“I have some business in Eres. Will you come with me?”
Lyla asked gently, even adding a smile, but Aslan couldn’t immediately say yes.
After all, Lyla had been avoiding him all this time, yet now she was suddenly changing her attitude.
Had she made up her mind completely? Was she planning to drive him away and had decided to inform him of it now?
Anxious at the thought, Aslan remained silent.
Seeing his hesitation, Lyla continued,
“My parents and Aiden are busy with the orchard. And if I go alone, my family will be really worried.”
Her insistence on traveling with him only made his unease grow stronger.
Aslan slowly parted his lips.
“Does it have to be today?”
“Yes.”
Lyla answered immediately and added firmly,
“It has to be today. No matter what, I’m going.”
Her resolute tone made it clear that suggesting she wait until her family was available would be pointless.
“What if I say I won’t go…?”
“Then I’ll go alone.”
Of course, if Aslan refused to accompany her, there would be no real reason to go to Eres.
But unless she made a statement this strong, Aslan would likely refuse to go with her until the end.
Lyla’s intuition was spot on.
At the thought of her venturing out alone, Aslan’s eyes narrowed.
No matter how safe the city was, he couldn’t let Lyla go alone.
Besides, there was a high chance that a dangerous enemy targeting him was lurking in Eres. If Lyla wandered around alone, she could become a target.
In the end, Aslan swallowed a sigh and gave a small nod.
Having quickly prepared, they moved to the shopping district of Eres as Lyla had requested.
Before she could achieve her goal of having a deep conversation with Aslan, she felt the need to take things step by step.
The current atmosphere between them made that even more apparent.
Not a single word had been exchanged in the carriage, and the air between them was tense and rigid.
In a situation like this, suddenly saying,
“Let’s have a deep conversation we’ve never had before.”
wouldn’t go over smoothly.
So, to ease the mood a little—and also to keep up the excuse that she had errands to run—Lyla decided on a first stop: a shop Emily had once recommended for sightseeing.
According to Emily, it was an antique store, a place filled with old-fashioned collectibles that older folks cherished. But among them, one could occasionally find truly charming items.
She had described it as a place where searching for hidden treasures was part of the fun and had recommended Lyla visit at least once.
Lyla barely managed to recall the shop’s name and quietly instructed the coachman where to go.
Fortunately, her memory wasn’t wrong. The carriage maneuvered through narrow alleyways and eventually stopped in front of a small shop.
The moment they pushed open the door, a clear chime rang through the air.
Ding-a-ling!
The shop was filled with aged goods, carrying a musty, damp scent. However, it wasn’t unpleasant enough to wrinkle her nose.
Due to the dim lighting, she had to lean in close to see the items properly, almost pressing her face against the display cases.
Lyla bent down slightly and carefully browsed the shelves.
Smooth porcelain dolls, ornate chests of drawers from the East, a vase with a mesmerizing blue hue.
Her expression lit up with excitement as she admired the unique items, the kind of look only someone enjoying a truly fascinating discovery could wear.
“Wow, how pretty…”
She had come here merely to pass the time, without any expectations. Yet now, there were so many things catching her eye—so many things she wanted to buy.
“…….”
Meanwhile, Aslan, who had no interest in browsing, quietly approached Lyla from behind.
Lost in admiring the items before her, Lyla didn’t even notice how close he had gotten.
Rather than startling her by speaking, Aslan silently leaned in.
His face lowered over the top of Lyla’s head. It was only then, as his shadow enveloped her, that she realized who it belonged to and flinched in surprise.
Aslan’s posture was as if he were embracing her. She could feel the firm warmth of his body behind her, and her nerves immediately tensed.
Aslan, too, noticed her reaction. He asked,
“What has you so fascinated?”
At his question, Lyla raised her hand and pointed to the object she had been looking at.
“That one.”
“A music box.”
“A music box? I thought it was just a regular box.”
“Take a closer look.”
Aslan opened the display case, took out the music box, and handed it to her.
Shaped like a small jewelry box, the music box played a clear and delicate melody when its key was wound.
From its elegant appearance to the tune it held within, everything about it was delightful. Her desire to purchase it flared.
‘Maybe I should buy this.’
Lyla carefully examined the music box. Then, her eyes landed on the price tag attached to it.
