A Change of Husband - Chapter 82

She remembered it clearly.
How could she possibly forget?

When it felt like the world was ending, when everything seemed to be collapsing and she was ready to give up—it was that warm hand that reached out to her.

The girl, clearly from a poor background, had smiled brightly and shared some dry bread. She had even apologized, saying she couldn’t give it all because it was meant for her younger sibling. That kind voice still lingered in Sophia’s memory.

Now that she looked again, she could clearly see traces of that young girl in Asilie’s face. Big amber eyes and beautiful golden hair weren’t common features.

It almost seemed strange she hadn’t recognized her right away.
Perhaps it was because she had never imagined that the girl would appear again in noble society.

After her grand success, Sophia had searched all over Pembis to find that girl who had given her the strength to stand back up.

But it was as if someone had intentionally erased all traces of her. Or maybe Sophia had only imagined the whole thing to begin with. The girl had completely vanished.

She had even wondered if the pretty girl had been sold to some powerful noble or a rich man, since she looked like she’d grow up to be beautiful.

In the end, since she couldn’t find her, she buried the thought and tried to move on. But now—

“My God… how is this possible…!”

There was so much she wanted to say.

She wanted to tell her that the warmth she’d given helped her rise to where she was now. That maybe she had saved her life—no, she definitely had.

She had planned to say that now it was her turn to repay that kindness, that she wanted to help her in return.

But it felt like a huge clamp had closed over her mouth, and not a single word came out.

All that escaped was a soft sob, choked with emotion.

“Huuk…”

Sophia took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

She hadn’t wanted to show such a mess. She thought she had grown stronger after going through so much. But standing in front of the person who had once saved her, she felt like that young, inexperienced, unknown designer again.

And she couldn’t hold back the rising sobs.

“You really were that little girl who helped me…”

“I’m glad I found you after all.”

Only after some time passed and she calmed down a bit did Sophia lift her head and look at Asilie.

“I couldn’t forget your kindness. I kept searching for you over and over. That small act gave me the strength to rise again.”

“All I did was share a piece of cheap bread.”

“For a girl in a poor situation, even that must have been difficult. I understand that now.”

Sophia felt deeply sorry that Asilie had been the one to come find her first.

She should have recognized her. She should have known that this woman was the same girl who once helped her.

It wasn’t like Sophia hadn’t had a chance to meet Asilie before. As a famous designer, she had often been invited to parties hosted by nobles.

Maybe it was her own prejudice—thinking that girl could never be among nobles—that kept her from recognizing Asilie.

“Back then, I had just realized how hard life was and how difficult it would be to achieve my dreams.”

Only a small number of dreamers ever got to live their dreams.

And Sophia had lost all hope that she could be one of them.

“But that little piece of bread in your small hand helped me stand back up. Because that was… the first warmth I had ever received from the world.”

It really had been the moment she was about to give up.

The world’s gaze toward her had been so cold. She felt she would always remain at the bottom, with no one to speak up for her even when she was wronged.

“…I’m glad that small act meant so much to you.”

“And I’m truly happy to finally stand in front of you with pride. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you when you were this close all along…”

“That’s understandable. It was such a long time ago, and I’ve changed a lot since then.”

Asilie smiled, then added, as if she’d just remembered something.

“Oh, I think I should get going now.”

“…Pardon?”

Sophia blinked and looked at her.

“You’re leaving already?”

“I only came to check on something. Now that I’ve confirmed it, I should go.”

“But… can’t you stay a little longer?”

Sophia knew Asilie hadn’t come to order a dress or book makeup and hair services, but this still felt too sudden.

She gently tried to stop her, but Asilie shook her head firmly.

“I know staying here too long won’t help you.”

“That’s not true. Even if you stay, it won’t be a problem.”

“Sophia, I know what people say about me.”

Truthfully, since she had helped Sophia in the past, Asilie had expected to receive help in return now.

That’s why she had come to Shop Sophia.

But seeing the shop for the first time had changed her mind.

In the other world, Sophia had barely opened a tiny dress shop thanks to Asilie’s help.

But here, Sophia had built a large, beautiful shop all by herself, with no help from anyone, and had earned the respect of many.

Seeing that, Asilie no longer wanted to burden her.

Especially not using a vague connection from another world that Sophia didn’t even remember.

Right now, Asilie’s reputation in society was terrible.

A woman of unknown origins, a commoner with little education, lacking basic etiquette—someone who had become the daughter-in-law of the Bonaparte family purely by luck.

While she had worked hard and changed a lot over the years, people only remembered her worst days and ignored her improvements.

Acknowledging her now meant losing the chance to criticize her.

That’s why she had tried to change her appearance. But now, she wasn’t sure she could go through with it.

“…I don’t understand what you mean, Madam. But I do know that if you leave like this, it might harm Shop Sophia’s reputation.”

