The Little Merman Demands Legs from the Sea Witch - Chapter 48
Iko looked at him incredulously before realizing that this was just how he was. Resigned, she returned her attention to the food. The sandwich wasn’t bad, but the soup was so bland that it tasted like water.
Still, Iko didn’t bother to mention that the soup wasn’t tasty. It was a bit amusing, but watching him feel pleased with himself for improving his cooking skills made her feel oddly content.
“You’re smiling, so the soup must be good.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then why are you smiling? Is it because you like me?”
“Think whatever you want.”
Realizing that he had caught onto her feelings, Iko mumbled and continued eating the bland soup.
Kashmir got up and walked over to the wall where a small mirror was hanging.
“Are you sure? Because I’m really going to assume whatever I want.”
“Go ahead,” Iko replied, sounding as if she couldn’t be bothered.
With that, Kashmir grabbed a comb from the table near the mirror and spun around.
“In that case, I’m going to assume that you love me so much that just looking at me makes you smile.”
His conclusion seemed to please him, as a grin spread across Kashmir’s face. He walked behind Iko, who was still eating her sandwich, and began to comb her hair.
Ever since they made that lifelong deal, Kashmir frequently played with Iko’s hair. Despite his confident claim that he could style it beautifully, the results were never quite satisfactory. But he didn’t give up and took every opportunity to comb her hair.
“What kind of hairstyle are you trying to do?”
Iko wasn’t really concerned with her hair, so she didn’t quite understand why he was so fixated on making it look “pretty.” She let him continue, though, as the sensation of him combing her hair wasn’t unpleasant.
“I have something in mind. I’m in a good mood today, so I think I can make it work.”
“What does your mood have to do with how well you can style hair?”
“It’s all about confidence.”
With that, Kashmir planted a quick kiss on her cheek and began to braid her hair. He tried a few different styles, undoing and redoing it several times, all while Iko finished her meal.
“How long do I have to stay like this?”
“Just a moment. I just need to finish this last part… Done!”
Kashmir exclaimed, throwing the comb onto the bed. He ran around to the front to inspect his work and smiled with satisfaction.
“This is it. Take a look.”
Kashmir grabbed her hand and led her to the small mirror. Iko looked at the mirror, expecting something grand, only to find a simple updo she had often seen on the women in Kokoya Village.
“Is this what you were trying so hard to do?”
“Isn’t it pretty?”
Seeing her lukewarm reaction, Kashmir’s smile faltered. Realizing she might have hurt his feelings, Iko quickly tried to find an excuse.
“It’s pretty, but it feels a bit awkward.”
“I’ll do it for you every day from now on.”
His eyes drifted to the now-exposed nape of her neck.
“It’s so sexy, I might not be able to stop myself from getting aroused….”
Iko quickly covered his mouth with her hand. Kashmir’s eyes crinkled in amusement as he took her hand and kissed it, moving from her palm to her fingers, then up to her wrist, eventually pushing up her sleeve to kiss her arm. Iko knew he was getting riled up again and tried to intervene.
“Not tonight.”
“I’ll do all the work. You just relax and enjoy it.”
The problem was, even if she said no, it was hard to stop Kashmir once he got into that mood. His eyes were already glinting with desire in the mirror’s reflection.
Iko tried to slip away, inching backward, but there wasn’t much room to escape in their small home. It wasn’t long before she tripped over something on the floor and fell.
“Are you okay?”
Kashmir helped her up. Embarrassed by her fall, Iko muttered something about needing to clean up, but then she realized what she had tripped over and froze.
It was the bag that Dalibaya had packed for her.
“Are you going to throw it away?”
Kashmir looked down at the bag, a flicker of concern in his eyes. While the mischievous glint was gone, there was now a hint of worry.
Iko had kept that bag in a corner, out of sight, yet she never moved or discarded it. Kashmir had once tried to ask about it, but Iko had reacted so sensitively that he had dropped the subject.
His face clearly showed his curiosity, mixed with hesitation about bringing it up. Iko hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh.
She couldn’t keep ignoring the bag forever. Whether she decided to get rid of it or not, she needed to confront it. Before making a decision, Iko decided to confide in him.
“That’s the bag Dalibaya packed for me before she died. We were going to go to the Land of Witches together.”
