New World with Four Husbands

Chapter 411: Lala’s unexpected outburst

"There’s not much to remember." Alhai stated as he kept his gaze glued to the book in his hand. "Except for the fact that these rules are just common sense."

Coco blinked owlishly and reluctantly took a bite off her macaroon, the sweet treat slowly melting in her tongue which made her take another bite, nodding her head to show Alhai that she’s listening.

"It makes me wonder how "don’t leave any weapon in the guild’s cafeteria unattended" became a rule in the first place." Alhai mumbled, eyebrows furrowing.

Coco snorted. "Maybe because hunters are knuckleheads?"

Alhai’s eyes flickered up to look at her, just in time to see her chomping down on another macaroon, and shook his head before quickly looking back down to the book.

"You’re right.. They’re knuckleheads." The mediator hummed, the underlying meaning of his words going over Coco’s head. "Anyway, all you have to remember is to not leave your weapon anywhere in the guild and to always clip your mission before you leave."

Coco nodded her head again, still munching on the snack Zaque left for her.

"Is there anything else?" She asked, her voice slightly muffled due to her mouth full of the sweet treat. "Is there anything about what I have to do if I capture monsters?"

Alhai hummed, keeping his attention on the book.

"Okay, take your time reading." Coco stated before she turned to Lala and Konoha which were both munching on a snack beside her as well.

"Isn’t he acting weird?" Lala asked, the cookie piece on her hands turning as she took a bite on all sides.

"Who?" Coco blinked, raising an eyebrow.

"That man, duh!" The garden fairy pointed at Alhai and sassed Coco, her scrunching up as she did so. "He hasn’t acted like this towards you before, you know?"

"Like what?" Coco asked again, feeling quite confused.

"Like he cares about you or something!" Lala huffed out, putting her small size cookie down on the small platter in front of her and stood on her feet, putting both palms on her hips.

"I only saw Zaque act like this towards you." The fairy puffed her cheeks out and stared pointedly at Coco. "But now, he’s acting like him!"

"Well, yes.." Coco slowly trailed off and glanced at Alhai’s way to see if he was paying attention to her and Lala’s conversation, but she saw that his nose was still buried in the book, she continued.

"It was out of politeness and common courtesy, don’t you think?" She continued, her shoulders going stiff.

Lala merely shook her head as she brought her hands up to her face and dragged them down, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "Cocooooooooo.."

"What?" Coco asked once again, not fully getting what urged Lala to start this kind of conversation.

"I think you know deep down why he was acting like this, but you’re just denying it, aren’t you?" Lala pulled her hands away and pointed an accusing finger at Coco. "Ignorance is bliss, but too much can be dangerous!"

"What are you talking about?" Coco sighed out, her eyes squinting into a playful glare.

"Don’t give me that look!" Lala tutted out and gasped, like she was just presented with something that offended her entire existence.

"I’m merely telling you the truth!" The garden fairy exclaimed, stubbornly firm with her belief.

"About what..?" Coco questioned, her lips pursing in confusion— because again, just what is Lala trying to tell her?

"About why these men are acting like this!" Lala said, her voice rising in volume as she shifted her hand and pointed at Alhai instead. "About why he’s acting like he cares about you and everything else!"

"Again, that’s only because it was out of common courtesy—" Coco tried to explain, but Lala stomped her foot on the table.

"No!" The fairy cried out and clutched her fingers on her hair. "That’s not why they’re acting like this!"

".. Well, I don’t care why they’re acting like that." Coco mumbled and turned away from Lala. "I’m glad that they’re finally talking to me so I don’t want to overthink anything else."

Coco’s voice suddenly got so quiet that Alhai couldn’t quite hear what she said which made him raise his attention away from the book and look at her.

He saw how Coco’s lips formed a straight line with her eyebrows pinching together in an unreasonable expression.

Ring, ring, ring, ring!

The fairy kept talking and talking and talking— which caused Coco’s face to contort more and slowly make her look like she was getting sad at whatever the fairy was saying.

Alhai didn’t want to cut through their conversation, but the longer he stared at Coco’s face, the more he got antsy on his seat, and before he knew it, he was already reaching out towards Coco’s direction.

The fairy’s ringing noises halted and Coco’s gaze snapped up to him, both of them looking surprised at what he did.

He had grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, his grip tight, but not constricting enough to hurt her or anything— though, when he realized what he had done, all he could do was stare.

His body moved on its own.

That’s the first time.. This had happened. Alhai thought, his fingers tightening around Coco’s wrist slightly.

"Alhai?" Coco called out, making the third husband look up from his hand and gaze at Coco’s eyes instead which caused his breath to get caught in his throat.

"Are you okay?" Coco asked, her eyebrows pinched together in worry. "What’s wrong?"

However, he couldn’t answer nor let himself speak because he could feel Coco’s heartbeat on her wrist, and he could even feel her body heat against his.

Too close.. He thought, his mind slowly going blank.

"Alhai?" Coco called out again, her eyes catching the way Alhai’s eyes shifted away from her eyes to look at her lips instead.

The sight made Coco’s heart race because just what the hell is he doing?