Lyla’s heart plummeted.
She couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of Aslan’s question as he gazed at her with puzzled eyes.
“What… what did you just say?”
“I asked who you are.”
“……!”
Her heart pounded erratically. She barely managed to hold herself together as she asked in a trembling voice.
“You… don’t remember who I am?”
No way.
Could it be happening again?
Had he lost his memories once more?
Lyla held her breath, waiting anxiously for his response.
Aslan studied her, his eyes deep in thought. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.
“You are…”
Lyla’s fingers curled into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms.
‘What if he really lost his memories again?’
Panic clawed at her chest. The urge to run away surged within her. The mere thought of Aslan forgetting all their time together—again—was unbearable.
‘…No.’
She steadied herself.
‘Even if he lost his memories again, I’ll help him remember. No matter what.’
But, thankfully, she didn’t have to.
“…My wife.”
A gentle smile formed on Aslan’s lips as he continued.
“Lyla. My beautiful wife.”
He lifted his hand and softly caressed her cheek.
The warmth of his touch grounded her, finally easing the tension in her shoulders.
“Haah…”
A deep sigh of relief escaped her lips.
As Lyla staggered, Aslan caught her. She absentmindedly followed his guiding touch and sank into the chair beside the bed.
Rubbing her face with dry hands, she finally managed to speak.
“Y-You remember everything, right?”
“Yes.”
“Everything? What year is it? How old are you? Who am I—ah, well, I know you remember that. But do you know where we are and what we were doing?”
Aslan answered each question steadily.
His responses flowed without hesitation, as if the concept of memory loss had never even touched him.
In other words, he was perfectly fine.
“Haah.”
Lyla let out a deep sigh of relief.
“I really thought something terrible had happened to you because of me…”
Her voice wavered with emotion, her eyes narrowing as she fought back tears.
“I was so, so…”
She exhaled sharply, then—slap!
Lyla smacked Aslan’s back.
“And yet, you dare to play such a cruel joke!”
Slap! Slap!
The strength behind her smacks grew with each strike.
What had started as playful complaints soon had Aslan wincing in genuine discomfort.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
Aslan quickly admitted defeat, but Lyla only stopped after delivering three more hits.
Breathless from the outburst, she inhaled deeply, her shoulders rising and falling.
As she caught her breath, her sharp gaze swept over Aslan, scrutinizing him. She needed to be absolutely sure he was truly fine—that he wasn’t just pretending.
The doctor had assured her before that there were no serious injuries, and Aslan’s expression was also calm.
But Lyla wasn’t ready to trust that so easily.
‘Aslan is good at lying…’
With a pout, she continued her thorough inspection.
After a thorough check, she confirmed that aside from accumulated fatigue, he didn’t seem to have any serious injuries.
“Thank goodness…”
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“I think I’m the one who’s not okay. My heart is still racing from the shock you gave me.”
“I’m sorry.”
Aslan apologized once again, and Lyla shot him a glare before rising from her seat.
“Sir Chester and Sir Murray must be worried. I’ll go let them know you’ve woken up.”
“Then I’ll wash up in the meantime. I feel… quite disgusting.”
Aslan muttered as he glanced down at his mud-streaked body with a look of pure distaste.
Lyla hesitated, briefly wondering if it was safe for someone who had just woken up to take a bath.
“You might collapse again. I’ll ask the doctor first.”
“I doubt that will happen…”
“Still.”
Lyla wasn’t taking any chances.
She stepped out and asked Gus, who had been waiting by the door, to fetch the doctor again.
Before long, the physician arrived and conducted another examination.
The doctor reassured them that Aslan was in perfect health.
Hearing this, Lyla sighed in relief. Meanwhile, Aslan ran his fingers through his hair, only to grimace when they snagged on the tangled strands.
“I really need to wash up. Is it safe?”
“You might feel dizzy if you soak for too long. I recommend a quick shower instead.”
At the doctor’s advice, Aslan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately got to his feet. It was clear how much he had been suffering from his current unkempt state.
While Aslan disappeared into the bathroom, Lyla stepped outside to deliver the good news.
Both Gus Chester and Isaac Murray let out relieved sighs.
“Ah, that’s a huge relief.”
“I’ll stand guard outside. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Alright, I will.”
