I Guess He Would Be Playing With Some Unsightly Tricks Soon

"En? We're going back tomorrow morning?"

Shouko lifted up her eyes from the jar of cookies in her hands to Kyoya's face. She seemed a bit surprised to suddenly hear that they needed to end their getaway earlier than scheduled.

"Yes," Kyoya appeared regretful, even his movement of nodding his head looked listless. "Ryota asked me to come back earlier. It's regarding the bidding of land in City A."

Shouko didn't understand much about Kashino Corporation. She just knew simple details like the company was a big name in the fields of real estate, finance and medical technologies. Under the big company's name, tens of subsidiaries were housed.

"Oh, alright..."

Although Shouko knew it was something that couldn't be avoided, she couldn't help but feel a bit sad to hear that they needed to return to the city. She had fallen in love with this beautiful suburb.

Where else could she find a place that had a beautiful lake in front of the house?

"We'll come back here later," Kyoya sensed the change of expression of her, knew that she was reluctant to part from this place. "I'm sorry, we couldn't stay longer."

"Then, it's a promise~ We should come here again, at least before autumn ends," Shouko was happy to hear his promise, her mood was uplifted in an instant.

Kyoya smiled, he nodded obediently.

They had just eaten dinner and was now resting in the lounge. Shouko was accompanied by a book while Kyoya reading his tablet. For the first time, Shouko saw him wearing a pair of glasses. The rectangle-shaped black-rimmed glasses fit his pale complexion well.

He said he rarely wore them, even when he was reading or working.

Somehow, to Shouko, he appeared ten times more handsome by just wearing this pair of glasses.

"What are you looking at?" Kyoya returned his gaze back to the screen of the tablet. A few headlines were projected on the screen. Currently, he was reading global news on a website.

"Nothing," Shouko slowly shook her head.

She won't admit what she was thinking just now or else, this man would just gladly acknowledged the fact that his beauty was lethal to her.

Shouko retracted her gaze from his face, sweeping past the lounge and directed at the calm night sky outside. Even though Kyoya had promised that they would return here, she was still disturbed by their early return to the city.

This place was much peaceful than the bustling city.

Shouko placed her book and cookie jar down on the table. Her interest to continue reading the book faded. She bent both of her legs, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees.

She quietly feasting her eyes upon the magnificent view of the moon shone above the lake, leaving sparkles everywhere on the calm surface.

Kyoya silently looked at his wife. Her entire focus was on the outside.

Looking at her, he suddenly got an idea.

"En, let's go for a walk?"

"Eh?" Shouko's focus was disrupted, she turned her head to face her husband. "What did you say?"

Kyoya took off his glasses from the bridge of his nose, his other hand reached out for the glasses case. "We have never taken a stroll outside at night, right? Let's go. After all, tonight is our last night here."

Shouko's eyes lit with brilliance. She quickly jumped down from the couch. "Sounds good. The weather is nice too."

After making sure his wife was bundled up in layers of clothes, both of them stepped out of the villa. As soon as Shouko walked out the door, a gust of cool wind brushed her face, pinkening her cheeks by the low temperature.

"Are you alright?" Kyoya glanced at Shouko. She was blowing hot breath against her palms, her bangs slightly turned messy due to the wind.

"I'm okay," Shouko answered with a smile. Her smile became sweeter as she thought of the man's consideration to her. She pointed toward to an area with her chin and said, "Let's walk alongside the lake?"

Kyoya nodded, the corners of his lips hooked up. Without saying anything, he took one of her hands, he firmly grasped it and placed both of his and her hands inside the pocket of his trench coat. His smile deepened seeing his wife's surprised face before she smiled again.

"Are you warm enough?"

His clear voice sounded so gentle to her ears. Shouko couldn't help but blush shyly. She nodded once.

Kyoya stifled a laugh. His wife was so cute.

Under the carpet of twinkling stars surrounding the moon, the husband and wife walked toward the lake. With just the two of them walking on the road beside the bank, time appeared to stand still as tranquility enveloping their small cocoon.

"Wife."

Shouko tilted her head, smiling. She found that ever since she showed that she accepted his fear, he had begun to address her with the name. Instead of feeling a sense of repulsion, she was happy to hear him calling her that.

"What is it?" Her voice softly drifted in the air, her eyes focused on him.

Kyoya paused, he pursed his lips tight. It was clear that he was thinking of something heavy. Shouko patiently waited for him to talk. She squeezed his hand, silently offering him comfort.

