Eloise sat in the modestly but well-decorated reception room of the Sinclair mansion, fidgeting with her fingers.

‘I never expected to visit again like this!’

Her finger joints had turned red from carrying her bag.

Even though her health had improved, the capital’s air—so much more crowded and polluted compared to Feltham—easily tired Eloise.

Moreover, she had been mentally exhausted these past few days dealing with matters concerning Ryan, and now being expelled from the Baron’s house left her feeling dizzy even while just sitting still.

And those insults she had received last night…

So as soon as the first bell of dawn rang, Eloise left the Baron’s residence immediately, as if she herself had been eager to leave.

Normally, they would have at least provided a carriage and kept track of where she was going, but the Baroness had made Eloise take a public carriage.

It was clear they wanted to maintain the position that they knew nothing about her after she left their residence.

‘Even though we’re distant relatives and she’s Mother’s friend.’

Sending her away like this was an action declaring they would form no further ties with the Surberton family.

Among her many angers, this point infuriated Eloise the most.

Not only had they judged and criticized her arbitrarily, but they had also tried to insult her parents.

In any case, what she needed to think about now wasn’t how to avenge this insult, but how to overcome this situation.

Initially, Eloise had planned to go to the inherited house. She had solved some of the book’s puzzles and wanted to check them out.

But seeing the darkness outside despite the bell having rung—winter making the mornings darker—she decided she should stay elsewhere at least until daybreak.

Even though Albion was the victorious country, after the war, many refugees who had flocked to the capital couldn’t return home, creating areas with poor security.

If word got out that a woman was alone in such a house at night, there would certainly be people with ill intentions.

Eloise didn’t want to throw herself into danger, trying to forcibly reassure herself that she would be fine.

When in trouble, it’s good to seek help. And that’s what she was doing now. But what bothered her was…

“Eloise!”

Footsteps were heard, and soon Lady Sinclair appeared.

Having come in a hurry, wearing only a robe, she immediately approached Eloise and took her hands.

“My goodness, look how cold your hands are. How long have you been outside? No, more importantly, what happened? Anyway, thank you for coming to me.”

Her attitude and voice genuinely conveyed concern for the other person.

Eloise too felt relieved by Lady Sinclair’s attitude. How fortunate it was to have someone welcome a person who had been thrown out like this.

If this place hadn’t been available, she would have had to walk around from dawn, searching for hotels or inns with available rooms. Naturally, she would have tired quickly.

So she should feel only gratitude toward Sinclair for welcoming her like this, but…

Eloise gently pulled her hand away from Sinclair’s tight grip.

A very natural suspicion flashed through Eloise’s mind.

Why was Lady Sinclair treating her so well?

* * *

“So don’t worry and rest comfortably. I’m partly to blame for this incident too…”

Since Sinclair had asked for a more detailed explanation of the situation, Eloise had prepared herself for embarrassment and sent a letter describing her and Abigail’s story.

And Beatrice had read that letter.

At Sinclair’s diminishing voice, Eloise waved her hand.

“You were just trying to help me when you asked. If anyone is at fault, it’s the person who arbitrarily assumed there was an inappropriate relationship.”

“Still, I’m truly sorry.”

At the repeated apologies, Eloise gave a bitter smile.

Noticing the fatigue in her expression, Lady Sinclair called a maid and asked her to take care of Eloise’s luggage.

“Please prepare the room near the garden on the second floor.”

“You mean that largest room, ma’am?”

At the conversation between Sinclair and the maid, Eloise shook her head.

A room that was close to the garden and the largest—that was a room reserved for the most distinguished guests of the mansion.

“There’s no need to give me such a nice room. I’ll move as soon as another accommodation is prepared…”

At those words, Sinclair shook her head as if the idea was absurd.

“What are you saying? Please let me take responsibility. Don’t disappear without saying anything. And don’t even think about leaving.”

Eloise flinched momentarily at the somewhat demanding tone, and Sinclair smiled as if embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. I still have the habit of dealing with disobedient soldiers, and sometimes I unconsciously become forceful like this. Anyway, please stay comfortably for a long time. And regarding the inherited house, you mentioned looking for someone to repair it? I know many good builders, so I’ll introduce them to you.”

“…Thank you, Lady Sinclair.”

“Lady Sinclair? Calling me that still feels like there’s a wall between us. Would you call me Maria? I’m already calling you Eloise.”

At those words, Eloise hesitated briefly before smiling and answering.

“Alright, Maria.”

Hearing her name, Sinclair smiled with satisfaction and left.

* * *

Clack.

Returning to her room, Sinclair locked the door firmly. Then she headed to an inner room.

Opening a room with a special lock that even maids couldn’t enter for cleaning, she found it filled with cigarette smoke.

Inside the room, a man was sitting with a cigarette in his mouth.

“You left in a hurry. What happened, Maria?”

Sinclair put one of the rolled tobacco leaves in her mouth and bent down to light it from the cigarette he was holding.

After taking a deep drag, she replied in a gruff voice.

“That woman. I just met her.”

“That woman? Ah, the one you said might be Ryan Wilgrave’s woman?”

Sinclair nodded.

“But didn’t you say there were differences between the Ryan Thornton she mentioned and Ryan Wilgrave?”

“Well… that’s true.”

Sinclair exhaled smoke slowly and fell into thought.

She had been looking for Ryan Wilgrave for a long time.

The finest soldier owned by the Albion Army. Therefore, the person who would be the biggest obstacle to her and her comrades’ plans.

The man clicked his tongue and said:

“It’s strange that she can’t properly describe Ryan Wilgrave’s appearance despite having met him.”

“That guy had many enemies even within the military. And he usually covered his face and deliberately changed his appearance several times… Especially his hair color, which he changed very frequently. I was dumbfounded when I found out his portrait was false.”

Sinclair recalled the first portrait of Ryan Wilgrave she had seen.

A portrait of a slender, handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

That’s why initially, when someone with such features came in among the wounded, she would make excuses to attend to them first.

Especially if they were from the 57th Infantry Battalion.

“Anyway, I tried to identify him accurately even by doing such things, but then the Disciplinary Committee caused a commotion, and he disappeared.”

That made her even more frustrated. If she had known where he was, she could have sent someone to kill him in advance.

But until winter came, Ryan Wilgrave’s whereabouts remained a mystery.

Baron Stanford, who knew his whereabouts, stayed in a coastal resort city all summer, so she also made excuses to go down there and circulate in that city’s social circles, but she couldn’t detect any sign of Baron Stanford meeting Ryan Wilgrave.

Then, unexpectedly, a great flood occurred, and something suspicious caught her attention.

For such an incident, rescue and aid would typically take quite some time, but relief teams moved unusually quickly to the south.

So Sinclair realized: Ryan Wilgrave must be in the south.

‘How many southern maps I examined because of this.’

Thanks to that, she learned about the city of Camborne and the small village of Feltham. Even that Baron Stanford’s villa was located between them.

But the trail went cold there, and winter came.

News arrived that Ryan Wilgrave had returned, but he soon disappeared again.

And in the meantime, Sinclair’s side also became busy, so they suspended tracking him.

Sinclair took another deep breath and thought.

Who would know her objective?

The fact that she was targeting both Albion and Gilia.