2. You’re Not the One I Remember
“We have a new addition to our family, so we should make a big dinner to celebrate.”
“What kind of food does Aslan like? Any dislikes?”
“Nothing specific.”
“Wow, really? I don’t like a lot of things!”
Joyful and chatty.
Even though they had just met for the first time, the sight of the family and Aslan getting along as if they had known each other for ten years left Lyla amazed.
‘How can everyone be like this?’
Unintentionally, when Lyla, who had been flustered by the sight of the Violet family and Aslan getting along like one family, made eye contact with Oscar, he nodded with an understanding expression. It meant that he understood her bewildering feelings.
However, Oscar, who was the only one who seemed to understand Lyla, didn’t stay for long. The reason was that he had urgent tasks to fulfill for Aslan.
Therefore, Lyla was the only one left in the strange atmosphere.
“How do you find my cooking?”
“It’s excellent. Have you considered a career in cooking?”
“Haha! No, not really. But I have heard people suggest that I should sell my cooking because my culinary skills are quite good.”
They enjoyed the dinner carefully prepared by Luke, late into the night, they offered Aslan a guest room, and the atmosphere in the house remained pleasant until everyone went to sleep in their respective rooms. Only Lyla felt somewhat distant.
Lying on her bed, Lyla thought to herself,
‘Could it be that it’s just like this for now, and things will get awkward when we actually live together?’
… But next day
“Is Aslan good at this stuff too?”
“Indeed. There’s nothing he can’t do, it seems. Just what are you?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s nothing special, really.”
Why are they in such a good mood?
Lyla watched with bewilderment as the lively conversation unfolded between her family and Aslan.
Sofia and Luke seemed to appreciate the handsome and friendly son-in-law. Whenever they looked at Aslan, they couldn’t help but smile warmly and seemed eager to take care of him.
Even Aiden, who had been cautious at first, appeared completely smitten with Aslan as they conversed.
“Wow, he’s really impressive…” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
Even without knowing that Aslan was the Duke of Tordell, his natural air of authority and elegant demeanor were unmistakable.
Aslan was always the center of attention, even among the social gentry. It was only natural that Aiden, a country boy, would admire him too.
And so, after only two days in the Violet’s house, Aslan slipped in effortlessly into the family.
However, Lyla still found Aslan’s presence uncomfortable.
‘How much longer is he planning to stay?’
While pretending to read a book, Lyla’s attention was solely on the conversation between Aiden and Aslan. The book, which she found enjoyable until recently, now seemed impossible to read, as the words failed to capture her interest.
However, she couldn’t bring herself to close the book. Doing nothing felt unsatisfying, and she was reluctant to join the conversation between Aiden and Aslan.
Swallowing a sigh, Lyla fiddled with the end of the book, contemplating going back into her room.
Aslan, who had finally finished talking to Aiden, came and sat down next to her.
“Wife.”
“…Wife, you say? We are no longer a couple, you know?”
Surprised, Lyla lowered her voice to clarify the truth.
Since Aslan decided to stay here, Lyla shared a secret known only to them.
They were not a real couple but a fake one formed through a contract, and even that contractual period has ended, meaning their connection has been severed.
Considering that they had left each other a long time ago over divorce papers, the two should be no different from strangers.
Despite knowing all this, Aslan remained steadfast.
In this manner, he seemed determined to reveal himself as Lyla’s husband out of the blue. Fortunately, he hadn’t done so in front of the family…
It was perplexing why he would pretend to be her husband when he has clearly lost his memories.
“Well, from what I’ve heard from Oscar, we’re still married.”
Lyla narrowed her eyes.
“You’re taking Oscar’s word for it, not mine?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I felt offended, even though it was nothing.
“Because I want to believe it.”
“What?”
Aslan explained with a smirk to Lyla, who couldn’t quite figure out what he meant at the moment.
“I mean, there’s proof that we were married, but there’s no proof that we divorced.”
Lyla pointed out the most absurd thing about it.
“What evidence is there that we got married?”
“According to the documents Oscar sent me, we are still legally married. And there’s this too.”
Aslan extended his left hand in front of Laila. There was a familiar ring on his ring finger. It was the wedding ring from their marriage.
Lyla bit her lip. She didn’t know Aslan was still wearing it.
Come to think of it, for the past three years, Aslan always wore the wedding ring. At least, she hadn’t seen him take it off.
‘It was the same for me in the past.’
But that was a long time ago.
Lyla remembered the day she took off the wedding ring that she had worn like a second skin.
It was the day Rosalyn came to the manor, and she overheard a rumor.
[The ring Duke Tordell wears every day has a woman’s name engraved on it!]
It was the first time she’d heard of it.
Lyla took off her ring to see if she could find it but the inside of her ring was smooth.
But that wasn’t the point, it was the next rumor.
[“But the name on the ring, they say it’s not the name of the Duchess of Tordell. They’re sure it’s a woman’s name, but it’s what, a flowery name?]
When she thought of a woman’s name that resembles a flower, she immediately thought of someone particular.
‘Rosalyn.’
On the day she heard the rumor that the name of a rose-like woman was engraved inside it, Lyla took off the ring that she had cherished.
She was miserable.
The fact that another woman’s name was engraved inside the wedding ring that belonged to both of them was unbearable. He had betrayed her.
“…I heard that this, which I cherished without taking it off for a moment, is our wedding ring.”
“Yes. So what?”
So what if it’s our wedding ring? A ring with another woman’s name engraved only makes their marriage even more meaningless.
“…”
Lyla shot a sharp look, and Aslan, who seemed about to say something, only pursed his lips.
He looked puzzled as to why Lyla was reacting so strongly.
Lyla tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath. The man in front of her knew nothing, so questioning him now would only make her angry.
“I’m sorry, I just got carried away.”
“……No, what I want to show you is the name on the inside of this ring.”
Before Lyla could stop him, Aslan pulled the ring off. He had worn the ring for so long that it had left a deep mark on where it had been.
Lyla stared at the mark, and Aslan held the inside of the ring in front of her.
“You see.”
Lyla’s intention to say she already knew everything was cut short.
“…!”
Lyla’s surprised eyes stared mesmerized at the words engraved on the inside of the ring.
Inside the ring, a name, clearly reminiscent of a flower, was inscribed.
But that name was not Rosalyn.
Rather it was…
“Lyla. You can see my wife’s name is clearly engraved on it.”
“How…?”
Lyla’s lips parted.
In a place where she expected to find Rosalyn’s name, she did not anticipate finding her real name, one she had never disclosed.
Lyla rubbed her eyes, wondering if she’d seen it wrong.
However, no matter how many times she looked with clear eyes, the name inscribed inside the ring was undoubtedly her own. Not even the false name she had used for a long time, Helena.
Lyla.
A name that, at first glance, one could dismiss as being similar to lilac.
