Chapter 5 – Part 5

“Maybe he didn’t just happen to move here. Perhaps he followed Ruby, unable to forget her.”

As the bakery owner, Campbell, spoke cheerfully, imagining romantic scenarios, he suddenly gasped.

“No way.”

“Why?”

“Could it be… he’s a married nobleman?”

Campbell spoke cautiously.

“What?”

“How did that happen?”

People nearby gestured as if they were telling him to make sense.

“No, listen. Ruby was originally a teacher from a noble family. Even in the letter we received from Palman recently, she praised her teaching skills. Laura, isn’t that right?”

Campbell nudged Laura’s side.

“Ah, right. It was to the extent that even those highly skilled nobles praised her when they saw her.”

There was an upper-class noblewoman who, despite her busy schedule, went out of her way to compliment Ruby’s etiquette, which caused a sensation in Zenfield. As soon as Laura received Palman’s letter, she boasted about it to everyone around.

Even her cousin Chandler, who didn’t know what was going on, received a separate letter asking if she could introduce her to that teacher.

“Look at that. Since she’s so skilled, suddenly moving to such a rural place after quitting everything is strange.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with the plausible conjecture.

“Her face is also half and half, making her look attractive even to women. Jamie even fell for her at first sight.”

Jamie, who often went on business trips to the capital, was rumored to have very strict criteria for judging appearances.

“But how can anyone not fall for that man’s face? His face is very handsome.”

The shop owner, Fennel, agreed, looking at Aaron.

“Well… yeah.”

In fact, he was handsome to the point where saying it repeatedly felt insufficient. Aaron was also surprised when he first met Eli at Ruby’s mansion.

“So! Even if he’s a married man, it’s a face that could captivate anyone. But Ruby couldn’t bear the situation and ran away, and that man couldn’t forget Ruby, so he came back to meet her.”

With a triumphant tone, Campbell tapped the table.

“So, what do we do now?”

Laura, who was paying close attention to Campbell’s words, asked.

“Do we have to drive him away?”

“Why go that far? It’s none of our business. Let’s just watch and see. If he leaves, we can curse him together while comforting Ruby.”

With Campbell’s reasonable conjecture, everyone nodded as if saying that made sense.

“But what if they’re a married couple?”

Aaron mumbled, recalling Ruby and Eli’s interactions and the sculpture he had just bought.

“Married? Which married couple moves separately, buys separate houses, and lives like that?”

Campbell laughed as if it were absurd.

Everyone knew that, thanks to Eli, who paid generously, the mansion where people now lived had a different address.

“But it doesn’t seem like a relationship like you’re saying…”

“Haven’t you seen it properly because you were busy looking at Dominic?”

Fennel teased Aaron playfully.

“If you’re done, please leave. I have work to do.”

Aaron stopped arguing and chased away the people with a flushed face.

“Let us know if there’s good news.”

People left while still teasing Aaron.

However, only Laura had a worried expression.

Eli came out of Aaron’s workshop and took a short walk. It was an outing to look around, since he had come all this way.

It seemed that Ruby liked this place, so he might stay here for a while.

The first place Eli’s feet reached was the fruit store. The apples looked deliciously ripe.

Eli bought two boxes of fresh apples, and after purchasing a few more things that Ruby liked and some necessities, he finally got on the carriage.

***

The three of them were tidying up the grass in the garden. Leton trimmed the grass with large garden shears, while Ruby and Dominic, wearing gloves, pulled out weeds.

“Oh, it looks like the Marquis has arrived.”

When Eli’s carriage stopped in front of the mansion, Dominic, taking a break from her work, straightened her back and spoke.

“To that house.”

At Eli’s command, the coachman carried the items he had bought and headed towards the mansion.

“What are all these things?”

Ruby, lifting her straw hat, asked.

“I bought some apples you like.”

Ruby realised this after seeing the two boxes carried by the coachman.

“It’s not just a few. When will I ever finish eating all of those?”

“With a few household members, you need this much.”

His gesture seemed to include Dominic, Leton, and even himself.

“Are you not going back to the capital?”

Eli had been staying here for over a month, but he seemed to have no intention of returning.

