50

As we walked to the next house, Evgeny didn’t stop talking for a second about what a wonderful place this was and what lovely people lived nearby. To be honest, I listened half-heartedly, as did Kirill. The houses were far enough apart from each other to guarantee privacy and quiet seclusion.

Enjoying the local nature, I noticed a very unusual little house, standing alone on a small elevation, separate from all the others. We were walking relatively far from it, but even that distance was enough to notice that this house was noticeably different from the modern buildings.

It was a compact two-story house with a large veranda and wide balconies overgrown with wild grapes. The house was clad in gray natural stone and stood out from the others with its rather unusual design, made in an old-fashioned style. There was no modern paved path or sidewalk leading to it, only a stone walkway. There was no neatly trimmed lawn, only short, natural grass. The real charm of the house was added by the very tall oaks and lindens in front of the facade.

I can’t explain my feelings, but I liked what I saw. I wanted to look at this house, as if it had… some kind of story of its own.

“And here’s the next house on our list,” Evgeny pointed to another house in front of us.

It was two stories and made in a high-tech style, evidenced by its irregular shape like a cut-off cube. Inside, it was very spacious and bright, but… cold.

“So, what do you think of this one?” finally asked Kirill, clearly delighted with this house.

“It feels unwelcoming,” I honestly shared my opinion. “This concrete, glass, and metal…” I shivered slightly, shrugging my shoulders.

“I like it,” Kirill said flatly.

“There’s also a huge underground garage for six cars,” Evgeny proudly added, and I almost rolled my eyes.

“Why so many?” I asked, unimpressed by the comment.

“By some standards, that’s still not enough,” the man said arrogantly, and we left the house.

“Well, Kirill, the opinion of your future wife is very important!” the man laughed. “A happy wife means a happy husband! There are still more houses, let’s go!”

“And what about that house?” I pointed to the little house that had caught my attention.

“Ah…” the realtor hesitated. “This house is not part of our program. It once belonged to the wife of one of the local landowners in the past. The house is old and was only recently renovated, giving it a more modern look and conveniences.”

“Then why isn’t it for sale?” I didn’t understand.

“The thing is, we provide fully finished turnkey houses. And here, there’s still a lot of work,” Evgeny explained. “The house itself is almost ready, but the surrounding territory is completely undeveloped. No garage, no lawn, nothing—just the house, without any ready-made additions.”

“So, you haven’t paved its territory with concrete and asphalt yet?”

“That’s called comfort and amenities,” the realtor smiled at me.

“For some, maybe,” I smiled back. “Sometimes it’s very useful to get out of concrete jungles and breathe the freshness of untamed nature. Unlike the others, this house has a soul—I can feel it.”

As we headed to the next house, I got into quite a conversation with Evgeny. If you ignore his extravagant, cloying appearance, he is an interesting conversationalist with a peculiar sense of humor and self-irony. Talking to him was easy and fun, which really lifted my mood.

We looked at two more houses, which… left me completely indifferent. Beautiful, huge, expensive, with everything in them, but none resonated with me. Honestly, at this point, I didn’t care where I would live with this stiff, who had been walking around gloomier than a thundercloud for the past two hours.

“So, you’ve seen the available options here,” Evgeny smiled. “If nothing caught your eye here, there are still a few other locations where a house can be found. Make a joint decision, and I will gladly provide you with the keys to your future family nest.”

We said our goodbyes; the man shook Kirill’s hand, and brought mine to his lips, kissing the knuckles like a true gentleman. But again, that cloyingly sweet look of a questionable seducer made me cringe inside, even though outwardly I had a slight smile. I even felt embarrassed by the gesture, since I didn’t feel very confident with the morning porridge still in my hair.

My legs were already noticeably aching, the sun was leaning toward sunset, and I desperately wanted to get into the car to give my suffering limbs some rest. So, once I settled with relief in Kirill’s car, I didn’t immediately realize that the door had locked behind me. Turning to the brunette, I was met with the angry and furious gaze of green eyes.

“What the fuck, Vicky?!”