78 As Far Apart as the Universe Is Wide

Two people idly sat beside a small lake and quietly enjoyed the gentle caress of the wind on their faces. It was a peaceful, isolated place that had been left untouched by the ravages of war and the taint of civilization.

Aside from the cottage house, nothing else had been built upon the pure, virgin land. It all looked the same as the day that Velvund and Emma had discovered it.

Reed slowly swung his feet in the lake's clear waters and enjoyed the simple pleasure it brought with Velvund. They watched the roaming clouds and passed the time describing what they looked like to them.

It's like the Evergreen Estate in nature — isolated from the world — but even purer than that.

When he looked back and the modest cottage, a small smile formed on his face.

No big, gaudy mansion. No servants or butlers. No titles or ranks.

This a home for two people; that was it. Nothing more.