25 She Saw The Most Beautiful Sight She Had Ever Seen in Her Life

How much he had suffered?

That question continuously lingered in her mind as she cried herself until she was exhausted.

He was someone unfamiliar to her yet at this moment, her heart ached badly for him. Shouko couldn't tell whether it was because she was his wife or because he was someone she had loved deeply before she lost her memory.

But, this unexpected matter had helped her to make up her mind.

It was already past noon when she managed to calm herself down. When Shouko came out from the room, the traces of her tears were nowhere to be found. Except for her slightly puffy eyes, she appeared calm as usual.

She didn't want Kyoya to suspect anything off about her.

"Shouko?"

Kyoya had just walked out of the room when the door next to his room being opened from the inside. A young lady in loose clothes came out of the room.

"Kyoya," Shouko smiled, she looked at him who had changed into a dark brown cashmere sweater. A pair of loose pant clad on his long legs.

His lips hooked up into a smile before a frown appeared on his face.

"Your eyes are red," He pointed out with worry. "What happened?"

"Oh?" Shouko rubbed her eyes, her mind began to think of excuses. "I watched videos online and saw a sad one. I couldn't help but cry."

Kyoya smiled helplessly. "Don't ever watch that kind of videos again. You've always been soft hearted."

"Alright!" Shouko sighed in relief inwardly. Thank God he bought her flimsy excuse.

Both of them went downstairs. Fragrant aroma wafted in the air, coming from the dining room next to the kitchen.

"Young Master, Young Madam, lunch is ready," Mrs. Shimizu saw their appearance, a soft smile graced her face.

She brought out a pot of freshly brewed tea and placed them on the table. Once she was done, she began to quietly retreat to the kitchen.

"Ah, have you eaten, Mrs. Shimizu?" Shouko asked before the older lady vanished from her sight.

"I have. Thank you for asking, Young Madam." Mrs. Shimizu bowed and left to give the couple privacy.

Shouko looked at the dishes served on the table. All of them were cooked from the freshly harvested autumn vegetables as well as some meat. Her lips curled up.

"These mountain vegetables look delicious," Shouko giggled. "This place is a suburb, right? There must be many plantations around here."

"En," Kyoya nodded, his tone was light and airy, a stark contrast to his usual cold and aloofness he had always displayed to other people. He clipped some of the vegetables and placed them on her bowl. "All of these were harvested from a nearby farm. Eat them."

"Thank you~"

The husband and wife ate their lunch in harmony. Once they were done, Kyoya invited Shouko for a stroll alongside the lake. Shouko readily accepted his invitation.

The lake was calm with few ripples disrupting the surface. The crisp autumn wind blew occasionally, spreading earthy scent in the air. The sun shone brightly, leaving sparkles on the lake.

"This place is so peaceful," Shouko looked up at the sky, her eyes bent as she smiled happily.

Kyoya glanced at her content expression. He was happy that he made the correct decision bringing her here.

His mind also was more at ease.

"Oh ya! What do you say if we just tend for ourselves?" Shouko suddenly voiced out what had been circling in her mind.

"En? What do you mean?" Kyoya looked at her with anticipation.

Shouko looked back to the villa that was slowly turned smaller in her sight as they continued walking.

"Since this is a retreat, it's better to just enjoy this time without any helper," Shouko turned her head to look back at him. "I could cook for you if you want."

Once he realized her intention, Kyoya couldn't help but smile wider. "Do you mean, we don't need Mrs. Shimizu's help?"

Shouko nodded. "I don't think the villa needs major cleaning so we could just take care of it by ourselves. Plus, I have been tended to by the helpers in the mansion. I feel like taking this chance to move around more. Aren't you afraid of me being spoiled rotten until I could no longer do a simple task?"

Her last words brought laughter to his lips. In a second, Kyoya nodded, signifying his understanding and agreement to her plan.

"Alright, let's do that. Let's cook on own our tonight."

"Thanks!"

Kyoya smiled again, pleased with her idea. In this way, he could really spend time alone with her and even eat her cooking.

While Kyoya thought it was just a spontaneous idea coming from her, it was not.

This was Shouko's first step to him. For her to become closer to the man who had been waiting for her.

They continued walking, side by side.

"Let's sit at the bank?" Kyoya pointed at a bench near the bank. They had walked quite far from the villa area. Since the villa was private property, no one else was there around them.

"Okay~" Shouko did feel her feet ached slightly after walking for a long time.

As the ground near the bank was filled with small cobblestones, Kyoya took Shouko's hand in his and carefully led her to the bench as he walked in front of her. Shouko's eyes went to their linked hands before they settled on his back. Suddenly, her eyes began to sting again.

Shouko shook her head, trying to erase the view of his scarred back from her mind.

"Sit."

They sat in silence, quietly enjoying the exquisite view laid before their eyes.

Several shiny red and bright yellow colors could be spotted floating on the lake. There were the fallen maple and ginkgo leaves. They gracefully followed the direction of the wind as they scattered on the surface of the lake.

Shouko sneaked a peek at the man beside her. She had been thinking hard since last night.

"Kyoya?"

Kyoya turned his head, following the sound of her soft voice.

When Shouko looked at him, his eyes appeared so soft in her gaze as if they were immersed in water. His smile, albeit faint, was enough to ripple her calm heart.

