Heartfelt - An Arranged Marriage with a Billionaire

Chapter 6 - Distant

Naomi pov:

I was back home at eight, dazed and tired from the thoughts about Kazuo san that were constantly going through my mind. Kori had told me not to think much about the few rumors she had mentioned in the midst of our conversation, however, it wasn't something I could ignore. It isn't every day you confirm that the stranger you've married is possibly a dangerous and violent person, after all. Besides, she had said there was a rumor about his family too – what was it?

Kori was aware of such things probably because of her father. Working in a big company often gave people the chance to hear all sorts of rumors – about the company they worked in, about other companies and about famous business people. And the possibility of the rumors being genuine information only made me feel more uneasy.

I sighed and looked at my face in the mirror in the bathroom. Water dripped down the sides of my face from having washed it and I tapped it dry with a towel. I then stepped out of the bathroom, hung the towel to dry and proceeded with my light skincare routine. I also combed my hair and put it into a neat ponytail before heading downstairs to the dining room for dinner. Kazuo san wasn't there, despite it being the time he said he usually had dinner, and I sat down alone while looking around the dining room.

"Um, where is Kazuo san?" I asked one of the butlers as he served my dinner.

"He will be returning late tonight, Naomi sama. He said that he is busy with work." He answered and I nodded with a small smile, thanking him for both the information and the food.

I ate in silence and it felt a lot lonelier than how it felt when I used to eat alone in my small house even though there were so many maids and butlers shuffling about. It quelled my appetite too so I excused myself after eating very little. I then sat in the living room reading a book to pass the time while I waited for Kazuo san to return. Just as Kori had suggested, I wanted to tell him the truth and ask him if he was alright with me attending university again to complete my studies – I was nervous though and couldn't concentrate much on what I was reading. I finally gave up after a while and turned on the television to watch a random show on the nature channel.

Some way through the show, I nodded off and fell asleep. It wasn't until I heard shuffling that I woke and got flustered as I noticed that Kazuo san had returned and was handing his coat and briefcase to a butler.

"K-Kazuo san! Good evening." I wished awkwardly as I stood, stumbling just a bit in my sleepiness.

"You're not asleep yet?" He asked and it sounded like he was displeased about seeing me.

"N-no....the thing is, I wanted to talk to you about something." I said and looked to the side while twiddling my fingers.

"What is it? I have a lot of work to do so make this quick." He said curtly but I noticed that he wasn't really giving me his attention. Nonetheless, I decided to start the conversation with something light instead of delve into the truth immediately.

"I was wondering if it would be alright for me to attend university."

"University?" He questioned, sounding just a bit surprised, and looked at me. "Why would you want to go to university?"

"I want to complete my studies. I'm in my final year of Ecology at Shakujo University so I wished to attend classes and graduate." I explained softly.

"You don't need to ask me permission for that and you don't need to waste my time telling me about every small detail of your life. I have no interest in listening to them and I have more important things to be taking care of. Matters like this can be discussed with Asahi who will inform me when I am not busy with work. And you have more than enough money if you wish to buy anything." He said with a frown and walked away from me. "I have a lot of work to do now so I'd appreciate it if you'd not disturb me with such trivial matters anymore."