Chapter 124. Secret, Part V
Translator: Khan
Editor Group: Liber Reverie
"I don't know how reluctant you are to hide a great secret."
That was why the answer was so cold. At the same time, doubts had become convinced. Maybe he was a hidden royal family, otherwise, he couldn't hide himself this far.
"Can I take you to a quiet place that is a little far away?"
"... do it."
Aria began to walk along with him who escorted her. She didn't expect this to happen, but she thought she was lucky to be dressed simply. So many times she circled the alley and stumbled in chaos, and Asher hastened to assist her.
"It's just around the corner, so I'll support you a little bit."
"... isn't it too far?"
She nodded because she had already come so far despite her grumbling. There was no need to go further and as she went around the corner, a very quiet and secluded space came out.
"The woods between the alleys...?"
She had just been strolling through a deserted urban alley, and as soon as she circled the alley, an incredibly magnificent forest unfolded before her eyes. She didn't even get through the gate outside the capital, but suddenly the forest. In embarrassment, she stopped walking and looked around, and Asher answered her casually,
"It's a little off the capital."
"... Did I walk so much?"
It was a long ride from the capital to the nearest forest, so it was never time to get to the forest even if she walked long enough.
Then, suddenly, she remembered something similar had happened last time. It was when she had fled from the square, holding the hands of Asher. She had run with him for a long time, and she had arrived at a vacant lot that she had never heard of or seen before. And the vacant lot had disappeared like a mirage on the way back.
As she tried to look back to confirm the way she had come, he gave a little strength to the hand he had on her shoulder and made her move forward.
"I don't have enough time. I'll tell you the way back, so don't worry."
So when she walked a little and turned her head, only the dark forest was there. Eventually, she followed him with one question or another about the mystery that she now faced. He said, "I told you everything anyway."
"Please sit down."
At the destination where she arrived shortly after, Asher said, pulling out a chair,
"I can't believe there is a mansion like this in the woods near the capital..."
It was a small but quite plausible mansion, and a table was placed in a small garden in front of it. It was like a fairy house in a fairy tale. After a silent glimpse of the unbelievable scene, the gray-haired old man from the mansion suddenly put the warm tea on the table.
"... Who is it?"
"He's a close aide of mine. He's in charge of managing the mansion."
Aria, who had pursued the old man's appearance like a mirage and disappeared, took a sip of warm green tea and came to her senses. A very strange situation was repeated that was hard to understand.
"Where the hell are we?"
"It's my refuge. It's where I come from time to time when I want to be lost in thought."
"I'm not asking that. I'm asking you how these woods in the alley are?"
"Didn't you take a walk for a long time? That's why you arrived. In the woods near the capital."
"Are you kidding me? It takes a long time to get there on a horse! How can a man beat a horse?"
If it was the first time, she would pass it, but she had been through this twice, and she realized that it was not normal. At Aria's stern face, Asher was stained with difficulty with the expression.
His 'ability' was not easily understood. Furthermore, what would she think of himself if he explained this ability to her today? But Aria didn't go too easy.
"I don't know what to explain to you, but... it's a characteristic of my family."
"The characteristic of the family?"
"Yes, it's a rare ability to show up differently, and I owe it to move quickly to faraway places. You can think of my body as advanced. It's kind of... it's unusual and special."
He explained as little as possible. But he could move quickly to distant places... it was just like magic. When she asked to explain more precisely, Asher shook his head.
"I don't know much more than this. It's only as a born grace."
It was not typical so she couldn't ask anymore. It was because she was convinced that it might not be possible to explain it as if the hourglass had appeared to her.
If she hadn't had the hourglass, she would never have believed what he was saying, but more than that happened to her and it was quite understandable. On the other hand, she wondered if such a magical thing could happen so often.
He said that his ability was a characteristic of the family. 'If so, is what I became alive the hourglass's ability? Maybe... my mother was a petty prostitute, so my nameless father was one of the family.' Tens of thousands of ideas dominated her mind.
"So... is it the grace of the Viscount Pinonua family? No, is that your real name, Pinonua Louie? Is Asher a fake name?"
She thought it couldn't be, but it was the first time she had heard him formally introducing himself, so when asked, he shook his head.
"No. The Viscount Pinonua family is just helping me. I just borrowed a name to join the meeting."
"Then, you are of the imperial family..."
"Yes, you are right. I'm Asterope Franz."
"... oh my gosh."
Although she guessed that it would be the most reasonable when she saw his recent moves, she was dumbfounded when the affirmation came back.
Even if he was the Crown Prince. Listening to his name reminded her of it. The crown prince was named Asterope. It was partly because she never dreamed of having a tie with someone from the royal family. It was Asher who she had been rude to.
She had once laughed and trampled on the flowers he had given her. It had been a tulip symbolizing the empire. She had trampled such flowers in front of him. That was why she had doubted his identity, but she had thought he might not be because of the actions she had been doing to him!
Aria drank tea with trembling hands. She did not savor a sip, but instead took a few sips and emptied her glass cleanly as if she was drinking cold water.
Then Asher, who, with a gesture of his hand, ordered his butler to bring her a new tea and carefully asked, "Are you all right?"
"... I don't know if I've been rude in the meantime."
Thinking whether to stand up or not, Aria suddenly turned into a polite manner.
Asher gave her a bitter smile. "I have been afraid of this, and I couldn't say the truth. I don't want you to burden me. I want you to treat me as usual."
She wanted to, but she couldn't. She just confirmed what she had thought and suddenly felt that he was too far and too high. 'Why did he show interest in me? And why did he attend the meeting I led, borrowing a name?'
She thought of it still in the silence of the woods. Asher also stared at Aria, who seemed to think she needed time to organize her thoughts, without further words.
'The Crown Prince! But why was the Crown Prince cheating on his identity?' As she thought about it, her face turned into a dead color.
Asher had a bitter smile and said, "I think you'd better get up now today."
"But there's more to ask...!" There was still a mountain of questions she wanted to ask.
But Asher shook his head. "I'll be in the capital for a while, so we can meet anytime. Let's talk again then. I'll send you a letter. There's also work to be done first."
He was not a man to waste time in such a place. Even by taking this time, she felt sinful. The way back was faster than when she came. As soon as she got out of the forest, the alley next to Baron Burboom's shop appeared.
"I hope you don't find any difficulty in me the next time we meet."
Before she came out of the alley, he kissed Aria lightly on the back of her hand and then disappeared with the words of seeing her again soon. Everything that had happened today was magical, and Aria couldn't even move from there for a long time