9
Your Ryan
<Episode 9>
Dinner proceeded in a convivial atmosphere.
The dishes Emily brought out were perfect, and Sir Burton, in high spirits, found a newly opened wine that paired wonderfully with the meal.
Above all, what made the dinner enjoyable was Thornton's stories.
Objectively, he could never be called a talkative person. He was more talented at listening to others than speaking himself.
When Sir Burton told stories about the history of Blissbury and the artwork within, he chimed in or admired with the appropriate attitude.
And as if to prove that he wasn't just idly listening, he would occasionally ask questions.
None of them were pointless. As if he wasn't just visiting, he asked questions about things that the new manager of Blissbury should know.
Sir Burton and Mrs. Serverton were very pleased with his attitude.
In fact, they had been anxious about the new manager.
Blissbury wasn't just a money-making mansion for the Serverton family. After managing the pride of Feltham for so long, they had grown fond of it as if it were their own home.
If a new manager came and cleared out all the beautiful old things in the mansion, saying they were going to change it according to recent trends, how could they soothe their disappointment?
But after observing him during the meal, Thornton was someone who tried to preserve tradition as much as they did, and certainly not someone who would bring in new things indiscriminately.
The dinner with Sir Burton and Mrs. Serverton, Eloise, and Pastor Harrison and Mrs. Harrison from the village church was filled with stories about the single topic of Blissbury.
After everyone had neatly eaten the perfectly grilled lamb chops that Emily had prepared, almond pudding came out, followed by marmalade pancakes.
The conversation blossomed even more with Emily's cooking, which she had put more effort into than usual.
The only person out of place at this perfect dinner was Eloise.
Normally, she would have ignored her mother's sharp gaze, which told her that a lady shouldn't eat so much, and nonchalantly picked up another lamb chop.
But today, Eloise had eaten almost nothing, like a monk preparing for asceticism.
'When will this end?'
She was realizing for the first time that dinner, which she always looked forward to with joy, could be such an uncomfortable occasion.
Pretending to cut the already cold lamb chop, Eloise looked at Thornton, who was sitting next to her father.
'He's so brazen.'
The man who had threatened her when they were alone was acting like the perfect gentleman in front of everyone.
The piece of lamb chop she had barely swallowed felt like it was coming back up her throat at his duplicitous behavior.
Fortunately, no one noticed Eloise's condition because everyone was talking about Blissbury.
The meal ended with pancakes. Now, people moved to the living room.
Sir Burton, who was very pleased with the new manager, opened another bottle of wine he had been saving, and the conversation continued amidst laughter.
'Should I go up now?'
Mrs. Serverton had said countless times that a lady should quietly excuse herself at an appropriate time and get a good night's sleep for tomorrow.
Of course, Eloise had never listened to her mother's advice.
But today, she was thinking of listening to her mother for the first time.
Still, she couldn't miss out on the wine, so she drank what was in her glass in one gulp, and was about to say that she would go up now.
"Come to think of it, Thornton was in the same battalion as the famous Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave."
Eloise's movements stopped at Sir Burton's words.
When the letter about the new manager first arrived, Eloise was most interested in that point.
But since she had been caught with the Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave's face superimposed on the naked man, she could no longer ask Thornton about him.
Otherwise... it was obvious what kind of looks she would get.
Eloise quickly sat down on a single sofa in the corner. Even if she couldn't ask, she could still listen to the conversation.
"I was wondering about that. I heard you were in the same 57th Infantry Battalion? Then Thornton must have seen Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave often."
Pastor Harrison's eyes lit up at the story of the war hero. Then Mrs. Harrison waved her hand.
"Oh, why do men like war stories so much? It just ended, why bring it up again?"
Perhaps because she had lost her brother in the war, Mrs. Harrison didn't seem to welcome war stories.
"But Albion won."
Pastor Harrison grabbed his wife's arm as if telling her to be quiet, then smiled at Thornton.
"If Thornton doesn't mind, I'd like to hear more about the heroic achievements of the 57th Infantry Battalion."
He gave a wry smile at Pastor Harrison's suggestion.
