New World with Four Husbands

Chapter 420: Back to normal

The following day dawned and with the first rays of sunlight, Coco awakened, her body feeling more refreshed than it had in days.

She slowly sat up in bed, a sense of relief washing over her as she took in her surroundings.

A small smile graced her lips as she stretched her limbs, her joints cracking and popping in a familiar symphony of morning.

The tension and uncertainty of the past few days seemed to have melted away, leaving her feeling surprisingly lighter and more at ease— something that she really missed.

Coco’s gaze shifted to the side, her eyes landing upon a familiar sight— her big cat, Konoha, curled up next to her on the bed.

Konoha lay snuggled in the sheets, her purring a contented, rhythmic vibration that echoed through the room.

The sight of her furry companion, with her soft, fluffy fur and satisfied expression, drew a genuine smile from Coco which she couldn’t help, but reached out a hand, gently stroking the cat’s head, savoring the familiar sensation of her fur beneath her fingertips.

As if in response to Coco’s affectionate touch, Konoha purred even louder, opening her eyes briefly before shutting them contentedly again.

Suddenly, a soft sound emerged from the inside of the cat’s fur, and then, Lala’s little head popped out, evidently roused from her nap with a dissatisfied expression on her face as she looked around.

Lala’s disheveled and disoriented appearance made Coco giggled, causing the fairy to blink her eyes at Coco, still slightly groggy from her interrupted sleep.

She let out a soft yawn, a mixture of annoyance and sleepiness, before shaking her head to shake off the remnants of drowsiness. "Good morning, Coco. Did you have a good sleep?"

Coco nodded and smiled gently, her gaze soft as she rose from the bed and started her morning routine, a comforting rhythm etched into her daily life.

The first task— a bath to cleanse her body and awaken her senses, then after a refreshing wash, she selected a fine attire for the day’s hunt, choosing something comfortable yet sturdy, suitable for the demanding task.

Next, with Lala and Konoha in tow, Coco exited her room, the two companions following silently beside her.

Lala perched herself on Coco’s head as her human descended the stairs, but then, the sound of Heiren and Quizen’s heated conversation filled their ears.

"Coco needs to have coffee to start her day!" Quizen’s voice exclaimed fervently.

However, Heiren vehemently disagreed. "No! She loves chocolate so a chocolate drink is a must!"

Coco paused at the base of the stairs, her eyebrows furrowing as she listened to the two argue fiercely about her preferred morning beverage.

Coco let out an exasperated sigh as she walked to the kitchen, her eyes catching the way they both reached for different mugs, each championing their own choice as the ideal beverage for her.

Quizen insisted. "Coffee is needed to wake her up!"

Heiren, not to be outdone, retorted with a growl. "No! Chocolate is what she prefers the most!"

Coco shook her head, both amused and touched by their passionate determination, before she let her eyes wander around the kitchen.

She came to an abrupt halt as her gaze locked with Alhai’s, her body rigid for a brief moment.

The memories of Zaque’s plea from the previous night resurfaced, reminding her to not avoid them anymore so with a deep breath,, she gathered her composure and summoned a small smile.

Her eyes remained fixed on Alhai’s face as she gave a nod, silently acknowledging his presence.

Alhai blinked in surprise before his face quickly turned a rosy shade of red and in an awkward attempt to mask his flustered state, he averted his gaze and hastily walked towards Zaque, practically hiding himself behind the taller mediator.

Coco’s eyebrow arched involuntarily at the sight of Alhai hiding behind Zaque, the unease she had been carrying for the past few days seemed to be just a memory now.

This... Isn’t the behavior of someone who hates me, is it?

The memory of the kiss flashed through her mind, but again, if the mediator still hated her, he wouldn’t think of kissing her, right?

Lala perched on top of Coco’s head, spoke up, her voice dripping with amusement and mockery. "What a wuss! Look at his red face!"

The moment Lala’s words escaped, however, their effect was instantaneous.

All the husbands in the vicinity suddenly froze, their attention abruptly shifting in the direction of Coco and Lala, their previous activities were momentarily forgotten as they turned their gazes towards the source of the chiming voice.

Heiren brightened up with a smile spreading across his face as he looked at Coco. "Coco, you’re up! I was just about to finish packing your lunch!"

With his newfound enthusiasm, Heiren swiftly returned to his previous task, busying himself with the preparation of her meal and upon seeing that the chef of the house was busy, the musician took matters into his own hands.

Quizen set the mug down gently, his smile broadening as he greeted Coco.

"Good morning." He said, his voice warm and welcoming. "It’s great to have you join us for breakfast today."

Coco smiled and mirrored Quizen’s as she raised a hand to rub the back of her neck. "I figured it’s time to check myself and stop acting childish."

The room fell silent for a moment as the husbands absorbed her words.

Their gazes softened, a mixture of relief and understanding flickering in their expressions— it was as if they, too, had been hoping for such a change, for everything to go back to normal.

"You were not childish." Zaque disagreed, a smile gracing his face as he turned to greet Coco. "Anyway! Come! Let’s begin enjoying our meal now!"

"Yeah, Alhai was at fault so don’t ever think you were the childish one!" Quizen added, grinning.

Alhai merely frowned, but he knew deep down that he was indeed the reason why everything changed so he didn’t deflect Quizen’s claim.