"You came early."
Karlyle turns around at the voice from behind him. The first thing he sees is a pair of different-colored eyes. His blue and gray eyes have a completely different color saturation from in the photo. Those bright eyes curl up gently, they seem to capture all the sunshine pouring on the ground.
"Hello, I'm Ash Jones."
Ash greets him with his pleasant and deep bass voice. Karlyle blinks. If he wants to meet Ash's eyes, he'll have to raise his head a little. Looking at the person who's smiling radiantly at him, Karlyle also greets him back.
"Good morning."
He says politely and takes a couple of steps back. As his field of vision widens, he can finally capture Ash Jones's full body. This man, taller than him, is so handsome that everyone passing by will have to look back at him. Ash's striking beauty has the power to capture people's attention even before they can take a close look at his features. And he has a strange aura that cannot be captured by a photo.
"I'm Karlyle Frost."
His self-introduction is a few seconds late. He holds out his hand to Ash for a handshake, as he does with anyone he meets on business. It has no particular meaning, it's simply his habit. He holds his hand out, revealing a bit of his pale wrist under the cuffed sleeve of his suit.
Ash tilts his head at his outstretched hand. A curious look crosses his eyes. Ash then also holds out his hand, and takes Karlyle's hand. At first glance, Ash's hand doesn't seem much different from his, but it's slightly bigger. Karlyle's hand is entirely wrapped in his hand. Ash's index finger slightly brushes against his wrist bone beneath his sleeve.
"Call me Ash."
A strange sensation is tingling from the place Ash touches him, causing Karlyle to freeze in his spot. It's the first time he's been touched like this. Karlyle ends up retreating his hand first. Ash's eyes widen as he sees that.
"Is contact like this still too early?"
Ash naturally continues, as if this isn't their first meeting. Karlyle has a knack for leading the conversation, he can do it well when meeting other nobles or clients. But in a meeting like this, he isn't sure which topic is appropriate. It's his mistake for not preparing for this.
"If you want to, you can."
His grandfather told him to make a good impression on Ash, so he said that. It's also similar to negotiation. It's not that difficult.
"Don't say so. I won't overstep if you don't like it, Karlyle."
Scanning his stoic face, Ash says, shaking his head. Karlyle is a little agitated as Ash just casually called him by his name, but he doesn't show it.
"Have you eaten?"
Ash asks. Ash has a smile with a bit of sadness lingered with it. Perhaps he was born as a smiling baby, there isn't a single moment when the smile drops off his face. His hair is neatly half-slicked back with some strands falling gently on his forehead, making his impression softer.
"No, I haven't. How about you, Mr. Jones?"
Ash grins when Karlyle calls him "Mr. Jones", then he shakes his head.
"Me, neither. Because my plan is to eat with you, Karlyle."
Karlyle nods. Since their meeting place is quite weird, all the restaurants nearby are poor. There are only ice cream stores, cafes, sandwich places and pubs. They will have to walk for a while to find a decent restaurant. As he's about to say that he's found a place, Ash opens his mouth.
"Here."
Ash's holding something in his hand. Is that....
"I'm a good cook, you know."
".....You didn't have to."
Ash winks at him. He playfully moves slightly closer and whispers in his ear.
"I want to look good in front of you."
Karlyle can feel Ash's soft breath on his earlobe. He instinctively steps back at the strange feeling. And Ash follows him right away.
"Then, shall we choose a place to sit down?"
Ash looks like he's having fun, although Karlyle doesn't understand why.
****
Ash chooses a spot under a moderately sloped tree. He puts his rattan basket in a spot with perfect shade and takes off the cardigan he's wearing.
"Take this, Karlyle. You can't sit directly on the grass, right?"
Karlyle glances at the grass. It's obviously not a clean place, but Karlyle is not picky about this. Normally, he wouldn't sit down if he were by himself, but he can put up with it for his to-be partner.
"I'm alright."
"Let me lay this down for you."
"It's fine."
He stops Ash as he tries to lay his cardigan on the grass for him. Having someone taking care of him like this was so unfamiliar, so his voice came out a little drier than normal.
"Really?"
"I don't see any problems."
"I don't want your pretty suit to get dirty."
Karlyle shakes his head. If his suit is dirty, he can just buy a new one.
"I can buy a new one." He says.
"Ah", Ash exclaims. Then he laughs.
"Oh right. Karlyle is an aristocrat." His voice is full of amazement. Ash folds his cardigan and puts it on the grass.
"But feel free to use it whenever you want."
