19 Love At First Sight

"Heinz, this carp is delicious!" Kate exclaimed. "You're amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it, young lady," Heinz replied. "Please, eat as much as you like. Here, try this grilled meat as well."

"Mmm!"

Kate and Heinz had a very good relationship. Ever since she was saved by Ciel, the loyal butler made sure that she ate proper meals four times a day (including an afternoon snack). This was the reason why Kate's malnourished body quickly recovered.

Heinz was also an orphan in the past. If not for Arthur picking him up in the streets, he might have died in a ditch somewhere. Because he understood Kate's hardship, he was very fond of her, and tended to spoil her a lot.

"Big Brother, say ahhh..."

"Ahhhh."

"Is it good?"

"Yes it's good," Ciel answered. He used his fork to pick up a small piece of grilled meat on his plate and fed it to Chloe. "Chloe, you should eat a bit more. Aunt Elizabeth said that you've not eaten much since a few weeks ago. That's not good. Now say ahhh..."

"Ahhh."

Chloe was very happy. She liked it when her big brother spoiled her. It had been a while since the two of them were together, and she felt lonely. She became depressed when she was unable to see him. The depression led to her loss of appetite, which made Elizabeth worry to no end.

Elizabeth knew that her daughter missed Ciel. She hoped that the latter would be able to help her daughter regain her liveliness. This was the main reason why she decided to take her daughters to the countryside.

It proved that her decision was right. The moment her daughter latched onto her big brother, she became very lively. She regained her appetite and she always had a smile on her face. Elizabeth felt relief and worry at the same time. Should she kidnap Ciel and make him watch over her daughter 24/7? Elizabeth was very tempted, but she decided to push that thought away from the back of her mind.

She knew that Andrea would go berserk if she snatched her son away from her. In order to maintain world peace, Elizabeth decided to let Chloe visit Ciel on a regular basis.

"The two of you have a very good relationship," Ethan commented from the side. He glanced at Ciel. "Is she perhaps your fiance?"

Chloe's eyes glittered like stars. She gazed at Ethan and gave him two thumbs up in her heart. If her big brother really became her fiance, she would be the happiest girl in the world.

"No, I'm not his fiance," Chloe replied. She didn't want her big brother to answer Ethan's question. Deep inside she wanted to tell him 'Yes', but she knew that her big brother only treated her as 'his real, non-blood related' little sister.

Even so, Chloe was not dejected. She believed that the bonds that they fostered would only grow stronger in the future. Whether she stays as Ciel's little sister, only time would tell.

Ethan smiled and nodded his head. He felt envious about how close the two were. He also had two sisters. One was three years older, the other was two years younger. Their relationship was good, but not to the point where they helped feed each other like Chloe and Ciel did for each other.

Ethan glanced at the pretty girl with reddish brown hair that was happily eating the grilled carp on her plate. He watched as her eyes turned into crescents as she ate without holding back. Ethan was strongly attracted to her. He felt it the moment he saw her.

Everything she did was beautiful in his eyes. Even that piece of rice sticking on her cheek looked so perfect. That bit of sauce on the corner of her lips looked fantastic as well. Oh? it was already her fourth serving? Beautiful girls must need to eat a lot. Should I give her my fish as well?

White Ethan was thinking about these things, Kate noticed his gaze and she returned it with a smile. Her smile looked so dazzling that Ethan dropped the plastic fork in his hand. It took him a few seconds to recover himself before picking up the fork from the ground.

His heart was beating fast, and he could feel his cheeks warming up. In order to hide his embarrassment, he excused himself and stood up from his seat. Mark watched his grandson leave like he was running away from a succubus. A knowing smirk appeared on his face.

He looked at Kate for a brief moment before averting his gaze. He was wondering if he should create an opportunity for his grandson to spend some time alone with the girl. It was very rare for his grandson to talk with other girls aside from his relatives. Also, the way Ethan looked at Kate didn't escape Mark's eyes.

'Did spring finally arrive for my grandson?' Mark thought. He snuck a few fleeting glances in Ciel's direction. Chloe was busy feeding him and Ciel obediently allowed the younger girl to feed him.

Mark then turned his attention to Kate. She was also looking at Ciel. The old man noticed the frown that appeared on her pretty face. He sighed inside his head because he understood that gaze.

