Chapter 561 - POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

With Akira on the road to complete healing and the little one growing healthily, the little family was ready to leave the hospital in no time. Kaito had managed to get back most of his mother's property back from the Iekami clan with the help of his uncle. 

Therefore, he thought it would be best if the three of them could move into one of the empty houses he had renovated while Akira was in a coma. He had prepared for almost everything in anticipation of the reunion, even though the situation seemed bleak. 

However, Uncle Taiki came up with a different solution when he came to visit Akira before the discharge. He invited them to live with them in his private house along the beach. 

Kaito was opposed to the idea at first, and it had nothing to do with the fact that the house was the place Taiki brought him after kidnapping him at that time. 

The opposition was because he felt it was his sole responsibility to take care of his family. After the ordeal the three of them had passed through, he had become a little more sensitive about taking care of his wife and daughter. 

Although he acted like everything was alright, the trauma of almost losing his entire family was long-lasting. He experienced constant nightmares about the death of Akira and the yet-to-be-named baby. Sometimes, he could not sleep. 

His health had declined due to the nightmares for those months. Unfortunately, even after Akira woke up and their baby was delivered safely, he could not still force his heart to settle down. If anything, he continued to lose more sleep and his appetite declined. 

Taiki had also recognised the signs of hypervigilance in his nephew. 

The condition was understandable because of the traumatic events in Tokyo on that day. Kaito felt like he had failed Akira by not assessing the true level of danger posed by Bonnie and Clyde. And he could not forgive himself. 

He could only attempt to compensate for the loss by protecting them from future threats. 

"I think it is a good idea for us to live with Uncle Taiki." Akira chimed up as Kaito started his protest. 

Kaito looked at Akira in surprise at the answer, but there was a little bit of a sense of defeat in him. A small part of him felt like the decision was motivated by the fact that Taiki could protect Akira and their daughter more effectively. 

He knew he was probably overthinking the situation, but he could not help the little voice at the back of his mind, reminding him of his failure. 

Akira was not foolish or insensitive, so she noticed that Kaito was a little crestfallen at her decision. But, she was also Kaito's partner, not his therapist. She could not expose him or use clinical terms like post-traumatic stress and paranoia. 

All she could say was that she understood that Kaito had gone through a harsh period while she was in a coma. She wanted him to be her shameless fox again. But such things took time, and exposing him to more stress would cause the changes to settle. 

She sighed. "I literally know nothing about babies. I thought I could pawn off the little thing to my dad and Maria if I could not handle it. Who knew we would end up on an island which is not even on the world map?" 

Kaito lightened up a little as he thought of something, but he did not perk up completely. 

"You took care of Xiao Bao while you were living in Supreme City. There is nothing to worry about. You will be a great mother. And I will be there taking care of you two." Kaito took Akira's hand and held it in both of hers. 

Akira scoffed. "What do you know? As a mother, I do not want to acknowledge it, but you really cannot compare His Majesty Wang Lei with other babies. More accurately, he is not a baby. Do you know that he never cries?" 

As if on cue, the little girl in the crib burst into loud cries. As he picked the princess from the tiny bed. Kaito thought about Hu Lei's boastings about her baby. He remembered the look on that little boy's face. He really was not a baby. 

No one would ever mention it explicitly, but the innate maturity and eerie intelligence were possibly related to the genetics of Hu Lei. All things considered, a lot of things about Hu Lei were beyond human. It would be strange if her child was ordinary. 

Not to mention the identity of Wang Lei's father. 

"What's wrong with our little princess crying a bit? Boys are tough and annoying. We should get to spoil our darling until people cannot endure her. Then, she will be with us forever." Kaito made faces at his daughter as he rocked her to sleep. 

Uncle Taiki looked on with disapproval, but his eyes softened when he saw the reddened face of the baby. 

"Martial Island is not currently very secure," Taiki said. "There are a lot of political undercurrents happening. It would be safer to stay with me. My home is secure, and most people will think twice before coming in the vicinity." 

Kaito mulled at the words. He understood his need to be the person his wife and daughter relied on, but he could not let pride get in the way. He was not familiar with Martial Island. Regardless of how much he studied the place, he did not have a clear understanding of all the elements.

Furthermore, the original plan that he and Akira had for raising their baby in Mountain Ridge did include Taiki. 

"Alright." He finally accepted the offer. "But you cannot always show such a cold face towards our little princess. Otherwise, she might never stop crying." 

Taiki looked at his nephew with contempt. Then, he took the little infant who was still crying pitifully from Kaito. With his stature and immovable face, he looked like he could break the fragile life with a thought. 

However, he simply cradled the baby close to his body. Like magic, the cries became softer, and in less than a minute, the princess was asleep again. Even her breathing was soft and smooth as she lay dependently on Taiki. 

Akira felt like she had lost as a mother, but she was also relieved to see her daughter comfortable and content. Her large eyes landed on Kaito with a sharpness.

"We are going to live with Uncle Taiki, even if I have to break your legs." She threatened with a sweet smile.

Kaito looked at his uncle.. He did not know if he saw it wrong, but he thought there was smugness in his eyes.
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