Chapter 40

Hmm, Asulin’s gaze is looking down at me coldly… No, should I say warmly?

I can’t quite grasp the temperature conveyed in her eyes as they come closer and puff up my cheeks. The green light sparkling from her half-open eyes seems like it could pierce through me at any moment.

Yet, the expression that contributes to creating such a look naturally softens the corners of my mouth, making her seem rather cute.

Not only with her puffed-up cheeks, but also from the slightly protruding corners of her lips.

“…Even if I drink a lot of alcohol, it’s not enough to make you laugh at me. Didn’t you see how I only drink tea or water during work?”

Although she speaks with a very clear and distinct voice, pinpointing the exact points where she’s upset,

“…But still, to tease me about drinking alcohol. Even if I enjoy drinking, I always keep work and play separate!”

Her voice whines like a child speaking to their parents, making it impossible to say she isn’t cute.

Of course, if I openly called her cute while she was listening, it would be like pouring oil on a fire that’s already lit with Asulin’s anger.

“Sorry, Asulin. When I heard you bought a lot of alcohol there, I imagined you smiling prettily as you enjoyed your drink, which made me unintentionally show my emotions.”

I tried to ease her anger with a standard apology.

…Though, even if I call it standard, seeing Asulin glare at me with those half-open eyes, I didn’t think she’d calm down.

“…When you drink, you get…funny…”

As if mocking my prediction, as soon as the words left my mouth, I saw the malice in Asulin’s eyes slowly fade, despite her puffed-up cheeks.

No, it wasn’t just fading; it was diminishing significantly.

“…You don’t laugh so cheaply!”

Cough

I hurriedly mumbled and coughed, and now I could see confusion rather than malice in Asulin’s eyes.

Feeling this was my chance, I spoke from my lips.

“Sorry. I didn’t expect your cute image to pop up in such a place, which made me lose control of my expression. I should have been more careful with my expressions outside. I’m truly sorry for not managing them properly.”

I tried to smooth things over with a buttery-smooth tone to ease Asulin’s discomfort.

It worked.

Asulin’s expression, which had been clouded with confusion, gradually regained its composure.

“…”

Though she said nothing, the fact that her face was much calmer compared to when her cheeks were puffed out and her lips were slightly protruded showed me that she was no longer as angry about being teased for drinking.

…I offered flattery thinking she might get mad, but instead of getting mad, I got to see more of Asulin’s cute side. It was a great success.

Since I successfully calmed Asulin down, I figured I could just wash up and go to bed, right?

“…!! I haven’t finished being angry yet!”

…Just a moment ago, I thought I had calmed her down, but Asulin suddenly shouted, declaring she was still angry.

…What? Is there something else to be angry about?

It’s strange. Aside from the fact that I couldn’t control my laughter and teased her with her eyes and expressions, I don’t think I made any big mistakes in Shaten.

If I were to point fingers, I might have carelessly blurted out something in my head, causing distrust. But here, showing sincere regret and directly asking for forgiveness seemed to be the right choice.

“Have I made another mistake with you?”

I sought her understanding with an apologetic tone, given the situation.

“There is. And there is indeed. I committed a bigger mistake in Shaten than teasing you about drinking.”

Asulin declared sternly that I still had some things to apologize for.

Even though her voice was solemn, the slight trembling of her lips indicated that her anger was almost gone.

“Quickly confess all the wrongs you’ve done and make amends!”

It wouldn’t do to sidestep with a sly response to Asulin’s serious tone from her trembling lips.

…Honestly, I couldn’t tell what mistake I made to make her this angry.

“Seeing you this angry makes me think I must have made some mistake. I’m not sure what it is. Could you teach me what mistake I made so I can avoid repeating it next time?”

I chose the best answer I could think of when I didn’t know the correct one.

“…Are you really clueless?”

Asulin looked at me again with those half-open eyes.

Though less intense than before, her vivid green eyes scrutinized me as if checking every corner of my soul, as if she suspected I was lying.

“…Are you really clueless?”

Asulin asked with a slightly softened tone.

“…If I knew, I would have apologized immediately. I truly don’t know.”

I asked for her to tell me the mistake, in the same tone I used for apologizing.

“Hmm… This time only.”

Asulin sighed lightly and nodded her head, indicating she would specially grant my request.

Her eyes, which had the intensity of piercing through me, were accompanied by lips that had lost their sharpness, proving her anger had subsided.

‘Wait. Just wait.’

