Chapter 52 – Snake’s Tongue (2)

Their lips met. Having just emerged from the sea, it was not a sweet kiss. The man’s lips were slightly rough, while Sabina’s lips, still smeared with rouge, felt oddly soft and oily. Sabina, of course, knew what a lover’s kiss was like. She dove in a little deeper.

Ashton was docile, as if enchanted. Up to a certain point, Sabina was undeniably the more assertive one. In other words, once a certain threshold was crossed, the dynamic completely shifted.

The man supported Sabina’s back and pressed closer.

Their wet bodies were cold, so Sabina clung tightly to Ashton. It was only natural, since he was holding her in his arms.

With their jackets, shoes, and hats thrown carelessly across the sand, the two indulged in each other’s lips. As soon as Sabina, short of breath, pushed Ashton away and turned her head, he nipped at her cheek and pleaded again. Sabina was always weak to him. Hesitating, she surrendered her lips once more.

It was only after some time had passed that they separated enough to see each other’s expressions.

Sabina, gasping for breath, looked into Ashton’s face. It seemed a strange excitement had taken over his whole body. At the same time, he looked confused.

“Why…….”

His tone implied he didn’t understand why she kissed him. Sabina stroked his flushed cheek with her palm.

“Is the reason important?”

Truthfully, Sabina herself didn’t quite know the reason.

Ever since she inhabited this body, she could not feel romantic excitement or the desire to touch. With no feelings, the act itself wasn’t precious.

But being this proactive—she couldn’t deny it was a first.

The only time she had pulled a man close first was at the graduation party, to show Reyes. It was both the first and last time. Naturally, it was a kiss without any emotion. Was this a little different now? Sabina retraced the sensation.

Leaving Ashton’s embrace and wading slowly through the water, she recalled the kiss. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was overwhelming. No man had ever approached her with such longing. Lost in thought, Ashton wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

Soon, one of the buttons on her dress came undone. Ashton pressed a long kiss to the back of her neck, where her hair clung. Warm breath seeped between the mucous membranes of her lips. Sabina flinched, bowing her head. Along with her breath, a groaning m*an escaped. She had broken something inside Ashton.

What he had kept tightly locked away would now flow out helplessly.

“It’s cold. The water is chilly.”

Even after hearing this, Ashton kept his lips pressed to her nape, with just one button undone. She waited. She knew he needed time to gather himself.

He managed to collect himself, if only for a moment.

Ashton carried her from the sand. With bare feet covered in seawater and sand, it was impossible to put her shoes back on. He carried Sabina, holding her suitcase and shoes, walking slowly.

“You must be heavy.”

Sabina murmured, holding Ashton’s jacket and straw hat.

“If you knew, you shouldn’t have done it.”

“Luckily, your house isn’t far.”

“And you never say you won’t do it again?”

Sabina kept her lips tightly shut.

Ashton’s family home in Letona was a modest two-story house, much smaller than the mansion he bought in Reedblon. He said he lived alone here. Now, while he was away, a caretaker looked after the house.

He shifted Sabina and pressed the doorbell.

“Albert!”

Ashton raised his voice, and soon someone could be heard rushing out from inside.

The door swung open.

A middle-aged man, his hair graying in the sea breeze, stood there. He was of medium height and lean, but looked as solid as iron. Sabina found it curious how Albert’s stern face brightened slowly as he faced Ashton.

Albert patted Ashton’s shoulder, laughing. He greeted the young man, who had been away for months, with warm welcome. However, Sabina could barely understand Albert’s rapid greetings. He mixed several regional dialects in a rough, metallic voice, and to make matters worse, he was missing several teeth.

Peeking over Ashton’s shoulder, Sabina thought he seemed trustworthy. Albert must have played a big part in Ashton’s success, yet he clearly hadn’t quit his job as a fisherman. His face was still darkly tanned, and his voice hoarse.

“Albert, could you bring some slippers? I’d like to put the guest down now.”

Even Ashton, who spoke clean standard language in Dialoon, unconsciously slipped in some Berna dialect.

Albert slapped his forehead and muttered loudly, then went to fetch slippers. Once they were placed at her feet, Sabina could finally get off Ashton’s back.

“D*mn, Miss, you look just like a rain-soaked mouse!”

Sabina looked down at the wool slippers. They were so big her feet sank deep inside. She tried walking a few steps; her gait was terribly awkward. Ashton laughed at the sight.

She looked up at Albert. He stared at her with slightly surprised eyes.

“Why are you so white, Miss! Like plaster!”

Sabina, not understanding, gazed up at Ashton. He smiled gently and translated.

“He says you’re as white as plaster.”

“Is that a compliment? I’ve heard it used as an insult more often.”

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s a compliment, but anyway, pale skin is rare in Berna. Let’s go inside.”

Ashton led Sabina into the living room. To Sabina, who lived in the D’Vialis mansion, the house seemed like a toy. Colorful fabrics decorated the living room, and there was a cozy armchair in front of a rustic fireplace.

