(Fabian’s POV)

"Good, they prepared it exactly like I asked them to. Perfect," I mumbled, looking at the video sent by the resort staff. As expected of professionals like them. When I decided to confess my feelings to Myra last night, I instantly knew how and where I wanted to tell her.

I have two private resorts in Esteria. One was a villa, where I had already taken Myra to uplift her mood on the evening of the banquet. And the other one is a relatively small, cosy place situated on the outskirts of Esteria. Apart from me, no one in my close acquaintances knows about this place owned by me. Not even my grandfather.

I stumbled upon that small beach house on my twentieth birthday. I was in college at that time. Grandpa specifically asked me to return to the Clan house so he could celebrate the day with me. He said he wanted to have a small family dinner. I thought it was going to be just the two of us. So, I agreed, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

When I arrived, I saw that he had arranged an extensive gathering and called all the Blood Fangs Clan members ’the family’, as well as those vicious, foul-mouthed Vampire elders. To be very honest, I was caught off guard. He knew none of the people from the clan acknowledged me as their own. They viewed me as a weakling. A mere human who was like a shackle to the great Vampire King. The same was the case with the elders. Or you could say it was worse. To put it simply, they hated my guts.

He said that now that I have come of age, he wanted to introduce me properly and formally. I could tell his intentions were noble, but I was still uncomfortable.

The Elder’s overwhelming taunts and jabs when my grandfather wasn’t around, the expectations from my grandfather, the curious gaze of Clan members following me like a hawk, the image I had to keep of a rough and unaffected person, everything was just too exhausting, sucking my soul like a grim reaper. There was not a single moment of peace. I couldn’t stay there a second longer. It was stifling.

So, I just excused myself and went on a long, aimless drive. After nearly five hours of nonstop driving and jumbled, messy thoughts, I finally found this comfortable, restful space. It was a rental house, facing the vast, turquoise sea. When I was there, all my fatigue, all my restlessness dissipated with the breeze.

For an entire weekend, I just stayed there doing nothing but trivial things like cooking, reading random books, enjoying the beautiful landscape, going out for a walk on the sandy beach, or taking a dip in the fresh water alone. The place, the earthly scent mixed with the fragrance of sea breeze, the low keow of seagulls, everything was heaven for me. I haven’t felt this peace, this quietness, this kind of serenity since~ .... since the day they left me. Since the day I lost both of them. So, in that moment, that place became my abode.

The following week, I went back and purchased the property, making it my snug hideaway. All these years, I have been tweaking it a little, but it still has that homely, serene vibe. I have been maintaining it alone, so everything is to my taste.

So, I am excited to take Myra there. She is someone very, very special to me. And I want to propose to her in a place that is close to my heart and make good memories with her.

I was already standing outside my university residence, glancing at the pathway every now and then, waiting for her to come quickly. The butterflies in my stomach are somersaulting. I have been waiting for this day for quite a long time.

There can be no mistakes today. Everything has to be perfect.

My eyes lit up when I saw her slender figure walking towards me. My breath hitched, and my ambers contracted and relaxed when I saw she had dressed up beautifully. Normally, she would wear a tee and jeans or casual clothing. Although she is constantly shining no matter what clothes she is in, but today~ .... she looks~ ... ahhhhh~ .... how can I describe this feeling? My heart is racing. She is taking my breath away with how adorable she looks,

’Does she know why I called her? Did she get a hint from last night? That’s why she has~ ....’ My thoughts sprinted a mile a minute, without any restraint. The mere thought of her knowing about my intentions and seeing her positive reaction is making me hopeful. ’Is this a sign? Maybe, after all this time, my hard work, my sincerity, has finally paid off. Maybe she has developed feelings for me, too.’

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of it.

"Hey, Fabian~ .... why are you out? Waiting for me?" Myra came close and spoke, beaming like the sunshine she is in my life.

I kept looking at her like an utter fool, and answered like one too, "Yeah, all this time, I have been waiting for you." my voice came out raspy as I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

All of a sudden, she closed the gap between us, her radiant face inches away from mine. Her soft voice melted into my ears as she queried, sounding concerned, "You alright? Your face is~ ... all flushed and red. Are you, by chance, running a fever?" She touched my forehead, the warmth radiating from her hand, the tip of her fingers brushed against my forehead, deepening the redness even more. I could tell my entire body was on fire by just this small gesture. I could feel my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

"Your temperature’s ok, so why are you~ ...." She mumbled to herself, half pouting.

"It must be because of the sun," I made an excuse and held her outstretched hand tenderly, my heart flipping inside. She nodded and pulled away with ease, then asked, "So, what’s the plan? What do you want to talk about? And where are we going? 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"It’s a surprise~ ... for now," I leaned closer and mumbled. Her eyelashes fluttered at my actions, but I smoothly withdrew and said, "Let’s go. I’ll give you the details once we are in the car."

To Be Continued . . . . . . . . .