Chapter 47

She clung to his neck and murmured,  

“What if next year, when the Retona sea is beautiful with Miras flowers, I want to see the sea with you? What should I do then?”  

Her breath tickled his ear. Ashton exhaled deeply and hugged Sabina’s waist.  

Her breathing and heartbeat were calm as he held her. Only Ashton’s body grew warm.  

Saying she might want to see the Retona sea with him next year wasn’t sincere—it was just a sweet lie to get what she wanted. Shameless and lovely.  

“For someone who knows nothing about romance, you sure know how to use a little charm.”  

“I’m not clueless. I’ve had plenty of romances.”  

Sabina realized Ashton saw through her intention and looked a bit disappointed, pushing his shoulder away. Ashton tightened his arms around her waist, cradled her head, and leaned in.  

“So you played your cards, trusting I’d believe you like me?”  

Sabina’s face flushed.  

“…I admit I played a card. But I didn’t expect you to see through it all.”  

Ashton laughed. She tried to act sly but always ended up confessing innocently—he wanted to tease her for being so bad at romantic mind games. Sabina’s face turned even redder.  

“Will you let me go now?”  

“Who was it that hugged first?”  

“It was me. But now I want to get up.”  

“Why? Are you embarrassed because I saw through your move?”  

“Don’t annoy me…”  

“It’s not annoyance, it’s embarrassment.”  

Sabina pinched Ashton’s cheek. Her grip wasn’t strong, so it didn’t hurt much.  

Ashton shook his head, shook off her hand, and pulled her to sit sideways on his lap. Sabina grumbled for a moment, then leaned against his arm. Ashton straightened her skirt and hair, waiting for her answer. Sabina didn’t push him away, lost in thought.  

“You’re right. By the time the contract ends, you might not like me anymore. There are many reasons feelings change.”  

From her database of memories, Sabina finally brought up Reyes’s name and nodded.  

She had loved Reyes. Died once because of it, then loved him again. Maybe she stopped loving him because her soul changed… but her feelings for Walter, whom she’d never met, hadn’t changed, so it wasn’t just that.  

Ashton pulled Sabina closer and bowed his head.  

“Would you be sad if I stopped liking you?”  

Their faces were close. But Sabina’s heart, which couldn’t feel excitement for anyone anymore, remained calm, without tension. What if he disappeared from her life right now? She wouldn’t be terribly upset. But would it be the same half a year later…  

“I don’t know.”  

Her answer was honest.  

“I’ll know when it happens. I’ll tell you then if I’m sad.”  

“Haha.”  

Ashton thought it was a silly question, and Sabina answered too seriously. He realized he couldn’t just like her “up to here.” He was sure.  

“I hope you’ll be sad.”  

Half true, half a lie.  

Whatever that did, the corners of Sabina’s lips curled into a faint smile. Her expressions were always subtle, so Ashton stared at her face. After a few seconds of silence, Ashton loosened his arms and joked,  

“I should let you go, as you wish.”  

“Why?”  

There were plenty of sensible reasons—her legs hurt, her dress was wrinkling—but people don’t always give sensible answers.  

“I might kiss you.”  

“Oh.”  

Ashton often said he liked Sabina, but never spoke of such desires. So for a moment, Sabina saw him as unfamiliar. Ashton, having said it, frowned and turned away.  

Sabina’s lips parted.  

“Go ahead.”  

Suddenly, Sabina took control of the mood. Ashton’s neck and ears flushed red as he turned away, unable to look at her, and whispered,  

“Don’t say things like that so carelessly.”  

“Why?”  

“Well…”  

Even if Sabina didn’t feel excitement or longing for him, even if they were bound by contract, their relationship was still called “lovers.” If she gave permission, there was no reason he couldn’t kiss her.  

“Why?”  

Sabina asked again. She just wanted an answer, but it sounded like she was pestering him.  

The next moment, instead of Ashton’s strong arms, Sabina felt the velvet back of the chair behind her. Ashton loomed over her, caging her in, showing a face she’d never seen before. Many men had begged to kiss her, and she’d seen plenty of faces full of desire.  

But this was unfamiliar.  

Sometimes she disliked kissing. In fact, most of the time she did. If it wasn’t to show off for Reyes in public, she usually avoided it. Some criticized her for refusing even her lovers. But now, with no one watching, it felt all right.  

