While You're In Love

The wagon carrying Aslan rode through the dawn towards Elwood.

Elwood was a small rural village.

With only a few residents, everyone knew each other well, so any unfamiliar outsiders would surely be recognized.

Aslan ordered not only himself but also his attendants to remain hidden from the sight of others.

Just a while ago, he was ready to take his wife back home immediately, but during the train ride, his thoughts changed as he became lost in contemplation.

The desire to have Lyla, his wife, by his side hadn’t changed at all.

However…

‘If I bring her back without resolving the reason for which she left in the first place, she might run away again someday.’

There were a few other issues that were troubling Aslan .

So Aslan decided to stay out of sight and keep an eye on his wife who had left him.

Before the sun even rose, the village came to life with the crowing of roosters.

Curtains were drawn open in every house, and people were moving about.

The Violet House, located a little away from the village, wasn’t any different. Smoke rose from the chimney attached to the purple roof.

A small window opened and the curtains were drawn. Hiding in the nearby forest, Aslan could see the interior of the house through the small window.

A middle-aged couple moved about busily, preparing breakfast and engaging in conversation.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, a familiar voice reached his ears.

“Did you sleep well?”

A sweet and melodious voice, smooth like the pearls rolling down. It was his wife’s voice.

“We slept well. What about you? No nightmares, I hope?”

“I slept well. Thank you for your concern.”

Her soft-spoken words reached Aslan clearly, even from a distance.

But her familiar voice felt strangely unfamiliar.

It wasn’t the quiet and composed tone he was used to.

This voice was brighter and more lively. It overflowed with vitality, like the flowers in her beloved garden.

Aslan’s arms, which were folded, loosened.

Ignoring the attendant who was discreetly watching him, Aslan stared at the small window through which Lyla occasionally appeared and disappeared, his gaze intense.

“…”

Lyla was smiling warmly.

It was a bright face that he had rarely seen over the past three years, during the long time they spent together.

He wanted to see her up close. To be near her…

Creak!

As if hearing his inner thoughts, the door opened, and she stepped out.

The clear morning sunlight settled on her face. Shielding her eyes, Laila raised a hand to her eyebrows, casting a shadow as she surveyed the surroundings.

Aslan observed her, her bright brown eyes moved around, but he was fixated on the sparkle in them, like precious gems.

The satisfaction of when those eyes had been full of him came to his mind. And then, he wanted her to see him again.

Driven by a sudden impulse, Aslan moved without even realizing it.

Crunch.

Leaves and branches underfoot made a noisy sound.

Lyla seemed to have heard the sound too, as she quickly turned her head.

“Hmm?”

She straightened her neck, the smile on her face fading.

“What’s over there?”

Her narrowed eyes precisely aimed at the tree where Aslan was hidden.

Though he was far away and obscured by the tree’s shadow, Aslan couldn’t help but wonder if she had recognized him by some chance.

But then, something appeared to distract her attention.

“Miss Lyla.”

A man who had been loitering around Lyla’s house approached her, adjusting his hat. Judging by his appearance, he seemed like a mail carrier.

“Mr. Hans.”

At the voice calling her, Lyla turned her body. Aslan could only see her profile.

“Good morning.”

“G-Good morning!”

The mail carrier cautiously approached Lyla, fumbling with a red bag slung over his shoulder.

“Here, today’s newspaper.”

“Thank you.”

Lyla accepted the newspaper with a bright smile, her kind smile making her even more beautiful. Aslan stared at her, entranced.

It wasn’t just him. The mail carrier who had witnessed the scene in front of him couldn’t tear his gaze away from Lyla either.

“…”

Aslan’s brows furrowed. He felt the urge to storm over and shield Lyla from the man’s view, his body tensing as if wanting to move.

But he restrained himself, driven by a fragment of reason. He remained standing tall, watching over her from a distance where he could avoid people’s attention.

Although he had concealed himself as best as he could, if this were Central, he would have been easily discovered.

Thankfully, this was a scarcely populated rural area, and furthermore, a secluded spot with little human traffic.

“Thank you again for today. Please take care on your way back.”

“Oh, y-yes. Miss Lyla, have a pleasant day.”

The mail carrier stammered his farewell.

The mail carrier had delivered the newspaper and exchanged greetings, but that was all. With lingering eyes, he stole glances at Lyla.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“No, no, I don’t.”

Aslan, who was far away, could clearly read the man’s mind, Lyla’s pure face displayed nothing but an innocent smile.

The mail carrier couldn’t find any more words to say to Lyla and left with slouched shoulders.

Lyla, oblivious to the gaze upon her, entered her house with light steps and closed the door behind her.

Aslan stared at the tightly closed front door with his arms folded.

He felt depressed watching the closed door, it was like Lyla’s attitude towards him

“Here’s today’s newspaper, Father.”

“Oh! Thank you, Lyla. But you shouldn’t be doing these things; you should ask your younger sibling to help and rest yourself instead.”

“It’s okay. I get bored if I’m not doing anything.”

“Heh, well. My daughter has such a big heart.”

“I don’t think I deserve that kind of praise…….”

A hint of laughter was mixed into her voice as she suppressed her embarrassment.

In an instant, Aslan realized something.

She’s happy.

He could see what Lyla was feeling right now, as if it were tangible.

It made him feel like a prisoner in chains, unable to move an inch.

He felt that if he moved, her happiness would disappear like dust. He feared that her face, would turn as melancholic as the days spent in Tordell Manor.

Aslan could only stand on the ground with his arms folded, like a prisoner bounded by chains.

Time passed swiftly. The front door opened and closed several times. However, it was rare for Lyla to come outside.

She hadn’t particularly enjoyed going outside before, but now it seemed partly due to her family’s influence.

“It’s dangerous outside, so you need to be careful. Understood, Lyla?”

Her parents, who had lost her once before, cautioned her multiple times before heading out to work.

Treating their grown-up daughter like a child even though they knew she wasn’t, this might still be due to the remaining anxiety they felt.

Lyla’s family seemed to be afraid of sending her outside in case they might lose her again.

Lyla responded calmly, as if she understood their worries.

“I will. I’ll stay inside, so don’t worry and go.”

Layla kept her promise to her father well.

However, just once, when the sun was right overhead, she opened the front door and stepped outside.

Though she didn’t cross the makeshift fence around the house, it was enough for Aslan to see her face clearly.

In that brief moment, Aslan took in everything about Lyla. He didn’t even blink.

She was humming and watering her flowers.He held her in his reddened eyes until she was gone.

{TL/N : His eyes turned red because he is not blinking}

Until the sun set, Aslan watched her go about her daily routine in silence, never revealing himself to Lyla until the very end.

If she had shown the slightest sign of regret, he would have taken her back immediately.

If she had sighed with a dark face, or stared blankly to the west toward Tordell Manor, or even muttered his name, even unconsciously…….

But Lyla did not, not even accidentally.

Her day was peaceful, and she was smiling the whole time.

Helping her father with cooking with her somewhat clumsy hands, admiring the sparkling leaves and swaying flower buds in the front garden, greeting and seeing off the family members who went out to work, having meals amidst the lively atmosphere…

“I have never seen her smile like that.”

Aslan muttered, unable to grasp his disappointment. A bitter smile hung on his lips.

All day long, he replicated the joyful expression he hadn’t been able to see for three years.

In his absence, Lyla’s life seemed to have blossomed into a vibrant symphony.

As if finally able to take a breath in a place without him….