Skadi, My Wife

Schwarz's body stiffened. Instinctively, she wanted to step back and knock Chen An's hand away, but when she saw the serious look on his face, for some reason, her body obediently stayed where it was. She neither retreated nor struck.

Chen An gently rubbed Schwarz's cheeks with both hands, softening her stern expression. Then he placed his hands beside her lower cheeks and helped lift the corners of her mouth, turning their ever-downturned curve slightly upward.

After doing all that, he lowered his hands and somehow produced a small mirror from his sleeve. Holding it up before Schwarz, he said cheerfully, "Look, Miss Schwarz, aren't you smiling now? It's very pretty."

Her gaze was warm, her expression gentle. The icy aura that kept strangers away had vanished, making her seem like a tender older sister next door.

Looking at the unfamiliar version of herself in the mirror, Schwarz could not help raising a hand to touch her face.

Then she looked at Chen An.

Chen An smiled delightedly.

Was he happy because of her change?

As Schwarz thought that, her usually tranquil heart felt as though someone had tossed a stone into it, suddenly sending ripples across its surface.

Her mood had become a little strange.

Love, Love Is Like a Tornado?!

After arriving at the market, Chen An asked Schwarz for her opinion and bought the foods she and Ceylon liked. Then he bought some things Skadi and the others liked as well before the two returned home.

At home, Exusiai was chatting with Ceylon and keeping her company, while Texas sat beside them.

"What does Chen An like?"

Perhaps he had misheard, but when he returned home, Chen An seemed to hear Ceylon cautiously asking Exusiai that question.

He had probably misheard. Otherwise, Exusiai would not have worn such a fake expression over a question like that.

"We're back."

After casually greeting Exusiai and the others, Chen An looked at Ceylon and smiled. "I've already asked Miss Schwarz what kinds of food you like. Just wait a little longer. I won't disappoint you."

Ceylon said nothing, merely showing an inexplicably guilty and bashful smile.

Exusiai and Texas walked over together.

Texas took the things Schwarz was carrying from her hands and politely thanked her.

Exusiai took the things from Chen An as well. As she did, she said cheerfully, "As expected, we have guests over, so lunch is going to be quite a feast."

The two carried the groceries into the kitchen, and Chen An followed them inside.

He took an apron off the refrigerator and tied it around himself, then began preparing lunch.

Texas also took an apron and tied it around herself, but she was not cooking. She was only helping Chen An prepare the ingredients.

Normally, at a time like this, Exusiai would either be chatting nonsense with Skadi or off finding somewhere to entertain herself. But today, because there were so many good ingredients and she felt Texas could not handle them all alone, she lingered instead of leaving.

Rather than immediately helping Texas, she trailed behind Chen An step by step, muttering, "There are so many dishes for lunch today. Do you want me to help?"

She picked up a kitchen knife from beside the cutting board, flourished it twice, and bragged, "I may not be as good as you at cooking, but when it comes to knife skills, I, Exusiai, am first-rate."

"You're first-rate at causing trouble, more like."

Chen An said irritably, "Every time you say you're helping chop vegetables, you end up coming over to mess with me before you're even halfway done. You keep going on about how this is tasty and that is tasty, telling me to throw everything into the pot. Do you not know some dishes aren't meant to be put together? If you want to eat lots of tasty food, save the nonsense for when we have hot pot and throw it all in then, okay?"

She had clearly wanted to help, yet she got lectured instead. Miss Exusiai was deeply indignant. "What do you mean by that? I wanted to help, okay? Your attitude is way too much!"

"There's worse."

Chen An rolled his eyes and demonstrated an even worse attitude. Waving his hand like he was shooing flies, he said expressionlessly, "The weather's nice today. When Miss Schwarz and I came back earlier, it was windy outside. I checked—it was a northwesterly wind. Exusiai, hurry outside and enjoy the breeze. Stop getting in my way."

"...You bastard, just wait. Next time, I'll never think about helping you again!"

