The night had settled in, the moon casting a soft glow through the thin curtains of our modest room. Lupin and I had been sharing this space for a while now, but the arrangement still felt... unusual. She was insistent on pushing the boundaries of our "marriage," while I was still trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened since I arrived in this world.
"Darling, are you sure we can't sleep on the same bed?" Lupin's voice broke the silence, her tone a mix of playfulness and persistence. She was lying on her bed, her face half-buried in the pillow, her golden eyes gleaming in the dim light.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "We're not really married, you know," I reminded her, though I knew it wouldn't deter her. Lupin had a way of twisting logic to suit her whims.
"Awwwn, but how are we supposed to breed?" she mumbled, her voice muffled by the pillow. Her words caught me off guard, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Lupin had a knack for saying the most outrageous things with complete sincerity.
"Just get to bed, Lupin," I said, climbing onto my own bed. The beds were separate but only about four feet apart, a necessity given the small size of the room. At first, I had insisted on sleeping in the lobby, but Lupin had quickly shut that idea down.
"What if the other girls see you?" she had argued. "Wouldn't they suspect our marriage?" She had a point, of course, but that didn't make the situation any less awkward.
As I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my mind wandered back to everything that had transpired since I arrived in this world. Meeting Lupin, discovering my unknown powers, and the strange, almost surreal life we were building together. It was overwhelming, but also... exciting. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself.
"Lupin, are you still awake?" I asked softly, breaking the silence.
"Yes, darling-sama," she responded, her voice warm and affectionate.
I hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak my mind. "I'm really grateful for meeting you, really. My life would have been really boring without you in it. I don't think I would have been able to have as much fun as I have so far. And you leaving your wild life to come live a human life with me... it was an exceptional decision."
I was still speaking when I realized she had fallen asleep, her soft breathing filling the room. I chuckled quietly to myself, feeling a strange sense of contentment. With a final glance at her peaceful form, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
---
The next morning, I woke up to find Lupin sitting on my bed, watching me sleep. Her golden eyes were fixed on me, a small smile playing on her lips.
"W-what?" I stammered, slightly startled as I opened my eyes to see her face so close to mine.
"Good morning, darling-sama," she said cheerfully, patting my cheeks. She leaned in, gesturing for me to give her a kiss.
My cheeks flushed, and I quickly shifted to the other end of the bed. "I have something to do at the guild today, so I'll be going out," I said, trying to change the subject.
"Then let me help you get ready," she insisted, her hands already moving to my chest.
"What? No, I can do it myself," I protested, but she was already pulling my shirt off. Just as she was about to remove it completely, the door swung open.
"Good morning, sir Fer—" Helene's voice cut off abruptly as she took in the scene before her. Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly averted her gaze. "Sorry for barging in so carelessly," she muttered, her face turning red as she shut the door.
"I think she got the wrong idea," I said, finally allowing Lupin to take my shirt off. She giggled, clearly enjoying the situation far more than I was.
After a quick breakfast with Helene, Lupin and I headed to the capital. The guild was bustling with activity as usual, and I made my way to the reception desk.
"Good morning... uh, what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'receptionist,'" I said, addressing the young woman behind the counter.
"My name is Yumeko, sir," she replied with a polite smile.
"Alright, good morning, Yumeko. I've come to submit the demon hounds I caught back in the forest in exchange for the pay. According to the document you gave me, it's 10 silver coins per demon hound, right?"
"Yes, sir, that's correct," she responded.
"Okay, that's good then. I caught a total of 14 demon hounds, so it should be 140 silver coins."
Yumeko's eyes widened in shock. "I'm sorry, did you say you caught 14 demon hounds?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yes, is there a problem?" I asked, glancing around. Several people in the guild were now staring at me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and awe.
"No problem, sir. Here's your pay. We'd like to see them, though," she insisted.
"Sure, they're right outside," I said, leading her and an older demi-human outside to where the demon hounds were stored.
As we walked, Lupin tugged at my sleeve. "Uhm, Fernando, I want to check something out in the capital," she said.
"Oh, okay. Keep safe and come back before noon. I should be done with work by then," I said, waving her off.
"I will, darling," she replied, strolling away with her usual grace.
---
Later that evening, Lupin returned looking disheveled, her clothes tattered and her hair a mess. She looked like she had been in a fight.
"What happened, Lupin? Were you attacked?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.
"It's nothing, darling," she said, brushing off my worries.
But as I later found out, her day had been anything but uneventful.
---
Flashback:
"I can't let Helene keep cooking for us! Or she might steal my husband right from me," Lupin muttered to herself as she walked through the capital. Her destination was a cooking shop that taught young ladies how to cook. She had heard about it from a passerby and decided it was the perfect way to win my heart.
The shop was bustling with activity when she arrived. The owner, a middle-aged woman with a kind smile, greeted the group of eager learners.
"Welcome to my cooking shop, ladies. Today, I will teach you how to earn your husband's love," the woman said, bringing out the utensils.
"How to earn my husband's love?" Lupin repeated, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"It's simple. Every man loves a good cook. His stomach is equally his heart. If you cook well enough to entice him, he will love you more," the woman explained.
Lupin's eyes sparkled with determination. She imagined me enjoying her food, showering her with praise and affection. "Then I will love to learn how to cook!" she declared, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
The lesson began with a simple dish: curry. The woman guided the group through each step, but Lupin's inexperience quickly became apparent.
"At this point, you put in a little salt," the woman instructed.
Lupin, misunderstanding the instruction, added the entire 100kg bag of salt into the pot.
"What?!" the woman shouted, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Let's try again," she said, trying to maintain her composure.
The next step was to slowly increase the heat. Lupin, impatient as ever, decided to speed up the process using her magic. Within moments, the kitchen was engulfed in flames, the pot exploding in a spectacular display of chaos.
Everyone in the shop was now terrified of Lupin's cooking, but she was determined to get it right. After several more attempts and a few more explosions, she finally managed to create a decent curry.
"Yes! Finally, you did it!" the woman exclaimed, relief evident in her voice. The other students clapped, though their applause was more out of fear than genuine admiration.
---
Back in the present, Lupin simply said, "It was nothing. Let's go home."
And so we did, the events of the day fading into the background as we walked back together, the bond between us growing stronger with each passing moment.