CHAPTER 482: COMFORTING KAIRO

The next day dawned bright and clear, sunlight streaming through the windows as the morning hours slowly passed.

Breakfast had been enjoyed and Coco found herself restless, seeking a change of scenery so she decided to take a stroll through the garden.

After a good night’s rest, she finally regained half of her strength back.

Coco sighed, carrying a hint of yearning as she voiced her desire. "Gosh.. I really wish I could go back to work already. This recovery period feels like forever."

She continued aimlessly walking through the garden, her steps slow and measured, reflecting her current state of her weakness because she knew that her recovery would take time.

However, Coco paused in her stroll, noticing the changes in the garden that had escaped her attention before.

The surroundings were now adorned with an array of freshly placed flowers and bushes, their vibrant colors and fragrant blooms creating a charming sight.

A small frown formed on her face as she took in the newly adorned greenery.

She couldn’t help, but wonder when and who had been busy tending to the garden, adding the lovely touches to the surroundings.

Coco halted her steps in front of the vibrant red flower bed, her gaze drawn to the delicate flower buds that adorned it, a sense of curiosity filled her as she took in the sight, her thoughts swirling with questions.

"Who could have planted these here?" She pondered aloud, her voice dripping with wonder and skepticism. "And when did they have the time to do this? The flowers seem quite fresh."

She finished voicing her questions aloud, then a voice suddenly spoke up, making Coco spin around.

"I’m the one who planted them. I asked for Zaque’s permission to do it while you were still unconscious."

To her surprise, she saw Kairo standing behind her, a nonchalant expression on his face as he stared down at her, his purple eyes softening at the sight of her confused expression.

Coco couldn’t help, but blink in surprise, her gaze roaming over Kairo’s form as she silently assessed his condition.

A frown of concern tugged at her lips and her worry for him became evident in her voice.

"It’s been a while since I’ve seen you." She noted, her eyes searching for any visible signs of injury or distress. "Are you alright? Have you been hurt in any way? And.. Are you still mad at me?"

Kairo’s frown appeared as he responded, his tone laced with worry and mild irritation. "You know, I should be the one asking if you’re okay. You just recovered, but here you are, already wandering around. Shouldn’t you be resting even more?"

He paused for a moment, his gaze drifting over her form as he assessed her condition, too.

It was clear for Coco that he was concerned about her well-being and her apparent disregard for her own rest caused him to become annoyed, but Coco turned to face Kairo, her gaze locked with his as she voiced her question.

"Nevermind that." She said with a wave of her hand. "I’m more concerned about you. Are you still mad at me?"

Her eyes searched his face, trying to gauge his emotions and see if his earlier irritation with her had faded— to keep watching his expression keenly and waiting for his reply, Coco leaned close.

Kairo looked at her, his expression tinged with displeasure at her dismissive attitude towards her condition, but he let out a sigh, resigning himself to her stubbornness to put others first.

Despite his irritation, he couldn’t deny his growing fondness for this version of Coco.

She was undeniably caring and sweet, to a fault, to the people around her so he found himself strangely drawn to her selfless nature— something that was expected.

"No, I’m not mad at you anymore." He said finally.

Who would stay mad at her anyway? She only meant well.

Then, Kairo let out a weary sigh. Actually, I wasn’t really mad at you at all."

"What?"

"I was angry with myself for not picking up on what my young master wanted, and for not helping you say goodbye to him properly when you had the chance." He confessed.

He paused for a moment, his expression filled with regret. "I just.. Felt frustrated that I couldn’t do anything about it."

Coco’s expression softened, feeling bad for him.

"Hey." She called and reached out to touch Kairo’s cheeks, her tone gentle and consoling. "There’s no need to blame yourself. You did the best you could in that situation."

Her eyes searched his face, filled with understanding and empathy. "No one expects you to be perfect or know everything, okay? We all make mistakes."

Coco proceeded and flashed him a gentle smile. "Besides.. Rey didn’t want to worry or alarm anyone or cause any unnecessary fuss. It wasn’t on you to guess his intentions or force him to stay."

She stopped for a second, thinking over her words, her fingers still lightly caressing his cheek before continuing. "You did nothing wrong, Kairo.. So you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself."

Kairo found himself unable to break his gaze away from Coco’s face, his cheeks flushing slightly at Coco’s gentle and understanding nature.

He was struck by how patiently she reassured him and how her touch felt so warm and tender against his skin.

His heart quickened slightly as he took in her soft smile and the caring expression on her face, not to mention.. The way she was gently caressing his cheek left an unexpected effect on him, stirring a familiar flutter within him.

Kairo couldn’t help, but return a small smile of his own, his heart still pounding slightly.

"You’re too good." He murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of admiration. "Your husbands would be mad at you if they found you touching me like this, you know?"

He truly tried to suppress the fluttering feeling in his chest, but he found himself utterly charmed by her kind words and actions.

"I won’t be mad."