120 Days of Contract Marriage - 15 - #Overseas 4) Let's be happy for a long, long time_

That same year, the Hanger family had a busy summer vacation. Elouise, who was pregnant with her second child and would soon be in her eighth month, was very tired. It was hot, but the people of the capital believed that it was virtuous to be socially active even when pregnant. However, Elouise was quite sensitive about her second childbirth in her old age, and her husband was the one who could put up iron bars around the Hen-O residence if she was in trouble.

Of course, Elise, being a cultured person, had a different suggestion to Marcus’s talk of surrounding the Hanger mansion with bars.

Um, how about spending the summer in Manet?

Manet, her hometown, was high and the Starwood mansion was surrounded by forest, so it was easy to spend the summer there. The only drawback was that the manor was a bit old, but that was not a big problem for Elouise, who had grown up there.

Marcus didn’t like the idea of her going the long way, but when he saw Juliette lounging in bed, happy to hear it was a Starwood mansion, he had to agree.

Their eldest son, Vincent, would be taken care of by a nanny in the capital, and Marcus believed it would be a light vacation.

However, the vacation trip turned out to be bigger than expected. Juliette, who was only waiting for the birth of her second baby, naturally followed him. Then Quincy caught up with her. Abigail laughed at the four-year-old’s strong will to protect her fiancé and asked if she could go with him. Elouise smiled and nodded.

“This is your chance to avenge your enemies in Verona, isn’t it?”

Marcus nodded his head at Elise’s words.

“Does Abigail have any enemies?”

Abigail smiled brightly .

“I caused Elise a lot of pain while I gave birth to Quincy!”

Marcus nodded.

“So you’re enemies.”

Abigail hadn’t had a chance to intervene with her eldest daughter, Vincent, since all of the Hunger family had come together to take care of him, but Abigail had long regretted that. Elise had to return the favor for taking care of her. Of course, Abigail didn’t have much trouble as the two servants and the other nanny went with her. Nonetheless, Abigail was eager.

Already there were seven adults and one child – of course there were mixed opinions about whether Juliette could play the role of an adult, but Elise insisted that she had to be seen as an adult since she was over twenty years old anyway. The three Gloriane sons were immediately attached to her. Gloria’s three sons followed their new cousin around, but they had to protect Juliette wherever she went.

Gloria always said that she wanted to have a girl as her fourth child, but she was afraid that she would have another son, so she never had one. Therefore, the three sons – Eric, Daniel and William – have always thought it would be nice to have a female sibling, and started to protect Juliet, who is older than them but acts like their youngest sister. What was interesting was that the three of them were engaged in a rather spirited defense of Juliette against Quincy.

Anyway, when Logan heard that even Gloriane’s three sons were going with her, his impression was simple.

“Isn’t this going to cause the collapse of the Stroud residence?”

Marcus replied.

“You have to go too.”

Logan, now the eighth adult in that vacation procession, despaired.

“Can’t I at least have the summer off?”

“Go ahead. I’ll even pay for your vacation.”

“I’ll be loyal to you.”

Logan’s words made Marcus look at him suspiciously.

“You do that on purpose every time, don’t you?”

Logan didn’t answer.

**

There were eight adults and four children. The nannies and servants had packed their bags and were busy taking care of William and Quincy. If fifteen-year-old Eric and thirteen-year-old Daniel hadn’t behaved so magnificently, they would have all been exhausted by the time they reached the manager.

Juliette was unusually quiet on the trip, but that was solely because of Logan. Logan had brought Juliet’s favorite snow confection from somewhere and promised to give her a snow confection for each book she sat quietly and looked at all three books on the train. Juliet nodded enthusiastically and, thanks to the candy canes, finished the three books in one day. Logan said it was a bonus, and offered her another bag of candy. Eric wiped Juliet’s hands, which were sticky from eating the candy that melted as soon as she picked it up.

When they got down to Manet, two ladder trucks were waiting for them. Abigail marveled at Logan for arranging the carriage before the group arrived.

“You really are one of the best secretaries I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

Elise smiled as she watched Logan greet her gracefully.

“Really, it’s Logan’s fault that my habits are so wrong. No matter how impossible it is, Logan will do it for me. I’m sure he would.”

