Both of them dine in the master bedroom. The maids brought their dinner upstairs and placed them on a round table placed next to the balcony. Since it was autumn, Kyoya didn't let them open the windows for fear of Shouko catching a cold.
Their meal was light, only consisted of porridge and a few side dishes. Shouko looked at the porridge bowl served in front of Kyoya. She was a bit hesitant to speak but in the end, she voiced out her concerns.
"Why are you eating porridge too?" Shouko was confused from the moment the maids placed the porridge bowl to him. As a patient that was still recuperating, she was needed to eat a light meal yet he was eating the same?
"I'll have what you eat," Kyoya answered with a faint smile. The soft glow of the lights from the ceiling basked on his handsome face.
Shouko was stunned hearing his answer. She quickly hung her head low and continued to eat her porridge. The tips of her ears gradually turned red.
Kyoya held back his chuckle. He knew his little wife was still feeling embarrassed over their hug earlier. After she had done crying, she quickly pushed him away with a face as red as a tomato. He didn't say anything about it, for fear of making her more embarrassed with him.
"Press this button if you need anything," Kyoya handed him a wireless calling bell once they were done having dinner. It was a small gadget in a round shape. There was a light blue button at the center of it.
"Thanks," Shouko accepted it without much noise. Her hand reached out to take the gadget from Kyoya's wide palm. The tips of her fingers brushed past his rough palm, seeping warmth under her skin.
She understood the importance of this remote. Since she would be sleeping alone in this vast master bedroom, she certainly needed it if something required someone else's assurance. Her movements were still limited so she was grateful over this small thing.
"So... I'd head to my room," Kyoya looked hesitant yet he swiftly recomposed himself. He had almost blurted out words to accompany her in this room before he swallowed them back. His thin lips muttered out two words. "Good night."
"Oh..." Shouko blinked, she quickly nodded. "Well... Good night."
Kyoya hummed in response. Even when he said he would return to his room, he didn't make any movement to go out of the master bedroom. He still stood tall opposite her who had already sitting on the bed. He seemed as if he still had something to say yet, after struggling internally, he just nodded stiffly before walking out of the room.
Shouko watched his departure in silence.
It didn't escape her notice that Kyoya was battling with something within himself. She could just assume it was related to her. From what she heard from the nurses that took care of her, that man was waiting by her side ever since the day she was first admitted to the hospital.
It was a gruesome car accident. It was raining the day it happened. Apparently she was out with the chauffeur to a place and on her way home, the rain was so heavy the car skidded on the road and hit the nearby tree. Luckily both of them were safe.
"We were so scared! Mr. Kashino came immediately, he looked so terrifying when he scolded the doctors who were operating on you!" The nurse began her story. Her eyes were filled with fear and anxiety as she was recalling that day.
"I remembered seeing him punching the wall when suddenly your condition deteriorated in the theater, " Her friend chimed in. "Even the hospital director was afraid of his threats. Luckily, your condition stabilized. Since then, he has never left your side."
Shouko could only sigh inwardly hearing their story. That man was so pitiful. The waiting must be torture yet when she finally regained her consciousness, he had to face the fact that his wife didn't remember him.
"I should do something..." Shouko mumbled in a low voice. Yet, before she could think, a wave of exhaustion hit her. A yawn escaped her lips, making her lazy to think.
Thus, she slept deeply on the first night she returned to this unfamiliar mansion. Her steady breathing could be heard falling softly in the quiet room.
As she was deep in sleep, the occupant of the room opposite hers was having trouble sleeping.
Kyoya sat on a single couch, a black bathrobe wrapped around his slender body. He hung his head low, his eyes were locked on a photo in between his fingers. The air around him was heavy and suffocating.
Three faces were smiling happily in the photo.
He pursed his lips. Dark shadows fell on his face, concealing his emotions from being seen.
The light of the dawn had just gleaming over the horizon when Shouko slowly revived from her dreamland. Contrary to her belief, she slept soundly as if this wasn't a foreign place to her.
Shouko looked at the wireless calling gadget that Kyoya handed to her last night. She wanted to go to the washroom yet she was hesitant to call for the maids. Ignoring the gadget, she went ahead to the washroom by herself.
"Urgh..." Shouko grimaced in pain. One of her hands pressed on her lower abdomen.
She didn't understand why her tummy was so much ache since the moment she woke up. There were no major injuries on it so did it mean the injuries were internal?
The feeling was as if her menstrual cramp kicked in yet this pain was much more powerful. She wondered how was the accident.
Her steps were so slow. Once she reached the washroom, she stood in front of the mirror. She had yet to properly take a look at her face which had matured over these five years. Since she had the time, she began to eye her own facial features.
Nothing much had changed except for her small face had lost a portion of its baby fat and she appeared skinny than before. Her complexion was still pale and her cheeks were slightly hollow.
It was as if she wasn't living a healthy life. What had happened?
Shouko shook her head. She decided to not dwell on such things. She could easily regain her weight once she didn't have to depend on light meals anymore. The warm water flowed out from the faucet. She cupped the water and started washing her face.
Once she was done, Shouko returned to the bed. She sat quietly while facing the scenery outside the French doors. Little by little, the sun began to soar up high but at that time, she fell back to sleep. Her figure lay sideways on the soft bed.
"En..."
It was not until 9 AM did Shouko woke up again. By this time, the sun had already been basking its warmth on Earth yet her room remained dark. She blinked a few times, wondering if she was still dreaming.
Shouko propped her body up on one elbow, her free hand reaching for the clock placed on the bedside table.
"Huh?"
It's already 9:10 AM?
Shouko looked at her left and right, her mind was blanked in confusion. She had just wanted to get off of the bed when the door was opened from the outside. It was Mai with another young maid.
