But he didn’t want to acknowledge that emotion. That was why Aslan had dismissed Oscar’s warning—that Lyla might be in danger because of those targeting him—as if it didn’t matter.
He had been arrogant. Before losing his memory, and even after. Always.
If his arrogance had put Lyla in danger… Aslan would never have forgiven himself.
“As I spent time with you, my memories gradually returned. But I chose not to say anything.”
“Why?”
“Because I was afraid you would leave.”
“…….”
“Because I didn’t want to lose the way you looked at me when you thought I had forgotten everything.”
So, he had pretended to still have amnesia. Aslan finally admitted the truth.
Lyla couldn’t speak for a moment.
It was a reason she had never even imagined. It left her feeling completely taken aback.
Yet, amid the confusion, another emotion started to rise within her.
She pressed down the overwhelming surge in her heart and asked carefully,
“Then… when did you fully remember me? Did you already have all your memories back during the festival?”
Aslan nodded.
“…Even on the hill?”
The Hill.
The moment when they had shared their first kiss.
Had he been deceiving her even then?
“…Yes.”
Lyla unconsciously touched her lips before slowly lowering her hand.
Even back then, Aslan had remembered everything.
She let out a quiet sigh, filled with complex emotions.
She didn’t want to be angry with him anymore.
But still—
“Can I ask you just one thing?”
In truth, there were so many things she wanted to ask.
But they had only just begun to be honest with each other.
She knew she couldn’t expect everything at once. Lyla didn’t want to overwhelm Aslan with questions and risk them both retreating into silence again.
So she chose just one. The one that had weighed on her the most.
“That day… Were all the words you said and the things you did a lie? Did you deceive me on purpose, just to see how I’d react?”
Her voice was calm, but the question itself was cruel.
“No!”
Aslan frowned deeply.
“That wasn’t my intention. I just… I just wanted to. I didn’t want to hear you telling me to leave for Central anymore.”
“Then… was it simply to silence me? To stop me from speaking?”
“No.”
His denial was firm. Aslan exhaled, his voice low and restrained.
“I’ve always wanted to. That time, I just… lost my patience. I couldn’t hold back the impulse I had always suppressed.”
His gaze darkened, heat flickering in his eyes.
Lyla swallowed hard before asking again.
“…And the ring? Why did you give it to me?”
“Because I wanted us to be a real married couple.”
“Why…?”
“Because I love you.”
Aslan repeated the words he had once spoken on the hill.
Even though Lyla had heard them before, this time, they carried even more weight. Perhaps because he had finally revealed everything he had been hiding.
Lyla blinked slowly, her trembling eyes momentarily concealed beneath her long lashes.
“…I see. Thank you for telling me.”
“…”
A brief silence followed.
Aslan watched Lyla, lost in thought. He had no way of predicting what she would say next, and that uncertainty terrified him.
The silence, which felt like an eternity to him, was finally broken by her voice.
“…I heard that you’ve been traveling back and forth to Central every day, barely getting any sleep. The constant travel must have exhausted you. That’s probably why you collapsed today.”
So she knew. Every detail he had tried to hide from her had been exposed.
The culprit was most likely Gus Chester. Aslan clenched his teeth, silently vowing to deal with him later.
But that could wait.
Right now, he had to focus on the storm-like force that was Lyla and whatever she was about to demand of him.
“You can’t keep pushing yourself like this. You need to return to Central.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You need to go back as soon as possible.”
“Lyla.”
He called her name almost pleadingly.
He didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to hear her tell him to leave.
This was exactly why he had kept quiet—about regaining his memory, about exhausting himself with the long hours of travel.
He had hidden everything because he couldn’t bear to hear those words from her lips.
Aslan clenched his fists. He wanted to run from this moment. Or, at the very least, stop her from speaking any further.
But Lyla didn’t stop. Her lips parted again, and the words that followed—
“I’ll go with you.”
Aslan flinched.
