eli wanted to hit his past self again.

On top of that, his sleep-deprived mind was trying to break his patience. He playfully disguised his true feelings, but the sight of Ruby looking up at him, cheek to cheek, tested his sanity.

Eli pulled her into a hug.

As soon as she was in his arms, the loud, annoying thoughts that had been bothering him disappeared in an instant.

As his body relaxed, he buried his head in her shoulder and fell asleep.

It was the best sleep he’d had in months.

***

“Are you going out too?”

“You don’t have to go get your clothes measured because they’re always the same size.”

“You haven’t left yet?”

“Of course I have.”

These were the words Ruby said to him. It vividly showed how Eli had treated Ruby and how Ruby perceived him.

“At least until the end of the party, right? How about we go somewhere? I can prepare your favorite dessert.”

Ruby remained silent.

“Or perhaps an opera? I realized we’ve never been to the opera together.”

Didn’t she like the opera either? Eli kept asking what Ruby liked.

“You don’t like that either? Then how about…”

“Don’t force yourself. You don’t like crowds.”

Ruby confidently spoke, as if she was sure about him.

There was nothing to say since she was right.

“What about you?”

“I don’t know”

However, Ruby didn’t give a definite answer after thinking for a moment. She seemed unsure herself whether she liked it or not.

“How about we go when you feel like it?”

Ruby responded with a smile, not providing a clear answer. It seemed like she was saying that he didn’t have to know about her.