"A-Are you okay?" I asked. "I'm sorry Mark, I'll stay! Okay? Don't make that face…"
"Ah…" Mark quickly calmed himself down. "I-I'm fine, sorry. I just… got a bit sad, but I think it's fine, if you are already earning much more and want to focus on everything else, I recommend it, in fact."
"E-Eh?" I was surprised.
He looked so sad before but composed himself very quickly afterwards…
"That job is only limiting you, to be honest." Mark said. "Honestly, I am happy as long as you are."
"Mark…" I felt even more captivated by him. "Really?"
"Yeah, don't worry about a single thing and do whatever your heart calls you for." He said.
"A-And what about you?" I asked. "You can also earn money the way I did, we could… work together. M-Maybe I can add you to my channel…"
"That would feel like I'm leeching off your fame…" Mark sighed. "Unlike you I don't have that inventory ability, so I cannot materialize magic items either, and it would feel cheap if I ask you to take them out because I'll still be relying on your own powers."
"Y-You don't have to feel like that, I would happily-"
"Nah, it's fine, really." He said with eyes filled with conviction and love. "I want the best for you. I'll keep working in the mini market, after all my position is rather important… I would feel a bit bad if I leave everything behind without a proper replacement."
"I see…" I nodded.
"Though, it'll never be the same without you every morning there…" He sighed. "You have… always been the only person that brightened my day in that gloomy job."
"Mark… It is not like we're over or something, dummy… You can come to my house any day and any time! You don't even need to ask!" I said. "I-I could also go visit yours from time to time."
"R-Really?" Mark felt surprised.
It seemed he was being too timid to ask me that himself… I guess he still have certain topics that make him embarrassed.
"Of course… W-We're a couple now, dummy, that's what we're supposed to do." I giggled a bit. "It really seems like you have little experience."
"Sorry…" He sighed. "I honestly didn't knew I could just come here whenever I wanted… I thought it might have been imprudent or rude."
"Not at all! If it's you, you can even sleep in my bed." I giggled.
"W-What? Really?!" He asked, blushing.
Gosh, he's really adorable, that innocent side of him is lovely.
"Yeah~" I giggled.
I quickly walked to his side and decided to sit down over his legs.
"We can also do this~" I said, smiling at him.
"E-Elayne…" Mark said.
I hugged him tightly.
"I kind of wanted you to stream with me though…" I sighed.
"Ah, sorry…" Mark sighed. "Well, if you really want to I can always be your guest, I am a guild member after all. But I won't accept any money that you're earning, keep that money for yourself and your daughter."
"Geez, what am I going to do with you? You're too humble~" I sighed, giving him a head pat.
"Honestly, being like this with you is enough payment…" He said, as the two of us cuddled over the couch.
"You're really corny sometimes." I laughed.
"S-Should I stop?" He asked.
"Oh no, I love it." I giggled, giving him a kiss in his cheek. "I love you the way you are, honestly."
Mark blushed even more, resembling a bright red tomato.
"T-That one really killed me…" He kissed my cheek. "I want to kiss you, and kiss you some more… Is that okay?"
"Yeah, it's okay~" I answered, as we started kissing rather passionately while cuddling in the couch.
Mark started kissing my neck and gently smelling the scent of my hair. He gently hugged my belly, without actually touching anything else, he was really prudent.
Feeling his warmth and love made me feel so… so in the clouds! As we started making up, time went flying and I started to smell the stew getting a bit… burnt.
"Uwaah! T-The stew!" I quickly jumped off the couch and ran to see the stew.
However, when I took a look, it was all black, everything ended burning! And the water evaporated…
"Aw… I-It burnt…"
"Geez, what is that smell?"
My daughter walked out of the room.
"Huh? Mark's here?" She wondered.
"A-Ah, hello Elena." Mark greeted her. "Looks like… we'll have fried chicken for today's dinner! Or maybe pizza? Burger?" He wondered.
"Sigh… I guess we have no other option, it's too late to make something else." I sighed.
"Oh? I see, were you two making out in the couch and then the stew burned?" Elena smirked while crossing her arms, she looked at me with a very teasing smile!
"W-What are you talking about, my daughter?" I asked while blushing a bit. "T-That's not it!"
"Y-Yeah! We were… both in the bathroom." He said.
"That's right." I nodded.
"Hahaha, fine. I want pizza though~" She said.
"Sure, pizza… Elayne, what do you want?" He wondered.
"You're inviting?" I asked.
"Of course." He smiled.
Ah, he's an angel.
"T-Then pizza too!"
Like that, we ended having a small family dinner with pizza instead. It was actually one of the expensive pizzerias in the city, not the cheap, mass-produced outlets out there, so it was much more expensive, but really delicious.
Ah, and I loved the garlic sticks too, they were so fresh and yummy. That coupled with the ice cream we had in my freezer made for a crazy fulfilling, yet highly caloric dinner…
After we were done, my daughter swiftly walked back to her room.
"Elena, remember that you have school tomorrow, don't play for too long, okay?" I asked.
"Okaaay~" She said, closing the room's door.
Meanwhile, with Mark we continued watching movies while drinking wine, until we both fell asleep in the couch… We were actually really tired from the Hollow Hunt.
