The case of the fake Ryan, or rather Riham Wilgrave, was quickly resolved.

Surprisingly, he was someone who shared the same surname as Ryan – Wilgrave.

According to his story, he once signed his name as Riham Wilgrave, but someone mistakenly called him Ryan Wilgrave.

At that moment, people looked at him and exclaimed, “I recognize him from the portrait! That man is the real Ryan Wilgrave!” They crowded around him, buying him drinks and food, saying it was an honor to treat a hero.

Even a local dignitary invited him to stay at his home for several days, treating him with great hospitality.

When no one discovered he was an impostor, Riham grew increasingly bold. Sometimes he would deliberately introduce himself first, and he researched all available records about Ryan to perfect his false identity more elaborately.

Then he met Arabella, and the moment he saw her attire and jewelry, he sensed an opportunity. Acting like a proper gentleman, he gained her trust.

After gradually winning her favor, he revealed his false identity and even earned her sympathy. Eventually, he managed to secure an engagement with her.

Richard smiled as he showed Riham the royal special investigation warrant.

“Let me introduce myself – I’m Richard Cameron of the 57th Infantry Battalion. Anyone who has ever seen Ryan Wilgrave’s records would know who I am. So, feel free to say whatever you want. Something amusing like claiming you’re Ryan Wilgrave. It’s quite interesting to meet my dear friend whom I’ve never seen for a long time – makes me want to have a long conversation.”

Richard’s smile, which was well-received by women, seemed to have a different interpretation among men.

As Riham realized that the more Richard smiled, the deeper his crimes would become, he instantly became compliant.

Richard took Riham to a military facility on the outskirts of Bringport and emerged an hour later with a lengthy confession.

He then said to Eloise and Ryan:

“Based on his confession alone, he’s facing at least 30 years. When we investigate further, we’ll likely find more crimes, which will significantly increase his sentence. It seems he’s done similar things to others besides Miss Arabella, including marriage fraud. I’d like to add more charges, but… I don’t think the victim would want that. Let’s leave it at that.”

When Eloise rescued Arabella from Riham, her clothes had been torn. Though she fortunately avoided the worst crime, the fact that she experienced such fear and humiliation couldn’t be erased. Eloise remembered when Richard had received a statement from Arabella about what Riham had done, and finally carefully brought up the incident about how Riham had tried to *ssault her.

“Finally, I’d like to ask about the *ssault that Riham Wilgrave committed against you…”

At that question, Arabella bowed her head and couldn’t answer, her hands holding Eloise’s began trembling severely.

“That person…”

Seeing Arabella’s condition, which was painful to watch, Richard glanced lightly at the legal officials present and said:

“That’s enough. I’ll make sure he serves a long sentence even if I have to fabricate charges. He’ll be given hard labor that will prevent him from even thinking about doing the same thing again. He will never appear in public again.”

Richard’s words became a promise that couldn’t be broken. In the end, it was decided that the military would handle this case quietly. Since a noblewoman, the Baroness of Surrier, was involved, the matter would be dealt with even more quietly, secretly, and perfectly – Riham Wilgrave would disappear without a trace.

Eloise didn’t feel sorry for him, who might never see the sky again. If she had been there, she might have killed him herself, but fortunately, what happened at the estate would never be made public.

When they left the estate, the servants went ahead, pretending nothing had happened, and politely saw off Riham and the soldiers. They bid farewell to Eloise as if nothing had occurred, and without Arabella’s permission, they would never speak a word about today’s events.

After Arabella completed a few additional statements, she returned to her quarters. While still grieving the loss of her parents, she had now lost love and trust once again.

Nevertheless, Arabella did not despair. Though her voice was quiet, her eyes remained clear. Eloise could tell from that gaze when they had conversed at the art gallery. Given time, she would eventually rise again.

Before leaving, Arabella firmly held Eloise’s hand and whispered in a small voice:

“That man… is he the real Ryan Wilgrave?”

Unsure how to answer, Eloise hesitated briefly, but Arabella smiled slightly and whispered again:

“I don’t intend to tell anyone, so don’t worry. That day… when I saw him, I realized what a foolish mistake I had made.”

