𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐎𝐟 𝐔𝐬 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝

As you entered the canary yellow breakfast room while stifling a yawn, you found Jan sitting at the head of the table, newspaper spread over the dark wood as his grey eyes danced over the headlines.

"Good morning, Jan. Aren't you supposed to be out by now?"

The ravenette looked up from the papers, folding them up before leaning forward on the table with clasped hands. As soon as you sat down, he kissed your forehead.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Work can wait. I wanted to see you before I left."

You looked at him curiously before busying yourself with adding sugar to your freshly served, piping hot tea.

He watched your movements before remarking, "Isn't that a little too much, darl? I never knew you liked it that sweet."

"I'm craving for something sweet today," you replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Jan continued observing you with a grim expression, barely touching any of the food himself.

As you were about to reach for a glass of water, he interrupted you.

"I almost forgot."

Patting his pant pockets, he brought out a small white paper bag, before pulling out a fairly large tablet. You looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Take this, it will help you regulate your, um, periods."

"Huh, is that so?" With a hesitant hand, you took the powdery white tablet as Jan continued explaining.

"Yes, I've spoken to the family doctor about your issue and he has suggested taking this tablet after breakfast."

"I see," you nodded before gulping down the pill with a swig of water.

. . .

What followed was the most bloody period you had ever experienced. You had to change your menstrual pads every hour and wear layers of them just to catch all the abnormally large amount of crimson liquid that was leaking out profusely.

It got to the point you could barely walk a few feet without dooming the clean marble floors with trails of blood droplets, not to mention the cramps that waxed and waned throughout the day.

As a result, you were practically bedridden. Rino was now entirely in the care of your servants, which worried you to no end, but Jan had expressly forbidden you to have the toddler enter the master bedroom, irritating you greatly.

"I was wondering," the dark-haired man spoke up one night, momentarily snatching your attention from the book you were reading. He was absentmindedly uncuffing his shirt sleeves as he stood before the large vanity mirror, hair tousled, and brows furrowed.

"About what?"

"About Rino."

At his unexpected but pleasantly surprising words, you looked at him with hopeful eyes, silently wondering if he had finally decided to be a proper parent at last.

"Oh?"

"I think we should send him off to a boarding school."

Before even thinking, you snapped.

"What?! Jan, he's only three!"

Your husband rolled his silvery eyes at your words.

"I didn't mean to send him off now. Only when he's old enough."

"Still... I want him to study in a day school, not in some far-flung one, prestigious or not."

To you, your husband's suggestion felt more like a threat than anything else, and you felt the sudden urge to hold Rino in your arms. The thought of having him so far away from you was greatly distressing, your heart drumming with fear upon imagining such a scenario.