Ren's pov
The condo was too quiet.
That realization reached me approximately thirty seconds after I closed the front door behind us. Normally, silence inside our home lasted only until somebody noticed it. Karin would shout from another room because she had lost something that was almost certainly within arm's reach, Hikari would announce whatever thought had entered her head most recently, and Ruri would eventually appear to explain why both of her sisters were wrong. Even Vael contributed in his own way, usually through the restrained sigh of a man discovering another domestic problem no military training had prepared him to solve.
Today, there was nothing.
The girls had been successfully delivered to school shortly before eight-thirty, their second day back passing without the national spectacle that had followed yesterday's reopening orientation. Ruri had walked through the gates after checking twice that Karin had her worksheet. Karin had complained that nobody trusted her despite providing significant historical evidence explaining why nobody trusted her. Hikari had waved until we were nearly out of sight and shouted that Hikari would return after learning important things.
Now it was only Ria and me.
My wife stood several steps inside the entrance with one hand still resting around the strap of her bag. Her silver hair fell loosely down her back, catching pale morning light from the living-room windows, while her crimson eyes moved slowly across the empty condo as though expecting someone to leap out from behind the sofa.
Ria's brows gradually drew together. "It's too quiet."
I slipped off my shoes and placed them beside the entryway. "Yesterday you told Karin that you would pay actual money for five minutes of silence."
"That was different." Ria removed her shoes and stepped farther inside, her expression remaining suspicious as she listened to the complete absence of chaos. "There were children present to interrupt the silence eventually. This feels unnatural."
I followed her gaze toward the hallway. Vael's guest-room door stood open, and there was no sound from inside.
"Vael?" Ria called, leaning slightly toward the hall before waiting several seconds.
Nothing answered.
I pulled out my phone and found a message received twenty minutes earlier.
Sire. I have matters requiring my attention today. I will likely return during the late afternoon.
Ria had already walked close enough to read it over my shoulder. Her chest lightly touched my back as she leaned forward, silver hair brushing the side of my cheek while her eyes narrowed at the screen.
"Seris," she concluded.
"Probably."
Ria straightened and folded both arms beneath her chest. "He has surrendered completely."
"He carries her shopping bags willingly now," I reminded her, slipping my phone away. "The war was lost weeks ago."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ria's mouth. "Vael once survived three months behind enemy lines without revealing a single intelligence route."
"And now Seris sends him downstairs because she forgot milk."
Ria's shoulders began to shake. She tried holding the laugh back for several seconds before giving up and pressing two fingers against her lips.
"Do not tell him I laughed," she warned.
"I'm telling him immediately."
Her crimson eyes snapped toward me. "Ren."
I walked toward the living room before she could stop me, and Ria followed while muttering something about disloyal husbands.
We had somewhere around six hours before school pickup. For once, neither of us had appointments. Aaron had been instructed not to contact me unless Saitama physically disappeared. Ria had no meetings with Velmoran representatives, no reconstruction briefings, and no requests from the Guild. The laundry basket was only moderately threatening, the refrigerator contained enough food, and nothing in the apartment required immediate repair.
This was, theoretically, retirement at its purest.
Twelve minutes later, Ria was lying lengthwise across the couch staring at the ceiling.
I sat near the opposite end with my phone in one hand, scrolling through an article I had no actual interest in reading. Morning light spread across the floor in broad rectangles, illuminating the abandoned toys beside the television stand and the small stack of schoolbooks Ruri had arranged before leaving.
Ria released a long sigh.
I continued scrolling.
Another sigh followed, noticeably louder.
I glanced toward her.
She remained flat on her back with both hands folded over her stomach, silver hair fanned around her head and one bare foot hanging over the edge of the couch. Her crimson eyes shifted toward me without the rest of her body moving.
"Ren," Ria called.
"Hm?"
She stared at me for another moment before her nose wrinkled slightly. "I'm bored."
I nodded. "Congratulations. Retirement is functioning correctly."
The cushion hit me in the face.
I caught it after impact and lowered it slowly.
Ria had already rolled onto her side. One cheek rested against the remaining cushion while a small, thoroughly unapologetic smile curved across her lips.
"That was unnecessary," I said.
"You were irritating."
"I answered your problem."
"You congratulated me."
"Positive reinforcement."
Ria narrowed her eyes. "I am going to positively reinforce you off the balcony."
I considered the height of our floor and shrugged. "I can levitate."
"That makes threatening you incredibly unsatisfying."
Her pout deepened for a second before she buried her face against the cushion.
I returned the projectile to the couch and checked the time. It was barely nine, and six hours had begun to look considerably longer.
"I'll make lunch early," I decided.
Ria lifted her face enough for one crimson eye to become visible. "It isn't even ten."
"I'm bored too."
That finally got her moving.
Ria pushed herself upright, swept her hair away from her face with both hands, and followed me toward the kitchen at a leisurely pace. She did not offer any suggestions about what to cook, which was usually the first sign that she intended to participate only through criticism and theft.
I settled on curry.
It required enough preparation to occupy time without demanding enough attention to become irritating. I took vegetables from the refrigerator, set a cutting board beside the stove, and started slicing onions while water heated behind me.
For roughly thirty seconds, Ria stood on the other side of the counter watching.
Then she disappeared from my peripheral vision.
A moment later, two arms slid around my waist.
