Strange Window (1)

‘…What’s that?’

Leyla blinked as she stared at the window floating in the air.

‘…Am I seeing an illusion?’

She rubbed her eyes with both hands, but nothing changed. Leyla gazed fixedly at the window in the air, wondering if she was perhaps dreaming.

Concerned about Leyla—who suddenly stared blankly into the air—Siegfried frowned.

“Wife, are you okay?”

Leyla, coming to her senses at the low and firm voice penetrating her ears, looked at Siegfried, who was supporting her with a puzzled expression.

“Siegfried.”

Somehow, his name on her tongue felt unfamiliar.

‘Right, this person was here.’

She wasn’t alone. At least knowing that there was someone to share this perplexing situation was a little reassuring.

“Perhaps over there… gasp!”

As she pointed her finger at the window floating above Siegfried’s head, she held her breath.

〈 ( ´ △ ` ) 〉

The picture in the air had changed again in the meantime!

Startled, like someone who had seen a ghost, Leyla stuttered and asked.

“That-that, do you see that?”

“Pardon?”

When Siegfried raised his head and looked at where she was pointing, all he saw in his eyes was the familiar ceiling of the office. However, what the surprised Leyla was pointing at wasn’t that.

Having quickly scanned the empty air, Siegfried asked in confusion.

“See what? Ehem, is there a bug?”

“No, it’s not that…”

By now, Leyla could understand.

Siegfried couldn’t see ‘that.’

‘What is that, though?’

That was even more suspicious. What could it be—invisible to Siegfried but only visible to her?

‘D-don’t say, it’s a ghost?’

Terrified, Leyla started to tremble.

The faint vibrations were transmitted to Siegfried, who was holding her.

“…I think you should rest for a bit.”

As his hands, which hesitated for a moment, gently enveloped her trembling shoulders, her petite frame was completely enveloped by Siegfried’s large hands.

Suppressing the peculiar emotions welling up within him, Siegfried soothed her in a restrained voice.

“When both the body and mind are fatigued, it’s easy to fall ill. I will call a doctor, so please go back to the bedroom and rest before that.”

“No, I—” Leyla, who was about to contradict him, stopped mid-sentence.

Certainly, the situation where only Leyla could see something strange wasn’t normal.

Moreover, it was true that her mind and body were exhausted, as he mentioned. Since hearing the news of her grandfather’s passing, she had been crying continuously, resulting in a headache and swollen eyes, and her body felt weak.

Her body seemed to be in a state where illnesses could easily take hold.

Rather than neglecting it until it becomes a serious illness, it would be better to see a doctor now.

“Let’s do that.”

As she nodded, overcoming her hesitation, Siegfried’s face softened. It even seemed like he had a faint smile.

Leyla’s eyelashes fluttered as she blinked.

‘…Did Siegfried just smile? No way.’

He was a husband so stoic that it made her wonder if he had any emotions at all.

‘I must have seen it wrong.’

Brushing off the thought, Leyla received her husband’s support and left the office.

Though ‘support’ might be an understatement, it was more like an embrace.

It was the first time they had been so close. The mere fabric couldn’t conceal the sensation of well-trained muscles. The firmness of his body was unmistakable.

‘W-Why am I thinking about this? Of course, he’s in good shape! He’s a great knight who even defeated a dragon…’

Trying to conceal her embarrassment, Leyla subtly tried to distance herself from him.

Nevertheless, her husband’s arm, which encircled her, felt as unyielding as a rock.

Leyla, who was whimpering, looked up at Siegfried, who showed no signs of acknowledging her discomfort. Seeing his calm expression in contrast to her nervous one, she felt uneasy, as if he didn’t notice her discomfort at all.

‘For real. I shouldn’t expect delicate consideration from this man.’

Leyla, chewing her lower lip, slightly twisted her body and said,

“Um, honey, I can go alone. It’s a bit uncomfortable like this.”

“Oh.”

Siegfried, as if just realizing it, looked down at Leyla with a surprised expression.

‘Now he’ll let go, right?’ Leyla hoped, but Siegfried gave an answer that was the opposite of what she wanted.

“My wife was uncomfortable due to my carelessness. I’ll hold you properly.”

“No, it’s oka-aahk!”

She tried to resist while shaking her head, but Siegfried’s action of putting his arm behind her knee and lifting her was swift.

“Ahk!”

Leyla, startled by the sensation of not having a foothold, reflexively wrapped her arms around something nearby. It was Siegfried’s neck.

Although she regained a sense of stability by tightly embracing her husband’s neck, the closeness was to the point where she could hear his breathing and feel the beating of his heart. Embarrassed, she rolled her eyes.

Somehow, it seemed like her husband’s lips had slightly curved up just now…

‘…Must be my imagination, right?’

‘Strange, really strange.’

Leyla was bewildered by Siegfried’s sudden peculiar behavior.

Why would her husband, who usually maintains such a proper distance, act like this all of a sudden? He must have known that she would refuse…

Swallowing hard, Leyla subtly released her arms from around her husband’s neck and lightly touched his shoulder.

It was a small movement, but perhaps due to her impatience, her body tilted.

“Ah!”

“Careful.”

Siegfried grabbed Leyla’s reeling shoulder, pressing her snugly against his chest.

“Please be careful. It might be more comfortable for you to hold onto my neck like earlier.”

“No, no. Rather, could you let me down? It might be heavy for—”

“You’re not heavy at all. In fact, you’re surprisingly light. Are you eating properly?”

“….”

Leyla pressed her lips tightly. Siegfried’s expression hardened in response.

“…You’re not eating properly, are you? Is the food not to your liking? Or is there some other issue? Oh, if you have no appetite, we should call a doctor.”

“No, it’s not like that! It’s just…”

Leyla tried to brush it off quickly, but it was already too late. Siegfried’s expression contorted oddly.

If he pressed further, there might be details she didn’t want to reveal. She didn’t want to disclose her miserable situation, especially to Siegfried. She didn’t want him to see her disgraceful side.

‘That’s not allowed!’

Feeling anxious, Leyla instinctively tightened her grip around Siegfried’s neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

It was a way to reject further conversation.

Fortunately, Siegfried, after a momentary flinch, didn’t press her further.

Relieved, Leyla sighed inwardly while keeping her forehead against Siegfried’s shoulder, blinking slowly.

When she was younger, she used to snuggle up comfortably with her dad, grandpa, older brother, or other adult men around. However, this was the first time since she had grown up.

She thought entrusting herself completely to someone else would be unsettling, yet Siegfried’s chest and arms, firm and sturdy, made her feel reassured.

In his embrace, she felt a vague sense that nothing would harm her.

‘He diligently trains every day without fail. His body is in great shape… No, I shouldn’t be thinking like this!’

Leyla, whose ears had turned warm due to the shameless thoughts, quickly lifted her flushed face. She felt like if she continued to entrust her body to her husband like this, she would start thinking things she shouldn’t.

But then, a window floating above Siegfried’s head caught her eye.

〈 (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡ 〉

It was a picture she had never seen before, but intuitively, she could grasp its meaning.

It looked incredibly… cheerful.

‘What the heck is that? It popped up suddenly, without any explanation. I have no idea what it represents.’

Leyla, now much calmer than before, immersed herself in thought.

‘Come to think of it, this picture somehow feels cuter and friendlier than the one before.’

She focused only on the picture that appeared above Siegfried’s head until they reached the bedroom.

Otherwise, she feared her racing heart might give away her thoughts.

_