Sabina, trapped in Ashton’s arms, didn’t feel afraid. Not because she was a powerful mage who could freeze time and escape anytime. Just… just.  

He drew closer, slowly.

His movements were hesitant, almost as if he was uncertain. Sabina’s hand rose to his shoulder, at first merely resting there, then slowly sliding along his shirt to the back. Their noses touched, and Ashton tilted his head. Sabina’s eyes slowly lowered.

Time stopped, even though no magic was cast.

Ashton’s lips, instead of meeting Sabina’s, suddenly changed course and slipped into her hair. He straightened up with a neat smile, as if nothing had happened, and stepped away, hands behind his back.

“I’ll take you back to D’Vialis Mansion. It’s late.”

Sabina looked at him with curious eyes, but didn’t ask anything and simply nodded.

* * *

Carrying a bag that seemed far too large for her frame and wearing a wide-brimmed hat, Sabina was dressed in white that day—one of the many gifts from Ashton.

Early in the morning, Ashton arrived to pick her up, and as he helped her into the carriage, he received the stern gaze of Mitchel.

“I’ll make sure nothing happens while we’re away.”

“…….”

“Don’t worry too much. Lady D’Vialis is an adult.”

“…….”

“Well, may we be off now?”

“Mitchel. I’ll be back.”

Sabina waved her hand lightly.

Mitchel, who had watched over Sabina since childhood, knew better than anyone that Sabina was far too exceptional a mage to warrant concern over a mere two-week trip. Yet, to Mitchel, Sabina would always be the little lady who rode on Walter’s back.

“Have a good trip, Lady Sabina.”

Ashton grinned and climbed into the carriage, closing the door.

At exactly 9 o’clock, the two boarded the train crossing the border to Retona. The express would take hours, and they wouldn’t arrive in Retona until evening.

To catch the 9 o’clock train, Sabina had woken much earlier than usual. She ended up sinking into the soft seat across from Ashton and dozing off, only waking when Ashton roused her for lunch several hours later.

There were no clocks in the train, and Sabina had given her watch to Helio, so she asked Ashton the time. Ashton searched his discarded jacket and pulled out a pocket watch. Its design was very familiar to Sabina.

“Jacqueline Maslado.”

The small platinum pocket watch appeared quite old. The chain was newer than the watch itself, clearly replaced after the original had worn out or broken.

“May I see it?”

Ashton hesitated, then handed the watch to Sabina. She traced the delicate embossed patterns with her fingertips. There were scratches and signs of wear.

“Is it accurate?”

“Yes.”

Ashton’s answer was curt again. Sabina examined the watch closely. The chain wasn’t Maslado’s. She asked Ashton why he’d replaced just the chain.

“No certificate.”

His answer was a bit sheepish.

“Without a certificate, I can’t prove it’s genuine, so I couldn’t get a Maslado chain.”

“I see.”

Sabina blinked, gazing down at the watch face. The second hand moved almost perfectly, ticking once each second. If it wasn’t magic, such precision meant the watch was regularly serviced. She was impressed.

“You take good care of it.”

“That’s right.”

Ashton smiled faintly and held out his hand. Sabina returned the watch.

“Actually, I had the same watch once. My grandfather used it, and I received it when I entered the Academy.”

The man across from her paused, pretending to open the lunch basket, then asked,

“‘Had’? Where is it now?”

“Helio has it.”

Ashton looked unsurprised. Sabina didn’t contradict him.

“I don’t have a certificate because I received it as a gift, too.”

“From whom?”

Inside the lunch basket were chicken, tomatoes, fresh lettuce, wholegrain mustard sandwiches, cookies, whipped cream, apple jam—plenty to eat. Ashton, who usually ate such foods with his hands, had packed plates and forks for Sabina’s sake.

He set the food before her and asked,

“Want to choose? I had two benefactors…”

It was the first time Ashton spoke about himself. Sabina nodded.

“I was an orphan. I don’t know my parents.”

Ashton didn’t wait for sympathy, quickly moving on.

“But I was very lucky. Around age fourteen, I met a wonderful person—a short elderly gentleman…”

Sabina skillfully cut her sandwich to keep the filling from spilling. Ashton, trying to be formal in her presence, was a bit clumsy with the knife.

“He bought me a house.”

“Huh?”

The story seemed to skip several steps. Ashton’s luck was extraordinary. Sabina wondered if she’d misheard.