While You're In Love

Since when did Aslan know her name?

No, even if he knew, why would he bother engraving the name Lyla on the ring?

Even though she was curious, there was no one to provide an answer.

The only one who knew was Aslan, before he lost his memory.

“Is it possible for a married man to inscribe a name other than his wife’s on his wedding ring?”

Lyla looked at Aslan with confused eyes. He seemed indifferent as if he didn’t feel anything strange.

“Or perhaps, could it be that I was such a trash before losing my memory?”

Even amid her tangled thoughts, Lyla couldn’t bring herself to deny it.

(TL/N: LOL She isn’t denying that he was trash 😭😭)

While she was still staring blankly at her name engraved on the ring, Aslan, who had been scrutinizing Lyla’s finger intently, asked.

“But, where is your ring, wife?”

Only then did Lyla realize the direction of Aslan’s gaze and hid her hand. The hand, marred by working as a maid in the Larestine mansion, was one of her many complexes.

Aslan narrowed his eyes as he watched her hide her hands behind her back. Lyla, her head bowed, didn’t notice.

“I left it at the Tordell Mansion.”

She replied in a subdued voice, recalling the wedding ring she had placed in the jewelry box in the vanity drawer.

Had he not discovered it yet? Or did he find it but has forgotten due to amnesia?

With a newfound curiosity, Lyla looked up, and Aslan spoke.

“….You aren’t carrying around your wedding ring.”

Aslan looked at Lyla with drooping eyes. Lyla involuntarily avoided his gaze.

Then, Aslan sighed deeply.

“It seems our marriage was something I unilaterally clung to.”

Lyla bit her lip, faced with Aslan’s disappointed expression as he spoke with a subdued tone.

It felt odd to console him here, and staying silent was also bothersome.

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say, and Aslan smiled as if he wasn’t just sullen a while ago.

“Still, it’s okay. Unlike the me before losing my memory, the current me will make an effort to make  my wife feel the same way I do.”

“…….”

It was a grand aspiration, and somewhat hard to believe.

Lyla glanced at Aslan, who was smiling a picturesque smile.

‘This is weird.’

Outwardly, nothing seemed to have changed.

He had suffered a severe head injury, but there was no trace of it. He was, as always, perfect and beautiful.

That made it even more unsettling.

“Ah. I may not be what I used to be, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m your husband, that’s for sure.”

Saying such words was even more strange.

Lyla bit her lip, tongue pressing against her lips.

Was my ex-husband…… like that?

The question was inevitable.

Having spent three years as a married couple, she thought they had a somewhat good understanding of each other.

Even more so because she liked Aslan.

To Lyla, Aslan was the most important person in the world, and it was natural for her to habitually observe and pay attention to him.

So she knew his little habits, quirks, and preferences that no one else did.

Even if he had lost his memory, it was unlikely that the fundamental aspects of his personality or habits would change.

‘Even if memories are lost, a person’s essential character doesn’t change.’

While watching Aslan naturally integrate into the Violet family, Lyla began to harbor doubts.

Her doubt could be summed up in this question:

‘Did Aslan really lose his memory?’

She thought Aslan wouldn’t  lie, so she took his word for it.

Her trust in Aslan and the idea that he wouldn’t joke about something as serious as memory loss, backed him up.

However, once she had a seed of doubt, things that she had previously overlooked bothered her.

‘Come to think of it, even when he first came here, things were strange. He was calmer than Mr. Oscar.’

If anything, Oscar was flinching, like he was hiding something.

‘Maybe.’

Lyla thought.

Maybe Aslan is hiding something. Even if he wasn’t lying about losing his memory, there was something he wasn’t telling her.

Wanting to know what it was, Lyla began to observe him quietly.

It wasn’t difficult, as it was one of Lyla’s specialties to be perceptive without offending the other person.

Rustle, rustle.

Flipping through the pages of the book, Lyla perked up her ears. Her eyes were fixed on the book, but her ears were focused on the conversation between Aiden and Aslan.

“But what do you do? You’re a nobleman, right?”

“What do you think?”

“Being a nobleman is certain. Well, a viscount?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh my god! Then perhaps are you a Count?”

To a country boy, the Viscount was an extremely high-ranking person. Count was the greatest title he could imagine. And the duke was someone he couldn’t even imagine.

“As you know, I lost my memory. I can’t remember what kind of person I was. I apologize for not being able to give a proper answer.”

“Oh!”

Aiden bit his tongue.

“No, no. If anything, I’m sorry I asked a rude question.”

“It wasn’t impolite. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s my fault.”

Aslan patted Aiden’s slumped shoulder.

“Don’t think about it.”

Aslan, calming the boy without a trace of irritation, appeared patient.

The more patient he was, the more she doubted his memory.

If she lost her memory, the current situation would be uneasy and restless for her, but for Aslan it seemed different, he remained calm. He was as relaxed as ever.

The current Aslan, who had lost his memory, seemed almost the same as the Aslan from before, whose memory was intact.

“Have this.”

Suddenly, Aslan, who had come to Lyla’s side, handed her something secretly.

It was the snack Sophia had given him earlier, piled on a white paper.

“It’s good for preventing colds, and it tastes good.”

Hurry up.

Aslan seemed to say this while shaking the hand holding an apple pie with plenty of cinnamon.

Lyla stared at him in disbelief. It hadn’t changed; the fact that he always made sure she remained healthy.

But now, Lyla was convinced that he had lost his memory.

If he remembered, Aslan would never have recommended this to her.

He knew what Lyla liked and disliked, even better than Lyla knew herself. He knew, for example, that Lyla disliked strong smells, so he avoided serving her foods with even a hint of cinnamon, or discreetly removed them if there were any.

But not now.

Lyla, who could not refuse his favor, reached for the cinnamon-scented apple pie reluctantly.

But then.

Swish.

As Aslan closely observed her expression, he bit the pie from his hand before Lyla could grab the apple pie.

“Aslan?”

“You don’t like it.”

“Ah…”

Lyla made a somewhat awkward expression. It seemed like she had revealed her dislike.

Aslan didn’t mind and continued speaking.

“A few days ago, you enjoyed apple pie, so if it’s different from then, is it because you don’t like cinnamon?”

It was a sharp deduction.

When Lyla blinked, Aslan found the answer on his own.

“You don’t like strong smells. Is your nose sensitive?”

“…Yes.”

Lyla answered in surprise.

“How did you know? Did your memory come back?”

“No, I just knew. I can see it while watching you from the sidelines.

The words seemed strange, even if they weren’t. Lyla blinked, and Aslan asked softly.

“However, it seems that I knew all this even in the past.”

“Yes, you knew it surprisingly well.”

“Hmm.”

Aslan smirked.

“I must have been very interested in you.”

Lyla’s eyes narrowed.

“Isn’t that just because Aslan is smart, not necessarily because he does it to me, but because he does it to other people too…”

“No.”

Aslan denied firmly to a stuttering Lyla.

“I don’t have a habit of remembering details like that, it takes a lot of attention, and if I did notice other people’s tastes and habits, I would have quickly forgotten or not bothered to care.”

She thought that only she was giving  Aslan her full attention, but in fact, Aslan was also giving her his attention all this time.

Not in a ritualistic way, not in the way he gives everyone else.

‘Was I a little special to him?’

Lyla sighed softly, feeling her heart pounding.