(Yuuta POV)
Once we'd decided on our Halloween costumes, there was one important thing left to do before placing the order.
Measurements.
After all, I couldn't have my little princess wearing a witch costume that was too big or too small. I wanted everything to fit perfectly, especially since this would be her very first Halloween.
"All right, Elena. Stand against the wall for Papa."
"Okay!"
Elena immediately hurried toward the wall and pressed her little back against it, standing as straight as she possibly could. She even lifted her chin proudly, as though she were a soldier waiting for inspection.
"Elena ready, Papa!"
"Hahaha! Good girl. Now stay still while I measure you."
I took out the measuring tape and carefully checked her height, making sure she wasn't standing on her toes. Once I had the number, I entered it into my tablet, where I'd already opened the size chart for the little witch costume we'd chosen.
"Hmm... Let's see. Height, chest, waist..." I murmured, comparing her measurements with the available sizes.
Then something caught my attention. I checked the measurement once more before looking at Elena in surprise.
"Oh my goodness, Elena! You've gotten taller!"
Her eyes widened as she looked up at me.
"Really?!"
"Really! Look at you! My little princess is growing so fast!"
Elena gasped and immediately looked down at herself, examining her arms and legs as though she expected to see them growing right before her eyes.
"Elena got taller?"
"That's right, sweetheart."
She thought about it for a moment before puffing out her little chest.
"Then Elena big girl now!"
I chuckled at her sudden declaration, raising an eyebrow as I pretended to consider her request.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Yes!" Elena nodded firmly. "Papa must treat Elena like big people now!"
"Hmm... So my little princess wants to be a grown-up already?"
"Elena not little! Elena big!"
"Really? Then I suppose big girls don't need Papa to do this anymore."
Before she could ask what I meant, I reached forward and gently tickled her sides. Elena immediately burst into laughter, twisting from side to side as she tried to escape my fingers.
"Hehehe! Papaaa! Stop! Elena big girl!"
"Hahaha! Oh, really? Then why is this big girl laughing so much?"
"Papa! Hehehe! Nooo!"
I finally stopped and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head while she caught her breath.
"Well, no matter how tall you grow, you'll always be Papa's little princess."
Elena looked up at me with a pout.
"Even when Elena big?"
"Even when you're bigger than Papa."
She considered that answer for a moment before wrapping her little arms around my neck.
"Okay! Elena still Papa princess!"
I smiled and hugged her a little tighter. Honestly, how was I supposed to survive when this adorable little creature eventually grew up?
Unfortunately, our peaceful father-daughter moment was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Good grief. Are you two ever going to finish?"
I turned toward the kitchen, where Erza stood watching us with her arms folded. Apparently, she'd grown tired of listening to our laughter while trying to concentrate on her sugar sculpture.
"Here we go again. The cold queen has arrived," I muttered.
Erza's eyes narrowed, and my smile immediately disappeared when she turned toward me.
"What did you just say, mortal?"
"I-I said... what a lovely queen we have!"
Erza continued staring at me, clearly unconvinced. I quickly looked down at Elena, hoping my daughter would rescue her unfortunate father.
"Elena, did Papa say anything strange?"
"Elena don't know! Elena was busy!"
Ah, my precious daughter. Even at four years old, she already understood when it was better not to get involved in her mother's affairs.
"Mortal," Erza called again, her voice growing colder.
"Y-Yes, my dear wife?"
Then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, I raised the measuring tape.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot! Erza, I need to measure you too!"
Her expression changed immediately.
"...What?"
"Your costume, of course! We need your measurements before ordering the witch dress."
Erza blinked, clearly not expecting that.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Unless there's another beautiful dragon queen living in this apartment that I don't know about."
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, although she quickly turned her face away.
"There's no need for that. I can take my own measurements."
I tilted my head, pretending to be confused.
"Hmm? Why? Are you shy, Erza?"
"Shy? Me?" Her head snapped toward me. "Don't be ridiculous, mortal. Have you forgotten who you're speaking to?"
"Well, you certainly look a little embarrassed."
Erza folded her arms, looking thoroughly unimpressed by my suggestion.
"Hmph. It's merely taking measurements. There's nothing embarrassing about it."
"Exactly! That's what I've been saying. Then come here. I'll measure you just like I measured Elena."
After a moment of hesitation, she finally approached me and stood against the wall where Elena had been a few minutes earlier.
"Well? Get on with it."
"Of course, my dear wife."
I picked up the measuring tape and approached her with my most professional expression, although inwardly, I was grinning.
