“The weather should be nice tomorrow. What kind of clothes should I wear? Maybe a simple outdoor dress would be better, right? Ah! Shall we pack a lunch too? Eating outside tastes better. Should I bring a parasol? Would the wind make it rather uncomfortable?”
Even though she was full of anticipation and talking about this and that, Killian listened without showing any signs of being annoyed.
“I like clothes that are easy to move. For lunch, whatever you want, it would be better to wear a hat than a parasol.”
“That would be great!”
Excited like a child the day before the picnic, she prepared everything she would wear the next day before dinner. And the next day, fortunately, the weather was very fine. It was perfect weather for yachting.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes! Actually, it took me quite a while to fall asleep, but I slept well.”
“You’re not a child, what are you so excited about?”
“Who, who? Just… It feels good to go to the lake after a long time.”
As soon as she woke up in the morning, ‘Let’s go get some yogurt,’ and even hummed, it’s a secret between Anna and her. In fact, she forgot that Anna was there and hummed it, but Anna’s excited expression was also quite good to see. While the wagon was loaded and Killian briefly went in to retrieve something he had forgotten, Lise appeared while strolling through the garden picking flowers. She greeted her standing in front of the carriage.
“Uh? Where are you going?”
“Ah… to the lake…”
“Lake? Oh, are you going yachting with Killian?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
To be honest, she didn’t want to tell Lise where they were going. Even if it wasn’t Anna or Cliff’s story, Lize wasn’t happy with Killian anymore. But Lise seemed to have no idea what Edith was thinking.
“Killian’s yacht isn’t big, but it’s really beautiful. I went for a few rides and really enjoyed it.”
“Is it so? I’m still looking forward to it.”
“He went fishing when he went with me, but are you fishing today?”
“Oh, no. That’s not it.”
“Sorry. Fishing is really fun too… Be sure to try fishing later.”
“Okay.”
Even then, Lise, who had not left her position, spoke to herself with a somewhat stiff face.
“Sounds fun…”
Haa, when she said such a lonely line with such a pretty face, the listener felt very sorry… Killian came down just as she was still not knowing what to do and laughing lightly.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go… Ah, Lise.”
He also found Lise. She greeted Killian with a smile as fresh as the pink rose in her hand.
“I heard you’re going yachting on Lake Everton?”
“Huh. Edith said she had never been on a yacht before.”
“It will be fun. It seems like it’s been a while since I’ve been on a yacht.”
“Hmm? Didn’t you go riding Cliff’s yacht in early summer?”
“That’s Cliff’s yacht.”
What Lise wanted to say was so clear that it was difficult to ignore.
‘I want to go too.’
But she didn’t know if this was her qualifications, but she thought it was an awkward reaction for the character Lise Sinclair to do, as she felt before.
‘Lize Sinclair, who is already inclined toward Cliff, says he dares to join me and Killian on an outing…?’
While she questioned Lise’s behavior, Killian grinned and stroked Lise’s head.
“Let’s go together next time.”
That was a clear rejection of Lise’s request. Edith was shocked inside and just looked at the two of them alternately, but Lise smiled casually and nodded her head.
“Really? I think it would be so much fun even if the four of us went together.”
“I know. Come on in. You will catch a cold.”
“Yes, then… Edith, have fun too. Take care of yourself.”
“Thank you, Lise. I’ll be back.”
She forcibly smiled brightly and waved her hand at her, and Killian only watched Lise turn around before turning towards Edith.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah, yes…”
Escorted by Killian, she climbed into the carriage. It’s subtle, but everything is different from the beginning of the wedding. The time Lise and Killian made eye contact, the nuances of their conversation, the time they looked at the other person’s back when they turned around, the temperature of their gaze… Nothing was the same as before. Were Lise and Killian aware of that? She thought about his change that she might be able to rejoice in peace for a while, but as soon as she saw Lake Everton out of the carriage window, all the thoughts in her mind were blown away.
“Killian! It’s a lake!”
“Yes, I know.”
“Oh, my god! And…! There are many ships!”
“Because most of the nobles’ yachts are moored here.”
“Some people are already on yachts!”
