Chapter 58

The day before they left, while Ashton stepped out briefly to run an errand and Sabina was home alone, Albert came to visit. Sabina peeked her head out the window and said,

“Ash isn’t here.”

But Albert wasn’t alone. He had brought his wife. The woman, with brown hair and a delicate impression, began to tear up the moment she saw Sabina’s face. Sabina was a little flustered.

“Ah, my lady. My lady!”

A woman named Ellen hugged Sabina and sobbed loudly, as if she had finally reunited with a lost family member after a long time. Wearing a bewildered expression, Sabina patted Ellen’s back. Watching, Albert lowered the brim of his hat to hide his eyes, which had strangely grown moist.

“My lady, we received so much kindness from your mother. Oh my, you truly look exactly like her!”

Ellen traced Sabina’s face this way and that, scolding her husband for how he could fail to recognize such a lovely face. Sabina asked, still dazed,

“What kindness did my mother show you…?”

At that question, Ellen let out a shriek

“That’s a secret. Madame insisted very strongly that I must never speak of it. You mustn’t tell your husband, either.”

“I see.”

Sabina almost asked if, as her mother’s daughter, she had the right to know, but gave up. Considering Albert’s stubbornness, Ellen wouldn’t easily open up either.

However, there was another gain that day. Ellen rummaged behind her apron and handed something to Sabina.

“Madam said that if I ever met a young lady who looked like her, I must give her this letter……. That’s why I came.”

The envelope was old and discolored, but clearly preserved with care. Sabina narrowed her eyes. The cheap glue-sealed letter showed no signs of being opened. Sabina took the letter and whispered,

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Ellen wiped her tears and spoke in awkward Brinita language. Sabina smiled gently. Even after delivering the letter, Ellen lingered, reluctant to let go of Sabina’s hand. She regretted not coming sooner out of nervousness, promised to invite Sabina to her humble home next time she visited Berna.

“Where’s your house?”

“The yellow-roofed house in the alley behind the market. The walls are plastered with clay.”

Sabina nodded. She promised to visit Albert’s house next time she came to Berna.

That promise carried a vague intent to visit with Ashton.

* * *

On the morning of departure, Sabina suddenly said she wished the train time could be delayed.

“That’s not difficult, but why? Is there something you want to do?”

Sabina snapped her suitcase shut and looked at Ashton.

“I want to go to the wasteland.”

It was clear what ‘wasteland’ meant—the Solvent mine that the mysterious old gentleman had bought for Ashton. Ashton put on his jacket and tilted his head.

“Well… There’s not much to see there. It’s just a wasteland.”

“I want to go.”

When Sabina was stubborn, Ashton could only give in.

Taking her to the wasteland for a while was not difficult.

Around eleven in the morning, the two took a carriage northwest from Berna. It was easy to identify Ashton’s land—a massive iron wall, as tall as a three-story building, served as its fence.

Sabina spoke with a grim expression.

“That must have cost a lot, too.”

“Yes. But it’s such an easy resource to steal.”

Ashton helped Sabina down from the carriage, holding her hand.

Noises came from beyond the wall—creaking and clattering. Work was going on inside.

“You read the article.”

Sabina whispered as they waited for the gate to open.

“What did it say?”

“Why ask? You read the newspaper too.”

“My name’s appeared in Reedblon’s news more than once lately. Which article, which paper?”

Sabina looked at Ashton with disbelief.

“The exclusive contract with the Royal Research Institute.”

“Ah.”

“So I got curious about this land.”

The thick iron gate opened. Sabina cautiously stepped onto Ashton’s property.

“It won’t be a pretty sight.”

Just as the warning said.

The worksite was like a war zone. Sweaty, foul-smelling workers shouted as they hauled sand and rocks in carts. The mysterious Solvent ore wasn’t beautiful either—it resembled potting soil, and with the workers’ rough movements, dust billowed with every step.

Sabina, used to seeing only well-refined, colorless Solvent at Reedblon’s house, was bewildered by the sight.

The hard-working laborers brightened when they saw Ashton. Ashton skillfully moved among them, shaking each worker’s hand. Even after they removed their gloves, Ashton’s hands were quickly covered in dust.

