Chapter 12 #3
"I still remember when we first met," Elise continued, a quiet laugh escaping her as she shook her head slightly. "Actually, before we even met, Xavier had already made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with the arrangement."
A faint smile touched her lips as she remembered.
"He called me and told me that our meeting was only a formality. He said there was no reason for us to take things further because he had no intention of agreeing to a marriage."
Astrid's eyebrows lifted slightly, almost unsurprised.
"That sounds exactly like him," she murmured.
Elise smiled because she couldn't deny it.
"It does." She lowered her gaze for a moment, remembering how certain she had been back then. "At the time, I thought the same thing. I thought he was someone who would never accept this."
She paused, her smile becoming softer.
"But we still met." Her fingers gently brushed over the edge of the cushion as she continued. "And honestly, I was completely shocked when my parents told me afterward that he had agreed."
A small flicker of happiness returned to her expression.
"They told me that after meeting me, he went to his parents and said he was willing to date me."
Astrid stared at her.
"Xavier actually said that?"
Elise nodded.
"Yes."
The smile on her face grew slightly as the memory replayed in her mind.
"When I saw him again, he told me that things would be easier if we actually got to know each other instead of treating it like an obligation." She paused, her eyes softening. "Then he asked me to move in with him."
She looked down, a quiet fondness appearing in her expression.
"And that's how I started living with him."
For a moment, she seemed lost in the memory.
"I honestly thought it would be difficult," she admitted.
"It was a family arrangement, and he had made it obvious from the beginning that he wasn't happy about it.
I thought he would keep his distance. I thought I would always have to be careful around him, worried that I would do something wrong or make him regret agreeing. "
She gave a small shake of her head, almost amused by how wrong she had been.
"But then I realized..."
Her voice softened.
"He wasn't actually as cold as he looked."
A soft smile spread across Elise’s face as the memory surfaced, and a quiet laugh slipped from her lips.
“When I first came here…” she began, her gaze drifting somewhere far away, as though she could still see those days playing out in front of her, “Xavier used to smoke a lot.”
Astrid watched her silently, noticing how different Elise looked whenever she spoke about him. There was no resentment in her voice.
“One day, I was talking to one of the maids. She was throwing away a bunch of empty cigarette boxes, and I casually mentioned that I really didn’t like the smell of smoke.”
Elise smiled faintly.
“I told her that the smell would linger everywhere, and I didn’t like how it made the house feel.”
She shook her head slightly.
“I wasn’t complaining to Xavier. I didn’t even know that he had heard me.”
A small, amused smile touched her lips.
“But after that day, he stopped smoking inside the house.”
Astrid’s expression changed slightly.
“He did?”
Elise nodded.
“Yes. And later, he stopped smoking in the office too.”
Her smile deepened as she remembered.
“It wasn’t something he ever mentioned. He didn’t come to me and say, ‘I stopped because you don’t like it.’ He just quietly changed it.”
She looked down at her hands, her fingers lightly intertwining.
“That’s how Xavier is. He makes you think he doesn’t care because he never says anything. But if you pay attention… you realize he’s always paying attention.”
A soft laugh escaped her.
“Even when he thought I wasn’t noticing, I could see it. The small things he did. The little changes he made for me.”
Her eyes softened.
“And honestly… those things meant more to me than grand gestures ever could.”
For a moment, she became quiet, lost in the memories of a time that now felt impossibly distant.
Then she smiled again.
“You know, I’m actually allergic to seafood.”
Astrid tilted her head slightly, listening.
“I can’t eat it at all. Even a small amount can cause a reaction. I get rashes, and sometimes it gets really uncomfortable.”
Elise gave a small embarrassed laugh.
“One day, Xavier was eating seafood, and I didn’t know one of the dishes the maids had prepared had shrimp in it. I accidentally ate some.”
Her smile faded slightly as she remembered.
“The reaction was terrible.”
Astrid’s brows immediately drew together, concern flashing across her face.
“What happened?”
“I broke out in rashes everywhere.”
Elise looked down, the memory bringing back the chaos of that day. She could still remember Xavier’s expression when he saw her skin turning red, the way his usual calm composure had disappeared in an instant.
A small smile returned to Elise's lips, her eyes growing distant with the memory.
"Later, one of the maids told me that after finding out I'd had an allergic reaction because of the seafood, Xavier ordered them not to cook seafood in the house anymore."
A soft laugh escaped her, warm and almost embarrassed.
"I swear... it was so sweet that I almost cried."
Astrid couldn't help smiling at the tenderness in her voice.
"But I also knew how much he loved seafood," Elise continued, shaking her head with quiet amusement. "He used to eat it every two or three days. I think it was probably his favorite food."
Her smile lingered, though it carried a trace of melancholy now.
"I didn't want him to give up something he loved just because of me. Even if he was willing to do it... it didn't feel right. I couldn't accept the idea that something made him happy, and he had to lose it because I couldn't eat it."
She lowered her gaze, absently tracing the rim of her teacup with her fingertip as the memory unfolded in her mind.
"So after he told the staff not to prepare seafood anymore, I secretly went to the kitchen and asked the maids to cook it anyway."
Astrid let out an amused laugh.
"You did?"
Elise nodded, laughing with her.
"I would ask them to make it during one of his meals—sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner—and then I'd carry it to him myself."
"And he accepted it?"
"No." Elise laughed harder, already knowing where Astrid's thoughts had gone. "He refused every single time. He'd frown, tell me to take it away, and even scold me for bringing it."
She paused, the corners of her lips lifting into a smile so affectionate that it softened her entire face.
"But eventually he'd eat it."
Astrid raised an eyebrow.
"And every time he did..." Elise said quietly, "...he looked so happy."
A gentle warmth spread across her features as she remembered those moments.
"He always tried to hide it. He'd pretend to be annoyed and lecture me for ignoring his instructions, but I could see right through him." She chuckled under her breath. "He was enjoying every bite."
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Elise's expression gradually grew thoughtful again.
"Eventually, I told him he didn't have to stop eating seafood because of me." She looked up at Astrid, her voice calm but firm. "I was the one with the allergy, not him. Just because I couldn't eat it didn't mean he had to erase it from his life completely."
A gentle smile touched her lips.
"I promised I'd be careful. I'd make sure I never accidentally ate anything with seafood in it. There were so many other dishes I could enjoy instead." She shrugged lightly. "Why should both of us have to give something up when only one of us couldn't have it?"
Her smile became almost nostalgic.
"And honestly..."
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as though she were sharing a secret.
"I could see how happy it made him."
A quiet laugh escaped her.
"He tried so hard not to show it." She smiled to herself. "That's just how Xavier is. He hides everything, especially his feelings."
She settled back into her chair, her expression filled with quiet affection.
"He works harder than anyone I've ever met. Most of his life revolves around work, meetings, and responsibilities, but somehow..." Her eyes softened. "He still makes time for his parents. He calls them. He visits them whenever he can."
She smiled, warmth filling every word.