"Young Madam, you've woken up?" Mai gave Shouko a bow of respect before she and the girl walked inside the room. She glanced at the girl beside her before introducing the latter, "This is Noriko. She's your personal maid too."
"Oh... Hello," Shouko nodded once. Noriko smiled at her.
Both Mai and Noriko went to open the curtains. The room was slowly being filled with natural light from the outside. Shouko stared at the view outside the French doors.
"Young Master forbade us to wake you up so we intentionally let the curtains obscure the windows," Mai gently spoke to Shouko who was still in silence. "Are you hungry, Young Madam? I'll let the kitchen know that you've woken up. Young Master hasn't eaten, either."
"What?" Shouko was caught in surprise. "He hasn't eaten? Isn't he supposed to go to the company at this time?"
"Err... No," Mai and Noriko glanced at each other. Mai paused for a moment before she spoke again. "Young Master said... he'll wait to have breakfast with you."
Shouko parted her lips, she wanted to say something yet no words could be formed in her mind. A soft sigh escaped her lips. She looked at both of them, a weary smile graced her pale face.
"Alright, tell him I've woken up and..." Shouko paused, she was reminded of his words last night. Taking her chance to gamble, she requested something from both of them.
Mai and Noriko complied with her request. Noriko left the room to go to the kitchen while Mai remained in the room to tend to Shouko's needs.
Kyoya appeared as soon as Noriko left. At that time, Shouko had just gotten off the bed. One of her arms leaned on Mai's as the young maid helped her to stand. Upon seeing his wife's contorted face due to pain, Kyoya didn't waste any more time heading to get her.
"How are you feeling?" Kyoya firmly held onto her shoulders, prompting Mai to retract her hands from her young madam's arms.
"Nothing much," Shouko bit her lips in embarrassment. This man was so quick to come here. Was he deliberately waiting for her to arise today?
"That's good," Kyoya replied briefly. He looked at the detail of her face. She was still pale yet the lightest shade of pink started bringing out radiant on her cheeks. She was slowly healing.
"En... Kyoya?"
"Yes?"
"En... let Mai help me. I want to go to the washroom," Shouko averted her eyes from his gaze. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Oh, okay."
Kyoya glanced at Mai who swiftly went to support her young madam. Both of them headed to the washroom with Kyoya looking at them from their backs. Shouko swore she could feel the heat of his gaze even until after the door of the washroom was closed.
Once she was finished, Mai helped her walk toward the table where she had her dinner last night. At this time, Old Toshio the butler and two maids arrived with their meal. Their breakfast consisted of corn porridge for Shouko and a set of complete traditional breakfast for Kyoya.
"What is this?" Kyoya frowned seeing his breakfast. He glanced at Old Toshio who had a polite smile on his face even when he was facing the displeasure in the younger man's eyes. "I didn't ask for this."
Before Old Toshio could answer, Shouko quickly admitted to her doings. "I asked them to prepare that. Won't you eat them? I'm afraid just eating porridge won't suffice you."
Her words left him stunned. Not once did he expect her to ask the kitchen to prepare a separate breakfast for him. For sure she remembered his words last night. He really intended to just eat whatever she was having.
But, how could he reject her good intentions?
"Okay," He nodded once, making Old Toshio's smile turn wider seeing his young master relented to the young madam.
Only Old Toshio remained by their side when they began eating breakfast. The other maids were instructed to head downstairs. The husband and wife ate in silence.
Shouko carefully ate the warm porridge. Occasionally, she would lift her eyes to see the man who sat opposite him.
"What is it?" Sensing her gaze directed to him with clear curiosity in those bright eyes, he couldn't help but ask.
"En... you didn't get a good sleep?" Shouko chewed her lower lip, she was looking at the purplish mark under his eyes that wasn't there before he went to bed last night.
His sharp features also appeared grimmer than usual. If not for the tenderness exuded from his eyes whenever he was looking at her, Shouko would be scared stiff.
Kyoya paused, he wasn't prepared to hear such questions from her. While his mind was blanked out, Old Toshio who sat at one side generously replied to his young madam's question.
"Young Madam, Young Master couldn't sl..."
Before he could finish his words, he sensed a chilly gaze being directed at her. Old Toshio shut his mouth and stared right ahead.
Shouko blinked in confusion. She looked at Kyoya and Old Toshio back and forth yet no one seemed to answer her question. The old butler didn't even finish his sentence.
"I had a video conference last night from overseas," Kyoya settled with this excuse. It sounded plausible even to him.
"Oh... okay." Shouko put the matter at rest. She continued eating as a sense of awkwardness filled her mind.
Old Toshio watched the couple from the side. He was so tempted to tell the young madam that the young master couldn't sleep if she was not present.
The First Young Master Kashino was actually infamous with his bad temper due to his severe case of insomnia since his childhood. Even with the help of the hypnotist, he could only sleep at most for four hours each day.
The sleep-deprived him was prone to be easily irritated even though he would mostly brood in silence for fear of hurting anyone around him.
He began to sleep normally once his relationship and the young madam reached another level.
Simply put, young madam was his sleeping pill.
With what had been happening right now, Old Toshio doubted his young master could return to his normal sleeping schedule soon.
Besides not being able to sleep in the same room with his wife, the pressure and anxiety that he felt due to the accident involving the young madam would surely take a toll on his mental state.
His young master wasn't as perfect as the world had glorified.
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A/N:
So, I've taken a liking to the couple in A Capable Maid as our dearest Sonia Singh has recommended.
Marie is totally the way I've pictured Shouko especially when she let her hair down, and Rael too! His coldness is what I'm finding a hard time to write but it's worth it.
But, please picture them with black hair, please 😝