Warmth settled against my back as Ria pressed herself close, her cheek resting between my shoulder blades. Silver hair spilled around my arm and across my chest, and her hands loosely clasped together over my stomach.
I kept chopping. "You're interfering with kitchen operations."
Ria tightened her embrace. "I am supervising."
"From my back?"
"It is the best position."
I shifted one step toward the stove.
Ria shuffled with me without letting go.
I leaned toward the seasoning cabinet.
She followed.
I moved left toward the vegetables.
Her arms remained firmly around my waist as she moved with me again, apparently determined to become a permanent attachment.
After the third relocation, I stopped.
Ria's forehead bumped lightly against my back. She made a tiny annoyed sound before looking up over my shoulder.
I turned my head enough to meet her crimson eyes. "Are you planning to stay attached to me for the entire meal?"
Ria considered the question with far more seriousness than it deserved. Her gaze drifted upward for perhaps half a second before returning to mine.
"Yes."
At least she was decisive.
I resumed cutting while Ria remained exactly where she was. The kitchen gradually filled with the ordinary sounds of cooking—the soft rhythm of the knife against wood, water beginning to simmer, vegetables shifting inside the pot. Ria's breathing stayed warm against my back, occasionally interrupted by a content little hum whenever I moved and forced her to shuffle after me.
Eventually, her chin settled against my shoulder.
I noticed her looking at me rather than the food.
"What?" I asked.
Ria said nothing immediately. Her crimson eyes softened at the corners, and the faintly mischievous look she had worn earlier disappeared into something smaller and more private. One of her hands moved from my stomach to lightly grip the fabric near my side.
"Kiss me."
I looked down at the knife in my hand, then toward her.
"I'm holding a knife."
Ria glanced at it. Her expression remained completely serious.
"Put it down."
I set the knife on the board.
Satisfied, she loosened her arms enough for me to turn around. Ria immediately closed the distance again, her hands sliding around my waist while I lifted one hand to cup her cheek.
The smooth warmth of her skin settled into my palm, and her eyes closed a heartbeat before I leaned down.
The kiss was gentle. There was no urgency behind it, no battle still raging somewhere beyond us and no desperate need to say something before time ran out. Ria simply leaned into me, fingers tightening slightly in the back of my shirt as her lips softened beneath mine.
When I drew away, she followed me.
Barely.
Perhaps half an inch.
Then her crimson eyes opened.
I raised one eyebrow.
Pink began creeping into her cheeks.
"Another?" I asked.
Ria's gaze narrowed immediately. "I did not say that."
I started turning back toward the cutting board.
Her fingers caught my shirt.
I stopped.
Ria looked away for precisely one second before muttering, "I also did not say no."
I smiled.
Her eyes snapped back toward mine. "Do not look smug."
"I'm not."
"You are."
The second kiss lasted longer. Ria rose slightly onto her toes, both arms slipping higher around my back as she pressed closer. My hand moved from her cheek into her silver hair, fingertips brushing lightly behind her ear while the other settled around her waist.
Then something hissed violently behind us.
We separated at the same time.
I turned toward the stove while Ria looked over my shoulder with immediate annoyance.
The pot had begun boiling over.
"Lunch," I said, stepping away to lower the heat.
Ria folded her arms. Her crimson eyes fixed on the stove as if personally betrayed by cookware.
"Your priorities are questionable."
"You complain when food burns."
"That is unrelated."
"You would complain louder."
Ria remained silent.
I looked toward her.
She looked away.
That was confirmation enough.
Ria eventually climbed onto the kitchen counter while I finished cooking. There were four perfectly functional chairs less than three meters away, but apparently counter space offered superior observation opportunities.
One leg swung idly beneath her skirt while she watched me work. Whenever I turned toward the stove, her hand drifted suspiciously close to whatever ingredients remained within reach.
The first theft involved a piece of carrot.
I ignored it.
The second involved potato.
I let that pass too.
The third was a piece of meat I had just removed to check the seasoning.
I caught her wrist.
Ria froze with the stolen piece halfway toward her mouth. Her cheeks were already slightly rounded because she was chewing something else.
I stared.
She stared back.
"That was supposed to become lunch."
Ria finished chewing before answering. "It did."
"It wasn't on your plate."
"It reached my mouth."
"That is not the process."
She lifted one elegant eyebrow while my fingers still rested around her wrist. "I am your wife. I have sampling privileges."
"Where is that written?"
Ria's gaze drifted toward herself, then back to me. "Royal decree."
"You gave up the throne."
A tiny pause followed.
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Marriage decree."
"That is not a legal category."
"It is now."
I released her wrist.
She immediately ate the stolen piece.
I had once negotiated with hostile guilds, government officials, and the sovereign apparatus of an entire fallen kingdom.
My wife was significantly more difficult.
Lunch itself remained peaceful, mostly because Ria's ability to steal from my plate was limited by the fact that we were sitting directly across from each other.
Limited did not mean eliminated.
Halfway through the meal, her chopsticks crossed the table and took a piece from my plate.
I looked toward her own serving.
Identical food rested there.
"You have the same thing."
Ria ate mine and nodded. "Yours tastes better."
"It came from the same pot."
"That proves nothing."
"You watched me serve both plates."
Ria took another bite from her own portion and considered it before looking back toward mine with obvious preference. "Still different."
I decided not to investigate the culinary laws governing marriage.
Afterward, we cleaned together.
