Chapter 230
“Mmm, yes, I remember seeing you not long ago.”
The old woman recognized Ashtel immediately. With her bright, sun-golden hair and vivid crimson eyes set in a delicately shaped face, there was no mistaking her.
‘And besides, her husband is quite handsome too.’
The doctor eyed Payne, who stood quietly at Ashtel’s side.
He really did look like he’d stepped out of a painting. When the couple first moved to the village, he’d seemed gloomy, but over time he’d filled out and his complexion had brightened, making his good looks even more apparent.
‘He must have found the right match.’
Thinking so, she led them into the clinic.
But that’s when she heard something completely unexpected from Ashtel.
“What? You two aren’t married yet?”
The old woman’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Ashtel stared in fascination at the woman’s gapped teeth, then quickly composed herself.
“Oh, no, we’re not. That’s why I wanted to ask—do you have any advice on proposing?”
“Wait, you mean…!”
A jolt went through the old woman’s neck. She’d thought this was a sweet, virtuous couple, but now it sounded like the ‘groom’ had seduced an unmarried girl before even marrying her.
‘I guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover.’
The woman clicked her tongue. Leaning in, she whispered to Ashtel,
“Miss, you shouldn’t be the one proposing! That’s the job for the shameless who’s already taken advantage of you!”
Judging by the way they were living together, she’d just assumed the wedding would happen soon, but now it seemed odd they hadn’t had a ceremony yet.
Hearing the old woman say that, Ashtel’s expression turned strangely thoughtful.
‘So only a shameless person is supposed to propose?’
Ashtel, who still lacked a lot of human common sense, at least knew how proposals usually worked—a man kneeling down and singing love songs, asking a woman to spend her life with him.
But she’d never realized it was because he’d been a shameless bastard or something like that.
‘I didn’t know that.’
If that were true, Ashtel felt she had even more reason to propose to Payne—after all, she was the one who’d led him astray.
After a moment’s hesitation, she admitted part of the truth.
“Actually, I was the one who seduced Payne first.”
“Come again?”
“And I took his first time, too.”
“…What?”
The old woman’s mouth fell open again. She hadn’t expected Ashtel for the type, but it turned out she was every bit as bold as a succubus.
“Is that weird?”
“No, no… it’s not weird.”
Honestly, Ashtel had assumed the old woman already knew all this, since she’d visited their home before, and had come for advice because of that.
‘She really doesn’t know anything, does she?’
If she’d come to their house, surely she’d have noticed the two bedrooms—or maybe she just didn’t look that closely?
The truth was, the doctor had seen all the marks Payne left on Ashtel’s body and never questioned a thing, assuming they were just an ardent young couple.
Unaware of all this, Ashtel waited eagerly for the old woman’s advice.
“If you’ve already done the deed, proposing should be easy. Why not just say you’re pregnant?”
“What? But I can’t lie!”
“Tsk,tsk. You’re an honest one, aren’t you?”
Oh, honest—that was a new one. Ashtel grinned at the compliment, then stiffened when she heard a cough from outside the door.
“Aren’t you done with the check-up yet?”
“Oh—Payne, just a little longer!”
She’d sent him outside under the pretense of an exam, wanting a private chat with the doctor.
Realizing she was running out of time, Ashtel asked again,
“Is there any other way?”
“Hmm…”
The old woman thought for a moment, then clapped her hands.
“There’s a lovely lake just behind the village…”
As she began to describe her idea in a low voice, Ashtel’s eyes grew rounder and rounder.
A few minutes later, she was clutching the old woman’s hands and bouncing with excitement.
“Yes! Thank you, Grandma! I’ll never forget your kindness!”
“Go on, then.”
Laughter bubbled up from the exam room. Payne, almost against his will, drifted toward the door—then quickly stepped back, embarrassed by his own nosiness.
‘What am I, some kind of sneak thief?’
He shook his head, fidgeting with his sleeve as he listened to Ashtel’s cheerful voice.
He wondered what could have made her sound so happy, and maybe, just maybe, wished he could be part of that conversation.
‘…What’s gotten into me?’
Payne rubbed the back of his neck, and finally called out again, this time more urgently if she had finished her treatment or not.
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