The Tacit Fool

As night fell, Buyena Village was shrouded in tranquil starlight.

When Lynch pushed open the door to his home, he wasn't greeted by his wife walking over with her usual elegant pace, occasionally complaining with a tsundere attitude about why he had come back so late. Instead, he was met with a slightly eerie silence filling the room.

Only a dim oil lamp was lit in the living room.

Kuma was nowhere to be found, probably still dizzy in some corner, while Felsy was sitting upright on the sofa, holding a book upside down, her entire body as stiff as a delicate wax figure.

Honey, I'm home.

Lynch said with a smile as he changed his shoes. Do you want the braised pork ribs sweet or savory today? I bought some nice rock sugar...

...Either is fine.

Felsy didn't turn her head. Her voice sounded a bit tight, as if something was stuck in her throat. Whatever you think is best.

Lynch paused, keenly sensing that something was wrong.

Usually, when it came to food, the eyes of these two, plus one fox, would light up. Why was she so cold today?

He walked over and tried to touch Felsy's forehead. What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Or did Kuma make you mad again?

Right at the moment his hand was about to touch her forehead.

Felsy reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She jerked back violently, almost bouncing to the other end of the sofa.

Don't... don't touch me!

The words blurted out, carrying a trace of panic and obvious shame.

Lynch's hand froze in mid-air as he looked at her in astonishment.

The air stagnated for a few seconds.

Seeing Lynch's somewhat hurt and confused eyes, Felsy's heart trembled violently.

Oh no, I overreacted.

She bit her lip in frustration inwardly. She had spent the entire afternoon building up her mental defenses, deciding to use desensitization therapy to face him, but the moment she saw his face...

Her mind automatically conjured up the wild and explicit words of those village women, along with those blush-inducing scenes.

Especially when her gaze accidentally swept past Lynch's waist, a sense of shame erupted like a geyser of magma.

Um... I didn't mean it like that.

Felsy took a deep breath, trying hard to make her voice sound calmer, though her cheeks were already flushing slightly. I'm just... just a little tired today. I don't have much energy and want some quiet time.

I see.

Lynch withdrew his hand. Although he still found it strange, he didn't press the issue.

Although his wife usually seemed tough, her constitution was fundamentally weak from Lynch's perspective, so occasional mood swings were normal.

Alright, then you rest. I'll go cook and call you when it's ready.

Lynch smiled gently and turned to enter the kitchen.

Watching his busy back in the kitchen and hearing the sounds of chopping and running water, Felsy grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and buried her face deeply into it.

Stupid Felsy...

She scolded herself in her heart. What are you afraid of? He was the one who took advantage, so why are you acting like you did something wrong?

Isn't this just something between husband and wife? What is there to hide from?

Stay calm! You must stay calm!

The Lady Witch seriously cheered herself on in her heart.

...

This dinner was eaten in unusual silence.

Felsy kept her head down, picking at her food. Her gaze wandered, and she didn't dare make eye contact with Lynch at all. Even her favorite braised pork ribs tasted bland in her mouth right now.

Lynch tried to start a conversation a few times, but was shut down by her brief replies of mhm, oh, and okay.

It wasn't until the dead of night, after the two had washed up and laid down on their familiar large bed.

The awkward atmosphere reached its peak.

According to their usual habits, Felsy would have already leaned against Lynch's side by now, or rested her head on his arm, listening to him talk about the day's amusing events and acting a bit spoiled.

Ever since they broke through the barriers between them, Felsy had grown very fond of leaning against Lynch. Lynch figured she probably just liked the feeling of warmth.

After all, Felsy's body always felt icy cold.

Now, after a few months of conditioning and resting through the entire winter, she was actually much better. When he first started healing her injuries, it was truly severe.

The slightest draft made it seem like she was going to catch a severe cold.

But today.

Felsy wrapped herself up tightly, turning her back to Lynch and shrinking to the very edge of the bed, as if there were an uncrossable boundary between them.

She was trembling.

