Arranged Marriage

Week 4 (3)

"Oh my, nice to meet you."

Coincidentally, they run into each other at the stairs. As soon as the old woman sees him, she greets him first. The woman, with white hair with old traces of the original blonde, has a graceful appearance. The old gentleman next to her also greets him. He gives off a serious look, correct for his age.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Karlyle."

They must have heard about him from downstairs so they immediately recognize him. Slightly bowing his head, Karlyle politely offers to shake their hands.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Karlyle Frost."

The old gentleman laughs. His face is filled with warmth and kindness. Now he sees who Ash inherited his gentleness from. The old man takes his hand.

"I'm Claude Pollet. You probably have never heard of my family name in aristocratic circles."

His hand is so warm and soft. The old woman also introduces herself.

"My name is Yvonne Pollet. I took this surname after marriage, my maiden name was Astris. I come from a family who used to be called nobles in the distant past. So you can think of me as just a commoner."

Karlyle has heard of this name. Astris family is the owner of the biggest insurance company in France. Although aristocrats no longer exist in France, there are wealthy people who are descendants of those noble families.

The Yvonne Pollet in front of him is related to a Count, and according to investigation, she is a designer and CEO of a jewelry company.

"It's an honor to meet you."

Yvonne smiles at his formal greeting and gives him a hug. Karlyle isn't one to greet people with hugs so he's a little awkward. Still, he bends down carefully so that Yvonne can hug him.

"I was worried because the start of the marriage arrangement wasn't going well for some reasons, but I'm relieved to see that you're such a gentleman. I was always worried that we were causing too much trouble. Glad to meet you."

"Nat seems really excited for the first time in a while."

The two don't seem noble at all. Although they are elegant, the elegance comes from their personalities. Both their clothes and manner of speaking are simple. If there were a model for loving maternal grandparents, it would definitely be them.

"Don't stay here by yourself. Come down and hang out with us. I have a lot of questions. I heard that you liked drinking, so I brought some good wine. Would you like to drink together? It's a little early, though."

When Yvonne winks, Claude next to her playfully scolds her.

"You need to drink less."

"You too. I haven't had any drinks recently. Let me off the hook today."

"Only for today."

Even though they treat each other with respect, Karlyle can feel their closeness and affection. He knows that his parents love each other, but the way they express it is different. After a moment of silence, feeling like he's in an unfamiliar world, his hand is held by Claude.

"Come on, let's go. Be careful on the way down."

"I'm excited already."

The old couple leading him down feels like the grandparents Karlyle has never had.

*****

As promised, Natalie is a skilled cook. She makes dishes worthy of a Michelin restaurant in a short period of time. While they start drinking early at Yvonne's suggestion, Natalie first serves finger food to eat as side dishes. Perfect ceviche and octopus dish, homemade walnut butter, and crackers are served.