Chapter 13: The parents morning
With the sunlight passing through the window and falling upon the peaceful scene of the three people lying on the bed, Adam, Kafka, and Elara, the three of them were still asleep and motionless until the first to rise was Adam. When his eyes opened, it was not like a normal person waking up, for there was no sign in them that he had just awakened.
Still dressed in his white priestly robe and matching gloves, he calmly got out of bed and walked toward the chair beside it from the previous night. He quietly looked at the two sleeping figures and thought:
'We may look like a family on the surface, but the truth is far from that. Neither Kafka nor I trust each other.'
Despite my limited knowledge of this world through a game I never even played, I will have to continue with my plans.
Lost in his thoughts, he did not notice the movement of the mature woman waking up. With a slight motion, she raised her arm to shield her eyes from the sunlight. Once she sat up, she could be seen more clearly.
Her clothes from yesterday had not changed, but the most noticeable thing was that she was barefoot, having removed her shoes before sleeping last night.
Of course, her sleeping position, holding Elara in her arms, was not mentioned. Instead of getting up immediately, she simply turned her head and saw Adam observing the mother and daughter with a smile.
She raised her right hand to her mouth, took on the tone of someone making an accusation, and asked:
"Oh my, watching a woman in her sleep is something only a pervert would do. Don't tell me the great saint, the incarnation of purity and faith, is actually a pervert?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she giggled and stood up before he had time to answer, then put on her shoes. Adam, passive as always, did not react. He merely waited until she finished putting them on before replying.
"My apologies if I made you uncomfortable once again, and no, I am not a pervert."
Seeing his lack of reaction, Kafka, now used to it, simply walked toward the door with a pout on her face.
She complained to him,
"You should react more. Keeping the same face all day makes you look like a soulless, lifeless doll. You might scare people."
With her hands behind her back, without turning around or stopping, she suddenly heard Adam's voice:
"You plan to leave again without saying anything? Why not stay until lunch? Or are you busy?"
Faced with that series of questions, Kafka finally stopped, then turned around to face him and replied:
"Oh? Has this one day made you so attached to me that you no longer want to part with me?"
She placed her right hand on her cheek and smiled as though she were looking at a child seeking attention.
After a second or two, she answered more plainly:
"If you ask me that politely, even I have to accept."
She then turned around and sat directly on the bed. Whether consciously or unconsciously, she made no sound, as if she did not wish to wake the sleeping Elara. Resting one hand on her cheek, she looked at Adam, who was also looking at her.
Their silent staring contest continued until Adam was the first to speak.
"Thank you for accepting my sudden request despite your busy schedule."
He thanked Kafka for staying without commenting on her teasing.
Kafka answered cheerfully:
"Oh, don't worry about that. After all, as a wife, I must answer the needs of my beloved husband. Besides, if you ask so politely, I'm obliged to accept."
It seemed she truly enjoyed playing the role of wife and mother. She took pleasure in teasing Adam and watching for his reactions, even though he showed none. She could not help but sigh.
As her gaze swept around the room, she asked with a small smile:
"So, why do you want me to stay with you? Don't tell me it's only because you wanted more time with me. I must admit, I'm honored that a saint wishes to spend time with a wanted criminal like me."
As Adam stood and walked toward the door without answering, his quiet footsteps echoed softly in the room. He stopped in front of the door, turned back, looked directly into Kafka's eyes, and simply asked:
"Aren't you coming?"
Kafka said nothing. She merely rose from the bed, and walked over to Adam, who watched her calmly. Elara, still asleep since the beginning of their conversation, did not move.
The two parents left the room and walked through the long hallway of the church. Surprisingly, on her own initiative, Kafka took Adam's left arm, behaving like an old married couple.
Adam stopped in his tracks and looked at her. There was no trace of embarrassment or anything else on his face as he calmly asked:
"What are you doing?"
Despite his question, he made no move to pull away and allowed her to hold his arm.
"What? Am I not allowed to touch my own husband?"
As she said that, she took out her phone and snapped a selfie of the two of them in that pose. Her smile widened, but inwardly she analyzed him.
'Even with physical contact, he doesn't react. Is he used to women touching him? What a playboy.'
Despite that remark, it seemed that ever since Adam's arrival, she no longer found being around him boring.
'I wonder what Silver Wolf and Blade would think if I showed them this photo of us?'
Imagining that scene, she could not help but feel a trace of excitement for her return.
Adam said nothing and continued walking, though unconsciously his eyes became warmer and brighter for a single second. And the two of them, future husband and wife, continued walking, their steps synchronized beneath the sunlight and the sound of birds echoing through the church.
As they walked, Kafka asked with genuine curiosity, as though it were a casual question:
"Why is your church empty every time I appear?"
Though the question sounded innocent, its true meaning was: How do you always know when I'm coming if I never tell you?
Adam did not answer immediately and let the silence linger. Kafka did not press him for an answer, but instead moved even closer to him, this time carefully observing the micro-expressions on his face.
'Despite the lack of visible expression, you can't be one hundred percent emotionless, can you?'
After one glance into Kafka's innocent eyes, which seemed to say I'm innocent, Adam replied vaguely:
"It's simply a coincidence, nothing more."
Of course, inwardly he thought something else:
'Is she trying to see whether I react to physical contact with a woman? Interesting.'
After that answer, which both of them knew was false, they simply continued walking.
This time, the silence between them was calm, gentle, and free of pressure.