Define The Relationship Novel - Chapter 34

While he was confused about how to interpret this information, Ash came downstairs. He seemed to have changed clothes entirely, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. He looked even younger than usual.

“Have you finished slandering me, my lovely sister?”

“Oh, I had a blast.”

“Karlyle, don’t believe anything Nat says. Nat is a very naughty person.”

Natalie chuckled and stood up. Then she opened a shelf in the kitchen, took out an apron, and tossed it to Ash.

“Alright, now go prepare some delicious food for our handsome gentleman.”

“Karlyle, did Nat hit on you?”

Ash pulled out a chair next to Karlyle, who was sitting, and perched on it, asking. His hand naturally rested on Karlyle’s thigh. Natalie laughed in disbelief.

“Honestly. Knowing how possessive you are, do you think I would have?”

Her tone implied that she would have, if he wasn’t so possessive. Karlyle looked at Natalie. A sly smile appeared on Natalie’s face.

Her lips and eyes curved into a beautiful smile, reminding him of Ash. Their appearances were very different, but those expressions were similar.

“Of course, I love my cute Clark.”

I like Omegas, so you don’t have to worry. Natalie said, waving her hand as if to reassure him.

“I’ll protect you from Natalie.”

It’s my reward for Karlyle protecting me from the flock of swans. Ash, who had made a lovely joke, kissed Karlyle’s cheek.

Doing such a thing in front of Ash’s family made him feel hot inside. Karlyle clamped his lips shut, trying to suppress the illusion that threatened to surge up.

Natalie was older than he thought. She seemed to have a very youthful appearance, like Ash. Natalie, who was forty this year, looked young enough to be in her late twenties at a glance. Ash also looked that way, so outwardly, they didn’t seem to have a big age difference.

Ash added that Natalie, who had been a hotel chef and ran a famous restaurant in Soho, had boasted a glamorous career without thinking of marriage, until she fell in love at first sight with Clark, an Omega, and married him.

At the mention of a “glamorous career,” Natalie smiled at Ash. It was a meaningful smile, as if to say he was in no position to talk. Natalie, who had been like that for a moment, then finished her explanation by saying that she was now voluntarily working as a cook at a nearby private school to focus on raising her child. And then the cooking began.

Given her skill, Natalie’s cooking was excellently composed. Her refrigerator was filled with all sorts of ingredients, just like Karlyle’s kitchen.

The main dishes were Arnold Bennett omelet made with smoked haddock, and oven-baked chicken glazed with honey and served with oyster leaf. It was an unusual combination of ingredients. Oyster leaf was a herb Karlyle had never heard of, a small plant that tasted like oysters. The dessert, like at Karlyle’s house, was made by Ash.

“I like trifle.”

Karlyle helped Ash create the layers of the trifle. Natalie said she couldn’t make a guest work, but Karlyle enjoyed doing something with Ash. It was thanks to the good experience he had before. Ash told Natalie that Karlyle had excellent cooking skills and brought Karlyle next to him.

“Karlyle said he isn’t picky either, right?”

“Yes.”

Karlyle, who had been silently stirring the custard, replied quietly. Ash’s eyes curved into a smile, and he walked next to him. About half of the work of layering ingredients into three glass cups seemed to be done.

“Choose. Do you prefer rum? Or raspberry compote? There are strawberries too.”

He wasn’t picky about desserts, but Karlyle preferred flavors other than just sweetness. Desserts with a moderate amount of alcohol had a good flavor.

“Rum would be good.”

“Ashley, I already really like Mr. Frost.”

As he chose rum, Natalie said seriously. Ash whispered in his ear.

‘Natalie is a heavy drinker. She’s abstaining now because of the kids.’

Ash whispered, covering his ear with his hand as if telling a secret. It was clearly a joke, and he was smiling gently.

“I can hear everything. Mr. Frost, he’s handsome, but he’s too sly. How about reconsidering meeting him?”

Ash laughed at Natalie’s serious joke. Karlyle averted his gaze with a feeling that was hard to describe. He and Ash weren’t dating.

But denying it made his heart feel very heavy and sad at the same time. However, continuing to lie also bothered him somehow.

Ash probably told Natalie they were dating to avoid talking about being sex partners or anything related to Karlyle. In the short, yet not-so-short time he had known him, Karlyle had realized Ash was a considerate and sensible person.

“You can call me Karlyle.”

“Alright, Karlyle, you can call me Nat too. Wasn’t Ash the hardest to deal with among the people you’ve dated, this guy?”

Natalie’s tone was completely convinced that Ash and Karlyle were dating. Karlyle was flustered by the word changing from ‘date’ to ‘relationship.’

This was bordering on causing trouble for Ash. Of course, Karlyle’s heart, upon hearing those words, was beating painfully without him realizing it…

“I haven’t really dated anyone, so I wouldn’t know.”

Karlyle said that to indirectly express that they weren’t dating. So, interpreted, it didn’t mean he was dating anyone now either.

But others seemed to have taken a different part of his words first.

Natalie’s arm, which was dishing out omelets, stopped. With a puzzled expression, Natalie’s head quickly turned.

“You haven’t dated anyone?”

He also felt Ash’s gaze next to him. Karlyle was still somewhat losing his composure over Natalie’s wording of “dating Ash,” so he didn’t fully realize he had revealed something personal. Maintaining an expressionless face, Karlyle rephrased the sentence for Natalie’s understanding.

