I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 104

After the royal banquet ended, Natasha and Sieghart returned to the Aschart estate. Just a few days later, they began preparing for another trip. These days, it seemed they spent more time away from home than at the mansion.

This time, the trip had a purpose.

They were finally taking time to celebrate their second wedding anniversary, which they had skipped before.

“The spring breeze is coming in. It’s the perfect time to travel. And since the Lady is feeling better, this is the best moment.”

Zenkis offered a careful farewell and kissed the back of Natasha’s hand.

Vanessa and Meliana, both looking after her with concern, stepped forward and helped with the final preparations.

Vanessa wrapped a soft shawl around Natasha’s shoulders.

“Happy anniversary, even if it’s a bit late. Have a wonderful trip.”

“This shawl feels so soft.”

“Doesn’t it? I actually bought it a while ago, wrapped it as a gift for your anniversary, but only just now got the chance to give it to you.”

“Thank you so much.”

Natasha smiled warmly and leaned in to exchange cheek-to-cheek goodbyes.

“Where are you two headed again?”

“We’re going to Osrael.”

“Osrael? That’s pretty far, isn’t it?”

Vanessa’s surprise was clear in her voice.

Osrael was in the southern part of the country, quite a distance from the north where they lived.

For a last-minute trip, it was a long way to go. And it wasn’t exactly a popular destination for extravagant celebrations. Osrael was known more for its quiet countryside than for entertainment.

“I heard the fruit there is delicious and the flowers are beautiful. We’ll probably travel through the whole area.”

“Well, the scenery is incredible. Spring should be in full bloom there by now.”

If they were looking for peace instead of luxury, Osrael was the perfect place. Vanessa looked as excited as if she were going herself.

Then Meliana, who had been waiting quietly, stepped forward.

She handed Natasha a bundle of scones she had baked herself, in case they got hungry along the way. The smell rising from the cloth wrap was rich and comforting.

“Thank you,” Natasha said with a smile, but Meliana hesitated before asking a quiet question.

“My Lady… are you really feeling better?”

Meliana already knew the truth. Natasha had never actually been sick.

Her words were only a polite way to ask about something else. Most likely, she was asking about Sieghart, and how things stood between them now.

“Yes, I’m better now.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. It was just something temporary. Thank you for worrying about me.”

It hadn’t been that long ago when just the sight of Sieghart made her feel sick. She had hated being married to him so much that she ran away and entered the depths of Galonde.

But lately, as they began working together, she realized that her hatred had faded. Now, it felt like there was barely a trace of it left at all.

As Natasha smiled genuinely, Meliana’s face finally relaxed with relief.

“If I find something pretty on the way back, I’ll be sure to bring it to you. Thank you for seeing us off.”

With that, Natasha stepped through the front door. Sieghart had already gone ahead to load their bags onto the carriage.

In Osrael, most of the people were farmers, with only a few nobles scattered throughout. They couldn’t risk anyone recognizing them, so they chose not to use the Aschart family carriage.

The official excuse for their travel was their anniversary, but in truth, they were heading to the countryside where Ron Letius lived.

Because the area was so remote, traveling directly to the house would have exposed their true purpose. Instead of visiting his village, they decided to travel around the surrounding region instead.

With the coachman’s help, Natasha stepped into the carriage and sat across from Sieghart.

“We’re ready to go,” the coachman called out. The horses neighed, and the carriage began to roll forward.

Inside, the only sound was the soft noise of the wheels and the wind outside.

Feeling awkward, Natasha kept adjusting the shawl and the bag of scones Vanessa and Meliana had given her.

Sieghart, misunderstanding, reached out and gently moved the items aside, thinking they were in her way.

With nothing left to fidget with, Natasha started glancing around the carriage. It was spacious for a carriage, but not enough to let her focus her attention elsewhere.

Her eyes moved in a slow circle, but as if losing direction, they began wandering without purpose.

