Chapter 32

“Enoch.”

Her trembling voice only deepened the urgency in Enoch’s eyes.

“You were always beautiful.”

Before the words had even fully left his mouth, he leaned in and kissed her.  

Soft breath brushing against her lips made her eyelids flutter.  

Asla stared blankly at him when he pulled away too soon, already missing the warmth that had vanished from her lips.

Her heart pounded restlessly, demanding more—  

A deeper kiss, a longer one.  

She was shocked by her own desire, caught off guard by the intensity.

Still bent slightly at the waist, she met his dark eyes—eyes level with hers, burning with want.

“You’re even more stunning when you smile so brightly, so full of life,” Enoch whispered, his breath hot against her cheek and ear.  

“As your husband… I can’t take it anymore.”

His words made her feel like she would melt.  

She tensed, struggling to calm the wild rhythm of her heartbeat.

This time, she resolved not to ask any foolish questions like “Why did you kiss me?”

“It’s just a suspended divorce anyway. We’re still legally married, so… a kiss should be fine. I’ll let it slide.”

Something flickered in his eyes.

With a faint, knowing smile, Enoch leaned in again, his voice low and languid.

“How generous of you. In that case, Princess, since you’re so forgiving, please be even more merciful.”

Before she could respond, he pulled her into another kiss—deeper this time, his hot tongue parting her lips.

The rustling of insects in the underbrush filled the air, but neither of them heard a thing.  

The kiss was long, consuming, and intense enough to drown out the entire world.

‘Ah…’

Asla found herself oddly grateful that Enoch had thrown out the Holy Kingdom’s moral code.  

She hadn’t even known she could feel this much.

To discover a kiss so rapturous it awakened all her dormant senses—she felt lucky.

‘No, that’s not it.’

She corrected herself.

It wasn’t just the kiss.  

It was a kiss with Enoch.

The idea of kissing anyone else was unthinkable.

She had no idea how far she’d fall in love with this man.  

Tangled with his fervent tongue, breathless and trembling, she realized she was afraid.

‘If even you betray me… then I don’t think I’ll want to live anymore.’

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“I don’t want to go back.”

“You must be really busy.”

On their way back, Enoch briefly explained to Asla why he had been so tied up lately.  

There had been issues with a large plot of land he planned to purchase in the western Jemia territory.  

The current landowner—Duke Jemia—had stormed in, throwing a tantrum, assuming Enoch would cancel the deal.

“He’s an arrogant old man, clinging to outdated ideals and overly proud of his status,” Enoch said with a troubled expression. “Part of me wants to just force him out, but I can’t.”

Asla, who had been quietly listening while holding Enoch’s hand, finally spoke.

“The Jemia family is one of the great houses of the Tulia Empire.”

“Exactly.”

“You must’ve done thorough research before trying to buy the land. Why did the value suddenly drop?”

“…It’s not exactly a fun topic. I just didn’t want you thinking I was making excuses for being busy.”

When Enoch dodged her question, Asla straightened her back and looked up at him with calm authority.

“I see. Well, the misunderstanding is cleared up. But as Duchess Ventus, I’m genuinely curious—so tell me.”

Startled by the firm gaze in her eyes, Enoch was momentarily speechless.  

She always seemed so delicate, but in moments like this, her royal upbringing shone through—and he found it quietly astonishing.

Adjusting his pace to match hers, Enoch finally answered.

“There’s no confirmed frequency or scale yet, but since early spring, there’ve been repeated fires in the Jemia territory. It’s a region with both plains and forests, and now even tenant farmers are abandoning it after several summers of wildfires.”

“If the fires were recurring, it should’ve been in the papers. Why didn’t anyone know?”

“The Duke likely blocked it. He has a heavy influence over the press.”

Enoch clenched his jaw in fury.  

It was clear now that the Duke had known about the fires and deliberately kept it hidden.

Asla watched his anger with a thoughtful look and murmured softly, “Summer wildfires…”

“I wasn’t buying the land for crops, but if fires keep breaking out without explanation, it complicates things. We can’t invest without knowing the risks.”

“I understand.”

But inwardly, Asla thought she had an idea why.

‘Could it be that no one’s figured it out yet…?’

As she pieced together a rough theory, she decided to stay quiet for now.  

She would wait until Enoch’s investigation team returned from the site—then she would share her insight.

“Welcome back.”

Before they knew it, they’d reached the front entrance of the hotel, where staff were waiting with deep bows.

May and Talet had also come out to greet their masters, but Enoch subtly signaled for them not to follow.

