Chapter 106

As the sun began to set, her long, blue hair shimmered with an intrinsic glow that seemed to intensify rather than fade.

The moment our eyes met, her immaculate, clear green irises brought a sense of peace to my heart.

Even without all the other components coming together in the most beautiful way possible, she already possessed an overwhelming beauty. But seeing her like this, it felt as if she was showing off a goddess-like beauty right before my eyes.

…If she had greeted me with a radiant smile, I might have had to shield my eyes from her dazzling beauty.

“…”

Without uttering a word, she scrutinized me with a slightly furrowed brow. Despite not being prepared, my vision didn’t suffer any permanent damage.

Lucky…or is it?

No, it’s not lucky. It’s not pleasant to be scolded by my goddess, let alone receive a lecture.

Strange, even after achieving such a great feat and returning unscathed.

“Why did you not listen?! Why did you not listen!”

Why am I getting this kind of lecture from Asulin and being scolded?

Her beautiful features remained lovely even as she lectured, but both cheeks puffed up as if they were ready to make the sound of a deflated balloon at the slightest touch.

Her gaze became even sharper, focusing on me with a stern look, clearly indicating her displeasure.

Even though there were many witnesses when she pointed out the torn remnants of my armor upon my return to the fortress’s training grounds, Asulin had been extremely restrained in expressing her emotions.

But as time passed and we were alone, Asulin couldn’t help but express all her grievances towards me in every possible way.

It started at the dining hall where she sat across from me, eating with the soldiers without exception. Her reaction was different from how she usually looked when angry.

She didn’t puff up her cheeks noticeably, but her eyes were unusually sharp.

How sharp? Even when glaring at Elshimer for spouting nonsense boldly in front of me, the frown on my face wasn’t as severe as hers.

“Hey, Asulin…”

I tried to soften her sharp gaze with gentle words, but…

“…Don’t know.”

Ignoring my call, she turned her head sharply to one side, effectively cutting off our conversation.

While her expression was somewhat endearing when she spoke softly after turning away, seeing her sharp eyes again made me speechless.

The veteran knights and soldiers watching us murmured with envy, thinking it was a happy moment.

But from my perspective, it certainly didn’t feel that way.

“…”

Not only her gaze, but her mouth also curled slightly, adding to the discomfort. My feelings were so overwhelmed that there was no room for anything else.

‘Crazy.’

I was in agony.

Even after leaving the dining hall, Asulin continued to show her irritation with her whole body.

The moment we entered our private space, she started lecturing me, now using words as well.

Returning victorious, like a triumphant general, without much effort and with no injuries, today’s sortie was perfect.

“You told me not to get hurt… Look at your clothes…”

This was the main point of her lecture.

Even though I could easily defeat skilled warriors without injury, the Northern Barbarians here are notorious for their tenacity and cunning.

To come back unharmed, with just a few scratches, from fighting against a group of warriors who consider it a virtue to leave a mark on their opponent’s body even if it means their own neck is cut, is nothing short of miraculous.

I, too, had never returned without a single scratch after facing such a number of Barbarians.

Thinking back to the days when I first used the sword techniques of Paleord, which I barely mastered, and fought in battle, I always came back injured. This victory felt truly remarkable.

Even the regular soldiers and knights who returned that day were filled with awe, treating me like a hero.

After seeing Asulin’s upset expression over my torn clothes, I suppressed my disappointment and said,

“I told you, I’m not hurt…”

With a light-hearted tone, I tried to downplay my achievement and protest, but…

“If the person listening isn’t open to it, protests won’t work.”

Without paying attention to my words, she quickly closed the distance between us.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Asulin lightly tapped my chest with her fists, clearly showing she wouldn’t accept my protest.

Thinking of her superhuman strength, demonstrated by effortlessly crushing boulders with bare hands, her gentle touch on my chest felt like holding a feather.

Even though her gentle taps showed she wasn’t as angry as she appeared, the swelling cheeks and the sharpness of her eyes made me feel like a blunt object was striking my heart.

“Why do I have to be mindful of Asulin’s feelings when I haven’t done anything wrong?”

“…That’s ridiculous. I guess I must have done something wrong.”

