Chirp... chirp... chirp...
The soft sound of birds on a bright morning accompanied a woman still fast asleep on her fluffy bed. The sunlight peeked shyly through her blue curtains.
Like a calming piano melody, the woman smiled in her sleep, mumbling softly, "My prince…"
One hour passed… then two…
BRAK!!!
"DEWI, WAKE UP!!! GOSH, IT'S ALREADY NINE IN THE MORNING AND YOU'RE STILL ASLEEP?!"
A loud voice belonging to a middle-aged woman—who had just kicked open the bedroom door—echoed through the room. Hands on her hips like some grand madam, she shook her head in disbelief. Her voice could probably wake the entire neighborhood, yet her daughter was still peacefully asleep.
No other choice…
Srekk! Brugh!!
"Owww! Mom, what the heck?! Ugh… that hurts…"
Dewi winced, pain written all over her face after her butt met the cold floor.
The culprit who yanked her blanket just sighed in annoyance. The woman marched to the window and pulled the blue curtains wide open. Sunlight flooded the room, making Dewi squeeze her eyes shut.
"Look at the time! It's almost nine! Breakfast is over, your Dad already left for work, your sister went to campus…Mom really doesn't get you! Every day like this! Come on, get ready!"
Mommy grumbled nonstop while swiftly changing the sheets and fixing Dewi's bed. She truly couldn't understand how her eldest could be so different from her youngest.
Dewi simply dragged herself up from the floor, let out a long yawn, and walked toward the bathroom.
"Get ready for what, mom?" she asked, confused.
"Just go shower. Mom's waiting outside. And if you're not done in fifteen minutes, just wait and see!" she warned before walking out with a basket full of Dewi's dirty clothes.
Brak! The door closed.
"So weird… Mommy waking me up this early? Usually she goes straight to the boutique and disappears all day…" Dewi muttered as she rushed into the bathroom.
---
30 minutes later…
"Dewi! I said fifteen minutes! Why are you always slow?!" she scolded.
The middle-aged woman—now dressed like a fancy socialite—was busy putting on her earrings. Her nagging stopped when she saw Dewi's simple appearance.
"I'm done, mom. Let's go. You said we're in a hurry, right?" Dewi replied calmly. She wore a knee-length denim dress, a sling bag, and matching boots. Her long black hair fell loosely down her back.
Mommy sighed, walked closer, and gently adjusted her daughter's look.
"My beautiful eldest daughter… no matter what you wear, you still look pretty. But why didn't you wear the dress I made for you, hm?" she asked softly while fixing Dewi's hair.
Dewi only huffed. That "dress" looked more like an evening gown, and she hated revealing clothes.
"Next time, mom. Let's just go," she said, heading outside toward the golden-yellow car parked by the gate.
Mommy shook her head and followed. Today, they would stop by the boutique first, then have lunch at Bara Restaurant.
---
Meanwhile, on the 11th floor of a tall office building…
The sound of keyboard clicking filled the quiet room. A man wearing dark glasses stared at his laptop, focused on rows of financial data.
Ring…
On the third ring, he answered and turned on speaker mode.
"Topan, where are you? What did I tell you this morning? It's already one o'clock! Get here now, don't embarrass me!"
Topan paused his work, removed his glasses, and let out a breath. His mother's voice was sharp and clear. He didn't respond immediately.
"Topan? Are you there—"
"Yes, Mother. I heard you. And for your information, it's still three minutes before one," he said calmly, glancing at his Rolex.
"I don't care. Get here or I'll tell Arya to drag you—" Tut!
Topan hung up. He exhaled deeply, stood up, pulled off his black suit jacket, and tossed it aside. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.
"She always forces her will. No wonder Ryuji ran away and never wants to come back…" he muttered before grabbing his car keys.
He had to hurry to the restaurant where she waited.
---
Bara Restaurant — 13:15 PM
A graceful middle-aged woman with black-and-silver hair tied neatly sat down again with an apologetic smile. She had just tried calling her son, but he didn't pick up.
"Mira, I'm sorry. Topan will come, I promise," she said anxiously.
Across from her, a mother and daughter were enjoying their lunch. Mira waved it off.
"It's fine, sis. We just got here anyway. The food just arrived," she replied kindly.
Ratna smiled, grateful for her understanding friend. She then turned to Mira's eldest daughter, who stayed quietly listening.
"Dewi, eat more, dear. Your chubby cheeks are adorable, don't let them disappear…" she teased.
Dewi lowered her head shyly, mumbling yes.
Ratna and Mira were laughing lightly—until a low, calm voice cut through the room.
Tap… tap… tap…
"Sorry I'm late," the man said politely with a slight bow.
"Oh, Topan! Sit here, next to Dewi!" Mira said excitedly. She scooted over to sit beside Ratna.
Dewi stared in shock as her mom intentionally let her sit beside this stranger. Topan looked slightly awkward but quickly composed himself and sat down.
Dewi set her chopsticks aside and grabbed a glass of water to ease her nerves.
"Mother and your mom have agreed to match you two. Your Dad approved as well, Dewi. Your wedding will be next month and—"
"UHUUKK!!"
Dewi choked violently. What did she just hear? Arranged marriage? Wedding?!
Before she could recover, a large warm hand rubbed her back. She turned—and met a pair of sharp red eyes staring at her calmly.
"Breathe slowly," he instructed.
Dewi followed. Inhale. Hold. Exhale.
Her throat and nose slowly stopped burning.
He then wiped the water on her lips and chin with his handkerchief.
"Don't be careless next time," he murmured once she was fine.
Being scolded like that made Dewi annoyed. She wasn't careless—she was shock beyond belief! So this was why her mom had been rushing her since morning?
"Mom…" Dewi looked at her mother.
"Why do I have to be matched like this? I'm old enough, I can find someone myself!" she protested.
Mira scoffed. "Find where? You're already thirty and when was your last boyfriend, hm? College? That was seven years ago."
Before Dewi could argue, her mom cut in decisively.
"No excuses. You and Topan will get married in two weeks."
"WHAT?! YOU SAID NEXT MONTH! WHY IS IT EVEN FASTER?!"
Her scream echoed—thankfully the VIP room was private. Dewi slumped, stealing a glance at the man beside her.
Topan looked completely calm, not surprised at all. Did that mean… he agreed to this marriage?
TO BE CONTINUED…