Chapter 230: Seaside Sunset
Joy Drake.
Seeing Joy approach, Vivian gently wiped the corners of her mouth, looked up, and offered her a warm smile.
It was true that Vivian suspected Joy of orchestrating the incident at the previous banquet, but so much time had passed, and Vivian had no concrete evidence. Tearing away all pretenses and confronting Joy directly would only backfire on her. Since that was the case, there was no harm in putting on a polite front.
"Miss Rhodes, Mrs. Faulkner." Joy approached from a distance, a welcoming smile plastered across her face. Feigning pleasant surprise as she looked at Vivian and Eleanor, she said, "I didn’t expect you two to arrive so early!
"The seaside banquet doesn’t officially begin for another three days. I thought arriving a few days in advance to manage the arrangements was proactive enough, but I certainly didn’t expect you to beat me here!"
Joy naturally assumed that the Faulkner and Rhodes families had arrived early out of deep respect for the Drake family’s invitation. Her flattering display of being overwhelmed by their early arrival was, of course, just another facet of their mutual, performative pleasantries.
Hearing this, Vivian responded with a lighthearted laugh. "Julian and I talked it over and realized it had been far too long since we last took a trip to simply relax and unwind.
"Cyrina is such a wonderful place with great scenery, abundant seafood, and duty-free shopping. Taking a stroll by the sea is the perfect way to relieve fatigue, so of course, we wanted to come early."
"Mhm!" Eleanor nodded in agreement. "I specifically tagged along with Vivian to come early as well. My family’s business is currently swamped, so my parents won’t be arriving until the banquet in three days."
Joy’s smile froze for a fleeting second. Vivian and Eleanor’s remarks hadn’t exactly given her much face; they were polite, but only just enough to be socially acceptable.
"I see," Joy replied, maintaining her superficial smile.
Just then, her older brother Hazel Drake appeared not far away. Seeing his serious expression, Joy guessed that he might have urgent business.
"Mrs. Faulkner, Miss Rhodes, since you are here, you are esteemed guests of the Drake family. If there’s anything you need help with, please don’t hesitate to let me know," Joy said courteously. "I have some pressing matters to attend to, so I’ll leave you to your afternoon. Goodbye."
After Vivian offered a soft murmur of acknowledgment, Joy turned and walked over to Hazel.
Vivian glanced back as Joy departed. She watched as Joy approached Hazel, who then leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Instantly, Joy’s expression shifted into something far heavier and more somber. Immediately after, the two siblings left the restaurant.
Perhaps noticing Vivian’s attention on the pair, Eleanor paused her assault on a plate of roasted chicken wings and turned to glance at the siblings’ retreating figures. She noticed how incredibly serious they looked.
Eleanor elegantly picked the bone out of her chicken wing and asked, "I wonder what happened?"
Vivian shook her head. How could she possibly know anything about the Drake family’s private affairs?
"Anyway, it has nothing to do with me," Vivian replied. Suddenly, her thoughts drifted to the elderly man who lived next door to her home.
Before she and Julian had set out on their trip, she had heard that Mr. Drake had gone out. She didn’t know his exact destination, but it seemed the anniversary of his daughter and son-in-law’s deaths had arrived, and he had gone to pay his respects.
Vivian had initially wanted to ask if Mr. Drake would be attending the Drake family’s banquet in Cyrina this time, but she hadn’t gotten the chance. She didn’t feel it was appropriate to text him about it, either. Mourning one’s own daughter and son-in-law was, after all, the heartbreaking tragedy of a parent burying their child. Mr. Drake was bound to be in terrible spirits, so it was best that she didn’t disturb him.
"Vivian?"
Vivian had been so lost in thought that the french fry in her hand completely slipped into the ketchup. Noticing this, Eleanor called out to snap her out of her daze.
Brought back to reality, Vivian gave Eleanor an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I zoned out. Eleanor, we’re pretty much done eating. Do you want to go for a walk now?"
"It’s past three o’clock, but the sun still seems pretty intense!" Eleanor noted.
"Yeah!" Nodding in agreement, Eleanor pulled a parasol from her bag and suggested, "Let’s stroll around the courtyard first. There are a lot more trees for shade over there.
"We can head over to the beach restaurant later when the sun is about to set! I wonder what kind of dinner Julian has prepared for you tonight? Even I’m starting to look forward to it!"
"I’m really looking forward to it too!" Vivian agreed. But upon seeing the teasing, wicked little smile forming on Eleanor’s face, she hurriedly corrected herself. "I mean, I’m looking forward to tonight’s grand seafood feast!"