“I have never been in a relationship with anyone.”

Natalie’s eyes widened as if she had heard the most absurd and unbelievable thing in the world.

“You, Mr. Karlyle? If that’s a joke, it worked. I’m truly surprised.”

Soon, Natalie waved her hand as if she had convinced herself. Karlyle didn’t understand the situation for a moment. He couldn’t figure out what the problem was.

It wasn’t just Karlyle; children from families with arranged marriages usually didn’t have formal relationships. Of course, they often dated or had sex partners.

“I don’t joke about such things.”

When he replied as if stating the obvious, Natalie stopped again. Ash had been silent for a while.

Feeling uneasy, Karlyle subtly glanced at Ash. Ash was smiling but had his lips pressed together. His face looked complex for some reason.

“Wow, this is even more incredible. So you’ve only ever had casual encounters?”

Natalie seemed to have misunderstood in a different way this time. Karlyle silently shook his head. Then he replied again, expressionlessly.

“I mean I’ve never been on a date with anyone.”

Of course, he had engaged in sexual relations with Omegas he met for the first time during every rut, and occasionally for business. However, in Karlyle’s memory, he had never done anything that could be defined as a date.

He had dined or enjoyed parties, but these were out of necessity. It wasn’t to meet someone or to emotionally connect.

“Then… Ash is your first?”

Natalie said with a serious expression. And as soon as Natalie finished speaking, Ash coughed. A deep cough, like he was choking, and a rattling sound were heard.

Karlyle and Natalie’s gazes simultaneously turned to Ash. Ash slightly winced, covered his mouth with his hand, and turned his back. Seeing his broad back heave quite a bit, Karlyle asked worriedly.

“Are you alright, Ash?”

Ash waved his hand. Then he walked to the sink, washed his hands, and nodded. Natalie, who had been watching him, suddenly said.

“You didn’t know?”

Ash was silent for a short moment. Then he looked at Karlyle with an awkward smile. He saw his hand running through his hair. This was the second time today.

Ash seemed to do that when he was in a difficult situation. Natalie asked him once more. This time, the question was directed at Karlyle.

“Karlyle, are you perhaps younger than Ash?”

According to his memory, Ash was one year older.

“It’s not a big difference, but yes.”

And Karlyle even corrected a fact that had been bothering him for a while, just in case.

“I think you misunderstood what I just said, but I am not in a relationship with Mr. Ash.”

At those words, Natalie’s expression became very serious and grave. Natalie picked up a pistachio from the wooden bowl near the counter and threw it at Ash.

“Ashley Jones, what are you doing?”

Ash lightly caught the flying pistachio. Ash had been looking at Karlyle with a thoughtful expression for a while. With an awkward expression on his face, Ash finally opened his mouth.

“…I just heard that today too.”

Karlyle was confused. The nature of the conversation unfolding before his eyes, Ash’s bewildered appearance, and Natalie’s stern demeanor were all beyond his comprehension. He couldn’t understand what part of his statements had provoked such reactions.

“That’s even worse!”

Natalie cupped both her cheeks as if asking what he had been doing all this time without knowing that.

“I guess so.”

Ash calmly admitted. Karlyle’s internal bewilderment increased slightly due to Natalie suddenly using the word “bad” for Ash. Ash had never acted badly.

“Mr. Ash has done nothing wrong.”

So Karlyle decided to defend Ash first. He didn’t know which part of his statement had provoked them, but it seemed the responsibility lay with him. Natalie looked at Karlyle with an expression that said, Oh, my goodness.

“Karlyle, this guy is a bad influence. He brought someone here who’s younger and has never even dated before, and he’s not even dating them yet! It might be better to reconsider meeting him. There are so many better people than Ash out there.”

Karlyle was silent. The premise itself was wrong, which seemed to be why Natalie was misunderstanding him.

Moreover, Karlyle couldn’t empathize with anything Natalie said because he didn’t think anyone better than Ash existed in the world. It was Ash who rescued Karlyle, who had become a little awkward.

“Nat. Can you give us a moment? There’s something I need to talk about.”

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea for you two.”

Natalie nodded as if to insist they do so. Ash quietly looked at Karlyle, then reached out and gently took Karlyle’s wrist.

“Shall we talk for a moment, Karlyle?”

“Alright.”

Karlyle looked at his gripped wrist. A faint tingling sensation, like a weak current, flowed from where their fingers touched. Even though it was a somewhat serious situation, Karlyle liked this contact, and he tried to suppress something surging within him, not knowing what he was holding back again.

The two went up the stairs and headed to the drawing-room on the third floor. The entire third floor, which had less floor space than the lower floor, seemed to be used as a guest area, with beds and sofas all laid out. Ash and Karlyle sat side by side on the bed, turning their bodies slightly to face each other.

“Karlyle.”

“Speak.”

Ash closed his eyes once, then opened them, and ran a hand over his forehead. Seeing him do it repeatedly, he seemed genuinely troubled. Ash sighed softly and looked directly into Karlyle’s eyes.

“You said you’ve never been on a date, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then… were all the things we did together… perhaps your first time?”

There were so many firsts that Karlyle was silent for a moment. He needed specific examples.