The world has woken up yet again, the sun bringing the day as it closed the curtains of the night. With the stars fading slowly from the sky, clouds of gray and white revealed themselves clearer than ever, drifting in the vast sky of blue.
A lone figure awoke in a large room, on his back was a softness like the fluffy looking clouds and comfort filled with warmth. He gazed and he turned, a silent yet beautiful star greeting him by his side. It was Yuna.
The young lady was still sleeping soundly, subtle snores fleeting in the air as her chest heaved up and down, ears twitching from time to time. The gentle sunlight seeping through the window only served to accentuate her delicate beauty.
"Cute..." ［Grey］
Grey mumbled softly, lifting his body ever so slowly as to not disturb the sleeping princess. He reached out his hand, caressing her soft and supple cheeks, soon leaning closer and he drew his lips towards hers, his eyes burning fiercely with passionーOr so it should have been.
But before he could even lean in for a kiss, he suddenly stopped, eyes wide open as if he had just seen a ghost. He was frozen, and the moment he moved, he drew back his hand, and got out of bed, soon heading out of the room.
'Dammit! That was dangerous!' ［Grey］
Dangerous, indeed. And it wasn't the first time it happened. In fact, it happens almost every morning, and every time, Grey only manages to stop himself just barely before it's too late. Every single time was a close call.
There is nothing wrong with a good morning kiss between couples, nothing at all. But Grey knew deep down just what kind of adult thoughts ran inside his mind at that very moment, one which wouldn't stop with just a kiss.
Though there is nothing wrong with falling deeper and deeper for his beloved, the more he does, the greedier he becomes. Now, he feels like a shameless, starving beast who just wants to devour Yuna at any moment he could, his greed getting harder and harder to sate.
'Haah... I really need to cool myself down...' ［Grey］
And cool his head he did. After making a quick breakfast for Yuna, Grey quickly took a shower and headed towards his workshop to forge some equipment. After all, what better way to clear one's mind than put it to heavy but rewarding work?
With Grey's leave, the house has become quiet once again, the leaves swaying softly by the whistling winds and the chimes ringing as they danced. It was peaceful as one can be, the sun continuing to climb the high skies.
Tap Tap Tap Tap
Several minutes passed and the house was painted with life. A young elf descended down the stairs, rubbing her eyes as she walked ever so groggily. She yawned and she stared off into the distance, eyes still sleepy as one can be.
Yuna had just woken up, and her very first instinct was to look around, searching for a certain figure. Yet no matter how much she turned her head and shifted her eyes, she didn't find who she was looking for, only a note by the countertop.
---
Yuna, I still have some leftover work for the Blacksmiths' Guild. I'll be making them so I won't be able to join you for breakfast. Instead, I cooked a delicious breakfast just for you. I hope you enjoy it.
---
Eyes still struggling to stay open, Yuna read the note and her eyes swam left and right, soon shifting to the still steamy dishes atop the dining table. She hasn't seen them yet but she already knew she was going to enjoy eating them.
Yuna continued to read, and the more she did the more awake she became. The rest of Grey's note was simply well wishes for her and some reminders. If one thing stood out, it was the little folded note at the very end.
---
P.S.
I left some pudding for you in the refrigerator. There's a dozen of them so make sure you enjoy them. Eat well, my pretty princess. :)
---
And there it was. Though it was a little that Yuna couldn't eat breakfast with Grey like they usually do, seeing Grey's effort to make her feel loved and cared for was more than enough. A sweet smile soon bloomed on her face as she ate breakfast.
It was like one would expect. The breakfast was delicious as one can be, the main dish and sides varying greatly to make sure Yuna enjoyed the meal the best she could. If Grey was eating with her, it would have been perfect.
"Waah～! There really is a lot of them～!" ［Yuna］
Of course, not just breakfast, but dessert as well. Just as Grey had said in his note, there were a dozen cups of pudding left in the refrigerator, each one tempting and appetite arousing. Just a glance was enough to make Yuna's eyes sparkle.
"Mmn～! Delicious as usual!" ［Yuna］
Skipping her steps cheerfully, Yuna brought out all the pudding out of the refrigerator and headed towards the living room. There, she enjoyed herself, putting her feet atop the couch as played with her magic.
After all, unlike Earth, Merusia only has little in the way of entertainment. There is no television, no video games, no internet, and no social media. Even the games they play are best enjoyed with many people. There is only so much one could do alone.