After exchanging a few more words, Lyla returned to the room.
As she listened to the sound of running water, she waited patiently.
Soon enough, Aslan emerged from the bathroom, freshly cleaned, and walked towards her.
Lyla remained seated, quietly waiting for him to finish dressing and approach her.
While he prepared himself, she drifted into thought.
The unexpected incident had shaken her, leaving her disoriented, but now that she had calmed down, she remembered the real reason she had gone out today.
‘It has to be now.’
If she delayed it any longer, she feared she might never be able to bring it up. Steeling herself, she carefully arranged her thoughts.
Finally, the two of them sat across from each other.
“Aslan.”
In the quiet atmosphere, Lyla spoke first.
“I know you have a lot to do, but… before that, may I ask you for a favor?”
“Anything.”
Aslan answered without hesitation.
His natural and unquestioning response made Lyla pause for a moment.
“…This morning, I lied.”
Aslan’s brows furrowed slightly.
“I didn’t have any urgent reason to go to Eres alone today. I just wanted us to be somewhere private so I could talk to you.”
At her sudden confession, Aslan looked at her with curiosity. He wondered what could have made her bring this up now.
Lyla continued, her voice steady.
“Do you remember what I once said? That a broken porcelain piece can never be restored, and that even if it is pieced back together, the cracks will always remain?”
Aslan clenched his fists.
Of course, he remembered. How could he ever forget? He recalled exactly how he had felt when those cold, cutting words had left her lips.
“I was wrong.”
“…!”
“People are not porcelain. Neither are emotions or trust. They can always be repaired. Even if cracks remain, that’s okay. Those cracks will serve as a reminder, guiding us not to repeat the same mistakes. So, what I’m trying to say is…”
Lyla continued in a gentle voice.
“What kind of relationship we will have in the future depends on how we build it now.”
Our future.
Aslan’s eyes widened.
Hearing those words from Lyla—who he had believed wouldn’t even consider a future with him—was unbelievable.
But this wasn’t a dream, nor was he mishearing things.
Lyla, who had spoken of a future with him, continued.
“That’s why I thought we needed to talk—to trust each other, to rely on each other, and to be together for a long time.”
With that, she took the first step in opening her heart.
“The truth is… I loved you. I don’t know exactly when it started, but it’s a feeling I’ve had for a long time.”
Saying the most important part first made her feel slightly less nervous.
Meanwhile, Aslan, having just received an unexpected confession, sat frozen like stone. But Lyla, focused on expressing her thoughts, didn’t notice.
“Even so, I kept avoiding it. I never told you. I was certain you would reject me, and I was afraid of the pain that would come after. Afraid of everything that would follow. I overthought things, feared too much, and ended up struggling alone. And in the end, I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore—so I ran away.”
Lyla explained her choice calmly.
“I’m sorry for leaving you without a word. It must have been shocking to only find a letter and nothing else.”
“…”
Aslan parted his lips slightly, as if to say something.
Lyla met his gaze head-on.
“I’m also sorry for the things I said in the carriage. I was too caught up in my own thoughts and feelings, and I ended up saying things that I shouldn’t have.”
“…No. That’s not something you need to apologize for. It was all my fault.”
“I didn’t say that to hear an apology.”
Lyla shook her head and reached for his hand.
“I wanted to be honest with you about my feelings so that you could do the same.”
Aslan could feel the sincerity in her touch. Her small, trembling hands carried an unmistakable sense of urgency.
Finally, Aslan, who had been avoiding the truth like a coward, slowly opened his mouth.
“…It’s true that I lost my memories. At first, I didn’t remember anything—not even who I was. It was confusing.”
He calmly explained his situation.
How his aide, Oscar, had recounted his life to him, helping him recover his memories—though only up to the age of twenty.
How he had been curious about the missing five years.
How his marriage had been the most shocking discovery of all, leading him to seek out his wife.
And then, when he finally met her…
“I wanted to stay by your side.”
Back then, Aslan had convinced himself that his decision was based on logic.
That if he wanted to regain his memories quickly, it made sense to stay close to someone who had been emotionally significant to him.
But looking back now, he realized that was nothing more than an excuse.
The truth was…
“Even though I didn’t remember you, something inside me refused to leave your side. I must have been unconsciously clinging to you.”
