Darwin awoke from his sleep. Gathering his awareness while blinking his eyes, he keenly felt how his left arm was tingling and sore.
As he slowly lowered his gaze, Darwin was immediately surprised. There was Veronica, currently sleeping in a position where she was hugging his body.
The woman’s breaths sounded very steady. Her peaceful face indicated that her sleep must be quite sound at the moment.
Darwin slowly attempted to pull his arm and body away from Veronica’s embrace. But instead of letting go, she reflexively tightened her hug even more. This left Darwin even more perplexed and ultimately forced him to wake her up.
“Veronica…” the man whispered. “Veronica Ashborne. Wake up quickly,” he gently commanded, occasionally patting his wife’s cheek.
Veronica didn’t pay any attention whatsoever. It’s possible she didn’t hear. Or perhaps her sleep was so deep that she wasn’t aware her husband had been trying to wake her up.
As Darwin remembered, the two of them did indeed spend time talking until one in the morning. Maybe, due to staying up too late, his wife ended up oversleeping this morning.
“Veronica…” Darwin called once again. He kept trying to wake her. Not for anything specific. His hand was starting to cramp, even starting to tingle now. “Wake up quickly and move away from me.”
Finally, Veronica seemed to stretch. Slowly opening her eyes, the woman mumbled softly.
“Why again, Win? You’re being so noisy. I’m still sleepy. So, please, just let me sleep for a while.”
“I’m not stopping you from sleeping,” Darwin replied. “It’s just that, could you take a look at your current sleeping position?”
Veronica sounded really audible sighs. Honestly, she’s still really sleepy. And just when she wanted to enjoy her rest time, her husband had to go and bother her.
Because she didn’t feel like arguing, Veronica slowly opened her eyes. A moment later, she looked up and shot a sharp look right at her husband.
“What’s wrong with my sleeping position? Is something off?”
Darwin let out a soft sigh. Veronica’s nonchalant behavior surprised him. She even seemed so relaxed about it.
Darwin couldn’t believe it. He was a regular guy. No matter what, if Veronica treated him like this, all the defenses he’d built up would crumble.
“You still don’t get it? Take another look. You’re hugging my body right now. Not a pillow or a bolster.”
“Fine, whatever, Win,” Veronica replied casually. “I’m too lazy to move. Besides, it’s totally fine if I cuddle you like this, right? After all, you’re my husband.”
Darwin was taken aback. He wasn’t sure about Veronica’s response. He even briefly thought that maybe she was only half awake.
“Huh? What? What did you just say? Just let it be? Weren’t you the one who warned not to touch each other yesterday? Why the sudden change? You’re never consistent, huh? You really like-”
“Shh…” Veronica cut him off right then. She deliberately interrupted her husband’s lengthy ramble. Even though Darwin was a guy, he talked more than a woman. He had a hobby of complaining and commenting on others.
“You’re making such a fuss. We can talk about this later. I’m still sleepy, Win.”
“Fine, just sleep. But move over. Also, my arm is getting cramped from being your headrest.”
Veronica grumbled lazily. Reluctantly, she lifted her body slightly, shifted her position, and then continued sleeping without saying much. She purposely ignored Darwin, who could only shake his head in disbelief at his wife’s behavior.
Now that he was free from Veronica’s grip, Darwin decided to slowly slip out of bed and head to the bathroom. Instead of waiting for Veronica, who was still asleep, he thought it would be a good idea to freshen up and get ready.
Since he didn’t have any meetings or tasks scheduled for the day, Darwin had decided to take Veronica around the best places in Malaysia. He had a reason for this. He wanted to project an image in front of Damian. He aimed to build an image as a romantic husband, an attentive husband, a husband who protected his wife, and all those perfect husband qualities.
After completing his morning routine, he approached Veronica again. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently woke up his wife.
“Ve… wake up,” he called, shaking her arm. “Come on, wake up. It’s already eight o’clock. You need to shower and have breakfast.”
Veronica lazily stretched and flexed her muscles for a moment. She straightened her body, then leaned back against the headboard for a while, probably gathering her energy. After a moment, she spoke.
