NOVEL WEB Chapter 721: A Thousand Times More
Kafka's lips twitched helplessly into a small, sheepish smile at the thought of Abigaille's strictness. A nervous chuckle escaped him as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Alright, alright...I won't say it again. I promise." He said softly.
"Good." Olivia let out a sigh of relief and turned back to face the road, her fingers lightly patting his head as if sealing the lesson into place. "That's my good boy. That's a good boy."
Her hand lingered there for a moment, ruffling his hair gently as she smiled.
But behind Kafka's quiet smile, a storm of thoughts churned in his mind.
'She doesn't know...she doesn't know the truth.'
His chest felt tight, almost unbearably so, as he fought back the emotions clawing at the edges of his calm façade.
'I'm not her son...not really. Their real son...he's out there somewhere. Or maybe, maybe he's not. I don't even know if he's alive, or if he's…'
The thought hit him like a blade to the gut, twisting deep.
'And here I am...living in his place. Receiving all this love that was meant for him. Stealing the smiles and warmth that belong to someone else.'
The guilt was suffocating.
'I want to tell her...tell them the truth. But if I do...Shat if they hate me? What if I lose this? Lose her?'
The fear was too much to bear. So he stayed silent, burying his turmoil behind a quiet, almost strained smile.
But even though he tried to mask it, Olivia noticed the faintly anguished flicker in his eyes. She didn't say anything at first, letting the quiet stretch between them as the wind whipped softly past their faces.
Then, with a little glint of mischief in her eyes, she suddenly called out his name in a teasing tone.
"Kafi..." She said, a cheeky smile tugging at her lips.
He blinked, momentarily startled by the playful energy in her voice. "Hm? What is it?"
"You know…" She began, her tone carrying that same impish edge as her fingers brushed lightly against his hand on her waist. "You said this was my happy place, didn't you? That this town, this view, all of this, it's where I'm happiest?"
"Yeah..." He replied casually, though a part of him was still distracted, weighed down with lingering thoughts. "That's what you said before too, wasn't it? Or are you telling me there's some other place that's even better?" He smirked slightly. "What could possibly beat this?"
But to his surprise, Olivia didn't answer right away.
Instead, she shifted slightly in her seat and leaned her back more firmly against his chest, snuggling into his embrace in the most adorable way.
Her hand reached down and tugged his arm tighter around her waist, securing herself against him like she was afraid he'd let her go.
"There isn't any other place."
She murmured softly, her voice calm but carrying a weight that felt different from her earlier playful tone. Then, with a slightly confident tilt of her chin and a teasing glint in her eyes, she said.
"That's because...you're my true happy place, Kafi."
The words hit him like a quiet storm and Kafka's eyes widened a fraction, his chest tightening at her confession.
He hadn't expected that, especially not in such a cool, nonchalant tone from Olivia, who normally became flustered over the smallest, most harmless gestures.
Olivia, too, felt the silence that followed and realized her mistake almost instantly.
'What did I just say?'
A deep blush bloomed across her cheeks as the weight of her own words sank in. 'Oh no...oh no, no, no...'
She bit her lip and looked away, mortified, her ears turning crimson.
"F-Forget that! Forget what I just said!"
She stammered suddenly, waving her hands as though she could physically erase her words from the air.
"I-I didn't mean it like that! I was just caught up in the mood and...and I can't believe I said something so embarrassing!"
Her fluster deepened as she buried her face in her hands.
"Ugh, I sounded like one of those awful men who use cheesy pickup lines to try and seduce women...I can't believe I actually said something so lame!"
Trying desperately to escape the embarrassment, she began to shift in her seat to pull away from him, not even daring to glance at his face.
But before she could move an inch further, Kafka's hand shot out and gently caught her wrist, pulling her back firmly against his chest.
"Wha—Kafi?!" She squeaked in surprise, her eyes still wide as she felt his steady hold on her.
"Cheesy?" He repeated in a soft, amused tone, tilting his head slightly to look at her. His lips curled into a confident smile, his gaze fixed on her like he could see straight into her flustered heart. "You're not cheesy at all, Mom."
"Y-You're just saying that—"
"I'm not." His voice dropped lower, more tender now. "When you said that...my heart skipped a beat."
Olivia froze, the heat rushing to her cheeks again in a wave so strong it made her dizzy.
'Did he just say...his heart skipped a beat?!'
A quiet, relieved sigh escaped her lips as her shoulders relaxed, but in her mind, she made a silent vow to herself: Never again. Never saying something so embarrassing ever again…
But then, Kafka leaned his head down slightly, his lips brushing close to her ear.
"And you know…" He murmured, his voice a soft, velvety whisper. "...just like I'm your happy place...you're mine too."
Her breath caught in her throat.
The way he said it, not playful, not teasing, but with unshakable sincerity made her heart thump wildly against her ribcage. Her hands tightened over his, her whole body tingling as she tilted her head back slightly to glance up at him.
"Kafi…" She whispered, her voice trembling.
And in that moment, with the wind caressing them and golden fields spreading endlessly on either side of the road, they both felt an invisible pull drawing them closer.
Slowly, hesitantly, their faces inched toward each other until their lips finally met in a kiss. Slow, tender, yet overflowing with raw, unspoken emotions.
It wasn't just a kiss. It was a declaration.
As Kafka's lips moved over hers with gentle urgency, his arm tightened protectively around her waist, holding her close as though he'd never let her go.
And Olivia, who had once thought she'd only give him a quick peck, found herself melting into the moment, her fingers unconsciously gripping his sleeve as warmth and pleasure surged through her entire being.
In that instant, Kafka's thoughts whirled.
'Even if I'm not her real son...even if I'm living a lie.'
'I'll love her a thousand times more than any son ever could...I'll cherish her so much that if the truth comes out one day, and they hate me for it.'
'Then I'll take that punishment. I'll face it head-on.'
'But for now…'
For now, all he could do was hold her close and pour every ounce of his love into the kiss, as the scooter sped down the narrow road lined with golden wheat and emerald rice paddies under the blushing morning sky...