My Husband Said I Should Drink More Hot Water

Kuma fell into a long, deathly silence.

To be completely honest, this was a bit too shabby.

The grand World-Ending Witch, an existence that made the entire continent tremble in fear, was actually hiding in a dilapidated house in a remote village to recover from her injuries? If news of this reached the Scorched Earth, His Majesty the Demon King would probably shed tears of heartache on the spot, and then dispatch an army to slaughter this village.

Even if she was going for the "great hermit hides in the city" vibe, it should at least be a local squire's mansion, or she could have seized the town's church to use as a temporary palace, right?

Kuma's brain issued a warning of insufficient processing power.

She just couldn't understand it at all! Was this the mindset of the strong?

"This humble servant... understands." Kuma wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "In that case, Milady must need my help to remodel this civilian house, right? For example, digging a dungeon dozens of floors deep underground, or setting up a star-destroying magic circle in the attic..."

"Remodel?" Felsy paused, then shook her head. "That... probably won't work. This is someone else's house."

"Eh?"

"The owner of this house is named Lynch Graywhite, a native villager. I am merely staying at his house temporarily to recuperate." Felsy's tone remained flat, as if she were commenting on the nice weather today. "For convenience's sake, and to avoid having my identity exposed and being kicked out, I went ahead and married him."

"Oh, I see... Huh?!"

Kuma was nodding at first, but when she suddenly realized what was said, she jumped up as if struck by lightning.

"M-Married??"

Her voice instantly went up eight octaves, and even her tail stood straight up in shock.

"Y-You're not joking, are you? Lady Witch, do you mean... you found a human villager to marry? The kind where you actually get a marriage certificate?"

"Yes."

"Is there something special about this person?" Kuma immediately let her imagination run wild. "For example, is he a six-hundred-year-old Vampire Prince disguised as a villager? Or a future Son of God secretly raised by the Church with the potential to ascend to godhood? Or perhaps, he is a legendary Hero summoned from another world who possesses a system?"

Only an existence of that caliber would be worthy of Lady Witch! This must be some kind of political marriage between two powerhouses!

"None of the above." Felsy shattered her fantasies.

"Then he is..."

"Just an ordinary villager. His profession is an apothecary; he knows how to grow herbs and cook."

"..."

"Really just... an ordinary villager?"

"Yes. He doesn't even know how to cast a Fireball."

Kuma felt her worldview collapsing.

In the Demon Continent, countless outstanding young talents and Abyssal Lords wanted to bow down before Lady Witch's skirt. If Felsy announced she wanted to get married, the line of suitors would stretch from the entrance of the Scorched Earth Guard Headquarters all the way to the royal palace of the Holy Central Empire, enough to fill up the entire moat.

And yet... a herb-growing village bumpkin succeeded? This was like a giant dragon marrying an ant. It was simply the mother of all absurdities—absurd to the extreme!

Feeling Kuma's increasingly strange and even somewhat distorted gaze, Felsy also felt that such a dry explanation was indeed a bit odd.

She thought for a moment and added, "When I was teleported here, my life was like a candle in the wind. He saved me and pulled me back from the brink of death. He said he wanted to marry me, and in exchange, he would provide me with a sanctuary..."

"So that's how it is!"

Kuma suddenly clapped her hands, a sharp glint bursting from her eyes.

Demon culture emphasized repaying kindness; favors must be returned, and grudges must be avenged. As a witch who had received an elite education since childhood, Felsy's internal principles were naturally deeply ingrained.

"So... Milady, you are treating marriage as a means of repaying a debt of gratitude? A temporary expedient?"

"Yes," Felsy nodded. "Besides, this identity is very convenient."

Phew—

That scared me to death.

Kuma let out a long sigh of relief, her clogged brain finally clearing up.

This way, it all made sense. This was not some beautiful cross-species romance at all, but a thorough "transaction"! Lady Witch was using the marriage to gain legal residency and cover in human society; meanwhile, that lucky village bumpkin got the opportunity to take care of a beautiful woman (even if he could only look and not touch).

This was much more reasonable!

That human named Lynch really had dumb luck.

Amidst her sighs of emotion, Kuma secretly observed Felsy's expression.

Hmm... deadpan, aloof, with eyes completely devoid of emotion.

It seemed Lady Witch truly did not care about this whole marriage business. That made sense; when it came to romantic feelings between men and women, Felsy was terrifyingly pure, basically equivalent to an idiot who knew nothing.

In Felsy's eyes, this was probably no different from "I pay you gold coins, you give me bread."

Kuma felt she had already seen through everything.

At this time, the sun was gradually rising. Passing through the gaps in the leaves, dapples of light scattered across the stone slabs in the courtyard.

Unknowingly, the spot where Felsy stood had slipped out from the shade of the trees.

She frowned slightly and raised a hand to block the light.

Logically speaking, this bit of sunlight was nothing; the glare from the three suns on the Demon Continent was ten times harsher. But right now, her body was too weak. Her skin was as tender as soft tofu, and being exposed to the sun for too long actually made her feel a stinging pain.

Of course, she could use a magic shield to eliminate this discomfort, but it wasn't worth it. It would be a waste of magic power and would delay the progress of her body's natural recovery. Most importantly, if she was seen by the auntie sunning her quilts next door, it would arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Felsy sighed and turned to Kuma. "What time is it?"