“I’m honored.”

“When I was pregnant with Vincent, I had a hard time getting a hankering for gooseberries in the middle of winter. If Logan hadn’t helped me with the gooseberries back then, …..”

Marcus interrupted, looking frustrated.

Elle! I’m the one who brought you those gooseberries.

“But Logan let you know that those gooseberries are open in the Aiden’s greenhouse.”

Elise smiled and grabbed Marcus’ arm.

She kissed Marcus on the cheek and said, “Of course I think it’s rude and wonderful that you knocked on the Aiden’s door in the middle of the night. Marcus’s face immediately relaxed and he kissed her on the forehead.

In front of the small mannequin station, two stalls were crowded with mannequins. One of them, a lady who had gotten off the train, looked at Elouise with a surprised expression and gave her a good look. Elouise deliberately tried to ignore her, but when she was told that she was not Juliet, she ended up looking at her. As if she had been waiting for him, the lady looked at him and greeted him with a bright smile.

Well, well, well. Long time no see, Elise.

Hello, Mrs. Harris.

Mrs. Harris had only a son and had no great relationship with Elouise, but she was the most popular wife in the small Manet society. She was kind, but curious and interfered with people around her, and her reputation among women was divided. Even now, they probably took the trouble to look up Elouise and pretend not to know her. Mrs. Harris smiled, shook Elouise’s hand and shook it. It was a handshake greeting that later became popular among Mrs. Harris.

I’ve heard so many stories of people getting married and settling down in the capital! But I never thought I’d see them so happy in person! Oh, you’re pregnant?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

“Wow, congratulations! Who’s back there?

Marcus looked bent over, as if he’d been waiting.

“Marcus Hanger.”

“Oh my! You must be the husband I’ve heard so much about!”

Rumor… their eyes rolled back and forth. It was a word that deserved to be interpreted in many different ways. But Mrs. Harris let go of Elouise’s hand and laughed, as if to leave them no room for imagination.

“There was a saying, I think, about marrying so late and having a different fate. You two look great together! How did Maneje end up at ….?”

“I’m on vacation for a while. Things are a little better in Manet in the summer than in other places. …..”

I see! You’ll be glad to hear that. Well, how happy will you all be when you hear that Elouise is back? You mean how many wives and daughters Elouise has taught in this city? That’s right. If some days later the time ….”

“Excuse me, ma’am.”

Marcus interrupted her with a good-natured grin.

“Could you please let my dear wife and baby rest? They are exhausted from their long trip. You are correct, and if you could postpone your pleasantries for a few days, we would be deeply grateful.”

“Oh my! Look at me!”

Mrs. Harris’s face turned red at the polite greeting.

The usual thing to do would be to exchange a few more words of polite greeting, make some promises, and see her off on her way, but Marcus was direct in saying that she shouldn’t go through with it all.

He was from the capital, and his speech was not very sophisticated. But because he was direct, the effect was great. A type like Mrs. Harris had no knack for dealing with such talk. She lingered, but said that she had something to say to Elouise, and that she would be happy to drop by the mansion when she had time, and then left.

Abigail, who had been watching the scene from her carriage, clapped her hands.

“Well, Mr. Hanger, you’ve got nothing to lose, so that’s outrageous.”

He didn’t have a reputation to bow to, so he would be sure to decline. William and Quincy looked through the window.

“What’s an infinite challenge?”

“An infinite challenge?”

Abigail laughed.

“It’s a guy who looks like a hanger-on.”

Quincy nodded his head.

“Then I’ll do the infinite challenge too!”

Abigail’s expression stiffened a bit. Elise laughed at her expression.

**.

The closer they got to the Starwood mansion, the faster Elise’s steps became. After all, she hadn’t been to the Starwood mansion many times before. Her time as mistress of House Hanger was filled not only with happiness, but with a series of things she had never done before. Looking at the books, managing the Hanger mansion, using people… things she would learn later that would have remained with her since she was a teenager if she had married into an aristocratic family long ago, and Elouise had never been able to set foot in Starwood Manor.

“Elouise, let’s walk slowly. I couldn’t run my legs at home.”