“When I go on a yacht, I usually come early. It hurts. Don’t pull yourself out.”
Killian pulled her, ready to jump out of the wagon window. And from then on, Killian held her hand tight, like a daddy with his little baby. She was distracted from looking around. If Killian hadn’t been holding her hand, she was sure he would have fallen over and over again.
“Oh! Isn’t that the second son of the Ludwig family?”
“Right. Long time no see, Killian.”
People who recognized Killian greeted him instead of boarding the yacht. Thanks to that, she held onto her spirit to scatter in all directions and showed a smile befitting a daughter-in-law of the Ludwig family. There was no doubt that the eyes looking at her with Killian’s arms crossed had an aura of ‘exploration’. Yes, it’s surprising that Killian brought only her and not Lise. She was curious too.
They made their way through the greetings of the people around them and finally reached the yacht.
“Wow…! Cool…!”
Killian’s boasting about his yacht wasn’t bluffing. There were several yachts larger than his, but none seemed more beautiful. The white and dark wood color of the yacht looked very sturdy. In addition, it must have been well maintained, and there was no place where the paint was peeling or rusted.
“When you get on board, you have to be alert. If you don’t do it wrong, you may fall into the water.”
“All right.”
“…You’re not trustworthy at all.”
“If I’m not trustworthy, you catch me. Then it will work.”
She laughed at him as if teasing him and climbed onto the yacht as he guided her.
“Are you here, lady?”
On the yacht, the yacht manager, Samuel, was on board. He was a man in his mid-50s, with a shaggy beard, but a very good impression.
“Isn’t the yacht all right?”
Killian, who followed her, asked Samuel. Samuel nodded his head with a very proud face.
“Sure. Yesterday, I checked every little thing, and there was nothing wrong. This guy must have been impatient because he wanted to run for a long time. Ha ha ha!”
She could tell from Samuel’s expression that he loved his job as a yacht manager.
“Then let’s go.”
At Killian’s command, Samuel bowed confidently and entered the cockpit. And after a while, the yacht began to move gracefully like a swan on the surface of the calm Lake Everton.
“Uh! It moved! It’s moving, Killian!”
“Since it has been ordered to depart, it is only natural that we move.”
“Wow…”
It was a windless day, but she could feel the cool breeze on the moving yacht. The panoramic view of Lake Everton, where the forest that has not yet turned leaves meets the blue water surface, was beautiful, and the laughter of people enjoying boating in the distance decorated the happy time. She leaned on the boat with Killian and stared blankly at the beautiful sight. She never imagined that she would be able to capture such a beautiful scenery with her eyes.
“It is so beautiful.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
Killian wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and gave her a little hug. She didn’t know because she was excited, but the air was a bit cold, and the jacket with his body heat left over felt very warm. She turned her head towards Killian as he was looking at her.
‘Um… For some reason, it seems like the right time to kiss…’
Beautiful nature, time tinged with happiness, and a man and a woman close together. Wasn’t it just a good picture? She quietly closed her eyes right in front of his face. Then, right above her head, an absurd sound of laughter rang out.
“What are you doing?”
This… She thought it was the right timing to kiss, but she guessed it wasn’t Killian. But it was too embarrassing to open her eyes like this. So she whispered with her eyes closed.
“Don’t break the mood and do it quickly.”
“What do you mean?”
“A man who doesn’t know what to do with a woman with her eyes closed in his arms is really…”
Before she could finish her words, Killian pressed his lips over hers. Their lips were hot, so she just squeezed the hem of his shirt. Killian also held on to her shoulders and waist and only caressed her. Maybe it’s because it’s been a long time since they kissed, so she was ecstatic as if she was going to lose her mind. But they were sitting on a yacht, and even Samuel was with them. So they barely parted their lips, which were still trying to cling to each other.
“Don’t forget this. When we go home we will continue.”
Killian said softly as he pecked a short kiss on her lips as if he was sorry. She smiled and nodded lightly at him. Really, it was a perfect day.
They stopped the yacht in the middle of the lake and invited Samuel over for lunch. Sandwiches and fruit juice in baskets were perfect for a light lunch.
How do you feel?