"To be honest, it's not a very interesting story to listen to. Soldiers spend a hundred days marching here and there for one battle. The heroic moments you all want are actually only a few days out of the year."
"Nevertheless, you made a miracle."
Pastor Harrison didn't give up easily, and took an attitude that he wanted to hear anything.
Eloise cheered for Pastor Harrison in her heart.
'I want to hear other stories about the Lieutenant Colonel.'
The stories about Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave that she had heard in the past through newspapers were all amazing.
That he had deciphered the enemy's code and caught a spy to save the prince's life, or that he had run alone through a battlefield filled with bullets to save isolated comrades, or that he was called the ghost of the battlefield for quickly moving the infantry battalion with his genius tactics.
But what Eloise wanted to hear were things that were a little more modest than that.
How he usually spent time with his colleagues around him, what kind of books he liked if he had any, or even what his favorite food was.
She knew that it was rude to be interested in the personal matters of someone she had never even met. But she couldn't suppress her curiosity.
Eloise pricked up her ears, hoping to hear another side of Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave that she didn't know.
But surprisingly, Thornton didn't say much.
Rather, Sir Burton and Pastor Harrison talked about the stories they had seen in the newspapers, and he just chimed in appropriately.
But those who were already pleasantly drunk didn't seem to notice that fact.
Eloise, sitting in the corner, was getting impatient. The men's conversation completely missed what she was most curious about.
'Oh, God. I want to know at least what kind of dessert he likes. If not, which does he prefer, blue ink or black ink!'
Eloise desperately sought God, thinking that she should go to church and pray hard this weekend.
Then, Mrs. Harrison, who was a little upset that the war stories kept coming up against her will, opened her mouth.
"After all, weren't we all played by that coward, Lieutenant Colonel Ryan?"
"Honey."
Pastor Harrison, who was excitedly talking, stopped his wife. But that alone couldn't shut the mouth of the already sulky wife.
"I heard that there is an opinion in the Sanctions Committee that his medal should be revoked because of the retreat in the Ingon Battle. Thornton, you were with him in that battle, weren't you? What do you think? Prominent figures say that Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave's retreat was too fast. Of course, I understand. He wouldn't be afraid of death."
It was clear that Mrs. Harrison had an unfavorable feeling towards Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.
Otherwise, Mrs. Harrison, who was known for being gentle, wouldn't have shown such animosity.
"The soldiers of other units held out until the end..."
Mrs. Harrison, who had said that far, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
'Mrs. Harrison can't help it.'
The 57th Infantry Battalion escaped from the Ingon Battle without much damage, but the unit her brother was in unfortunately did not have the same luck.
In the end, her brother lost his life in that battle.
Mrs. Harrison was old, so her brother wasn't a young man, but you can't determine the value of a life by age.
Eloise thought that anyone would want to blame someone in the face of a family member's death, but that direction was wrong.
So she turned her head slightly and looked at Thornton.
Now that the night was quite deep, the candles lit throughout the living room along with the fireplace flickered and illuminated his face.
The face with deep shadows changed its expression each time the candle flickered.
It looked expressionless, and it also looked terribly sad.
Looking at his face, Eloise clenched her hands tightly. She hoped that he would break this silence and take the side of his superior.
It was only natural.
He, too, was someone who had survived thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave's wise judgment.
Eloise wasn't the only one thinking that.
Pastor Harrison, who had been silent for a moment at his wife's words, and Sir Burton and Mrs. Serverton were all looking at Thornton.
He felt the gaze towards him, put down his glass, and opened his mouth.
Everyone thought that from now on, he would start his defense on behalf of Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave. But...
"Mrs. Harrison is right. I also think that Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave's actions in the Ingon Battle deserve to be criticized."
He assessed Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave's actions in a voice so cold that even Mrs. Harrison was surprised.
Silence fell in the living room. But Thornton didn't care and continued to speak.
"I just feel sorry for those who praised him as a hero. He is a vile human being who threw away patriotism and moved for his own life."
It was when no one could open their mouths at the scathing criticism.
"I don't agree with that opinion."
Eloise's voice, as cold as Thornton's, echoed in the living room.