"I have something to say to you," Shouko said again after a moment of silence.

Kyoya nodded with a smile, encouraging her to speak.

Shouko parted her lips yet no words came out of her mouth. She looked down, looking at her fingers that were fiddling with the hem of her cardigan. Kyoya waited for her to speak in patience.

The sound of leaves rustling continued to accompany them, followed by the birds singing happily. As the passage of time went by, Shouko had gradually suppressed her tensed nerves. She tilted up her head, looking back at Kyoya's profound gaze.

"I've made up my mind," She said in a firm tone. "About us."

Kyoya's brows raised slightly as a hint of puzzlement gleamed in his eyes. Without him knowing, his heart suddenly beating furiously as he was waiting for her next words.

This was too sudden. What did she want to say?

Shouko smiled, trying to ease the man's worry that was evident from the way his face went rigid.

"First, I'm sorry for delaying this matter," Shouko sighed in helplessness. "I was so confused when suddenly I was told that I have been married five years ago. Especially when I realized how your existence has been completely wiped out of my memory."

This issue was something that both of them had tacitly agreed to avoid at this moment. The matter regarding them as a husband and wife. Even though she had forgotten about him, she was still his wife that had shared responsibility in their small family.

Kyoya had been thoughtful to not voice out this subject because of her current condition but Shouko knew, she had been a coward all this while. She was afraid, once she addressed this issue, there would be no turning back.

It was time to face it.

"While I appeared calm, I was actually not. It was true I enjoyed how good and considerate you were to me but it wasn't enough for me to think clearly, to decide anything. I was just like, how did I deserve to have an excellent husband like you?"

As her words continued to flow out her lips, Kyoya found that his nervousness right now was laced with anticipation.

"You're so good, Kyoya," Shouko smiled as she praised him with her eyes twinkled. "I've never been taken care of like this. Ono and Aunt Masako were always there for me but, they are my family. I never expect to have someone else loving me and accepting me. As I was confused and afraid that this was all a dream, you have continuously broken through my safety wall."

"Shouko..."

"You've really cried for me, taken me in when I'm at my lowest," Shouko didn't allow him to speak. If she didn't finish what she wanted to say right now she was afraid all of the courage she mustered would be wasted. At this time, her eyes began to brim with tears. "What happened last night... was what made up my mind."

Kyoya held his breath. He didn't even dare to blink or avert his eyes from her face. He clenched both of his fists.

Seeing his face right now reminded Shouko of a teenage boy who was anxious to see his crush. Shouko puffed out a peal of laughter. A drop of tear slid down her right cheek.

The next moment she spoke, her voice was clear as the stream flowing before them.

"Kyoya, let's cultivate our feelings."

As her words being drifted off by the wind, his eyes lose their focus. He blanked for a moment before his eyes slowly widening in realization.

"You... you said..."

Shouko giggled. Without waiting for him to gather his senses, she slowly leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on one of his cheeks. She quickly backed away, her cheeks pinked due to her bold move.

"So, do you accept my proposal for me to grow my feelings for you?"

Once her question fell, she saw the most beautiful sight she had ever seen in her life.

His eyes were full of starlight, captivating her soul.

"I accept!" Kyoya answered quickly.

His smile was full of joy, his hands shook in excitement. He opened his mouth as he wanted to say something again yet he couldn't as his excitement rendered him speechless. In the end, he could only grin like a boy.

Shouko laughed again. Seeing that he was still frozen in his joy, she took the opportunity to wrap her hands around his neck. Her chin rested on his shoulders.

"Please wait for me," She spoke softly, her warm breath blew against his neck. Her eyelashes fluttered as she smiled. "And, if you're tired of waiting, please tell me. I don't know how long would I take to reach you yet I do not want to lose this chance because of my uncertainty. We have five years' worth of happiness and sorrow. Even though I'm not sure if I could remember them again, I still want to create another memory with you. After all, you're already my husband."

Her words slowly brought him back to reality, to the softness of her body embracing him, to the warmth she enveloped him right now.

Kyoya raised his hands. He placed his wide palm at the back of her head while the other one secured her waist. He smiled foolishly as he buried his head in the crook of her neck.

"You know, you have once said these words to me before," He laughed, a beautiful memory of years ago resurfaced in his mind.

"Oh! Did I?" Shouko was surprised.

Kyoya laughed again. "Yes."

"What did I say?" Now, Shouko was intrigued due to his words. She wanted to loosen her arms around his neck yet he tightly embraced her back. "Kyoya, tell me, please?"

Kyoya's smile widened.

"I will tell you later," He decided. "Just let me savor this moment, alright?"

"Oh... Okay!" Since they would spend their time having a retreat here, she could just ask him later.

As she let herself being comfortable in his arms, her smile slowly dropped as a sense of sorrow knocked on her heart.

The images of him being caught in his nightmare, his pale face, the fear in his eyes and the frightening scars on his back started to overlap in her mind. Shouko grasped the back of his jacket, her eyes started to sting again.

You've endured yourself well. From your early years until now, I couldn't imagine how much burden you're carrying in your heart. I know your heart is suspended when I suddenly forget about you. Let me slowly bring you back to the warmth and security that you long.

Because you deserved all the good things in the world.