CHAPTER 92……………………………………………..
The first to start was Ivelina.
A few minutes later, her fishing rod twitched and moved.
Startled, she widened her eyes and quickly grabbed the rod.
As Ivelina fumbled, Arsen, who was beside her, stepped in to help.
Though it took some effort because the fish was strong, fortunately, it was eventually pulled above the surface.
“Wow…!”
Her eyes sparkled.
It was huge.
Now it was understandable why it had been so hard to reel it in.
“It’s really big!”
“Indeed. Quite impressive.”
When Arsen complimented her, Ivelina smiled shyly.
The fish flapped vigorously.
They placed it in a pre-filled container of water and waited for the next catch.
That day, they caught an unusually large number of fish.
Almost all of them were caught by Ivelina.
Karina, attempting to handle a fish on her own when it took the bait, misjudged her strength and snapped her rod in two.
“This rod normally won’t break with ordinary force… quite impressive,” Arsen said with a neutral expression.
Embarrassed, Karina cleared the broken rod aside with a cough and gave up on fishing.
She didn’t have a spare rod, and besides, fishing wasn’t really her style.
Once they had caught enough fish for a single meal, Arsen gathered up the rods.
“I think that’s enough for now.”
“That was so much fun!”
Ivelina laughed joyfully, proudly looking at the container full of fish.
Every single one was big, promising a hearty meal for today.
As she stared at the fish, a sudden thought occurred, and she asked Arsen,
“Arsen, do you know how to clean fish too?”
“Of course,” Arsen replied, nodding as he tidied up the area.
Ivelina asked seriously,
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
“I can’t not love you.”
Karina pretended not to hear, skillfully avoiding the remark.
She still wasn’t used to having such a hopelessly romantic son.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“How can you say that in front of your mother!”
“I was simply speaking the truth,” Arsen said, shrugging nonchalantly.
Looking at him now, she realized just how thick-skinned he was.
To say something so embarrassingly sweet as if it were nothing… it was impressive.
Once Arsen finished putting away the fishing rods, he said to her,
“Shall we go see the fish? The sea water is incredibly clear.”
At his words, Ivelina peeked down.
From a distance during fishing, she hadn’t realized how clear it was, but now the water was so transparent she could see all the way to the bottom.
“Really… I can even see the coral reefs,” she said.
Her gaze naturally shifted to the swimming fish.
Fish of all colors darted about, weaving through the coral.
Just watching the fish and the reefs, time flew by.
Before they knew it, it was almost lunchtime, and Arsen turned the boat around.
Ivelina momentarily wore a disappointed expression.
Seeing this, Karina said to her,
“Let’s come out again tomorrow. If you bring sandwiches or something to eat, we can watch even longer.”
“Yes, Mother.”
When the boat reached the shore, Ivelina carefully held Arsen’s hand as she stepped off.
On the way to the villa, she asked him,
“What are we going to cook?”
“I plan to grill it simply, with a tangy sauce on the side.”
Thinking of delicious grilled fish made her stomach growl.
“I’ll let you know when it’s ready, so you can rest,” he added.
“Alright,” she nodded obediently, knowing she wouldn’t actually be able to help him anyway.
Arsen went inside, and Karina spoke.
“There’s a large swing in the backyard. Want to go there?”
“Sure, Mother.”
Ivelina and Karina slowly made their way to the backyard.
As Karina said, there was indeed a massive swing.
The swing, as white as snow, was adorned with climbing roses.
In front of it, many flowers bloomed, making it delightful to look at.
“When did you make this?”
“Right after buying the villa. Do you like it?”
“It’s really beautiful. I’ve never seen such a pretty swing.”
The climbing roses around the swing had all their thorns removed, making it completely safe.
Ivelina lightly tapped the bright red roses and carefully sat on the swing.
Karina sat beside her.
A canopy above the swing kept the sun from being bothersome.
As she gently moved her feet, the swing rocked softly back and forth.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. I wish we had one in the North too.”
“Then we’ll make one. When children are born, it’ll be fun to swing together.”
Enjoying the breeze, Ivelina suddenly asked,
“Mother, did you know that Arsen met me when he was little?”
“Yes. At first, he said he met a fairy.”
