Chapter 19
Isolde lowered her head and glanced at the white paper. It was written with the address of a cemetery
Could it be that his sister had already passed away? But what did her death have to do with her father? Isolde knew Anthony well enough that he would never harm a young girl
Knowing that the two wouldn’t reveal much, Isolde didn’t press them further and stayed silent on the way to the Lavirins residence]
Returning to this familiar place, Isolde’s heart was filled with mixed emotions
Jordan politely asked, “Madam, would you like to go inside?”
“No, I’ll wait for him here,” she replied
Her final encounter with Askhan was limited to their divorce proceedings, and she didn’t want to complicate things. Every tree and every stone in this place carried memories of the two of them, and she didn’t want to reopen old wounds
If she had to blame someone, it would be the man who once held her close, afraid of losing her, and cherished her in his hands.
Even though he had become increasingly cold, she couldn’t help but remember the good times.
Although she should despise him, she couldn’t bring herself to harden her heart]
The car’s engine remained running, providing her with warmth. Isolde was alone in the car, and her stomach began to hurt again. She curled up into a ball, clutching her knees tightly, crouching on the seat, waiting for dawn
In winter, the days grew dark early, and the mornings were late to brighten up. Even though it was past 7 AM, the sky was still dim and foggy.
The leaves of the persimmon trees in the yard had long fallen, and her thoughts drifted back to the past
During the season when the fruits of the persimmon tree ripened, she wanted to eat persimmon, pumpkin seeds, and chicken noodle soup. He climbed the persimmon tree in the yard, which was over ten meters tall, and shook the fruits for her
The green leaves rustled down like a golden rain, just for her
At that time, Askhan was approachable, and he was an excellent cook who doted on het
As she reminisced, she didn’t realize when she had walked alone to that tree. The persimmon tree remained, but everything else had changed.]]
The leaves had long since fallen, and only a few dry leaves clung to the branches, just like the precarious state of her relationship with Askhan.
Askhan walked out of the villa and was met with this scone
A girl in a thin sweater stood under the tree, with the cold wind rustling her hair.]
Today, contrary to the past few days of bad weather, the first rays of morning sunlight fell on her face. Her skin was nearly translucent, like a fading goddess
Her hands were still wrapped in gauze, and oddly, she was still wearing last night’s clothes, looking exhausted[]
“Askhan,” she didn’t turn around but knew he had arrived!]
“Yes,” he replied.]]
Isolde slowly turned around and her gaze fell upon the tall man. They were so close, yet they had become works apart
I want to taste the persimmon, pumpkin seed, and chicken noodle soup you used to make.”||
Askhan’s dark pupils flashed a hint of surprise, and in the next second, he responded coldly. “It’s past the season for persimmon fruit, Isolde
Jon’t waste your time.”
solde’s eyes reddened, and she muttered, “Can’t I have one last request before our divorce?“]
After three months apart, she had seemingly changed a lot.]
He spoke, “If you want to taste it, wait till next year, the fruit is not fresh“]
Next year…]
Isolde reached out and touched the rough bark of the tree. She probably wouldn’t have to wait until next year.[]
“Askhan.
do you t
“Yes,” he replied.]]
hate me this much?”
She turned to look at him and whispered. Then, would you be happy if I were dead?“||
Doom!
Isolde’s words seemed to thunderously strike his heart. Askhan felt a deafening roar in his head, momentarily losing his composure
After a moment, he regained his composure and said coldly. “It’s just a soup. Come inside.”
Isolde watched him walk away, and a slight smile played on her lips.
Askhan, are you still afraid of my death?
A vengeful thought rose in her mind. She suddenly wondered what his expression would be if he heard of her death one day.
Would he be happy or sad?
In the fridge were some frozen persimmon fruits that had been saved from last year. Askhan efficiently took out the ingredients and started to thaw them.
Watching him work inside the kitchen, Isolde only felt a deep sense of sorrow. This would probably be the last time he would cook for her
That’s alright
It’s like leaving behind a memory.
Isolde roasted sweet potatoes in front of the fireplace. The scent of the sweet potatoes wafted through the room.
In previous winters, she would squat in this spot, roasting sweet potatoes, and the old lady, Mrs. Lavirins, the fragrance. The old lady treated her well, like her own granddaughter:
would always come when she smelled
Unfortunately, she passed away two years ago, and the elderly Mr. Lavirins, not wanting to grieve day and night, had moved abroad
The once warın inansson was now cold and empty. The sweet potatoes remained sweet and fragrant, but without the old lady to share them with, holde felt a lack of enthusiasm |]
After eating the roasted sweet pota
potatoes and drinking a glass of warm water, her stomachache subsided somewhat.
As the kitchen’s aroma waited over, Isolde got up and saw Askhan put the soup
pinto a thermos and then scooped some into a bowl.
She couldn’t help but glance at the delicious looking soup, but she had lost her appetite.
“It’s getting late. Let’s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau,” Isolde said.
“Aren’t you going to drink the soup?” he asked, his handsome brows showing a hint of anger.
“I don’t want to,” she replied.]
In the past, she had been quite stubborn, and he had always patiently appeased her.
Now, he just looked at her for a moment, and without a word, he poured the soup down the sink. Without any expression, he walked past her. saying, “Let’s go
Askhan handed the thermos to Jordan. “Take this to the Noble Springs Residence.”
“Yes. Mr. Lavirins.”
It was only now that Isolde realized that there was no way to salvage their relationship
Their perseverance over the past year
turned into a farce.
She walked briskly to the car. As she passed the persimmon tree, a gust of cold wind blew. The last few leaves that had ching to the tree finally fell away
Isolde caught the lifeless leaf in her open hand and whispered, “What are we holding on to?”
She casually dropped it and stepped on it with her foot, crushing the fragile lear
As the car door closed, even with the heater inside, the twn of them sat on opposite sides, and a chilling aura emanated from them]
The journey to the Civil Affairs Bureau was smooth, with no traffic jams along the way. Every street had green lights, as if even the heavens were opening a backdoor for their divorce
They turned into the next street, and the car arrived at their destination. Askhan’s phone rang, and a voice filled with urgency came from the other end. “Askhan, Jamie’s fever won’t go down. I didn’t want to bother you, but just now, it reached 39 degrees, and I’m so scared. Please come over quickly…]
“I’m coming right away.”
Askhan hung up the phone and then turned to face Isolde, her eyes filled with bitterness and hatred.
She asked, one word at a time, “What is that child’s name?”