The time after next is fine, though!

Furious at Chen An's even more excessive words, Exusiai pointed at him and swore angrily before leaving the kitchen and running into a corner to sulk.

Skadi, who had not shown herself at all, had been observing from the shadows, watching Chen An and Texas cook in the kitchen.

As she watched, an envious expression suddenly appeared on her face.

She wanted to help Chen An cook just like Texas did. More than that, she wanted to learn how to cook herself, then make food for Chen An.

But why could she never do it?

Orca biting handkerchief.jpg

After that pitiful, envious look, her expression turned melancholy again.

When wielding her greatsword against people, she could make heavy things seem light. Put a strand of hair before her and tell her to cut one hair, and she could sever only that one without touching the next. So why did the strength in her hands become completely uncontrollable the moment she entered a kitchen?

Even if she stayed outside the kitchen and merely held kitchen utensils, it was the same.

Why~?!

She could not understand that, but Skadi understood what she should do now.

She walked over to Exusiai and joined her in a gloomy mood.

"Miss, wait here for a moment. I'll go help too."

After standing beside Ceylon for a while, Schwarz suddenly entered the kitchen as well.

Chen An was somewhat surprised to see her. "Miss Schwarz?"

"I know what Miss likes best. I came in to teach you."

After saying that, she paused before adding, "For Miss's sake, you may call me by my name. I'm Schwarz."

Chen An froze for a moment, then smiled. "I see. Then I'll be relying on you, Schwarz."

Schwarz habitually remained silent, but her gaze could not help growing gentler.

At the same time, the corners of her lips rose. Like snow and ice melting away, she revealed a fleeting, gentle smile—the one she had learned from Chen An not long ago.

After lunch, Ceylon made an appointment with Chen An to take him and his friends around Siesta properly the next day, then left with Schwarz.

While there had been guests, Exusiai had behaved herself the whole time aside from bickering with Chen An.

But once the guests left, she instantly perked up.

Standing at the doorway, she held one hand over her forehead like a makeshift umbrella and watched Ceylon and Schwarz leave. After confirming they would not turn back, Miss Exusiai darted into the house.

"Come here, come here."

She dragged Chen An, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, over to the dining table and made him sit down. Then she began looking him up and down with an expression that said, This is unbelievable. I never thought you were this kind of person.

Not only that, but she kept clicking her tongue from time to time as she examined him, as though she were marveling at some great discovery.

Texas watched from the side, and the look in her eyes when she looked at Chen An was equally strange.

Completely baffled by the way Exusiai and Texas were looking at him, Chen An could not help asking, "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

Miss Exusiai did not speak. She continued examining Chen An and clicking her tongue in amazement.

Chen An: "..."

Unable to endure Exusiai's outrageously harassing gaze any longer, Chen An suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek when she leaned closer, seemingly intending to inspect him more carefully.

He kneaded Exusiai's cheek without mercy and said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, "Click your head. If you have something to say, say it. Do you know how punchable you look, staring at me like that?"

"Let go..." Exusiai glared at Chen An and made an indistinct sound.

Chen An ignored her and continued ravaging her cheek.

After calling out twice more and realizing Chen An still had no intention of letting go of her face, Exusiai got angry. Flailing her arms and legs, she knocked his hand away.

She said furiously, "You awful guy! Don't you know a girl's face will get ugly if you pinch it like that? You dare treat me that way—are you trying to die?!"

Chen An ignored her and looked at Texas. "It's one thing for Exusiai to act like this, but why are you doing it too, Texas? What exactly happened?"

Exusiai flew into a rage. "Hey! Did you hear what I said? Don't ignore me!"

Chen An scratched his ear with one hand and calmly continued ignoring Exusiai as he looked at Texas, waiting for her answer.

Exusiai's face turned red, and her chest rose and fell violently, seeming to swell a whole size larger.