I washed.
Ria dried.
For several minutes, the arrangement worked efficiently enough that I became suspicious.
Then a cold droplet struck my cheek.
I stopped washing and slowly turned my head.
Ria stood beside me holding a plate and dish towel. Her face was perfectly composed, but the way she deliberately avoided eye contact made guilt obvious.
"Did you just flick water at me?"
Ria continued drying the plate. "No."
"I felt it."
"Condensation."
"From six centimeters away?"
"Very aggressive condensation."
I dipped my fingers beneath the running water and flicked a droplet toward her.
It struck her forehead.
Ria froze.
Her eyes widened before she looked at me with pure scandal.
"Did you just attack your wife?"
"You started it."
"That was an accident."
Another droplet hit my arm.
I looked down.
Then toward her.
Ria was smiling now.
"Accident?" I asked.
"Unfortunate circumstances."
I flicked water again.
She turned her face aside with a surprised laugh, silver hair sweeping across one shoulder as she raised the dish towel like a shield.
"Ren!"
"You declared war."
"I did no such thing."
The dish towel snapped lightly against my arm.
I stared.
Ria immediately stepped backward, laughing openly now as she held the towel between both hands.
"I suppose that was aggressive condensation too?" I asked.
She grinned. "Extremely."
The conflict lasted less than a minute because neither of us wanted to clean the kitchen twice. By the end, several drops of water dotted Ria's blouse, my sleeve was damp, and she had somehow declared victory despite retreating behind the dining table when I reached for the spray attachment.
We finished the dishes under an informal ceasefire.
By eleven-thirty, we had exhausted cooking as entertainment.
That left anime.
I dropped onto one end of the couch and picked up the remote while Ria disappeared into the kitchen for drinks. The couch stretched wide enough beside me to accommodate multiple adults without difficulty.
Ria returned carrying two glasses and placed them on the coffee table.
Then she looked at me.
I patted the empty cushion beside my leg.
Ria looked down at the cushion.
Then at me.
I waited.
She walked directly toward me and sat sideways across my lap.
I stared at her.
Ria adjusted herself with complete calm, shifting her hips until comfortable before curling both legs onto the couch. One arm slipped around my shoulders while the other rested lightly against my chest, and silver hair spilled over my shirt as she tucked herself beneath my chin.
I looked toward approximately two meters of empty couch.
"You know the couch continues over there."
Ria followed my gaze. "I know."
She did not move.
I waited for additional information.
None arrived.
"And?"
Ria curled closer and rested her cheek against my chest. "This part is more comfortable."
"I am not part of the couch."
"You are today."
I looked down at the former Demon Queen occupying my lap.
She had already closed her eyes.
I accepted my new profession.
After settling one arm naturally around her waist so she would not slide, I began scrolling through the available shows. Ria remained quiet until One Piece appeared.
Her eyes moved.
I scrolled past it.
Her eyes followed.
I scrolled backward.
Ria immediately looked toward me. "Why did you go back?"
"You looked."
"I was reading the title."
"You know the title."
"I was confirming it."
"You own a straw-hat keychain."
Ria's cheeks colored slightly. "That is unrelated."
I selected the episode.
She gave me a suspicious look. "You wanted to watch it."
"Obviously."
"Good."
I smiled.
Her fingers tightened lightly against my shoulder. "Do not make that face."
"What face?"
"That one."
I pressed play.
Ria watched.
Within fifteen minutes, she was paying significantly more attention than I was.
At some point, I made popcorn.
That was my second mistake of the morning.
By the time I returned, Ria had shifted slightly on my lap and claimed the bowl before I fully settled down. She tucked it securely against her stomach with one arm while leaning back against my chest.
I looked at the bowl.
Then at her.
Ria did not acknowledge the inspection.
The episode continued.
I reached toward the popcorn.
Without looking away from the television, Ria moved the bowl beyond my fingers.
My hand stopped in midair.
I turned my head toward her profile.
"Ria."
"Hm?"
"That was my popcorn."
Ria took two pieces and ate them. "It is our popcorn."
"I attempted to access our popcorn."
"You interrupted an important scene."
"I moved my hand."
"That was distracting."
I stared at her for several seconds until she finally glanced toward me. Ria noticed my expression, sighed as though I had created an unreasonable problem, and reached into the bowl.
She selected exactly one piece.
Then she held it toward my mouth.
"Open."
I looked at the popcorn.
Then at her.
"Seriously?"
Ria raised one eyebrow. "Do you want popcorn or not?"
I opened my mouth.
She fed me.
Then she returned her attention to the screen.
Apparently a system had been established.
I tried reaching for the bowl again ten minutes later.
Ria moved it.
I stopped trying.
Instead, I reached toward the coffee table, picked up my tablet, and opened the news. My left arm remained around her waist while Ria continued sitting across my lap, comfortably nested against my chest.
Every so often, her right hand emerged from the bowl and appeared in front of my face.
The first time, I looked.
She did not.
I opened my mouth.
Popcorn.
I continued reading.
Thirty seconds later, another piece appeared.
I ate it.
Then another.
Eventually, I stopped checking.
The morning headlines were mostly boring, which I considered a success. Reconstruction percentages had improved. Several regions had reduced emergency classifications. International Guild representatives were arguing about new SS-rank standards, which sounded like a problem I could successfully avoid.
Then I found yesterday's photograph.
