My Husband is Suspicious - Episode 19

“A daughter?”

“That’s the only child you have, isn’t it?”

“Do you happen to know her name?”

It was a strange and persistent question, but the fruit shop owner, disarmed by Dreid’s polite smile, answered without much thought.

“It must be Eleanor Ness.”

At that, Dreid smiled and nodded.

“Here, I’ve filled it generously.”

The owner handed over a sack that looked heavy. Dreid politely thanked her and offered a considerable sum of money. The owner hesitated for a moment.

“That seems to be quite a bit more than the cost of the fruit?”

“I’m grateful that you’ve only ever sold me delicious fruit.”

“It’s not really like that…”

Dreid politely offered her the money again.

“Please take it.”

At Dreid’s words, the fruit shop owner, after a slight hesitation, quickly accepted. He smiled, thanked her, and lightly departed.

Watching his neat, receding back, the fruit shop owner muttered.

“Sigh, how will he survive in this world being so good-natured.”

Even so, she quickly pocketed the money, as if someone might snatch it away.

Eleanor Ness. He learned her name for the first time.

Dreid retraced his old memories and found the mansion with the crow seal. Just as he remembered, the crow seal was affixed to the large iron gate.

Dreid went there sometimes. No, not sometimes, but whenever he thought of it.

Each time, the iron gate was firmly shut, and he couldn’t see Eleanor. Then he wondered why he kept coming here.

He just wanted to say thank you, face to face.

But every time he visited, he couldn’t see Eleanor, which is why he kept going back.

On some days, he was lucky enough to see Eleanor. But Dreid couldn’t bring himself to approach her. Not only the person beside her, but she herself was also wearing a splendid dress.

Dreid looked at Eleanor, then examined his own attire. His shirt was tattered and old, and his pants were covered in dust. He was likely ashamed to introduce himself to people, and he wasn’t in a position to do so either.

He had made quite a bit of money selling guns, but he rarely spent it on clothes. In the first place, he didn’t pay much attention to his attire.

Instead of buying clothes, he was investing that money elsewhere. He mainly used it to acquire merchant ships or small buildings.

Because of this, the Emperor himself, and even the Crown Prince, were starting to take notice of Dreid.

However, Dreid didn’t pay much attention to the Crown Prince. He was a man who played around with other women while having a fiancée. He lived recklessly, relying solely on his lineage.

In short, he was a pathetic fellow. Dreid didn’t want to deal with such a pathetic person in the first place.

Dreid was more conscious of Eleanor than of him right now.

He hesitated for a moment.

He didn’t think at all when he shot a gun, but for some reason, he found himself thinking too much in front of Eleanor. So, he watched from afar. Whenever he watched Eleanor, his heart strangely pounded.

What would it be like to see her up close?

He even had such thoughts. But Dreid couldn’t bring himself to step forward. On some days, he thought about dressing up neatly, but he quickly dismissed the idea. It seemed like the most ridiculous thing he could do.

Above all, Dreid hadn’t even properly established himself yet. The circumstances were not favorable, and what right did he have to present himself before her?

Fortunately, Eleanor didn’t bring men to the mansion. He considered that one thing fortunate, and Dreid waited.

Hoping that Eleanor might look his way just once.

________________________________________

Eleanor saw him again on a cold day, several weeks later. She was returning home from a ball in her carriage.

Eleanor got out in front of the mansion. She wanted to walk and feel the cool air. She couldn’t feel such air at the stuffy ball.

As she calmly inhaled the air and looked around, her eyes met a pair of piercing blue eyes.

“Oh, you?”

Eleanor said unconsciously. She had met his gaze then, and it had remained quite memorable, so she recognized him just by meeting his eyes.

He seemed surprised too, pausing for a moment. Then, he slowly walked towards Eleanor. She hadn’t realized it when he was almost lying down, but he was quite tall.

Eleanor naturally looked up at him. He looked at Eleanor’s face for a moment, then spoke slowly.

“…Thank you.”

Even in the dark night, his blue eyes seemed to shine. However, his face was still as disheveled as when she had seen him before.

Eleanor was flustered, having not expected him to come and express his thanks, and stared at him for a moment.

As if her gaze was awkward, he said.

“I used the cream well. Strangely, even when I was hit, it didn’t hurt.”

The rebellious look from before was gone. It seemed like he genuinely meant it, grateful for Eleanor’s help.

Eleanor felt a strange sensation at his words. At the moment she helped him, she had felt a slight regret, but looking back, it had been a good deed.

‘Was Mother right after all?’

Eleanor thought for a moment, then said to him.

