Clippity-clop, clippity-clop.

With the sound of hoofbeats, the carriage traveled vigorously down the road. Thanks to the light green leaves eagerly sprouting from the bare branches, the road that had been desolate all winter was now overflowing with the energy of spring.

While the outside was like this, the inside of the carriage carrying Eloise and Ryan should have been even warmer.

“Wow! Miss, look over there! Blissbury already looks so small!”

Emily shouted while leaning half her body outside. Each time she did this, Eloise grabbed Emily’s waist in alarm.

And across from Eloise, Ryan was looking at the excited Emily with a displeased expression.

When they first said that only the two of them would be going to Bringport, Emily had jumped up on the spot.

“What do you mean? Are you saying only Miss and Colonel will be going?”

As if such an outrageous thing couldn’t exist in the world, Emily didn’t know what to do. Like someone who had heard that a lamb would be thrown before a wolf.

Then she packed her bags, insisting on going to Bringport with them.

When Ryan tried to dissuade her, Emily proudly told him:

“Wouldn’t it be much better for me to go along than to hire a maid there to look after Miss? If Miss becomes ill from the long journey, city maids wouldn’t be able to properly care for her.”

“No, it’s not that serious…”

“Indeed. You’re right. You should come with us.”

“Ryan!”

At the mention of what would happen if Eloise got sick, Ryan decided to bring Emily along without a moment’s hesitation.

When Garner found out about this, he approached Ryan and said:

“I know Bringport well. I stayed there for a few months after the war ended.”

Moreover, since Garner could handle horses as well as a coachman, eventually all four of them ended up going to Bringport together.

Still, they had thought she would sit next to Garner during the journey, but before the carriage departed, she naturally sat right next to Eloise as if it were obvious.

And that’s how they ended up in this situation.

Only after Blissbury was completely out of sight did Emily finally sit down properly. Ryan made a suggestion to Emily.

“If you want to enjoy the scenery, the outer seat would be better.”

“Oh, thank you so much, Colonel, but I think my place is beside Miss.”

Emily shook her head and replied as if showing that she wouldn’t neglect her role. Then she deliberately linked arms with Eloise.

She knew well that this would irritate Ryan.

Contrary to Emily’s expectations, Ryan observed this and then spoke in a leisurely voice.

“Miss? Shouldn’t we start changing how we address her soon? You should call her ‘Lady’ now.”

At Ryan’s words, this time it was Emily’s expression that became distorted.

Ryan, regardless of Emily’s reaction, looked at Eloise and said with a smile:

“Isn’t that right, my wife?”

At the word “wife,” Eloise blushed.

For this journey, the two had decided to use the name of Newhaven Castle, bestowed by the Queen.

This was because the name Eloise Surberton had become too well-known during the Sinclair incident. That was also why Eloise had continued to stay at Blissbury rather than attending the wedding.

After all, there were quite a few people who came looking for Eloise Surberton in Feltham.

Although the number of people searching for that name had decreased significantly now, there would still be many who remembered it in a big city like Bringport.

‘Ryan is also a problem.’

While Ryan Wilgrave was a dead person, he was a soldier whose name appeared on the medal list for the Sinclair incident.

Someone with a good memory would probably not have forgotten that name.

If that happened, military and royal personnel might take an interest, and in the worst case, someone who actually knew the real Ryan Wilgrave might appear.

Moreover, if an unmarried man and woman traveled around without parents or companions, they would likely face contemptuous glances and unpleasant misunderstandings.

So the two decided to use the name Lord and Lady Newhaven.

In fact, Eloise was quite confident in such acting. Hadn’t she deceived even those of high status?

But when Ryan gazed at her intently and called her “wife,” something deep in her heart tickled, and she had to turn away her gaze due to the dangerous emotions that kept welling up.

“With such awkwardness, I’m not sure if we’ll be convincing. It seems we need more practice.”

Then Ryan took Eloise’s hand.

His long fingers lightly rolled over her palm. At that ticklish sensation, Eloise shuddered slightly.

She had thought he would refrain from such subtle advances with Emily sitting next to them, but instead, he had become even more brazen and bold.

When Eloise tried to subtly withdraw her hand, Ryan held it firmly as if asking where she thought she was going.

“Um… I’m still here, you know?”

Emily glanced at Ryan as if asking what kind of mischief he was up to.

“Ah, right.”

Ryan held Eloise’s hand firmly as if there was no problem with it.

In truth, there was no problem—if they were indeed Lord and Lady Newhaven.

