Chapter 168 168

Chapter 168 168
Amelia POV
What an annoying man. Kissing people whenever he feels like it.

I grumbled inwardly as I recalled what had happened last night after I woke up from my sleep upon returning from my in-laws' house.

I was truly annoyed with Kai. How could he be so improper? Hugging and kissing me without permission. Even though I was still his wife, that didn't mean our relationship was fine.

Click.

The bathroom door opened, and I instinctively turned my head.

Kai stepped out of the bathroom with an expression I wasn't used to seeing.
What's wrong with him? What does that smile mean?

I frowned in confusion. Maybe he had slipped in the bathroom, hit his head against the wall, and gotten a concussion.

Good Lord... what is this?
He was only wearing a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body.

"Oh my God!" I immediately turned my face away.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked as he walked toward me.

"Stop!" My command made him halt instantly.
"Go put some clothes on first!" I pointed at the walk-in closet behind him.

"Why?" Kai narrowed his eyes. "Are you embarrassed? Haven't you seen everything already?" he asked casually while spreading his arms.

Good Lord.

Why had Kai become such a pervert? He wasn't like this before. I was seriously starting to suspect there was something wrong with his brain.

Not wanting to hear another word from him, I immediately headed toward the bedroom door.

"What a pervert," I muttered irritably before leaving.
Kai's laughter echoed all the way outside the room.

"Hahaha... Being a pervert with your own wife isn't a sin, Melia!"

I snorted in annoyance and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

My intention was simple. I wanted to help the housekeeper make Kai's favorite snack, sausage hot dogs. But even my good intentions were rejected.

"No need, Ma'am. I'll do it. You'll get tired. If you get sick again, Sir will keep scolding everyone," the maid politely refused when I tried to help grill the sausages.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Does Kai really get angry that often?" I asked curiously.

Because during all the time I'd known him, I had rarely ever seen him truly angry. When he was upset, he usually just stayed silent and put on a cold expression.

"Ah... sorry. That's not what I meant," the maid replied hastily, looking embarrassed.

I chuckled softly. "It's okay. I don't like him much either."

Hearing that, the maid only gave an awkward smile.
Since there was nothing I could do in the kitchen, I decided to go outside.

I sat on the porch chair, enjoying the gentle afternoon breeze while looking at the small garden in front of the house.

Almost the entire garden was filled with roses. Various colors bloomed side by side beautifully.

My gaze stopped on a pink rose growing directly from the ground in the middle of the garden. It looked healthier and more vibrant than all the others.

"That's the rose you planted at your mother's house." Kai's voice broke my train of thought.
I turned my head.

I didn't even know when he'd come outside and stood near the door.

"I brought it here after this house was finished," he continued as he walked over and sat in the chair beside me.

"Hm." I simply nodded.

"The pot broke after it accidentally hit a rock. Since there wasn't a replacement pot at the time, I moved it into the ground."

He stared at the rose for quite a while.
"And it turned out that after being moved into the soil, it grew much better than it ever did in the pot."

I followed his gaze. The rose really did look healthy and beautiful.

"You really love roses, don't you?" he asked.

"Hm." I nodded again briefly.

Silence followed.
here was no sound except the breeze rustling the leaves.

A few moments later, Kai spoke again.
"I think something broken can still be fixed if we truly want to fix it."

I immediately knew where this conversation was heading.

He was talking about me.
Or more precisely, about our relationship.
I smiled faintly.

"If it's the pot that's broken, then yes, it can be replaced," I replied calmly. "But if the flower itself dies, even a hundred pots won't be any use."

Kai fell silent. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Once. Twice. Three times. As if he were gathering courage.

"Can we talk properly?" he finally asked. "I don't want us to keep fighting."

I turned to look at him. "Sure. Talk."

It was about time.
Just as Felix had said, I should give him a chance to explain everything.

At least once.

"I know it will be difficult for you to forgive me."
Kai's eyes remained fixed straight ahead.

"The sins I've committed against you aren't easy to forgive."

For some reason, hearing those words made me uncomfortable.

I wasn't a person without faults.
Nor was I someone who had the right to stand on the highest pedestal and judge others.
Have I been too harsh on him all this time?

"I accept your decision."
I turned to him.

Kai was looking at me with complete sincerity.
"I accept that we'll only be together for one year."
My chest tightened slightly.

"But..." he continued softly, "Can we act like husband and wife?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kai let out a long sigh before answering.
"Let's make peace."
His gaze was incredibly serious.

"For this one year, let's forget the past."

I fell silent.

"Forget all your hatred toward me." His voice was low, yet filled with hope.

"Let's make peace with the past for the next year."