So, to make up for such lack of entertainment, Grey and Yuna had been using magic in their daily lives, playing with it like little children playing with toys. Not only would they get rid of their boredom, they can also practice their control as well, killing two birds with one stone.
Yuna waved her hands and a rain of snow swept all over the room, dancing like ice skaters, and running around like little children. It may look simple at a glance, but it was a task which needed extreme control.
One, two, three, and four. More and more figures danced in the air. Five, six, seven, and eight. Cups after cups of pudding were also finished as the show went on. A smiling young lady's eyes sparkling along the snow.
"Oh... Looks like I finished one again." ［Yuna］
Said Yuna as she placed down her cup of pudding. She was about to reach out to another one, when her hands suddenly halted. She thought long and hard before finally pulling it back, waving her hand to disperse the snow.
"No, let's enjoy these with Grey later." ［Yuna］
A sweet smile on her face and the snow fading to oblivion, Yuna skipped her steps towards the refrigerator and stored the remaining four cups of pudding inside, then hopping away. She headed upstairs, humming happily to herself.
The young lady soon went back down, took a bath, headed upstairs again, and had a change of clothes. It was the usual routine, and since Grey wasn't around, she will be heading to the Rabbit's Den to spend some time with Helen and company.
"Oh, right! Before I forget..." ［Yuna］
Of course, like Grey did, Yuna didn't forget to leave a note behind. He might have already calmed down better than before, but Grey was still a worrywart. She could only giggle to herself thinking how he'll panic if she didn't leave any.
"And.... There!" ［Yuna］
There was no time to waste. With her note finished, Yuna quickly headed out of the house and into the open city. She hummed to herself happily, still skipping her steps like an excited little child as she headed out for the day.
Yet again, the house was filled with silence. The sun had now climbed fairly high in the sky and the city was now fully awake. Everyone was hustling and bustling as they went on about their daily lives, living life in the moment,
The sun continued to climb, and soon, the second bell rang. Time passed some more, and finally, after hours upon hours of working, Grey finally came out of the "Sanctuary", drenched in sweat and shirt full of grime.
Like Yuna before her, he looked around the house for a certain young lady, but found nothing of the sort. There was only a note left behind, a gentle smile soon painted on his face as he placed it back down.
"But well... I should probably take a bath, huh..." ［Grey］
It wasn't just "probably", Gry really does need a bath. With all the grease, dust, and debris in smithing work, his shirt wasn't safe from the grime and dirt. He was dirty and sweaty, a severe contrast to their clean and tidy house.
Though he could simply use magic to clean himself, soaking in a hot bath was still much better. Not only would it clean himself, it would also wash away the fatigue in his body as if they were just but mere fleeting lies.
Of course, as one would expect from our protagonist, after taking a bath, he sparkled like the stars in the night sky. With a beautiful face like one carved from marble, jade-like skin, sharp amethyst eyes, and a well-toned body, he was a sight for sore eyes enough to make ladies drool.
Topping it all off with a wet look fresh out of the bath, and boom, a perfect lady killing machine. Not even Yuna whom he's been with for almost four years could handle the heat. It was a sight only served for hers truly.
A quick trip to the bedroom, and Grey grabbed himself a comfortable set of casual clothing. He then headed towards the refrigerator to find himself a cool drink to cool himself down from the hot bath.
"Oh?" ［Grey］
But rather than a cold drink, what greeted him were four cups of sweet and delectable pudding. They were sparkling so brightly, alluring to the eyes. Enough for Grey to grab some without thinking too much.
"Did Yuna not like them?" ［Grey］
Grey asked himself as he tilted his head slightly. After all, don't mention a dozen, Yuna could finish much more in a single sitting if she ever feels like it. Such a sight was just plain strange. Not an everyday sight.
"Oh, well... I'll just be enjoying myself then." ［Grey］
There was no need to think too much. With such sweet treats left for him, it would be bad manners to decline the invitation. He may be confused, however, it doesn't mean he won't eat what's in front of him. It would be wasteful, otherwise.
Not knowing what troubles it would spell, Grey simply and zealously took the puddings out of the refrigerator and headed to the living room to relax after a long day from work. A much needed rest.
"Yup. Pudding's the best." ［Grey］
Calm and carefree as one can be, Grey then sat down on the soft couch and enjoyed its comfort to its finest. We used wind magic to make the pudding float in the air, feeding it to himself without much thought.
And as he enjoyed his free time, the phone suddenly came ringing. It was a call from Eliza, charting happily with him as she went on about what happened on her day. It has become a daily occurrence, both happy to talk to one another.