As if sensing Elouise’s joy, Marcus smiled and took her hand in his. Marcus caught her when she almost fell because a pebble caught the tip of her foot. Eric, who was following behind him, was surprised and helped Elise to calm down.

As they walked along the forest path for a while, a large, old mansion gradually appeared among the trees. Eric opened his mouth involuntarily. The second, Daniel, whispered to Juliette with a twinkle in his eye.

“Sister, how long has the mansion been here?”

Juliette blinked and smiled.

“Grandfather!”

“You’re a grandfather.”

Quincy, who was holding Juliet’s hand, asked. William, who was a little older than Quincy, added in a pompous manner.

“It means the house is very old!”

It looked old-fashioned, like it was at least a hundred years old.

“Isn’t it supposed to be haunted?”

Logan replied to Eric’s words.

“The inside was repaired a few years ago and is very calm.”

He was right. The Starwood mansion, with the wind blowing through the gaps in the stone, was no more. No matter what the children said behind him, Elouise was happy to enter the room. The two janitors of the Hanger family, who had been waiting for the group to arrive, came out of the mansion to greet them.

The front yard of the Starwood mansion was originally too embarrassing to be called a garden, but after many years of caretaking, it had turned into a rather spectacular meadow.

Of course, it was no more or less than a patch of grass, but Elouise didn’t want anything more.

“The front of the house has been wide open since I was a child. It’s better this way, I’m used to it.”

Laughing at his own lack of talent in tending the garden, Marcus didn’t dare ask him to build a mansion either.

Dinner, held in the front yard, was a busy, noisy, and selfless affair. “It’s a nice day, and the breeze is cool, so why don’t we eat in the garden?” Abigail said, to which Marcus replied, “Good idea. The janitors said, “We’ve been seeing some suspicious characters around the mansion lately. …. Els hesitated a little, but Marcus hugged her shoulder and laughed.

“If anyone suspicious shows up, Elise. Of course I’ll be the first to come out and protect you, but maybe those brave kids will probably get rid of everyone before I do.”

Elouise laughed as Marcus pointed at the landscape. William, Daniel, and Quincy were chasing each other around with wooden swords, while Eric, the oldest, stood in the way. It seemed to have been made from a tree in the woods behind the Starwood mansion.

After the meal, while the maid and the janitor were clearing the table, Juliet looked into the well beside the garden and shouted, “Ah! She looked into the well and shouted, “Ah! It was Juliette’s favorite thing to look into the well and listen to the loud noise. The well was full of water, which she would have prevented before, but it was well maintained.

“Ah!”

Juliette shouted briefly again . She didn’t like the way the sound was cut off by the cold water at the bottom. It was Eric who took Juliet’s waist as she stood tall.

“Watch out, sister.”

“You’re in danger too, little one.”

And then Logan walked right by and grabbed them both by the neck. Eric’s face turned red as he grabbed Juliet, who was taller than him, by the waist and was about to run away.

“It’s not dangerous!”

“I see. Sorry.”

Elise sat with her chin on the floor, looking up at Marcus and whispering.

“What if Gloria hates me later?”

“Why not? Oh, it’s Eric’s fault, isn’t it?”

Eric frowned at Logan as he walked past him, and Marcus immediately laughed as if he’d caught Eric’s attention.

“Maybe my sister will hang Eric upside down before she hates you or Juliette. But Juliette doesn’t seem to care about Eric at all, so I wouldn’t worry about that.”

“I hear you, Uncle!” But that’s not true!”

Eric whistled under his breath. Marcus smiled and waved at Eric. Elise was holding the brim of her hat and asked, “Should I take it off for dinner?”

“Elle. Elle will be very beautiful with and without the hat. You need to warm yourself up. I still haven’t forgotten how you struggled with a cold the other day.

So Marcus put Elouise’s hat on her. Abigail, who was drinking tea next to him, was delighted and added, “Wearing a hat is very helpful for your body temperature! She added.

“Do they teach you that in college?”

Abigail smiled at the question, which she had asked without thinking, and recounted a story about a colleague in college who had studied heat loss from the head. I didn’t know some people studied that. Elise and Marcus were in the middle of listening to Abigail’s story with interest.

“He’s weird!”

William shouted and ran towards the forest. The three adults rolled their eyes and Marcus woke up the next moment, but Daniel was the first to run after William and shouted loudly.

