“Daniel, how did you know more about this place?”
Cecilia questioned, her eyes shining with excitement.
She had a feeling this question would arise, and Daniel, playing the part, feigned ignorance.
“I heard it was quite an amazing place, so I thought, why not check it out with you?”
He replied, scratching his cheek bashfully.
“Well, do you want to order?” he asked.
“Of course! Let’s go!”
Cecilia cheered enthusiastically, her excitement propelling her towards the shop.
Without realizing it, she dashed towards the entrance, pulling Daniel along with her in her eagerness to explore the culinary delights that awaited them inside.
Her sudden gesture momentarily stunned him, but Daniel went along with it, choosing not to make a fuss.
As Cecilia took his hand and made a dash for the shop, it felt as though time itself had slowed down, creating a scene straight out of a movie.
The clamour of the bustling crowd, the tantalizing aroma of the atmosphere, and the fragrance emanating from her added to the surreal ambience.
It transformed this ordinary moment into something extraordinary and dreamlike.
Gazing at her face, Daniel couldn’t help but smile.
His heart filled with gratitude for moments like these that made him feel truly alive.
It was a chance to renew everything, a chance he cherished deeply.
A single smile on Cecilia’s face had the power to lift his spirits and brighten his mood.
And he could never tire of witnessing her delighted expressions.
In her face, all he saw was pure happiness, and it reflected in his feelings.
However, as they arrived at the shop, Cecilia suddenly realized her blunder, leaving a look of realization and mild embarrassment on her face.
“Ah! I-I’m sorry!” 𝗼𝐯𝐥.𝗻𝐭
Cecilia quickly released her grasp from his hand, her cheeks now flushed with shyness.
She couldn’t bear to meet his gaze, opting to look away.
‘Ah! Why did I abruptly hold his hand!? Would he think I’m a weirdo…?’
‘But…it’s not that bad if I could hold it longer…’
She thought, trying to sneak a peek at his face, curious about his thoughts.
However, to her surprise, all she saw was a warm smile on his face instead of the reaction she had expected.
“T-Then, what is your preference for the menu in this shop?”
Cecilia quickly initiated a conversation, aiming to divert the focus and avoid any further awkwardness.
Daniel, who harboured no ill thoughts about her previous spontaneous actions, readily shared his choice and favourite ice cream flavour.
“I see, so you like the chocolate flavour, it’s not bad. I guess we should start ordering?”
Cecilia led him toward the shop’s counter, but before they could indulge in their sweet treats, they had to endure a 10-minute wait in line.
“Hi, welcome to Licky Picky, What would your order be?”
The person at the counter asked politely.
Cecilia promptly took the initiative to answer instead of letting Daniel respond.
There was an inexplicable discomfort in seeing this girl at the counter engage in conversation with Daniel.
It wasn’t about control, but rather the fact that the person in question was another girl.
Cecilia had a keen sense for the subtle signs of interest, and she couldn’t help but notice the occasional glances directed toward him.
As a woman herself, she recognized the meaning behind those gazes, and the thought of Daniel conversing with this girl tugged at her heart.
Cecilia couldn’t stand the uncomfortable feeling that had welled up within her.
Once they received their orders and settled the payment, Cecilia took a brief moment to memorize the face of the girl at the counter with a dark gaze.
Within a few minutes, she found a bench near the shop, nestled amid a tranquil natural setting with trees.
It created an atmosphere of peace and cooling comfort that invited them to savour their sweet treats and each other’s company.
In that tranquil moment, Daniel decided to speak his heart without reservation.
His face lit up with a genuine smile as he remarked, “You know, this place is just perfect to chill, and having this ice cream with you here makes it all the more special.”
Daniel’s words flowed straight from his heart, unfiltered and sincere.
These moments felt like a déjà vu of the future he had envisioned, spending quality time with Cecilia.
Cecilia, on the other hand, was completely taken aback by the unexpected depth of his feelings.
Her initial surprise left her momentarily speechless as if she had turned into an ice sculpture slowly thawing under the warmth of his confession.