The school courtyard filled most of the image. Ria stood beside me with one arm linked through mine, laughing while I looked toward her. Parents and teachers surrounded us in the background, several of them smiling toward the camera.
The headline beneath it was considerably more dramatic than the event deserved.
JAPAN'S FIRST SS-RANK COUPLE RETURNS TO ORDINARY PARENT LIFE
I sighed.
A piece of popcorn touched my lips.
I opened my mouth automatically.
Ria fed me without looking away from the anime.
I scrolled through the article.
Another piece arrived.
Then another.
Eventually, I looked down at her.
"Are you checking whether I'm ready before doing that?"
Ria kept her eyes on the television. "You keep eating them."
"That did not answer my question."
She reached into the bowl again.
I watched her hand.
One piece emerged.
She brought it toward my mouth.
This time, I kept my lips closed.
Ria finally looked at me.
Her crimson eyes narrowed.
I looked back.
She moved the popcorn closer.
"Open."
"No."
Her brows rose. "Why?"
"I'm testing your system."
"My system works."
"You weren't even looking."
"I know where your mouth is."
I stared at her.
Ria stared back.
Then she lightly tapped the popcorn against my lips.
"Open."
I sighed and obeyed.
The smug satisfaction on her face was completely undeserved.
She turned back toward the television.
A few minutes later, I discovered a second flaw in the system.
Ria reached into the bowl, grabbed a large handful, and ate approximately six pieces at once. Then she reached inside again, carefully selected a single piece, and held it toward me.
I caught her wrist.
Ria slowly looked toward me with her cheeks still slightly puffed.
"That distribution seems unequal."
She finished chewing before answering. "I am holding the bowl."
"That gives you economic authority?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
Ria attempted to move the popcorn closer to my mouth.
I kept holding her wrist.
Her eyes narrowed. "Ren."
"You consumed six."
"I am watching the anime."
"So am I."
"You're reading the news."
I looked toward my tablet.
Fair.
Ria smiled triumphantly and fed me the single piece.
Former sovereign instincts had apparently survived retirement in increasingly ridiculous forms.
The episode reached a more emotional scene sometime afterward, and Ria became completely absorbed. Her posture changed subtly first; the playful looseness disappeared from her face, her brows drawing together while her smile faded into quiet concentration. She shifted closer without noticing, cheek settling beneath my chin as her arm tightened around the popcorn bowl.
I lowered the tablet.
For several moments, I watched her instead of the screen.
Her crimson eyes reflected the television's shifting light. Silver strands rested across my chest and shoulder, and every small change in the scene passed openly across her face because there was nobody here for her to perform composure for.
It was strangely nice.
Ria eventually noticed my gaze from the corner of her eye and looked up at me.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"Nothing."
"You're smiling."
"I'm comfortable."
That caught her off guard.
Her expression softened.
For a moment, she simply looked at me.
Then Ria reached into the bowl, selected one piece of popcorn, and placed it into my mouth.
I chewed and raised an eyebrow. "Was that affection?"
Ria settled her cheek against my shoulder again. "No. Eat."
I decided not to argue.
Eventually, her hand reached into the bowl and found nothing.
Ria looked down.
Her fingers searched once more as though the popcorn might have been hiding.
Nothing.
She stared at the empty bowl with genuine betrayal.
Then she looked toward me.
I continued reading.
Her eyes remained on me.
I scrolled.
She kept staring.
I lasted approximately fifteen seconds before lowering the tablet. "What?"
Ria silently held the empty bowl toward me.
I looked at it.
Then at her.
"You have legs."
Ria immediately looped both arms around my neck. "No."
"You also have spatial abilities."
"So do you."
"I made the first batch."
Ria rested her chin on my shoulder and looked directly into my eyes. Her expression changed.
I recognized the tactic.
"Dear."
"No."
She kissed my cheek.
I kept my face neutral.
Ria kissed me again, closer to the corner of my mouth.
"More popcorn?"
"No."
She tilted her head, silver hair sliding over my shoulder, then kissed the corner of my mouth properly.
My resolve suffered structural damage.
Five minutes later, I was standing in the kitchen making another bowl.
Ria remained on the couch beneath a blanket.
She looked extremely pleased.
"You manipulated me," I called from the kitchen.
Ria smiled without the slightest guilt. "Marriage."
"That is not an explanation."
"It has explained many things recently."
Unfortunately true.
The second bowl lasted longer because I took a handful before sitting down.
Ria looked offended.
I considered that a victory.
We watched two more episodes before our attention eventually drifted toward the laundry basket near the hallway. It had been there all morning, patiently waiting for adulthood to become unavoidable.
Ria noticed first.
Her gaze settled on it.
Then she looked toward me.
I looked back.
Neither of us moved.
Ria slowly rested her head against my chest again. "It can wait."
"That sounds irresponsible."
"Yes."
I considered the argument. "Fair."
We watched another ten minutes.
Then an image appeared in my mind.
Ruri returning from school.
Ruri seeing the untouched laundry.
Ruri making that tiny disappointed expression she had developed whenever the adults failed at something she believed adults should handle.
I sighed.
Ria looked up at me. "What?"
"Imagine Ruri seeing that."
Ria's face changed immediately.
She looked toward the basket.
Then toward me.
Both of us sighed.
Five minutes later, we were sorting clothes.
