“Is that why you went to Newham?”

Eloise asked incredulously at Ryan’s words.

She knew he was sincere about her treatment. Thanks to him, her condition had improved tremendously. The pain caused by the fire had already disappeared, and the illness that had afflicted her severely every year had passed quietly this time.

Nevertheless, Ryan didn’t seem satisfied.

Eloise knew that all the newspapers and letters in his study were information about illnesses similar to hers.

Ryan wanted to completely eradicate the disease that had bound her for so long. But how could one cure an illness without a name?

She wished he wouldn’t obsess over something impossible, but Ryan had managed to find records of symptoms similar to Eloise’s.

And he had also discovered a doctor’s records claiming to have cured it.

After saying he would contact and invite him, he had been busy, and it seemed he had finally succeeded in making an appointment.

“Bringport will take quite some time to reach.”

Mr. Surberton, who had been wearing a displeased expression, was now calculating the distance to the city Ryan had mentioned.

Bringport was currently the fastest-growing city in Albion.

Located in the northeast of Albion, it was a port city where goods from the industrial northwest cities were transported via newly laid railways and temporarily stored before being exported to other countries.

Naturally, it was a place where goods, money, and people gathered.

The victorious nation of Albion had several port cities. Among them, Bringport had risen to prominence thanks to the mayor’s foresight.

While other cities were merely focused on expanding their size, Bringport’s mayor chose a slightly different path.

He did expand the port and improve the roads, but he didn’t accept everything indiscriminately.

He restricted the establishment of factories and used the city budget to purchase land around the port to create a large park.

That wasn’t all. He created mansion districts for the wealthy next to the port area and also spent budget on cleaning up the slums.

Initially, there was strong opposition. Critics argued that when other cities were desperately trying to attract anything they could, how could they afford to be selective? Moreover, they complained about spending money on the poor who provided no benefit.

But the mayor shouted, “Quiet! You don’t understand my grand vision!” and then left the opposition, saying he was going out for a drink.

A month later, the smiling mayor of Bringport returned with immigration contracts signed with foreign merchants.

As the power of the emerging nation grew, capitalists from surrounding countries felt threatened. Meanwhile, the market in relatively safe Albion promised full support if they would relocate to its city, and those who saw this as an opportunity signed immigration contracts.

As a result, foreign capitalists flocked to Bringport. Intellectuals also moved there with them. Doctors were among them.

“Doctor Giacomo was one of the royal physicians of the Kingdom of Essen.”

Ryan explained how outstanding a doctor he was, and that his published research paper described a disease very similar to Eloise’s childhood symptoms.

“The problem is that he can’t leave Bringport for the time being. According to immigration law, he must stay in a specific area of the estate for another year.”

So Eloise needed to go there personally for the examination.

“Oh my, that’s a shame. We need to go and come back quickly so we can prepare for the wedding at a leisurely pace.”

Wedding.

At that word, Ryan gave a small cough, and Eloise subtly averted her gaze.

Mr. Surberton had declared that they couldn’t even dream of marriage until Eloise’s illness was completely cured.

But at the end of winter, he finally gave permission for the two to marry.

That permission wasn’t just because his mind had changed. It was because a castle called Newhaven and a title had been bestowed upon the couple.

A new castle and title were the Queen’s will. In other words, it was the Queen’s wish for the two to marry and use one castle.

Mr. Surberton was a loyal subject of the Queen. He couldn’t ignore the royal wish for them to marry quickly.

Moreover, not only the employees of Blissbury but also the residents of Feltham had already accepted their marriage as a foregone conclusion.

After all, Eloise had spent the entire winter at Blissbury rather than her home in Feltham. As if it were already her home.

In this situation, not getting married would rather make everyone suspicious.

Above all, what moved Mr. Surberton’s heart was Ryan’s appearance that he happened to see one day.

That evening, after dinner, everyone was enjoying pleasant conversation. As tired people began returning to their rooms one by one, Mr. Surberton, who had escorted his wife back and returned, headed back to the reception room.

It wasn’t that he expected Eloise and Ryan to still be in the reception room.

