Can Someone (Anyone!) Please Turn Off the Auto-Skill Setting?! - Chapter 92
IX.
Nancy furrowed her brows as she suddenly felt an emptiness. She groped around next to her with her eyes still closed, but the presence of the large figure that was usually right beside her was nowhere to be found.
When she finally lifted her heavy eyelids, as expected, Aaron was not there. It felt strangely disappointing not to see the man who always stayed by her side, even after waking up first.
As she glanced around, wondering where he’d gone, she spotted Aaron. He hadn’t gone far. He was sipping water from a glass, watching Nancy as she looked around.
The man, wearing only a pair of pants and a robe, placed the glass on the table as their eyes met and approached the bed. Crawling toward her on all fours, he smiled.
“You look like you’re in a good mood.”
Nancy spoke in a husky voice, to which Aaron responded with a quiet “Mm.” He continued to shower her forehead and cheeks with kisses, his affection evident. He couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with love for her, especially after seeing how she unconsciously searched for him before even opening her eyes.
Nancy closed her eyes and accepted his kisses before sneaking a glance at him. Through the open robe, she could see his firm chest, and memories of clinging to it and panting all night flashed through her mind.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m starving. The good smell is making me even hungrier.”
Nancy focused on her sense of smell. It seemed like there was the scent of mushroom soup nearby, but it was too close to be coming from the kitchen.
“I asked them to bring up a light meal while you were sleeping.”
Aaron straightened up and nodded his head toward the table. Nancy, without moving, just reached out her hand toward him. Aaron chuckled at her helplessness and immediately took her hand to help her up.
As she made her way to the table, naked except for her slippers, Aaron took off his robe and draped it over her shoulders. He helped her slip her arms into the sleeves and tied the belt snugly around her waist.
“You left yours open without a care,” Nancy teased.
Aaron let out a playful sigh.
“I can’t exactly pounce on you during a meal, can I?”
How much of that was a joke, and how much was serious? Nancy thought it was a difficult question. The meal, consisting of bread with cheese and ham paired with the soup, was excellent.
“The temple will likely summon me in the next few days.”
“So, you’ll be dismissed from the Holy Order of the Paladins?”
“Yeah, I’ll most likely be dismissed. But that’s not what I was trying to tell you.”
Being the son of a member of the Council of Five, Aaron seemed to know the procedure in great detail. First, he would have to be officially recognized for completing his mission by the temple, then report in detail to the Council, where he would be praised for his efforts, receive a medal, and be rewarded with compensation.
Nancy’s ears perked up at the mention of compensation. For someone who loved money, the word “compensation” was her favorite topic.
However, there was something else on his mind that was more concerning.
Despite being interrupted by Boron earlier, Aaron had subtly brought up the idea of marriage with her.
“The compensation will be significant, and since it’s just the two of us, I recommend trusting the bank with it.”
It was clear from the way he kept bringing up the topic of compensation that he was hinting at something. Nancy thought about it, mulling over the idea.
Marriage. Marriage, huh.
It was hard to picture, but she had grown so used to having him constantly by her side that the idea of him not being there now felt empty.
Nancy propped her chin on one hand and sneakily glanced over at him.
He pretended not to be nervous, but it was clear to her. Aaron was incredibly anxious right now. He was dying to hear her answer but was trying his best not to show it.
Nancy pretended to be deep in thought, covering her mouth with her hand. She found his nervousness endearing but also couldn’t understand why it was so amusing. She kept silent, teasing him for as long as she could hold back.
“What are you thinking about?”
In the end, Aaron was the first to give in. Nancy paused one last time, drawing it out as long as possible, before finally parting her lips to speak.