“Idiot! That’s a gray summer rabbit!”

The three adults laughed at his words and took their seats.

“Suspicious person… by the way, didn’t the janitor mention something like that earlier?”

“Yeah . But, well… our house is at the entrance to Mane no Minami.”

Elise picked up a cookie and ate it.

“There are many ways to get to Mane, but those coming from the south will see our house at least once. People on wagons and horses will pass by, but people on the road may come to get water to drink.”

“That’s true. Did you see this often?”

<<"Yes. When I used to live with Juliet, it happened sometimes. The iron gates where I used to live were rusty due to poor maintenance, so most people would pass by thinking it was an empty house, but people in urgent need would shake the gates. Then Juliette would run and try to open the door, and I would scramble after her."

He was an unguarded child, but luckily most of the travelers gave Juliette water and hurried on. Marcus's face grew serious .

"What if it's bad luck?"

"There were no such cases."

"The Manes who came knew that it was just the two women in the house, didn't they?"

Elouise smiled at Abigail's question.

The Lai Maneans also knew that since it was only two women in the house, there was nothing to steal or rob.

But it was a lucky thing, really. Marcus wrinkled his forehead and emphasized that there were people who wanted even a rusty spoon from someone's house. Incidentally, the house was now a place where things could be stolen. Elouise said proudly.

"But you're already here, aren't you?"

Marcus's face immediately flushed as he heard Abigail say, "Oh my God! You put me in front of someone who doesn't have a husband. He laughed.

Marcus stuck out his chest and said, "Okay. I say come whoever you want. Any mugger, thief, or legendary dragon on the street, I will defeat them all! I'll even protect Abigail without her husband." He ended up getting punched in the arm by Abigail.

***

The next few days at Starwood Manor passed without incident. The children spent all day playing in the woods near the mansion. Juliet was the leader of the children for the most part, but Eric and the other four boys inevitably began to suspect that they were being protected by Juliet instead of protecting her.

That was because Juliet knew the geography of the area and would grab the children by the neck whenever they fell or went into danger.

Elouise was invited to the tea party of Madame Manet and her friends several times.

What Mrs. Vicena wanted to hear most was that they were ashamed of their prestige in the capital. It had been many years ago, but since Manet was a small city, the topics of conversation did not change much, and the old lady who had ignored Manet, saying it was in the country, seemed to secretly hate Elouise because she continued to ignore Manet even after Elouise had gone to Cliff. Therefore, it was only natural that everyone filed a complaint against the old lady who had been kicked out by the queen for saying terrible things to Elouise again.

Some people wanted Elouise to be my daughters' Shafron, but Elouise politely refused, making excuses for her children. But Elouise politely refused, making excuses for her children. Her words that she might be ridiculed if she became a Shafron because her husband was of Chinese origin also had an effect. The maids of honor agreed with her words, but tried their best to please Elouise, the queen's favorite. Elouise did her best to hide her smirk.

Of course, there were many ladies who genuinely congratulated Elouise on her marriage and birth. This was because half of Manet's most ardent wives had been trained by Elouise before their marriage.

And at the tea party, Elouise received an unexpected proposal.

Someone would like to buy the Starwood estate.

It was dinner time. They were having a quiet dinner in their bedroom with the windows open, enjoying the summer breeze. The children had played all day and all night, but now they seemed to be making noise in that room. Marcus poured himself a glass of brandy and turned his head away from Elise's story.

He finally lifted the cork when Elize, who was sitting on the couch, pointed out "Jean". However, the cup was already filled to the brim with brandy. When Marcus lifted the glass to show him, Elouise shook her head with a stern expression. Marcus had been drinking too much lately, and she'd become a much tougher tea.

"No, you can't."

"Oops."

Marcus sadly opened the window and chased more than half of the brandy out. He heard the sound of the liquor clattering against the grass outside the wall. Brandy nodded to a single finger, and Marcus laughed and sat down next to Elise.

Finished preparing for sleep, Elise sat leaning back on the couch and lay leaning against Marcus' chest. Marcus leaned Elouise's head between his chest and right arm and carried a glass in his left hand. It was a posture that was all too familiar to the couple.