Eleanor chuckled, affectionately looping her arm through Vivian’s. "Of course you are! Haha, come on, Vivian, let’s go!"
The two women strolled around until a little past four before heading to the hotel gym for a workout. Only after they had completely burned off the afternoon’s desserts and roasted wings did they finally make their way back to the beach.
By this time, the sun was already hanging low over the distant horizon. The beach offered a perfect, unobstructed view of the sunset. There was likely still a little over half an hour before the sun fully set, and the expansive sky remained brilliantly clear.
However, Vivian knew that when the sun finally went down, both the sky and the sea would be painted in vibrant shades of crimson. The fiery clouds reflecting over the water would be an absolutely breathtaking sight!
When Vivian arrived, she spotted Vance Wyatt bustling about. He was busy directing people on where to arrange the fresh flowers, while the hotel staff were setting up a roaring bonfire nearby.
Not far away, several barbecue grills had already been set up. The hotel chefs were busy feeding charcoal into the grills. There was even an enormous, specialized spit-roast designed to cook a whole lamb over an open fire.
It was a highly traditional method of roasting, far slower than modern ovens, but the rich, smoky aroma infused into the meat by the crackling firewood and charcoal was something an oven could never hope to replicate.
Vivian had tried whole roasted lamb once when she was a little girl, back when she vacationed in the mountains with the Lowells over the summer. Unfortunately, Robert Lowell and Sharon Galahad despised the gamey scent of mutton. After that single trip, the Lowell family practically never ate lamb again.
Vivian had always considered it a terrible shame. She actually loved Aethelburg-style lamb spine hotpot and instant-boiled mutton. Those were famous local delicacies of Aethelburg, and they tasted absolutely divine! Now that she could finally eat whole roasted lamb...
Just as Vivian was entirely lost in her mouth-watering thoughts, Julian approached from behind without her noticing.
"Vivian," he called out softly.
Vivian turned around. Seeing the gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips, she asked, "You’re here? When are we eating?"
"Are you hungry?"
Vivian shook her head. She wasn’t exactly hungry, but wasn’t eating the entire purpose of coming here tonight?
"If you’re not hungry, let me take you somewhere. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good." Vivian nodded in agreement.
Julian took her hand and led her toward a completely different section of the beach. It was a rocky stretch of the shore. Stones of all shapes and sizes were piled along the edge of the beach. The ocean waves relentlessly crashed against the rocks, sending up loud, rhythmic sounds—CRASH, CRASH. Listening to it was incredibly soothing and therapeutic.
"Is this the place?" Vivian looked at the massive boulders in confusion.
"Mhm." Julian nodded. He led her to a large, flat boulder, where they both sat down, casting their gazes out toward the distant horizon together.
To the west, the sun had sunk even lower. The perfectly round, fiery red orb cast a brilliant reflection on the water, stretching out into a long, shimmering shadow. Conversely, in the eastern sky, the faint, twinkling silhouettes of early stars were already beginning to emerge.
Soon after, the moon would make its appearance as well.
"Stars!" Vivian exclaimed, pleasantly surprised by the dazzling pinpricks of light.
Seeing her reaction, Julian gently squeezed her hand. "If you like stargazing, we can go to the grasslands to watch them. The altitude is higher there, so you’re much closer to the sky.
"The starry night over the plains is even more beautiful."
Vivian nodded. Although she knew Julian was incredibly busy with work and had no idea when such an opportunity would present itself, she also knew that since he had promised her, he would absolutely make it happen.
Atop the reef, Vivian and Julian sat close together, her head resting peacefully against his shoulder. Julian wrapped his arm around her waist. The two cuddled against each other, sharing an air of profound intimacy.
"Vivian."
As Vivian basked in the gentle sea breeze, Julian leaned in closer. His eyes were impossibly tender, reflecting the vivid crimson clouds of the evening sky. However, Vivian could easily tell that what filled his eyes most... was her.
Julian murmured her name once more. The hand previously resting on her waist had, at some unknown point, slid upward to gently cup the back of her head. His palm was large and warm, effortlessly cradling her.
A sense of unprecedented security and peace washed over Vivian. Yielding to the gentle pressure of his hand, she slowly leaned forward until their lips met.
It was a soft, tender kiss.
The two figures seated upon the reef kissed gently, lingering as the setting sun slowly stretched their intertwined shadows across the stone.