“Eloise……”

“Hello, Colonel Ryan Wilgrave.”

Before he could finish saying Eloise’s name with delight, she cut him off sharply and greeted him politely.

Then she smiled brightly as she faced Ryan.

It was strange. Eloise was clearly smiling, but it felt as though the surrounding temperature had suddenly dropped, and he could see a distorted expression behind her smile.

‘As expected, she’s extremely angry!’

He had anticipated this.

Regardless of the situation, the fact remained that he had been out of contact.

For that alone, everyone would understand if Eloise refused to speak with him anymore.

Ryan bit his lip, recalling how she had just addressed him as Colonel Wilgrave.

He had no idea where or how to begin apologizing.

He knew that someday he would have to tell Eloise the truth, but the moment he tried to think about it, his mind would go completely blank.

That’s why he kept postponing telling her the truth.

And this was the result.

While Ryan was contemplating whether to kneel, Eloise guided him inside and said:

“Thank you for visiting. Perhaps you’ve come to inform me about the handling of Lady Sincl… no, Maria Sinclair?”

Eloise’s demeanor was calm, as if welcoming a messenger bringing good news.

Then she looked back and said to Emily, who was grinding her teeth and glaring at Ryan from the doorway:

“Emily, would you bring some tea for our guest?”

Guest.

At that word, Ryan bit his lip again.

Suddenly, without realizing it, Ryan spoke in a blunt voice:

“Must you speak so formally with a guest?”

At Ryan’s words, Eloise looked at him with wide eyes, momentarily surprised.

Ryan stepped forward quickly to stand right in front of her. Behind them, Emily let out a startled

“Oh!”

“Eloise.”

Facing her, Ryan opened his trembling lips with difficulty.

The words he needed to say and wanted to say mixed chaotically in his mind.

Should he apologize for hiding that he was Ryan Wilgrave? Or should he simply explain about Sinclair’s handling as she had mentioned? Or perhaps…

Ryan’s eyes watered.

As he moved closer, as if wanting to touch Eloise’s face, he froze completely when he saw her trembling.

Meanwhile, Emily, who had regained her senses outside, called for Mr. Surberton in alarm, but Ryan heard nothing.

All that remained for him was only Eloise standing before him.

Still hesitating without being able to touch her, he spoke again:

“I… missed you.”

Of all the many things he could have said, that was what he chose.

Ryan looked at her desperately, as if Eloise were the only person left in the world.

In the chaotic terrorist scene, even in the narrow spaces of the mansion where light barely filtered through, somehow only Eloise had stood out clearly to him.

And he had thought: ‘I must end this quickly. I must take her to a safe and warm place. So I can wipe the fine dust from her face and dress her in pretty, beautiful clothes.’

And now that Eloise was standing before him.

“Are you… are you alright?”

She had been coughing painfully. Hadn’t there even been a faint smell of blood? That’s why he had thought he should go out and bring her back immediately. But then he had collapsed as soon as he left.

Ryan recalled the helplessness he had felt then.

They said he had fainted because the tension had eased, but hadn’t he been filled with terror at her pale face and weakened voice, thinking she might be dying?

It was something he had never felt in his life before, but just the thought that death had barely missed Eloise’s neck made Ryan unable to even breathe properly.

“I… you…”

His trembling hand still hesitated, unable to overcome his confusion.

Meanwhile, hearing Emily’s scream, Mr. and Mrs. Surberton came running.

The moment all three rushed into the room, Eloise, who had been looking at Ryan, asked in a surprised voice:

“Ryan, what’s wrong?”

As she spoke, a warm droplet fell onto Eloise’s face with a plop.

That single drop was soon followed by more falling onto her face.

Eloise could raise her head. She saw his face, which had always been full of perfect smiles, now distorted and frozen in a mess.

There was no sobbing sound. The man with such a firm spirit that seemed unbreakable no matter what happened was simply continuing to silently shed tears while looking at Eloise.

After watching him for a moment, Eloise reached out and embraced his neck.

His tear-streaked face buried into Eloise’s shoulder.

As she gently patted the back of the man who was much taller than her, a small, suppressed breath was heard, as if he was finally exhaling after holding his breath.

Eloise gestured to her frozen parents and Emily, then mouthed:

‘I’ll have everyone leave.’

***

Pour.

Hot steaming tea flowed from the teapot that Emily had left behind.

Eloise filled a cup with tea and handed it to Ryan.

He accepted the tea she offered, his eyes still swollen.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“…… I apologize for showing such an unsightly appearance.”

Ryan’s voice was very hoarse. It was natural after crying for so long.

Fidgeting with the teacup, Ryan bowed his head deeply. Then, as if realizing he couldn’t see Eloise that way, he immediately raised his head, but his eyes caught sight of Eloise’s wet hair.

Feeling embarrassed, he lowered his head again, only to raise it once more after just a few seconds.

“Good. Now that you’ve calmed down a bit, we can talk. Where shall we begin our conversation?”

At Eloise’s words, Ryan’s face filled with emotion.

Honestly, even if she had said, “Have you come to your senses? Then please leave,” he would have had nothing to say, but Eloise was saying she would listen to his story.

“First…… I’ll tell you why I came to Feltham hiding my name.”

After hesitating briefly, Ryan opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

And he told her everything. Why he had come to Feltham, why he had to leave urgently, and everything up to the resolution of the terrorism.

“…… That’s what happened.”

By the time the tea in the pot was completely gone, Ryan’s long confession had ended.

Eloise bowed her head slightly, lost in thought.

Everything made sense. Of course, that didn’t mean her hurt feelings about being deceived for so long were resolved, but at least knowing what had happened gave her room to understand.

She looked at Ryan, who was anxious and fidgeting like a child waiting for punishment.

He was the man she had admired without ever seeing his face. And the man she had fallen in love with without knowing anything. And…

‘And the man I still like!’

Eloise thought she was truly an easy woman.

From their first meeting, he had mocked her and played pranks at every opportunity, and he had deceived and misled her throughout their time together.

Eloise saw his reddened eyes, wet with tears.

She thought that her desire to wipe those eyes with her own hands at this moment should be kept secret from everyone.

Eloise swallowed a sigh and asked him:

“Alright, Ryan. I’ve heard your explanation about what happened.”

With her chin propped up, Eloise asked playfully, trying to change the atmosphere a bit:

“There’s nothing else you’re hiding from me, right?”

“Ah…… ah, there is.”

“What?”

The corner of her mouth that was about to ask trembled. There’s still more?

“What is it?”

Thinking that whatever he was still hiding must be another military-designated secret, she asked.

“I am the Earl of Wallace’s illegitimate child.”

At this sudden confession, Eloise couldn’t help but cough.

No, she hadn’t expected this at all.