(Erza POV)
Yaaawn… I stretched lazily, only to freeze the moment I glanced at the clock.
"Already seven…?" I mumbled, still half-asleep.
That's when I noticed it.
My body was bare beneath the sheets.
"W–what?!" My eyes widened, and I buried myself deeper under the blanket in embarrassment.
Why am I unclothed—?
And then the memories of last night returned in a rush.
My cheeks burned.
Right… we were enjoying ourselves.
I turned my head.
Yuuta lay beside me, fast asleep, equally unclothed. His face looked so innocent, so unguarded… almost childlike in its purity. A small smile escaped my lips.
"…You're so handsome."
But as my gaze wandered, I saw them again. The scars.
Jagged, uneven marks scattered across his body.
No matter how much magic we poured into them—no matter how many methods we tried—they never healed. Permanent, etched into him like a cruel brand.
I reached out, gently tracing one with my fingertips.
"Uff… these scars must have hurt terribly," I whispered, frowning. "How much endurance did you need to survive that nightmare of a lab?"
My chest tightened.
What would happen… if one day, he regained those memories?
I clenched the blanket in frustration.
"Hmph… idiot," I muttered, gently smoothing the hair from his forehead. "Why do you make me worry so much?"
Knock. Knock.
The sudden sound jolted me. A knock at the door—polite, almost hesitant.
My brows furrowed. "Who would come this early in the morning…?"
For a moment I considered ignoring it, but curiosity tugged stronger. With a reluctant sigh, I slipped out from under the sheets and quickly dressed. My movements were hurried, but careful not to disturb Yuuta's rest.
Once clothed, I moved toward the door. My hand hesitated on the handle, tightening for a second as unease prickled at the back of my mind. Then, with slow deliberation, I turned the knob and pulled it open.
At the door stood the front office attendant, pale-faced and wringing her hands. She looked as though she'd rather be anywhere but here.
"Are you… Ms. Kounari?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Yes," I replied, straightening my posture. "Is something wrong?"
The young woman fumbled with her words. "W-well… could you call your husband? It's urgent."
Urgent. My chest tightened. The way her eyes darted, the way her voice cracked—it wasn't the tone of someone delivering a casual message. Something had happened, and worse, it was tied to us.
Before I could press further, two strong arms suddenly wrapped around me from behind. My body jolted, my face instantly burning hot.
"My wife…" Yuuta's drowsy voice whispered against my ear, low and teasing. "How was the night?"
I froze for half a heartbeat, then my fist flew on instinct. Smack! The back of my hand struck his cheek, but I didn't dare turn to face him.
"You moron! Can't you see a young lady is standing right here?" I hissed.
Yuuta blinked at the attendant, finally realizing her presence. For a single breath there was silence… and then—
"AHHHHHH!" he screamed.
The attendant shrieked back, nearly dropping her clipboard.
My ears rang. "What the hell are you both screaming for?!" I snarled, grabbing Yuuta by the neck before he could make more of a fool of himself.
And then my gaze dropped. My pupils shrank.
"…You idiot."
He was naked. Completely, utterly, shamelessly naked.
In one motion, I dragged him back inside, tossed him onto the bed like a sack of potatoes, and snarled, "Put something on before you come out!" The door slammed shut, and I locked it for good measure.
Exhaling a long sigh, I turned back to the attendant, whose face was now crimson, both hands plastered over her eyes.
"I'm sorry," I muttered. "You saw something you shouldn't have."
She squeaked, voice muffled behind her palms. "I-it was almost sixteen... No..Seventeen centimeters or even bigger—no way…"
My head snapped toward her, eyes blazing. "Are you measuring my husband, human?!"
She nearly choked on her own breath, coughing in a panic. "N-no! Please forgive me! I-I didn't mean to—"
I folded my arms, fighting the urge to strangle someone. "Then say what you came here for."
The attendant wrung her hands and blurted, "Room 305. That's the one we gave you."
"Yes," I said, narrowing my eyes. "So?"
Her voice dropped, shaky. "Our housekeeping staff and a security guard… they were taken hostage by—by your butler. He didn't even let them touch the door."
"What?" My disbelief turned sharp, and then it clicked. Allen. Of course.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Wait here. We'll handle it."
"Please, Ms. Kounari," she said, bowing low with relief.
