Sometimes, even without an alarm, my eyes just pop open.
The moment I wake up, I feel this oddly refreshing and rejuvenated sensation. It’s been ages since I actually slept well, and as that thought crosses my mind, it leads to one conclusion.
“Oh no.”
In a panic, I push the blanket aside and sit up. Looking out the window, the sun is already high in the sky.
The sun hanging in the center of the sky seems to mock me for being late, and I can’t help but resent it.
I notice the strangely vintage curtains, but that’s a problem for later. Right now, finding out what time it is is my top priority.
I quickly turn my head to check the clock on the bedside table. But all I see is the wooden bed and a diffuser sitting on it.
There’s no clock in sight.
In my flustered state, as I stretch my hand to search for one, I suddenly realize that this isn’t my room. This world is also not the one I lived in.
“Sigh…”
Starting the day on a down note. Well, since the sun is high up, I guess it’s lunch instead of breakfast.
I let out a deep sigh and check my outfit. Maybe it’s become a habit to unbutton my clothes because they feel stuffy while I sleep.
My pajamas are wide open, exposing my underwear. As I hurriedly start to button them up, a soft knock comes from the door.
I want to respond that I’m awake, but my voice is too raspy to do so. Just as I’m clearing my throat, the door swings open.
With a creak, Abel steps into the room.
“Oh.”
“Ah.”
Our voices overlap. I can see the indifferent expression on Abel’s face quickly turn to one of shock.
It’s a dramatic change, almost like he’s never been flustered before.
Just as our eyes meet and the awkward tension begins to rise, he quickly shuts the door again.
Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I find myself staring blankly at the door.
Before long, I can hear Abel’s voice from outside.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were still sleeping since you didn’t answer after knocking.”
Though not overly obvious, I can sense a slight tremor in his voice. Clearing his throat, he continues.
“I just woke up, so my voice was a bit rough.”
I don’t know how many days I’ve been asleep, but judging by my husky voice, it must have been quite a while.
I really overdid it fighting the Forgetting Whale and saving Katra.
Considering that all muscle aches are gone, I might have been sleeping for several days.
It’s no surprise either. I was clearly overexerting myself during the Monster Extermination War.
Now that I think about it, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened.
There was that time when I had accidentally exposed myself to him shortly after we had entered our contract marriage. Back then, Abel didn’t react like this.
He just scolded me to button up properly. Something must have happened in between that changed his reaction.
“…Seriously, why is that?”
My body shouldn’t be that different from then.
I’ve built up a bit of muscle through training, but it’s barely noticeable.
No matter how intense the training, I’ve only been at it for a month. There’s no way it could change dramatically.
“Are you ready?”
At Abel’s prompting from the other side of the door, I hastily finished buttoning myself up. I realized that this wasn’t the time to space out.
After confirming that I had securely fastened the last button, I responded.
“I’m all set.”
Creak.
Abel carefully opens the door and steps back inside. The shocked expression he just had is completely gone, replaced only by his usual poker face.
For some reason, I felt a twinge of disappointment at the change. If only there had been a camera, I would have captured Abel’s flustered face and kept it forever.
His startled expression was that precious.
“Sigh. Adele, you really are quite clumsy.”
As he points to my buttons with a sigh, I finally notice something off. The buttons on my pajamas have become misaligned.
I checked to see if the last button was missing at the bottom but completely overlooked that one button at the top.
“…Oh.”
Revisiting the whole undoing and redoing of my buttons now feels odd.
“Well, you just woke up, so it’s understandable.”
“Haha, right. I was a bit out of it…”
I had sorted out a spectacular mess during the Monster Extermination War, so I was a bit dazed. I even mistook this place for my original world just moments ago.
However, given that I’ve been living in this world for over a year now, including the time loop, it’s a bit strange that I could get so confused.
“Is your body okay?”
Just as I was continuing to think, Abel asked me.
“I’m fine.”
Unlike the forced pretense from before, this time I really meant it.
Right after saving Yurph, I felt like I was going to collapse like a sick chicken. But now I feel completely refreshed with no fatigue at all.
Well, it did cause some nightmares of my terrible past life’s sense of guilt to resurface.
I still remember how I completely bombed that company interview that had offered me a glimmer of hope back then.
Ugh, thinking about it now gives me the chills.
“It seems to be for real this time.”
