"You have never been a burden. Not even for a single second."

"!"

Ethea’s beating heart suddenly intensified, hammering wildly against her ribs. She quickly turned away in shame, unable to face him any longer.

’Why did I say all of that?’

’Urgh, so embarrassing.’

A deep flush crept up her face. She felt completely exposed, her mind racing with regret over her own sudden boldness. Sure, she was going to express her gratitude, but not that much! And certainly not confessing her intentions!

’What is he going to think of me now?’

The agonizing worry began to chew at her composure, making the quiet room feel entirely too small.

With each passing second, the lack of any response from him grew heavier until she simply could no longer bear the tense silence.

She secretly took a peek at Soren, bracing herself to find him looking as clueless as ever.

However, the sight that met her eyes made her freeze in absolute shock.

Soren was staring directly at her, looking as though his brain had entirely ceased to function. His usual composed expression was shattered; a distinct flush covered his cheeks, and the tips of his ears were slightly red.

As she watched him, she saw him take a sharp, heavy gulp, his eyes widening in sudden panic. Then, he abruptly moved away, violently pulling his hand back and turning his face completely toward the wall.

’...’

Ethea fell completely silent, a sudden sense of déjà vu washing over her as she stared at the side of his head.

’...Is he... embarrassed too?’

Watching him act so utterly flustered, the lingering anxiety in her chest instantly vanished, replaced by an absolute certainty. He was completely panicked. In fact, looking at the furious red color expanding across his ears, he was reacting just like her, or even worse than her. A small wave of relief began to settle over her, seeing that she wasn’t the only one losing her mind.

However, the moment he started stammering out his excuse about meals and sweets, her newfound calm vanished.

"We are... we are married, after all. It is only natural that I take care of the meals, the sweets, and..."

"..."

"...and you..."

At his last word, ’you’, Ethea’s heart skipped a beat.

Her face flared with a fresh, burning blush.

’Urgh!’

She silently cursed him in her mind for saying something so devastatingly direct, even when he was clearly drowning in his own awkwardness. But deep down, a warm, sweet feeling bloomed inside her chest, completely melting away the last remnants of her shame.

"Cough..."

As Soren loudly cleared his throat and frantically started rambling about the manual, desperately trying to shift the topic, Ethea’s lips unconsciously curled upward into a soft smile.

Watching him stubbornly keep his eyes glued to the far corner of the room while ’admiring’ the blank wall, a single word naturally drifted through her thoughts.

’Cute~’

She let her gaze linger on his profile for a moment longer before his frantic rambling eventually ground to a halt, leaving the room in a sudden, heavy silence.

Ethea kept her lips sealed, deliberately choosing to let the quiet stretch as she thoroughly savored the rare sight of his complete lack of composure.

Watching him struggle to find his footing like a boy caught misbehaving, a soft wave of amusement washed over her.

’It seems like I’m not the only novice here. Hehe~’

Besides, the sheer contrast between his usual calm and this current, flustered mess was just too entertaining to rush.

On the other hand, misinterpreting her silence, a flash of genuine anxiety suddenly broke through Soren’s embarrassment. The frantic heat on his face instantly gave way to concern, and he snapped his head back around to look at her, his brow furrowed.

"Ethea?" he called out, his voice sharp with worry. "Is something wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?"

Watching him completely abandon his own embarrassment the moment he thought she might be in danger sent a fresh wave of warmth straight to her chest. A quiet sense of joy bloomed within her, making her secretly happy that his immediate instinct was to prioritize her safety above everything else.

Gently smoothing out the fabric of her skirt, she offered a soft, reassuring nod to ease his sudden panic.

"It is entirely safe," she replied quietly, her voice carrying a steady rhythm that instantly calmed the room’s frantic energy. "There is no pain or discomfort. You do not need to worry."

Soren let out a sigh of relief. Then, acting as if his chaotic meltdown from just a moment ago had never even happened, he quickly moved over to the nearby sofa and sat down, completely eager to bury the awkwardness under a wave of normal conversation.

"That’s good," he said, clearing his throat once more to stabilize his voice. "So, how exactly does it work? You can practice it, right?"

Ethea watched him settle into the cushions, easily seeing straight through his clumsy attempt at pretending. It was entirely obvious that he was just trying to sweep his embarrassment under the rug, but she chose not to expose him, letting him have his escape lifeline. Well, it was good for her as well.

"It is difficult to explain with just words, because the technique operates entirely on the mind and the spirit. But with it... I might even be able to move my body. I will show you the results myself once I master it to a certain extent."

Hearing her words, a warm smile finally broke through Soren’s lingering awkwardness. As long as the method was truly useful and brought her closer to recovering her mobility, that was more than enough for him.

"I’ll hold you to that promise then," Soren said, his tone turning lighter and encouraging. "Take all the time you need to practice. There’s absolutely no rush."

Seeing his smile, Ethea felt a sudden wave of disappointment wash over her. She secretly wished he would stay flustered or show a bit more of that adorable, nervous side from earlier, rather than switching back to his usual supportive, stable self so quickly.

However, her disappointment quickly shifted into a different kind of regret.

"I wish I could share this method with you," she murmured, her voice laced with genuine sadness. "If it were possible for you to learn it as well, you would become much stronger. And..."

’I wouldn’t have to worry about you so much, either.’