Chapter 5 – Part 14

“When will the fence work be done?”

Letting Emily and Palman continue their discussion, Eli and Ruby came outside.

“It should be finished in a few days.”

Even with Aaron working alone while Eli redecorated the mansion, they seemed to have made a lot of progress in the past few days.

“How about celebrating the completion of the fence with dinner together?”

“Why?”

“Because you seem to be worried about the wine. I thought we could drink it all together.”

Eli’s words were either teasing or sincere.

“I think Emily and Palman are going to drink it all, aren’t they?”

As they enthusiastically worked out their sales plan, the conversation eventually boiled down to the fact that in order to sell wine, they have to drink a lot of wine.

Eventually, Emily pulled out the bottles Eli had bought and started drinking them one by one.

“We can buy more.”

Eli thought, killing two birds with one stone by repaying Miss Palman.

“Is it okay if they drink a lot? What if they get drunk?”

“Learning properly is better than secretly drinking. Besides, Leton is a great teacher in that regard.”

He was strict, even though he drank well, so he was a good person to take care of them.

“You don’t think we should have left them out there?”

“I think we should leave them in their business.”

After hearing Ruby’s reassuring answer, Eli held out his hand.

Not understanding the meaning, Ruby cautiously raised her hand, and when she did, Eli grabbed it.

“Let’s take a walk.”

Saying that, Eli led Ruby.

“Now that there are more people in the mansion, the space for just the two of us has decreased. We need to intentionally create time for ourselves.”

Eli turned his head to look at Ruby.

She was walking alongside him without a word, looking at her hand in his.

“Ruby?”

Wondering if Ruby didn’t like walking with him, Eli gently pulled Ruby’s hand a little more.

“You. Your hands have become quite rough.”

Ruby had a stern expression. The things he had been doing since he came here and was getting used to seemed to have completely changed his hands.

“It’s the scars of glory.”

Ironically, Eli, the person involved, seemed to have no particular thoughts. Ruby, on the other hand, was still upset.

“You don’t have to live like this.”

She was uncomfortable with the fact that he had become this, even though he didn’t have to be.

“You don’t have to live like this as well.”

“Eli.”

“It’s the same thing. If you can do it, why can’t I?”

Ruby’s hands were rougher than they had been, Eli realized, and he wrapped them around his own.

“If you apply ointment with your love, it will heal quickly.”

Saying that, he extended his hand with trimmed nails to Ruby. When their eyes met, he puckered his lips, indicating that he wanted a kiss.

In the suddenly changed playful atmosphere, Ruby laughed in bewilderment.

“Your personality has changed.”

“I’ve always been like this.”

Whether it was because of that or not, Ruby muttered.

“Then I guess I didn’t know much about you.”

They’d been married for about five years, if you count the past, and they hadn’t really had time to get to know each other. It hadn’t even been a full few years.

“I can feel that way. I also lived forgetting about it.”

Ruby looked at him for a moment, thinking that there might be something about the life he had lived in his short words.

Ruby often heard stories while living with Marie. Eli was praised for being smart from a young age and for having made his way into politics at a young age and brought honor to the family name.

Partly to compare herself to Eli, but also because she was proud of the way she had raised him.

Of course, she didn’t forget to mention how Marie herself had raised the Marquis of Grit as a woman. Regardless of her feelings for Marie, Ruby thought it was something to be proud of.

So, even though Ruby didn’t meet Eli frequently during their marriage, she could still know something about him.

The family’s affairs, which wavered in his childhood, had a significant indirect impact on him. He became an adult earlier than his peers and developed a distrust of people. He began to deal with people outside his boundaries in a cold manner.

On the contrary, unlimited affection for family seemed to have developed during that time. So, the current Eli, overflowing with playfulness and sincerity in expressing emotions, seemed to be the younger version of himself that he had left behind.

“So, am I better than before? Or… am I not good?”

“What’s more important is what makes you comfortable.”

Eli looked surprised at Ruby’s answer, but then a wry smile crossed his face.

“You’re always so unexpected.”

He said this while looking into Ruby’s eyes. Ruby looked at him with a puzzled expression. It was difficult to gauge whether what he said was in a good or bad sense.

“How can I not like you when you have a pretty face and say pretty things?”

He said that and then smiled as if in a good mood.

This had changed too. In the past, he lacked expressions of affection to the point of being blunt. Now, he seemed to speak the thoughts that came to his mind without hesitation, even the embarrassing words that others might find awkward.

Ruby, not yet immune, blushed and turned away. His grip prevented her from moving further away anyway.

“Then we’ll do what’s comfortable.”

Eli pulled Ruby closer and hugged him.

Thinking about it, Ruby had always been like this. It was just that his foolish past self didn’t realize it.

* * *

“I think today’s lesson might be the last one for the children.”

Dominic, wiping a few teacups for today’s class, said.

“Is the class ending?”

Eli asked as if hearing it for the first time.

“Winter in Zenfield is much colder than in the capital. Moreover, it becomes slippery quickly and becomes dangerous. So, even the people in the village don’t move much during the winter, especially the children.”

“But that doesn’t mean they won’t come out.”

Ruby laughed softly at Eli, who still looked puzzled by her explanation.

“I was like that last year too. But when winter came, I understood the reason.”

“Right. How many times did we slip and fall? We lived with bruises.”

Dominic also chimed in. She shook her head as if remembering last winter.

“Madam, how about trying to knit a scarf and gloves this winter?”

Dominic asked, placing the cleaned teacup on the table.

“Should I? I’ll need to get some yarn next time I go out.”

“Did you also know how to knit?”

“Madam is better at that kind of handwork. How well she knits a shawl is already famous in the capital.”

“You never gave me one.”

There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.

“Dominic is just being kind. You’ll embarrass yourself by carrying it around.”

Ruby muttered, looking away from his gaze.

Upon hearing that, Emily, who was sitting and drinking tea after returning the chair, flinched.

“I don’t know how she made this. Throw it away.”

“She wants to give it to my brother.”

“Emily, carrying something like this around will only embarrass him. How can you give it to him knowing that? ”

“…”

“Eve, Emily. You two better learn from now on. If you don’t want to make such rags like that,

The conversation they had in the drawing room before came to mind.

“The important thing is that you made it yourself for me.”

Emily dropped her head at Eli’s next words.

“You’ll make one for me, right?”

“I wouldn’t know if you’d like it.”

“Of course. I love everything you give me, but I’ll learn alongside you and make yours.”

In the winter, when there were no classes and it was hard to go outside, Eli thought it was a good thing that he could stay with Ruby inside longer.

Just then, the children from the class arrived.

“Emily, stay with Leton and Dominic during class. If it gets too noisy, you can go to my mansion.”

“No. I’ll be upstairs.”

Emily got to her feet. She needed to clear her head.

“Good morning, Teacher!”

The door opened, and the children greeted her cheerfully, then followed Dominic’s lead into the parlor.