“……!”
Seeing the price tag, Lyla quietly set the music box back down.
“You’re not going to buy it?”
“No.”
Lyla quickly made an excuse.
“I don’t particularly like music boxes. It would just end up collecting dust.”
Aslan stared at her intently, as if he had already seen through her lie.
Avoiding his sharp gaze, Lyla walked over to the opposite display case, where smaller and simpler items were arranged.
She picked up a comb adorned with delicate floral patterns.
“I’ll buy this instead.”
The comb was a gift for Sophia. With her curly hair requiring constant care in the morning and at night, Sophia often complained that she could always use a new comb. Lyla was sure she would love it.
‘Oh my, how wonderful!’
Imagining Sophia clapping her hands in delight, Lyla smiled to herself.
She carried the comb to the counter, where the shopkeeper, who had been closely observing the customers, quickly approached her.
“Oh, you have a keen eye, miss! That comb is…”
With an awkward expression, Lyla listened as the shopkeeper enthusiastically rambled on about how exquisite the item was and how incredibly lucky she was to have chosen it.
“…So, although it was difficult for me to acquire, I’ll offer it to you at this special price.”
Hearing the price, Lyla was taken aback. She hadn’t expected a simple comb to cost so much.
Her hand, gripping her purse, hesitated—unable to take out the money.
Then—
“How much for both of these?”
A hand suddenly reached out from behind her, casually placing a small, jewelry-box-like music box beside the comb.
The shopkeeper’s eyes widened, and Lyla, equally surprised, turned around to look at Aslan.
“With both of them together… Hmm, I can give you this price.”
“Here it is.”
Without hesitation, Aslan pulled out a stack of bills. Instead of waiting for change, he picked up the music box and the comb, then handed them to Lyla.
“It’s a gift.”
“…My room is still full of your gifts, most of them unopened.”
“Then consider this a return gift for my birthday present.”
Lyla’s grip on the music box tightened. After a brief hesitation, she asked,
“Did you… receive the gift?”
“As soon as you left.”
“What did you think of it?”
Her voice was careful, almost hesitant.
“If you didn’t like it, you don’t have to use it. Scents are a matter of personal preference, after all.”
Even knowing that, Lyla had chosen to give Aslan perfume. She had wanted her presence to linger with him, even in her absence.
For the same reason, the first gift she had ever given him was a fountain pen. The second year, she had given him another.
She had saved up for months through side jobs to afford those gifts. But no matter how expensive they were to her, they were surely nothing more than trinkets to Aslan, one of the wealthiest men in the nation.
She never expected him to carry them with him. She couldn’t force him to use her gifts.
And yet, deep down, she had always wished that he would.
“Every time I thought of the wife who gave it to me, I used it. I tried to use it sparingly, but it’s already below the neck of the bottle.”
At his words, an unguarded, radiant smile spread across Lyla’s face.
She was delighted to know he had used her gift so often.
Cautiously, she inhaled.
He had only brought a few sets of clothes with him, and she doubted he had used any perfume during their journey. But now that she had heard his words, she imagined she could catch a hint of the scent she had chosen for him.
“I was wondering what to do once I ran out,” Aslan mused. “You’ll just have to give me another one next time, won’t you?”
“I can tell you which perfumer I commissioned.”
Aslan shook his head at Lyla’s attempt to refuse.
“My memory isn’t very good, you see. It would be better if you gave me another one next time.”
An outright lie.
Lyla knew all too well how exceptional his memory was.
But instead of calling him out on it, she simply ran her fingers over the music box he had given her.
She opened the lid, wound the key, and let go. A clear, delicate melody filled the air.
A small smile formed on her lips.
And before the tune faded, she whispered softly,
“I will.”
Since he had given her a gift she truly loved, she would return the favor.
It was the faintest murmur, barely above a breath.
But Aslan, whose senses were unnervingly sharp—at least when it came to Lyla—caught every single word.
And so, a radiant smile, just like hers, bloomed on his face.
I think you missed a chapter when posting.
oh no actually in the end of ch 74 Lyla decided it’s time to finally have a conversation with Aslan and in this chapter she has approached him with the excuse of going to Eres. So while it may look like a sudden change, it’s just a time skip to the main plot. Hope this helped in some way 😊💗