Runaway Lover

The Breakfast

Akira Ishikawa's POV

"Good morning, everyone." I greeted the ongoing stiff breakfast on my second day here in the magnificent estate of Kaito Ishikawa, my husband.

I hide my triumph when everyone having breakfast on the formal dining area looked in my direction. Shizuka raised an eyebrow as she look at me while Maeko, the sister-in-law, shot a venomous glare in my path.

Kaito glance briefly in my direction before leisurely sipping his coffee with a resigned sigh.

"Sorry, I'm late." I murmured as I took the vacant chair beside Shizuka far away from Kaito who sat at the head of the table.

"Your place in the dinner table is right here beside me, Akira." The booming voice of the arrogant count sounded in the silent dining room.

I smiled sweetly in his direction. "I'm fine here, darling."

"You are my wife," He pointed out firmly, his eyes held anger early this morning. "You should sit here beside me."

I eyed the elegantly dressed widow sitting near him. I smiled at him harmoniously as the maid started to put plate in front of me.

"I want to sit beside Shizuka and have a nice chat to her over breakfast, my darling."

Kaito slammed his palm on the breakfast table that made other people inside the dining room jump in surprise to his outburst. "Sit beside me."

"Kait--"

"One." He started to count, his eyes never left mine.

I sighed and stood in my chair reluctantly. "All right, fine." I muttered softly, as I took the vacant chair on his right side. "You don't have to stress yourself over such small matter. Goodness, who put stick in your rear, darling?"

Shizuka choked a laugh while widow hissed. My husband of two days ignored my jibe and continues to flower in my direction.

"No one told you how to dress for breakfast here in the estate, my wife?"

I smiled dazzlingly in his glowering face. "Actually, Shizuka informed me yesterday but the thing is I don't really care. You should know by now that I don't follow rules." I looked at my favored outfits. "Besides, what's wrong with my clothes?"

He gave me a thunderous looked that made his younger sister cringed with fear. "What's wrong with your clothes?" He repeated my question in disbelief.

"You wore very short shorts that can be considered as revealing for a Princess and your t-shirt it was ruthlessly cut midriff."

"Don't you like it?" I asked innocently as I study my appearance. "I thought you said before that you like seeing my belly button ring during our breakfast..?" I threw a smirked in his sister-in-law's direction before settling my gaze back to him. "...in our love nest before?"

Shizuka gasped at my announcement. The widow merely tightened her grip to the silver utensils she's been using, probably debating if that knife could kill me right now.

She shot me a venomous glare while Kaito pinched the bridge of his nose.

Serves you right, I thought with satisfaction. That's what happened when someone irritate Akira Satou. I would not let them push me over in this house. It's time for them to know now that I'm forced to live here they need to expect some changes in this house.

"Don't worry," I told him cheerfully, as placed my table napkin in my lap. "Father, always scold me on how I dress during our gruesome meal back at home. I'm used to the reproach on how I suppose to dress." I smiled at him sweetly. "So you have to endure the way I dress, my dear husband."

I could from his eyes that he was about to retort but his younger sister decide to step in.

"You should try this smoke sausage, Akira. They are divine." Shizuka placed food in my plate. "You should also try these cinnamon muffins."

"Do you want some coffee, Your Excellency?" The maid asked me as she went to my side. She's holding a pot of coffee.

Kaito glared at her. "The Princess is pregnant."

I threw him a disapproving glance. "You don't have to be rude." I smiled at the young maid pleasantly. "A glass of fresh juice would be lovely, thank you."

"Certainly, ma'am." The maid bowed slightly as she went to the kitchen to get my request.

I sampled the food Shizuka place in my plate. "Hmm, you are right. They are delicious." Shizuka's eyes lit with happiness. "If I ate this every morning then your brother doesn't have to worry about my choice of outfit because only few weeks more and I would be as large as this house."

I heard him visibly sigh but I ignore him. I could swear that he's eyes were focus on me as I talk animatedly to his younger sister. From the corner of my eyes also notice that the widow who sat across to me stop eating her breakfast and stare at me intently.

"Why are you not eating, sister-in-law?"

"I think I just lost my appetite." She replied acidly, her dark eyes flashed pure venom in my direction.

Whoa, so she wasn't mute then? She does know how to speak. I thought she can't talk when I met her yesterday, I mused silently. I flashed a fake smile in her direction as I continue to devour my breakfast.

Silence filled the formal dining room after that.

The painful stillness broke when my mobile device sounded. I fished it out on my pocket and look at the screen.

"Excuse me." I announced as I stood in my chair. I could see the question in Kaito's eyes. "It's my sister."

I didn't wait for him to speak as I went out of the stiff breakfast. I walked to the receiving room and stood near the huge window as I stared outside the magnificent estate to have some privacy while I talk to my sister.

I slid my finger to the screen of my mobile phone to answer Aki's call. "Hello, sis!"