“Do you come here often?”

“Not really.”

“Then those people could steal resources.”

“I’m not worried.”

Ashton wiped his hands with a towel brought by the foreman and smiled.

“For those who steal from within, divine punishment falls.”

“Divine punishment?”

It was a difficult word, so Ashton repeated it in Brinita language. Sabina pointed out the inappropriate usage.

“Divine punishment is punishment from heaven.”

“Yes. Anyone who steals from my land gets punished by heaven.”

Sabina couldn’t understand what Ashton meant. If she’d known he was a mage who could interfere with others’ selves, she would have understood. Whenever Ashton visited the worksite, he scanned the workers’ memories. Anyone with a history of theft was turned into an idiot.

To outsiders, it would naturally look like divine punishment.

Sabina gave up understanding and gazed at the vast land. Full of ugly gravel and sand, it seemed useless at first glance. She couldn’t fathom what the old gentleman who bought the land for Ashton had been thinking.

“It really is a wasteland.”

“The ground is weak, so you can’t build, and the soil is toxic, so plants don’t grow.”

Yellowish rocks and sand stretched endlessly beyond. Just ten years ago, it was worthless land. Now, it was the most valuable real estate in Letona.

Thanks to Walter D’Vialis.

“Refining?”

Sabina asked in Brinita language. Ashton answered in kind.

“The machines handle extraction and refining. The process doesn’t need mages. You just grind it finely and separate soil and sand—Solvent is much lighter.”

“There probably weren’t such sophisticated machines before. Did you make them?”

“Yes.”

“You’re quite skilled at this.”

As Ashton said, there wasn’t much to see, and since time was tight for lunch and the train, they decided to leave. Ashton gently told the old story of the land.

Before it became valuable, there were no roads or people nearby.

“So, will it be different ten years from now?”

“That depends on how Solvent’s value changes.”

Solvent would likely stay expensive for ten years, unless someone invented a revolutionary new material. Even if such an invention happened, it would be hard to change the established processes overnight.

For that reason, Sabina understood why Ashton focused solely on Solvent, not other businesses—at least before coming to Letona with her.

But remembering his suffering and the medicine bottles rolling on the floor, she wondered if he simply didn’t plan to live long.

What illness he suffered from remained a mystery.

Sabina hoped visiting Ashton’s hometown would resolve many of his mysteries and disconnects. But the more she tried to understand, the more his unknown parts multiplied.

It felt as if, once the core puzzle was solved, all answers would be found. But finding that core puzzle seemed anything but easy.

‘I’m curious about you.’

Even on the train, Sabina kept thinking. Her curiosity was so intense that others might mistake it for love or yearning. But Sabina knew herself well and didn’t make such mistakes.

They arrived in Reedblon at night. The return journey always left a deep fatigue. Sabina sat in the back seat of the carriage, yawning several times unseen.

“I’ll probably fall asleep as soon as I get home.”

“Mitchell will be angry.”

“He’ll just scold me…”

“And he’ll get angry that you’re treating what he says so lightly, too.”

Ashton got off with Sabina in front of the D’Vialis mansion, carrying her bag. Both their luggage was much heavier than when they left, thanks to gifts for others. While waiting for someone to answer the doorbell, Ashton spoke heavily.

“Do you remember what we talked about at the beach?”

They’d talked about many things at the beach, but Sabina instantly knew which conversation Ashton meant. She gazed up at him.

Ashton stared at the front door with a complicated expression.

“I don’t want to stir up those feelings, but I must ask. What I said then…”

“I don’t want to stir up those feelings either. I don’t want to fight with you again.”

Sabina still had no intention of actively turning back time when danger approached her.

“If I were to use magic for personal reasons, I’d… have brought my grandfather back first.”

When she said that, Ashton had nothing more to say. He smiled, resigned. Sabina couldn’t tell why he made that face. She frowned and was about to ask, when the door opened.

With a maid present, they couldn’t continue the conversation. Sabina sent Ashton away with another question in mind, and Ashton hurried off, thinking he’d have to move faster. With Sabina adamant about not using magic, he had no more insurance.