Chapter 30

If she met her now, just like Ian warned, she would end up a puppet dancing to Lisette’s strings.

She had no intention of letting that happen.

Asla decided to fill her soul—once pure and white like the robes of the Holy Kingdom—with more worldly things.  

That evening, she returned from dining with May at a restaurant in the capital, and together they arranged the delivered roses into vases.

Asla and May had grown noticeably closer.  

May was cheerful and worldly, and Asla, who had hardly formed positive relationships with anyone not related to the divine, was genuinely pleased by their bond.

“You saw the shopping district earlier, right?” May said as she trimmed a rose. “Across the street is the financial district, and they say it’s expanded massively over the past two years.”

“How much?”

Asla asked as she trimmed the white roses, just as May had taught her.  

May sighed, watching the elegant hands carefully snipping stems at a diagonal.  

She had tried to dissuade her earlier, but Asla insisted on learning herself.  

Hoping her mistress would get bored quickly, May replied, “More than double. One of the streets is basically all Ventus Company buildings now. This hotel is nothing compared to that.”

“That’s… quite something.”

“Quite something? People say the Duke’s wealth could overturn the world several times over.”

“Oh my.”

“There’s even a rumor the gods would kneel before him,” May added, laughing at the absurdity.

Asla silently stared at her, then returned her gaze to the rose in her hand.  

She pretended to be focused on trimming, but her thoughts drifted.

So… even the gods would kneel.  

Just how much has the world changed?

She, the embodiment of the old order.  

With Enoch Ventus, standing at the very center of this changing world.  

What a strange combination they made.

At that moment, the door creaked open, and she turned.

“…Did I really send this many?”

Enoch stepped into the room, his movements smooth and decisive, scanning the space now overflowing with roses and letting out a groan.

Asla couldn’t take her eyes off him—it was the first time she’d seen him since the day before.  

May gave a respectful bow and quietly slipped out, leaving them alone.

“I barely managed to shake them off,” Enoch muttered as he approached.

“I didn’t say anything,” Asla replied, amused.

Seeing him act a little sheepish made her chuckle softly.  

Then Enoch, with a casual air, took her hand—the one holding a white rose—and lifted it gently.

“Did anything happen while I was gone?”

When Enoch asked seriously, Asla paused briefly before replying.

“Not at all.”

“Then why the hesitation?”

She averted her eyes from his sharp gaze.

“I hardly ever went outside while staying at the Great Temple in the capital, but… I was surprised by how much the city has developed.”

“…That’s true. Things have changed rapidly in the past few years.”

“And the one leading those changes is Duke Enoch Ventus.”

“Now you’re finally showing interest in my work.”

Enoch puffed his chest with pride.

Asla’s feelings as she looked at him were complicated.  

According to Robert’s words yesterday, Enoch had coped with the pain of losing his family by throwing himself into earning money.  

The growth of his wealth—couldn’t that also be proof of the depth of his grief and anxiety?

She’d always thought of him as a naturally gifted businessman.  

But now her heart quietly ached .

What was family, really?

Gloria’s lonely face flickered in her mind.  

So did the face of her father—Walter Sherita, the last king of the Holy Kingdom—who had died alone in the royal palace.  

Lisette had severed the bond between father and daughter, but Asla found that she couldn’t feel anything.

Even when she heard the news of his death.  

She had simply thought: Ah, the king of the Holy Kingdom has died.  

She offered the customary mourning for the last king, but not a single tear fell.

Still holding Enoch’s hand, Asla finally opened her mouth.

“Did you eat?”

“Not yet. I shook off Duke Jemia to have dinner with you. Let’s leave the roses to May and head out, Asla.”

“…All right.”

Her quick response made Enoch’s eyes widen for a moment before softening into a smile.

It was such a stunning smile that Asla’s heart began to race—  

She had never seen Enoch smile like that before.

“It’s nice.”

“What is?”

Flustered, Asla asked quickly.  

Enoch gently took the rose from her hand and whispered slowly.

“Asla Ventus saying, ‘All right.’”

Then, like an afterthought, he added softly:

“That’s the first time I’ve heard it.”

A hot wave of emotion surged up through her chest, flushing her throat and face.

‘All right.’  

She liked him for such a long time.

If he knew how she felt…what would he say?

Asla hated herself for liking Enoch even more—enough to forget the past two years.  

No—despite everything.  

If she couldn’t help but follow his touch, then maybe the true brainwashing hadn’t been Lisette’s at all…

Maybe it was the one he had cast on her.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Asla looked at Enoch curiously as he packed a picnic basket in the hotel restaurant.  

A man in a perfectly tailored suit carrying a large picnic basket—it was an odd sight.  

She shared a look with the hotel staff, who seemed to be thinking the same thing: ‘The President is carrying a picnic basket?’