He handed the picnic basket to one of the staff, then leaned slightly toward Asla as they walked through the lobby and whispered: “As a little insider tip for Duchess Ventus, the Jemia family is practically the poster child for outdated, incompetent nobility. They make no effort to earn money but indulge in every bit of culture and luxury they can afford—until now, at least.”

“They’re that extravagant?”

Asla blinked in surprise, and Enoch responded with a sharp smirk.

“If Ventus Corp doesn’t buy that land, they’ll go bankrupt within a year. That’s why the Duke’s clawing at me so desperately.”

“Really? Drowning in pleasure…how foolish.”

Asla clicked her tongue disapprovingly.  

But Enoch, recalling the money Asla had spent earlier that day, found his brow twitching involuntarily.

“I agree. But it’s not extravagance if you have the money to back it up. For example, if Duchess Ventus spends that much, it’s not considered wasteful.”

“……”

“What I mean is, that cheques I gave you—surely Vice President Robert explained it properly? I didn’t give you that so you could just buy a couple of flower vases. That’s not the spending of a Duchess who once claimed she’d spend like water.”

Grumbling, Enoch stepped into the suite with Asla.  

She glanced at her husband, who looked worn down from dealing with Duke Jemia, and shook her head.

“How could I spend all that carelessly when I’m watching you work this hard right in front of me?”

Asla slipped off her white gloves and set them atop the spotless vanity table, glancing sideways at him.  

Enoch was staring at her with a complicated expression.

“Asla. I like working. I enjoy it.”

“…Vice President Robert said you’re a workaholic.”

To cope with the trauma of losing your family.  

Asla didn’t say that last part out loud, but Enoch’s eyes narrowed.

“What did that guy tell you?”

“As much as I wanted to hear. Just enough not to wound your pride—so don’t worry about it, Enoch.”

He had demanded sharply, but her soft smile disarmed him completely.  

He didn’t want to be sharp with her.

In front of his gentle, delicate wife, he wanted to drop his guard and rest.  

He hoped she would see him that way, too.

Unaware that his feelings for Asla were steadily growing deeper, Enoch shrugged off his light jacket and hung it in the closet as he spoke.

“Still, I really do enjoy it. I want to leave my mark—not just in the Empire, but across the continent and even the island nations. I’ve been so focused on that, I’ve only ever accumulated wealth and never spent it. That’s why I’d like you to do it in my place.”

“Do I really have to spend a lot of money, even when I don’t have anything I particularly want to do or buy?”

Her clear, large mint-colored eyes blinked at him with sincere curiosity.  

Enoch looked at her and answered seriously.

“If you spend ridiculous amounts on luxury goods, the citizens of the Empire involved in producing them make money. It’s not quite the scale I want, but for example—those vases you bought earlier, and all the roses in this room, are luxury items. If you keep buying these consumables regularly, the florist and the vase seller will profit regularly too.”

“……”

“Eventually, they’ll deposit money for the first time in their lives using the bank I invested in, or take out loans to expand their business. Someday, they’ll even travel on the trains made by the steel company I own. And maybe they’ll stay in a Ventus hotel too.”

“So what you’re saying is… the money will eventually circle back to you?”

Asla smiled faintly, and Enoch stroked his chin and laughed with her.

“I’m saying that it’s important for the one who holds the most capital to keep it moving through the market. Growth has to be shared.”

“It’s full of contradictions, but I suppose it’s not entirely wrong.”

“There’s no such thing as a flawless theory. But this is simple economics. This is how the flow of capital will shape the world going forward.”

Enoch walked over to the terrace and closed the glass doors that had been left open for ventilation. Then he turned to Asla again.

“Why are you being so stiff? All I wanted to say—in a roundabout way—is that I hope you’ll enjoy spending freely.”  He grumbled.

It was a difficult thing to ask a Princess raised to live a life of restraint, he knew. But she wasn’t a Princess anymore. Maybe it was time for her to try.

Asla gave a small nod.

“I’ll try.”

“Please do. Let me be a husband who’s scrambling to fill a bottomless jar.”

With that, Enoch rubbed his eyelids tiredly and walked toward the room with the largest bed. He dropped onto it and lay down with a sigh, undoing his shirt buttons and relaxing atop the white covers. Propping himself up on one elbow, he looked at Asla, who stood alone in the living room, and beckoned to her.

“Asla. Duke Jemia will be back at the company in a few hours. I want to sleep a little until then.”

“You must be tired.”

“Very.”

“Good night.”

Asla approached the head of the bed and offered a soft goodnight, then turned to leave—only for Enoch to frown and grab her wrist, pulling her forcefully toward him.

“Enoch?”

“Stay with me.”

Asla realized she was now lying beside him and narrowed her eyes at him in quiet disbelief.