Before long, yet another bell rang throughout the whole city, the sun finally reaching its Zenith. A clang and clack echoed in the, drifting along with an appetizing aroma as Grey prepared for lunch, a plethora of dishes dished out one after another.
Creak
With the advent of lunch, the young elf had finally returned home, a big, bright smile painted on her face as she headed inside. The moment she saw Grey, her smile beamed even brighter, eyes sparkling like a cascading creek.
"Welcome homeー Oh!" ［Grey］
There was no response. Yuna simply rushed towards him, giving him a tight embrace from behind. It has only been a day and the young lady already missed him, acting all clingy as she buried her face on his reliable back.
"Hey, Yuna, we're going to get burns at this rate." ［Grey］
"Mmn... It's okay. That much isn't going to hurt us anyway." ［Yuna］
"Well, I can't deny that, but still... Then, how about you set the table for lunch? I'm about done cooking, so that would really help." ［Grey］
"....... Okay～!" ［Yuna］
Yuna thought long and hard, or rather, she savored hugging Grey before letting go. With an excited smile on her face, she then set off to do as Grey requested, setting the table, utensils, and dishes without much trouble.
And just as she was preparing the table, a sudden thought came to her mind. She remembered about the pudding she set away just this morning, happily skipping her steps as she headed to the refrigerator with a big smile on her face.
"Eh...?" ［Yuna］
It was a smile which didn't last too long. The moment she opened the refrigerator, rather than happiness, what surprised her was confusion. The cups of pudding she left were nowhere to be found.
She clearly remembered that she put the pudding in the refrigerator, yet no matter how she looked, she couldn't find them. There were ingredients, a few sweets, and some juices, but there was no pudding. They were simply not there.
"Grey, have you seen the pudding I left here? There were four of them." ［Yuna］
"Yeah, I ate them." ［Grey］
"Eh?" ［Yuna］
"Huh?" ［Grey］
Two short noises and suddenly, silence filled the whole house. The fried ham and eggs continued to sizzle as silently Grey and Yuna looked each other in the eye. One was puffing her cheeks, pouting, while the other was at a loss.
"Was... I not supposed to eat them...?" ［Grey］
No, he was not, not at all. But it was already too late for regret now. No matter what he does, the pudding (he thoroughly enjoyed) is now safely stored in his stomach, not coming back anytime soon.
At the same time, Yuna's cheeks puffed as she pouted, looking at Grey full of intent, not saying a single word as she simply turned her head away. The latter doesn't even need to ask. She was greatly upset.
The dishes were soon cooked and lunch soon commenced. But unlike their usual merry and laughter-filled lunch, the current one was awkward as one can be, only silence looming over the dining table.
"Yuna, here, say ahh～!" ［Grey］
"Hmph!" ［Yuna］
Grey tried to lighten the mood by trying to feed Yuna, but rather than reciprocating his actions, the latter simply turned her head away, puffing her cheeks even more. The sound of glass breaking echoed in the air as his heart shattered a little.
Time passed and the sun finally started their descent. The house was full of peace, quiet, and of course, awkwardness. A few hours already passed but Yuna was still pouting, not saying a single word to Grey.
"Umm, Yunaー" ［Grey］
"Vega～! Come here, let's comb your fur!" ［Yuna］
"Okay～!" ［Vega］
In fact, Yuna has been avoiding Grey so much that she let the familiars out simply so that she has a reason to ignore Grey. Every time the latter tried to talk to her, she would then talk with the familiars, outright denying Grey.
『Master, sorry...』 ［Vega］
『No, it's alright... Yeah, it's alright...』 ［Grey］
Grey had never felt so defeated before. Though he knows Yuna would forgive him sooner or later, seeing her reject him was still depressing. Each and every time she rejects him, he feels his heart breaking more and more. It was pain, and a stinging one at that.
Time passed some more and the sky was finally dyed amber as the sun started to set. Silence and awkwardness still loomed over the air as Yuna prepared dinner for the two of them. As for Grey...
"Haah..." ［Grey］
... He was down for the count. He had already lost count of how many times Yuna had rejected his approaches and just remembering them was enough to make his heart scream in pain. Gloom and darkness loomed over him.
In fact, it was so depressing that the familiars started consoling him, patting his back with their little paws. Even the usually energetic Vega and Kentaurus were now well-behaved, pitying their master with the others.