Cautiously, she asked, “I thought we were going out for dinner?”

“I sometimes eat outside like this. Is that uncomfortable?”

“No, not really…”

“Well, I usually just take a small sandwich or something, so this kind of basket is a first.”

Enoch shrugged and, grabbing her hand, strode out of the hotel.

Asla glanced up at the darkening evening sky, a little uneasy.  

Enoch noticed her shoes and asked, “We’ll be walking a bit.”

“I’m fine walking.”

She recalled the days when she wandered endlessly through the Ventus estate garden and answered with ease.

Reading the fleeting emptiness on her face, Enoch frowned slightly, then tightened his grip on her hand and led her down a small path connected to the Ventus Hotel.

The narrow trail wound toward a small hill.  

Though it was dark, occasional street lamps lit the way well enough to walk.

“The sound of the insects is nice,”

Asla said first, breaking the silence.  

Enoch agreed quietly.

“Since the capital’s development accelerated, you don’t hear them much anymore. I intentionally preserved this forest trail near the hotel. One day, people will miss these sounds and come looking for them.”

“You’re probably right.”

Enoch stopped walking and looked into Asla’s eyes, which seemed to shine even in the darkness.

“You’re not going to ask where we’re going?”

“Well… Let’s see. Where would Duke Ventus go when he needs to clear his head?”

Drawing from her past one-sided affection, Asla tried to guess based on everything she knew about him.  

But somehow, this quiet wooded path didn’t seem to suit the Enoch she thought she knew.

She was completely mistaken.

Enoch let out a low chuckle.

“It’s strange seeing you curious about me. Begging for attention from a Princess who never gave me any… doesn’t feel too bad, actually.”

“Begging.”

Asla was startled. This man—he really had no idea how she felt.  

Had he truly never noticed?

Even though Enoch had apologized for neglecting her, if Asla hadn’t loved him, she would’ve left long ago.  

She would’ve finalized the divorce quickly and walked away to resolve the issues surrounding her.

Asla pouted slightly, dissatisfied, but Enoch remained focused on finding the path.  

By the time complete darkness had fallen and stars glittered above, he pushed through the brush and said brightly, “We’re here.”

Asla followed him through the thicket—and blinked in surprise at the unexpected sight.

Standing in an open space, she felt the breeze and softly spoke, “Is this… a railway?”

“It is. This section doesn’t operate at this hour. Come here, Asla.”

The endlessly stretching tracks shimmered under the moonlight and stars.  

Asla, who had never seen a railway this closely, found the sight mesmerizing and couldn’t look away.  

She stared toward the faintly visible far end of the track. Watching her, Enoch smiled with satisfaction.

While he laid out a wide mat and began unpacking the food from the picnic basket, Asla, unaware, cautiously stepped onto the tracks.  

The cool, solid metal gleamed beneath her.

She felt something lift inside her chest.  

Railroads that could carry her far, far away.  

Looking at the track that stretched into the distance, Asla felt like she was a train. The thought made her giggle.

She placed both feet on the rail and took a few careful steps before slipping off with a soft thud.  

From afar, Enoch’s laughter rang out.

“You’ve got poor coordination, Asla.”

“Ah…”

Embarrassed, Asla brushed her hair back and trotted back to where Enoch was.  

This quiet, mysterious place—being here with him made her feel oddly giddy.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, though Enoch didn’t notice in the dark.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t really done anything physical before.”

“These days, women in the capital are very active. Outside of dance, tennis and horseback riding are all the rage. If you want to get healthier, exercise is a must. I’ll find a great instructor for you.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

Asla nodded carefully in response, and Enoch felt an irresistible urge to hold her in his arms.  

He scrunched his nose slightly to suppress the feeling, then handed her some food while starting on a large meat sandwich himself.

Asla took a canapé topped with a cherry and, chewing thoughtfully, asked,

“When did you start coming here?”

“Hm… Before we got married.”

“…That long ago.”

“I started investing in steel, and I was curious about the railroads. I came here to check on the railway that was planned to stretch from the capital to Ventus territory. Before I knew it, the tracks were laid, and I watched the trains begin to run.”

After finishing his sandwich, Enoch wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a sip of lemon water.  

He stared out at the long stretch of track and, with difficulty, opened his mouth.

“To me, ‘home’ is a painful place. The Ventus estate, the grand mansion…”

“Ah…”

“But it’s also a place I long for. My heart stands here on this track heading north, but I can’t go back easily.”

He spoke calmly, then turned to look at Asla.

“I’m sorry, Asla.”

“…Enoch.”

“I was so weak that it took me a long time to heal. But I’m okay now. I’ve decided not to keep looking toward the place I can’t return to. I want to start over—create a new ‘home’ here with you. This is the last time I’ll come here.”

Enoch dusted off his hands.