“Yeah.”
“Then hurry and change your clothes. I’ll finish setting the table.”
“Okay.”
After watching Lola skip into the kitchen for a while with a strange gaze, Dylan went upstairs.
A little later, after changing into comfortable sweatpants and sitting at the table, Dylan tilted his head.
Even though he had eaten home-cooked meals more than once, today’s portion seemed a bit excessive for just the two of them.
Grilled mackerel, braised hairtail, braised beef short ribs, Korean chili flake stew, and side dishes.
There was too much food, and all of it was his favorite.
“Dear, eat a lot.”
Lola picked up some grilled mackerel with her chopsticks and placed it in Dylan’s bowl.
“Is it to your taste?”
“Yeah.”
As she ate her rice, cautiously observing his reactions, Dylan subtly asked, “You have something to tell me, right?”
A man who was quick-witted and perceptive would certainly notice the change in her usual expression.
How should she speak when facing him?
Despite having practiced repeatedly, when Dylan asked, Lola bit her lip.
“What is it? Just tell me.”
Lola was struggling to find the words. Dylan didn’t press her and instead picked up some braised beef short ribs with his chopsticks, changing the subject.
“The braised beef short ribs is delicious, but why aren’t you eating?”
“Yes. Dar, eat a lot.”
Lola picked up three or four pieces of braised beef short ribs with her chopsticks and placed them in Dylan’s bowl.
“But you! Didn’t you have something to tell me?”
“Oh, yes. Actually, the day after tomorrow… there’s a seminar in Ireland.”
“Again? It seems like your hospital has seminars quite often these days.”
There was a hint of complaint in his voice.
As he said, it wasn’t that frequent.
Lola felt unnecessarily nervous, her heart racing.
“Actually, there have been quite a few before… but as a resident, I’ve been too busy to attend.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
With the wedding shoot coming up soon and preparations for the wedding to be made, he would definitely not agree.
Confident in that, Lola began to lose her spirit.
“Do you want to go?”
Taking a deep breath, Lola mustered her courage to answer.
“Yes.”
“But you have the wedding shoot coming up soon.”
“That’s true.”
“With time being tight and important matters ahead, is it really necessary to push yourself?”
Though he didn’t outright say she couldn’t go, Lola understood the nuance in his words.
“Yes.”
“I think the food you make is the most delicious in the world. I never get tired of it. Even when I order Korean chili flake stew outside, it doesn’t taste like this.”
Dylan took a spoonful of Korean chili flake stew, showering her with praise.
The topic changed so quickly that her heart felt heavy, but Lola managed to force a smile, lifting the corners of her mouth.
“Eat a lot, Dear.”
“Yeah.”
Even though she hadn’t expected him to agree, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness.
Even while eating, it felt like she was chewing on sand.
“Do you really want to go that badly?”
After a brief pause, Dylan asked again. Lola nodded vigorously.
“Um…”
As Dylan hesitated, Lola stammered.
“If you say not to go, I won’t.”
Then, as she lowered her gaze, a soft sigh escaped her lips.
“If you say that, it makes me sound like the bad guy. Is it an important seminar?”
“It’s a seminar by a doctor I respect and really like.”
A moment of silence passed between them.
After a while, Dylan, who had been eating soup, suddenly spoke.
“If you really want to go, then go.”
“What?”
Lola looked up in disbelief.
“Really? Are you serious, Dear?”
“When have I ever lied to you?”
“Dear!”
Suddenly standing up, Lola called him in an excited voice. She then approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you so much, Dear.”
Dylan was a bit taken aback by her sudden outburst.
He spoke in a husky voice.
“Lola, I’ve warned you several times that this kind of behavior is dangerous.”
“I didn’t think you would agree. That’s why I’m so happy.”
“But what should I do? Your actions, which are meant to make me happy, have already become a temptation for me.”
With those words, Dylan stood up and lifted her into his arms.
“But Dylan… we haven’t finished eating yet.”
“I can’t help it. This time, you tempted me first!”
Seeing the desire-filled look in his eyes, it seemed he was about to embrace her right then and there.
Lola blushed and murmured in a tiny voice.
“Dear, let’s go to the bedroom.”
It was an irresistible touch, an undeniable temptation.
It was the same for both of them.
******
Lola left for Ireland early in the morning.
Dylan, who had never been apart from her since they started living together, felt bored and lonely being alone in the penthouse without her. So, he deliberately returned home late.
Even after washing up and lying on the bed, he didn’t feel sleepy, so Dylan took a bottle of wine from the shelf and poured half of it into a glass. He then walked out to the terrace with the glass in hand.
