章 13: He Didn't Want Her to See His Hideous Thoughts With Those Clear Eyes of Hers

"What?" Shouko was slightly stunned. She turned her head and looked at Old Toshio. "He won't have dinner?"

Old Toshio nodded with a regretful look on his face. "The young master said he has an important matter that needed his immediate attendance. He asked you, Young Madam to have dinner first and retreat to your bedroom to rest afterward."

Shouko was quite baffled when suddenly Old Toshio came and relayed that Kyoya wouldn't dine with her. She couldn't help but feeling something was off.

Did something happen because he didn't go to the company today?

If that was the reason, she would feel guilty because she understood that he worked from home today just to accompany her.

"It's alright," Shouko decided to drop the matter. She looked up and asked kindly to Old Toshio. "I'll just eat in my room. Don't forget to send dinner to him too."

She didn't want him to forgo dinner just for the sake of working.

"Understood, Young Madam," Old Toshio appeared to relax. He began instructed the maids to begin serving dinner.

For the first time, Shouko had dinner alone. Usually, Kyoya would be there to accompany her. If felt kind of lonely when she recalled she would usually have someone to talk to.

Shouko recalled that after lunch, she had stopped seeing him. Did his work hadn't ended? Kyoya had been confining himself in the study until the night fell. She could only hope his work would progress smoothly. Recalling his dark circles the other day, she somehow understood there would be times when he couldn't get enough rest for himself.

Being the president of a company is so troublesome. If it were me, I'd just pack up all of my things and money and then I'd just live happily in the countryside, away from unnecessary problems.

Shouko couldn't help but have such a thought.

"Well, he certainly good at what he does," She mumbled slowly.

While in the library, she used some time to make a search on her own husband. His glorious achievements ever since he took over Kashino Corporation five years ago had been repeatedly praised by critics. He was still young, reaching 33 years old this coming summer but his hard work and perseverance were evident in how the conglomerate had prospered after him taking office.

Such a good and caliber man, somehow Shouko felt it was wasted for him to be married to no one like her.

If Kyoya were to know her thoughts, he would certainly do not know either to laugh or cry.

After dinner, Shouko spent some time reading before she obediently ate her medicine and went to sleep. Before she went to bed, she asked Mai to oversee whether Kyoya had dinner or not which the maid immediately went to find Old Toshio.

"Young Madam asked if Young Master has eaten his dinner or not," Mai appeared nervous as she glanced at the closed doors of the room opposite the master bedroom.

Old Toshio nodded silently. He then gestured for the young lady to retreat to the servants' living quarters.

Most of them would knock off work around 9 since their young master disliked having people roaming inside the mansion at night. Besides him the butler and a few other people, the rest of them would go back to their quarters to rest before they started their work at 5 AM the next morning.

Old Toshio knocked on the door twice before he silently opened it. The air inside the room was stuffy with the windows being locked and the curtains pulled together, depriving the room of any light. But, even in the darkness, he could see a lonely figure sitting on a single couch at one side of the room.

"Young Master, Young Madam has gone to sleep," Old Toshio reported from the spot he was standing. He didn't dare to move nearer because he understood at this kind of moment, his young master disliked having people around him.

"En," Kyoya grunted in acknowledgment. His eyes were closed, one of his hands was propped up on the armrest as he leaned one side of his head on it.

"Young Madam asked for you to have dinner. She was thinking you're still working in the study."

His eyelashes fluttered at the mention of his wife's name. Kyoya tiredly opened his eyes and stared right ahead of him, his gaze was unfocused.

If the room was lit, one could see the redness in his eyes and how his languid expression right now akin to an insatiable beast who had woke up from his slumber.

"You may leave."

"But, Young Master..." Old Toshio hesitated.

"Go."

A warning was laced in his order. Old Toshio didn't dare to refute. He bowed once and silently left the room. Only after the door was closed and the sound of his footsteps faded did Kyoya begin to move.

He glanced at the cold dinner that was laying in negligence since the moment it was brought to him. He got off of the couch, his steps were languid as he made way toward the table where the dinner was placed.

His slender hand reached for the fork. He stabbed a couple of vegetables and slowly chewed them down. His taste buds couldn't taste anything. His eyes were still in a daze.

Grandpa's words in the evening came haunting in his mind.

Subconsciously, his fingers tightened around the fork. His grip was so hard, resulting in small droplets of blood to stain the table as they dripped down from the wound.

Right now, there was no tenderness in his eyes like the one he had always directed to the little woman in his heart.

Instead, it was a storm of rage, anxiety, fear and violence.

She would return.

As the words continuously haunting him, he felt his back was throbbing with extreme pain.

"Urgh!"

The fork fell from his hand. Kyoya leaned forward, both of his hands clenched the edge of the table tightly. His knuckles whitened, the blood continued dripping down, creating a small pool of blood on the floor. A layer of cold sweat broke on his forehead.

It was a long and sleepless night.

"He has gone to the office?"

"Yes, Young Madam. Young Master asked us to attend to your matter today."

It was the next morning when Shouko learned that she wouldn't be having breakfast with Kyoya today. But, she didn't think too much of it considering he seemed so busy after lunch yesterday. She didn't even see him for dinner.

"Alright, I'll just eat in my room."

After breakfast, Shouko went to spend her time in the library. The excitement from yesterday hadn't subsided. It was like she was dreaming when she realized she had penned closed to twenty children's books within these five years. She had even written a series, starting with Aiko and the Sea, her first book.

