Lamein couldn’t even blink her eyes as she looked at Cedric, who had closed his eyes.

Somewhere, a wind seemed to blow, making the corners of her eyes sting.

Just once.

Has anyone ever said such words to me?

……I can’t remember.

Many nights spent alone, swallowing tears in difficulty.

Many days stubbornly enduring, putting one foot in front of the other in the cold world.

When you spend your days mindlessly worrying about making a living.

……Sometimes.

The days came when you desperately longed for someone’s warmth and wanted to collapse alone.

That warmth that she so longed for.

With just one word from a man she hasn’t even touched.

……It burns hotly.

She slowly exhaled the breath she had held and turned her gaze out the window.

Above her moist eyes, she quietly embraced the night sky of a strange world where not even the moon had risen.

‘Lamein must have felt the same.’

……She must have been lonely.

Then. It couldn’t have been otherwise.

In a dark corner of the room,

A child in bloodstained clothes hugs her knees and sobs alone in secret.

Her chest heaves, and her eyes redden.

‘I’m fine with anything.’

It seems like that one word will echo in her ears all night.

The deep night has begun.

.

.

.

The next morning.

Lamein slowly lifted her heavy eyelids.

Realizing it was morning from the light seeping over her eyes.

She had fallen asleep late at dawn, watching over Cedric’s condition all night.

At that moment, as she was trying hard to open her eyelids again.

“Are you awake?”

She opened her eyes wide at Cedric’s faintly ringing voice.

The man lying on his back, looking up at her, gazes slightly at her.

“When did you wake up……!”

Her body, quickly rising, fell back onto the bed.

“Lie down a little longer. Roberdo will bring breakfast soon. Let’s lie down together until then.”

Cedric gently pressed Lamein’s shoulder with his hand and slightly lifted his lips.

Lamein gradually relaxed the strength she had held in her body.

With her cheek buried in the soft pillow, she slowly examined Cedric’s face.

The sun pours down behind the man lying against the window.

‘Even sick, that guy’s looks don’t die.’

Is it the sunlight shining, or is it her husband’s face? It’s confusing.

She reached out with a smile lurking on her lips.

Her small hand briefly flinched over his smooth forehead.

“You still seem to have a fever.”

The warmth, hotter than her body, whirls on her palm.

A faint smile spread on the lips of the man who was looking at her with still, quiet eyes.

“It will be fine soon.”

“You should probably stay still for a while. There was a lot of blood on the wound, so I changed the bandage at dawn.”

Cedric looked down at the bandage wrapped around his body.

And he gazes slightly at Lamein, who takes her hand away from his forehead.

“Getting hurt occasionally might not be so bad.”

Lamein widened her eyes slowly, looking at Cedric’s face with a spreading faint smile.

“……Yes?”

“When else will I be treated like this by you?”

Her round eyes slowly narrowed.

“Cedric. Shall I make that comment go straight to you?”

……You, I’ll kick you right there.
Staring menacingly at the bandage wrapped around the wound, she muttered,

“How very curious I am about what you will do.”

Look at it. See how much it hurts.

Cedric chuckled as if saying so.

‘Huh? Laughing?’

Lamein pressed her lips tightly at the smile that subtly touched her feelings.

Hold on. The opponent is injured.

‘Yeah. I need to change this irritable personality too.’

While calming her mind with an earnest selfreflection, then,

“Even if I’m in pain, you can stop it with just this hand.”

Cedric suddenly raised a hand in the air.

Eyes filled with laughter.

Lips slightly twisted and pushed up.

Her eyes narrowed with subtle irritation at his appearance.

“Go ahead and try if you want.”

Lamein’s crescentmoon shaped eyebrows twitched.

“I really will do it!”

“Do whatever you want.”

Let’s see what happens.

Just that kind of look in her eyes.

This is a challenge to fight me.

Lamein’s eyes, which had been narrow for a moment, snapped wide open.

And she slowly raised a hand in the air.

Today’s mission is decided.

The target is her husband’s bandaged arm.

The goal is to tear down the arrogant mental state of her husband, who is claiming he’s fine even if he’s in great pain.

Her small hand sliced the air like a spike.

“What are you trying to do! You really!!”

Of course, she had no intention of really hitting him.

Annoying, but that’s secondary.

‘Sometimes getting hurt wouldn’t be so bad.’

So he never says something so scary again.

“You’ll regret it!”

… that was the thought as she pretended to hit him, but.

“Kyaa!”

Things took a strange turn.

Cedric stretched out his arm, lightly catching her flying hand.

Her captured arm fell onto the bed in an instant.

She felt the soft touch of the mattress behind her back.

“……!”

A large shadow of her husband loomed directly over her as she lay flat on the bed.

She gulped down the breath she’d been holding in her mouth.

At that moment, her husband’s hand overlapped the hand she had thrown beside her head.

The man who had already grabbed one hand and seemed to want more gently tilted his chin, his other hand overlapping hers.

A languid smile played on the lips of the man who imprisoned her in his arms.

“Are you done?”

Could it be an illusion that a voice that should sound irritating sounds strangely sexy?

Her fingers, entwined with those of the thickknuckled man, tensed tightly.

Cedric’s eyes darkened at the fleeting, tiny wriggle.

“Now it’s my turn.”

The man, who had momentarily lost his faint smile, moved his lips slowly, the smile returning.

“May I do what I want now?”