Honestly, Mr. Surberton knew how devoted Ryan was to his daughter. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to give permission for marriage so easily.

Mr. Surberton had seen many soldiers. Those who lived in danger soon became people who enjoyed danger.

Even after the war ended, they couldn’t forget the tension that had surrounded them and constantly wandered in search of stimulation. Looking for anything that could excite them even a little.

Mr. Surberton worried that Eloise might have become such an object of excitement for Ryan.

Although she was young, she had been a delicate young lady no matter how you looked at her. Moreover, he worried that Ryan might see her as a good object for inappropriate pleasure if no one was watching over them.

Despite seeing his sincere attitude several times, such concerns didn’t easily disappear.

When Mr. Surberton came down to the reception room with these worries, the maids had extinguished the candles, and the room was dark.

He thought Eloise and Ryan had also gone to their rooms, but then he noticed Ryan sitting on the sofa.

Eloise was asleep, using his leg as a pillow. The remaining light from the fireplace flickered, illuminating the quiet couple.

That’s when Mr. Surberton saw it. Ryan’s face as he looked at the sleeping Eloise.

His eyes contained a quiet, deep affection that couldn’t be fully expressed in words. In the empty reception room, he could have satisfied base desires if he wanted to.

His hands could have shamelessly used Eloise as a vile means.

But Ryan was just quietly looking at his lover sleeping on his leg. With a satisfied face as if he had gained the whole world just by doing so.

The next day, Mr. Surberton gave permission for the two to marry.

“Ryan, did something happen yesterday?”

“Nothing happened…?”

The two were bewildered by Mr. Surberton’s sudden permission but couldn’t find an answer.

And that’s how they reached this point.

Mrs. Surberton smiled brightly at the two stammering young people at the mention of a wedding.

“Then I should quickly ask Mrs. Parker and Emily to pack. When should we set it for? A week later? … How about three days from now? As you said… we need to come back quickly to prepare for the wedding.”

Ryan, whose expression had never changed even when he had taken down dozens of enemies, turned red at the nape of his neck just from mentioning the wedding.

Eloise just fidgeted with her fingers in front of him.

After seeing off the Surberton couple, Eloise and Ryan turned to meet each other’s eyes when the carriage carrying the couple disappeared from view.

So they would be alone together until they depart for Bringport?

At that realization, both their hearts began to beat fiercely.

Having decided to prepare accordingly, Ryan hurriedly sent a letter to Bringport. Emily excitedly packed the spring clothes she had already taken out, hearing that Bringport was a bit warmer than Blissbury.

Just as preparations seemed to be proceeding smoothly…

“What? The two of you can’t go together?”

Eloise looked at her parents in surprise at the unexpected news.

“Yes, who would have thought we’d receive such a sudden contact.”

In the morning, the postman William had urgently cycled over saying a telegram had arrived. Now that Feltham had a telegraph office installed, exchanging urgent messages by telegram had become natural.

The telegram was from Mrs. Surberton’s relative. It said they were contacting again as it seemed a letter had been missed, and asked them to arrive in time for the wedding.

William also handed over a water-soaked letter. It was a wedding invitation that had been lost somewhere else before finally arriving late.

“How pretty she was when I raised her. She says she’s thinking of old times before her wedding and really wants us to come!”

The letter was difficult to read because it was soaked, but the parts that remained were full of memories with Mrs. Surberton.

How could they not go after receiving such a letter?

Calculating the distance, it seemed they could arrive just in time for the wedding if they left promptly.

“Since that’s how it is, Ryan. I entrust Eloise to you.”

Mrs. Surberton said, holding Ryan’s hand.

Ryan stood with a dumbfounded expression and then looked at Mr. Surberton, who was standing beside his wife.

Mr. Surberton cleared his throat a few times and then carefully opened his mouth.

“I’m not entirely comfortable sending just the two of you to Bringport, but…”

Saying this, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Ryan.

“Remember that even if hidden by the thickest curtains, God’s eyes see everything. I trust there will be no shameful acts before God.”

With those words, the Surberton couple departed.