Chapter 78

I woke up after finishing breakfast on the bed.

“Huuu…”

With a light sigh, I felt my body return to normal as the last bit of fatigue was washed away. It was surprising how just one bowl of soup could have such an effect, especially considering it seemed quite meager as a meal after such an intense night. But as Asulin had said, the ingredients in the soup were helpful for restoring a body worn out from the night before. Just one bowl was enough to bring my condition back to normal, indicating that Asulin must have put considerable thought into selecting the ingredients.

If it were any other day, I could have gone straight to the training ground and exercised before practicing with the sword.

“I ate well. That was a good meal.”

Given this, I could honestly express my gratitude at having such a meal.

“It’s good you enjoyed it… even if I didn’t make it myself…”

Seeing my reaction, Asulin also seemed pleased and finished her own bowl of soup that had been assigned to her.

After eating breakfast and recovering somewhat from the night’s exertions, we were ready to spend the day like any other holiday.

“I should change clothes. I’ll be back soon, so wait here.”

I told Asulin to wait and headed toward the bedroom to gather my clothes.

“It seems I need to get up too.”

Seeing me, Asulin also got up from the bed, preparing to go through the same routine as me.

But she showed me that people can react differently even when eating the same thing.

She gracefully got up from the bed, extending her legs outside, but—

“Hyaah!!”

As her feet touched the floor, she let out a soft cry, her legs and body nearly collapsing.

“…Are you okay?”

“…Ugh.”

She managed to catch herself with her arms.

The speed at which she moved was so fast that I needed a moment to think about how I had reacted.

It seemed Asulin had started moving the instant her mouth twitched as if she was going to moan. This was the quickest I’ve ever moved in my life, and I doubt I’ll ever move this quickly again.

…There might be more intense situations in the future, but this was certainly a close call.

“The floor…must have been slippery…”

As soon as her face slightly flushed, Asulin explained why she fell, saying the floor was slippery.

She seemed to be blushing more than usual lately when talking with me, making her words end ambiguously.

Her sudden embarrassment from our bodies touching and her realization that saying the floor was slippery lacked credibility added to her embarrassment, causing her words to trail off naturally.

Of course, it was understandable. If the floor was indeed slippery, then I, who rushed to catch her, should have slipped as well. Since I didn’t slip, it was obvious her explanation was false.

Certainly, there was no need to point out her lie, making her feel embarrassed.

“Why would I need to force a response? It’s fine as it is.”

Despite feeling regretful that Asulin might have realized her fabricated excuse, her subsequent blush and soft thanks made me feel better.

“Thank you…for thinking of even these small things…”

Her soft voice expressing gratitude suddenly made me feel very warm.

…

“…My body feels stiff, and I can’t seem to muster much strength…”

While moving towards the bed to place Asulin back, I heard her attempt at an excuse.

Unlike me, who had fully recovered after drinking just one bowl of soup, it was natural for Asulin to feel the effects of the intense night more significantly.

Seeing her, I felt a sharp pang of conscience. There was no point in denying it; I was the one who left her helpless on the bed, and it was only natural for my conscience to bother me.

Even though we both enjoyed it, and Asulin said she did too, I couldn’t help but feel that I could have taken better care of her.

It was unusual for Asulin, who usually spent her days developing herself rather than lounging, to lie in bed like this, making me feel even more guilty.

“…Andie.”

Just as my guilt was about to burst like an overinflated hot air balloon, Asulin softly called my name.

“Since we both enjoyed it, there’s no need for you to feel so guilty.”

Without saying a word, her understanding words calmed my overwhelming sense of guilt.

“Still, because I insisted, and seeing you struggle because of me, I feel more guilty.”

“…Let’s be more careful next time, so this doesn’t happen again.”

“…Yes, next time…”

Ironically, I found myself comforting Asulin, who seemed even more apologetic than I was.

In a world where people often deny responsibility by claiming they did nothing wrong, Asulin and I were apologizing for actions that weren’t technically wrong to ease each other’s sense of guilt.

Even if someone saw us and laughed at what they might consider a pointless gesture, their judgment mattered little to us.

“Ha ha.” / “Hehe.”

We laughed lightly as our eyes met, continuing our conversation.

The longer we expressed our apologies, the longer I held Asulin in my arms.

The warmth of her body against mine became more pronounced.

Perhaps because I had always lived alone, the warmth of having her by my side felt natural and increasingly precious.

As I realized how much I wanted to feel and protect this warmth forever, I began to understand the meaning behind Payload’s words.

For someone who had always focused on accumulating experiences, I was now trying to figure out what to let go of and what to take in instead.

Though it wasn’t easy, I felt a sense of realization.

“…Are you not heavy?”

Hearing Asulin’s worried voice, I realized she had been holding me for too long.

If I could keep this warm voice from turning into worry, I believed I could find the right balance between what to hold onto and what to let go of.

…

Trying not to show that I was worried, I wanted to spend the rest of the day with Asulin in my arms until I went to sleep.

Considering how easily I carried a comrade in full armor while carrying them across the battlefield, holding Asulin, who was dressed lightly, would be effortless all day.

But despite feeling satisfied and yet unable to hide my embarrassment at her leaning against me, I had to finally lay her on the bed after she pleaded with me not to faint from embarrassment.

While holding Asulin in my arms didn’t feel heavy, once she was placed on the bed, the weight seemed more apparent.

Of course, it wasn’t the physical weight I felt, but rather the sense of loss as the warmth from Asulin, who had been close to me, faded away.

Fortunately, this sense of loss didn’t last long.

“Thump thump—”

As Asulin sat on the bed beside me, she gently tapped the sheets with her hand, inviting me to sit next to her.

It felt strange how effortlessly I accepted her invitation, considering how surprised I was when Asulin first slept in my arms on our wedding night.

“Breakfast seems insufficient, so I prepared some snacks. There’s nothing better than a well-brewed tea to clear your mind.”

Almost immediately after I leaned against the bed, Katarina arrived with another tray of snacks, collecting the dishes.

It seemed Asulin had anticipated this situation or perhaps predicted it and prepared accordingly.

Regardless, her ability to bring the tray at the right moment was impressive.

“Then…”

Katarina bowed respectfully and left with the tray of dishes.

I carefully took the teacup and saucer from the tray, making sure to prepare a cup for Asulin as well.

“Katarina said we should drink the tea before it gets cold.”

Asulin smiled warmly and suggested we have tea together.

Following her lead, I picked up the teacup and slowly savored the aroma, which blended the natural scent of dried tea leaves with the essence of bergamot oil derived from the peel of oranges and lemons.

The subtle fragrance gradually awakened my still-sleepy mind, leaving me feeling refreshed.

“We talked about visiting again with grandchildren next time, or else we won’t come down, Mother warned me.”

…If only Asulin hadn’t suddenly announced her family plans, everything would have been perfect.

Of course, it wasn’t something I disliked.