The door behind me creaked, and Yuuta stepped out, half-asleep, scratching his head. "Now tell me what's going on, Erza?"
I sighed. "Your demon—no, your butler—is causing trouble. If you don't stop him, the hotel might call the cops."
Yuuta groaned. "Tch… damn it, Allen. He ruined my perfect morning."
Together we went down the corridor toward Room 305. The door stood shut, ominous and still. Yuuta stretched, yawned, and waved lazily. "Go on, young attendant. Knock."
The girl hesitated but obeyed, rapping three times—polite, professional. "Front office, front office," she called.
The door creaked open.
Immediately, a suffocating darkness spilled into the corridor. A cold, suffused aura coiled around us, and golden eyes with a red slit for a pupil glared out from the shadows.
"Why do you disturb the Princess's sleep, you disgusting human?" Allen's voice was as sharp as broken glass.
"Allen!" Yuuta barked.
The demon froze. His gaze darted to Yuuta, and in an instant the menace vanished. He threw the door wide open, dropped to one knee, and bowed low.
"My master! My mistress! Welcome back to your nest! I have guarded it through the night with unwavering loyalty!"
I could only sigh. Why are these Nefarions always like this? Barking beasts to strangers, but the moment they see their master, they wag their tails like harmless dogs.
Yuuta scratched his cheek, pretending to be stern. "Good work, Allen. You've impressed me."
Allen clutched his chest dramatically, eyes shining. "My master has praised me. Today, I am truly blessed."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Yuuta muttered, stepping inside.
The next second, his voice cracked through the hall. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
Alarmed, I rushed into the room—and there it was. The poor housekeeping boy was tied up in the bathroom, shivering as though he'd been tossed into an ice cave. His lips trembled, eyes wide with terror.
"You demon!" I snapped, glaring at Allen. "Why did you do that?"
Allen blinked innocently, as if restraining staff in a hotel was the most natural thing in the world.
Allen straightened, chest puffed, eyes blazing with loyalty. "My mistress," he said, voice deadly serious, "that human dared to knock continuously after I told him the princess was sleeping. He claimed he had been informed the room was empty. After a brief argument, I restrained my anger—but he called security, insisting I was using another room without permission. Then… he forced open the door, disturbing the princess's sleep."
Yuuta blinked and said. "He… disturbed Elena?"
"Yes," Allen said, voice solemn. "She murmured in her sleep, 'Uncle Allen… stop them…'"
I groaned, my temples throbbing. "And then?"
Allen's chest heaved with pride. "I placed the housekeeping boy in the bathtub with cold water, and added ice to ensure… compliance. The security guard… I left hanging outside the balcony."
My heart skipped a beat. "You what?!"
I stormed toward the balcony—and there he was. The poor security guard, tied by ropes, dangling like a roast pork leg in the sun. I slammed a hand to my temple.
"This demon… we were gone for one night, and he caused this much trouble?" I muttered through gritted teeth. "He doesn't even care about human life!"
Yuuta strolled up, lazily inspecting the scene. "Finally… I was expecting him to get yelled at, but…" He smiled faintly. "Allen, your service is impressive. Your loyalty knows no bounds. You ensured Elena's sleep was undisturbed. Truly remarkable. I shall remember this achievement."
Allen's chest heaved dramatically, eyes glistening. "My master! I am overwhelmed by your words! Please… allow me to serve you for all eternity!"
Yuuta shrugged. "Very well."
I couldn't take it anymore. One swift punch to Allen's head and Yuuta Both of them flat on floor, I growled, "You idiot! mortal, He literally tried to kill two humans!"
"Ouch Erza!! It's hurt."
The young front office attendant girl watched in silent shock, her hands pressed to her mouth. She must have wondered why we referred to the staff as "humans." Thankfully, since we were foreigners, she didn't take it too seriously.
After a tense few minutes, we returned the tied-up housekeeping boy and the shivering security guard to safety. Then—oh, the fun began—I spent the next hour scolding Allen and Yuuta. My voice echoed across the corridor, filled with rage, disbelief, and a hint of absurdity. Both of them had been utterly stupid and reckless, caring nothing for human life.
By the end, I was exhausted. My head throbbed. My patience? Shattered.
And yet… I couldn't help thinking, just a little ruefully, that mornings like this were going to be our normal from now on.
To be continue....