Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 48
As she always was, Maya was straightforward with her words. Though she appreciated Tristan’s kindness, his muscular thighs were far from a comfortable pillow.
Just as Maya tried to turn her head to see if moving would help, Tristan gently held her head still.
“Don’t move any further from there.”
“Eh?”
“Moving around like that will only make your headache worse.”
His point made sense.
“I bet you’ve never said anything wrong in your life.”
“That’s not true.”
Tristan chuckled.
“I’m only human, just like you, Maya.”
Tristan classified himself and Maya as being in the same group.
It was a sense of belonging Maya had never experienced.
“I need to prepare something before we go.”
Suddenly remembering, Tristan mentioned. Eagerly, Maya nodded in agreement.
***
After resting, Maya felt so much lighter. She soon woke the wyvern.
Startled from its sleep by Maya’s sword, the wyvern quickly stood up.
Maya and Tristan, having wrapped the rope around themselves, climbed atop the wyvern. Maya sat in front, with Tristan behind. Pulling on the rope, the wyvern soared high into the sky.
The wyvern’s mournful cry echoed as Maya chuckled.
“We need to survey the peaks.”
Ascending higher, various mountain peaks revealed themselves.
“Let’s start looking over there…”
Narrowing her eyes, Maya and Tristan slowed down and guided the wyvern into the mist.
“Let’s go down a bit.”
As they continued their search through the trees, Maya’s expression turned serious.
Turning her head, she said,
“There’s a problem, Tristan.”
As always, Maya realized the problem too late…
Tension gripped Tristan as he asked,
“What is it?”
“I have no sense of direction.”
Oh no, she had forgotten something so crucial!
“…”
“I’m sorry. I can’t remember which peaks we’ve seen, nor can I tell which direction we should head in this fog.”
The wyvern’s cry sounded pitiful.
“It’s okay. I know where we are.”
Was it a relief that they weren’t in trouble after all?
Tristan comforted Maya and placed his hand over the rope she was holding.
That’s when it happened.
Hiiisss.
It was a sound Maya could never forget.
Maya realized that a snake monster was nearby.
Memories of that time vividly returned.
“…It seems to be this peak after all.”
Tension enveloped her whole body. The previously relaxed atmosphere suddenly darkened.
Maya maintained a bright smile on her face.
“Let’s head out of the mist first, shall we?”
Maya, with a serious expression, discreetly handed Tristan the rope.
Together with the wyvern, they landed on a tree at the edge of the mist and descended.
Maya wrapped the rope around the nearest branch.
“…That alone might not be enough.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I’ll do it.”
Tristan wrapped and tightly tied the rope around the base of the tree, creating a path to follow when he would come to find Maya.
It also served as a guide for Maya, although the fact that Maya was directionally challenged was still a concern. After some thought, Tristan suggested,
“Let’s also light a fire.”
“Won’t that attract monsters?”
“I can defend myself well enough.”
After all, he had lived as a Grand Duke of the North, where fighting monsters was part of daily life.
‘He has never lost a battle in the past.’
Since the start of the rebellions, he had only known victory, whether against monsters or humans.
‘Who’s worrying about whom?’
Having seen him in his younger form for so long, she felt almost like his guardian.
Maya quickly climbed back onto the wyvern.
Holding tightly to the rope, Maya and the wyvern soared back into the sky, her hair fluttering in the wind.
Her flowing hair looked almost like branches in the wind.
Tristan watched Maya intently.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Just a moment.”
Approaching Maya, Tristan removed a strand of hair stuck on her lips.
“If only you could achieve awakening without getting hurt.”
Tristan’s hand gently brushed the back of Maya’s hand.
“Please return safely.”
Knowing there was someone waiting for her, not just waiting but also coming to find her later, filled a void in her heart.
“You must also stay safe, Tristan.”
After wishing Tristan well, Maya entered the mist with the wyvern.
Tristan felt himself shrink back to his younger form.
Now, all he could do was wait.
