Chapter 41: Relaxing day

Jean could only sit at the table with one hand covering her face, a helpless smile lingering on her lips as she looked at everything that had arrived only a few minutes after Kai departed.

Scented candles, heating pads, comfortable slippers, a back massager, several chocolate bars with varying amounts of cocoa and sugar, sweet-and-sour wafers, and even a few packets of spicy chips had all been carefully packed into a bag and delivered to the doorstep.

The sight of them made her realise that her earlier attempt to hide the fact that she was on her period had been completely fruitless.

Somehow, he had known.

And rather than bringing it up and making her feel awkward, he had simply waited until after he left and ordered everything she might need.

Her lips remained curved into a soft smile as she muttered to herself, "How can I not feel anything when you’re being this considerate?"

Shaking her head, she rose from her seat and reached into the bag, pulling out a chocolate bar. She peeled it open without hesitation, already deciding that she was going to spend the entire day doing absolutely nothing.

Just as he wanted her to.

...

"This place is quite nice too," Kai muttered, looking around with a faint smile of contentment.

There was something remarkably serene about this community, especially when compared to the sprawling Kreacher’s Block.

The houses were simpler, lacking the grandeur and extravagance found in the wealthier districts. There were no enormous parks, elaborate entertainment complexes, or imposing structures designed to impress the residents.

And yet, Kai found himself liking it more.

Trees lined both sides of the streets, their branches forming a natural canopy above the quiet roads. Most of the houses followed a similar design, neither extravagant villas nor towering bungalows, but comfortable homes that possessed a certain warmth of their own.

A simple chimney rose from each roof, accompanied by a small attic window beneath the sloping tiles. Most houses had a front porch where a family could sit and enjoy evening tea, along with a modest yard that could be used for gardening or left open for children to play.

The interiors were spacious enough to comfortably accommodate seven or even ten people, while still retaining the charm of an ordinary family home.

"Would you like to look inside, sir?" Benjamin asked after noticing that Kai had been staring at one particular house for nearly a minute.

Kai finally turned toward him.

"What would be the price of this house, in your opinion?" he asked. Before allowing himself to grow attached to the place, he wanted to know what sort of price range he was dealing with.

Benjamin immediately pulled out his phone and went through the property listings. After a few moments, he found the house Kai had been examining.

"This particular house has an east-facing window and a four-hundred-square-foot backyard. It comes with three rooms downstairs and two upstairs. With all the furniture and the security system already installed, this one would cost around five hundred million, sir."

The amount made his heart ache a little. Still, when he compared it to the price of the old house, which had been close to one billion, he realised he would actually be saving a considerable sum.

"Hmm, let’s go and check the house from within." Kai paused for a moment before adding, "Or is there another house you would recommend?"

He was completely unfamiliar with properties in this area, while Benjamin had spent years dealing with matters like these. If there was someone whose advice he could use, it was him.

"Sir, may I ask how many people there are in your family?"

Kai nodded. "Just three. And we don’t expect guests very often."

Benjamin considered that for a moment before replying, "Then this house may be a little larger than necessary, but I believe it would still be appropriate. Especially considering that if you don’t spend at least forty percent of the funds during the transfer, you will have to pay two percent of the remaining amount as tax under the property exchange law. You have already paid that tax once."

"..."

Damn.

Kai had no idea about that.

Just the thought of handing the government two percent of his money for no reason was enough to make his heart ache. If there was a way to avoid it, he certainly wasn’t going to volunteer for the expense.

"Then it’s settled. Let’s go check the inside."

With that, Kai urged him forward. Benjamin quickly obtained the necessary permit, and the two of them stepped through the front gate.

....

"Haah~"

Jean released a long, contented sigh as she lay flat on the heated pad, the warmth spreading through her back and easing away the lingering discomfort.

Her eyes were half-lidded, half way to another nap.

Her daughter lay sprawled across her stomach, meanwhile, happily chewing on one of the treats her father had added to the cart.

It was a nutritional candy with very little sugar, yet judging by the way Elara continued to chew on it with obvious enthusiasm, the lack of sugar had done nothing to diminish its appeal.

Just then, Jean’s phone began to ring.

Both mother and daughter lifted their heads at almost the exact same moment and looked toward it.

Jean immediately picked Elara up and placed her on the bed before reaching for the phone. Only three people could call this particular number, and every one of them was important to her.

As expected, the call was from Kai.

"Huh? A video call?"

She froze.

Panic immediately set in.

Jean glanced toward the mirror and grimaced. There was absolutely no way she was presentable. Her hair was dishevelled, and despite it already being eleven in the morning, she hadn’t even washed her face.

She made her choice.

Camera permission denied.

{Hey, were you sleeping?}

Kai’s voice came from the other side, accompanied by a faint smile.

Jean shook her head. "No. I was reading a book."

Her eyes slowly drifted toward her daughter.

Elara was staring straight at her.

For some reason, that innocent gaze made Jean feel as though she had just been caught committing a crime. She quickly looked away.

{Are you feeling alright? Shouldn’t you be resting?}

There was genuine concern in his voice.

Ah, don’t look at me like that.

She was actually resting...

And now that he was looking so worried, she couldn’t help feeling guilty about lying to him.

In the end, Jean sighed and switched on her camera, immediately flipping it away from herself.

The scene on the bed came into view. The heating pad, the massager, an opened packet of wafers, and a curious Elara were all visible at once.

"I was, in fact, relaxing," she admitted in a low voice. "I haven’t done a single chore since you left. I’ve just been lying around and doing nothing."

It wasn’t her first time getting her period, yet somehow she was behaving as though she had suddenly become a queen who needed to be waited on hand and foot.

And Kai’s reaction?

A relieved smile.

{Glad to hear that. Don’t worry about the housework. There’s nothing much to do anyway. And since we’ll be leaving this place in two days, it’s fine to be a little lazy.}

Jean hummed in surprise.

"Hmm? Two days? You already found a good place?"

A faint smile appeared on Kai’s face.

Instead of answering, he flipped the camera around.

And then Jean saw it.

The place they would soon call their haven.