Ash casually sits down on the grass with the picnic basket. It's like a whole different world is unfolding in front of him, Karlyle's speechless. Ash takes out four well-packed ciabatta sandwiches from the basket.
"I didn't know what you would like, so I prepared them with different ingredients. We can go to a restaurant, but the weather these days is so nice. So I thought it'd be a great idea to have a picnic in this beautiful place."
This is also a first for Karlyle. He has no experience eating anywhere other than at the table.
"Do you normally like this kind of thing?"
He isn't able to sympathize with Ash. Hearing his questioning voice, Ash smiles.
"I often do it when the weather is extremely nice like today."
"You seem to have done this often."
"Looking at beautiful things makes me feel good."
Then their eyes meet. Feeling strange, Karlyle slightly averts his gaze. He picks one of the sandwiches Ash's holding.
"I'll take the turkey one."
Ash nods, then asks a question.
"Are there any foods you don't like?"
"Nothing in particular."
He is also not picky about food. Ash continues asking him.
"Even black pudding?"
"Yes."
Ash laughs to himself again. Karlyle wonders why Ash's having so much fun.
"You're amazing, Karlyle. Then what is your favorite?"
Ash quietly asks, he seems to be curious about him. Ash's asking such personal yet useless information again. How weird. Karlyle unconsciously turns his gaze back to Ash. Their eyes meet again.
"Do you tend to ask these with everyone you meet for the first time?"
"Only with people I'm going out with."
Karlyle's hands stiffen at the words "going out".
"Did you say 'going out'?"
"Yes, today is our first date."
It's a meeting with the person you're going to marry, so maybe it can be called that.... Thinking for a moment, Karlyle decides to get to the point. This direct way of speech is not what aristocrats favor, but he has no other choices as he can't guess what Ash wants.
"If there's a first, then when's the last?"
Ash laughs at his question. He slightly folds his knees and places his elbow on them, then he rests his chin on his hand. Ash glances at him and says.
"What do you think, Karlyle?"
"I...."
Karlyle takes a breath. His answer is already predetermined. He has no other answer anyway.
"I don't care much about it."
"Is everything okay with you?"
"I have no objection to this marriage."
"Even if you have to marry a complete stranger?"
Isn't that what an arranged marriage is? Even if the opponent weren't Ash, Karlyle had no accept anyway. So there's nothing special about it. Karlyle nods, keeping his expression neutral.
"You probably already know, but I'm not a noble like you, Karlyle. Even though I have mixed blood, I grew up like ordinary people. My family environment does differ a bit, but all the people I have met are commoners." Ash says.
"That means you have no intention of accepting this marriage."
In that case, things get complicated. What card should he present to Ash to make him accept it? Being silent for a moment, Ash shakes his head.
"That's why I called this a date. I thought I needed to meet you to find out."
"And you'll decide after this, I assume."
"It would be good for both me and you, don't you think?"
"As I said before, I don't care much about it."
Ash looks into his eyes, he seems to be puzzled by his answer. In his vivid yet slightly pale blue and gray eyes, Karlyle can see his own reflection. At first glance, Ash's gray eye seems to be similar to his, but his gray is a little different. It looks much more alive.
"Is it okay to marry someone you don't love?" Ash asks.
Love just sounds so alien to Karlyle. He hasn't heard that word in a very long time. He has no memory of hearing it from his father or mother. He only heard it a few times from his brother Kyle when he was small.
Love, what a luxurious and unnecessary feeling.
If the impulsive decision his parents made were driven by love, Karlyle did not want to experience it. Of course the result was that he and Kyle were born, but is the ordeal his mother had to go through worth it? Especially when she gave birth to someone like him.
Karlyle's always thought that the feeling of love is unnecessary when he saw his mother still being hated by his grandfather, as well as being the central of talks and gossips among aristocrats. He has never loved anyone, and he lives a life where he cannot fall in love. If he gets married, he will respect and cherish the other person, but he never thought he would love his partner.
"I don't know if love is needed in marriage." Karlyle slowly says.
Listening to him, Ash looks lost in thought for a moment. Did I make a mistake? Feeling stuffy, Karlyle turns to the sandwich he's holding. Sitting in this free atmosphere feels so awkward, like he's wearing an unfitted suit. Ash and him are much more different from each other than he expected. Rather than hating the other person, he just feels skeptical.
He doesn't think the marriage can proceed.
This is not a beneficial relationship where they receive things from each other to make the deal. He has to make Ash have a good impression on him in a personal way. Although he can do everything else, Karlyle has no experience in this aspect. It would be different if his opponent were an Omega, but this time, it's such a hard mission as his partner is an Alpha.
