New World with Four Husbands

Chapter 384: A trip to the kitchen

Coco first noticed the absence of sunlight filtering through the curtains of her room when she woke up.

The room was enveloped in darkness, indicating that the sun had yet to rise, causing Coco’s half-lidded eyes to widen slightly, a puzzled expression passing over her face, the remnants of sleep still clinging to her mind.

The realization that it was still completely dark outside sank in, a hint of disbelief playing on her face.

She sat for a moment, blinking rapidly as if trying to jolt herself awake, but the darkness outside confirmed that it was either evening or too early in the morning.

Coco groaned softly as her muscles protested against her movements, her body still tired.

However, she ignored the aches and discomfort, forcing herself to rise from the bed, her feet finding the cool floor with a gentle thud.

She winced slightly as she placed weight on her sore limbs, but she refused to let the pain deter her, then she stretched her arms above her head, a tired grimace on her face as she attempted to relax her stiff muscles.

Sighing softly, Coco made her way to the window, her bare feet padding softly against the cool floorboards.

She paused in front of the window, pulling aside the curtains to reveal the sight of inky black sky, the absence of stars hinting at the early hours of the morning.

Coco turned her gaze away from the window and towards her bed, just in time to catch a glimpse of her cat lounging there and was in the process of stretching itself, her limbs extending languidly as a yawn escaped her mouth.

Konoha, seemingly unaware of the ungodly hour, had taken advantage of the empty space in the bed and claimed it as her own.

Coco couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh, amused at the cat’s lack of regard for her surroundings.

Then, her stomach growled, making her aware that she’s a little hungry.

Coco walked towards the door, her steps slow and cautious, then she gently turned the knob and eased the door open, the hinges barely creaking in protest.

A cold air seeped in from the outside, caressing Coco’s face and ruffling her sleep-tousled hair— she cast a glance at Konoha, who was now comfortably settled in her bed, Coco quietly stepped out into the hallway.

Coco made her way down the quiet hallway, the soft sound of her footsteps was the only disturbance in the still air, but then, a familiar mewl caught her attention.

She stopped in her tracks and turned her head to see Konoha emerge from the room, the cat’s paws gently thumping on the wooden floor as she padded after Coco with a sense of urgency.

The cat, now wide awake and full of energy, darted ahead of Coco, meowing softly as if trying to get her attention.

Coco chuckled softly, shaking her head at Konoha’s eagerness, and placing a finger on her lips, she gently shushed the cat, her voice soft and quiet.

"Shh, Konoha." She murmured, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You’ll wake the others if you keep meowing like that."

The cat continued to trot beside Coco, her tail flicking back and forth in excitement, not caring if her noises would wake the others— her attention solely on accompanying her master where she was going.

Coco crouched down and scooped Konoha up into her arms, the fluffy cat curling contently against her chest.

She cradled the feline against her, the cat’s purring filling the air as she nuzzled into her embrace, making Coco smile at the cat’s affection, her earlier sleepiness momentarily forgotten as she cradled the warm, purring ball of fur.

Coco descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, her eyes immediately fixed on a familiar sight.

The cookie jar, perched on the counter, its contents beckoning to her like a siren’s song— blinking, her initial plan to grab a quick bite before heading back to bed, the sight of those sweet, tempting cookies proved too much for Coco to resist.

Coco placed Konoha on the kitchen counter, the cat quickly made herself comfortable and began purring.

However, just as Coco was about to reach for the cookie jar, a sudden thought struck her— a cookie was best enjoyed with a cup of coffee.

The thought of the rich, bitter coffee pairing perfectly with the sweetness of the cookie was too tempting.

She hesitated for a moment, then, with a sigh of resignation, turned towards the coffeepot, determined to brew a pot of fresh coffee first, but her movements halted as she looked around the kitchen, searching for the coffee pot and coffee.

Unfortunately, her quick scan of the room confirmed her worst suspicion.

She had no idea where either of them were located because the kitchen, usually tidy and neatly organized, seemed utterly foreign to her in her sleep-addled state.

Coco furrowed her eyebrows, her exhaustion adding an extra layer of confusion to the already upsetting situation, the absence of the coffee and the coffee pot left her momentarily at loss for words, her tired brain trying to process the unexpected turn of events.

Coco’s gaze turned towards Konoha, her heart growing heavy with frustration as a pang of self-loathing thoughts surged through her tired mind.

"I’m just utterly useless." She whispered, her voice tinged with hurt. "I don’t even know where the damn coffee pot and coffee are— I live in this house, too, right? Yet, I don’t know where everything is."

The weight of her exhaustion, coupled with the realization of her incompetence, stung like a thousand little needles piercing her already weary soul.

Konoha’s gaze glued on her, frozen like a deer caught in headlights, clueless as to how to console or soothe the distraught woman, and simply sat motionless, her wide slit eyes locked onto Coco’s tear-filled face.

Coco was too engrossed in her own thoughts to notice that someone had silently approached the kitchen door and peered inside.