“I said I wouldn’t. Take a break. Just change your clothes and come back. I’ll do it, so you don’t have to.”

With that, Eli took Ruby’s hat and wore it in her place. Not forgetting to take off his gloves, he touched Ruby’s blushing face.

“So, when are we getting divorced?”

Startled, she asked, his hand still touching her cheek.

“Our divorce was delayed. It seems like dividing the property will take a while.”

Ruby knew it was an excuse, but she pretended not to know. In the end, she couldn’t wait much longer either.

“Did you intend to receive it? ”

Eli asked in a reciting voice.

In the unusual atmosphere between the two, Leton and Dominic put down their quiet work and entered the mansion.

“You’re not going to use what I gave you anyway.”

“Who says that? ”

She intended to do so to some extent, but Ruby asked, pretending not to. Although her answer was a little late because she was agonizing.

“Think about it. If you were a woman who divorces and desires to live a lavish life with her husband’s money, you wouldn’t have run away.”

Eli, who said so, was looking at it as if to give an excuse.

“I need money. I didn’t know much about the world back then, and now that I’m living like this, I realize how expensive it is.”

Ruby said it with a hint of resentment.

“If you need something, tell me. I’ll provide whatever you need immediately.”

Eli shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the mansion.

“The conversation isn’t over yet.”

Ruby stopped him.

“I’ll change my approach. Spend as much as you need. Now that I’m handling your property documents, spend as much as you want.”

“What nonsense…”

“Would you like to sign it?”

Ruby offered her hand.

“Don’t play around; put it in writing…”

Ruby’s words, asking for it, were not concluded.

“Shall I sign it?”

Eli casually extended his palm.

“I’ve signed for you. If you want, I can write your name on my body. We’ll have to find a way, though.”

It meant he wouldn’t go back.

“Tell me if you change your mind.”

With those words, Eli went into the mansion first.

***

“The atmosphere seemed strange. Are they fighting?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because the Marquis has no intention of winning against his wife.”

It might be different if divorce were the topic, but apart from that, he didn’t even consider winning. Perhaps he would think about how to fulfill what his wife wanted, but that was the extent of it.

Dominic, who had said the same thing to Ruby, agreed.

“He really bought a lot of apples. The Madam will like it. Oh, this was something the Madam said she needed. I was just about to go buy it.”

It seemed like they knew the reason for the heavy boxes. Leton, unable to hold back, lightly laughed as he helped Dominic with the arrangements. Having helped frequently, he knew well where and how things were organized.
At that moment, the sound of the mansion door opening was heard.

The first to enter was Marquis Grit. From the moment he set foot in the mansion, the mischievousness on his face when dealing with Ruby outside seemed to disappear. He appeared expressionless, as if he had never worn such an expression.

However, Leton, who had been with him for a long time, noticed the slight frown on his brows, indicating that he had been hurt. But, as always, Leton quickly pretended not to notice his mood.

Eli headed straight to the drawing room.

The decorations in the drawing room were mostly items cherished by Ruby. Among them were seashells bought with Eli and a necklace bought even earlier.

As a meaningful decoration for the newlyweds, according to Aaron’s suggestion, he placed the bought decorations next to them.

A little later, the sound of Ruby entering the mansion was heard. Eli, who was reflexively moving his feet, suddenly stopped near the open drawing-room door. Ruby, heading to the kitchen, also noticed Eli in the drawing room and stopped. The two of them stared at each other for a moment.

“Let’s eat apples.”

“…”

“Since you bought a lot, you have to eat a lot before they go bad.”

There was a small sigh hidden in Ruby’s words, not directed at him but rather towards herself for continuously retreating.

“That’s why I bought so many.”

With an absurd laugh, Ruby moved her hand, and Eli naturally held onto it. Ruby also knew how contradictory her actions were. Despite telling him to leave, she couldn’t bring herself to push him away. Even though she knew, these contradictory actions were also a reflection of Ruby’s true feelings.

After Ruby smiled at him, Eli’s lips quickly curved into a small smile.

Even though he knew he had to leave her, the conflicting emotions of wanting to leave and not wanting to leave coexisted. Eli, like Ruby, was also filled with contradictions.