“How would you know if it’s real or not?”
Curious about his confidence, I casually asked, and Abel paused briefly before answering.
“We’ve lived together for a while now, so if I couldn’t tell that, there’s no way I could call you my fiancée.”
He said that with a bit of pride in his tone.
“Ugh…”
For some reason, his words felt like a fork poking at my heart.
Even after several months of living together, I still couldn’t read Abel’s expressions accurately.
It certainly doesn’t help that he always has a poker face. But perhaps his position as a duke played a part in that.
Regardless, I hadn’t yet reached the point where I could accurately read his expressions.
“I still don’t quite understand Abel’s expressions.”
“It’s understandable. This is the result of rigorous training.”
“Training?”
When I asked, Abel seemed like he was about to speak but then let out a deep sigh. He seemed a bit hesitant to talk about it.
“If you don’t want to say it, you don’t have to.”
“Ask Laura or Allen later. It’s silly for me to say it out loud myself.”
Abel replied with a smirk.
I decided not to pursue the topic any further. If I dug too deep, I could end up being resented.
In the past, I had often hated others for challenging me on such things. It seems that even now, I’ve not changed much.
“Well, it’s a relief to hear you’re okay. Everyone was worried.”
“Really? But…”
“Did you not know? You slept for four days straight.”
“WHAT?!”
It’s true that I feel unusually refreshed. But I never thought I could have slept for four straight days.
No matter how much Abel might say it, it’s a hard fact to believe. Yet, he has no reason to lie, so it must be true.
“Wait, so you were worried about me, Abel?”
I asked with a smile, and Abel looked at me, clearly surprised.
“You think I’m a cold-blooded monster?”
“Haha…”
I can’t really deny that. Perhaps he could read that from my face, as he crossed his arms and sighed.
“I’m not cold to the people close to me.”
“Oh. So I’m considered one of your people now?”
“Yes. Even if we’re not strictly in a contract relationship.”
At that moment, I froze.
Even if we’re not in a contractual relationship, I am seen as one of his people. My heart started racing, and I felt a bit awkward.
I thought it was cringeworthy how he could say such things with a straight face. But along with that, a great sense of joy also welled up.
“Hehe.”
A silly giggle escaped my lips. Abel glanced at me and chuckled.
As if he felt it was time to move on, he stood up again.
“Well, rest well and come to my office. We have some matters to discuss.”
Abel finished his sentence and closed the door behind him. I continued to stare at the door until he disappeared from sight.
What should I say?
He’s definitely changed a lot from the early days. Back then, he would just convey the matter and leave immediately.
During this contract marriage period, it seems I’m not the only one who has changed.
During this few months, it feels like he has also developed a sense of closeness towards me.
As I continued my thoughts, there was another knock at the door.
“Adele?”
“Oh, Lily. Come on in.”
As I replied, the door creaked open. Cautiously, Lily stepped in and stood there, looking at me nervously.
Noticing her unusual demeanor, I felt a bit puzzled but chose not to pry.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m perfectly fine. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this refreshed.”
As I stretched and replied, Lily hesitated for a moment before slowly walking towards me.
Her attitude seems overly cautious; has something happened that I don’t know about?
As she reached my side, she fidgeted nervously, making me smirk. Before she could resist, I wrapped her up in a tight embrace.
“Whoa?!”
“What’s with the awkwardness?”
I plopped the petite Lily onto my lap. Startled by my sudden action, she flailed for a moment but then calmed down.
“Are you having some kind of problem?”
“Problem… yes.”
“Is it something you can’t share with me?”
“…I’m sorry.”
At her unexpected apology, I was slightly taken aback but didn’t show it.
After all, I knew she was lively but had a somewhat timid personality.
“It’s okay. I may not be able to solve your worries, but I can be here for you.”
“Adele…”
Her voice quivered slightly, almost on the verge of tears.
Surely something must have happened while I was away. I should ask Laura later if anything happened to Lily.
For now, calming her down is my priority.
“Um, I was worried about you, Adele…”
“Haha, was that all?”
Gently stroking Lily’s hair, I continued in a soothing tone.
“I’m feeling lively right now. There’s no need to worry too much.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Sorry, huh?”
I didn’t really understand why she kept apologizing. But in this situation, comforting her seems to be the right approach.
Even if she looks meticulous and capable on the outside, she’s still a delicate girl inside.
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