Chapter 48: Awkward but adorable

"Alright, thanks." Kai responded with a smile before disconnecting the call.

Jean silently raised her brows from the side, waiting for an explanation.

Kai nodded toward her, his expression brightening as he delivered the good news. "All the papers have been cleared. Everything went smoothly, and we’re supposed to shift our things tomorrow. They even offered to send their own transportation to help us move."

Jean’s face immediately lit up. "Is that so? That’s great news."

Kai nodded. "Thanks to Ben, I never had to trouble myself with any of the paperwork." On top of that, the remaining value from their previous home had already been deposited into Kai’s account, with every record of the transaction sent to his email.

Benjamin had made sure Kai was kept informed about everything, from the property he had sold to the purchases being made and the remaining sum being handled. He had been remarkably thorough, saving Kai from a considerable amount of hassle.

"Then should we start packing tonight?" Jean asked, her voice carrying a noticeable hint of excitement.

Kai was no different. He was both relieved and genuinely eager to begin their life in their new home.

"I don’t think it’ll take much time since we won’t be taking everything with us," Kai said. "I’ll leave the furniture behind since everything is already set up there. We just need to bring our clothes and personal belongings..."

That thought suddenly reminded him of something.

"Right, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, Jean. Why don’t we go out and buy some clothes? You didn’t bring many with you, and I’m running out of decent outfits myself. What do you say?"

Jean became slightly flustered at the suggestion. Part of her felt embarrassed about continuing to wear such shabby clothes, and Kai wasn’t wrong. She had only three sets of clothes, which she washed and rotated throughout the week.

However, her hesitation had little to do with the clothes themselves.

"Kai... I know you said you’d take care of things until I find a new job, but I’d feel guilty letting you spend money on personal things for me as well."

Kai let out a quiet sigh. He had suspected this had been weighing on her for some time. Even when he had transferred some money into her account before, she had seemed visibly troubled by it.

There was something he wanted to tell her, something that might have eased her worries, but he knew it could just as easily might make her uncomfortable.

So, instead, he decided to give her a simpler answer.

"I am keeping a record, just so you know."

Jean looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean every penny I’ve spent on you. I’m keeping a record of all of it. Once you’re capable of paying me back, you can do so. And oh, yes, just because you’re helping me with the chores doesn’t mean I’ll give you any discount, okay?"

Jean stared at him for several seconds, knowing full well what a big, fat lie that was. Yet she also understood the intention behind his words, and despite herself, a helpless smile appeared on her face.

Every argument she could have made died before it ever left her lips. In the end, she simply nodded.

"Okay. I’ll repay you when the time comes."

Kai quietly exhaled in relief before asking, "So the plan is on, right?"

Jean nodded. "Okay."

....

Soon after, Kai decided it was time to leave. He had somewhere to be.

Or, more precisely, he had monsters to hunt.

Before leaving, he made his way to the bed and looked down at his baby.

It seemed she hadn’t slept well the previous night. The thought pained him. Elli was still too young to tell them what was wrong, leaving her with no choice but to cry only after whatever discomfort she had endured became too much for her to bear.

Now, however, she was sleeping peacefully.

Her eyes were closed, her tiny body completely relaxed, and her little legs curled slightly as she slept. Seeing her like that, Kai’s expression softened into a relieved smile.

He carefully lowered himself, moving slowly so he wouldn’t wake her, then gently pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

’Sleep well, Elli. I’ll be back soon.’

He straightened and turned toward Jean.

"I’ll be back around four. Be ready. I’ll come back, change, and then we’ll leave immediately."

Jean nodded and reassured him, "Don’t stress about it. It’s okay if you’re late, so don’t rush back, okay?"

Kai smiled and nodded, but he lingered in front of her for a moment.

Neither of them seemed to know how to properly say goodbye. They stood there in an awkward silence, each waiting for the other to do something.

In the end, Kai simply raised his hand, gently cupped her cheek, and whispered, "Take care."

With that, he stepped out of the house, leaving a completely stunned Jean behind.

She remained rooted to the spot for several seconds, her eyes dazed as she slowly lifted a hand to touch the cheek he had just caressed.

"Warm..."

...

Kai’s heart was beating noticeably faster as he walked away from the house. He descended the stairs and continued down the street for a while, barely paying attention to where he was going.

His face felt hot.

He eventually glanced at the hand that had touched Jean’s cheek, unable to forget the sensation from the previous night. Acting on impulse, he had thought it would be fine to do it again.

’I hope she doesn’t mind...’

He covered his face with that same hand, only making himself more aware of the warmth spreading across his cheeks.

’Agh, I need to get my head straight.’

He wasn’t out here to wander around aimlessly. He had something important to do.

He needed to challenge the ruins, and more importantly, tear the scroll apart so he could learn the new set of skills hidden within it.