Elin's delicate nature was known to him. The emptiness might wound her upon her return.

Erick's face was an icy mask as he pressed, "Who decided to clear out Elin's room? Was it my father?"

His tone laced with ire, Erick turned to leave. "On the expansive Foster grounds, are we in such dire need of this one room?"

Annis, noting Erick's resolve to seek answers, called out, "Mr. Foster, Mr. Foster!"

Annis finally caught up to Erick, out of breath, and revealed, “Elin emptied the room herself."

Erick paused, stunned. "She did?"

"Yes," Annis confirmed, nodding. "She handed me a sum, her unspent allowance and savings from part-time work. Together we found a small home in the suburbs. She planned for a fresh start there, away from the Foster estate upon her return."

This revelation hit Erick unexpectedly. Elin had made a decisive move.

Purchasing her own place, she had cut ties with the Fosters definitively.

Confusion clouded Erick's thoughts. Elin hadn't appeared resentful before... Why would she. She had slipped away, leaving no words behind. It dawned on him that she sought distance not just from his family, but from him as well. Years of friendship dissipated in silence. Her departure was indeed merciless.

Erick's eyelids were heavy, his face etched with fatigue, devoid of any hint of wrath. Silently, without bidding Annis farewell, he turned and walked away.

Annis watched his retreating form, a pang of worry tightening in her chest. A thought struck her suddenly. Perhaps Elin's withdrawal from the Foster fold was for the best.

The seasons cycled, spring gave way to fall.

Erick buried himself in work, the days blurring in a flurry of activity.

Until a message from a representative from Uchaesau arrived, proposing a collaboration with the Foster family's shipping empire.

Uchaesau was far from Swynborough, and after calculating the costs, it became clear that this route was not profitable and was even likely to result in a loss. Historically, the Foster Group hadn't entertained the thought of venturing into the Uchaesau market.

Nonetheless, Erick agreed to a site visit, finding himself in Uchaesau's biting winter after a long journey.

The temperature plunged far beneath what Swynborough ever experienced.

The thought of Elin, always shivering away from the chill, choosing an academic life in such a frigid place puzzled Erick.

On his first day, after a succinct summit with the prospective allies and dismissing their social invitations, Erick set off to Elin's college.