A menacing aura radiated from Arsyan, immediately making the girl beside him realize what he was doing. Aishla quickly tried to move away, but Arsyan's muscular arm instead pulled her by the waist, bringing their bodies close together.
Aishla glared at him. She tried to break free, but one demanding look told her to stay quiet. Arsyan was only putting on an act. He wanted to show everyone that he wasn't taking the girl who had saved the Arkatama family's reputation for granted.
But in reality, the opposite was true. Arsyan had always been indifferent toward Aishla, who had thought he would treat her kindly. That was the huge mistake Aishla had been hoping wouldn't happen. She was too narrow-minded, assuming that because she'd helped save her employer's family reputation, she would be treated like a beloved wife.
“Act properly. Otherwise, I'll leave you here alone and let men like them have their way with you,” Arsyan whispered, making his wife unconsciously clutch his arm.
“D-don't leave Aishla. Aishla's scared...” Aishla squeaked, immediately pressing herself against Arsyan, who secretly held back a laugh.
The man fell silent for a moment. When he was with Aishla, it was as if he became someone else. He wasn't the type of man who enjoyed teasing people the way he'd just teased her. Once he had regained control of himself, Arsyan told Aishla to walk behind him.
Their hands were clasped together. Aishla's eyes remained fixed on their joined hands. In her entire life, this was the first time she'd ever held hands with a man who was also her husband. Without realizing it, the corners of her lips twitched as she held back a smile.
They climbed onto the wedding dais. Aishla simply followed Arsyan. She smiled at the bride and shook her hand, but she didn't do the same with the groom. Instead, Aishla clasped both hands in front of her chest without looking at him at all, making Arsyan frown. Was Aishla really so careful about avoiding physical contact with men? That was what crossed Arsyan's mind.
“Let's go home,” he said, pulling Aishla's hand.
“But Aishla's hungry. Can we eat from the buffet first, Mas?” Aishla pleaded. She was only following Arsyan's order to act properly.
“No.”
Arsyan felt as if thousands of butterflies were fluttering around in his stomach. He still couldn't believe Aishla had called him “Mas.” His former wife and former fiancée had never called him that.
“Wait here,” Arsyan ordered, leaving his wife at one of the tables.
He went over to say goodbye to his mother's business associate. He was growing fed up with being in this reception hall because everyone's eyes kept turning toward Aishla. And for some reason, he didn't like it.
Aishla hurried after her husband when a man began walking toward them. Feeling frightened, she immediately hugged Arsyan's arm while glancing behind her. Aishla looked at the man, who turned out to be staring back at her. Realizing the womanizer was eyeing her hungrily, Arsyan immediately draped an arm around his wife's shoulders.
“It seems my wife isn't comfortable here. In that case, I'll be leaving, Mr. Diego. Excuse me.”
Diego smiled faintly. “Sure. Take good care of your wife, Syan!”
All the way home, Aishla kept pouting. She'd been scared half to death when Arsyan left her alone, until that man approached her. On top of that, her stomach was growling. She hadn't eaten anything since noon. She'd thought they would eat at the wedding reception, but that hadn't happened.
Plop.
A box of tissues landed on Aishla's lap. Who else could have thrown it but Arsyan? The man remained focused on driving. Confused, Aishla simply turned the tissue box over and over in her hands.
“Wipe the makeup off your face. My eyes hurt looking at a face that resembles a clown.”
“I don't want to! Does Mr. Arsyan really think Aishla believes you when you say Aishla's face looks like a giant puppet or a clown?!” Aishla yelled angrily. Her stomach could no longer wait. She was starving, and Arsyan didn't understand at all.
Arsyan blinked. He still couldn't believe the girl beside him was getting worked up. Rather than feeling guilty, he wanted to laugh. His wife's flushed face was simply too adorable.
“Mr. Arsyan, stop!” Aishla suddenly cried, making her husband slam on the brakes.
Arsyan had just opened his mouth to speak when Aishla climbed out of the car. The girl hurried toward a cilok vendor by the roadside. Arsyan could only shake his head at her antics.
“Get back in!” Arsyan shouted, interrupting the girl as she gazed excitedly at her favorite snack.
“Make it spicy, sir!” Aishla said impatiently, eager to enjoy the cilok.
She hadn't eaten cilok for almost a month because she'd been staying at the Arkatama family's residence. She hadn't even run into a cilok vendor. You could say this was Aishla's lucky day. She could fill her empty stomach with spicy cilok that made her tongue dance with every bite.
“Miss, don't you have the exact change?” the vendor asked. Aishla shook her head.
“Just keep the change, sir. Thanks,” Aishla said, walking back toward the car and ignoring the cilok vendor's calls of gratitude.
The smile on Aishla's face didn't fade at all. She speared one of the cilok balls. Aishla paid no attention to Arsyan's intimidating stare. Just as she brought the cilok to her mouth, someone suddenly yanked her hand. Without the slightest guilt, Arsyan ate the cilok and snatched all the rest from her hands.
“Don't buy food from random vendors. I don't want Array following in your footsteps,” Arsyan scolded, clearly enjoying the cilok his wife had bought.
“What does Mr. Arsyan want, anyway?! Do you know Aishla's hungry?!” Aishla burst into tears. She was furious at Arsyan for being so inconsiderate. Her stomach was painfully empty. Aishla wasn't lying.
Hearing a girl sob, Arsyan stopped chewing. He sighed, then drove toward the nearest restaurant.
“Get out. We'll eat at my friend's restaurant first,” Arsyan ordered, looking at his wife's bowed head.
“No. Aishla wants to go home,” she replied hoarsely.
Arsyan let out a long sigh. He felt as if he were dealing with a little kid. Since he still had some compassion left, he got out of the car and told his wife to get out too. When Aishla remained frozen in place, Arsyan had no choice but to pick her up in his arms.
Aishla shrieked. She kept pounding on her husband's chest, demanding to be put down, but Arsyan ignored her. Dozens of people watched their display of affection. Aishla felt like running away. She wanted to hide from all of them as they assumed she and Arsyan were a loving married couple.
“Sit still. I'm going to order some food,” Arsyan said after setting his wife down in one of the chairs.
Aishla glared at her husband. She started to stand, but Arsyan held her back. The girl had forgotten that her period was about to start, which made it impossible for her to control her emotions.
“Sit down!”
“Aishla wants to go home!”
“Sit right there!”
“Aishla wants to go home! Aishla doesn't want to be here!”
“Shut up! Sit still here, or I'll sell you to a womanizer right now!”
Aishla threw herself into the chair, glaring furiously at her husband's retreating back. Her mood was completely ruined. She felt like crying again. If she hadn't remembered that they were in public, she would have been sobbing by now.
Seeing that Arsyan appeared to be talking with a close friend gave Aishla a chance to escape. She ignored the pain in her stomach, which was growing worse. Aishla thought it hurt because she was hungry, not because her period was starting.
Arsyan ran toward Aishla, who was only a few steps from the table where they'd been sitting. Her legs felt incredibly difficult to move when an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist.
Arsyan hugged his wife from behind. Aishla continued struggling, but Arsyan picked her up again. People assumed their marriage was in trouble and that Arsyan had to coax his wife, who was obviously upset.
“Mr. Arsyan is a pervert! Put Aishla down!”
“Your period leaked through.”
Aishla fell silent. Embarrassed, she hid her face against her husband's broad chest. She didn't realize that Arsyan was about to burst out laughing.