After changing clothes and putting on their shoes, the couple tidied up a bit and were ready to go. Standing at the door, Elyse suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"Wait, you're not... trying to use a date as an excuse to get me to move in, are you?" Elyse looked at Cyclone with a suspicious gaze.
But Cyclone just chuckled helplessly and said, "It seems like in your eyes, I'm nothing but a complete liar, huh?"
"You know it," Elyse nodded confidently. "But rest assured, even though the idea is not bad, I didn't intend to do that this time..."
Cyclone extended his right hand, gesturing for Elyse to take it. "This is just a simple date, hubby taking you out to eat, have fun, and show off a bit."
Elyse wanted to reach out her hand, but hesitated for a moment. It wasn't that she didn't believe Cyclone's words, but the thought of leaving the house made her uneasy.
Elyse understood it herself; outside was filled with watchers sent by King, her brother. If she were to take Cyclone's hand and walk out now, it would undoubtedly be declaring to King that her man was Cyclone.
Elyse wasn't afraid of death; if she were, she wouldn't have left that day. She was worried about Cyclone, worried about the man she had chosen, worried about the father of her child.
"Are you really sure about this?"
"Absolutely sure."
Hearing Cyclone's resolute answer, Elyse still hesitated to reach out her hand. "But by doing this, King will definitely..."
"He'll probably be furious," Cyclone maintained his outstretched hand, smirking. "I want him to know that you're my wife, Elyse is the wife of Cyclone Theodore."
Clear blue pupils locked onto Cyclone's eyes. "Husband, don't worry... I won't run away anymore."
Listening to Cyclone's words, Elyse finally extended her left hand and placed it in Cyclone's right hand. But Cyclone didn't immediately tighten his grip; instead, he continued to gaze into Elyse's eyes.
Cyclone didn't grab Elyse's hand right away; he wanted to make her look back at him out of curiosity. And Elyse, indeed, gazed back at Cyclone because of this action.
Initially, after extending her hand, Elyse's attention was focused on Cyclone's hand. Putting all her thoughts into whether Cyclone would truly tighten his grip was not the right approach. Cyclone didn't want Elyse to think like that.
It would only make Elyse worry about whether Cyclone would catch her properly, and this worrying state needed to stop immediately. It was enough; since they had already left, worrying now was completely misplaced.
Cyclone wanted Elyse to genuinely believe in him. Let go of that tension and suspicion, and enjoy the upcoming journey.
Their eyes connected in a straight line until the moment Elyse smiled, and Cyclone returned the smile. Slowly, he tightened his grip, holding Elyse's left hand tightly.
"First stop, let me take you to have something good to eat."
And just like that, Cyclone led Elyse by the hand, strolling together to the first food store. After lunch, they walked along the street lined with small shops, hand in hand.
Elyse, pregnant, grew tired from walking, so Cyclone supported her and led her to a bench in the square to rest. After regaining some strength, they resumed their walk.
When Elyse saw something interesting, Cyclone accompanied her there. The two enjoyed themselves happily throughout the afternoon, and before they knew it, evening had arrived.
Cyclone carried several bags of spoils, while Elyse had changed into a different outfit. They sat on the grass in the park, a popular spot for couples to admire the moon and a well-known dating place in Kakarl.
Even though there were other couples around, Cyclone and Elyse were so affectionate that they hardly noticed anyone else. They simply leaned on each other, gazing up at the starry sky.
No lustful desires, just a simple, warm reliance on each other.