Arabella bowed her head in gratitude to Ryan as well before getting into their carriage. Thus, the case of the fake Ryan was concluded. The remaining cleanup was Richard’s responsibility. Eloise and Ryan bid him farewell, then returned to the hotel by carriage. They informed Emily and Garner, who had arrived earlier, that everything had been successfully resolved, then headed straight to their room.

When the door closed, Eloise finally released her tension. “Haah…” Collapsing onto the bed with a long sigh, she reflected on the day. She had planned to meet a friend and happily discuss their hobbies as usual, but it turned into such a chaotic day.

Ryan’s figure came into view as he organized her coat and bag, suppressing her dizziness. Seeing him reminded her of what had happened earlier in the day. The moment he entered the room as a n*de model, her embarrassment…

“Actually, I wanted to talk about what happened in Arabella’s room…”

She was about to finish the conversation they hadn’t completed, but Ryan approached her, took her hand, and said:

“Let’s rest first. You look really tired now, so it would be better to talk tomorrow.”

“But…”

Before she could protest, Ryan awkwardly led her to the bathroom. Though she thought they should talk first, seeing the warm water Emily had prepared in the bathtub made her think of resting instead. While washing and drying herself, her eyelids began to droop. When she returned to the room, Eloise collapsed onto the bed.

Yes, tomorrow she would talk to Ryan about it. Her consciousness faded there.

“Eloise?”

Ryan called her name, but she had fallen deeply asleep, with only the sound of her gentle breathing audible.

“With her hair still wet…”

Even in warm Bringport, one couldn’t sleep with wet hair in late autumn. Ryan approached the radiator.

Clayton Hotel was equipped with the most advanced facilities in the country, catering to nobility. Among these was a curious device called a “radiator.” It was a machine that brought steam from the hotel’s basement facilities to warm each room. Ryan preferred radiators to fireplaces. Though occasionally noisy, they didn’t produce ash or soot, which seemed better for Eloise’s health. Hair dried faster too.

The downside was that the room became dry, but the advantage was that clothes dried quickly. Looking at Eloise who had fallen asleep with her hair still wet, he carefully dried her hair with a clean towel. The greatest thing about staying here as a married couple was that he could dry her hair with his own hands.

Touching a woman’s hair was considered more intimate and sacred than touching her bare skin in high society. Among noble families, there were even those who refused to let their servants see them drying their hair, doing it alone instead. Of course, Eloise enjoyed having her hair dried and often left it to Emily, but after coming to Bringport, this task naturally became Ryan’s.

Initially awkward, Eloise eventually relaxed and enjoyed his surprisingly thorough care of her hair. Using several towels, he gently dried her hair until it regained its original color – a warm golden hue like well-ripened wheat, a color that filled one with warmth just by looking at it. After drying her hair, he neatly covered her with a blanket, then quietly went to the anteroom.

There, several trunks were packed full of items to take to Blissbury. Rummaging through one of the bags he had purchased, he soon found what he was looking for. Holding it in his hand, he returned to the bedroom and looked at the peacefully sleeping Eloise, thinking about the things she would want to live with.

The next day, after a good night’s sleep, Eloise had breakfast with Ryan as usual. Throughout the meal, she subtly observed him, but Ryan said nothing special until they finished eating. As Emily was about to take away the empty teacups, he quietly spoke:

“Please don’t enter the room until I call for you, not before dinner.”

Normally, Emily would have asked if something was wrong, but sensing that Ryan’s voice and expression were unusual, she simply said she understood and quickly left.

After Emily departed, silence filled the room. Tense from Ryan’s mood, Eloise unconsciously squeezed her eyes shut.

She recalled what happened at the estate. Though Ryan hadn’t blamed her that day, she felt embarrassed about following Arabella without much thought when she said she had a n*de model.

In retrospect, how he must have felt in that situation was all too clear.

So she was sure he would bring it up, but…

“Open your eyes. At this rate, you’ll only see my gift at night.”

“What?”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Eloise opened her eyes with an astonished face.

“A gift all of a sudden… Oh, this!”