The moonlight fell over the two of them, lengthening their shadows on the ground. Under the dark night sky, the soft glow of the moonlight illuminated their outline beautifully.

"I haven't told you that I've instructed my lawyers to prepare documents for me, um," Kyoya paused again. He breathed in and out once before he quietly continued, " ...to legally sever my relationship with her."

Shouko's pupils dilated in surprise. The thought had never crossed her mind. She didn't expect that Kyoya would take action to such extent.

For him to take it too far, it must be because he had been hurt deeply all these years.

"Have she received the documents?" Instead of asking him why Shouko focused on another point.

Kyoya nodded, the space between his eyebrows shortened as he frowned. "She refused to accept them. Ryota said she came to make a fuss at the company."

Shouko chewed her lower lip. Her heart was filled with displeasure to imagine such a scene.

It was a really surprising matter yet she understood why Kyoya took such action to deal with his birth mother. She might not remember that woman but she fairly certain that if she had ever come across that woman in the past, it wasn't a pleasant encounter.

"And, do you remember I mentioned the bidding of the land earlier?" Kyoya lowered his eyelids, he stared at their feet which moved side by side on the same rhythm. "Ryota could handle it by himself but something comes up due to those documents. I need to oversee it myself."

"En. Why it is?" Shouko still recalled it even though Kyoya had just mentioned it once. In a flash, she looked at Kyoya in disbelief. "Don't tell me, your mother is involved in the bidding?"

Kyoya nodded again. He was amused to hear her guess. The creases on his forehead eased up, he calmly smiled and uttered a word, "Yes."

In contrast to his now calm expression, right now, Shouko was the one who appeared displeased.

"How does she get involved?"

Kyoya slowed down his step, leading Shouko to do the same. The two of them stopped at a spot where there was no tree near them. The lake spread widely before their eyes. The moon and stars were reflected clearly on its surface.

"Her new husband is a magnate from Country M," Kyoya tightened his hold around her hand, he led her toward a pile of big rocks near the bank of the lake. "Yamashita Group is his. Since a few months ago, there have been reports of him wanting to expand his influence here but none was verified until now. He would join the bidding."

As Shouko listened to Kyoya, she could roughly guess something big would happen in the near future.

"Have you met him? Even once?"

Kyoya shook his head. He stopped and gestured for her to sit down first. Shouko obediently did so. Unlike the last time they sat near the lake the first day they came here, this time there was no longer a gap between them. Kyoya continued holding her hand, he gently twirled her fingers with his.

"He's a shrewd businessman. Grandpa once said he married my mother because he dreamed of acquiring our company. My mother indeed knew a few secrets of the company," His eyes glinted with animosity as he recalled the events of the past. Somehow, he was intrigued to meet the man personally.

"His plan failed because Grandpa used all the necessary methods to stop him even though at that time Kashino Corporation was in a crisis. With him trying to pave way for his company here, I guess he would be playing with some unsightly tricks soon."

Shouko sighed inwardly. She thought their stroll tonight would end up in a happy mood but it seemed like her husband was burdened by a new problem.

If he didn't tell her, she was sure he would just keep all of them within himself.

Shouko leaned closer, she rested her head on his shoulder and she hugged his arm tight. Kyoya glanced at his wife, the malice disappeared from his eyes as love gradually filled them.

"It must be hard on you, especially when you're forced to cut ties with her," Shouko looked up to meet his eyes. His pair of dark eyes appeared so dazzling to her at this moment. "You did the right thing. Don't let her continue tormenting you."

"Shouko..."

"You could tell me everything," Shouko cut him off. She fixed her gaze to his. She felt like she needed to emphasize to him of this matter. "Please don't just keep quiet about it. I might couldn't help you to solve your problems but at the very least, I could be a listener."

Her words sent spring breeze to his heart. The determination in those words was her promise to him that no matter what, he wasn't alone.

"Alright, I promise," Kyoya smiled easily. His mood was totally lifted up. "And, I have something to say to you too."

"En?" Shouko raised her brows, anticipating his next words.

Kyoya heaved a sigh. He carefully worded what he wanted to say.

"Once we return to the city, she might try to meet you. I hope you'd be careful if that was to happen, even though I hope it won't. She has already known about your condition. I'm just afraid if... she would mislead you."

That was one of the things that he was most afraid of right now. He had already taken the step to slowly reveal the truth to her but... if he wasn't careful, he didn't dare to imagine the consequences.

After all, that woman...

Had the ability to hurt her.