Apparently, her name was Astrid (part 4)

Ash’s root cellar was connected to the main house by the stairs in his kitchen.

“Uwahhh, your kitchen is so messy!”

“Can you vomit back my onion soup?”

“You want to eat that? Gross.”

“Shut up, dammit!”

“Hehe.”

After the kitchen, they entered the living room. There was a set of sofas with a table at their center. And of course, it was much tidier compared to the kitchen. Instead of putting Astrid on the sofa, Ash continued carrying her to her new room. Astrid’s room is located beside Ash’s, on the far side from the entrance.

Unlike any other rooms in their house, Ash installed a wooden sliding door for Astrid’s room. Ash calmly opened the door and said to no one,

“Pardon our intrusion.”

“Wait, wait, wait, Ash?!”

Astrid looked at her new room with a clear disbelief. Beyond the wooden sliding door, Astrid’s room consisted of a ground-level bed, a low table, and a small wardrobe. Under those furniture laid a very wide carpet fully covering her room. Ash abruptly stopped and asked her,

“You don’t like it?”

He looked at Astrid’s face resting on his shoulder with a nervous look.

“No, I like it. I really like it. But, can I really live here?”

Ash made the room in consideration of Astrid’s condition so he remodeled everything to almost the ground level. It was his late grandfather’s room but he didn’t hesitate at all when it came to remodeling the room. Astrid also realized that Ash had arranged the room to help her but she still couldn’t imagine how much effort he had put in.

“You are bringing that again? I said that this is your house too, didn’t I?”

“Of course, I am. I haven’t given you any information but you already gave me this much.”

“Well, you can just give me some later. But now, do you want to lay on the bed or do something else? You are heavier than yesterday by the way.”

CHOP!

‘Read the room, idiot Ash!’

Astrid chopped Ash’s head from behind. Ash instantly regretted saying those forbidden words. Ash eventually crouched down and carefully put Astrid on the bed. Instead of enjoying the bed, Astrid quickly crawled to the table, then to the wardrobe and checked its content. As she had guessed, it was still empty. Ash just watched her with a satisfied smile.

‘I am glad that Astrid is excited with my masterpiece, hahahaa~’

Then, Astrid noticed that there was another sliding door. Instead of going there, she asked Ash first while pointing at the door,

“Ash, Ash, what about that door?”

“Oh, that one is the door to the bathroom. But rest easy, it is fully private and there is a personal bath too. But please produce your own hot water using magic—”

‘BATH?!!’

‘BATHHH~’

Astrid didn’t listen to Ash’s explanation until the end because she instantly rushed to the sliding door connecting her room to her bathroom. She slid the wooden door and was completely amazed by the bath area, complete with a separate room for the toilet.

There was a short corridor before entering the bath area. Instead of using stairs to change the height of the bath, Ash constructed a gradual slope, complete with some hand-handles for support on each side. Astrid moved to check her bath with a great enthusiasm,

‘Oh, it is wet here.’

Astrid slowly put-off her clothes, starting from her shirt.

“Astrid, stop right there!”

Hearing Ash’s shout, she stopped in the middle and suddenly looked at him. She tilted her head in confusion after she saw Ash closed his eyes with his palms.

“What’s wrong, Ash?”

“Don’t just casually start removing your clothes in front of me, dammit!”

“Huh?!”

Then, Astrid just realized what she did. Fortunately, she hadn’t completely removed her shirt. But unfortunately, since Ash only gave her his clothes, he didn’t give her proper woman’s undergarments so her chest was half-exposed. She quickly slammed the sliding door!

“TELL ME SOONER, BASTARD!”

“THAT’S MY FAULT?”

“OF COURSE!”

“Okay, sorry, my bad. I will be waiting outside. If you need anything just feel free to call me.”

“You can just wait there, I might ask something and it is too annoying to call you later.”

‘Huh, why aren’t I embarrassed to undress in front of Ash? I am not in love with him, right?!’

‘Yep, I feel nothing even after seeing that wonderful chest. It’s just like looking at my late weird grandpa instead of a beautiful lady.’

“Okay, I will be waiting here.”

“Don’t peek!”

“I won’t, dammit!”

Astrid slowly moved to the bathing area and removed all her clothes. There was a moderate stone bath there but it was still without any water.

“Ash, where is the water?” Astrid shouted from behind the door.

‘This woman really didn’t listen to me.’

“You can use magic, right? Well, good luck with filling the tub.” Ash lazily replied.

“Got it!”

After she heard Ash’s explanation, Astrid used her magic, water and fire, to produce a stream of hot water.