"The devil wouldn't look scarier than him at the moment." My twin declared without preamble on the other line.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked her with a smile in my face. Sometimes she has a way with her words with that regal demure of hers. "Haru? What did you do to be at the wrong side of him?"

"Haru?" Aki echoed in confusion. "I'm not talking about him, silly. Its father, the city of Tokyo can't contain his wrath. When he learned that there would be no wedding between you and Asahi."

"You are in Tokyo right now?" I asked in surprise. "I thought you went back straight to Sapporo."

I heard my twin sister sigh heavily on the other line.

"No, I decide to fly back home to deliver your news personally to him."

I mentally cringed as I imagine our father's reaction about the news of my cancelled wedding to his favored godson. “How did it go? Should I suppose to ask?"

"Oh my goodness," Aki groaned as she probably remember that scene yesterday. "If you could see his reaction yesterday, Akira."

"Did he break things again?"

"Yes!" My twin sister said from the other line. "He threw things what hands he could get inside his study room when I broke the news to him. He spouted curses that you could only imagine our ancestors would used."

I couldn't help but to laughed at Aki's description about our father's wrath. "I'm so happy that you are there to calm him down, sis."

“At first, I can't calm him down." My twin sister informed me thoughtfully. "He's too engrossed with his rage towards you even Haru got a lecture from him. The poor guy, he just wants to help."

"Our sire needs anger management counseling."

I heard Aki gasped. I prevent myself from laughing most of the time my twin was really a dutiful daughter that makes me wonder if we're really twins. If we do not share the same face would assume that I'm just an adopted daughter.

"You are unbelievable, Akira Satou!. If father hears you."

I snorted as I look outside the lush green surroundings.

"He won't hear me unless he's standing right beside you now listening to our phone conversation."

Aki laughed heartily on the other line. "I can't imagine father would listen to someone else phone conversation. And oh yeah, I almost forgot father wants to tell you something. 'If this is still the medieval ages I will lock you up in the highest tower of Tokyo and refuse to let you out until you regret your unforgivable behavior in humiliating our family's name in the society'. There, that's his exact words, sis."

"He must know by now that his threats towards me will only fall on deaf ears."

"You might be right," My twin sister concluded. "Enough about father for now, tell me about the development you have there."

"I'm now married to him."

"Oh, so you married him, after all." Aki commented couldn't fathom what she thought about my union to the father of my child. She's always rational in dealing with life while I took life through ridiculous decisions ever since.

"You are not happy about the union?" I asked the only person in this world that I trusted the most.

There was a long paused on the other line before my twin finally speaks.

"I'm not sure about it to be honest. Besides, I don't know him that well to judge about your marriage to him, Akira. But one thing I know, is that he will take good care of you and your baby."

I couldn't help but to smile at her observation. "How did you know that?"

"I saw it in his eyes, Akira." My twin sister answered mysteriously. "I know that he's a good man. He might force you into a marriage to secure his right as your baby's father or he wants that kid to grow up in a complete family. Either way, I know he's going to be a good husband and father if you will just give him a chance."

My eyes misted with tears, blame the pregnancy hormones for it. Because I don't usually cry I'm a strong woman. One thing I learned from our tyrant father was that never shed tears.

"The way you view life with such positive look is really something, Mrs. Yanazaki."

"So, I've been told." She replied cheerfully.

"When will you plan to go back to in Sapporo, Aki?" I asked, as I rub my belly affectionately,

"I'm not sure yet," Aki responded with a sigh. "I'm planning to stay here for few more days, maybe. I want to be sure that father's health is stable before we go back home the news of your broken engagement on the eve of the wedding ceremony affected his well being. He became so stress about the news."

"How's Asahi?"

My twin sister sighed again but this time it was more evident. "He needs to face the scorn of the Tokyo society alone. Then on the top of that there's the thing that his family is about to face bankruptcy. I pity him so much."

I closed my eyes and somewhat feel guilty about it. It wasn't his fault that his father doesn't know how to handle their family's finances. A bad investment cost them so much...

"Akira? Are you still there?"

I was forced back to focus my attention to my twin sister. "Yeah." I know when I not alone anymore to the elegant receiving room of the Ishikawa's mansion.

I turned around to see my companion. My eyebrow slightly rose upward when I saw her. "You know what? I think I need to go, sis. Just tell father about my reply to his message to me. Tell him that: Don't be stress so much about this I can sort this mess created soon. Also tell him to smile more often because he already looks ten years older than his actual age."

"What?" My twin asked with a laugh. "If I told father about it he might kill you."

"Tell him that, sis." I told my twin firmly before I disconnected the phone call. I smiled pleasantly at the widow standing in front of me. "What can I do for you, sister-in-law."

"Can I talk to you?"

I shrugged as I put my mobile phone back to the pocket of my shorts. "Sure, why not?"

"Let's go to the library." She started to ascend on the grand staircase silently me telling me to follow her lead.

What else I could do but to follow her to the second floor of the mansion. This is going to be an interesting conversation, I guess.