Asilie looked surprised at her unexpected words.

“What do you mean…?”

“Losing such an important guest would be embarrassing. I don’t want to trouble you, but I hope you understand that the shop’s reputation is at stake.”

Asilie still looked confused. Sophia rang the bell by the door.

Staff who had been waiting outside quickly entered.

“Jennifer, take the Bonaparte Madam’s measurements. Maria, find fabric that suits her skin tone and impression. Christina, bring the dress we basted yesterday. And tell the beauty team we’ll be sending a guest in 30 minutes.”

“Yes, Director.”

Asilie looked stunned, but Sophia moved without hesitation.

“Sophia, wait…”

“Madam, I’m sure word has already spread that you visited Shop Sophia. If you leave now, people might think I was too arrogant to serve you.”

Asilie looked even more puzzled, knowing that Sophia only accepted select clients, but Sophia calmly ignored it and spoke again.

“Well then, I’ll go prepare. Jennifer, begin.”

And with that, she turned away, leaving a flustered Asilie behind.

She had already received an invaluable gift before—now, it was her turn to give something back.

***
The situation had changed.

With Hort bedridden and unable to make decisions, the conservative nobles, led by Count Mirk, remained in power. Astel had become an even harder place to live.

Unlike before, when he had known and prepared in advance, this time, Esperad had suddenly gained royal succession rights through his marriage to Siena—and he hadn’t been ready.

The national treasury was also empty.

‘The biggest difference now is the guns.’

When Esperad became king, he had regulated all firearms in the country.

Distribution and usage were strictly managed by the state.

But now, things were different. Gun sales were handled by individual merchants, and there were no standards for who could own one.

Esperad needed to see the truth for himself. So he secretly left the palace to investigate in person.

“I want to see something better.”

At his words, a seller who had old guns scattered on a stand glanced at him and replied.

“Then you need money.”

“I have money. But no ID badge.”

The ID badge requirement had been a hard-won rule the progressive nobles had pushed through in their long fight with the conservatives.

At that, the seller looked around and lowered his voice.

“Without an ID, the price goes way up.”

“Show me your best.”

“Big spender, huh? It’ll cost 1 gold just to look.”

The seller laughed and held out his hand.

Since 1 gold was about a month’s living expense for a commoner, it wasn’t a small amount.

He was probably testing whether Esperad could really pay.

Esperad handed over the gold without expression. The seller laughed and gestured for him to follow.

Inside, the shop was clean and full of neatly displayed guns.

Most were familiar types, but some were new to him.

“If you’re buying without an ID, the price triples. That covers the fine if you’re caught and the risk.”

“Understood.”

After browsing, Esperad chose an ordinary gun and walked out.

He carried it slung over his shoulder, but no one looked at him strangely.

That meant it wasn’t unusual for someone without an ID to buy a gun.

“Shall we head back to the palace now?”

At Lord Gault’s question, Esperad shook his head and handed him the gun.

“Look around a bit more. You go first.”

“As you wish.”

There was no special reason not to return.

He simply wanted to see what Astel had become, how the people were living now.

Even in the past, Esperad would quietly leave the palace for inspections.

Not always to watch the people, but to escape the heavy burden of the palace. It was his way of thinking about Asilie alone.

Eventually, when he no longer resented her for leaving first, he began to see the lives of the people.

And now, those people looked worse off than before.

Their clothes were shabby, their faces pale, and fights broke out everywhere.

Seeing the tension in the streets weighed on his heart.

That’s when Esperad saw someone.

“…!”

He couldn’t believe it.
No, maybe it was a situation that could have happened by chance, but even so, he couldn’t calmly accept that this situation had actually happened.
He felt something hot rising in his throat.
Was it a sob, or a shout?
Even Esperad didn’t know.
He barely kept his reason, and forced himself to swallow whatever it was that had risen up.

‘You…’
What he saw was Asilie.
She was passing through the street in a fancy carriage. Then, she turned her head. And she saw him.
The two of them met eyes and stared at each other for a while.
Esperad didn’t know what he should do, or how he should act.
He had longed for that moment, dreamed of seeing her with his own eyes—but now that she was really in front of him, his mind went completely blank.
He couldn’t think of anything at all.

‘You’re really here…’
He had known.
He had known that he might see Asilie here, that he had come all this way just to find her.
But knowing it in his head and seeing it with his own eyes were two very different things.
He had missed her for such a long time.
That soft blonde hair, those beautiful amber eyes, and that gentle smile she would sometimes show.
And then, and again, and over again. At some point, he even wrote everything down, telling her story in detail.
Because he was afraid of forgetting. Afraid of losing those precious memories.

“Asilie.”
The moment he called her name, the carriage she was in passed right by him.
And at the same time, a single tear dropped from Esperad’s eye.

At that unexpected moment of reunion, he realized once again—
He still loved her. Of course he did. Naturally.

Support