Elouise looked up at him and continued speaking.

"The janitor said it was suspicious, like someone who came to look at the house. Why did you even tell me that there were people who went to ask the janitor which house belonged to which family? Mrs. Harris said that she met an old gentleman while she was walking around here the other day. He said he wanted to buy the house."

"I see."

"But Manet has no one to communicate with me on a regular basis…" The old man's shoulders slumped at the mention of the mansion's owner not coming. Mrs. Harris regretted that if she had known that I would come so soon, she should have asked who it was.

She confided that that was exactly what she had said to Elize at the TrainStation when she had said she had something to tell her. She continued with Marcus in her arms.

"Anyway, I told him I didn't have much of an interest in selling this house. …. The wives were all saying that the house needed to be lived in."

Marcus chuckled and ruffled her bangs.

"Would you like me to come and live at Starwood Manor?"

But not in the sense that Elise meant what she said, she denied it negatively.

"No! How much is there to do every day in your capital?"

"My father's return."

"How filial are you going to be?"

Elise frowned and held Marcus' nose wickedly. Marcus chuckled.

"You can let go of the beginning for a few years. My house isn't just a place for me and my father to go back to. If I had, I wouldn't have gone to Cliff's to see you before I turned thirty in my life."

With that, he kissed Elouise on the forehead and continued speaking again.

"You're worried about Juliette. The Duchess of Verona is there, but ….."

"I don't think I'll ever leave Juliette in her hands completely!"

Elouise's eyes widened in disbelief . Marcus chuckled.

He knew that she'd had her heart set on Yvonnea Bellona for quite a few years now. The right word was the right word, and if it hadn't been for Yvonneau, Juliette would not have become the artist she was today.

The World Exposition held under the king's leadership had been successfully held a few years ago, and afterwards, foreign aristocrats who were fascinated by the beautiful exposition site asked Juliet to design their villas and mansions. It was only natural that Juliet became famous in an instant. Since Juliette was not doing anything she didn't want to do, Elouise thought Juliette would not be able to keep the job for long, but Yvonor disagreed.

"Anything that can be bought by one person, by anyone, is not popular.

Is he really the heir of the Hunger family? "Juliette's name, with its value of scarcity, has gone up in price without ceasing. Now the King walked around everywhere pretending that he had discovered Juliet.

The capital was a hundred times better for Juliet to keep working. Elouise wanted Juliet to be able to continue working at a job she loved. She couldn't believe how peaceful everyone's heart was compared to a few years ago when the girl had hoped to meet a good man and get married.

"It would still be better to stay in the capital…"

"Well, let's think about it . I understand the attachment you have to Starwood Manor. You can come and go as you do now, like a vacation home, or you can think of it as a place to live when you grow old."

Marcus handed the glass to Elouise, who placed it on the small table in front of the couch. As he reconsidered her, Elouise leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for everything . But I still think it's better to sell when there's someone who wants to buy. This used to be the only place for me. …." I guess it's over."

"Because the Hunger House in the capital is also your house?"

"No, I don't know what you're talking about."

Elouise blinked shyly and whispered to him.

"I don't care where I am, as long as it's with you."

"Ah! Elouise!"

Marcus laughed, his forehead wrinkling in pain.

"Really, if it weren't for this guy, I'd have gone right to bed with you!"

Marcus rubbed his forehead against Elouise's swollen belly. Elouise burst out laughing.

Just then, she heard the storm door slam. Marcus could feel that Elouise was startled. He immediately noticed that she was uneasy.

"El?"

The sound of the wind was distinct . But Elouise stood up, staring at the window, then gently moved closer to it to look out. Marcus approached her with a curious expression and asked, "Why?" Elise replied, "No. I was wondering if there was someone outside…" she shook her head. Marcus whispered to her mischievously.

"You were scared when the janitor said it was a prowler, but what if you went right to the window just because you heard a strange noise? If there really is a homeless person out there, you'll be the first one in danger."

"But Marcus, you'll be protected."

Elouise whispered and Marcus clucked in reply. Elouise kissed him lightly on the nose, lips and forehead and whispered.

Of course, considering what happened when the big bug flew in between, she wondered if that would ever happen.