“So, are you actually planning to take me out?”
Those were the first words Darwin heard from Veronica’s mouth. He sighed and responded immediately.
“Remember that I’m taking you out.”
“But you did promise.”
“Well, then hurry up and shower. It’s such a hassle to wake you up,” he complained. “And I’m already starving, waiting for you to finally get up.”
“Why not just eat first?” Veronica replied without a care.
“And leave your dad wondering why I’m having breakfast alone? Why I’m not having breakfast with Veronica? Why this, why that?”
Veronica chuckled. This time of day was definitely breakfast time. She was also pretty sure that if Darwin went to the restaurant alone for breakfast, he’d likely run into her dad there.
“You could order room service for breakfast,” Veronica teased.
“Ah, that’s too much of a hassle. It’s better to eat at the restaurant. There are so many options. Now, hurry up and shower. We need to be downstairs in 15 minutes, no matter what.”
Veronica just nodded. She dragged her feet off the bed and lazily made her way to the bathroom. This morning, she had no choice but to quickly shower to avoid getting scolded by Darwin.
After showering, dressing up, and putting on a light layer of makeup, she followed her husband to the restaurant. As she expected, Damian and Sean were already there. They were both enjoying their breakfast at the same table.
Even her father, upon seeing her and Darwin arrive, waved and invited them to join. While Veronica approached her father, Darwin decided to wander around and fetch some food.
“How are you feeling today, dear? Are you much better now?” Damian asked as Veronica sat beside him.
Veronica nodded.
“I was fine from the beginning, Dad. You’re the one going overboard, talking about seeing a doctor and all that.”
Damian smiled. He brought his hand up and lovingly ruffled his daughter’s hair. It was natural to worry; Veronica was his only soulmate. She was the precious gem he had tirelessly protected and cared for.
“It’s called being concerned. Of course, Papa was worried.”
“But Darwin has been taking good care of me, Dad. So, no need to worry so much.”
Damian nodded, then took a sip of the jasmine tea in his cup. Meanwhile, Sean, who had previously excused himself to get dessert, was now crossing paths with Darwin, who was selecting his food. Observing Darwin’s choices, Sean felt inclined to comment.
“Mr. Darwin is picking breakfast for Mrs. Veronica?” Sean suddenly asked.
Darwin turned his head and nodded.
“Yes, I’m choosing a breakfast she can enjoy.” He then picked up a bowl of Zupa Soup that was specially served on the buffet table.
“Compared to Creamy or Western dishes like this, Mrs. Veronica prefers fried rice, coconut rice, or chicken porridge for breakfast, Mr. Darwin. For dinner alone, she likes sushi, steak, or Chinese food.”
Darwin fell silent, thinking. No wonder Veronica preferred cooking substantial breakfasts at home rather than toast, sandwiches, or other simple meals. He also just found out that his wife preferred Chinese food over Western food.
“Sean really knows Veronica’s habits well, huh?” Darwin remarked afterwards.
“N-no, not really, Sir,” Sean responded nervously, realizing his words might have made Darwin uncomfortable. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just sharing what I know.”
“Well, I sincerely appreciate your sharing. It’s really helpful,” Darwin replied in a casual tone. For some reason, he always felt a bit uneasy around Sean.
Darwin then placed the Zupa Soup he was holding back on the table and walked over to another table. Fortunately, fried rice was on the menu that morning at the restaurant. So, Darwin chose that option to bring back to his wife.
“Is this for me?” Veronica asked as she received the plate from Sean.
“Yeah, that’s yours,” Darwin confirmed, then sat right in front of his wife.
Damian, who had been observing the attention Darwin was giving his daughter, smiled and spontaneously responded, “I’m really happy to see Darwin being so attentive to Veronica. He even knows what kind of food his wife likes.”
Darwin grinned. Whether he liked it or not, it seemed he had to thank Sean, as his advice had earned him praise from his father-in-law today.
“It’s only natural for a husband to give his full attention to his wife, right, dear?” Darwin replied, then turned to Veronica, gazing at her meaningfully.
***