Ria handled the piles while I folded. The routine was mundane enough that neither of us needed to think about it. Towels went together, uniform pieces received more careful treatment, and Karin's clothes occasionally required inspection for stains related to activities she insisted had been perfectly reasonable.
Then Ria picked up one of my shirts.
She looked at it.
I looked at her.
Ria placed it in her pile.
I stopped folding. "You own clothes."
"I know."
"That is mine."
"I know."
"Then why is it in your pile?"
Ria reached toward the basket, found another of my shirts, and placed it beside the first while maintaining direct eye contact. "Because I like them."
"You steal them."
"I borrow them."
"They rarely return."
"That sounds like a storage problem."
I stared at her.
Ria smiled sweetly and continued sorting.
Eventually, the clothes became smaller.
Ruri's neatly maintained uniform.
Karin's favorite shirt.
Hikari's tiny pajamas covered in stars.
Ria lifted the pajamas and paused, her thumb smoothing lightly across the soft fabric. The playful expression on her face faded into something gentler.
"The house really is too quiet without them," she murmured.
I folded another shirt and looked toward her. "You complained about the noise two days ago."
Ria carefully folded Hikari's pajamas before placing them into the correct stack. "I can complain and miss them."
"Motherhood."
She glanced toward me, and a small smile curved across her lips. "Unfortunately."
There was no real complaint in the word.
Ria picked up Karin's shirt next and frowned at a tiny scorch mark near the hem.
I pretended not to notice.
She looked toward me.
"Ren."
"I don't know."
"You didn't even let me ask."
"I still don't know."
Ria narrowed her eyes and set the shirt aside for later investigation.
We finished the laundry shortly after one, leaving several neatly folded piles arranged across the dining table. I carried the final stack toward the hallway while Ria remained behind for a moment, smoothing Hikari's tiny star-covered pajamas before placing them carefully beside Karin and Ruri's clothes. When she finally followed me into the living room, the soft expression she had worn while folding the girls' things still lingered around her eyes.
I dropped onto the couch and, remembering the problem from earlier, made my intentions unmistakably clear. I patted the empty cushion directly beside me twice and looked toward Ria.
My wife stopped several steps away.
Her crimson eyes moved toward the cushion.
Then toward me.
I waited.
Ria set our drinks on the coffee table, walked across the remaining distance, and calmly sat sideways across my lap.
I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the couch. "Why did I even try?"
Ria immediately looped both arms around my neck, clearly delighted with herself. Her silver hair spilled over my shoulder as she shifted until comfortable, then she looked at me with the serene confidence of someone who believed she had interpreted my invitation correctly.
"I thought you were inviting me," she said.
"I pointed directly at the cushion."
Ria glanced toward the completely unused seat beside us, then returned her gaze to me without even pretending to reconsider. "Poor communication."
"That was the clearest communication I have attempted all day."
"To you, perhaps."
Before I could argue further, Ria leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss against my cheek. When she pulled away, her mouth curved into a smug little smile.
"Compensation."
I stared at her.
She stared back.
Then she settled against my chest as though the matter had been legally resolved.
I sighed and wrapped one arm around her waist again. "Your legal system is terrible."
Ria rested her cheek beneath my chin and closed her eyes. "You continue participating in it voluntarily."
"That is because I married the government."
A quiet laugh escaped her, warm against my chest. "Former government."
"Historical accuracy matters."
Ria elbowed me lightly without lifting her head.
The anime resumed.
For the next hour, the condo returned to its comfortable stillness. Afternoon sunlight shifted slowly across the windows, turning warmer as it stretched over the floorboards, while the faint hum of the air conditioner mixed with voices from the television. Ria gradually became heavier against me, although at first I assumed she was simply becoming more comfortable.
Then her head slipped lower from my shoulder to the center of my chest.
Her fingers, which had been idly playing with the fabric of my shirt, stopped moving.
I looked down.
Ria's eyes were closed. Her breathing had become slow and even, lips slightly parted while silver hair spread across my chest and arm.
"Ria?" I murmured.
She did not respond.
Apparently the former Demon Queen of Velmora had fallen asleep during One Piece.
I smiled despite myself and adjusted my position carefully. My back had begun protesting the angle, so I stretched farther along the couch without disturbing her. Ria followed the movement instinctively, one arm sliding around my waist while her body curled deeper against my side. Her leg ended up tangled loosely with mine, and when I pulled the blanket over us, she shifted just enough to claim most of it before settling again.
There was an absurd amount of unused couch beside us.
Apparently none of it met her standards.
That was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep too.
When I woke, the light in the room had changed completely.
Afternoon sunlight now entered at a lower angle, painting the living room in broad amber bands and stretching long shadows beneath the coffee table. The television had paused itself after several episodes of inactivity, leaving the condo unusually still except for the low hum of the air conditioner and Ria's quiet breathing.
She was still asleep on me.
One arm remained wrapped securely around my waist while one of her legs rested tangled with mine beneath the blanket. Most of that blanket had migrated to her side at some point, leaving only enough over me to technically qualify as sharing.
Her silver hair covered part of my chest.
There was enough vacant couch beside us to accommodate several people.
My wife had used none of it.
I glanced toward my tablet on the coffee table and attempted to reach for it.
Ria's arm tightened around me immediately.
I stopped.
She remained asleep.
After waiting several seconds, I tried again, extending my fingers toward the edge of the tablet.
