I Became the Husband of a Sword Demon

This felt like… what on earth is going on here.

It was nothing more than reaching out to properly feel the hazy scene I was dreaming about.

My hand ended up on Asulin’s chest as I stretched it out like that.

If it had just been placed there, I might have cautiously pulled my hand away and pretended nothing happened, but…

Asulin stared at me with her eyes wide open and her face flushed red, leaving no room for pretending I didn’t know.

I held back a sigh and blamed my careless movements for making me dream, which led to this.

“…”

“…”

Neither of us needed to be the first to fall silent; we continued a long and heavy silence together.

No, let me correct that—I alone maintained the silence.

While the silence wasn’t due to refined language, it was indeed silence.

“…ugh… ughhh…”

Asulin’s trembling body and the moans escaping her lips couldn’t be called silence.

Anyway, one of us became a mute bee drenched in honey, while the other let out moans and groans, losing their mind. So, isn’t it silence?

A moment, as if an eternity, passed by heavily with this silence.

“Ugh… hic!”

All Asulin could do was blink in surprise, unable to do anything else, and I, too shocked to breathe properly, created this awkward silence.

I wished time would freeze in this state or some unknown miracle would happen, putting Asulin and me to sleep so we’d forget everything when we woke up.

Or, I fervently prayed, that the warm sensation I felt from my right hand was just a lie or a dream.

‘How could that be!’

With a roar in my heart, I quickly sorted things out in my head.

In this absurd situation, I took action, believing that the best possible outcome could still come from this.

I slowly loosened my grip on my right hand.

I wanted to free Asulin from the shame of being held by my hand, but…

“Don’t…”

Asulin, who always addressed me with a respectful tone, even softened her words and tried to stop me.

“…Asulin?”

I called her name carefully, stopping all actions right there.

My right hand, which was trying to pull away from her chest, also stopped.

I cautiously looked at Asulin.

Even though it was an unintentional act, and despite the somewhat odd appearance, legally, we were clearly a married couple.

But remembering how our relationship lacked any intimate acts except for tolerating Asulin’s restless sleep habits and light physical contact, I never thought Asulin would enjoy this situation where my right hand held her chest.

I didn’t expect Asulin to surely get angry at me trying to pull away, so I lifted my head.

“Don’t… don’t do that…”

Seeing Asulin’s expression, akin to a dog drenched in rain, my mind went blank. I didn’t know what to do.

Silence—silence seemed to be the only thing I could do in this situation, but…

“Maybe… am I…”

Struggling to speak, Asulin said, “Am I not… attractive?”

Hearing Asulin ask if she wasn’t attractive, feeling a mix of emotions I couldn’t put into words squeezed my chest.

After a month of marriage, I vaguely sensed that Asulin liked me more than I thought, but…

“Are you pulling your hand away because I’m not attractive enough?”

The depth of my guilt for thinking she wouldn’t like this situation made me think I hadn’t understood Asulin deeply enough.

Normally, I would have laughed it off with a light-hearted joke, but given the tearful look on Asulin’s face, any such reaction would have been like pouring water on a burning building.

So, I immediately retracted my right arm.

“Ah…”

Seeing Asulin’s expression, now resembling a dog abandoned by its owner, I felt terrible, but it didn’t last long.

I reached out again with my arm and pulled Asulin into my embrace.

“!!”

Feeling Asulin’s breath quicken from my sudden move, but I prioritized easing her anxiety over waiting for her to catch her breath.

“You’re the only attractive woman. There can’t be another.”

I offered the most carefully chosen words I could think of in this situation.

The intensity of my words, beyond my control, accelerated my consciousness, making this moment feel even longer.

Thump-thump-

This isn’t the sound of my heartbeat.

It’s the sound of Asulin’s heart racing after hearing my words, now so close to me.

Not only my ears but also my body naturally felt it.

Trying to test how far her heart was beating, it only made me feel more at ease.

I’ve heard somewhere that there’s no sound that calms the soul more than hearing someone else’s heartbeat.

I don’t know who said it, but it feels true.

Why?

Because my body and mind naturally relaxed just by hearing Asulin’s heartbeat.

Thump-thump-

As Asulin’s tense body relaxed upon feeling my heartbeat, her voice softened.

“Really?”

Her voice was so relaxed, it had to mean something.

Although I couldn’t see her face, I knew she was okay.

But, I shouldn’t be satisfied yet. I should reassure her more.

I should let her know the promise I’ve kept in my heart.

“At least, there’s no reason for me to lie to you about this.”

That’s exactly what I said.

…There’s a grave sin of hiding a crucial fact and deceiving her.

And even worse, there’s no reason for me to lie to Asulin about this.

As soon as I said this, Asulin, who had burrowed into my chest, peeked out.

Unlike before, when she looked like the world had ended, seeing her satisfied expression with a slight blush brought relief.

Thump-thump-

The sound of Asulin’s heartbeat, transmitted through my ears and body, gradually calmed down.

And this calming sound was soothing my heart.

The clarity of mind awakened by the accident last night returned to me.

Normally, I would have surrendered to the numbness of my senses and gone back to sleep, but…

“Are you feeling better?”

Now, Asulin in my arms was more important. I called her name.

“Today…”

“Uh?”

“…I’m content with this much.”

“Uh?”

“…Time is on our side…”

As Asulin’s breathing steadied, she used my chest like a pillow to fall into a deep sleep.

…What is Asulin content with? Is she content with falling asleep in my arms? Or is she content with the comfort of my words at the moment of tears? Or both?

The word ‘content’ puzzled me, but…

Thump-thump-

Thanks to the comforting rhythm of Asulin’s heartbeat, I felt at ease.

“Phew…”

I exhaled a deep breath, relieved.

“Let’s go to sleep.”

With that, I prepared to sleep, putting thoughts aside.

Usually, after confirming Asulin was in my arms, I would try to distance myself from her and go back to sleep or wake up, but…

It was too early to wake up, and I needed rest.

The steady breathing of Asulin, who seemed unusually frail, made me hold her tighter with both arms.

“Good night…”

I whispered, choosing to go to sleep.

As I drifted off, I realized one thing.

I mustn’t start the day by separating Asulin, who always wakes up earlier and nestles into my arms.

Instead, I should greet her with a smile in the morning, when we both wake up, and start the day together.

Even without doing much, having someone who loves me so much makes me want to express gratitude.

I should do this from the moment I wake up.

The end.

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