"Everyone, dinner's ready." ［Yuna］
Now, Yuna doesn't even mention his name. It was the most pitiful that he has ever been. If Julius were to see his current state, he would surely be laughing his ass off until tears formed in the corners of his eyes from laughing too much.
Depressed as one can be, Grey headed to the dining table, welcomed with silence and awkwardness as Yuna doesn't even want to look at him. Only the sounds of spoons and forks hitting the plates echoed in the air.
"Hey, Yuna... Are you still mad at me?" ［Grey］
Unable to bear the silence any longer, Grey finally asked the question. And hearing it ring in her ears, Yuna's hands suddenly stopped, finally looking at Grey in the eyes after several hours of ignoring Grey, still pouting.
"Look... I'll never touch your sweets again, and tell you what, as an apology, I'll make you a ton of pudding later, alright?" ［Grey］
Grey tried to bargain and compromise, but Yuna didn't budge an inch, not uttering a single word and pouting even more than before. Though there wasn't any hatred nor anger in her eyes, it still stung Grey's heart a little bit.
"Grey..." ［Yuna］
"Y-Yes, ma'am?!" ［Grey］
"It's not the fact that you ate my pudding, it's the fact that you didn't ask me first... I wanted to enjoy them with you, you know..." ［Yuna］
And that was the final blow. Hearing Yuna's words, a large arrow stabbed Grey's heart and conscience, rendering him unable to retort against her. To top it all off, Yuna's pouting face turned into a sulking face. He was guiltier than ever before.
Though it may be petty, Yuna was really looking forward to enjoying them with Grey, even telling it to Helen when they chatted with one another. Yet the thing she looked forward to for the whole day was suddenly broken. She has every right to be upset.
"Umm... I'm really sorry about it... I promise to never do it again... Won't you give this poor man a chance for forgiveness, My Lady? I promise I'll do anything." ［Grey］
"Anything...?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, anything." ［Grey］
A fatal question, but Grey's got no other choice. Though Yuna would probably forgive him sooner or later, he couldn't bear to see such a sulking expression on her face. It was just far too much for his conscience. He is just a fool in love, after all.
And hearing Grey's words, Yuna finally wore a different expression on her face. She slowed down her steps as she was put into deep thought, tilting her head downwards as she thought, only looking Grey in the eyes as she found her answers.
"Spoil me..." ［Yuna］
"Hm? Huh?" ［Grey］
"I said... I want you to spoil me... For the rest of the day... " ［Yuna］
It was a bit unexpected, but Grey could finally smile at her words. Even if Yuna didn't say it, he was already planning to do so anyway. Now that he heard it directly from her, he couldn't be any happier to oblige.
"Hmm... I don't think I can do that..." ［Grey］
"Eh? But you said you'll do anything..." ［Yuna］
"That's because I don't want to spoil you just for today. I'll be spoiling you rotten the whole week so you better be prepared, yeah?" ［Grey］
From pouting to sulking, and now to smiling. Yuna's expressions greatly changed from one to another as her face beamed with radiance. Her heart now beat and thumped hard, a bottomless happiness surging in her heart.
"Un..." ［Yuna］
It was a short and simple response, but strangely enough it contained a myriad of emotions not even a whole statement could express. The mood was finally back to how it usually is, full of warmth and happiness.
And now that their little argument has been resolved, there was no need to hold back any longer. Yuna then put her utensils down and stood up from her chair, soon sitting on Grey's lap with her cheeks blushing furiously.
She may be the one doing the ignoring, but she was also the one who suffered the most from her own actions. After all, she was quite the clingy one, not wanting to do anything of the sort anytime soon. She just wants to be with Grey.
"Umm... Yuna...?" ［Grey］
"I can't...?" ［Yuna］
"No, no, that's not it..." ［Grey］
It was a tad bit embarrassing, but Grey couldn't deny Yuna's request. After all, he did say he would spoil her rotten for the whole week. Now that the latter was actively engaging in skinship, he now wonders if his heart would be able to last long.
"Umm... This is actually quite embarrassing, isn't it?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah... You can say that again..." ［Grey］
Well, their positions didn't last long as they soon came back to their senses. Rather than sitting on Grey's lap, Yuna simply sat by his side and they had a normal dinner together, chatting merrily and happily.
The curtain of the day long over and the orchestra of stars reigning over the lands. The sweet symphony night drifted along the cold, nightly breeze, whispering ever so softly as it ran around the town. The day has ended yet again.
CHAPTER 255 END