“If you need any more Kikid cream, let me know. We still have a lot piled up at our mansion. By the way, you look much better now?”

“Thanks to you.”

He said, avoiding her gaze. She caught a glimpse of his earlobes turning red. It seemed he was wearing thin clothes for the cold weather.

“I’ll be going then.”

He lightly turned around, as if he had only come to say thank you. Eleanor thought of the sack filled with Kikid cream. That sack was still there. It showed no sign of diminishing. The more it didn’t, the more her mother’s nagging continued.

Eleanor unconsciously called out to him.

“Wait a moment!”

He turned around. Eleanor walked a little closer to him and said.

“Can you wait here for a moment? Don’t go anywhere, just wait for a little while.”

He nodded obediently. Fortunately, he didn’t seem busy at this hour. Eleanor quickly ran towards the iron gate. Then, she looked back once more to confirm. Fortunately, he seemed to be waiting for Eleanor.

With a lighter heart, Eleanor crossed the garden and practically ran into the mansion. As expected, a large sack was sturdily placed in the room. Eleanor picked up the sack full of Kikid cream and left the room.

Since it was a bit heavy, her steps naturally slowed compared to before. Yet, her heart felt strangely light.

Leaving the gate, Eleanor handed him the sack with a smile. He seemed to be slightly out of breath, perhaps from carrying it.

“Did you run?”

“Huh?”

As Eleanor asked, he shook his head with a faint smile. Then, looking at the sack, he said.

“This is…”

“Ah, we have a lot of this at home.”

Eleanor handed him the sack. He seemed hesitant but readily accepted it.

“We have too much, so I’m giving it to you. You don’t have to feel burdened.”

“…Thank you.”

He said with a faint smile. Eleanor hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“Go well. Let me know if you need more.”

He just smiled. Then he turned around.

Eleanor watched him walk away for a moment before entering the mansion. This time, she felt no faint regret, nor the thought that she had been meddling. She simply felt good, her heart light.

Eleanor felt she vaguely understood her mother’s words.

‘So, this is how it feels.’

It felt so rewarding and good to have been helpful to someone. Moreover, she hadn’t expected to hear thanks, which made it even more so. Eleanor entered her room with a happy heart.

But that was the last day. That good feeling, and her mother being well.

A few days later, someone stole the family necklace, and the Kikid cream business collapsed.

In the first place, her mother’s Kikid cream business was already on the verge of collapse. Her mother tried desperately to keep the business afloat, but the precarious venture failed.

As a consequence, all the remaining family fortune vanished. Perhaps because they had produced an excessive amount of Kikid cream, the investment in facilities was not insignificant.

Eleanor was suddenly left on the streets, and her mother, having lost everything, passed away.

Amidst this, merchants were scrambling to buy the family’s treasures at low prices. At that time, Eleanor thought that it was all because of the necklace.

It was said to be a necklace that had protected the family since ancient times as a symbol of luck and prosperity. When the necklace was present, her mother’s Kikid cream business, though precarious, had still managed to function.

But once the necklace disappeared, everything vanished like an illusion.

【 Tracking 】

Eleanor placed the old cream jar into a wooden box. Then, she returned it to its original spot and left his office.

As she left the mansion and walked down the street, her mind was a mess.

‘Is it really Dreid?’

Even recalling that moment, Eleanor couldn’t be sure. But the cream jar inside the wooden box was undoubtedly the same one from back then.

‘Why did he put it there?’

As if it were something truly precious. Just then, she heard the sound of a tram. Eleanor forgot her thoughts and walked quickly towards the tram.

When she arrived at the agency, a tall figure was standing there. He happened to see Eleanor and waved enthusiastically.

“Lady Eleanor!”

Eleanor sighed. It was Mackiv.

“Why so early in the morning?”

Before Eleanor could even mutter to herself, he ran over to her.

“Hello!”

“…Hello.”

Eleanor replied with a hint of reluctance.

“What brings you here so early?”

“I don’t sleep much in the mornings. And the magical artifact Pitty requested is almost designed.”

Mackiv held up a green magical artifact as if it were something to be proud of. The sound of the artifacts clinking against each other could be heard. He was truly a persistent seller of magical artifacts.

‘Carrying so many, and it’s not even heavy?’

Seeing the magical artifacts attached to his clothes, Mackiv beamed.

“Are you interested in any of these magical artifacts?”

At his words, Eleanor turned her head. Then, she quickly opened the door to the agency. Pitty didn’t seem to be here yet. Pitty always opened the agency door first, but today, she seemed to be late.

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