“Stop using such vulgar language.”

Philip frowned and snatched the letter from Richard’s hand again.

“It says he’s staying at Baron Stanford’s cherished countryside villa. Since he’ll likely be spending time with the elderly local gentry, he might need formal attire.”

“That would normally be the case. But do you remember what Ryan looked like when he left? He’s probably holed up in a dark room with the curtains drawn, unable to get out of bed until noon. Meeting with the local gentry? Please. He’s surely found someone to handle things in his place and is wandering around somewhere isolated.”

“……”

Richard had a point.

Ryan’s condition just before leaving the capital had looked highly precarious.

He might have seemed his usual self to outsiders, but the two people always by his side had noticed the change in him.

Ryan had never been particularly expressive, but now, he had lost all expression.

He spoke less, spent more time staring blankly as if lost in thought, and was frequently absent from military duties. Whenever they went to his quarters, they would often find him still asleep behind thick, drawn curtains.

How many cups of tea had they been forced to drink at Ryan’s house? And that from his butler, who couldn’t even brew a proper cup!

Regardless, Ryan was deteriorating from the inside out.

He had never been one to fixate on anything, but his friends and comrades in the military had been among the few reasons he had to keep going.

Now that the war was over and all his efforts to protect them had been invalidated, it must have felt as if his entire world had crumbled.

Especially since Earl Wallace had taken a seat on the military disciplinary committee and relentlessly attacked him.

Even if their children were illegitimate, many nobles still looked after them.

But Earl Wallace had chosen to disregard and scorn Ryan instead thoroughly.

Had he not even paid money to send young Ryan to a harsh post so his firstborn son, who was the same age, could have a smoother path?

That was why they couldn’t help but mutter a few choice curses whenever they heard Earl Wallace’s name.

“In any case, our dear Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Wilgrave’s recovery trip is having some effect. If things had gotten worse, he would have packed up and returned by now, regardless of the baron’s insistence. But since he’s still there and even requesting tailored clothes, it must mean something.”

Richard’s lips curled into smirks as he spoke. Seeing that expression, Philip tensed and asked in a wary voice,

“Richard, what are you planning?”

Instead of answering, Richard stood up and began counting on his fingers. Then, turning to Philip, he asked,

“Philip, how much leave do you have left?”

“Why?”

“Why do you think?”

Richard picked up the envelope from Ryan’s letter and glanced at the address written on it before saying,

“Let’s use some of our leave and pay him a visit.”

***

“Over there! Just a little more to the side!”

At Eloise’s command, the workers on the ladder groaned as they shifted the massive painting slightly to the right.

“That’s good! Hang it there!”

When Eloise approved, the workers eagerly secured the painting to the wall hooks. The bright still-life painting settled perfectly against the pale green wallpaper of the first-floor drawing room.

“Great. That’s done. On to the next room.”

“Miss Eloise, can we take a short break?”

The workers pleaded with her, but she firmly shook her head.

“No! We need to hang at least ten more before noon. But I’ll give you some of Mrs. Parker’s new dessert once we finish the first floor. How about that? It’s really delicious. It’s a cream filled with plenty of vanilla beans—”

“Alright, alright, we’re going.”

The moment she mentioned vanilla beans, the workers clamped their mouths shut and hurried toward the next painting.

Vanilla beans had only recently been introduced to Camborne.

At first, people had hesitated to eat them, thinking the tiny black specks in the cream were mold or insect eggs.

But once they tasted it, they ultimately fell in love with its soft, rich aroma and flavor.

The only problem was the price—it wasn’t cheap.

In Camborne, Wilson’s store was the only place that stocked it, and wealthy housewives would snatch it up instantly every time a new shipment arrived.

Since such a rare ingredient was used in the dessert, there was no reason to refuse.

As Eloise and the workers moved to the next room, Ryan entered a moment later.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“There’s plenty! Could you clear all these decorations off the table? They’re meant for spring but still haven’t been swapped out.”

At Eloise’s request, Ryan immediately got to work.