‘It has been forever since I used magic.’

Slowly but surely, hot water began filling the stone bath. Astrid continued to fill the bath until it was almost full. But instead of directly dipping her body in, Astrid went to the toilet area to do her things and took a little shower using her fire-infused water magic. Only after those did she enter the bath,

“Hahhhhh, it’s so relaxing. I wish that Ash could join me so I can splatter his face with water~,”

‘WHAT DID I SAY?’ Astrid quickly covered her mouth.

***

Ash woke up under both an unfamiliar and familiar ceiling. There was a light coming through the window, an orange near-dusk light. Ash looked at his surroundings,

‘Shit, I fell asleep in Astrid’s room!’

“You sure take your time, Ash.”

From the table, Astrid grinned at him. It looked like she was holding her tears. Ash was currently laying on Astrid’s bed, the ground-level bed.

‘Dammit, I hope that I don’t accidentally trigger her nightmare.’

Ash quickly stood and walked closer to Astrid. He stopped right in front of her and cast his eyes down in a pure regret,

“So—sorry. I, I didn’t mean to. It’s my fault and I promise you that I don’t have any—”

Astrid interrupted him by raising her right hand,

“You don’t need to. I promised you that I will be honest, didn’t I? Honestly, I don’t think that you have an ulterior motive either. But you know, I have these comfortable feelings instead of fear if it is you. Maybe, maybe my mind is already broken or something."

Ash tilted his head,

“You are finally in love with me?”

“I, I don’t know.” Astrid meekly answered him and continued,

“But, you see?”

Astrid took a desk mirror on the table and showed it to Ash. Ash unsuspiciously looked at the mirror. But soon afterwards, Ash’s face became bright red because on the other side of the mirror, there was his very own face, complete with weird flower drawings fully covering his face.

“ASTRID!” Ash reflexively shouted.

“HAHAHAHAAAA! HAHAHAAA! ASH’S FLOWER GARDEN!” Astrid finally laughed so hard that she began rolling on the carpet.

“HAHAHAAA! GOT YOU, ASH!”

“I WILL NOT ACCEPT YOUR LOVE CONFESSION IF ONE DAY YOU LOVE ME, DUMB ASTRID!”

“YES, IT IS LOVE! I LOVE YOU, ASH! BUT NOT IN A ROMANTIC WAY, HAHAHAA!”

“I REFUSE TO ACCEPT YOU!”

Ash reached out to her face and pinched both of her cheeks.

“FAFAFAAA! FAFAFAAA! FAFAAFAAA!” But Astrid kept on laughing.

Around fifteen minutes later, the two idiots finally stopped their absurd activity that eventually turned into a pillow fight. They laid flat on the floor in the center of Astrid’s room. Their clothes were disheveled and their breathings were heavy. Sweat protruded from their bodies.

“I won, Astrid.”

“Grrrrrr....”

CHOMP!

“Don’t bite me, dammit!” Ash complained and Astrid quickly released him.

“You know Ash, I used to do this with my older sister, the first princess, before I turned five.”

“How would I know, dammit?”

“That’s not my point, bastard. Strangely, you reminded me of my sister even though you are a man. And I just noticed that I love you that way, not as a man.”

Astrid stuck her tongue and continued,

“So, I take back my confession~”

“I know it. Neither of us feels romantics, dammit. I know a bear who, maybe, loves me—”

“A what?” Astrid shifted her body to look at him. Of course, he hadn’t erased her drawings!

“A bear, like, a really scary bear. She is tomboyish and tends to violence but when I tease her, she becomes flustered. Maybe, that’s love? I don’t know either.”

Astrid poked his cheek,

“Hehe, I am looking forward to meet that bear~”

‘DAMMIT! She will absolutely tell this to Zinia if they ever meet!’

“Better not!”

Ash continued,

“I am sure that I don’t love you in a romantic way either. For me, seeing you naked is just the same as seeing my weird grandpa walking around the house with nothing but a hat!”

Astrid pinched Ash’s cheek hard enough until it became swollen,

“It hurts, dammit!”

“I am not an old man, bastard! I am a beautiful princess and you just called me an old man?!”

Astrid then continued,

“But yes, maybe we have similar feelings that are not romantic at all. I really wanted to check it again and I am sure of it just now.”

“Sadly, yes. I hope that my wife in the future will be as beautiful as you.”

“Thank you for that. But I hope that you got along with that bear. It would be funny, wouldn’t it?”

“Dammit.” Then, Ash continued,

“Anyway, welcome home, Astrid.”

“Hehe. I am home, Ash.”