Marcus thought about it for a moment, and then quickly realized what she meant.

Bugs always startled him because of the big moth that covered his face when he was a kid.

"Yeah, Logan was the one who protected me from the bugs back then."

But a human can't be beat!

Elise laughed as she held Marcus' nose with her index finger. She didn't doubt that her husband would protect her, but at times like this, she felt really pretty, more like she should be the one protecting him.

Speaking of which, I haven't seen Logan today. Where did he go?".

"Logan would have been with Juliette. Juliette's been holding Logan down all afternoon, tormenting him to read his book. So did the boy. Why would she ask him to read again a book he finished when he was ten?"

Elouise murmured, opening the cardigan she wore. The night was chilly, even in the middle of summer. Marcus smiled and let her know that Juliet hadn't given up on L'Heureux yet. Elise stood up, laughing easily. He was trying to protect Juliet's bed.

Juliet still acted like a child in front of Elouise, but Elouise liked to take care of Juliet's bed.

Marcus was also happy to escort her. Her stomach grew heavy and Elouise struggled to walk on her own. The hallways of the Starwood mansion were lit with candles and a bright light illuminated their path. From the ceiling came the faint sound of laughter as Quincy and William ran about. Elise giggled as she looked at the ceiling. There was a clattering sound as they walked on the stone floor.

"The other day, when you came back to the house."

"Yes."

"While we were eating dinner in the grass in front of the mansion, I seemed to be dreaming. There was a time when the mansion was completely empty."

Marcus walked closely to her. Elouise spoke to him in a low voice.

There was a time when not even Juliette was with me. After my sister ran away with my brother, I lived alone in this mansion for a year or two… I woke up in the morning, cleaned up my room, ate only two meals a day, cleaned up the mansion, went to the village to do chores, came back and looked at the floor again… I had many hard days, but the hardest was But the hardest part was that I was the only one in this big house."

The mansion was small, but it seemed too big to Elouise at the time.

However, it was not the amount of work that bothered Elouise.

The darkness of the ceiling held her down heavily as she laid her weary body down on the bed after her day's routine. She had always hoped that Starwood Manor would be filled with people laughing at her.

"It filled my heart to see Juliette and the children running around laughing that day, and you and Abigail sipping tea by my side. It was as if all the scenes I had dreamed of had come true."

"Did it?"

"Marcus, actually the reason I saw the windows earlier was because I was sure my father was coming home."

Elise looked up at Marcus. She felt his gentle green eyes warm her heart. She tried to smile as she continued to speak.

"That day, when Eric asked you the year of the mansion, you said Juliette was your grandfather. That's when I suddenly felt down. I felt as if Juliette was looking at my father and calling him, even though I knew she wasn't."

"Elle."

The children's words, such as the grey summer rabbit, could possibly have been misinterpreted by their father's grey hair. ….."

Marcus slowly took her by the shoulders. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

"It's really funny . I haven't thought about my father all the time for over ten years. …. Sometimes I really forget I even had a father. When that happens, I think of my father."

"Of course. It's natural to want to see him."

The man embraced her with a wistful thought.

"I'll go over the whole kingdom again. We'll release people abroad as well."

But Elouise shook her head.

"Don't say that. He thought before this that maybe it would be better if we never heard from my father again.

"Before" was right after he and she got married. For about a year after that, Marcus put down the money for the hanger and searched for Elise's father. But there was no luck. Elouise tightened her cardigan and whispered.

"Juliet is waiting for you. Go quickly."

"Elise."

But Marcus held her back. Elouise stared up at him, and Marcus held her close and whispered in her ear.

I'll make sure your father comes home before the second child is born.

"And you, not at all."

Elouise gave a small laugh.

"I'll be fine. So don't be too hard on yourself for making such a promise."

"No, Elouise."

Marcus spoke with effort.

When my father was holding William, I saw the way you looked at my father as you held Vincent.

At the time of his birth, three-year-old William had been jealous.

When Archibald took care of Vincent, William, the youngest of Dobias' children, who had been the sole recipient of Archibald's love, became jealous. Since Vincent was an unknowing baby, the nannies would set him up, and Archibald would mainly hold William so that he could nurse him.

