"Why are you hesitating?"
Her lashes fluttered at his question. Charlotte lifted her head to find Leonid standing behind her, holding a gift she hadn't accounted for.
"Go back inside and give it to her."
Leonid instructed calmly, handing her the gift. Their fingers brushed for a brief moment, as if time itself had paused.
He had anticipated that Charlotte might forget to bring a gift due to her daily pressures, so he had bought one as a backup.
"I'll be right behind you."
He whispered in a warm tone, making her dark eyes sparkle beneath her trembling lashes.
"You… aren't angry?"
She whispered hesitantly, trying to read his emotions.
"Now is not the time to discuss what happened between us."
He pressed his free hand gently on her shoulder, then nudged her slightly forward.
"Now… it's time for congratulations and gift-giving."
Charlotte clutched the velvet-wrapped gift and began walking toward Lyudmila. Behind her, Leonid followed with calm steps, his hand along her back giving her a subtle push forward.
When she stopped in front of Lyudmila, she glanced away for a moment, then met her eyes directly.
"Happy… birthday."
Charlotte spoke awkwardly, extending the gift toward Lyudmila.
A surprised smile appeared on Lyudmila's face, and she shyly laughed as she received the gift, which seemed incredibly precious.
"This is your second greeting to me… anyway, thank you for bringing it."
"You deserve it."
Charlotte affirmed in a low tone, then lifted her gaze away.
She didn't understand why it was so difficult to look at Lyudmila at this beautiful moment, and suddenly felt the urge to step away… so she turned quickly, trying to escape the center of attention.
Luckily, Charlotte managed to take a few steps before Leonid pulled her back to the middle again, despite her resistance.
"What are you doing? I already gave her the gift, why are you bringing me back here?"
She whispered, trying to pull away from his grip.
Leonid smiled and said calmly:
"Did you forget? This is Daniel's moment."
Charlotte stopped resisting. Daniel's earlier words rushed back to her mind, and she realized it, relaxing her shoulders slightly.
"I forgot."
"Then you should thank me."
Leonid's hand slid from her arm to gently wrap around her waist, while he rested his chin atop her head.
Charlotte felt a sudden warmth fill her chest, a mixture of tenderness and comfort. As always, Leonid was like a little home; when he held her, she felt belonging in every way.
Leonid smiled and added in a low voice:
"And you still owe me an apology too…"
"I'm grateful to you, and I'm sorry as well."
Leonid blinked in surprise, not at the gratitude, but at the apology.
He hadn't meant what he said; it was just words to add a touch of humor. But her sincere apology made his heart beat in a strange way.
His eyes shimmered for a moment before he turned his gaze toward Daniel, who approached Lyudmila with a mix of shyness and confidence, carrying a small velvet box. He knelt on one knee and opened it, gasps rising around them.
The diamond ring sparkled softly under the bright lights.
"Lyudmila, will you marry me?"
Daniel said confidently, despite the hidden fear of rejection.
Applause erupted after Daniel's three words; the women cheered happily, and the men shouted words of encouragement.
Charlotte smiled, the scene replaying in her mind with Leonid, with only slight changes in words.
She raised her right hand, the ring sparkling under the hall lights, before resting her palm gently on Leonid's arm.
She saw Lyudmila's reaction shy and happy as she nodded before speaking softly:
"I accept."
The room filled with warmth and emotion, as if hearts were beating in harmony.
Charlotte lifted her dark eyes to watch Daniel, who stood and approached Lyudmila to kiss her, while a mixture of joy filled her chest.
She felt like the happy older sister, witnessing her little brother unite with the love of his life.
As everyone around them clapped, Charlotte raised her hands to join in, then felt Leonid's hand gently guide her face toward him.
She gradually stopped clapping as he leaned closer, capturing her lips in a warm, passionate kiss that ignited feelings she had never felt before.
Like someone lost in the moment, Charlotte melted into the kiss, forgetting everything around her, while Leonid held her with a warmth that conveyed his passion through their lips.