A small annoyed sound escaped Ria's throat. Her brows pinched together, and without opening her eyes she buried her face deeper against my chest while tightening her grip around my waist.
I looked down at her.
Then toward the tablet.
The tablet lost.
I let my hand fall back onto her shoulder and remained where I was.
Roughly twenty minutes later, Ria finally stirred. Her fingers flexed against my shirt first, followed by a slight wrinkle of her nose as she slowly emerged from sleep. Crimson eyes opened only halfway beneath a curtain of thoroughly disorganized silver hair, and for several seconds she simply stared at my chest as though trying to remember where she was.
Eventually, her gaze lifted toward mine.
"You're awake," Ria murmured, her voice low and rough with sleep.
"For a while."
She yawned softly and pressed her cheek back against me rather than moving away. "Why didn't you wake me?"
I looked down at the arm locked around my waist, then at the leg still tangled with mine. When I raised an eyebrow, Ria followed my gaze toward the evidence.
"Hostage situation," I explained.
Ria studied her own arms.
For a moment, I thought she might release me.
Instead, she shifted closer and tightened them.
"Understandable."
I laughed quietly while she tucked herself beneath my chin again.
For the next several minutes, neither of us bothered moving. Ria remained somewhere between awake and asleep, lazily tracing one finger back and forth across the fabric of my shirt while I idly combed my fingers through the ends of her silver hair. The apartment felt warm around us, filled with the particular kind of silence that no longer felt empty now that she was pressed against me.
Eventually, Ria lifted her head.
Her hair was an impressive disaster, and one side of her face carried the faint imprint of my shirt. Her crimson eyes were still heavy with sleep as she studied me.
"Ren," she murmured.
"Hm?"
Ria's fingers curled lightly into my shirt. "Kiss."
I raised one eyebrow. "That wasn't even a complete sentence."
Sleepy irritation immediately entered her expression. She gave my chest a weak poke, then repeated herself with exaggerated patience.
"Husband. Kiss wife."
That made me laugh.
Ria's eyes narrowed further, and she smacked my chest with considerably less strength than her expression suggested. "Do not laugh at your wife."
"I'm trying not to."
"You're failing terribly."
"Very badly."
She glared at me.
I leaned down before she could complain again.
The annoyance disappeared the moment our lips met. Ria's eyes closed, and the hand resting against my chest slipped upward until her fingers curled lightly behind my neck. The kiss stayed slow and warm, carrying none of the urgency that had once followed every dangerous moment between us.
There was no enemy waiting outside the room.
No countdown.
No possibility that one of us might disappear before the next morning.
Just my wife, me, and an ordinary afternoon neither of us had expected to enjoy this much.
When I drew back, Ria's lips followed mine for the smallest distance before she stopped herself.
A sleepy smile appeared.
"Better?" I asked.
She considered the question seriously.
Then her hand tightened behind my neck. "Again."
I laughed once.
Ria immediately frowned. "Ren."
I kissed her again before she could escalate the complaint.
This time she smiled against my lips.
When we finally separated, Ria rested her forehead briefly against mine before sinking back against my chest with a satisfied sigh. Her entire body relaxed over me, and I wrapped one arm around her waist while the other remained beneath her head.
For another minute, neither of us moved.
Then I glanced toward the clock.
Something felt wrong.
I looked again.
My body went completely still.
Ria noticed the tension immediately. She lifted her face from my chest and watched me reach toward my phone.
"What is it?" she asked, sleepiness giving way to concern.
I unlocked the screen.
The time appeared.
"We have twenty-eight minutes before pickup."
Ria stared at me.
Her crimson eyes widened. "The girls."
We sat upright at the same time, sending the blanket sliding onto the floor. Ria immediately pushed both hands through her hair, only to make the silver strands worse, while I looked down and discovered a deep crease running across the front of my shirt where her face had been pressed against me.
The living room offered additional evidence of our productivity.
Two glasses remained on the coffee table.
The second popcorn bowl sat empty between them.
One Piece remained paused.
The laundry was folded but had not yet reached any actual drawers.
Ria slowly looked around the room, then toward me. "We did nothing."
"We did laundry."
"Barely."
"I cooked."
"You also made popcorn twice."
"You manipulated the second batch into existence."
Ria climbed off the couch and hurried toward the hallway mirror, gathering her hair over one shoulder while muttering under her breath. "Why did you let me sleep that long?"
I retrieved the car keys from the table. "You were holding me prisoner."
"You possess spatial magic."
"That seemed excessive for escaping my wife."
Ria stopped fixing her hair.
Through the mirror, our eyes met.
For a moment, the urgency in her expression softened into quiet amusement.
Then she glanced toward the clock again. "Keys?"
I lifted them.
Her eyes narrowed. "Then why are you still standing there?"
"Watching you panic is educational."
Ria turned around with both hands still in her hair. "I am not panicking."
"You're trying to brush your hair with your fingers."
"I am adapting."
"Rapidly."
She gave me a look that promised retaliation later, then turned back toward the mirror and continued trying to repair what sleep had done to her appearance.
There was something inherently absurd about watching the former Demon Queen of Velmora rush to make herself presentable because she might be three minutes late picking up her daughters from school.
I leaned against the hallway wall and watched her for another moment.
Ria caught my reflection again.
Her hands slowed.
"What?" she asked, this time without irritation.
I smiled. "Good day?"
The urgency faded from her face.