Maybe it felt strange because it had been so long since she faced Sieghart without anger.

She didn’t know how to act around him now. Her mind was tense, and even her body felt awkward.

In truth, it wasn’t something she needed to overthink. If she just stayed still, things would settle naturally.

But maybe that wasn’t what she really wanted.

Maybe Natasha wanted to talk to him.

It was ridiculous.

Why would she, of all people, want to start a conversation with Sieghart?

She had hesitated, but her mouth moved on its own and spoke his name.

“Um, Sieghart…”

“Natasha.”

It just so happened that they both said each other’s names at the exact same time.

Startled, Natasha quickly stumbled over her words and gave the lead to Sieghart instead.

“You go first.”

“You can speak first if you want…”

“No, really, you go ahead.”

In truth, she had spoken without thinking, so she had nothing to say. If Sieghart started the conversation, she would be grateful.

“It’s nothing serious. I just realized we haven’t talked much about this trip. Since we left in a bit of a rush, I thought we should go over a few things.”

“I thought we already made all the plans.”

After reporting the success of the palace investigation to the Galonde court, they had also discussed the plan to win over Ron Letius.

Sieghart had suggested appealing to Ron’s greed by offering the power and wealth he had never been able to enjoy. It was a way to make him realize what he had lost and hook him with that taste.

Having once experienced power and money, Ron would surely want more. They could let him take the bait and control him from there.

They had already purchased land deeds and a noble title in Osrael, preparing everything ahead of time.

So why was Sieghart now saying they needed to discuss it?

“Did something change in the plan for Ron Letius?”

Natasha asked, puzzled, waiting for his reply.

But Sieghart looked a little flustered.

“Not that. I meant the trip itself.”

His answer made Natasha sigh softly.

The trip. Right. She had nearly forgotten that, even if the trip was just a cover for their plan, it was also a real journey for the two of them. It could very well be their last together.

Sieghart seemed to be giving careful thought to even that part of it.

“The trip, then…”

“I remember you said this was your first time in Osrael. I wondered if there was anything you wanted to do there. If you let me know, I’ll keep it in mind.”

Things she wanted to do in Osrael.

She appreciated the thought and gave it a moment of honest consideration, but nothing came to mind.

“I’m not really sure.”

She decided to be honest. But for some reason, Sieghart’s expression dimmed slightly.

Did she sound uninterested? Did he think she didn’t care about the trip?

It wasn’t something she needed to dwell on, yet her heart moved faster than her thoughts, acting on its own.

“I mean, it’s just that this really is my first time in Osrael.”

He said nothing.

“Like you said, I’ve never been there before, so I don’t even know what I want to do. I heard the flowers are beautiful, so maybe we can go see those. I’d like that.”

Her rushed words came out clumsily, scattered. The more she spoke, the more awkward she felt, until all she could do was fidget with the hem of her dress out of embarrassment.

Then, from across the carriage, a quiet sound escaped.

It was faint, but warm. A soft laugh.

Her eyes, which had been fixed on the floor, slowly rose.

And when she looked at him again, she felt as if she wasn’t seeing Sieghart Aschart at all.

The smile on his face seemed so unfamiliar, so sincere, so bright. It belonged to a different person. A boy with a clear, gentle heart.

It felt like she was seeing Enoch Callete.

The awkward tension between them eased, and they began talking more freely.

They shared light conversation, letting the miles pass by.

Then, suddenly, Sieghart went quiet.

The pause wasn’t long, but it was intentional. Natasha waited without interrupting. She could tell he had something to say, and she chose to give him space.

“Natasha.”

When he finally spoke, his voice had grown quieter.

“About what you said yesterday. May I ask how you found out?”

The question was vague, but there was no need to clarify. She knew exactly what he meant.

He wanted to know how she had learned the truth.

How she had come to know the name Enoch Callete.

Natasha took a breath and braced herself.

She had been expecting this.

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