"It's almost nine-thirty." Kuma pulled out a magic pocket watch that looked incredibly expensive and glanced at it.

"It's time to take my medicine."

Felsy said no more. She shifted her steps and walked somewhat laboriously into the house.

Kuma hesitated, reaching out a hand halfway before pulling it back.

High-level demons were very proud, possessing an excess of self-esteem. Even if Lady Witch's body had not yet recovered, she wouldn't want to be supported by a subordinate without having asked for it first, right? That would be an insult to the strong.

So she obediently followed behind like a little lackey.

Entering the house, Kuma curiously surveyed her surroundings.

The furniture was all ordinary, but wiped spotlessly clean. On the table sat a bowl of dark, murky medicinal soup, and surprisingly, there was even a small saucer of candied fruit next to it.

Felsy picked up the medicine bowl and, without even furrowing her brow, downed it in one gulp.

This medicine smelled incredibly bitter... Kuma was just about to ask if she should contact the Scorched Earth to get some painless, high-grade recovery potions, but on second thought, since Lady Witch chose this method, she must be tempering her will through hardship! This was enduring hardship to foster determination!

Afterward, Felsy picked up a strange cylindrical container on the table (a thermos homemade by Lynch) and poured out a steaming cup of plain boiled water.

Cupping the glass with both hands, she gently blew on the hot steam and then began to take small sips.

"Lady Witch, why are you drinking water right after taking your medicine?" Kuma was puzzled. "Is there some special magic supplement added to this water?"

Felsy, holding the cup, blinked. Under the steam of the hot water, a strange trace of softness actually surfaced on her deadpan face.

She answered subconsciously, her voice involuntarily taking on a soft and sweet tone.

"My husband said I need to drink more hot water."

"..."

Pfft—

Kuma almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Her husband said?!

Her husband said so!!!

How could those words coming from the mouth of the murderous Felsy sound so... weird? Bafflingly, there was a sour stench of romance, the overwhelming vibe of an obedient, docile little wife hitting her right in the face!

Where the hell am I? Is this still the World-Ending Witch who made the world tremble? This is clearly just an obedient little housewife from next door!

Kuma's facial expression management completely collapsed, her whole face twisting into a comical look of dismay.

"Why the sudden look?" Felsy put down the cup and resumed her cold demeanor.

"Uh, Lady Witch, please forgive my intrusion and allow me to ask..." Kuma swallowed hard, feeling like she was frantically testing the limits of her own survival. "Could it be... that you actually... feel that... love for your marriage partner?"

At first glance, this question seemed quite stupid.

But when applied to Felsy, it was a soul-striking interrogation.

Felsy froze.

Faced with this question, she didn't immediately refute it, but instead fell into deep thought.

"What is the criterion for determining love?" she asked in return.

She knew this was a boring human emotion, one that even some demons would indulge in. Her father had said that love makes people weak, which is a great taboo for warriors. Therefore, Felsy had always despised this kind of thing.

But this morning, after Lynch left the house, she did indeed stare blankly at the jujube tree for a long time, her mind completely filled with the sight of Lynch's back. Even when recalling that hug, there was no rejection in her heart; instead, there was a kind of... sense of security, like soaking in warm water.

Is this love?

"...It's a bit complicated to explain." Kuma scratched her ear. "It's probably like, you care about him a lot? For example, when he's not by your side, you miss him very much? Or when you hear his words, you subconsciously obey them?"

Felsy seriously compared these points.

Care? It seemed like a little.

Miss him? She really did just now.

Obey? Did "drink more hot water" count?

In other words... she had fallen in love with Lynch?

That weak human apothecary?

Boom—

A rush of heat fiercely surged to Felsy's cheeks, and her originally pale skin was instantly dyed with a layer of crimson that reached all the way to the roots of her ears.

Absolutely impossible!

This was just a reliance born from their contract! It was a side effect of her desire to repay his kindness!

"Eek!! Lady Witch, your face is so red... Could it be that I hit the nail on the head, and you're feeling shy?" Kuma yelled, pointing at Felsy as if she had discovered a new continent.

Felsy's body stiffened.

In the next second, the shyness in her eyes completely vanished, replaced by the cold glint of humiliation turning into anger.

"It is not shyness. I am feeling indignant at your presumptuous speculation and nonsense."

Felsy touched her cheek, a burst of cold air surging from her palm. In an instant, she used an instant-cast ice magic to forcefully cool down her skin, returning to her icy and frosty appearance.

"Now, I am going to punish you, Agent Kuma. You speak too much nonsense."

"Huh?? Yamete!!"

Felsy gently raised her hand, her fingertips tracing a simple rune. Several pitch-black threads of magic materialized out of thin air, instantly wrapping around Kuma's ankles as if they had a life of their own.

"Waaaaah!"

Kuma only felt the world spin. In the next moment, she found herself strung up upside down from the ceiling beam, her skirt drooping down to cover her face.

Immediately after, a long whip formed from shadow magic materialized out of thin air in Felsy's hand.

"Since you have so much free time, help me test the precision of my recently recovered magic control."

Crack!

The tip of the whip cracked in the air.

"Swoosh— Spin, Agent Spinning Top."

"Help me!! Is this also part of the plan, My Lady—"

Screams, accompanied by a spinning afterimage, echoed within the cozy little farmhouse.