New World with Four Husbands

"Hi." Coco greeted Zaque, shooting him a smile.

Zaque raised an eyebrow, immediately noticing that something was amiss on Coco's behavior.

"Are you feeling alright? You look a little.. Rattled?" Zaque asked, straightening his back and dropping the dirty cloth to the table, "How are you feeling? How about Sinclair? Did you see him off by the gate? Did you stay outside for too long?"

Slowly, the concern that Zaque pushed down when Coco said that she will be having a quick conversation with Sinclair outside is resurfacing.

There was a worried lilt in Zaque's voice, but it was gentle enough to not put pressure on Coco.

"I'm good." Coco waved a hand dismissively as she stepped inside the room, "I was just about to go to the second floor. I wanted to clean the rooms that four of you would be staying in, but you caught me on my way out."

"Oh." Zaque blinked, then rolled his shoulders, "Sorry. I thought you wanted to ask something."

"It's fine." Once again, Coco waved a dismissive hand and tilted her head, "What can I do to help? I want to focus on the rooms if possible.. I know that the four of you are tired from the carriage ride."

Alhai scoffed, the sound echoing in the space. "I think you meant you were tired from the carriage ride."

"Me? No, I'm good." Coco hums, whether she sensed the annoyance in Alhai's voice or not, she acted like she didn't catch it, "Well? I don't want to just stand here and watch the four of you work. Please give me something to do."

Zaque stared at Coco for a moment, his red eyes scanning Coco from head to toe, carefully observing her state.

He took a mental note that even though she still had a slightly pale complexion, she looked much better than earlier, her face showing more color and her body more steady.

However, he could see the lingering signs of tiredness— Coco seemed to be recovering from the earlier exhaustion, but the fatigue was prominent in her expression.

Zaque couldn't help, but sigh at her stubbornness, his concern evident in the way he shook his head.

Sure, there was improvement in Coco's condition compared to her state earlier, but he still felt a sense of anxiety and worry gripping his heart.

The memory of her weakened state this afternoon— sickly pale with teary eyes, was still fresh in his mind, and the sight of her standing there, weary, but somehow holding up, did little to ease his worry.

"Come on." Coco grumbled, sensing the reluctance in Zaque's gaze, "I can help, you know? I'm okay now."

Zaque merely shook his head at Coco's insistence saying that she could help, he spoke up, his concern evident in his tone.

"No, Coco. We can take care of it just fine." He said as gently as he could. "Please, rest in the living room."

His words were firm, his request clear, because he wanted her to take it easy, to rest and recover from the fatigue that still clung to her, but knowing Coco, he knows that there's a chance that she will persist.

Coco frowned, her expression showing displeasure at Zaque's words.

There it is. Zaque thought, the corner of his lips quirking up, but he forced himself to stay stoic and stared at Coco, pushing the smile that wanted to creep to his face.

"I can help." Coco insisted, sighing.

Coco doesn't like being told to rest, feeling a mixture of annoyance and frustration at being viewed as too weak to help because clearly, she can stand and walk just fine!

So, it's obvious that she can help, right?

Besides, her pride and independence wouldn't allow it, and now, it's flared up, her defiant nature rebelling against the idea of sitting idly by while the mediators worked.

"Come on, Zaqu—" Coco tried to insist once more, but she was quick to shut her mouth.

Zaque gave her a stern look, his gaze sharp and commanding, and Coco felt the pressure of that stare, her defiance faltering as the weight of his gaze bore down on her.

"Right." Coco mumbled and turned on her heel, her movement stiff and reluctant.

With a puff coming out of her nose and slight pout emerging from her lips, she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, her expression still bristling with annoyance.

Zaque couldn't help but chuckle softly as he watched Coco storm out of the kitchen, his laughter tinged with amusement.

The sight of her pouting face, irritated and fed up, but having no choice, was endearing, and the fact that she showed that face of hers to him? A pout that was adorable? Brought a small smile to his face.

"And there he goes, smiling like a fool in love." Heiren commented, placing a hand on his hip.

His commentary earned him the attention of others, even Zaque's, and made them raise an eyebrow at him, but none of them disagreed because Zaque was indeed smiling, laughing even.

"She was cute." Zaque mumbled, grabbing the dirty cloth he was using to wipe the table and went back to wiping, "Pouting and stomping her feet like a child when I refused to let her help. Who wouldn't find that adorable?"

"I don't." Alhai spoke up, rising from his spot on the floor and rolled his shoulders, "You only find her cute because you like her."

"Exactly." Zaque agreed, not bothering to feel any remorse or shame, and just letting his friends call him out for being a fool in love with an amazing woman such as Coco Coison, "I wouldn't be surprised if someone else finds her adorable. Have you seen how she puffed her cheeks out?"

"Shut up, dork." Alhai grumbled, his eyebrows furrowing as he went to the next chair to clean it.

"I can't and I won't." Zaque said with an amused huff, "Especially now that we're here, I can't let other mediators linger around her."