Stunned, he couldn’t immediately respond. Seeing his reaction, Lyla hesitated before carefully rewording her question.
“Would that be okay?”
“Of course.”
His voice was louder than he had intended.
“Of course—no, I mean, if you do that, I’d be happy, but…”
His voice trailed off.
He was truly asking if Lyla was willing to go with him.
She had run away because she couldn’t stand being there. Here, she had a peaceful life and a family she cherished deeply.
And yet, she still wanted to go with him?
Lyla answered his unspoken question without hesitation.
“Then that’s enough. I want to go with you.”
Not every problem had been solved. But right now, all that mattered was staying by Aslan’s side.
For now, that was enough.
Although they had decided to leave for Central together, Aslan gave Lyla a few days before their departure. It was his way of giving her time to spend with her family.
“It’s not like you won’t ever see them again, but you won’t be able to stay with them as you do now. So, spend as much time with them as possible.”
He told her he would stay at a hotel for the time being so she could enjoy uninterrupted time with her family.
“Ah.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“But my family will miss you too, Aslan.”
“That’s kind of them. But really, it’s fine. I’ll visit them later. For now, just focus on spending time with them.”
In the end, Lyla returned to Ellwood without Aslan.
She then told her family that she would soon be leaving for Central with him.
She had expected them to be shocked, to try to stop her. But their reactions were completely different from what she had anticipated.
“I see. When are you leaving? It’ll take some time to pack everything.”
“Be careful and make sure to write to us. Central is crowded, the air is bad, and it’s not great for your health—I’m worried about you.”
Her family acted as if they had known all along that she would leave.
Lyla blinked as Aiden grinned and asked,
“Noona, then can I come visit? I want to see the Central!”
At Aiden’s words, Lyla suddenly remembered something she had forgotten.
Since she had decided to return with Aslan, she would once again have to live as Duchess Tordell—Helena Tordell.
Living under someone else’s identity was suffocating, but more than that, she worried about whether revealing her true identity could cause problems for Aslan.
‘I should have discussed this with him first…’
Lyla decided to have a serious conversation with Aslan the next day.
Unlike before, she no longer tried to handle everything on her own when problems arose. The same went for Aslan. They had agreed to share everything and face any difficulties together.
Because of that, she was able to push her worries aside for now and smile as she answered.
“Sure, just let me know in advance.”
At her response, Aiden giggled.
“I’ve never been to Central before, but I bet it’ll be really fun when I do go!”
Over the next two days, Lyla planned to pack her belongings, make memories with her family, and say farewell to the villagers before leaving.
Her first stop was the vicarage.
“Thank you for everything. You lent me books and gave me opportunities to spend time with the children—I truly enjoyed my time here.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I had the chance to engage in deeper theological studies.”
Pastor Phineas looked regretful.
“The children will be very sad to see you go.”
Just as he said, the moment Lyla told the children that this would be their last lesson together, they burst into tears.
“Teacher, don’t go!”
“Waaah, please stay! Don’t leave us!”
Seeing them cry so hard made Lyla’s heart ache.
“Don’t cry. This isn’t goodbye forever—we’ll see each other again.”
She gently comforted the children. But even as she reassured them, they clung to her skirt, wiping away their tears, unable to stop sobbing.
Because of that, even though it was supposed to be the last lesson, Lyla wasn’t able to properly teach anything. She barely had the energy to comfort the children clinging to her.
But she didn’t mind one bit. In fact, she felt happy. The fact that they were expressing their emotions so fiercely—showing how much they hated to part with her—was proof of just how much they cared for her.
“Teacher.”
A small hand tugged firmly at the hem of her skirt, making Lyla look down.
One of the curious little girls stared up at her, her lips moving hesitantly.
“What is it?”
The child fidgeted before motioning for Lyla to come closer.
When Lyla lowered her head, the girl cupped her hands around her mouth and whispered softly into her ear.
“Teacher, are you getting married?”
“…Huh?”