Sometimes Elouise would stare at William as he laughed and hugged Archibald's neck while she took care of Vincent. Perhaps he guessed what my father would have thought of his grandson. Marcus was completely unaware of such a look from Elise.

"It's your family, isn't it? I'll be sure to visit."

"Yes, that's right!"

Elouise smiled at his words, accusing him with a growl.

"You're my family, too!"

"But…"

"But what?"

"But…" "But whatever," Elouise said, her voice lisping as she scolded Juliet. Marcus wasn't afraid to scare the kid, but he gave her a scary look. Elise smiled at him.

"I really think you're enough. So don't worry too much. Do you understand?"

Instead of replying, Marcus stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. Elise kissed him as well and quickly made her way towards Juliet's room.

**.

The next morning, Elouise left the house to look into the specifics of who would be buying the house.

"After all, let's not make fun of the house for nothing. The cost of having a janitor is low. But it's a serious expense!"

Marcus followed her sullenly. But there was no harvest. Mrs. Harris hadn't been told exactly what the old gentleman did. We also stopped by a former seller who only dealt in mansions in the city, but the seller shook his head.

If it's Mrs. Hanger's house, we haven't heard anything about it.

Marcus wanted to stop her, but he had good news. He'd come back with her, saying, look, don't sell the house, whatever it takes.

Of course, he still bought plenty of snacks for the children. There weren't countless delicate and varied treats, but I could clearly hear the joyful shouts of the children when they saw the carriage full of treats, breads, cookies, chocolates, etc.

It was almost time to arrive at the mansion. Elouise raised her eyebrows. The carriage they rode in was a typical Southern-style carriage, supported by two horses, but it was a summer carriage with wide sides and no roof, so they could see the surroundings clearly.

So it was only natural that Elouise's gaze would have a clear view of Juliet and Quincy standing in front of the entrance to the mansion. Of course, if only the two children had been standing there, Elouise would have had no reason to frown. At first glance, Juliet and Quincy were holding each other's hands and saying something to each other in front of a strange man.

The stranger was dressed up, but he was wearing a hat in the middle of summer. Looking at the gray hair under the hat, he looked like an old man.

"Who is this?"

"Yes, sir. Let's make the carriage go faster."

Marcus, who was standing next to her, also wondered and swung his horse whip lightly. The horses picked up speed and the carriage gradually drew closer to the mansion.

At that moment, Elouise opened her eyes wide. He saw an unbelievable sight.

The old gentleman, hearing the sound of the carriage, turned away, but the sun was behind the shrine, and his face was hidden behind his hat, so that he could not see clearly. However, Elouise had a feeling that she knew who the man was. She gripped Marcus' arm tightly and he whispered to her.

"I don't know who it is, but if you're scared, I'll go first. Elle, don't be scared."

"No, I'm not scared. So, this is ….."

The gates of the palace drew closer and closer, and Marcus glanced back at her, puzzled. He thought she was frowning, but her face was full of joy and surprise.

Eventually the carriage stopped and it was time for Marcus to settle the horses. Elise didn't wait for Marcus to escort her, but jumped out of the carriage in a flash, almost in her last month. Marcus shouted loudly.

"Elle! Please be careful!"

But unusually, she did not respond to Marcus' words.

Instead, she ran toward the old gentleman, clutching her stomach hastily. Marcus was so startled that he jumped down from the carriage and extended his hand towards her, but Elise was already running right in front of the old gentleman.

The next moment, to his surprise, Elise hung by the old gentleman's neck and began to whimper.

"Father…"

The old gentleman looked down at her as she hung on me hurriedly, as if he had forgotten what to do with his hands. Elise cried out loudly.

"Father!"

At that moment, the old gentleman's hat fell off.

Marcus could see the beautiful blue eyes hidden behind the hat. Eyes that had once been the color of the woman he loved most, though age had clouded them to a dove hue.

And when he looked into those eyes, Marcus realized that everything was finally back in place. The old gentleman was at a loss, but then he grunted and said.

"Elouise…?"

At that word, Elouise almost began to weep. Juliette, standing nearby, squealed, "Aunt!" She squealed. Quincy was startled and hugged Juliet's arm.

Marcus hurried up behind her and helped her up.