She liked it.

Seeing Sabina shivering, Albert brought a large blanket and draped it over her shoulders. Sabina gave a polite nod of thanks. But he stared intently at her face again.

“Wait, wait. But I’ve seen you somewhere before, Miss…….”

“Are you saying you’ve seen such a pale young lady in Berna before? Come help with dinner preparations. And Sabina understands Letona language, but if you mix dialects as messily as you do, she can’t understand a word.”

Ashton raised his voice as he moved to the kitchen, which was attached to the living room and even open. But Albert just kept repeating, “Strange, strange.”

“Ah! It was 15 years ago……. Yes, 15 years ago!”

Sabina just rolled her eyes, wrapped tightly in the blanket. Ashton, peeking from the kitchen, now sounded irritated.

“Albert, do you know how old she was 15 years ago? She was seven. Stop talking nonsense and hurry up.”

Even after Ashton’s rebuke, Albert insisted he had seen this plaster-white foreign lady 15 years ago. Ashton countered that all black-haired Brinita ladies must look the same to him. Albert, excited, started raising his voice.

Sabina, naturally, understood barely 5% of their conversation.

“Shh!”

Ashton said this, lowering his voice to whisper something. The two conversed in whispers for a while. Soon Albert returned, seated Sabina by the fireplace, and struck a match to light it.

Sabina blinked and spoke slowly in clumsy Letona language.

“I look a lot like my mother.”

Albert’s eyes widened.

“Sir, you must have seen that young lady even earlier. Over 20 years ago. It wasn’t me—it was my mother.”

“That’s truly remarkable!”

Albert laughed heartily. Sabina smiled faintly in response. The fire blazed. It was still warm for a fireplace, but they had to heat water for Sabina to wash.

The fisherman, with his rough hands, gently wrapped Sabina’s blanket and replied in as clear standard language as he could.

“But whether it was you or your mother, Miss, it was definitely 15 years ago.”

His accent was still thick, but Albert’s effort paid off. Sabina understood him. She nodded.

“Perhaps.”

Sabina’s mother disappeared shortly after she was born. Her remains returned when Sabina was over ten. Walter held the urn and wiped his tears.

If her mother had lived in Letona even when Sabina was seven, she thought that was good enough. Perhaps her mother lived here. That would mean she loved Letona.

While Ashton cooked, Sabina washed off the salt with warmed water. The bathroom was old-fashioned. Albert pumped water into a wooden tub. Mixing hot water boiled from the fireplace completed the bath.

This time, Sabina entered the bathroom clutching her underwear and change of clothes, watching Albert prepare the bath.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The wooden tub had a peculiar but not unpleasant smell. Washing with bath salts to remove the salt felt paradoxical to Sabina. She scrubbed herself thoroughly, wrapped her hair in a towel, and emerged to find a simple meal prepared.

Butter, spices, mushrooms, broccoli, stir-fried shrimp, and a mackerel stew made by throwing in every vegetable they had. Somehow, the stew had no fishy smell, and Sabina sniffed curiously.

Sabina, Ashton, and Albert sat at a four-person table for an early dinner. Ashton’s body, still salty from preparing dinner without washing, carried the scent of the sea. Sabina liked that smell.

The food, clearly made by eye and thrown together, was surprisingly delicious. Sabina, used to formal cuisine, was amazed by the simplicity—and again by Ashton’s skill. The man, however, seemed a bit unsure.

“It’s good.”

“Really?”

Ashton looked disbelieving. Sabina disliked his doubting attitude toward compliments.

“Then let’s say it’s bad.”

Ashton was dumbfounded, while Albert laughed heartily. When she asked how he understood and laughed, he said he understood some Brinita language. Ashton was surprised by this.

“You never told me, did you?”

Albert coughed and replied,

“Why would I tell a Letona native like you about my Brinita skills?”

Ashton, realizing something, blushed slightly and turned his gaze to the stew bowl. Sabina blinked.

Even if Albert was a fisherman, Berna was a tourist city. It was easy to pick up Brinita language. Sabina had her own interpretation for why Albert understood Brinita. She was glad. After dinner, she pestered Albert.

“Tell me about my mother.”

Because Albert was caught by Sabina, the caretaker conversed with the guest while the host cleaned up the dishes—a strange sight. But despite holding onto Albert until sunset, Sabina didn’t gain much.

“The stories are secret, Miss.”

Albert was firm in this. Sabina tried a few more times, but soon gave up. She said in Letona, in a weary tone,

“You’re a very good person.”

She meant he was excellent at keeping secrets.

Ashton, amazed by the coincidence, called it a reasonable story. He added that if an outsider settled anywhere in Letona, the ideal place would be Bernairy. That comment was full of love for the city. His blue eyes shone kindly on Sabina.

“That’s why you wanted to visit.”

“Because it’s beautiful?”

“Yes.”

Sabina looked up at Ashton’s face.