Not from the cold, but from nervousness and shame.

She was thinking, what if... what if Lynch came over right now and wanted to do those happy marital things, what should she do?

Should she refuse? Or cooperate?

If she cooperated, wouldn't that confirm that she had been a fool before?

If she didn't cooperate, would he think it was strange?

Various thoughts fought in her mind, making the Lady Witch's brain nearly short-circuit.

Honey.

Lynch's deep voice suddenly came from behind her.

Felsy stiffened all over, holding her breath and pretending she was already asleep.

However, a warm, large hand gently rested on her shoulder, applying a little pressure to turn this stiff silkworm chrysalis over.

In the darkness, Lynch's eyes were bright, carrying a hint of helplessness, but mostly filled with concern.

What exactly is wrong with you tonight?

Lynch looked at her, his tone as gentle as if he were coaxing a child. You've been acting strange since I walked through the door. Did I do something wrong outside? Or... is something on your mind?

If there's something I didn't do well, just communicate with me directly. Don't bottle it up and hurt yourself.

Hearing these words, a corner of Felsy's tightly wound mental defenses suddenly collapsed.

She looked at the man in front of her, whose eyes were entirely focused on her.

He didn't know anything.

He was just purely worried about her.

An inexplicable sense of grievance suddenly welled up in her heart. Felsy sniffled, speaking with a bit of childish pique and a hint of probing:

Lynch.

Mhm, I'm here.

What kind of person... do you think I am?

When she asked this question, Felsy's fingers gripped the bedsheet tightly, her palms covered in sweat.

She was afraid.

Afraid that in Lynch's eyes, she had always been a gullible, stupid woman. Afraid that he had actually been secretly laughing at her for not even understanding that kind of common sense.

What kind of person?

Lynch paused, seemingly not expecting her to ask such a philosophical question.

He thought about it seriously for a moment, then reached out to tidy the messy hair on her forehead, a warm smile curving on his lips:

You...

First of all, you are very beautiful. So beautiful that sometimes it feels unreal to me, making me wonder if I saved the world in my past life to be able to marry you.

Felsy's eyelashes fluttered, and her face grew a bit hot, but she didn't interrupt him.

Secondly, even though you usually look cold, as if you look down on everyone with your tsundere attitude, you actually have a very soft heart.

Lynch listed them off, "You save chicken drumsticks for Kuma, take in that troublemaker Aria, and even force yourself to push through when you're sick just so I won't worry."

"And..."

Lynch paused, his eyes growing even gentler, carrying a hint of doting affection.

"Sometimes, you can be a cute little scatterbrain."

"A... scatterbrain?" Felsy's heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah," Lynch chuckled. "Like how you read books upside down, how you can't tell the difference between leeks and wheat seedlings, and how... you're as innocent as a blank sheet of paper when it comes to certain things."

Felsy's heart leaped into her throat.

He... he really did think she was stupid!

However, Lynch's next words made her melt entirely.

"But it's exactly because of that that I like you even more."

Lynch rested his forehead against hers and said softly:

"If you were a flawless, shrewd, and capable strong woman, I might admire you, but I wouldn't necessarily love you this deeply."

"It is precisely your imperfections and these little scatterbrained moments that make you feel real to me, someone I need to take care of and protect."

"Wifey."

He planted a light kiss on her lips. "It doesn't matter what kind of person you are, or whether you understand so-called common sense. None of that is important."

"In my eyes, you are the absolute best."

"I just love this... well, how should I put it, this mix of being both clever and clumsy."

Boom—

Felsy felt as if fireworks had exploded in her mind.

All her shame and self-doubt seemed so insignificant in this moment.

He likes me.

Even if I am silly, even if I make a fool of myself, he still finds it endearing.

In truth, the old Felsy never understood what it meant to like someone. She always thought it was an indescribable, weak emotion that belonged only to humans.

But now, the meaning of this feeling was incredibly clear in her heart.

She finally understood that liking someone was a mutual connection between two people.

It was an inseparable bond.

