In the middle of that pleasant, drowsy haze… I slowly wake up to this nice, comfortable tiredness all through my body.
I was half-hoping for some classic morning chirping birds’ or something cute like that, but it’s completely quiet.
TN: Not literal birds. In fictional works such as anime, manga, and novel games, the morning after a love scene (especially sexual intercourse) is depicted with the chirping of sparrows
When I open my eyes… huh? Noie isn’t here?
I quickly look to the side, and there she is, sleeping peacefully, breathing soft and steady.
This feels like the first time I’ve ever seen her like this.
Well… I’ve watched her sink into deep, instant sleep plenty of times, but this might actually be the very first time she hasn’t woken up before me.
Should I count this as a tiny victory over Noie?
Her face is perfectly still, no muscle twitching at all, yet somehow she looks… really happy.
Or is that just me imagining things?
…This isn’t one of those “it was all a dream” things, right?
I glance down to check, and yep.
There she is: completely bare, her beautiful skin glowing softly in the morning light.
Nooo～!!
Don’t show me something like that!!
My inner wild beast is about to go completely out of control!!
I hurriedly start searching for the underwear we tossed aside last night…when suddenly Noie stirs with a tiny ‘mozo…’ and her body gives a little shiver.
「Good morning, Noie」
「……Good morning, Arg-sama」
Our eyes meet. We exchange sleepy greetings.
She slowly sits up… then seems to finally notice her own state.
Her head tilts left and right as she checks herself over.
Um… her camisole is down by our feet somewhere…
I grab it, turn around, and Noie has completely vanished.
「Huh?! Wait, Noie? Where are you?!」
I frantically scan the room and finally spot her, squeezed into the shadow beside the bed, trying to hide her whole body.
Her figure is mostly concealed… except for that one little ahoge poking straight up like a periscope.
「Noie? What’s wrong?」
「……」
I crawl closer on my stomach.
When I finally get a look at her face… it’s bright, burning red.
「Are you okay?」
「……」
「Eh?」
「……My face feels hot.」
「……」
「My chest feels tight… and my face is so warm…」
Saying that, Noie quickly buries her face in her arms, hiding it completely.
I know I’m not supposed to laugh right now…
but she’s just so adorable it hurts.
「Ahaha. So Noie gets embarrassed too, huh」
「……」
Noie’s ahoge is spinning in tight, frustrated little circles.
I gently slide the discarded camisole through the small gap between her arms where she’s still hiding her face.
「Your back is turned, so go ahead and put it on.」
「……Yes.」
Why does the sound of someone getting dressed feel so… vivid and real?
Every little rustle of fabric against skin makes my ears burn.
After a few moments, the bed dips slightly.
Something soft and warm suddenly presses flat against my back.
Ah… it’s a little hot, actually.
「Noie」
「Yes」
「Is that your forehead you’re pressing against me?」
「Yes」
「It’s really warm.」
「……Yes.」
She’s still so embarrassed that her whole face must be bright red.
「Arg-sama」
「Hm?」
「What is this feeling? It’s really painful.」
「Yeah… I think it’s called ‘embarrassment.’」
「Embarrassment?」
「Mhm. It happens when Noie remembers what we did last night.」
All at once, the heat against my back vanishes.
I turn around, Noie is gone.
My eyes dart around… and the curtain sways ever so slightly.
Don’t waste that insane reflex speed and athletic ability on something like this!!
「Noie? The feeling you’re having right now is ‘embarrassment,’ okay?」
「……Yes.」
From behind the curtain comes the tiniest, muffled reply.
If this were Mische or Frea-san, I’d tease them mercilessly until they exploded…
But with Noie, I just can’t bring myself to do it.
I finally find my underwear, somehow stuffed under the pillow, and quickly slip it on.
Standing up from the bed, I reach for the wooden grip tied to the rope hanging from the ceiling near the wall and give it a pull.
『Good morning, danna-sama』
「Good morning. Could you bring my change of clothes?」
『Of course.』
「And… something to lightly wipe down with, please.」
『We’ve already prepared the bath this morning. We took the liberty without asking permission… please forgive us.』
That sounded oddly considerate.
But ever since we moved in, well, even back when we were still in the detached annex, I’ve been saying the same thing over and over, so I guess pretty much all the maids already know?
「Thank you. Then please start with Noie first.」
「Together would be better.」
「……Together with Noie.」
『Understood.』
I pull the rope once more to close the speaking tube’s cover.
Even though I heard her voice right behind me, when I turn around, she’s gone again.
Can we really bathe together when she’s like this…?
「Noie? Are you sure you want to go in together?」
「……Yes.」
「Okay. But at least let me see your face?」
「Just a little longer. Probably soon.」
Soon for what…?
A few minutes pass.
Then, finally, she steps out from behind the curtain.
-0-
The bath turned into a bit of a commotion too, but we somehow managed to get through it.
For breakfast, we enjoyed the leftovers from yesterday, well, more like creatively rearranged versions of them.
「Arg-sama」
「Yes?」
「Today?」
「Let’s go shopping.」
「Shopping?」
「Yeah. I want a chair for the garden. One big enough that I can lie down with my head in your lap and nap.」
「Yes.」
Noie has completely snapped out of that super-shy mode she was in last night in the bedroom and this morning in the bath.
She’s back to her usual calm self now.
…Honestly, I’m feeling just a tiny bit lonely without seeing her all flustered.
「Oh, and I also want to get a horse… but Mische’s probably working today. Well, we can go look whenever.」
「The rainy season is coming soon. The dragon won’t appear anymore either.」
She says it herself and then immediately droops a little.
Once the rains start, Noie’s work apparently gets put on forced hiatus.
「Then how about we go horse shopping when that happens? Just the two of us.」
「Yes.」
Her ahoge, which had been hanging limply, perks right back up and starts quivering with energy again.
Noie really is endlessly entertaining to watch.
「Arg-sama」
「What?」
「After we buy the chair… I want you to pat my head.」
「Got it.」
In other words, once we’re done shopping, I’ll have to hurry and arrange a carriage to haul the chair home right away.
It’s my adorable wife’s very first selfish request.
And I firmly believe that fulfilling those little whims is a husband’s sacred duty!
Thanks to throwing money at the problem, we got the chair delivered.
And from then until sunset… I spent the entire time gently stroking Noie’s head without stopping.
This is honestly the perfect kind of happy day off.
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