It was past six in the morning. The sun had risen as the car traveled along the coastal road of Boljoon. They had already passed Eli Rock and were now on the straight, paved road beside the blue ocean. The waves gently lapped at the shore, and Lamech could smell the moss on the rocks.
He occasionally glanced at Azora, who was staring out the window. She hadn’t spoken since getting into the car back at the mansion. He hadn’t forced her to talk and let her enjoy the beautiful scenery they were passing by.
Now, as the soft rays of the rising sun hit her hair, he couldn’t help but smile. Although he wanted to look at her longer, he couldn’t take his eyes off the road for too long. He contented himself with stealing glances at her through the rearview mirror. It seemed she hadn’t noticed what he was doing over the past few minutes.
He made a stop at a fast food place they spotted. After parking in an empty lot, he got out first. He quickly walked around to open the door for Azora.
Their eyes met, and Lamech was momentarily stunned by her face. The gentle sunlight from the rising sun in the east highlighted her brown eyes. Her slightly parted rosy lips and hair that moved gently in the breeze made her look even more beautiful.
He knew that during the short time she had been back under Alibata’s care, her health had gradually returned to normal. He would ensure she became even healthier under his care.
“Azora,” he called her name. “Shall we go?” He extended his hand to her.
He knew she was in her right mind, especially when he saw her frown as she looked at his outstretched hand. “That’s not necessary,” Azora said.
He smiled gently. “I know. But I still want to offer my hand to you. Take my hand.”
“Are you bossing me around?”
“No,” he replied firmly.
Azora raised an eyebrow, a habit he noticed she did when she was skeptical of someone. Lamech cleared his throat and stood up straight. He extended his hand again. “You’ll learn to trust me soon,” he said.
A teasing smile appeared on Azora’s lips, clearly mocking him. She took his hand. “Your confidence is too much. Don’t cry if you lose your bet,” Azora said as she got out of the car.
His smile widened. He felt how soft her hand was, indicating she had never done heavy work under Alibata’s care. Of course. The Briones family was wealthy. He should have known that.
He came from an upper-middle-class family and worked hard to reach Azora’s level of life. So, it was easy for him to ask for her hand from her father.
When Azora got out, she tried to pull her hand away from his, but he tightened his grip.
“Let go,” Azora said, her voice full of irritation.
Lamech’s lips curled up. “Let’s just hold hands like this. You don’t want to?”
He heard Azora’s harsh laugh. “Annoying jerk,” she muttered, but he heard it.
She didn’t try to pull her hand away again, and they entered the fast food place hand in hand. A few people glanced at them as they entered the establishment, but after a few moments, they looked away and returned to what they were doing.
Lamech quietly guided Azora to the counter and asked what she wanted to eat. She answered him. Lamech ordered, and once they got their order number, they looked for a seat inside. But there were no vacant seats on the ground floor.
So they went up to the second floor. Azora found a nice spot in the corner, next to a glass wall, where they could see the sea glistening in the light and the rising sun. Lamech didn’t argue and let Azora lead him to the spot she liked.
They sat at a table that was just the right size for two. As the sun rose in the east, its rays passed through the glass wall beside their table, illuminating Azora’s hair and the side of her face.
“Let’s switch places,” Lamech suggested. The sunlight didn’t reach his spot due to a tree by the roadside blocking it.
Azora shook her head and looked out the glass wall. “I want it this way… I can feel the warmth.”
He didn’t argue further, knowing Azora would get her way. He just told her to let him know if she got too hot so they could switch places. Azora quietly nodded in response.
Soon, a crew member brought their order to the table. They started eating. Initially, they ate in silence. But as time passed, the sun rose higher, its rays hitting Azora’s entire right side.
Lamech noticed beads of sweat forming on Azora’s forehead. Unable to bear it, he stood up suddenly and pulled Azora up. She gasped. He didn’t give her a chance to complain and sat her in his former seat while he took hers.
Azora frowned at him, but he shrugged and swapped their plates. He thought she would complain, but she didn’t say a word and lowered her gaze to her plate, continuing to eat.
He felt the sun’s heat on his skin but didn’t mind. He occasionally glanced at Azora to check if she was okay and to ensure she didn’t zone out while eating.
A few minutes passed, and sweat began to form on his forehead. Beads of sweat trickled from the side of his forehead down his cheek. He quietly wiped it away with the sleeve of his polo shirt.
He froze when someone wiped his forehead with a tissue. He looked up and saw Azora, her expression serious, as she gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“We can just switch seats. You don’t have to suffer the heat of the sun just like I did,” she said.