Just then, the carriage stopped to avoid another carriage coming from the opposite direction.

Ryan didn’t miss this opportunity.

“Garner! Emily seems a bit uncomfortable. The seat is cramped, and she seems bored with the carriage ride. I think it would be better if she sat next to you and enjoyed the view outside!”

“What? I was just about to—”

“I’d be happy to!”

Before Emily could say anything, Garner’s enthusiastic response was heard from the front, and soon the carriage door opened.

In front of the open door, Garner smiled broadly and extended his hand to Emily.

“Miss Emily, please come outside.”

Emily hesitated for a moment.

Her lover waiting to take her hand, and her miss whom she was trying with all her might to protect.

Who on earth should she choose?

Just then, someone pushed Emily’s back as she was pondering.

“Yes, Emily, you look a bit uncomfortable, so why don’t you get some fresh air? Mr. Garner, please take care of her.”

It was Eloise.

Emily got out of the carriage with a face that was half betrayed, half joyful at the prospect of holding her lover’s hand and sitting beside him.

As soon as Emily got out, Ryan quickly closed the door as if he had been waiting for this moment.

After hearing Garner’s voice helping Emily onto the front seat, the carriage started moving again.

As soon as the carriage began to move, Ryan stood up and sat next to Eloise.

As his hot body temperature approached like a wave, Eloise unconsciously tensed up.

It was natural that Ryan wasn’t usually this passionate. But why was she so nervous now?

Eloise looked at him, still holding her hand.

Far from withdrawing his hand, Ryan smiled as if asking if there was a problem and placed his other hand on Eloise’s arm.

Then he gently pulled at the edge of Eloise’s glove.

The soft silk glove he had given her began to slip off Eloise’s hand.

Eloise looked at Ryan as if asking what he was doing.

Taking off gloves outdoors was an act permitted only with very intimate companions. To remove gloves in front of someone of the opposite s*x when one wouldn’t even do so casually in front of the same s*x?

There were only two cases for this.

First, when in front of one’s husband. Second, when with a very close lover.

Therefore, removing gloves was itself a seduction. Having them removed by another was an even more explicit and active seduction.

And now Ryan was doing this with a calm face.

Eloise clutched the glove that was about to be removed. Then Ryan replied in a nonchalant voice.

“I was just helping because you looked a bit uncomfortable. Is there a problem?”

As he said this with a grin, his eyes were full of joy that he couldn’t contain.

Ryan had worn this expression when they first decided to use the name Lord and Lady Newhaven.

That expression of not knowing what to do, beaming with joy like someone who had finally obtained something they had been waiting for a very long time.

“What’s wrong with a husband removing his wife’s glove?”

The words “husband” and “wife” flowing from Ryan’s lips were extremely sweet. As if he had called them many times before.

Eloise, who had been holding onto the glove that was about to be removed, soon let go.

The glove fell softly into Ryan’s hand, and his other hand carefully wrapped around Eloise’s bare hand that was now exposed.

His long fingers, full of scars, burrowed between her white, slender fingers. Holding them tightly so they would never come apart, Ryan brought that hand close to his lips and kissed it.

Indeed.

His lips were hot even though they weren’t in a place where others could see. How many times had those lips been hidden from people’s eyes?

After kissing the back of Eloise’s hand with such intensity that one might wonder if he was holding back, Ryan raised his face.

Eloise looked at him, momentarily forgetting the reproach she was about to give.

Ah, he’s just teasing…

“Are you going to keep that dumbfounded expression even when we get to Bringport?”

How could Ryan’s face look so foolishly grinning to the point of appearing stupid?

At Eloise’s words, Ryan touched his own mouth. Feeling his upturned lips, he chuckled.

“I’m sorry, my face must look ridiculous.”

“If there were a mirror, I’d like to show you. If Sir Osborne or Sir Cameron were here, they would have been so surprised they’d have fallen over and teased you.”

“Fortunately, they’re not here.”

This time, Ryan’s lips touched Eloise’s fingers.

“I’m not a husband generous enough to leave things be after seeing just one hand.”

Seeing his eyes curve even more as he said the word “husband,” Eloise felt that any further words would be meaningless.

What words could reach someone who was dying of happiness just from saying that word?

Meanwhile, Ryan’s shadow fell over Eloise’s face.

Eloise closed her eyes familiarly. The warmth touching her lips was also familiar.

Much later, when Emily, her hair disheveled by the wind, came into the carriage asking if her Miss was alright, Eloise was also fixing her disheveled hair.

Inside the carriage where not even a hint of wind had blown.