CHAPTER 121 - THE PERFECT HOUSE HUSBAND
For the rest of the day, I tried searching for our last Numbered Kaiser. I went to the KG Guild to see if she has a registered address. I also went to the Colosseum to ask for the registration forms. I managed to find some lead on her old apartment, only to discover that she had moved away two weeks earlier.
It's just natural because she is on the run. She must have been too cautious since she discovered that two of her fellow Numbered Kaiser escapees were now murdered by the Masked Kaiser. At this point, it's like looking for a needle under a big pile of haystacks. I decided to call it a day before the sun set and went to my new home.
Talking about my new home, I am now living together with my fiance-cum-girlfriend in her condo unit. Rayne already gave me a spare key, so all I had to do was go to my new home. Rayne texted earlier, saying that she cannot leave her office until seven in the evening. Since I have free time and was all alone, I decided to watch TV for some time until I saw an ad about spaghetti sauce.
A good idea came into my mind. Since Rayne has been treating me with her cakes now and then, I want to return the favor and reward her with my cooking. I went to the grocery store nearby and bought the necessary ingredients and then started cooking.
I never thought I took a lot of time in my dish when I heard the door in the condo unit creak open. It was already seven in the evening.
"I'm home," Rayne said, still in her corporate attire. She sluggishly put her high heels on the nearby shoe rack.
"Welcome back." I greeted with a ladle in my hand. I even have my apron on me.
Rayne almost immediately gave a smile. Her purple eyes are welling up tears of joy, and then she started to wipe her cries away.
"What's the matter?" I worriedly asked.
"Nothing. It's just that it's been so long since I ever lived with somebody else. Usually, my Grandpa would greet me whenever I go home from school." Rayne said.
Grandpa. Gawainus Treenity. Hearing her mutter that word gives me a slight feeling of discomfort. Sure, I have bad impressions of her Grandpa for insulting me a while back, but the memories of Raynevere Treenity and what I learned from the Yggdrasil AI give me the benefit of the doubt about him.
Out of the blue, Rayne jumped onto me, latched, and then slammed me to the sofa behind me!
"Waah! What are you doing!?" I cried.
Rayne snuggled on my chest and sniffed a whiff of my body.
"Haaah," Rayne uttered a relieved sigh. "There's too much work to do for the corporation to bounce back. I had loads of paperwork to read and sign. Too much work to do, and too little time. I'm just so glad that you are here. Just having a smell of you makes my troubles go away."
"I'm now a stress reliever, huh?" I smirked. I surrendered to the urge of patting her head.
Rayne rubbed her cheeks on my chest like a purring cat. While I stroked her dark gray silky smooth hair, she continued to sniff at me like a dog. I think I'm engaged to a house pet right now.
"I wuv you, Zane." Rayne muffled her declaration under my clothing.
"I-I wuv you too, Rayne," I said with a blush. Saying it is quite corny, but since it's just the two of us, I'll just be as corny as I am.
Rayne sniffed three times again, and for the third sniff, she stopped snuggling unto me and raised her head.
"Hmmm… What is that delicious smell?"
"Oh, right. I'm cooking spaghetti, and it's almost ready." I answered.
"Wow! I'm so lucky that my boyfriend cooked for me! I thought boys who can cook are things of the past, like dinosaurs!" Rayne teased with her tongue sticking out.
"We're just endangered, not completely extinct. We guys are just in the Ultra Rare SSR category." I reasoned out. "You will find one if you look hard."
"I guess I am lucky then~" Rayne hugged me tight. "Say, you want to be a house husband? Since I'm the president of the corporation, you won't need to work anymore."
I think that the thing about marrying into money and living the rest of my life indoors not wearing any pants was my dream of the past. I am quite worried about what people, especially my parents, would think of me if I just slack off and let Rayne work. It will be a blow to my pride as a human being and as a man.
"I can still cook for you after work," I said. "My parents would disown me if I do nothing in my life."
"But I want you to be a house husband." Rayne pouted adorably. "At least act like one, just for today."
"Fine." I sighed.
Rayne stood up and helped me back on my feet. Then she pressed her face forward, staring at my eyes. "Hey, hey, say that line that househusbands do!"
"W-What!?" I shrieked with a blushing face. "That's embarrassing!"
"Pleeease~" Rayne clasped her hands and begged.
There is no way I can reject a request from an adorable goddess like her. So I cleared my throat and then welcomed her arrival. We'll just pretend we're on a taping and this is take-two.
"W-Welcome home! Would you like to eat dinner? Or take a bath? Or would you like… m-me?" I stuttered with a blushing face.
"Pfft!" Rayne chuckled.
What the hell? She's messing with me!