New World with Four Husbands

Coco stirred awake, her senses sharpening as she became conscious.

As her gaze adjusted to the dimly lit room, her mind registered something heavy on top of her, something warm and solid.

A feeling of unease washed over her, her body tensing involuntarily at the unexpected weight pressing down on her.

Coco's gaze darted upward as her mind slowly cleared, and her eyes widened at the sight of Konoha, the oversized fluffy creature, sprawled across her body.

The creature looked quite content, its head resting on her chest, snuggling and breathing lightly, with its soft, furry tail draped across her legs.

The creature was surprisingly heavy, its bulk pinning Coco to the bed.

Though, that surprise melted away when Coco felt the creature's soft, silky fur rub against her skin, the creature's weight anchoring her to the bed with a comforting presence.

She left Konoha inside her room for the whole day, but she left the window open.

According to Lala, familiars don't run away from their masters if they could sense that their master would not abuse them.

So, Coco didn't feel the anxiety of thinking that Konoha might have run away because she knows that she's not a bad master nor a caretaker— she even brought a meal back for Konoha!

Coco sighed, the feeling of the steady vibration of Konoha's body as the creature purred snapped her off of her flashback.

Each exhale sent a wave of vibration against her skin made Coco let her head drop back to the bed, her eyes shifting away from Konoha and instead to the ceiling of her room.

The purring was a surreal feeling, the deep timbre of the creature's purr resonating through her very being.

Coco's thoughts were hazy, her mind still caught in the remnants of sleep and with the purring feeling almost comforting, the sound like a gentle lullaby, calming her racing heart, she couldn't help, but let out a yawn.

Coco's eyelids grew heavy as the purring continued, the rhythm of Konoha's breathing acting like a soothing lullaby.

Her body relaxed involuntarily, her limbs growing heavy and sluggish as Coco's mind seemed to drift away, the steady, comforting sound of the creature's purring acting as a tranquilizer, lulling her back to sleep.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

However, Coco jolted awake, her eyes snapping open at the unexpected sound of a knock on the door— the sound was sharp and insistent, breaking through the haze of sleep that still clung to her mind.

She jolted upright, her heart racing, her thoughts racing to catch up with the sudden awakening.

The room was quiet, save for the faint sound of Konoha's continued purring, the creature blissfully unaware of the disturbance.

Coco sat up slowly, her movements careful and gentle, her eyes never leaving the sleeping form of Konoha.

She lifted the creature off her body, a soft huff of exertion escaped her lips as she pushed the creature against the wall, and Konoha meowed softly in protest, still half-asleep, her soft form slumping against the wall.

Coco's expression was a mix of concern and weariness, her hair falling around her face in messy waves as she stared at Konoha.

Konoha closed her eyes and let out a soft breath of contentment, sinking back into slumber.

Her purr started up once again, the sound quieter now, but still comfortingly familiar, and Coco observed her for a moment, her heart softening at the sight of the peacefully sleeping creature.

Then, Coco carefully got off the bed, her bare feet pressing gently into the floorboards.

She took a moment to adjust her sleeping wear, straightening the fabric and smoothing out the wrinkles from sleep.

With a weary sigh, she padded silently towards the door, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind was still groggy from sleep, her thoughts fuzzy and indistinct, but the knocking continued, making her grow more awake.

Coco opened the door to find Sinclair standing on the other side, a pleased expression already on his face.

He stood there, his tall, imposing frame silhouetted against the pale light of early morning with his uncharacteristically messy hair, his calm composure from yesterday replaced by an air of anticipation.

Upon seeing her, he raised one eyebrow in mild amusement, his gaze sweeping over her messy appearance with a hint of playfulness.

Sinclair lowered his head, tilting it forward in a respectful nod.

Despite the early hour and his disheveled appearance, his voice was steady and serious, his deep voice tinged with formality, his tone respectful.

"Good morning, Coco." Sinclair said, his eyes meeting hers briefly before dropping his gaze once more.

His demeanor betrayed no sign of exhaustion or annoyance at the early hour, his training and discipline obvious with the way that the signs of weariness were at bay.

"You don't have to bow." Coco mumbled, rubbing a hand down her face, trying to get rid of the remnant sleep in her system, "What are you doing anyway? Aren't you supposed to be at the village hall?"

"I sneaked out." Sinclair hummed, smiling softly.

Coco straightened at the unexpected news that Sinclair had sneaked out of his morning meeting with the village chief.

A small frown flickered over her face, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion and concern as she stared at him, silently questioning the reasons behind his action.

"Salamandara said that you have to prepare so I volunteered to be the one to wake you up." Sinclair answered the questioning gaze Coco shot at him, "Of course, they have no idea that I volunteered. I just left them after all.'

"That's not nice." Coco sighed, shaking her head.

"But I prioritize my master." Sinclair said, shooting her a smile that looked between playful and sincere.

"Whatever." Coco mumbled and turned back to her room, "I'm awake now. You can go back to the village hall. I'll be quick—"

"No, master." Sinclair said and stared at Coco, "You have to start packing because the guards are already preparing ."

"Packing up at this early hour.. Great."