Just as Exusiai could no longer bear Chen An's deliberate disregard and was about to explode, Skadi leaned close to Chen An and whispered, "It was me. This morning, Exusiai and Texas asked about what happened between us before. I told them about our experiences while traveling."

Chen An was stunned, then suddenly understood.

No wonder those three had hidden upstairs all morning and refused to come down. They had been holding a storytelling session?

Chen An did not mind that Skadi had told Exusiai and the others about his past without asking him first—there was nothing to hide, so what was the big deal about telling them?

It was only because Exusiai and Texas rarely dwelled on his past and had not asked much that he had not told them himself already.

He was only puzzled by one thing. He and Skadi had not encountered or done anything particularly extraordinary while traveling, so why were Exusiai and Texas reacting like this after hearing about it?

Chen An asked in confusion, "What was so extraordinary about those experiences? Fine, Exusiai, but why do you look like you've only just met me, Texas?"

Still not over the anger of being deliberately ignored by Chen An, Exusiai heard him say, "Fine, Exusiai," and nearly exploded with rage.

"What do you mean?! What do you mean?!"

She crossed her arms furiously, looking ready to hit someone. "What do you mean, 'Fine, Exusiai'? You said it twice! Chen, are you looking down on me?!"

Chen An shrugged. "Why would I look down on anyone? I said that because compared to Texas, you're more easily startled by things."

Exusiai: "..."

After thinking about it, she felt that Chen An seemed to be right, and she could no longer keep up her act of looking ready to hit him.

"Even if that's true, the way you said it is still really irritating, okay?"

After saying that resentfully, Exusiai changed the subject carelessly. Every time she argued with Chen An, she could not outtalk him and ended up half-dead with anger. Games were the same—she lost every time until her mentality exploded. Having trained up her mental fortitude by now, she said, "Forget that. Let's talk about you instead. Chen An, Titi said you used to be an important person. What did it feel like to be important?"

"An important person?"

Chen An found that strange. "What important person? How come I don't know I was ever an important person?"

"Stop trying to fool me. Titi told me everything."

Exusiai wore an expression that said, You can't fool me. "Talulah, Chernobog's current mayor, is your good friend. You're one of Dawn's founders, and you know lots and lots of young ladies from prominent families. With all that, you still say you were never an important person?"

Chen An did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had thought she meant something else. So this was what she meant?

Being close to people in high positions made someone an important person? Where had that idea come from?

One of Dawn's founders? How did he count as one of Dawn's founders? He had merely happened to be present when Dawn was founded, that was all.

As for knowing lots of young ladies from prominent families...

Leaving aside what kind of girl even counted as one, how did that have anything to do with being an important person?

Amused and exasperated by Exusiai's ridiculous claim, Chen An could not be bothered explaining.

He said irritably, "What feelings could I have? They were all just coincidences. Rather than wasting energy talking about this, why not help think about where we should go after leaving Siesta in a few days?"

"Eh?" *2

Exusiai's eyes widened.

Chen An's words caught both her and Texas off guard.

Getting Caught Eloping Is Going to Cause Trouble!

Although she often bickered and squabbled with Chen An, occasionally even throwing little tantrums, Exusiai had never questioned Chen An's decisions.

Seeing that Chen An was not joking when he said they should think about leaving Siesta in a few days, Exusiai merely felt confused.

"Go somewhere else? Weren't we going to stay in Siesta a little longer?"

Texas also offered an opinion, which was rare for her. "Why leave in such a hurry? Siesta's Obsidian Festival will be here soon. Aren't we going to attend?"

The Obsidian Festival was a very lively music festival. Though Texas herself was not particularly interested in it, her former boss, Emperor, the boss of Penguin Logistics, was also a rap singer while serving as Penguin Logistics' boss.

Whenever he had time, he would usually attend the Obsidian Festival. Because of him, Texas knew a little about the Obsidian Festival.

Chen An liked lively occasions, and Exusiai liked them even more. By all rights, if Chen An wanted to leave, he should at least wait until Siesta's Obsidian Festival was over.