“Elo… ise?”

Even though he knew it was her, Ryan stammered her name to confirm it really was Eloise.

“Are you alright? Philip told me! But… my goodness…”

Eloise looked at Ryan’s heavily bandaged arm and her eyes grew red.

“Oh, this is just…”

“Good heavens. My God… such a serious…”

Ryan became embarrassed as he guessed what misunderstanding Eloise was having. She clearly thought he was severely injured.

He was about to tell her it wasn’t that bad when.

“…!”

At that moment, Eloise pulled his neck toward her and kissed him full on the mouth.

Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise. At the same time, he heard whistles and applause from people nearby.

Although Albion still retained some conservative aspects, this was the capital and the Army Hospital.

How many couples had confirmed their deeper love with concern when facing their lover’s injuries in front of this hospital?

Ryan felt even more flustered amid the tender gazes of onlookers. But.

After hesitating, Ryan wrapped his uninjured arm around Eloise’s waist.

Perhaps due to her illness in the winter cold.

Eloise’s waist, which he had thought was too thin even in Blissbury, had become even thinner, barely a handful.

Thinking this was all because of him, Ryan somehow felt choked up.

According to Mr. Surberton, although Eloise had insisted she was fine, she had been in a very dangerous situation.

‘Of course.’

How could someone be healthy after coughing up blood?

Having barely recovered after long bed rest, her back had started hurting again because of him.

Although Eloise kept denying it, Ryan believed it was indeed his fault.

It had to be his fault. Because…

Eloise, who had been kissing Ryan, suddenly drew in her breath in surprise.

Ryan, who had been stiff at first when their lips met, wondering what was happening, was now deeply devouring her lips as if he wanted to consume her.

Eloise remembered clearly when they had kissed like this before.

From the morning in Blissbury until the evening when she finally met him at the lodge on a day they hadn’t seen each other.

Before she could even ask why he was late, he had approached her, embraced her, and kissed her.

Normally, he would have worried about the gazes of others in the mansion. But at that time, he had taken her breath away relentlessly, as if he no longer cared who was watching.

Now was exactly the same as then.

All these actions showing he could no longer bear his overflowing longing, not wanting to be apart even for a moment.

Ryan continued kissing her for quite some time before separating his lips.

While Eloise, breathless, trembled and quickly inhaled, he licked his lips and said:

“I’ve decided. I’m going right away.”

“What? Where to?”

“Where else? To see Mr. Surberton.”

Ryan pulled her closer with the hand around her waist and led her.

“When you show such affection for me, what more do I have to hesitate about?”

He was sincere.

Throughout all this time, Ryan had worried about only one thing.

What if Eloise no longer cared for him?

Absurdly, in that moment, Ryan had understood what it felt like for the world to end.

All light disappears, all sound vanishes. Even the ground beneath him is covered in darkness, and nothing remains.

He found it ridiculous even to himself.

Even when his life was threatened by Earl Wallace in the past, he had never felt such despair.

Yet the mere imagination that Eloise might no longer think of him could make him feel such frustration.

Of course, now all those worries were in the past.

Eloise had come to him. She had embraced him and kissed him.

The moment he realized this, Ryan was no longer afraid of anything.

Because he had just gained the world.

“W-wait! Who likes whom…”

Belatedly embarrassed, Eloise stammered a denial, but Ryan captured her lips again as she tried to speak, then hailed a passing carriage.

“Every time you deny it, I’ll do it again, so go ahead and try.”

At Ryan’s firm words, Eloise’s face turned bright red.

“Th-then what if I say I don’t like you anymore?”

At Eloise’s question, Ryan looked at her briefly as if she were asking the obvious, then embraced her tightly again and kissed her.

This action, much deeper than before, made even passersby stop in their tracks, exclaiming “Oh my!” with flushed faces.

But what appeared on their faces wasn’t displeasure or embarrassment, but envy.

Anyone could see that the two were lovers who didn’t know what to do with their feelings for each other.

Besides, if one of them was an injured soldier, that only increased people’s sympathy.

After taking Eloise’s breath away once more, Ryan pulled his face away.

“What would I do? I’d kiss you then too.”

Overwhelmed by embarrassment, yet feeling a feathery tickle deep in her heart, Eloise could only open and close her mouth without answering.

“Sir! Are you getting in?”

Just then, the coachman’s call was heard.

Ryan immediately opened the carriage door, escorted Eloise in, then climbed in himself and sat beside her rather than across from her.

As if they were one body, he wrapped his arm around her waist again and called out the name of the street where Eloise was staying.

“I need to get permission to marry, so please hurry!”

At Ryan’s words, the coachman laughed heartily, replied that he understood, and immediately urged the horse forward.

Naturally, Mr. Surberton was furious when he saw Ryan entering with Eloise.

“Did you think my words meant nothing? If you think you can take advantage of a country scholar, you’re greatly mistaken. Do you think I have no connections in the military? Eloise, why are you holding that fellow’s hand!”

Mrs. Surberton, who had come out upon hearing her husband’s shouting, couldn’t help but laugh at his final words.

“I knew this would happen.”

Behind Mrs. Surberton, Emily pouted and said:

“I’m still on master’s side. Our young lady deserves better. Now that our young lady is rich and has honor too… couldn’t she just dump him and find a better man?”

Emily sighed as if she herself were distressed.

Yet she knew.

When they returned to Feltham, the portrait of Colonel Wilgrave hanging in the young lady’s room would now come down from the wall.

Mr. Surberton’s anger continued for over an hour. But seeing the two holding hands more tightly the more he shouted, he couldn’t say anything more.

He knew that after rain, the ground hardens more firmly.

Having gone through this incident together, Eloise and Ryan’s relationship would also become stronger.

But that didn’t mean he readily gave permission for marriage.

“He must take responsibility for his actions.”

When Mr. Surberton glared at him, Ryan bowed politely and asked:

“What would you have me do?”

“Until she’s fully recovered.”

“Pardon?”

“Until Eloise is fully recovered! Don’t even dream of marriage! She was almost completely healed! Because of you, she has to undergo treatment again, so until she’s healthy again, marriage or anything else is absolutely impossible!”

“I understand.”

Even though he didn’t know when that would be, Ryan nodded as if it were only natural.

“Then may I take my leave for today?”

Mr. Surberton’s eyes narrowed as he watched Ryan suddenly stand up.

‘Surely this fellow isn’t already backing out?’

Just as he thought this.

“I think it would be best to move quickly if I’m to bring the royal physician.”

At Ryan’s calm words, the Surberton couple’s faces turned pale.

Ryan was completely serious.