“…A fairy?”
Ivelina’s eyes widened.
Karina chuckled and nodded.
“At first, I thought it was a ridiculous story. But on the day you became an adult, Arsen came holding your portrait, saying he wanted to marry you.”
“Oh, the portrait…”
A painter had once come to the mansion to paint her portrait.
No one ever explained why, so she had given up, never imagining that the portrait had ended up with Arsen.
“When he suddenly said he wanted to marry, I asked if it was the same fairy from before, and he said yes.”
“….”
Ivelina’s cheeks flushed at the word “fairy.”
“That’s when I realized Arsen was such a hopeless romantic,” Karina said.
“R-Really?”
“Yes. Since there were no women around him, I wondered if he liked men or had some issue with love life.”
Ivelina’s pupils dilated at Karina’s blunt words.
“Was it really true that no women were around him?”
“Yes. Even when young ladies visited, he treated them coldly, claiming he had no time. He never exchanged personal conversation beyond what was necessary.”
Karina shook her head and sighed lightly.
“Still, I was relieved when I saw he wanted to marry you—so clearly there was no problem.”
“I see…”
Ivelina forced an awkward smile.
As they talked, a delicious aroma wafted toward them.
Ivelina got up and said,
“Arsen must have almost finished.”
“Seems like it. Let’s go inside,” Karina replied.
Following her, they entered the villa.
The savory smell was stronger inside, making her mouth water instantly.
Sensing her arrival, Arsen appeared from the kitchen.
Interestingly, the kitchen and dining area in this villa weren’t separated; the table was just beside the kitchen.
So Arsen could notice Ivelina approaching.
“Perfect timing,” he said.
Since Arsen had already pulled out the chair, Ivelina could sit comfortably.
He went back inside briefly.
A short while later, he returned holding a plate.
“I’m not sure if it will suit your taste.”
Ivelina looked at the plate before her.
A golden-brown grilled fish was topped with a tangy sauce.
“It smells amazing,” she said, her voice full of excitement as she picked up her fork and knife.
Since yesterday’s meal had been delicious, she knew today would be no different.
Her expectations were spot-on.
The perfectly grilled fish melted in her mouth, and the sauce complemented it flawlessly.
“This is incredible!” she said, beaming.
“Glad you like it,” Arsen said, letting a slight smile show for the first time.
Karina also looked satisfied.
“Next time, I’ll make a meal for you,” she said.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Clenching her fists in determination, Ivelina said,
“I’ll practice cooking a lot so I won’t lose to you.”
Arsen chuckled at her cuteness, watching her eat with a contented expression.
It was already the last day of their trip.
Though she had gone to bed early, Ivelina couldn’t fall asleep easily.
She didn’t move much for fear of waking Arsen but kept her eyes open.
He seemed asleep, breathing evenly.
Careful not to wake him, Ivelina slipped from his arms and put on her shoes.
Glancing back, she saw him sleeping soundly.
She quietly left the room and headed toward the garden.
“There are so many stars tonight.”
Ivelina sat on the swing, gazing at the star-filled night sky with a wistful expression.
Lost in the sky, she suddenly felt a soft touch on her shoulder.
Startled, she turned to see Arsen draping a shawl over her shoulders.
As she tried to stand, he gently pressed her down to sit again.
“Arsen, did I wake you?”
“No, I often wake up at dawn anyway.”
“Really? I didn’t notice because I was asleep,” she said with an embarrassed smile.
Arsen cautiously sat beside her.
“Do you feel sad?”
“Hmm… a little? I’ll come again later, but I still feel a bit sad,” Ivelina said with a faint smile, looking up at the sky again.
After a long silence, Arsen spoke.
“When the child is born… we’ll come back all together. Then it’ll be fun for you and me to cook together, right?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll need to practice a lot if I don’t want to lose to you in cooking,” she said, gently stroking her belly.
She was eager to see the child.
She thought it would be fine if the child resembled both of them equally, but if possible, she hoped it looked more like Arsen.
Then a sudden question occurred to her, and she asked him,
“I’m curious about something, Arsen.”
“What is it?”
He tilted his head.
Thinking carefully, Ivelina spoke slowly.