"Ever since I was young, I've wanted to get married to someone I love." Ash breaks the silence. Karlyle turns his eyes to him again.
"Being with each other for our whole lives, I don't want to waste a single minute."
The marriage Ash's talking about is the complete opposite of their situation. It's even questionable why he accepted this offer. What on earth is Ash here for?
"Then.... I understand why you want to turn this down."
Ash laughs at his blunt remark.
"That's true."
It's funny that Karlyle's hearing this from an Alpha, a half noble. His grandfather told him to make himself look good, but how can he do that when the other person doesn't want to get married?
But he can't give up. This petty pride of his won't bring any benefit to his family. He thinks calmly for a moment. It's not like there's no chance at all. Unless it's 0%, he has to try everything to know the results.
"Still, the fact that you are here means you are still considering the marriage deal."
"You're right."
"May I ask why?"
"Finding the right partner is more difficult than I thought."
That leaves Karlyle confused. Ash's answer doesn't go with what he said about the fated love he seeked just a moment ago. Furthermore....it's not a matter of his own preference, but Ash Jones is someone who can grab everyone's attention. There's no way he doesn't have a lover.
"To add to that, I have some circumstances."
Ash adds something significant. He doesn't emphasize on it, but it takes Karlyle no time to understand why it's important. Ash's situation may not be the same as his, but it must be the reason why a man who doesn't seem interested in a political marriage would show up here. This might be it. A thought crosses his mind. He can use this as his trump card. What if he can give Ash a good enough deal?
"It seems to be an important situation."
Ash only smiles in silence. Rubbing his lips with his index finger, Ash nods.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Karlyle asks.
"No, you don't have to. I'm trying to find a way."
"I may be able to help you."
Ash doesn't refuse outright. Karlyle decides to seize this opportunity to escape his current disadvantageous position.
"I'm not good enough compared to Mr. Jones, but I may know things that you don't know."
The man in front of him doesn't seem to have experience dealing or putting pressure on anyone. If it's a situation that can be solved that way, he can help Ash.
"Not good enough?"
Ash asks back, his eyes bulge wide. His surprised tone takes Karlyle aback. Did he make a mistake? He normally doesn't make mistakes.
"My apologies if I was rude."
"No, it's not that. I don't think there are any flaws in you, Karlyle."
"But you don't know me, do you?"
"But you have a lot of things to witness for the eyes."
"What are you talking about?"
"First of all, you are pretty."
Pretty? Karlyle's face hardens at that word. Although he isn't a narcissistic person, objectively he knows what his appearance looks like. To say something about his face, it'd be a mostly flawless appearance. His face is better than the average, but the impression it makes on people isn't great. First thing others often say about him is that he looks cold and scary due to his sharp jawline and stoic face.
So, "pretty" is the last thing that can be described about him. He isn't taller than Ash, either. Since he was young, he has trained and maintained his body through horse riding, fencing and exercising, so he doesn't have a slim physique. He clearly looks like an Alpha.
"....Are you saying that I'm pretty?"
"Yes."
"It's the first time I've heard someone call me that."
Ash laughs as Karlyle expresses his disapproval.
"But that's the truth."
"I'm an Alpha, Mr. Jones."
"I know. Your pheromones are definitely those of an Alpha."
Ash says. "Oh", suddenly Ash exclaims, then he moves closer. The distance separated by the picnic basket between them narrows in an instant. Ash's sudden approach takes Karlyle aback, he instinctively turns his head towards Ash. Slightly bowing to Karlyle's neck, Ash whispers.
"Of all I've met, Karlyle has the lightest scent."
Ash's soft breath touches the back of his neck. As the tension rises inexplicably, Karlyle turns his head away.
"I guess you meet Alphas often." He says.
"Yes."
So that's why he doesn't seem unfamiliar talking with Alpha. Unlike normal Alphas who don't really fancy being close to each other, this person is....
"Do you act like that from the beginning of the meeting?" Karlyle asks.
"No, I don't."
Ash only smiles. Instead of continuing to talk about it, Ash returns to the topic earlier.
"Anyway, you are pretty, Karlyle. You are even an aristocrat, you do a lot of different things from me. How can you not be good enough?"
"Then if you don't mind, can you share your situation with me? Maybe it's something I can help you with."
At that, Ash thinks for a moment. Staring at the people down the wide hill, Ash then opens his mouth.
"My father forced me into accepting this marriage."
What his grandfather said comes to his mind. Didn't he say it was Ash Jones's father who brought up the wedding talk first?
"You couldn't refuse?"
