You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 125

Asdion set his teacup down on the table with unconcealed irritation. The cup clattered against the saucer, threatening to shatter.

Sniffling, I sluggishly extended my hand from beneath the blanket to pick up my cup. Steam rose from the yellowish liquid. I poked my face out slightly from between the blankets to savor the aroma, took a quick gulp, then set it back down. As I turned down the corners of my mouth, Asmil, sitting across from me, spoke with an amused tone.

“So you’re not going back?”

“…No.”

I was currently cocooned in blankets, hiding out in Asmil’s hideout. I’d left the Barthes duchy in anger at Karhan, but with nowhere else to go, I ended up flying around before finally coming here.

When I transformed back naked, Asdion thankfully threw me a blanket. Upon seeing my bare body, Asdion’s face twisted as if he’d spotted vomit on the street.

Resting his chin in his hand, Asmil looked me up and down in my blanket cocoon state. His gaze moved languidly before fixing on my head. I subtly tightened my grip on the blanket and wrapped it more securely around my head. Asmil’s lips curved into a deep smile as his eyes narrowed to slits.

“Can’t I see too?”

“No!”

I squeezed my eyes shut and cried out. Though we weren’t particularly close, the reason I was entrusting myself to Asmil’s hideout was because of what had happened just hours ago.

🐥

On what had been a peaceful day, feathers started gradually falling from my bird form. At first I didn’t think much of it, but the feather loss grew worse over time. I simply thought it was molting season, but it wasn’t something to be taken so lightly.

With a growing sense of unease, I looked down at my reflection in the mirror to find my crown completely bare. My mind went blank for a moment. I stared blankly at the mirror, holding my breath, before reality sank in. My breathing grew rapid and my hands started trembling.

Me, going bald?

Though I wasn’t human but rather a bird-folk, this was a matter of personal dignity. Devastated by the revelation of hair loss, I spent all day in bed wrapped in blankets like a cocoon.

When I stayed in my room all day covered in blankets, Karhan, who had heard about it, came to my room early in the evening. When I didn’t turn around at the sound of the door opening, he approached and sat at the edge of the bed, quietly watching me.

I peeked just my head out from under the blankets to look at Karhan. As I blinked silently, Karhan slowly reached out to grab the blanket.Gasp!I inhaled sharply and yanked the blanket hard.

“No!”

Seeing him about to pull it off, I cried out desperately. I couldn’t show him such an unsightly appearance.Going bald… I never thought this day would come in my life.My heart pounded frantically. Karhan furrowed his brows, likely hearing my racing heartbeat with his sensitive hearing.

“Are you ill?”

My hair is what’s sick…

Unable to answer, I just hung my head with a pitiful expression. When I started sniffling loudly, he seemed worried about my condition. Karhan’s strong hands began unwrapping my blanket cocoon.

“I said no!”

Seeing me act so unusually, Karhan grabbed the blanket more firmly with an increasingly concerned expression. Not wanting to yield, I also gripped the blanket tightly. The poor blanket stretched taut between us. I glared at Karhan with fierce eyes.

“Don’t.”

“You don’t need to hide it.”

“This is about my dignity.”

I warned him to stop while wrinkling my nose bridge. Karhan gave me an odd look, then took advantage of my momentary distraction to spread the cocoon wide open. My hands, which had been trying so hard from the inside, were swept away like sand before waves and the blanket flew open.

Huff, huff, harsh breaths escaped me. Moisture gradually welled up in my eyes until heavy drops formed at the corners and rolled down.

I could feel Karhan’s gaze, higher than my eye level, naturally moving toward my crown. Shocked, I froze like a statue, not even thinking to cover it.

“…I hate you!”

I told you not to! I said no! Why didn’t you listen to me!I reached out and quickly pushed against Karhan’s chest as he sat right in front of me. Though he clearly wasn’t one to be moved by my strength, Karhan backed away willingly, seeming to know he was in the wrong.

With tearful eyes, I transformed into a bird. Not just my head, but my whole body was losing feathers, making me feel colder than usual. In my current miserable state, I didn’t want to see Karhan. I roughly flapped my wings like a great eagle and flew outside.

After wandering aimlessly, I ended up at Asmil’s hideout. Finding the situation amusing, he didn’t chase me away. Glancing up, I saw Asdion standing stiffly behind Asmil, glaring at me with stern eyes. Though he still disliked me, he refrained from doing anything, perhaps because of Asmil.

Does he hate me that much? Though Asdion was the one who had wronged me, I was always the one avoiding him. Too timid to engage in any tension with Asdion, I lowered my gaze. As I sat with my head down, thoroughly wrapped in blankets, I started feeling drowsy.

“Can I sleep here tonight?”

“Who said you could—”

“Sure. Asdion, would you prepare a room?”

“Yes, understood.”

