Initially, it was difficult to leave, but eventually, Alexander agreed because of Meri’s encouragement. The middle-aged woman was very enthusiastic and even facilitated the departure of her son and daughter-in-law. To be honest, Alexander had been dreaming of an atmosphere like Casandra’s village for a long time. He loved its charming ambiance and cool air. Throughout the journey, Alexander couldn’t take his eyes off the vast expanse of rice fields and the blue mountains in the distance. The green hills were so inviting, seemingly within reach.
Suddenly, Alexander stopped his car. They were in a rural area surrounded by rice fields, and the road was not paved, just covered with small gravel. This prevented Alexander from driving the car as fast as on regular roads. “Why did you stop, Sir?” asked Casandra as she realized Alexander had stopped the car in this rural area. As the one who knew the route to her house, Casandra deliberately chose this road as it was faster, despite the road not being paved yet.
Alexander didn’t respond to Casandra’s question. Instead, he got out of the car with his usual expressionless face. Casandra became afraid, fearing her husband might be angry with her for choosing this road. After getting out of the car, Alexander stood leaning against the car, gazing into the distance with an expression that Casandra couldn’t decipher. Casandra became anxious, wondering if he might leave her in this deserted area because he didn’t like the road covered with small gravel.
“What’s wrong, Sir? Do you want to leave me here?” Casandra instantly voiced her inner thoughts, deciding it’s better to express herself rather than busy herself with guessing what her husband might be thinking. Alexander, who had been silent until then, suddenly turned to look at her. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Casandra, who stared back at him anxiously.
“Why would you think I’d leave you here?” Alexander asked in return.
“Well, who knows you don’t like the road here. It’s still covered with gravel. I mean, the road isn’t smooth,” Casandra explained.
Alexander looked at the road he had just driven on. “I don’t mind the road,” he said.
“Then, why did you stop the car?” Casandra asked curiously.
Once again, Alexander didn’t answer. Casandra, who had grown accustomed to her husband’s demeanor, waited for his response. She observed Alexander, whose eyes were fixed on the towering mountain in the distance. From the look in his eyes, it seemed Alexander was admiring the beauty of the mountain.
Having a husband who didn’t talk much and had a reserved attitude made Casandra busy trying to figure out what Alexander might be thinking. Judging from his current behavior, it seemed Alexander had intentionally stopped the car to admire the natural scenery in Casandra’s village.
“Do you like it here? I mean, do you like the view in this village?” Casandra asked.
Alexander, who had been silent for a while, turned to look at her and then nodded slightly. A faint smile appeared on his face, relieving Casandra. At least she knew Alexander wasn’t angry and wouldn’t leave her alone in this secluded rice field area just because she chose this unpaved road.
“Um, if you don’t mind, there’s a place to enjoy the view of the mountain more comfortably. Instead of standing here. If I’m not mistaken, there’s a newly opened cafe with a natural ambiance. Next to the cafe, there’s a rice field, so we can enjoy the rural atmosphere while looking at the mountain view in the distance. Well, that is if you…” Casandra didn’t have a chance to finish speaking as Alexander suddenly held her hand. Casandra blinked, feeling overwhelmed by Alexander’s unexpected action. Her cheeks turned red, indicating her slight embarrassment.
“Let’s go there,” Alexander said, then invited Casandra back into the car.
Casandra’s heart fluttered due to her husband’s gesture. Alexander could be a bit curt, but sometimes, his actions were hard to predict. That’s why Casandra had to make an effort to understand her husband, who didn’t talk much.
Metaphorically, Alexander was like a walking puzzle. Since Casandra didn’t know the solution, she had to struggle to figure it out on her own to better understand her husband, who was not very talkative.
Finally, Casandra showed the way to the cafe she had mentioned. Her village was no longer backward like before. Now, there were many trendy places to visit, where the villagers or tourists from the city or even abroad could relax.
Casandra herself had never had a chance to go to the popular places that had become tourist attractions in her village. Besides not having enough time, she was busy with work. That’s why going to places like this had been just a dream for her.
But not anymore. Since she became Alexander’s wife, even as the second wife, Casandra could finally “taste” the places that she had only been able to look at from the outside before.
“Here it is.” Casandra pointed to a cafe with a signboard that read ‘Resto Nawa’. The name was indeed unique. Rumor had it that the owner of the restaurant was named Nawa, hence the name.
“Do you come here often?” Alexander asked as he parked the car.
With embarrassment, Casandra shook her head. “I’ve never been here, Sir. The food in this place is too expensive for someone like me.” Casandra grimaced. It felt shameful to admit that she belonged to the lower-income group, which is why she had never been able to go there.
Alexander nodded. “Just order whatever food you like. I’ll pay for it.”
Their relationship was already that of a husband and wife, so Casandra shouldn’t hesitate to ask for things. However, she still felt odd to request something from Alexander, who was her employer before and was considered her boss.
“Alright, Sir.” Casandra smiled, her face brightening. She became curious about the menu there.
For a long time, Casandra had wanted to dine in a rice field area. The concept of this restaurant was to blend with nature. Thus, there were several tables and chairs set up in the rice field area with a view of the lush paddies. Visitors could dine there, of course, with the condition not to engage in any activities that could potentially harm the rice field area.
After ordering, Casandra intentionally chose two portions of beef steak. They had their meal in the rice field area. Alexander seemed content with the view offered. From where they sat, he could see the stretch of paddy fields nearby, as well as the green mountains and hills in the distance.