CHAPTER 526: JUMP

The dinner came to an end two hours ago, but Coco remained seated at the table, cradling a steaming cup of cocoa in her hands as she read the quest scrolls before her.

Kairo and others were no longer present in the room, having retreated to their respective quarters.

The hushed sound of their departures from the kitchen faded away, leaving Coco momentarily alone with her thoughts.

She had asked Heiren and Zaque to leave her something to snack on while she’s busy burying her head on the scrolls, her cast aside worries from earlier resurfacing.

She hated pushing aside important matters so she couldn’t help, but felt anxious about the quests.

"At least these ones don’t seem like I should rush them." Coco said, grumbling softly under her breath, her grip on the mug tightening as she downed the last sip of her cocoa.

She stood up from her chair and placed the empty mug in the sink, the sound of glass against metal reverberating through the room.

Setting the empty mug aside, Coco glanced back at the quest scrolls that floated before her, her face scrunching up in wonder on how she’ll get rid of these quests faster.

I hate seeing an ongoing quest.. Should I just not open these scrolls until I know what to do to clear them? Coco thought and walked towards the door.

Coco stepped out of the room, but she was caught off guard when she unexpectedly collided with a solid, hard chest— the impact catching her off balance, causing her to stagger momentarily before regaining her footing.

Shock flickered across her features as she looked up to see who she had crashed into and found Alhai standing before her, his expression filled with concern with his hands outstretched to catch her.

The familiar scent of vanilla wafted towards Coco, his damp hair a clear indication that he had just emerged from the bath.

His eyes, filled with worry and relief, studied her face in return, ensuring that she was unharmed from their unexpected collision, but still, to make sure, he asked.

"Are you alright?" He inquired, his voice monotonous, but soft.

Coco’s gaze drifted over the mediator before her, taking in his striking features and she couldn’t help, but notice the sharp, intense teal hue of his eyes that had an obvious glint of worry in them.

Not to mention, the way his silver hair framed his face, along with the exposed skin of his chest peeking out from his undone pajama buttons.

Coco swallowed thickly, her heart skipping a beat at his proximity before she quickly composed herself— she can’t lust over him when he’s clearly worrying about her, after all.

Coco managed a small, soft smile and answered. "I’m alright, but the more important question is, are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Alhai stared at her for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing before he shook his head.

"No, I’m fine." He states bluntly, a deadpan expression on his face. "You didn’t hurt me at all. Don’t worry, I’m tougher than I look."

Coco fell silent for a moment, her eyes shifting to the side quest she had received hours ago.

I need clues to finish this damn side quest, right? But how do I get clues to know that they like me? Coco thought, but she returned her attention to Alhai, pushing aside her thoughts for the moment.

"Say.." Coco started gently and placed her hand over Alhai’s, intertwining their fingers. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

The simple gesture of holding his hand was enough to make Alhai’s cheeks flush with a soft pink hue, but at least he was courageous enough to squeeze her hand in response unlike someone.

"Of course." He murmured softly. "You can ask me anything, Coco."

"Can you.." Coco began, her pulse quickening as she tried to find the right words for the request. "Can yo.. Can you please take me to my room?"

Alhai froze and let out a quiet exhale, his gaze fixed on hers as he nodded in agreement. "Of course, wife. Would you like me to carry you to your room as well?"

"No need." Coco said with a giggle and kept her grip on Alhai’s hand, her fingers intertwined with his in a tight yet tender hold.

"But hey, thank you." She hummed out, her tone sincere and heartfelt.

"There’s no need to thank me for doing what I should be doing in the first place." Alhai mumbled as he gently squeezed her hand in time with his response.

Alhai led Coco down the hallway, his face gradually cooling down as he composed himself.

His usual neutral expression settled back on his face, his focus now solely glued on the path ahead of them, his eyes taking note of the flight of stairs.

The two of them moved in silence, their footsteps barely making a sound on the wooden floor.

The soft light from the flickering magic torches cast a warm glow on their path, their shadows dancing on the walls as they drew near to her room.

Okay.. I gotta jump on him once he gives me permission to see if this will count as a clue. Coco thought to herself, her eyes fixed on the scroll’s content the whole way to her room.

Then, before she knew it, Alhai stopped in front of the doorway to her room and nodded in acknowledgment.

He turned around and his eyes immediately lingered on her face. "Here we are.. I hope you have everything you need and if you need me, my door is only two doors away from yours."

He let go of her hand, but Coco quickly grabbed his hand again.

"You.. You like me, right?" Coco asked reluctantly and dragged her eyes to meet his gaze. "Would you mind giving me a goodnight kiss?"

Alhai blinked for a moment, taken aback by her bold action, then his cheeks flushed slightly as he finally processed her unexpected request with eagerness flashing in his eyes.