It wasn't until noon when her concentration got diverted by a sudden message. Shouko placed the book down on her lap before she reached out for the phone. It was a message from Kyoya. Her eyes instinctually lit up by seeing the name.

Are you there?

Huh?

Before she could reply, another message came.

Can I call you?

Shouko pressed her lips. These two consecutive messages carried a sense of uncertainty. Without thinking, she tapped on the Call button icon.

This time, the call got connected even when the first ring had yet to cease.

"Shouko?"

Shouko chewed her lower lip. She had just heard him calling out her name, yet just one word confirmed her suspicions.

She was right. He sounded so nervous and surprised when she suddenly made the call.

He wanted to call her yet something in him made him hesitate. Shouko couldn't help but wonder why did he sound like that? Did it because he was too busy with his work?

"Have you had your lunch?" Shouko softened her voice, pretending not to realize how he sounded like earlier. It would be better to feign innocence rather than making him felt like she was pitying him. "You went to the company so early in the morning. I'm afraid you didn't even eat your breakfast."

"Oh... I have sandwiches with me. Are you in the library?" Kyoya's words carried relief in them. The tension in his body started loosening once the soft voice of hers drifted into his ears.

"Yes! Ah, you know what-"

Shouko began chatting happily. Her fuse suddenly went off when he mentioned the library. She kept on talking about her books, feeling happy to have someone to listen to her. She had been alone since yesterday evening so she was eager to have a companion to talk to.

She talked and talked and Kyoya would only give her an occasional grunt but Shouko didn't feel repulsed by his lack of words. She couldn't see his expression but it was clear that he was enjoying to hear her talking.

It was impossible to ask Mai or Noriko to accompany her since those two still had their own duties so Kyoya's message came at the right time.

"Well, I'm not sure whether I should start writing the continuation of the series but I am eager to do so. But, what if I messed it up?"

The series that started with Aiko and the Sea had another five books in it, it ended with Aiko and the Moon that was published in autumn last year. Apparently, she hadn't written down a new book since Aiko and the Moon.

She wondered why did she stop there?

"You know yourself well. You could write it," Kyoya spoke ever so gently, if Shouko could see him right now, she would see that only indulgence was expressed on his face right now. "Still, I think it's better for you to recover well. I'm afraid you would be disturbed by your amnesia."

"En, you're right," After thinking for a moment, Shouko agreed with his advice. It was plausible to think of that way. Right now, she was affected by the realization that she had been living her dream but at her current state, it was better for her to take it slow.

They continued to chat for some time later until Mai came to notify that lunch was ready. Apparently Kyoya heard the young girl's words.

"Go and have your lunch, I'll continue my work then" He gently urged her, worrying if she would just be stuck in the library without eating.

"En? Aren't you having lunch too?" Shouko glanced at the wall clock. It was supposed to be his lunchtime too.

"Kuroda would send my lunch after this. I'll eat, don't worry," A hint of a smile tinged in his voice, slowly drifting into her ears.

"So, um... Well, would you be back tonight?"

There was no response from the other side when she dropped the question. Shouko was waiting nervously when a slow reply came, "We'll dine together."

"Alright! See you at home!"

Kyoya's eyes dilated in surprise. It was clear that his little lady was excited to see him at home tonight.

"Yes. See you at home."

While Shouko was having lunch, Kyoya was still staring at his phone with a faint smile tugged on his thin lips.

After the warning that he received from his grandfather yesterday evening, his mood turned hostile all of a sudden. He avoided meeting her for fear he would be scaring her if he couldn't contain himself. He locked himself up in his room even though he was deeply yearning to see her.

He didn't want her to see his hideous thoughts with those clear eyes of hers.

Luckily, she bought the excuse that he was busy with his work.

It was a torturous night. He couldn't even sleep a wink. Once the morning came, he appeared so ghastly it scared the servants away. Only Old Toshio remained by his side. Before Shouko could wake up, he was already in the car, heading to the company.

He refused to let her see him in this state.

"Ha..."

Kyoya let out a soft sigh.

By just hearing her voice, the violent beast inside him began to retreat to the lowest part in his mind. He no longer felt hostile. She had made him felt so safe and secure.

Once again.

As he was rewinding the sound of her voice like how one would rewind the music box, his eyelids slowly closed. He leaned back against the couch. In no time, a faint snore echoed in the quiet office. His right hand fell on his lap while the other rested on the armrest.

The exhaustion from last night had caught up to him.

Her voice was his lullaby.

When Assistant Kuroda entered the president's office with Ryota in tow, this was the sight that greeted their eyes. Both of them quickly retreated without making a noise and escaped to the secretarial department.

"What happened? Didn't he has just torture the Planning Department this morning? How could he is sleeping so peacefully right now?" Ryota looked at Kuroda with suspicions in his eyes, he spoke so lowly as if both of them were conspired something.

"I don't know! The president came so early in the morning! It was so obvious he was insomniac again last night! I didn't even remember the last time I saw him with such dark circles!"

"Well, I did hear he has trouble sleeping since my cousin-in-law got into an accident... Wait! He returned being an insomniac since the end of last year so this is nothing new except..."

"Vice president, the president has never slept even once whenever he reached the office."

"Well, even the Demon Lord has his own share of fatigue no matter how insomniac he was," Ryota answered, even though he himself wasn't convinced with the reason.

While both of them were speaking with their heads almost touching each other, the man inside the president's office was sleeping peacefully. There was even a faint smile on his face. His entire countenance relaxed as he was dreaming of a beautiful memory of a long time ago.