Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Waiting
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Before I knew it, we'd arrived in front of Dang Ayoung's house.
-Drip, drip...
'...Should've just bought her a gift.'
I was breaking out in cold sweat, regretting my past decisions.
I'd tried to act cool with some fancy words, but now it seemed buying something would've been better.
"Ehehe..."
"..."
Seeing Yeo Socheon—who usually nagged endlessly—giggling like this made me think it wasn't all for nothing. Still, she'd told me to buy her something too, and I couldn't shake the thought that I should've just done that instead of showing off.
Anyway, this state of hers would last until tomorrow morning at best, when she'd wake up her usual prickly self. Was risking my life for this brief change really worth it?
-Squeeze
-Squelch
'...Yeah, it was.'
Men are inherently foolish creatures who'll risk their lives for these fleeting moments of happiness.
The heart is always right.
Who knows when Yeo Socheon would offer this kind of service again?
"We should head in soon, so let's unlink arms."
"Okay!"
'...This is really Yeo Socheon, right?'
How much dopamine was flooding her brain for this fierce woman to turn so cute and obedient?
This rare sight might not come around again anytime soon, so part of me wanted to skip going inside and just savor it longer. But I knew that would only make things harder for future me, so I held back.
Besides, sharp Dang Ayoung would pick up on Yeo Socheon's pink aura right away and deduce that something extra happened on the way back, not just that we'd arrived.
So I needed to snap Yeo Socheon back to normal...
"...Once we're inside, don't act all awkward—just stay quiet."
"Okay!"
'Sigh.'
It was too precious to waste, so I just told her to be quiet.
If she noticed, so be it—big trouble either way.
Her anger gauge was already maxed out; filling it more wouldn't change much.
"Before we go in, take a deep breath..."
"Hoo... haa..."
'...Why are you doing it too?'
I shot a bewildered glance at Yeo Socheon mimicking me, steeled myself, and opened the door.
-Slam!
"Little boss! We're ho—"
I'd braced for Dang Ayoung to pounce at the entrance, but the scene that greeted me was beyond anything I'd imagined.
It was...
"...Little boss?"
"Doesn't seem like she's here?"
"Maybe in the bathroom...?"
The house felt chilly, not a single lantern lit. Clearly, no one was waiting up for us.
I'd assumed she'd be right there, ready for me to drop to my knees, so this was completely off-script.
I scanned the rooms and spotted light from the kitchen, so we headed that way.
"...Food?"
"It's all gone cold."
A modest meal sat under a small lantern.
-Rustle
'A note...?'
There was a note beside the plates, seemingly from Dang Ayoung:
[Fell asleep waiting. You must be hungry, so eat up and get some rest.]
Now I understood the situation.
Dang Ayoung had prepared dinner while waiting, but we were too late, so she went to bed, leaving the food behind.
-Drip, drip...
'Damn, guilty conscience.'
Given her personality, she hadn't just waited a bit and given up—she'd held out for quite a while.
The food was stone-cold, and she'd even left a note before heading to bed. That meant she'd waited a long time.
'...'
And meanwhile, I'd been flirting with another woman at the market. What kind of trash was I?
Okay, in my defense, whether we dawdled or not, I'd end up tossed into bed to face her wrath anyway, so I figured I'd at least fill my stomach...
'But this makes me look like what...?!'
To think she'd prepared all this and waited.
Even gone to bed exhausted from it.
I had nothing to say.
"...."
Maybe it was guilt, but Yeo Socheon's lingering grin suddenly felt like silent judgment.
"D-Don't look at me like that!"
"Huh?"
"N-No... never mind..."
I clutched my chest and stared at the cold meal.
It was all my favorite side dishes, making it even worse.
"Anyway... shall we eat?"
"Didn't you already eat at the market?"
"Even so, I can't let my conscience allow skipping this...!"
"...?"
We'd snacked at the market, but not stuffed ourselves, so I could manage this much.
Those were just appetizers, technically.
-Chill
'...Can't do anything about it being cold.'
On Earth, a microwave would've fixed it, but no such luck in this world.
Oh well, cold it is...
"Want me to heat it up?"
"How?!"
"Just adapt Triple Layer True Fire a bit to channel heat into the food."
'That doesn't sound easy at all?!'
Plenty of people couldn't even pull off Triple Layer True Fire properly, let alone tweak it to warm food.
How could anyone use such an advanced technique for...
"Here. Nice and warm."
"Whoa."
...She could.
Techniques exist to enrich people's lives, after all.
