When Robin suddenly said those words, his parents gasped and looked at each other. When their son left the nation for "work," they had a sneaking suspicion that he might just bring 'someone' with him. In particular, they believed it would be a European. However, their kid chose an Eastern woman!
"Hello Sir." Since Cathrin was quite tall—5 inches higher than his father—his father had to slightly raise his head.
"Hello.. I hope my son hasn't been a menace to you." said his father. Unexpectedly, his mother also approached, took her by the hand, and said
"You can tell me if he misbehaves in front of you." Holding her hand, his mother continued. Robin was stunned to see his mother in such a negative light. His parents had never been concerned about his romantic life prior to this. In reality, they didn't offer any overt support when he was having issues with his ex, but all of a sudden, they appeared to be concerned about his romantic life.
Was this the legendary 'push' towards marriage that the Eastern society normally tends to face?
"No, no, madam. Robin has been very kind and understanding." Cathrin blushed and hoped that she could find a hole to crawl into. She did not anticipate receiving such a warm greeting in front of so many strangers.
"Why are you expecting me to be the bad guy?" This puzzled Robin.
"It's because you are very rich now. I have seen how rich people tend to act in the TV." His dad responded.
"Come on, I just recently became wealthy. I won't change in a matter of days."
"Oh so it means you do intend to change. Cathrin, be on the lookout for the youngster. I am getting too old to take care of this boy." said his mother. His mother struggled to find the right words to say because she wasn't very fluent in English. Nobody had a condescending attitude toward her. Even though many Indians are fluent in English from a young age, not everyone has that opportunity. His mom definitely didn't have that luxury when she was young.
Robin felt a bit awkward. It was the butler of the villa who came forward to break the whole band. By this time, everyone had exited the bus, and the butler led them inside. He was competent and thoroughly explained everything. He had also brought along a few servants to show them around as well.
Robin was grateful that the butler arrived and diverted everyone's focus. When he arrived to save him, he felt relief. Meanwhile, Rita came forward to talk with Cathrin and even peeked onto Sigret and Myrene who had been standing quite behind. She was interested in them but held off on asking.
In general, Robin didn't interact much with his cousins or other family members. But he had to exhibit his finest manners in social settings like this. Whatever the case, his parents did not teach him to act aloof in public because, in the end, a man was a social being.
Each of the relatives knew that Robin was behind all the arrangements and Rita didn't try to snatch away that spotlight. The decorations were well-liked by her fiancé's family and parents.
After a very short tour and since it was night and they had a long flight, the maids led the visitors to their individual rooms so they could retire for the evening after dinner, which had already been prepared.
Like the tables in Harry Potter, the table was very long, allowing everyone to settle close and converse. Everyone didn't mind the noise because the cuisine was fantastic and everything else was of the highest caliber.
Along with her fiance on the opposite side, Robin was seated next to Rita and Cathrin.
"What do you do in reality? Do you run a business or some shit?" Rita queried.
"I do run a business that has lately had success. All the money came from there."
"Lucky you. You turned your world in a matter of few months." said Rita.
"It's alright, nothing to be so proud about. I didn't forget where I came from." Robin answered.
"So I understand you're visiting Singapore next month?" Robin went on to question her fiancé.
"Yeah and before going I wanted to tie the knot." Her fiancé said with a small chuckle.
Ken gave a slight nod before beginning to consume his deliciously made gnocchi. The Italian cuisine was truly in a league of its own. He conversed with his other relatives who were seated across from him while he was eating. Thankfully, none of his cousins had, up until this point, requested money for their businesses or other pursuits.
Cathrin also made friends with everyone she could, but Rita was her favorite. She was aware that she needed to be close to Rita if she was going to understand Robin much better, and Rita shared her joy at learning that her cousin had found a hot and attractive girlfriend.
Everyone had heavy eyes as it was time for bed after supper. Therefore, everyone fell asleep quickly. Since Sigret and Myrene were still unable to dine in public and hadn't yet met his family, they chose not to attend the dinner.
Later on, after everyone had gone to bed, Robin and Cathrin simply snuck outside and sat next to the pool, which was next to the expansive grass. They just sat and took in the view of the moon and stars because they weren't actually fatigued. The two of them were enjoying the night sky in complete stillness. The stars were once again visible because it was late at night and far from a metropolis, just like on their first date.
"Sorry for my parents enthusiasm." said Robin
"No. They openly accepting me makes me joyful. With my parents, it certainly wouldn't be the same."
"Oh because I am not Chinese?" Robin enquired.
She nodded her head.
"Well, I am at least rich." Robin chuckled a little. This subtly discriminatory conduct didn't really bother him. Even his parents, he was certain, would have approved more if he had chosen a partner from the same neighborhood, but this wasn't the case, and they gratefully accepted.
"Hahaha.. Well that will change their mind." Cathrin also laughed at the joke. This was probably the first humble brag that Robin did. They snuggled slowly and fell asleep outside, under the open sky. Given that they had never slept outside under the stars, this was undoubtedly the most romantic time for them both. It was fortunate that this area of the house was segregated so that no one could enter and wake them up even if they slept like logs.
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The sun was shining like an enormous headlight on both of them when they woke up the following morning.
"We need to do this more often." Cathrin said.
"We have time here, we can do more than that under the open sky." Robbie grinned. She spoke while a little flushed.
"I would love to." She nearly bolted for the restroom after saying those words to clean up. When she saw her hiding, Robin chuckled.
"This is going to be a fun week." As Robin stood up, he too ruminated. He had to lend a hand because there was a lot that needed to be done for this event. The lengthy week thus began. Because the priest was brought from India especially for the wedding, all of their cultural traditions were upheld.
Robin, in all honesty, thought it was a little boring, but for everyone else there, it somehow managed to turn into an enjoyable task. He later presented his parents to Myrene and Sigret. They expressed astonishment that Myrene was Robin's young business partner and thanked her for contributing to their son's financial success. His parents made an effort to interact with everyone in a humble manner.
The festivities were over in a flash. For the occasions, Cathrin donned traditional Indian attire, and Robin restored his love for her. Cathrin felt pleased that her boyfriend thought she was very attractive despite having to occasionally squat away from his hand because he could hardly keep it off her.
There was a custom that took place on the final day of the ceremony and was known as the "reception" in English. All of the visitors who were in some way connected to the couple would come on this day to wish them well. Since they were way far from home, there were no guests.
So it was a relaxed gathering where everyone enjoyed food, some sang karaoke, and some even danced to the music. Surprisingly, Cathrin was the greatest dancer among them. They were all astonished when she performed in front of them because she knew ballet. When she saw this, Robin's mother was overjoyed and attempted dancing with her. Happy to see her, Cathrin attempted to demonstrate some very basic moves.
"You've got quite the catch on your hands," Rita spoke as she observed her. She was glad to see that her cousin had at last achieved happiness and prosperity.
While they were conversing, JARVIS abruptly sent an email on his phone.
"..There is a guest waiting at the gate for you, Sir..."
"... Guest? We didn't invite anyone. Who is it?.." Robin texted back.
"... We don't know Sir.."
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Read 21 chapters ahead on my p@treon.com/thelightedghost