—

I quickly went through a period of self-reflection.

The accelerated flow of consciousness that didn’t activate during the fierce battle outside the fortress activated now.

Was dealing with Asulin’s tantrum more dangerous than facing a few Barbarians?

Curious about what mechanism caused this acceleration, I decided to focus on resolving the urgent matter at hand.

After gently patting my chest with a tired voice, I decided to give up on protesting.

“Sorry…”

With a slightly exhausted voice, I tried to soothe her.

Though the events of the day weren’t significant to me, I understood that they might have been painful for Asulin, watching from afar.

My apology naturally softened my voice.

“Will a sincere apology be more effective than hundreds of complaints?”

“…”

Though her fists hadn’t hurt me, they had repeatedly struck my chest. After my apology, her fists relaxed and she gently caressed my arms.

“I don’t want you to be like this either… Just seeing your torn clothes makes me feel like my heart is falling. I couldn’t help it…”

Her voice trembled as she buried her head in my chest, as if she hadn’t shown anger at all when her cheeks were puffed up.

…When I regained consciousness after ten days, she had been more composed than this.

Seeing her fight so hard that her clothes were torn by weapons, I wondered if she felt sorry for me, even though I wasn’t physically injured.

I should have noticed sooner that her punches hadn’t hurt, given how her cheeks were puffed up.

“I might have overstepped my bounds… If you keep fighting, you might get seriously injured, and I might never see you again…”

Her voice trembled as she expressed her concerns, making it clear how much she wanted me to stay safe.

Despite feeling a bit heavy-hearted, hearing her trembling voice made me realize how much she cared for me.

Even though it was better than being hit with a feather, hearing someone you love cry is more powerful than any accomplishment.

This was the first time I saw Asulin like this. What should I do?

Though my worries grew, I knew nothing would change by worrying.

“…I might have been too hasty.”

Following my instincts, I apologized deeply and tenderly, gently stroking Asulin’s head as she nestled into my embrace.

Thinking of how Asulin had been particularly fond of my touch lately, I hoped this would calm her down.

“…Huhu.”

Surprisingly, her crying escalated into whining.

…This might be tough.

Sigh… What should I do?

‘What do you mean “what should I do”? There’s an easy solution.’

‘…I’m surprised. You can detect presence.’

Suddenly, Paleord’s voice broke the silence, startling me.

“Why should I reveal my presence to a disrespectful brat who doesn’t even talk to me when spending time with his wife?”

This teasing only made Paleord’s voice more playful.

If I complained again, I’d have to face Paleord’s harsh rebuke.

‘…Please teach me a lesson.’

Showing humility, I asked Paleord for advice.

“When women are like this, they’re more moved by heartfelt actions than mere words.”

Paleord’s advice was insightful, but…

‘I already apologized and gently stroked her head.’

I told him it didn’t work.

“…Just that?”

Paleord’s voice echoed in my mind, clearly skeptical.

No, it should be enough… I wanted to argue.

“But as lovers and spouses, there are things you can do with even more affection.”

Before I could speak, Paleord suggested.

Without hesitation, my hands, which had been stroking Asulin’s head, gently lifted her face, which was buried in my chest.

Her eyes, red from tears, were still beautiful, even though they were wet.

“I go to the battlefield to ensure you don’t suffer in that cold place…”

The truth came naturally when I faced her.

Asulin’s bloodshot eyes trembled slightly.

I seized the moment and gently pressed my lips to hers before pulling away.

“Your clothes are torn, and you’ve received some mild complaints, but if you can end the day less tired, that’s enough for me.”

I softened the words I intended to protest with.

The flush on Asulin’s face, which hadn’t faded despite her continuous sobbing, confirmed this.

‘Alright…’

Only then did I feel satisfied that I had resolved the situation, which had drained more energy than the battle outside the fortress.

‘…Does this mean I’ll have to do this every night until we drive those Barbarians away?’

A foreboding feeling crept in, imagining having to do this every evening until we defeated the Barbarians.

‘…There’s no way.’

Thinking that Asulin, who isn’t a child, would understand if I explained, I ended the day with the complete darkness.

“Andrew… I’m lonely… Kiss me before bed…”