For a few seconds, she simply looked at me through the mirror. Then Ria let her hands fall from her hair and turned around.
She crossed the hallway toward me, lifted both hands to straighten the collar of my shirt, and carefully smoothed the crease near my shoulder. Her fingertips lingered there for a moment before she raised herself slightly and pressed a quick kiss against my lips.
When she drew back, the warmth in her crimson eyes had completely replaced the earlier panic.
"Very," she answered softly.
I rested one hand against her waist. "Good."
A faint blush warmed her cheeks.
Then her eyes flicked toward the clock again.
The softness vanished.
"Move."
Romance concluded.
We reached the entrance, and I opened the door.
Vael stood directly outside.
He carried six shopping bags.
For several seconds, nobody said anything.
Ria's gaze moved from Vael's face to the bags hanging from both hands. One contained groceries, another appeared to hold clothing, while decorative candles protruded suspiciously from a third.
Her crimson eyes slowly rose.
"Seris?" Ria asked, folding both arms across her chest.
Vael maintained the disciplined neutrality of a soldier attempting to survive interrogation. "Administrative matters, Your Majesty."
I looked toward the bags again.
Then toward him.
"Complicated administrative matters."
Vael's eyes shifted toward me, and the slight tightening around them carried more warning than his voice did.
"Sire."
Ria lasted approximately two seconds before laughter escaped her. She covered her mouth and stepped into the hallway while Vael closed his eyes with the patient suffering of a man reconsidering every decision that had brought him into this family.
"We're going to pick up the girls," Ria managed between laughs.
Vael nodded once. "I wish you a pleasant afternoon."
I stepped past him and gestured toward the bags. "Good luck with the administration."
Vael's jaw tightened. "Sire."
Ria laughed all the way to the elevator.
By the time Fluffy reached the school, afternoon dismissal had already begun. Warm sunlight filled the street while children poured through the gates in noisy waves, uniforms bright beneath the clear sky and schoolbags bouncing behind them. Teachers called names over the chatter, parents waited near the curb, and somewhere nearby a group of children had apparently decided the safest possible location for an argument was directly beside a bicycle rack.
I parked near our usual pickup area.
Ria had barely closed the passenger door when Hikari spotted us.
Our youngest daughter's entire face transformed. Golden eyes widened, her mouth opened into a delighted smile, and both arms immediately lifted as she started running.
"PAPA! MAMA!"
Her schoolbag bounced wildly against her back.
Ria's own expression changed just as quickly. She crouched before Hikari reached her, silver hair sliding forward over one shoulder as she spread both arms.
Hikari collided with enough enthusiasm to push Mama backward half a step.
Ria laughed and caught her securely, lifting her just enough that Hikari's shoes left the ground before settling her against one hip.
"There's my girl," Ria murmured, pressing a kiss against Hikari's cheek.
Hikari wrapped both arms around her neck and squeezed. "Hikari missed Mama."
Ria's smile softened. "Mama missed Hikari too."
Karin arrived next at considerably more speed than necessary and wrapped both arms around my waist. I steadied myself with one hand against her shoulder while she immediately launched into a story about lunch, apparently deciding greetings were less important than whatever injustice had occurred at school.
Ruri followed several steps behind at a more reasonable pace. She smiled when she reached us, and I rested my free hand gently against the top of her head.
"How was school?" I asked.
Ruri's expression brightened. "Good. We finished the activity from yesterday, and Lysa showed us her dinosaur drawings during break. She's really good, Papa. She drew a huge Triceratops."
From Ria's arms, Hikari immediately twisted around. "Lysa has big dinosaur! Hikari drew dragon beside dinosaur, and teacher said Hikari cannot make dragon breathe fire on worksheet."
Karin finally released me and pointed toward her younger sister. "Because you drew the fire over the answers."
Hikari frowned. "Hikari's dragon was helping."
"It burned question four."
"Hikari fixed it."
Ruri sighed beside me, although the small smile on her face betrayed affection rather than frustration. "I fixed it."
Within less than thirty seconds, the peaceful silence of our entire day had disappeared beneath overlapping stories, corrections, complaints, and Hikari's detailed explanation of why dragons improved educational materials.
Ria looked toward me over Hikari's shoulder.
I met her eyes.
A slow smile appeared across her face.
I understood immediately.
This was better.
We started toward Fluffy with the girls surrounding us. Hikari held Ria's hand while continuing her explanation of dinosaur stickers, Karin interrupted every few sentences because her own story was supposedly more important, and Ruri attempted several times to restore chronological order before eventually giving up.
Halfway across the parking area, Ruri looked toward us with sudden curiosity.
"What did you and Mama do today?"
Ria answered too quickly. "Nothing."
I looked toward her.
She looked toward me.
Karin immediately narrowed her eyes. "That sounded suspicious."
Ria lifted her chin and tried to recover some dignity. "It was not suspicious. Your Papa and I simply stayed home."
I decided to help. "Your mother watched anime."
Ria's elbow immediately found my arm.
Hikari gasped loudly enough that several nearby parents glanced toward us. She turned toward Mama with wide golden eyes and looked genuinely betrayed.
"Mama watched Luffy without Hikari?"
Ria's expression became defensive. "Sweetheart, you were at school."
Karin joined the protest immediately. "I wanted to watch too!"
Ruri looked toward Mama with much quieter amusement. "Was it One Piece?"
