Ryan accepted the pie plate that Eloise handed him with a somewhat reluctant expression.

The plate bore clear traces of her enjoyment—scattered crumbs and dripped apple filling.

It would have been natural to refuse, finding it unappetizing to eat something that someone else had already eaten from. Yet, rather than being put off, Ryan felt even hungrier at the sight of the remnants of her enthusiasm.

He picked up a sliced piece, opened his mouth wide, and took a bite.

The sweet and buttery flavor he had imagined filled his mouth. Beside him, Eloise watched with a surprised expression as he ate.

‘Didn’t he say he wasn’t eating anything?’

If the rumors she had heard were true, then there must be another Ryan living in Blissbury.

Because there was no way that the man who had just devoured an entire slice of apple pie in precisely five bites was the same person who supposedly ate nothing.

In the blink of an eye, he finished one piece and reached for another. 

‘My goodness. This time, he swallowed it down in four bites.’

And again. Then again.

Like someone tasting apple pie for the first time, Ryan ate the pie Eloise had handed him without pause.

When he finally swallowed the last piece, Eloise wondered if she should applaud.

“That was delicious.”

Ryan returned the empty plate to her as he spoke. Then he added,

“I’m glad what Mrs. Surberton sent ended up in the right hands.”

Eloise didn’t understand what he meant at first. But a moment later, realization dawned.

“…Where did you hear that from?”

With a sigh, she asked.

Sergeant Thornton had known that the apple pie she generously offered had initially been his.

“From the moment the carriage stopped.”

At his composed response—implying he had been listening from the very beginning—Eloise was left speechless.

“So you can hear things far away without making a sound yourself? That’s quite the talent. Did you put that to use in the military?”

“Yes. It’s a rather remarkable ability, if I do say so myself. Thanks to it, I earned a medal and gained great trust from my superiors.”

Her remark had been meant as a jab, a way to fluster him, but he acknowledged it so readily—and even mentioned receiving a medal—that Eloise once again found herself at a loss for words.

But when he spoke of earning the trust of his superiors, she couldn’t suppress her curiosity and blurted out the question.

“Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave as well?”

In truth, Eloise had regretted that dinner conversation the other night.

If only she had met this man under more ordinary circumstances—or better yet, had never met him at all.

If that had been the case, then she could have had just another routine dinner—pleasant food, but otherwise dull—like she had with the other guests.

Then, naturally, she could have asked about Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.

Of course, Sergeant Thornton seemed to dislike him, but he wouldn’t have openly badmouthed him in front of a stranger right from the start.

Maybe, in a better atmosphere, she could have even gotten a small detail—perhaps what kind of tea the Lieutenant Colonel liked.

As Eloise reconsidered whether she had been too hasty in defending Wilgrave that night, she ultimately reaffirmed her stance.

No, she still disliked the idea of people misunderstanding the Lieutenant Colonel.

While her thoughts bounced back and forth, Ryan dusted off the remaining pie crumbs from his hands.

At the mention of the military, Eloise’s green eyes lit up.

Maybe because it was such a standard color, his gaze kept drifting toward them. But now, with that sparkle of curiosity, they caught his attention even more.

Predictably, she couldn’t contain herself, fidgeting with restless hands before finally bringing up Wilgrave again.

As Ryan listened to her speak about him, he felt conflicting emotions.

Eloise had an astonishingly accurate grasp of the Battle of Ingon, as if she had been on the battlefield herself.

When she told him that his decision had ultimately saved the 57th Infantry Battalion, Ryan felt an unfamiliar sense of relief and gratitude.

Many had tried to console him, saying it had been inevitable—that he wasn’t to blame.

And while their words gave him some comfort, at night, the dark thoughts would creep in and whisper to him.

“Do you really think they meant what they said?”

“Are you sure none of them secretly reported you?”

It felt as if his suspicions were confirmed every time he hid his face and entered a tavern, only to hear people harshly condemning him.

One evening, he spotted a subordinate—someone who had once reassured him to his face—now among those most fiercely criticizing him.

“Wilgrave disgraced our honor.”

“It’s humiliating to be associated with the 57th Infantry Battalion.”

After that, Ryan sank even deeper into his despair, convinced that everyone spoke ill of him behind his back.

The thought consumed him, and his personality grew more cynical by the day.

And yet, here in this quiet countryside town, someone who had no connection to him had defended him more fiercely than anyone.

He found himself curious.

‘What kind of expression would Eloise have made if I had told her now that the man she so praises and deems perfect is none other than myself?’

She would be surprised.

Would she then be pleased? Or would she be disappointed to learn that the man she had found less than pleasant upon their first meeting was, in fact, Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave?

As he considered the various possibilities, he soon dismissed them all.

What did it matter? He would leave this place before long, and his encounters with Eloise would be few and far between.

This might even be their last meeting.

Ryan looked at Eloise, who was waiting for his answer. He had thought this from the moment they first met—her face was always full of color.

Eyes sparkling with anticipation, cheeks flushed with excitement, and lips slightly parted in a vivid red hue.

It was hard to believe that such a vibrant woman had come here to convalesce and ended up staying.

“Sergeant Thornton?”

Had he stared too openly? Eloise furrowed her brows slightly before calling out to him.

Ryan turned his head in surprise. He had no idea why he had been watching her so intently, lost in thought instead of thinking of sending her on her way.

“So, did Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave commend you personally for your service?”

Was it his silence that made her anxious? The moment Eloise mentioned Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave, Ryan snapped back to reality.

That’s right. This woman was once one of his countless admirers in the capital. Perhaps, being in such a rural place, she was unaware of how things stood there and was merely siding with him out of ignorance. Or maybe she believed that, unlike others, she alone truly understood Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.

Even though it wasn’t night, his dark thoughts crept in once again.

He rose to his feet, brushing the pie crumbs from his hands, and spoke to Eloise. He wanted to send her off quickly and return to Blissbury to shut himself away.

“So, is this pie all you came here for? If that’s the case, there’s no need to trouble yourself coming to Blissbury. You may leave now.”

With that, Ryan turned away.

Eloise fell silent at his reaction.

She realized he had no intention of telling her anything about Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.

‘He thanked me for taking Wilgrave’s side, so why is he acting like this?’

Was the remark her father had relayed to her merely a polite attempt to ease an awkward situation?

The thought that Ryan still despised Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave dampened Eloise’s spirits.

“No, I do have another reason for coming.”

Eloise rose and walked to her carriage. She retrieved a bundle of books from beneath the seat and placed them before him.

“These are the books my father borrowed from the library at Blissbury. So that you know, we received permission from Baron Stanford to borrow them whenever we pleased. But I thought you might inspect the estate and assume they were missing, so I wanted to return them in full.”

She babbled, almost as if reciting the words, then deliberately executed a perfect, formal bow.

“I hope you have a peaceful stay in Blissbury until the day you return to the capital, Sergeant Thornton. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

With that, Eloise turned away from him without hesitation and climbed into the carriage. She immediately urged the horses forward, turning the vehicle toward Feltham.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sergeant Thornton standing there, seemingly at a loss for words, staring blankly.

‘I won’t return until that man leaves Blissbury for good!’

Eloise made that firm vow as she snapped the reins.

A cloud of dust rose behind her as she left Blissbury far behind.