'This might actually be a good thing.' Mark mused as he thought of a plan.

The meal ended and the old men decided to relax for an hour before they resumed fishing. The other children took this opportunity to approach Kate and Claire and talk to them. The adults were nearby, so the two girls were not afraid to socialize a bit. They knew that if something went wrong, the adults would not turn a blind eye on them. Besides, Heinz and the others were nearby as well.

"What's your name?"

"Claire."

"How old are you?"

"Ten."

The youths were emboldened because Claire was answering their questions. They introduced themselves and they talked about various topics. The atmosphere became amiable. Even Kate who initially had her guard up, became talkative as well.

As time went by, the two girls felt that they were wrong for quickly giving their judgment to the other children. They thought that these boys had bad intentions because they felt goosebumps when they were staring at them earlier.

They understood that they were just curious because it was their first time seeing them. These young men were born and raised in the countryside. Their parents taught them well. They made sure that their sons understood that girls should be treated with respect.

Kate's and Claire's auras were very different from the girls they had met before. The way they talked and presented themselves made the young men open up to them. Before long, they were sharing stories about the countryside and city life.

Kate didn't participate much in the discussion and allowed Claire to take center stage. Claire was like a social butterfly and she was able to wow the crowd with her stories.

Two hours passed and the old men felt that it was time for them to try their luck in fishing once again. Mark approached Kate and asked her if she wanted to join them, which she happily agreed.

Ciel was taking a nap and Chloe decided to stay with him. Claire wanted to read a book so she stayed near her sister. She sat under the shade of a tree. Mark took the opportunity to pair Kate with his grandson and the two kids decided to have a fishing match with each other.

Kate and Ethan didn't go with the rest of the group. He guided Kate to his secret fishing spot that he found by accident. The two sat side by side on a log and casted their fishing lines on the water.

A few minutes passed, but the lures were still in place. It seemed that the fish in this spot was 'smarter' compared to the ones that Kate managed to catch earlier.

Kate wasn't in a hurry and waited patiently. She was a girl that didn't lack patience unless it had something to do with Ciel. Although she was reluctant to leave Ciel with Chloe, she also understood that the little fox couldn't stay with him forever.

They would be staying for only a week, so Kate decided to be magnanimous. She allowed the younger girl to stay with her big brother and not get in their way. This advice was given to her by Stella. She said that if she showed that she was a generous person, Ciel would have a better opinion of her.

Kate hummed a song as she waited for the fishes to come to her. Ethan looked calm on the surface, but deep inside, he was feeling anxious. She only met Kate today, but the moment he laid his eyes on her, something stirred inside his heart.

At first, he didn't pay any attention to it. But now that the two of them were alone, his usual calm demeanor disappeared.

'Is this that "love at first sight" that my cousins told me about? Am I in love?' Ethan tried to organize his thoughts to come up with an answer. 'They said that a fast heartbeat accompanied by a burning sensation on the cheeks is the symptoms of being in love.'

Ethan could feel his heartbeat going wild and his cheeks warming up. The more he thought about Kate, the stronger these feelings grew. He took a deep breath in order to gain some control over his complicated feelings. It was at that moment that Kate decided to break the silence.

"Um, are you alright?" Kate suddenly asked. "You've been swaying in your seat since a while ago. Don't tell me..."

'D-Did I get found out?' Ethan gulped. 'Was it too obvious?'

"Ethan..."

"Kate, was I too obvious?"

"Yes. Do you perhaps..."

"I think..."

"Do you perhaps need to do a number two?" Kate asked. There was genuine concern on her face. "Don't worry, you can go to that bush over there. I'll keep watch and make sure that no one disturbs you!"

Ethan's expression darkened. What? Do a number two? You thought that I need to take a dump!? Sweat started to appear on the young man's forehead. The thought of Kate having a bad impression of him made him feel very anxious.

'Oh no! I can't let her continue to think in this direction!'

"Um? You don't have to hold it in you know?" Kate saw the panicked look on Ethan's face. "Do you need some tissue? I'll go back to the camp and get you some. Wait for me!"

"No. Wait!"

Ethan reached out to grab her hand. He acted by impulse and lost his balance. The moment he caught Kate's hand, his foot slid on the ground. The momentum forced him to fall forward. He unconsciously hugged Kate and the two of them tumbled to the ground together.