Leena went upstairs in haste and suddenly stopped outside the door. It was as if she wanted to escape from something horrible. She had never felt this frustrated and helpless her entire life.
Her small body leaned against the wall and looked outside the window. Her gaze focused on the national flag that was displayed on the top of the army base. However, the darkness had fallen and the flag also seemed dark in color.
Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder, what if she didn't choose to drink down her sorrow that night? She would probably never meet Kevin. They wouldn't get married and she would live a completely different life. Away from the complications and away from her complex feelings about him.
Kevin frowned as he watched Leena in silence. He had been standing there for a long time but Leena didn't even notice him. She was absent-mindedly looking out of the window. Was there anything outside that drew her attention and troubled her heart? How could she just ignore his presence? He didn't butt a word as he leaned his body against the door frame. He just remained quietly staring at her. It suddenly occurred to him that Leena had changed in so many ways. She could be smart, lively and active with her brother around. On the other hand, she seemed to have lost her spirit whenever she was with him. Now all he could do was wonder what made her change. Did those changes have anything to do with him? His mind asked.
"Leena," Kevin called gently at last. He decided to stop guessing and talked to his wife.
"Yeah! Have you taken your shower?" Leena collected herself, turned around, and looked at him confusedly.
"Yes. I was looking for you. I didn't expect to see you here alone and troubled. Why don't you just come inside and tell me what happened?" Leena felt embarrassed under his steady and intense gaze.
Nothing serious. I just found that the night here was charming. It is beautiful. I feel drawn to it," answered Leena. She realized that she had become accustomed to telling lies. Worse was that she wasn't blushing or having nerves attacks anymore whenever she made up stories. Had she already developed a bad habit of lying to her husband? The reality of herself getting used to lying to her husband made her panic. She was afraid that she might have picked a habit that could put their marriage at risk.
"Charming? I don't think so. There's nothing but darkness outside. You can't see anything, not even a shining star." Kevin pretended to believe what she said and also gazed out of the window.
"Tsk! All the stars are scared of you. They must be hiding somewhere." Leena said before bursting into laughter upon seeing Kevin's bewildered face. She didn't waste the opportunity of teasing him.
"Well, er, Am I that ugly and horrible? Those stars can't be scared of my face," answered Kevin amusedly. Then, he touched his face with his hand. Little did Leena know how much her simple laugh cheered him every time. Actually, he would do anything just to make her laugh.
Yes, they can. It's all your fault! Shouldn't you appear all the sudden, they could have stayed there." Leena looked at Kevin and found that his hair was still wet. She frowned and thought that his wet hair might get him sick.
"Should I ask for your forgiveness then?" The handsome man stepped closer to his wife. Just like what she did a moment ago, he also leaned his body against the wall and looked out of the window.
"Why should I forgive you? Are you going to do anything to compensate for your fault?" A wry smile showed on Leena's lips. She found it funny whenever Kevin attempted to crack a joke.
"Smart girl, don't say that easily. You know the consequences of doing that." Kevin looked at her wryly and lustfully.
"Well, You should be ashamed of yourself, mister." Leena blushed scarlet since she clearly knew what he meant by the term 'consequences'.
I have said nothing to feel ashamed of myself. Don't be silly." Kevin cocked his head while smiling. He knew that Leena wasn't that stupid to misunderstand what he meant.
"I'm in no mood to talk nonsense with you right now. Mom's making some tea downstairs. Why don't you drink some to sober you up?" Leena still believed that the man was heavily drunk, otherwise, he wouldn't be as mischievous as a naughty child. She wouldn't even blush by just staring at his face under normal circumstances.
"No, thanks. Now go inside. The bath's ready." Kevin held her hand and pulled her to their bathroom.
She wouldn't say it out loud but in reality, Leena liked how it felt every time they were holding hands. It never failed to make her feel both warm and secure.
She could imagine herself as the queen of the world whenever her husband was around. She even became a bit frustrated and disappointed when the man finally let her go. It was as if she had woken up from her beautiful dream.
Capital City was a bad place for Leena. It could be that she hadn't been accustomed to the life there or because of Claire's blatant hostility towards her. Regardless of the real reason, she still felt relieved after she took a hot bath.
On the other hand, Kevin was sitting on the big bed with his head lowered. The loneliness and sadness he saw on Leena's eyes earlier wouldn't let him feel at ease at all. That was the very first time that he saw her like that. However, there were also some accidental moments when he caught her looking like she was low-spirited. He felt sorry for his wife. She had always been the happy daughter of the Leng family but it was just not the same now that she was with his family. It was undeniable that Leena had undergone a lot of stress since they got married. She was brutally forced to grow up and mature. He had witnessed everything that happened to her and God knows how desperate he was to free her out of those pressures.
The husband and wife who were living in the same room had different feelings and thoughts deep down in their hearts. Regardless of what happened, they would still rise in the morning to see the morning light and live another day, be it for good or for bad. The next morning, Leena woke up early and found Kevin surprisingly sitting on the balcony with a cup of warm coffee in his hand. He was drinking his brew leisurely while reading the newspaper. He seemed to be in a good mood. It was something unusual since she was used to waking up alone knowing that he was somewhere else exercising.