Ria glanced toward me.
I smiled.
Her crimson eyes narrowed before she reluctantly answered. "Yes."
Hikari tightened her grip around Mama's fingers. "Mama wore Luffy hat yesterday and watched Luffy today. Mama really likes Luffy."
Color crept into Ria's cheeks.
I unlocked Fluffy and glanced toward her. "Evidence is becoming substantial."
"You are an awful husband," Ria muttered, glaring at me as she opened the rear door for the girls.
"You seemed satisfied with your husband earlier."
Ria froze.
I immediately realized where that sentence could go.
Unfortunately, she realized too.
Her entire face turned bright red.
The three girls looked between us.
Karin's expression sharpened with immediate interest. "What happened earlier?"
"Nothing," Ria answered with terrifying speed, already ushering Hikari toward her seat before the interrogation could develop.
I opened the opposite rear door and gestured toward Karin and Ruri. "Get in the car."
Ruri looked between us for another second, clearly unconvinced, while Karin remained suspicious enough that I expected the question to return later.
Hikari, thankfully, provided rescue by climbing into her seat and patting her stomach.
"Hikari hungry."
Karin's attention shifted immediately. "Me too. Can we get snacks?"
Ruri sighed as she climbed in after them. "We should probably go home first... but I'm kind of hungry too."
The distraction worked perfectly.
Ria ushered the girls into their seats, leaned inside to check Hikari's belt, then closed the rear door with a relieved breath.
Before she walked toward the passenger side, her fingers caught my sleeve.
I stopped and looked down at her.
The afternoon sunlight caught along the edges of Ria's silver hair, turning a few strands almost white against the warm sky. The embarrassment from moments earlier still colored her cheeks, but beneath it sat the same small, private smile she had worn while curled against me in the condo.
"We should get bored more often," she murmured.
I smiled back. "Agreed."
Her fingers tightened around my sleeve once before letting go.
Then Hikari pressed both hands against the rear window.
"Mama! Hikari hungry!"
Karin's muffled voice followed almost immediately. "Can we get snacks on the way home?"
Ruri tried to restore reason from between them. "Mama and Papa probably already planned dinner. We can wait."
Ria closed her eyes for a moment, exhaled through her nose, then opened the passenger door with a smile she was no longer trying very hard to hide.
I climbed into the driver's seat.
The quiet day was officially over.
Within seconds, Hikari was talking again, Karin was negotiating for snacks, and Ruri was attempting to mediate from the back seat. Beside me, Ria settled into the passenger side and rested one hand near the center console.
I placed mine over it.
Her fingers immediately intertwined with mine.
Ria glanced toward me.
I looked back.
Neither of us needed to say anything.
Fluffy pulled away from the curb with our daughters' voices filling every corner of the car, and as the school disappeared behind us, I decided that a few peaceful hours alone with my wife had been wonderful.
Coming back for our daughters was better.
***
End of chapter 70
Arclight Parenting Status
Parents:
Ren Arclight — Retired Archmage / Dragon Dad / Demon Queen Furniture
Ria Arclight — Former Demon Queen / Dragon Mom / Husband Occupation Specialist
Current Family Objective:
Survive six child-free hours
Experience actual retirement
Remember school pickup
Children Under Protection:
Ruri — Ice / Emotional Anchor / Remote Adult Responsibility Enforcement
Karin — Fire / Chaos / Currently Somebody Else's Problem
Hikari — Light / Reality Risk / School-Based Dragon Artist
Today's Activities:
Experienced suspicious household silence
Cooked and stole lunch
Conducted brief kitchen warfare
Watched One Piece instead of being productive
Nearly slept through school pickup
New Developments:
Ria has formally rejected unused couch space
Marriage Decrees apparently supersede property rights
Ren and Ria discovered they genuinely enjoy doing nothing together
Both parents confirmed the house feels wrong without the girls
Household Status:
Quiet
Romantic
Unproductive
Missing Three Dragons
Parents Stress Levels:
Ren
Relaxed
Manipulated
Frequently Used As Furniture
Ria
Affectionate
Extremely Clingy
Dangerously Comfortable
Parenting Skill Growth:
Ren: 100% (Husband Mode Fully Integrated)
Ria: 100% (Mama Can Miss Children While Enjoying Husband)
Family Synergy: 100% (Temporary Separation Successfully Survived)
Current Parents Status:
Ren
Papa
Husband
Couch Extension
Ria
Mama
Wife
Refusing Personal Space
Immediate Priorities:
Feed hungry daughters
Put folded laundry away eventually
Investigate Karin's mysterious scorch mark
Never explain "what happened earlier"
Operational Assessment:
Mission Type:
Child-Free Retirement Trial
Difficulty:
Staying Productive
Emotional Status:
Ren
Relaxed — Loved — Content
Ria
Comfortable — Affectionate — Happy
Future Outlook:
More Child-Free Afternoons Highly Recommended
One Piece Consumption Expected To Increase
Ria's Personal-Space Requirements Approaching Zero
Vael's "Administrative Matters" Remain Extremely Suspicious
Household Noise Officially Preferred Over Silence
Parents Personal Statement:
Ren:
"We should get bored more often."
Ria:
"Agreed."
Reality's Response:
"They discovered that being alone together could be wonderfully peaceful. But when three familiar voices filled the car again, both parents quietly agreed—the chaos made home feel complete."