Hehehe. So the mighty White Dragon Queen isn't afraid of demons, gods, or entire armies, but having her husband take her measurements is enough to make her blush?
Now, this was interesting.
I glanced at Erza, who stood perfectly straight against the wall with her arms folded, pretending that this was nothing more than an ordinary task.
Well, well, my dear wife. Since you've given me such a wonderful opportunity, it would be a shame not to tease you a little.
"All right, Erza. Stand straight for me."
"I am standing straight, mortal."
"Then relax your shoulders a little. You look like you're preparing for battle."
"I am relaxed," she replied coldly, although her tightly clenched fists suggested otherwise.
I smiled to myself when I noticed the faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Even after everything we'd been through together, Erza still became embarrassed over the smallest moments of intimacy. Some things really never changed, and if I were being truthful, I wouldn't want them to. I loved this awkward side of her just as much as the proud, cold dragon queen everyone else knew.
Still, that doesn't mean I can't tease her a little.
"Okay, I'll start from the bottom and work my way up," I announced, stretching out the measuring tape.
"Fine. Just be quick about it. I have a show to watch."
"Of course, Your Majesty. Wouldn't want to keep you waiting."
Erza narrowed her eyes at my teasing tone but said nothing. Meanwhile, Elena had returned to the sofa and was watching Dragon Boys with complete concentration. She was so absorbed in the cartoon that she hadn't even noticed her parents standing together near the wall.
I crouched slightly and began measuring Erza's legs, carefully checking the length required for her witch costume. She was wearing one of her favorite white dresses, decorated with delicate golden and violet flowers that complemented her pale skin.
My original plan had been simple. I'd make some ridiculous comment about her measurements, watch her get flustered, and enjoy the rare opportunity to tease my usually intimidating wife. But as I worked, a faint floral fragrance reached me, soft and pleasant, reminding me of lilies blooming in the morning.
Huh? Is that a new perfume?
I paused for a moment before shaking my head. Focus, Yuuta. You're supposed to be teasing her.
Unfortunately, my body seemed to have other plans. The closer I stood to Erza, the more conscious I became of her presence. My heartbeat quickened, and I found myself checking the same measurement twice because I'd forgotten the number almost immediately.
"Mortal, what are you doing? Hurry up and take the measurements."
"R-Right! Of course, my queen."
I straightened and moved on to her waist, trying my best to look professional. Erza lowered her arms slightly to give me room, and I carefully wrapped the measuring tape around her slender waist. Her dress followed her figure so perfectly that I suddenly found it difficult to remember whatever joke I'd been planning to make.
Come on, Yuuta. Say something. Anything.
But nothing came to mind. Instead, I found myself wondering why my own wife could still make me this nervous. We'd been married for quite some time, yet moments like this somehow reminded me of when I'd first started falling for her.
"Are you finished?" Erza asked impatiently.
"Almost. Just your shoulders."
I moved closer, lifting the measuring tape to check the width of her shoulders. Erza remained against the wall, although her stiff posture suggested she was enduring some terribly unpleasant responsibility. I reached around her shoulder to position the tape, but just as I leaned forward, Erza turned her head to see what I was doing. Our faces ended up so close that I instinctively stopped moving, my hand still resting near her shoulder.
For a moment, we simply stared at each other.
I had intended to make some ridiculous comment about her being nervous, but the words disappeared when I noticed how beautiful she looked from this distance. A few strands of white hair had fallen across her cheek, and the faint fragrance of lilies surrounding her was making it rather difficult to concentrate.
"Mortal..." Erza murmured, her eyes briefly shifting toward the measuring tape. "Aren't you supposed to be measuring?"
"Ah... right."
I glanced at the tape, trying to remember which measurement I was taking. Shoulder width, wasn't it? Yes, definitely shoulder width. Unfortunately, when I looked back at Erza, I found her watching me with an expression that made it impossible to concentrate.
She seemed about to say something, but instead, her gaze dropped for a moment before returning to mine. The tips of her ears had turned pink, and although she tried to maintain her usual composure, her fingers were nervously gathering the fabric of her dress.
"You're standing rather close," she whispered.
"Sorry. I didn't realize."
I started to pull away, but Erza's hand suddenly caught my sleeve. It was such a small movement that I almost missed it, and judging by the surprised look on her face, she hadn't meant to do it either.
We both looked down at her hand. Erza immediately loosened her grip, although she didn't quite let go.
"...I didn't tell you to move, mortal."
