New World with Four Husbands

Chapter 410: Alhai’s unexpected offer

Coco returned from her trip to the hunter guild, carrying a small bag she had acquired from her little shopping spree in the guild’s little shop.

She didn’t know that the guild had their own shop inside so when she spotted it, she quickly walked around to look.

By the time she walked out, it was almost dark.

The carriage picked her up after she received the book the woman was talking about earlier and as soon as she got inside the carriage, she stored everything inside her inventory.

Now, Coco stepped into the house— her eyes immediately caught sight of Alhai descending the stairs.

The mediator paused mid-step upon spotting Coco, his expression unreadable for a moment before he greeted her with a curt nod and an indifferent tone.

"Back so soon?" He remarked dryly as if implying that hunting jobs shouldn’t be completed so quickly in his opinion— or maybe he was just testing how much this latest mission truly wore on her stamina after all those days spent out there risking life for gold coins?

Coco didn’t mind and laughed nervously, her hand reflexively reaching up to rub the back of her head.

"Yeah." She replied, a mix of relief and exhaustion evident in her voice. "And I.. Unfortunately, received an assignment after the mission."

Alhai’s gaze remained on her, his expression now contorted into a frown, but with a hint of curiosity, as if silently asking for her to elaborate.

Coco could sense his interest and it seemed like he was waiting for her to share more details about the assignment.

Coco let out a couch as her eyes darted away, a hint of embarrassment evident in her expression, contemplating whether she should tell him or not— but in the end she just went with the former.

"It was actually about the guild’s rules and regulations." She admitted, her voice slightly weak and timid.

She could almost feel the weight of Alhai’s gaze upon her and she knew that her answer would likely invite further questions or even a sarcastic remark from him.

So Coco braced herself for his response, anticipating a potentially biting comment or a dismissive comment about rules and about her being a knuckle head who only cares about money.

Alhai stood quietly for a moment, his expression neutral.

Then, breaking the silence, he asked, "Okay. Where is this assignment of yours?"

He finished descending the stairs, his demeanor as nonchalant as ever, and Coco’s gaze followed him, observing his unruffled appearance.

She shifted on her weight, feeling a sense of unease creeping into her entire being, unsure of how he would react to the assignment and soon, the silence hung heavy in the air as she prepared herself.

First and foremost, Coco extended her hand, then a book materialized within her grasp.

Alhai, in the middle of walking towards her, stopped abruptly, his composure momentarily shaken by the sudden appearance of the book before him.

His eyes widened subtly, his expression shifting into a surprised one as the unexpected sight momentarily disrupts his goal of walking towards his wife who had just gotten home from work.

He remained still, silently observing the book in Coco’s hand, waiting for an explanation and Coco caught this, laughter bubbled out of her, but this time filled with genuine delight.

"So you see.." She began, her voice filled with amusement, triumph, and satisfaction. "I left the guild this morning after randomly picking a mission. Then, when I returned, they were utterly shocked to find out that I’m completely clueless about how things operate over there."

Her eyes met Alhai’s, a hint of mischief glinting within them as she shared the events that happened, the corners of her lips curled up into a sly smile.

"Not only that, they were shocked to know that I know Captain Orlan!" She exclaimed, giggling.

Alhai merely shook his head, an exasperated yet blank expression on his face, but if she looked closely enough, she would be able to see a small smirk on his lips.

Alhai’s hand reached out, gently taking the book from Coco’s grasp.

"Typical of you." He responded, a blatant mockery clear in his voice, but Coco felt like it was more of a lighthearted jab than a serious mockery.

Studying the book in his hand, his eyes scanning its cover before glancing back at her, a look of exhaustion— and fondness if you squinted— and disappointment settled on his face.

"I’m not surprised." He stated bluntly and sighed. "You have a knack for picking the most random people to befriend, don’t you?"

Coco rolled her eyes, amused at the accusation.

"At least I know how to avoid getting myself into trouble." She retorted, her tone light and playful, her words held a hint of sarcasm as she met his gaze, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Coco relishes in their banter, finding a familiar comfort in their back-and-forth exchanges because they couldn’t do this before.

Alhai shook his head as another sigh escaped him.

"Alright, I’ll assist you." He said, his tone tinged with finality and slightly affectionate annoyance. "But go and have a bite in the kitchen first."

"What—"

"Zaque left some snacks before he left." Alhai didn’t let her finish her question, his eyes lingered on her briefly before he shifted his focus to the book in his hand, prepared to help Coco with the guild’s rules and regulations.

"Go now before I change my mind." He warned.

Coco stayed still and paused momentarily, her eyes widening in surprise.

She never expected Alhai to ever offer a hand to assist her, but she’s not complaining!

A wide smile quickly spread across her face, her initial bewilderment quickly faded, replaced by a contagious energy as her spirits lifted.

"Really? Okay!" She cheered, practically bouncing her way towards the kitchen, feeling grateful for Alhai’s unexpected help— and of course, the kind gesture of Zaque leaving a snack.

Unbeknownst to her, Alhai brought a hand to his face and covered his eyes.