"He had a deal that I couldn't refuse."
Ash smiles gently. This time, Ash asks him a question.
"Was the situation the same for you, Karlyle?"
Karlyle shakes his head.
"I've prepared for this ever since I was small."
"But even people like me have never heard of a noble marrying an Alpha."
"It's true that it's not common."
"I don't think when the marriage was brought up, you thought that you'd have to marry an Alpha, who isn't even an aristocrat?"
His smiling only looks gentle and kind, but Ash turns out to be an observant person.
"I don't care much about it."
He calmly states his conclusion. It's really fine. He has prepared for this moment since the moment he was born, so he's doing what he has to anyway. He has to get married no matter who the other person is. As time passed, he came to accept that his value was only this much. Rather than expecting a mere Alpha like him, who isn't a dominant, to marry an Omega and bet lucks on producing a dominant Alpha child, wouldn't it be more beneficial to become an useful tool for his family?
"Then how about this?" Still looking ahead, Ash says.
"If what Karlyle needs can be met without this marriage, I think we won't have to get married."
"What do you mean?"
"We give each other what we need."
"....?"
"My problem is not that difficult. All I have to do is buy some time. So, how about we solve your problem first and end this without us having to get married?"
"....It's not that simple."
"Then tell me. What do you want from me, Karlyle?"
Unlike his soft impression, Ash has no hesitation in saying what he wants.
"I'll listen to whatever it is, even if we are not tied up by marriage. If you want, I can write a contract for you."
"It doesn't seem like a fair deal."
"But isn't it better for both of us than having to marry someone we don't love?"
True, that's common sense. His grandfather may be more pleased with this outcome. If he can get what he needs and connect with other families, the Frost family will achieve connections between the two families. But if someone asks him whether Ash Jones gains anything from this...
Surprisingly, there's none.
He's Karlyle Frost, an aristocrat, but cannot give Ash anything. What a strange situation. This one-sided advantageous deal makes him feel like his weakness is being exploited. He feels uneasy. Looking at him, Ash smiles kindly.
"How about meeting each other three times? For now, let's tell our families that we're thinking of getting married."
"Why three times?"
"I think my problem will be solved in that amount of time. We'll pretend that we are going out, then later we tell them that we are not for each other? Of course, as I said earlier, I'll definitely cooperate with you later in on what you want."
What Karlyle's grandfather wants is Ash Jones' connection with Phillip Gordon and his maternal grandparents' business. If all of that is guaranteed, Karlyle has nothing to lose.
"..... Will you be fine with that, Mr. Jones?"
"Don't worry. I can just tell my family that I was too impulsive. Being a bad boy at least once doesn't sound bad, don't you think?"
Various variables and scenarios flash through Karlyle's head. After a few minutes of consideration, he comes to a conclusion that it would be more convenient for him if they write a contract. There's no reason to refuse.
"I understand. However, I don't think you should tell your family that. I don't want you to be in trouble."
"I'll be fine. My maternal grandparents are okay with whatever I do."
It's amazing how Ash seems to really not care. As he felt from the moment they first met, Ash seems to be a complete opposite of him. Actually, Karlyle feels lucky. The meeting doesn't go the way he expected it to, but he never thought he'd get along well with someone so different from him. If his opponent were an Omega, he wouldn't feel too awkward. But since he didn't know how to deal with an Alpha, the situation right now turns out to be quite good.
"Okay, now that we've talked about what we're curious about, shall we have lunch now?" Ash whispers playfully to brighten the mood. "I came here looking forward to seeing what you would think of my food, Karlyle."
Ash quickly changes the topic, as if they weren't having a serious conversation just now. He takes out a mineral water bottle and a carbonated water bottle from the basket.
"Do you like spring water or sparkling water? I considered bringing alcohol, but I don't know your tastes. Since I met you today, I need to find that out."
Karlyle looks at Ash's hands holding out two glass bottles. Staring at the bottle with bubbles inside, he places his fingers on the spring water.
"Thank you."
As he tries to take the bottle, Ash gently wraps his fingers around his. For a split second, their fingers brush together. A short tingling sensation spreads from there, just like when they shook hands earlier. Handing him the spring water, Ash smiles brightly.
"It fits you." He says out of the blue.
"Pardon?"
Ash lightly shakes the sparkling water bottle in his hand.
"I like things that pop in my mouth."
Then he covers the rattan basket with a small checkered mat. Ash sets up the basket like a small table and places the two remaining sandwiches on it.
"We may be a better match than expected."
Ash says the entire opposite of what Karlyle just thought. And he seems to be serious about it.