Considering that pointing out this fact might fuel Asulin’s anger, I waited cautiously for her to speak.

“Why did you easily converse with other visitors, especially women, in Shaten while accompanying me? I was genuinely upset about that!”

She tried to express her anger as much as possible, but her weak voice, devoid of sharpness, revealed the reason behind her anger.

Oh, was it because of that woman visitor who approached me unexpectedly near the room where the original Payload was displayed?

I simply replied ‘I don’t know’ after she asked for directions, then walked away. The thought that Asulin might be upset about such a minor incident crossed my mind.

“…I see. I really was careless. I should have been more considerate, but my clumsy handling hurt your feelings. I’m sorry.”

I offered the most respectful apology I could.

The moment I spoke, I could see the intensity in Asulin’s vivid green eyes soften slightly.

“…Are you going to apologize just with words?”

Even though she had mostly let go of her anger, Asulin demanded more than just an apology.

…Hmm, is there anything else I can do to satisfy Asulin besides saying sorry?

After much thought, I couldn’t think of anything else I could do to show my sincerity.

“…”

Unable to think of anything, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

I noticed Asulin moving closer to me, narrowing the distance between us.

Despite having completely let go of her anger, her slightly puffed cheeks as she approached me were incredibly cute. I barely managed to hold back the word ‘cute’ from escaping my lips.

“You can’t just leave it at that. Fine. I’ll tell you this once.”

Asulin, having closed the gap completely, emphasized that this was a one-time deal. She was telling me the best thing I could do in this situation.

To hear her better, I lowered my head to match her eye level, which was about half a head shorter than mine.

Unlike when she walked towards me confidently, Asulin stood with her hands behind her back, closing her eyes and slightly raising her head. I could see her body trembling slightly.

…What is this?

Her body language, as if preparing for an approaching situation by tightly closing her eyes, and the trembling becoming more noticeable over time.

Is this… what I think it is?

However, my body had executed actions impulsively based on my mind’s commands, only to cause trouble more than once.

“…Asulin?”

I cautiously called her name, trying to understand her intentions.

“…”

Asulin remained silent, continuing to close her eyes and move her body closer to mine with her hands behind her back.

Her actions, as if she was expressing something wholeheartedly despite the obvious hints, were incredibly intense.

The woman who had never shown a hint of emotion while slaying countless demons on the battlefield.

Her shyness, which I could barely hide, was incredibly endearing and also lovable.

I almost acted according to her expectations, but my sharp intellect, sharper than instinct, appropriately stopped me.

My body, although not doing exactly what Asulin wanted, performed an action close to it.

I stretched out my arms to support Asulin’s fragile body, which felt as delicate as glass, with gentleness.

The moment my arm touched her, Asulin stiffened slightly.

“…Asulin.”

In a low and quiet voice, I called her with a tenderness that couldn’t be hidden, then looked up at me.

“…!!”

I gently pressed my lips against her forehead.

Though it was just a brief moment, my lips felt hotter than any substance I had ever touched.

Her eyes held a mix of confusion and embarrassment, as she approached me closely but seemed unsure what to do.

“…You asked me to do this to your lips.”

I could hear Asulin’s indignant cry.

“…I thought touching your forehead would be enough.”

My reply was simple, and I could feel a hint of disappointment in her expression.

“…I’ll let it slide today.”

Her expression quickly adjusted, and she responded.

I understood that Asulin wanted me to kiss her lips, but as our distance and closeness increased, my conscience, which had been holding me back, finally allowed me to act on my desires.

“…Sorry.”

I briefly expressed my regret to Asulin, who was showing signs of disappointment.

“…It’s already this late. Even though our schedule is relaxed, it’s important to sleep early. Let’s go to bed.”

“…Alright.”

I ended the day, leaving behind Asulin’s occasional expressions of disappointment.

There was no need to explain that the next morning, despite confirming the distance before sleeping, I found myself waking up to Asulin nestled in my arms.

It was somewhat confusing, but the thought of missing Asulin’s presence if she weren’t there filled me with a sense of emptiness.

And upon waking, I noticed a subtle change, but it was too minor to worry about.

To the Asulin, who didn’t leave my side and looked at me, I greeted with:

“Good morning.”

I felt a pleasant aroma spreading from my lips, a sign of my happiness, a minor but noticeable difference.

The pleasant scent emanating from Asulin’s body suggested that the fragrance had stuck to her as she came closer to me.

How could I feel bad? I felt this pleasant aroma the moment I woke up.

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