Welcome to the Demon’s Cabin - Chapter 44

And so, it was already six o’clock. Wearing slippers made of fur, she headed toward Idris’s room door without hesitation. Knock, knock. After knocking cheerfully, she turned the round doorknob and swung the door open.

As always, she saw Idris, who had woken up in advance and was finishing his tidying. It is a lifestyle as regular as hers. In front of him as he organized books, the bright red anemones filled in a vase greeted her.

“Good morning, Mr. Idris!”

“Good morning, Miss Irene.”

As always, a cool morning greeting without any rise or fall in tone returned.

As he said, it was a good morning. Especially today, the bright morning sunlight was filling the room to its capacity. Irene smiled brightly for some reason, feeling excited.

* * *

“Mr. Idris, shall I just take this and put it away first?”

“Ah, I would be grateful if you did that.”

Irene picked up the basket next to Idris, who was moving busily. Somehow, the amount collected was too different from her own basket, which she had just placed in a corner.

We were in the same place at the same time, but how can this be? Irene began to move Idris’s basket, which was heaped with vegetables, to the cabin while raising the corners of her mouth with trembling eyes.

Irene, who emptied hers and merged it into Idris’s basket, tucked the basket under the storage cabinet. Irene, who washed her hands covered in soil at the sink, shook her hands off and headed outside again.

Lately, although she clearly has more things to do than before, she feels much more relaxed. Is it because Idris takes it upon himself to do the various chores, and because there is a target of comparison like him? When she saw him moving busily from the moment he woke up, thoughts like ‘Am I really the owner of the house?’ or ‘Is it okay to play around like this?’ frequently occurred to her.

The sewing that occupies most of Irene’s day is closer to just playing rather than being work purely for Idris.

Well, but it cannot be helped.

‘I am working hard in my own way too. For some reason, the results do not really come out, so even offering to help is awkward; what can I do.’

In cooking, cleaning, or even gathering, her skills were very clumsy. No, perhaps cleaning is at least okay?

Lost in thought, Irene, who was about to take a step, turned her body at the presence of a person nearby. As she walked toward the back of the cabin where movement was felt, she saw Idris standing in the middle of the blankets and laundry that had been hung out in the morning.

When did he wash his hands again and start tending to the blankets. Irene, who was quietly watching Idris as he tidied the wet blankets that had become a mess in the strong wind, killed her footsteps and walked stealthily into the middle of the white laundry. Between the white cloths that were making a fluttering sound as they were blown by the still-gusting wind, Idris’s pitch-black outer garment and blonde hair were visible intermittently.

Soon, Irene approached carefully and stood tall behind him as he let out a groan as if troubled while shaking off a blanket covered in dust. And thud. She gripped his shoulders quickly and with all her might, as if striking them hard.

“Waaah!”

“……!”

Jumping in surprise, Idris spun around and swung his arm reflexively. He barely managed to stop his outstretched arm right next to Irene’s face and stared at her, his eyes wide. Utterly flustered and fumbling, he slowly lowered the arm he had swung with the intent to crush her eyes.

“……Miss Irene.”

“Ahaha! I surprised you, right?”

“I was truly startled.”

“Mr. Idris, you should have seen your own expression. You were like a person being chased by the Red Shoes.”

“……Was it to that extent?”

Watching his blue eyes rolling as if gauging her mood, Irene let out a clear sound of laughter.

Idris, who continued to gauge her mood as if he could not set his mind at ease even after seeing her smiling radiantly, eventually let out a sigh. He apologized to Irene while dropping his head.

“I am sorry for just now. I was so surprised that my hand went out reflexively. I had no intention to harm you.”

‘Liar.’

The fist flew with the momentum to crush me in a single blow, so what do you mean? Well, it seems true that it flew out reflexively.

It did not matter. It was enough that he stopped after confirming it was her.

“What does it matter? It is not like you really hit me. Besides, I am the one who played the prank first.”

“I was truly startled……. I thought a dangerous magic beast had entered this place.”

“What kind of magic beast has no footsteps like this?”

Idris, who made an absurd expression as if saying ‘There are countless ones,’ let out a long sigh. He continued to stroke his nape repeatedly as if he still had not calmed down.

At that defenseless and weak appearance, Irene burst into laughter once again. Yesterday he only showed a reaction like ‘When did you get here?’, but to think he would be this intense.

‘It is funny, but…….’

The moment his head whipped around, Idris’s gaze and expression came to mind. A face filled only with hostility and tension.

I do not think I particularly want to see it again.

“I understand, I understand. In the future, I will not play such pranks that are dangerous for both of us.”

“I would be truly grateful if you did that…….”

She thought he was only dull, but he had such a sensitive side as well. Irene giggled at the new discovery while watching him break out in a cold sweat.