I looked back at her, unable to hide my smile. There was something incredibly endearing about hearing those words from a woman who usually behaved as though affection were an inconvenience.
"Then... should I stay?"
Erza turned her face slightly away.
"Do whatever you want," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
I wasn't sure who moved first. Perhaps it was me, or perhaps Erza had leaned forward without realizing it. All I knew was that the space between us had gradually disappeared, and the measuring tape was now hanging forgotten from my fingers.
I gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her cheek. Erza looked up at me, her violet eyes widening for an instant before softening. Her hand moved from my sleeve to my chest, where she rested it lightly against my shirt.
Neither of us spoke. I could hear Elena's cartoon playing somewhere behind us, but the voices had faded into the background. Erza's gaze wandered toward my lips, and when our eyes met again, she looked almost embarrassed to have been caught.
I smiled and leaned a little closer. This time, she didn't look away, and as I gently cupped her cheek, her eyes slowly closed. She tilted her head toward mine, close enough that I could feel her breath against my lips.
And just as I was about to kiss her—
"YEEEEES!"
Erza and I immediately jerked apart, startled by the sudden scream. Her hand slipped from my shirt as she hurriedly turned away, while I stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the measuring tape lying on the floor.
For a moment, neither of us understood what had happened until another excited shout came from the living room.
"YAY! DRAGON BOY WON AGAIN!"
Our daughter was standing on the sofa cushions with both hands raised triumphantly, completely absorbed in the battle happening on television.
"Dragon Beam so cool! Waaaah!"
I stared at Elena for a moment before slowly turning toward Erza. My wife was looking in the opposite direction, her cheeks now an unmistakable shade of red. The romantic atmosphere we'd shared only seconds ago had vanished, leaving us standing there like two teenagers who'd almost been caught doing something forbidden.
"Well..." I began awkwardly, scratching my cheek. "Looks like Dragon Boy won again, huh? That's good, I suppose. Kids really do love their cartoons."
"Mortal, stop talking," Erza said, refusing to look at me.
"R-Right."
An awkward silence settled between us. I picked up the measuring tape from the floor, wondering whether I should simply pretend the last few moments had never happened. Unfortunately, Erza seemed equally eager to end the situation, because she cleared her throat and extended her hand toward me.
"Give me the measuring tape. I'll finish it myself."
"Hm? Oh, don't worry about that. I already have your measurements."
Erza paused, slowly turning her head toward me.
"...What? How?"
"Oh, you know. I took them a long time ago when we were preparing for that zoo trip, remember? I still have everything saved on my tablet, so technically, I didn't even need to measure you again."
I stopped speaking when I realized what I'd just admitted.
Wait a minute. Why did I tell her that?
Erza stared at me for several seconds, her expression gradually changing as she processed what I'd just admitted. I could practically see the pieces coming together in her mind, and when her eyes finally narrowed, I knew I was in trouble.
"Mortal."
"Y-Yes, my dear wife?"
"If you already had my measurements, then why did you insist on measuring me again?"
I swallowed nervously, realizing that my wonderful plan to tease my wife had somehow turned against me.
"W-Well, you see, Erza, measurements can change over time, right? So I thought it would be better to check again."
"Check what, exactly?"
"Well... whether they're still the same."
Her expression remained unchanged. I should have stopped there, but unfortunately, my mouth had apparently decided that today was a wonderful day to shorten my life expectancy.
"Or, you know, maybe you've gained a little weight since then—"
The moment those words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself.
WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT, YUUTA?!
Erza's expression darkened as she slowly cracked her knuckles.
"...Mortal. Did you just say I've gained weight?"
"H-Haha... That came out wrong."
"Then what did you mean?"
"No! No, no! That's not what I meant!" I protested, taking a cautious step backward. "I meant that you look beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Your figure is perfect, my dear wife! I was just checking whether..."
"Whether what?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. For once, even I understood that another explanation would only make things worse.
Erza took another step toward me, her smile becoming increasingly dangerous.
"Mortal..."
I immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"I'm sorry!"
-------------------------
Anyway, don't worry, guys. I'm still alive!
Fortunately, my dear wife was merciful enough to spare me after delivering only a few hits. I suppose I should be grateful that the mighty White Dragon Queen decided to show her poor husband some mercy today.
As for the costumes, I've already placed the order, and everything should arrive tomorrow. Elena is excited, Erza is pretending she doesn't care, and I'm just hoping to survive another day with my two beautiful witches.
Well then, see you guys tomorrow for our family Halloween celebration!
To be continued...