After he was done, Asher stopped, feeling his arms shaking and his chest heaving with exhaustion. His muscles were screaming, begging for rest. Yet he ignored it, knowing that to get stronger, this was just the beginning.
"I guess that is enough for today," he finally admitted, placing the dumbbells back on the rack.
"You think?" Diana scoffed lightly. "I will be surprised if you can walk tomorrow morning. Or even think about coming back to the gym for a few days... This is what happens when someone overdoes it on their first session."
Asher let out a tired laugh, looking at Diana's worried expression. "Are you that concerned about me? Or maybe... you just don't want to miss seeing my handsome face?"
Diana rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the small smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, I've seen enough of your face today... trust me. But it's just bad for business if one of our members hurts themselves because they didn't listen to their instructor... And, well... you don't seem like the type who enjoys asking for help, do you?"
"Not really... I've always preferred doing things on my own," Asher replied honestly, sitting on one of the nearby benches to catch his breath. He leaned back, his head resting against the wall as he tried to recover from the intense workout.
For a moment, there was a pause in their conversation, the only sound around them being the noise of other gym-goers working out. Diana sat next to him, not too close but near enough to let their shoulders brush occasionally.
Asher noticed this small gesture and looked at her from the corner of his eye. Diana had let her hair down now, letting it fall over her chest and shoulders. She still looked just as beautiful, maybe even more with the slight sheen of sweat on her neck.
"Why do you work here anyway? You're clearly not some random receptionist," Asher suddenly asked, turning his head to face her directly. "I mean, your daddy owns this place, right? Why bother greeting members at the front desk when you could just be chilling or doing whatever you want?"
Diana didn't seem surprised that he had figured out her secret. If anything, she just shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "It's simple. My father made it clear. He told me if I want to have a real say in this business, I have to know it from the ground up. To be honest, it's not so bad... I meet interesting people here."
"Interesting, huh? And I'm guessing that's why you approached me so quickly? You thought I looked interesting?"
"Something like that. Though now I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should've let you train on your own... You look like a guy who likes to do things his way, even if it's the hard way."
There was something teasing in Diana's tone, and it didn't escape Asher. But he played along. "You don't regret your choice, do you? Because now you've caught my attention, Diana. And when I set my mind on something... I tend to go after it, hard."
For a moment, she didn't say anything, just staring at him as if weighing his words. Her green eyes scanned his face, her expression serious but curious.
Then, unexpectedly, Diana stood up and stretched, her body language showing she wasn't finished teasing him. "Big words... I'm not sure I'm that easy to catch, Asher. Maybe you should work a little harder to convince me."
She gave him a sly smile before turning to leave. "Come find me tomorrow if you still have the energy after today... Or not, your choice."
As she walked away, her hips swaying with every step, Asher couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Diana was different, that much was certain. She was bold, confident, and didn't take shit from anyone... And that only made him want her more.
With a final glance at her retreating figure, Asher stood up from the bench, ignoring the soreness in his body.
"I guess this training will pay off sooner than I thought," he murmured to himself before heading to the free area, where some people were doing yoga or stretching on the floor.
Without a word, Asher sat down in an empty space and started doing the necessary post-workout stretching, loosening up his tense muscles.
However, it wasn't the only thing he did.
From the memories he had regained, he began to go through certain meditation techniques from his past life... The techniques that helped any mortal gain immense physical and spiritual strength, ones he hadn't had the need to use during his rule as an emperor. Still, he had kept all the ancient knowledge within his mind, and now it came back easily.
At first, those methods required some effort, but the moment Asher found the right rhythm, it felt like he was unlocking a long-forgotten part of himself. The more he concentrated, the less the soreness in his body bothered him, and the recovery of his muscles sped up. The entire atmosphere around him shifted as if an unseen aura was wrapping around his figure.
But to any casual onlooker, Asher was just closing his eyes and meditating after his intense workout... Nobody could notice what was happening on a deeper level.
It didn't take long for the hour to pass, and by the time Asher opened his eyes again, he felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him.
Slowly, he got up, flexing his arms and legs, feeling the muscles no longer screaming with exhaustion.
"Not bad... This method should speed up my progress a lot. Of course, nothing can be done instantly, but it'll be enough to shorten the waiting time..." he chuckled with a confident smirk.
Suddenly, a loud grumbling noise echoed in the gym, making several people look in the direction it came from. Asher himself placed a hand on his stomach, a bit annoyed by the embarrassing sound.
"I forgot about the part where training this technique consumes a lot of energy... Great... now my hunger is through the roof."
Not wasting any more time, Asher made his way back to the changing room, took a quick shower, changed into his casual clothes, and stepped out, his hunger becoming more unbearable with each passing second.
Outside, he spotted the driver who had brought him to the gym earlier waiting near the parking lot. The man quickly bowed his head and rushed to open the car door for him.
"Welcome back, Young Master... Should I drive you back to the mansion?"
"No, not yet... Take me to a good place where I can eat something filling. Preferably something meaty... A lot of meat." Asher replied, sliding into the back seat and leaning against the comfortable leather.
The driver looked at him and gave a slight nod. "Of course, Young Master... I know a good restaurant nearby that serves some excellent dishes. We will be there in a few minutes."