TV host-actress Mariel Rodriguez is set to undergo an operation to have the cyst on her ovary removed.

Fans of Mariel need not worry, though, as the cyst is benign. “Hindi naman siya cancerous. Pero kailangan ko pa rin siyang tanggalin,” she said in a taped interview aired on “E-Live” on August 28.

Mariel said she first discovered the dermoid cyst when she was 18 years old. From a size of a small stone, she said it now grew into a size of an apple.

Although the date of her operation was not specified, Mariel is set to prepare for it once she comes home from her out-of-the-country vacation with current squeeze Robin Padilla and his children Ali and Kylie.

After her operation, Mariel will need to rest for two weeks, her “Pilipinas Win na Win” co-host Kris Aquino told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

Just last week, Robin went to India for a project, “E-Live” stated. On August 18, three days after Robin arrived in the said country, Mariel followed.

A "TV Patrol” report last August 27 showed a footage of Robin declaring in an event: “I came back with my wife. I hope you appreciate that I’m here like a family to you. We are one. We are a family.” Some of the filler shots showed that he was with Mariel.

“E-Live” aired a longer clip of the event, which is said to be taken at the Noble School in Alipur---one of the places Robin and Mariel visited together during their trip. According to Mariel, the Noble School reminds Robin of his own school, the LKF (Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation).

“‘Yung Noble School sa Alipur, para siyang LKF. ‘Yung libreng paaralan. Ang daming mga bata na nandun. Kahit libre ‘yung school, ‘yung facilities nila, the best. Nai-inspire siya pag nagpupunta siya dun na gawin ‘yung LKF,” she said.

The school’s director introduced Mariel as Robin’s “would-be-wife.” But what surprised Mariel even more was when Robin called her “my wife” during his speech.

“Pero feeling ko ganun talaga siya eh. Pag meron siyang someone special ganun niya tratuhin talaga,” she said.

This then disproves speculations that the two tied the knot in India. If they had, Mariel stressed, “hindi naman namin isi-sikreto sa mga tao.”

She admitted, though, that they have talked about it.

“Wala pa namang definite na kung kelan [ang kasal]. It’s something na nice to dream about, to talk about. [Pero] hindi naman kailangang magmadali,” Mariel said.

For now, Mariel said Robin’s concern is the preparation for Ali’s return to Australia, where his ex-wife, Liezl Sicangco resides. Recall that a few weeks ago, Liezl alleged in several interviews that Robin has been lacking time for his children, particularly Ali. Robin, in an official statement, apologized to Liezl and said, “ako mismo ang kakausap sa aking mga anak na umuwi na sa kanilang ina.”

“I think they’re working on it, like ‘yung passport," Mariel said. "[Pero] I think mas mabuti kung si Robin ‘yung makausap tungkol dito."

It’s obvious---from their photos and videos together at the airport (where Robin, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand, picked up Mariel), the Noble School, and the Taj Mahal---that the two are utterly smitten with each other. And if those aren’t enough testaments, Mariel declared: “I’ve never been this happy.”

“I really am contented with life. Hindi ko alam na pwede palang maging ganito kasaya.”

In a separate interview, Kris gave a profound reaction on Mariel’s decision to take an indefinite leave from “Win na Win” and her other showbiz obligations.

“Hindi biro ‘yung iniwanan niya ang trabaho niya. Sinundan niya ang puso niyo. Bilang kaibigan at bilang ate niya, mamahalin mo na lang at ipagdarasal mo na pang habambuhay ang kaligayahan,” she said.

Mariel’s manager, Boy Abunda, told ABS-CBN that he supports his ward’s quest to find her own happy ending.

“It’s her life, not mine. She’s 26. She’s of age. And as her manager, I honor her concept of love. Ma (Mariel’s nickname) has been wanting a vacation, and we couldn’t fix her schedule until Robin came along, and after that, the decisions were quick,” he explained.