At first, the workers, who had been watching the newly arrived steward with skepticism, wondering if he would only get in the way, soon changed their tune when they saw how quickly he moved and finished his tasks. They remarked with smiles that he was different from the soldiers of Camborne and that not just anyone could become a steward.

Having completed the tasks Eloise had assigned him, Ryan turned to watch her as she gave instructions to the workers.

It had been a week since Eloise mediated the merchants’ dispute and returned.

And from the very next day, she had been coming to Blissbury daily to oversee the management of the estate.

At first, she had only intended to ask a few more questions related to the banquet and dinner party.

However, upon arriving early in the morning, Eloise went to the parlor, looked around, and was taken aback.

“Why are the paintings still the same? And none of the decorations have changed?”

“…Are they supposed to be changed?”

Aren’t the paintings on the wall supposed to remain hung?

“Mrs. Parker! Mr. Palmer!”

Eloise immediately called the two over and asked if they had informed Ryan.

“I did tell him, but he didn’t say anything.”

The issue was that they had asked when Ryan was not in a good state.

Initially unable to understand what they were saying, he responded, “I’ll check later.” Upon hearing that, the two assumed he intended to replace all the decorations completely.

Having confirmed that the replacements hadn’t been adequately carried out, Eloise inspected the rest of the estate.

Ryan had put in some effort, but as expected, many areas still needed attention.

“Let’s take care of the urgent matters first and then handle the estate’s interior afterward.”

With suddenly so much to do, Eloise’s expression changed. Seeing her resolute demeanor, Ryan could only agree without saying anything else.

From that day on, Eloise came to Blissbury early every morning and left late at night.

Naturally, Ryan accompanied her when she left.

Once, they returned by carriage, but the next day, they rode back on horseback again.

Because the coachman was present, they couldn’t bicker as usual, making the journey unbearably quiet and dull.

As the morning tasks were wrapping up, Mrs. Parker arrived and said,

“It’s lunchtime! Everyone, take a break and eat!”

She handed a basket full of sandwiches to the workers.

In both Feltham and Blissbury, the relationship between employers and workers was notably close.

However, eating together was still an unthinkable practice.

Half of the workers went down to the servants’ dining hall in the basement, while the others, enjoying the nice weather, chose to eat outside in the garden.

Eloise and Ryan headed to the dining room.

They naturally took seats at the corner of the table—positions that had somehow become their regular spots.

Shortly after, Mrs. Parker brought in a tray full of plates with various dishes.

Initially, she had insisted on serving a proper full-course meal even for lunch, but Eloise and Ryan had pleaded with her to serve everything at once since they had no time.

As soon as the food was set, the two busily ate while continuing their discussion.

“Sergeant, have all the order confirmations from Camborne arrived?”

“They were all completed this morning. Ah, the gardener we called in said he’ll arrive two days late due to personal matters, so we’ll need to adjust Mr. Warren and his son’s schedule accordingly.”

Though they were eating, neither made any slurping or unseemly noises, seamlessly continuing their conversation about work.

They worked together as if they had been doing so for years.

Watching them, Mrs. Parker smiled—not just because the work was progressing well but because she enjoyed seeing them eat her food so heartily.

‘Come to think of it, ever since Miss Eloise started coming, he’s been eating properly.’

Before that, Ryan had barely eaten, causing her much worry. Now, he had such a good appetite that it was hard to believe he was the same person.

He was eating even more than other young men his age—or even more than that—so much so that Mrs. Parker had to bake far more bread than usual and carve more chicken.

Still, she was happy.

‘This finally feels like a proper household again.’

With Eloise back, Ryan present, and the estate bustling with workers, Blissbury was lively again after a long time.

As Mrs. Parker went inside to fetch more bread after noticing the basket had already emptied, Eloise turned to Ryan as if she had just remembered something.

“I think we’ll be done decorating with the summer ornaments and paintings by today… Tomorrow, I’ll have to visit Camborne. I suppose it’s best to do a mid-term inspection.”