His eyes naturally met those of the old gentleman who was holding her. The old man's eyes held a question in the midst of his confusion. How can my daughter be so full and who are you?

Marcus was momentarily confused. He wondered if he should leave the shrine or introduce himself as "your son-in-law" to the woman who was now crying in front of his arms. ….

And he still didn't know what to call the man. Do I have to call him Mr. Starwood? Or father? But he hadn't even introduced himself as his daughter-in-law?

A moment, a billion moments, passed between their gazes.

Elouise, as usual, gave him the most outstanding answer to his troubled position. He suddenly withdrew his hand and sat down on the floor .

"Whoa!"

Marcus sat down in front of her with double the astonishment.

If it hadn't been for Marcus, Elise would have fallen straight to the ground on her backside.

"Elise, are you all right?

"My stomach…"

"What?"

Elise shouted, trying to bark.

"My tummy hurts!

"Whoa!"

Marcus hugged her and patted Elouise's swollen belly.

Where does it hurt and why?

Elouise took a few field breaths, frowned at her forehead, which was covered in cold sweat, and said in a croaky voice.

"I think it's coming out ……"

"…What?"

"Baby."

No way! It's only been eight months!

But as if to mock Marcus' thoughts, a hot sensation spread across his thighs. Marcus felt her dress and my leg and realized. My water had broken.

"Ohhhh…"

Elise was breathing now.

He turned pale, but screamed above his head as quickly as he could.

"Father! I'm sorry we haven't met before, but I need a little help!"

Only then did the old gentleman, who had been staring blankly at them, reach out his hand hurriedly. Marcus shouted for Quincy to hurry into the mansion and fetch the servants and Abigail.

Juliette rushed into the mansion before Quincy could.

"Logan! Abigail!"

So the clever girl knew exactly who would be helping them most effectively at this moment, and she had never really forgotten Logan's name.

Marcus hugged Elouise along with the old gentleman. Elise's face was pale, but she immediately looked at the old gentleman propping her up on the other side to hold her, and smiled just a little through her sweaty face.

"I can't believe it…"."

It was a beautiful summer day. It was also the day the second woman Marcus loved in the world was born.

**

"I came out so early?"

A girl with neatly braided brown hair nodded her head. A gray-haired old man holding a baby answered with a laugh.

"Yes, I did. I've heard the word 'skilled' used so often, I really didn't think my granddaughter was skilled."

"What's an Hassaku-bou?"

"So…"

The old man explained for a moment about the word the children called him, which hadn't come up in eight months, "I know you all think we don't do enough push-ups, but we Elizabeths definitely don't!" She added. The girl listened to the old man as he shook his leg, then asked again.

"What did your grandfather do that he didn't come to see your mother right away?"

The old man chuckled.

"I won't answer that because it would make this old man talk bad about your father. But. No one would have thought that the Starwood mansion I've lived in all my life would be called the Hanger mansion after all these years! My grandfather tripped and thought the mansion had been sold to someone without his knowledge. ….."

"Did you cry?"

The child asked innocently The old man looked down at the child with envy and a big smile on his face

"I cried so much!"

How much is it?

"That's a secret. Do you see that well?"

The old man pointed to a well in the mansion. The child's cousin was peering into it, and it was the kind of well that would get a pat on the back from the child's mother. Elizabeth nodded.

"Yes!"

"That well water is all Grandpa's tears."

"No!"

The girl covered her mouth with her hands.

"It's true!"

The old man opened his eyes and deliberately acted as if it were real. That's when it happened. A girl with blond hair tied up in a neat bun suddenly jumped out and said, "No way!" She was the girl's cousin. It was the girl's cousin.

"Juliet, do you think Grandpa's lying?"

No! Grandpa's tears are salty! But well water is not!

To which the girl replied, "Well…"? The girl rolled her eyes and looked up at the old man. The old man cleared his throat and suddenly got up, leaving the girl to go to the house.

"Grandpa, you're a liar! Liar!"

Juliette shouted behind him as she sang and smiled at the girl's hand as she gently squeezed his own. The two girls joined hands and followed their grandfather into the mansion.

"Juliet! Wash Elizabeth and Vincent's hands for me!"

Came the voice of the woman the two girls loved so much.

Dinner will be ready soon.