It was as though the hot air of his words was melting away her reserve, leaving her heart exposed and vulnerable.
“I-I’m s-special…? Hehehe…he called me pretty,” Cecilia’s cheeks turned a shade of pink as she softly mumbled her response.
Her heart racing with a mix of embarrassment and delight.
She couldn’t help but smile to herself, feeling a warmth in her chest as Daniel’s words replayed in her mind.
It was the kind of compliment that made her day, and she appreciated that he had noticed her.
Meanwhile, Daniel’s nonchalant reaction concealed a flutter of nerves beneath the surface.
He had meant every word he said, but he didn’t want to make things awkward.
Instead, he decided to maintain the casual atmosphere of their conversation.
He focuses on enjoying the ice cream and the beautiful scenery around them.
Deep down, though, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment, knowing that he had made Cecilia’s day a little brighter with his sincere words.
Cecilia bashfully brushed away her shy demeanour after hearing Daniel’s compliment.
Moments later, they both began savouring their ice cream treats.
At some point, she couldn’t resist stealing a peek, her gaze closely following the movement of his tongue as it licked the tip of the ice cream cone.
Strangely, watching him in that moment ignited a fiery rush of emotions within her chest.
Cecilia wasn’t entirely sure why, but the way he savoured the ice cream seemed to excite her in a way she hadn’t expected.
Unbeknownst to her, her eyes were so focused on him that he couldn’t help but notice her seemingly intense attention.
“Hmm? Why is she looking at my ice cream?”
Daniel pondered, his gaze shifting back and forth between his ice cream and Cecilia’s face.
Inside his heart, he grinned as he knew what kind of gaze she was giving.
Nevertheless, he extended his ice cream cone toward her with a warm smile.
“Here, you can have some of it,” he offered generously.
“Do you not want it?”
He tilted his head in confusion, perplexed by her lack of response.
Meanwhile, Cecilia remained silent, completely taken aback by how this unexpected turn of events was unfolding.
“I want it!”
Cecilia quickly responded, not wanting to miss out on his generous offer.
As she adjusted her hair for comfort, her mouth drew closer to the tip of the ice cream, and she seductively licked the treat.
Unbeknownst to her, Daniel watched her actions from above.
He watched the way she sensually used her tongue to savour the ice cream in such an alluring manner.
At the same time, her eyes gazing up at him to gauge his reaction, left him utterly speechless and captivated by the unexpected turn of events.
Furthermore, Cecilia didn’t hold back at all.
“~Ah~ This tastes so good…”
She let out a soft, almost sensual moan, her eyes half-closed in pleasure as she indulged in every morsel of the ice cream.
She savoured it as if it were the most exquisite and delicious substance she had ever encountered.
Observing her engage in this unabashed act, Daniel couldn’t help but think how indecent this appeared.
The choice of her words and actions could easily lead to multiple misunderstandings.
But he wasn’t awkward with it.
If someone were to scrutinize closely, they would notice how he was subtly affected by her provocative actions.
It wasn’t overtly apparent, but Cecilia, who possessed a knack for capturing men’s attention, could sense that her plan had been a success.
“Here… It’s your turn to try mine,” she offered generously.
She felt it wouldn’t be fair if only he offered, so she decided to initiate the exchange.
“Thanks…” Daniel replied with a smile.
At the same time, Cecilia couldn’t help but smile widely at how adorable he looked as he licked her ice cream.
‘I guess boys will always be boys… but this isn’t enough to pique his interest’
Knowing that her teasing earlier on had subtly affected him, she knew that her goal was a success.
‘Even that low-cut dress I wore, which revealed my cleavage, didn’t entice him at all’
‘It’s a bit frustrating, but I suppose for a guy like him, this level isn’t high enough,” Cecilia mused to herself.
Cecilia had set her standards for a man to be by her side exceedingly high, to the point where all the suitors and proposals she received were promptly rejected.
She possessed an unparalleled level of arrogance and pickiness when it came to getting what she wanted.
However, once she set her sights on something or someone, she was unyielding and relentless in her pursuit, refusing to let go no matter the obstacles.