The celebration went on until the first threads of dawn began to sneak in through the windows. Gradually, the voices faded; some guests left the cabin with heavy steps, while others surrendered to sleep on the couches, their bodies sprawled, their breathing deep.
At that time, Leonid was lying beside Charlotte on the bed, under the dim light seeping through the bathroom door. He combed his fingertips gently through her hair, absorbed in the spell of her sleeping features.
Her full lips trembled for a moment, then pursed, as if annoyed by his touch. He smiled faintly even in her sleep, she could still scold him.
Desire flared inside him, rising like a spark too hard to suppress.
For a moment, he thought of kissing her, then shook his head to dismiss the idea.
What if he woke her? He would never forgive himself for disturbing her rest.
Slowly, he wrapped his arm around her and drew her to his chest. Beneath the same blanket, their breaths mingling, he closed the distance further and rested his forehead against hers.
He shut his eyes calmly, exhaled deeply, and finally allowed himself to drift into sleep.
By noon, sounds began to rise again downstairs; some had awakened, while others remained sunk in drowsiness.
In the room, Leonid sighed with annoyance as he opened his eyes, the bright sunlight striking his face insistently, as though urging him to wake and rouse Charlotte as well.
He rose slowly, bare-chested, his belt slung low over his hip. His chest muscles tightened and relaxed with each step. His head, heavy with a lingering hangover, made him shut his eyes in irritation as he raked a hand through his silver hair unknowingly adding even more charm to his appearance.
On his neck and upper chest remained faint traces of lip gloss, the imprint of more than one kiss left over from their late-night exchange before sleep. Just the thought of those full lips against his skin made him look all the more tempting, despite his disheveled state.
After heading to the bathroom and washing away both Charlotte's kisses and the fatigue from his face, he emerged toweling his hair, now dressed in a dark navy suit.
Even in the simplest of his casual movements, Leonid retained his elegance and allure, leaving his front locks loose over his forehead and his tie undone.
By then, everyone in the cabin was awake, and he only roused Charlotte at the very end, granting her a few more minutes of sleep than the others.
Once they had packed their things and ensured the cabin was clear, the four climbed into the car. Leonid took the driver's seat as promised, with Charlotte beside him, still heavy with sleep but struggling to keep her eyes open.
In the back sat Daniel, with Lyudmila the birthday girl leaning heavily against his arm in slumber, her head resting there in peaceful trust.
The entire scene resembled winter mornings in middle school: puffed coats, weary bodies, sullen lips, and heavy drowsiness clinging to their shoulders, paired with the chill of the cold wind.
The only difference was the noonday sun, still shining stubbornly behind layers of dark clouds.
Leonid glanced around at them briefly, and once he confirmed the seatbelts were fastened, he turned the wheel smoothly and set the car in motion.
While driving, he caught sight of Charlotte beside him, fighting off sleep. The way she forced her eyes open looked almost comical.
He smiled and said:
"You can just sleep, you know."
Charlotte forced her eyes wider, taking a few seconds to process his words before slowly shaking her head:
"No… I'll stay awake."
His smile widened to the side, his voice dripping with hidden tenderness:
"I don't mind being alone, so go ahead and take a nap."
"No. I said I'll stay awake."
She answered stubbornly, then added with a faint grumble:
"I want to stay with you. Stop forcing me, okay?"
Leonid chuckled softly:
"Considerate, huh?"
Then he added with playful pride:
"My fiancée is cute and considerate how lucky I am~."
"What?"
Charlotte mumbled, half-asleep, though she caught the teasing tone in his words.
Leonid smirked, repeating with deliberate mockery:
"What? You don't like being called cute? Or considerate?"
He slowed the car as they reached the gate.
With easy grace, he handed over the cabin key and paid for an additional day.
Since they had missed the scheduled checkout time, another day was automatically added to their stay.
After a short exchange with the staff, he returned to the wheel, closed the window, and drove smoothly past the gate.