Meanwhile, it’s unlikely that the walls of this house suddenly grew ears.

“Oh my!”

“Ahem!”

“Goodness!”

Strangely, the surprised voices of people outside the room could be heard with perfect timing.

Eloise briefly glared at the door, then walked over deliberately and knocked from the inside, as if to let them know she was aware.

Tap-tap-tap!

It was the first time she had knocked from inside a room, but her intention was clearly conveyed. The sound of hurried footsteps retreating down the corridor outside could be heard.

She didn’t particularly want to scold her parents and Emily for their rudeness. They were probably eavesdropping out of concern that something troublesome might happen inside.

But she felt they shouldn’t hear what was about to be discussed next.

Eloise turned around. There was the man still looking at her intently with his reddened eyes.

A man who was still watching her reactions, not knowing what to do.

As Eloise silently looked at him, all sorts of complicated expressions appeared on Ryan’s face.

He seemed to regret what he had just blurted out, while also appearing relieved, and at the same time, afraid of what would come next.

What was certain was that although his previous words had come out too abruptly, he had clearly been agonizing and suffering over them for a very long time.

And that he had never told anyone else but her.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be whimpering and not knowing what to do like this.

Eloise returned to his side and took his hand. Then she led him to the sofa and sat down with him.

“It might be difficult to get more tea.”

She said to the man who was looking at her as if clinging to her.

“But I think we need to talk more.”

***

The crackling sound of burning logs could be heard from the fireplace in the cozy room.

Ryan looked at Eloise, who had fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder.

Despite wiping her face many times, tear stains were still visible.

Over a long period, Ryan had told Eloise everything about himself.

Honestly, Ryan hadn’t had any particular feelings about his life until now. Or at least, that’s what he had thought.

But as he began speaking in front of Eloise, contrary to his expectations, he had to choose his words carefully several times during the telling.

At first, he thought it was hesitation about revealing his vulnerabilities. But when he spoke about entering the monastery, which was no different from being sold, and the beatings and other harassment he experienced there, his tongue inexplicably wouldn’t move properly.

And each time, Eloise would stroke the back of his hand as if to say it was okay. And by the time his story ended, it was Eloise who was crying.

Ryan looked at her sleeping and slightly adjusted his shoulder so she could rest more comfortably.

Perhaps because of that, her eyelids trembled slightly as if she had awakened a little.

Eloise let out a small cough. The moment he heard that sound, Ryan felt his drowsy mind snap to alertness.

“Eloise? Are you alright?”

Come to think of it, when hiding in the mansion, she had coughed up blood. Although they said she had recovered quickly after coming here, could such a thing heal so easily?

Moreover, he remembered what Mr. Surberton had told him a few days ago—that she struggled in winter due to a chronic illness she had suffered since childhood.

While Eloise was answering, looking not at all well—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of someone pounding on the door as if trying to break it down came from outside.

“Miss? Miss? Are you alright? May I come in?”

Emily shouted from outside, then flung the door open and entered.

“Miss!”

Emily rushed over, supporting Eloise who kept coughing, and pushed Ryan aside.

She immediately looked around the room and, noticing the fireplace that had died down considerably, burst out loudly:

“My goodness, if the fire had died down this much, you should have called me! The room is already cold!”

“No, I don’t think it’s that bad…”

“Don’t speak, Miss!”

Emily trembled like a candle flame and gradually moved Eloise away from Ryan.

Hearing Emily’s voice, Mr. and Mrs. Surberton soon entered the room.

Mrs. Surberton immediately joined Emily in checking Eloise’s condition and patting her back, while Mr. Surberton approached Ryan and said:

“I think Eloise needs to rest now.”

Ryan nodded weakly at his words.

Mr. Surberton had been considerate enough just by giving them time to talk privately.

At Mr. Surberton’s words, Mrs. Surberton, as if she had been waiting for this, helped Eloise to her feet.

Then, in a sharp voice, she said:

“Have you finished your conversation? Then there’s no need to keep you any longer, Colonel Wilgrave.”

Surprised by these words, Eloise exclaimed, “Mother!” trying to stop her, but Mrs. Surberton continued without yielding:

“As desperate as I am to marry off my daughter, do you think I’d approve of a man who only tells lies and puts her in danger?”

Though clearly directed at Eloise, it was Ryan who felt his heart being stabbed by those words.

As Ryan bowed his head, unable to say anything, Mrs. Surberton snorted and took Eloise away.

“Well then.”

Mr. Surberton gestured for Ryan to sit down again.

“Now let’s have a chat, just between us.”

“I’m sorry……”

Ryan sighed deeply and slumped into the chair.

***

“Is it finally over……”

In his hand was a report on the handling of the recent terrorism.

The neatly organized document, which would be reported to the high command, contained everything people would want to know.

The first thing that caught his eye was about Lady Sinclair. She too had been so badly injured that she needed treatment first.

But as soon as she regained her strength, she attempted s*icide in the military hospital, causing several casualties in the process.

Because of this, the royal family ultimately confiscated all her titles and property, and ordered her name to be erased from all records.

This meant more than simply erasing her name.

It was a declaration that from now on, Maria Sinclair would be a non-person, and therefore anything done to her would not be considered a crime.

She was dragged into an interrogation room staffed by soldiers who had lost comrades in the terrorism. Richard decided not to think about what inhumane things might have happened in there.

A few days later, Sinclair confessed to several previously unknown royal accomplices and other evidence.

Shortly afterward, it was written, she took advantage of a gap in surveillance and committed s*icide.

“Hmm.”

He decided not to question whether that was really the case. Nothing would change by doing so anyway.

As Richard’s eyes continued reading the report, Philip entered without knocking.

Richard looked up and burst out with a strange laugh, “Haha!”

Philip was known for always being neat and tidy. But now he had puffy eyes, disheveled clothes, and Richard noticed a faint red mark at the corner of his lips.

“I see your conversation with the Abigail faction went well?”

At Richard’s words, Philip flinched and looked at him, his eyes asking how he knew.

“Why are you so surprised?You clearly messed up yesterday with the Grandima case and the matter concerning the Ogilvy family. That means Abigail must have strongly opposed it, and since you left this morning looking neat and proper with a determined expression, it’s obvious you went to apologize to them and then went to propose again.”

As he spoke, Richard tapped his own lips.

“You’ve got a mark there.”

Startled, Philip hurriedly wiped it with his handkerchief.

Seeing the smile all over his friend’s face, Richard chuckled as he rose from the sofa.

‘Philip ended well, but……’

He sighed deeply as he put down the report.

The reason this report had not yet been submitted to the high command was because one matter remained undecided.

“He really seems to be in a life-or-death situation.”

Richard thought of Ryan Wilgrave’s name, which was nowhere in the report.

These days, Ryan had been leaving at dawn and returning late at night. His expression was neither good nor bad.

However, it seemed he was facing more difficulties than Philip.

“Well, that’s Ryan’s business, so I don’t need to worry about it……”

Richard was looking at the last page of the report when he smiled slyly.

“But it’s good to have friends.”

His eyes caught the new report about the mansion from a few days ago.

***

The next day.

“You want me to go to the mansion with you?”

Eloise asked with surprised eyes, looking at Ryan who had brought an order with the military’s signature.