I’m pretty sure he was about to say ‘who said you could.’But Asdion, Asmil’s devoted servant, bowed deeply and brushed past me on his way to a distant room. Watching him enter the room far away, I asked Asmil:

“Are you two close now?”

“We always were.”

He smiled warmly while touching his teacup.

What does he mean they were always close? I almost died because of their lover’s quarrel. My chest still aches remembering getting shot. But thinking of how Asmil suffered for my sake these past two years, I couldn’t say anything. His still-shining pink eyes were proof of that.

“So, how long are you planning to stay?”

“How long?”

“Were you planning to go back after just one day?”

Asmil’s eyebrows quirked upward.

“If you give in so easily after your first fight, you’ll end up under his thumb forever.”

Asmil’s voice lilted upward, either trying to provoke me or tease. Looking at his expression, it was full of amusement. His lips curved up and his eyes crinkled mischievously, creating plump folds.

Though I could see he was up to something, Asmil’s words made sense when I thought about it. This was our first fight since dating, and it probably shouldn’t be resolved so easily. Especially since Karhan was in the wrong this time.

I should use this opportunity to teach Karhan a good lesson. Make him learn to listen to what I say properly. I nodded and looked at Asmil.

“Can I stay for a few days?”

“As you wish.”

Asmil leaned forward and propped his chin on the table. His pink eyes glinted sharply between his narrowed lids.

I looked down at my teacup. My solemn expression reflected in the rippling tea surface.Alright. Then I’ll sleep as much as I can before going back.

…And so I left the hideout after sleeping for two days.

Not seeing each other for two days should have given Karhan plenty of time to reflect, right? Maybe it was because I hadn’t seen that handsome face for so long, but there was a heaviness in one corner of my heart.

With Asmil’s kind send-off, I took to the skies. The cool breeze flowed through my sparse feathers. I wonder if wigs exist in this world? When I get back to the mansion, I should look into getting a wig first.

Riding the wind, I arrived at the mansion and rolled through a slightly open window. The room was quite dark with not a single light on. As I transformed into human form and walked lightly toward the bed, I startled and jumped when I saw a large dark figure standing in the corner.

“G-goodness, you scared me…”

I thought no one was here since it was so quiet. Why are you standing in the corner with the lights off? My startled heart thumped wildly. I carefully pulled out a blanket and wrapped it around my whole body.

His silver-gray eyes gleamed sharply each time they closed and opened in the darkness.Is he angry…? No, what right does he have to be angry after seeing my bald spot without permission?

Thinking I needed to be firm this time, I turned my back on Karhan and sat on the bed. It was quite cumbersome to sit with the thick padding of blankets around me. As I quickly steadied my wobbling body, I heard footsteps approaching with large strides, cutting through the chilly silence. I gulped and kept staring down at my pillow.

When Karhan sat on the bed right next to me, the mattress sank deeply. I nearly fell backward but managed to maintain my balance. When I still wouldn’t turn around, Karhan reached out first and embraced me.

His long arms wrapped around me from behind, holding me completely still. His pointed chin rested on my shoulder, tickling me. I felt his hot breath on my ear as he drew close.

The arms restraining me pulled me even tighter. Despite my rigidly straightened back, I had no choice but to lean back into Karhan’s embrace. Karhan let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“Where did you go?”

“…Just went out for some fresh air.”

Perhaps because I’d been gone for the long time of two days, Karhan’s voice lacked energy. My heart started to soften despite myself, so I gently bit my lip. I can’t forgive him for seeing my bald spot without permission.

I pressed my lips together firmly and asked Karhan in a stern voice:

“Did you reflect a lot?”

Perhaps because of my scary voice, Karhan’s breath trembled slightly. The arm muscles holding me tensed and hardened, and I heard hesitant breathing by my ear. After opening and closing his mouth several times, he finally let out a deep sigh.

“Yes… I’m sorry for forcing you to show me.”

“I’m not someone who forgives easily.”

When I spoke in a firm voice, Karhan gently nuzzled his head against my shoulder. He somehow reminded me of a large dog.

“What must I do to receive your forgiveness?”

“Uh…”

I hadn’t thought that far ahead. My eyes widened at the sudden question. What should I make him do? What would both maintain my dignity and make Karhan reflect? As I rolled my eyes around thoughtfully considering it carefully, I suddenly remembered a scene that always appears in dramas. The corners of my mouth twitched upward.

“Wash my feet.”

“Feet?”

“Yes. You know, like washing feet in a big basin and such.”

I remembered seeing loving couples do that in dramas when I lived at my aunt’s house. The scene of them soaking their feet in a large basin and washing each other’s feet stuck with me. They would gaze at each other with loving eyes in that state – it looked so warm and tender.

Just imagining it made my heart flutter, and I squeezed the blanket wrapped around me tightly. Karhan stared intently at me like that before nodding his head.