A warm current instantly filled her chest, making her eyes sting slightly.

"...Idiot."

Felsy sniffled, reaching out to wrap her arms around Lynch's waist, burying her face into his warm embrace.

"You are the one who is stupid... actually liking someone like me..."

She didn't finish the rest of her sentence.

But in her heart, the knot that had been bothering her all afternoon finally untangled.

Since he didn't mind, since he thought it was great...

What point was there in her being overly sensitive?

As long as he was by her side, as long as this warmth remained, what did losing a bit of face matter?

A witch wasn't a god, nor did she need to maintain a perfect idol image...

Felsy's sense of self-identity was slowly melting beneath the warmth known as Lynch.

The other side of her personality seemed to have fully awakened.

"Alright, stop letting your imagination run wild."

Lynch patted her back. "Let's sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."

"Mhm."

Felsy nuzzled into his chest, finding the most comfortable spot before closing her eyes.

That night, she slept exceptionally peacefully.

...

The next morning.

Familiar sunlight, familiar breezes, and... that familiar, embarrassing physiological condition.

Lynch woke up.

As a peak third-tier powerhouse, his physical constitution was outrageously formidable, which also meant that his morning... situation was particularly... intense.

Lynch instinctively shrank back, wanting to find an excuse to take a cold shower like usual.

Even though Felsy had helped treat him yesterday, he felt that this kind of thing shouldn't happen too frequently. What if his wife got tired or annoyed?

However.

The moment he moved, Felsy woke up in his arms.

She opened her eyes, savoring that familiar sensation.

If it were before yesterday, she would have definitely leaned in with a serious face to observe his condition. But now that she knew the truth, her face felt as scorching hot as if it were on fire.

That was... him thinking about that kind of thing.

And thinking about it with her.

Felsy bit her lip; two little figures were fighting in her mind.

The rational figure said: Push him away! Since you know the truth, stop being foolish! Tell him you know, and don't let him push his luck anymore!

The emotional figure argued: But... yesterday he said he liked your clumsy side. Besides... if you don't help him, won't he feel awful? Didn't Kuma say this was desensitization therapy, and he just needs to get used to it...

More importantly—

If she suddenly changed her tune now and said, I am not treating you anymore, deal with it yourself, wouldn't that be indirectly admitting that she had been an utterly clueless fool before?

No!

A witch's dignity could not be lost!

Since she had already acted out half the play, she had to bite the bullet and keep performing!

As long as I am not embarrassed, the one who gets embarrassed will be someone else!

Felsy took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the shame in her heart, and tried her best to put on a calm expression that said I am a professional and I am fulfilling my duty (even though her ears were completely red).

"Don't move."

She pinned down Lynch, who was trying to escape. Her voice trembled slightly, but her tone remained assertive.

"It is... acting up again?"

Lynch froze for a moment. Looking at his blushing wife who was trying so hard to feign composure, he felt a wave of both emotion and amusement.

"Wifey, actually..."

"Shut up."

Felsy didn't let him continue. She was afraid that if he exposed the truth, she would want to find a hole to crawl into right then and there.

"It seems the discharge yesterday wasn't thorough enough, or... or perhaps new toxins have accumulated again."

As she spouted this nonsense that not even she believed, she reached out a trembling hand.

"As your wife... it is my responsibility to nurse your body back to health."

"Endure it."

She frantically hypnotized herself in her mind.

This isn't that kind of thing... this is treatment... this is treatment...

I am a doctor... I am a doctor...

Yet, she was gentler and more meticulous than ever before.

In fact, because she now knew this was something that brought him pleasure, she subconsciously wanted to do an even better job, to make him even happier.

This instinct known as love conquered her shame.

In the faint morning light, the temperature in the bedroom steadily climbed.

Although the events occurring under the covers were indescribable, the unspoken mutual understanding and sweetness between the two were more moving than any words could ever be.

"Felsy..."

In the heat of passion, he couldn't help but call out her name.

"Shut up... concentrate..."