Doesn't matter if it's high-level—if it's useful, great.
"Your Poison Phoenix cooking skills are pretty good, by the way. Didn't expect that."
"Surprised?"
I always mooched off her, but it wasn't flattery—Dang Ayoung was genuinely skilled.
Unlike the image of a sheltered young lady who'd never dirtied her hands, she had talent that shone in the kitchen too.
Since we started living together, she'd studied cooking seriously, and now her skills rivaled any decent inn.
Hell, better to ask her than eat out, with a bit of exaggeration.
-Click
"Ah, that hit the spot."
After dinner and cleanup, time to hit the hay...
"So, where should I sleep?"
"Oh."
Right, Dang Ayoung was already asleep.
I'd planned to give her an empty room, but with the owner out cold, who knew which were clean with beds?
"No choice. I'll take Dang Ayoung's room, so you use mine."
"Your room...?"
"Yeah. I mostly crash in hers anyway, so mine's rarely used. No weird smells or anything."
"Tch."
"...Why the disappointment?"
I sent Yeo Socheon to my room and headed to Dang Ayoung's.
"Good night~!"
"...You too."
-Thud!
Come morning, that docile side would probably vanish.
'Kinda disappointing.'
-Creak
Opening the door, I saw Dang Ayoung sleeping soundly on the bed.
I crept over carefully, not wanting to wake her, and slipped under the covers.
I could guess the fallout if she woke, but guilt made me brace for it. Leaving her alone after she'd waited felt wrong.
-Rustle
"Mm..."
-Flinch!
She stirred with a sleepy groan and cracked her eyes open.
"It's you...?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm back..."
"You're late... Fell asleep waiting. Did you see the dinner I left?"
"D-Delicious as always."
"Good to hear..."
Still drowsy, maybe? Her reaction was milder than expected.
-Squeeze
"Oh... I should've shown Lady Thunderclap Sword her room too..."
"Told her to use mine."
"Smart move... Good job..."
-Pat, pat
She pulled me into a hug and patted my back.
'...That's it?'
"Not mad?"
"Mad...? Why?"
"B-Because I was so late..."
"What for...? You were off spending time with your other wife. Why would I get mad over that...?"
-Giggle
Dang Ayoung smiled sleepily.
"If I like you that much, the others probably do too... Can't be helped. Can't expect you to think only of me, right?"
"..."
-Squeeze
I tightened my arms around her waist without a word.
So much I wanted to say, but nothing made it past my lips.
"...No fun tonight?"
That was all that came out.
"What, you think my head's full of nothing but mating?"
"..."
"...Tonight's fine. Actually, better if we don't."
"...?"
What did that mean?
Her, the one overflowing with lust, turning me down?
"Today's... a dangerous day."
"Oof."
Should've known.
Close call.
Would've knocked her up on the spot...
"...Hang on."
Wait, had we even been careful before?
Did contraception even exist here?
-Chill
"L-Little boss, your last period...?"
"Was recent, don't worry. I handle dangerous days with meds even if you don't think about it."
"Phew..."
I sighed in relief.
Pregnancy isn't bad—it's sacred life creation—but now was way too soon.
Not married yet, and fatherhood at this age...
'Absolutely not.'
If prepared, maybe, but unplanned? No way.
"...So why now?"
"...Ran out of herbs."
"Ah."
Simple enough.
Good thing we didn't go through with it cluelessly.
As relief washed over me, Dang Ayoung puffed her cheeks.
"Don't get too happy about the break. Once the herbs arrive or the cycle ends, you'll make up for it."
"...Guess I'll need eel every meal for a while."
"Already stocked up, no worries."
That's not what needs preparing.
"Sigh..."
I shifted into her embrace with a sigh.
Soft pressure enveloped my face.
Not that I love it or anything. She says it warms her heart too.
'Win-win, I guess...'
With all worries lifted, backlog fatigue hit hard.
Hadn't rested since the deed with Sword Empress, just kept going.
"...Hubby. So when do we have kids?"
"...After marriage, we'll see."
"You don't hate the idea...?"
"..."
"Breasts get bigger when pregnant, I hear..."
"...Invoking the right to remain silent."
Tempted for a second, but still too early.
Had to hit the Demonic Cult, thwart the vampire plot.
Family later, after everything's settled.
...Not that this body gets a vote.
I drifted off in her arms, only to wake the next morning.
Dang Ayoung, realizing creampie avoidance was key, drained me with morning pseudo-sex.
Bonus: Yeo Socheon, back to her old self, caught us and chewed me out from dawn.