CHAPTER 450: MORNING RUCKUS

Coco had a wet dream.

Coco’s hands rubbed her face as memories of a dream flooded her mind, the details of something intimate with Zaque and Quizen are still fresh in her thoughts.

The intensity of the dream lingered, the images of their closeness playing through her mind like the scenes of a vivid movie causing her cheeks to grow warm.

Coco bit her lip, suppressing the mixture of embarrassment and desire that washed over her.

The dream had been far more intimate than she would have ever imagined, leaving her feeling both flustered and.. Conflicted? Excited?

Coco let out a frustrated groan, burying her face in her hands as she tried to compose herself.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open as she felt an arm wrap around her waist, its grip firm and unexpected which made her jolt slightly, her heart rate quickening at the sudden touch.

She quickly glanced down, noticing the arm holding her, her mind racing to process the situation.

As she realized that someone was behind her, panic and curiosity filled her chest, making it difficult to think straight, but she still turned.

Coco’s eyes widened in surprise as her gaze met Alhai’s, their gazes locking.

His deep teal eyes held a knowing look, his expression neutral, but his gaze piercing and the knowledge hidden within his eyes left her wondering if he could see straight through her, as if he knew of the thoughts and emotions swirling within her.

Coco felt both confusion and shame at his blank expression, her mind racing to understand him.

"H-how long have you been here..?" She finally managed to murmur, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alhai sat up, the silk of his robe slipping down his shoulder, revealing the smooth, slightly rippled sight of his chest— his lean, muscular physique was on full display, and Coco found her gaze involuntarily drawn to it, unable to look away.

Her eyes traced the lines of his chest, taking in the sight of his exposed skin with curiosity and fascination.

She felt a flutter in her chest as she noticed a small, subtle detail— a thin, white scar on his chest, just above his heart, but before she could stare longer, Alhai let out a soft chuckle, his voice tinged with a bit of sardonic humor which caused her to snap out of her daze.

"I must say, I’m quite pleased to see that my physique seems to be to your liking." He mused.

Coco’s cheeks grew warm, her eyes still locked on his chest, but she felt a pang of embarrassment at being caught staring and his casual comment only pushed to deepen her blush.

Coco forced herself to look away, tearing her gaze from Alhai’s exposed chest and clearing her throat in an attempt to regain her composure.

Feeling the heat in her cheeks, she shifted awkwardly, her thoughts a jumble, but she managed to utter a quick, and shaky question, "What time is it?"

The room felt suddenly warmer and she desperately wanted to change the subject before her embarrassment became more apparent to him.

Alhai hummed softly as he adjusted his clothes, the silk robe falling back into place and concealing his exposed chest.

He spoke, his tone casual yet matter-of-fact. "It seems the guild doesn’t need you to work today. We received a message earlier saying so."

Coco’s focus shifted momentarily as she digested this piece of information, her thoughts swirling and she opened her mouth to repeat what he just said to confirm. "They.. They don’t want me to work today?"

Coco stared off into the distance, her confusion evident on her face.

However, before she could even process her thoughts, she found her chin being gently but firmly lifted up by Alhai and he made her turn to face him, his expression serious and his gaze penetrating.

"They mentioned that you were involved in a fight." He stated, his grip on her chin still while holding her attention firmly. "Care to explain that?"

Coco’s eyes widened in surprise as she attempted to explain. "It wasn’t that serious.."

Before she could finish her sentence, however, Alhai suddenly grabbed her and pushed her back down onto the bed.

In a quick motion, he hovered above her, effectively trapping her underneath his form and the suddenness of his action left her breathless and stunned.

While Alhai hovered over Coco, his face only inches from hers, she couldn’t help, but notice just how incredibly handsome he looked in that moment with his gaze sharp and intense, his usually stoic expression replaced by something that could only be described as worry.

His slightly muscular form held her pinned to the bed, his strong arms caging her in.

With his body so close, she could feel the heat radiating from him, his scent filling her senses and making her head feel oddly light.

Alhai leaned closer, his touch gentle as he reached out and gently caressed the side of Coco’s cheek, the one which she received the hit earlier.

His fingers traced a slow, feather-light path over her skin as if he knew she was hit in that particular area.

The feeling of Alhai’s touch on her cheek, where no pain lingered, made her heart flutter slightly because his actions held something almost tenderly protective and she could not help, but wonder at the fact her injury was gone.

Coco swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat as she attempted to reassure him that the fight hadn’t been serious, but before she could finish her words, Alhai interrupted her with a firm reply.

"But you still got hurt."

His expression was serious, a deep frown etched on his face as he looked down at her, his hand still touching her previously injured cheek.

His words held a hint of worry and concern, the memory of her falling unconscious still fresh in his mind.

Coco flinched slightly as she saw the expression that flashed onto Alhai’s face— it was serious and stern, a rare display of concern and worry.

She tried to reassure him again, stating that the fight hadn’t been serious and that she was fine now, having recovered from any previous injuries. "See? I came home perfectly alive—"

Alhai’s frown only deepened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Alive, yes.. But unharmed? No."

Then, Alhai gently pressed his lips against her forehead, the touch soft and tender, his words carried a hint of pleading concern, his voice low and gentle. "Please, don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. I don’t like seeing you hurt."

Each syllable sent a flutter through Coco’s chest, her heart skipping at the unexpected gentleness of his words.

She felt a mix of surprise and a strange warmth at the worry he clearly felt for her, his usual cool demeanor giving way to a rare side of him.

Unfortunately, the tender moment between Coco and Alhai was abruptly shattered by the sound of the door swinging open and the sound of a horrified gasp echoing through the room.

Before either of them could react, a shoe came flying towards Alhai with impressive accuracy, hitting him squarely on the head.

Alhai let out a startled grunt, his hand immediately reaching up to rub his sore head.

Coco couldn’t help, but be both shocked and amused at the unexpected turn of events, her mouth hanging slightly open as she stared at the shoe on the bed.

However, Coco’s heart sank when she turned her head to face the unexpected intruder and she felt a deep embarrassment wash over her as she recognized the figure standing at the door.

It was none other than Jacques, her loyal and dependable friend, witnessing the scene right before her.

She wanted nothing more than for the bed to open up and swallow her whole, her cheeks growing warm as she suddenly felt incredibly exposed in front of Jacques.

How long had she been watching? How much had she seen? The thought mortified her.

Coco immediately covered her face with her hands, her embarrassment increasing as Jacques’s angry voice echoed through the room. "Get off her, pervert!"

Alhai shot Jacques a sharp look, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face at the interruption.

His hands lifted from Coco’s form and he quickly stood up, fixing his clothes and regaining his composure, but his displeasure was clear on his face.

"I’m not a pervert." The mediator retorted, his voice cool and calm. "We were just talking."

Jacques let out an exasperated scoff, glaring. "Talking? With you on top of her?!"

She stormed over to the bed, not buying Alhai’s excuse for a second and with a firm shove, he pushed Alhai off of Coco, her actions protective.

She glared at Alhai with clear irritation, her arms crossed over her chest.

Alhai stumbled backwards on Coco’s bed, nearly losing his footing at the unexpected push on the mattress, but he gritted his teeth in annoyance, his eyes narrowing at Jacques.

"It’s not what it looked like." Alhai scowled.

Jacques ignored him and reached out to Coco, helping her stand up from the bed.

With a gentle gesture, she assured her that she was safe now, her trusted friend having arrived just in time to save her from the awkward situation and with a soft smile, she spoke in a soft, humorous tone.

"Don’t worry, Coco.. You’re all right. I’m here to rescue you from the so-called husband-in-name-only, a certain perverted someone."