New World with Four Husbands

Coco finished off the contents of the lunch box, the food inside providing little comfort in the face of her heavy emotions as she swallowed the last bit of the food.

Sighing almost inaudibly as the flavor lingered on her tongue, she couldn't help, but find the act of eating as tiresome— it also didn't help much when the taste of the food tasted sour because of her mental state.

The door opened just as she put the spoon inside the empty lunch box, and she looked up to see Sinclair and Alithe enter the room, their footsteps light and in sync.

In Sinclair's hand was a glass cup filled with a reddish liquid and Alithe carried a small bag with several things inside of it.

The two of them walked across the room, their footsteps light, their focus immediately redirecting to Coco's form on the couch as they crossed over to her.

They glanced at Coco, and Alithe approached her, while Sinclair set the drink on the table.

Alithe settled beside Coco on the couch, his eyes fixed on her with an intense gaze as he observed her silently, his expression serious and his eyes reflecting an unspoken concern.

The bag in his hand was promptly set down beside him, his attention entirely focused on Coco, his body language conveying that he was contemplating.

Coco cleaned the space in front of her, her movements slow and sluggish.

She packed the empty lunch box away in the bag that Heiren had given her, her movements lacking their usual energy and enthusiasm— just like how she had been for the past couple of days.

Alithe's gaze followed her every move, but she deliberately remained oblivious to his intense stare, feigning nonchalance even as his scrutiny bore upon her.

Her mind, still shrouded in darkness, kept her attention focused on cleaning up the remnants of her lunch.

Then, all of a sudden, Alithe let out a loud sigh, his voice dripping with exaggerated annoyance, making Coco briefly glance at him.

"I don't know what made you broody for the past four days." He complained, his eyes rolling exaggeratedly, "But you need to focus"

Alithe's voice echoed in the room, his irritation evident as he chastised her, and he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest as he directed a stern gaze at Coco, making his frustration known.

His attempt to jolt her out of her somber state was somewhat successful, but Coco's expression remained stoic.

Sinclair settled into a chair across from them, observing the scene that played out in front of him with a neutral expression, and let his husband do what he needed to do.

Alithe grumbled to himself, his voice filled with a mixture of frustration, expectation, and concern.

"You can't be feeling like this when it's your big day." He stated, his eyes locked on Coco, "You don't want to fail the second stage, do you?"

Coco placed the bag down on the floor and faced Alithe with a sharp glint in her eyes.

"Who said that I'll fail?" She replied, her voice was quiet and barely above whisper, but it was firm and challenging, a spark of annoyance flickering in her eyes.

After all, Coco was not one to back down from a challenge, even in her current state— she was once an overachiever, someone who would challenge herself so she couldn't stop herself from feeling like a taunted puppy.

Alithe's words sting her pride, slightly igniting her competitiveness within her tired frame.

Alithe responded with a snort, his words were condescending, a smirk playing on his lips as he retorted. "From the look of it, you won't pass."

His gaze remained fixed on Coco, scrutinizing her every movement and watching the subtle shift on her face.

Coco discreetly touched the bag on the floor, her fingers gently brushing against it before she stored it inside her inventory.

"If I pass, you better shut your mouth for the next four days." She stated firmly, her voice carrying a warning.

Alithe scoffed, his tone dripping with dramatic disbelief as he countered. "If you pass— which is already a big if because I doubt that you actually would."

He knew exactly which buttons to push to rile up Coco and his words were designed to provoke a reaction, and he was not disappointed because Coco's eyes narrowed at his dismissive tone, her annoyance making itself slowly known.

Despite his harsh and undermining words, he was simply driven by his concern for Coco's well-being.

Seeing the usually cheerful and enthusiastic young woman who had rescued his pair by simply dragging him anywhere and everywhere looking so empty was unbearable, so he was willing to say harsh words even if it meant making her mad.

Luckily, Coco was only getting annoyed.

She was about to respond to Alithe, her irritation evident in her gaze, but the sound of knocking on the door interrupted her.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The unexpected interruption caused her to hesitate, her words dying on her tongue as the room's attention suddenly shifted towards the door.

Sinclair's voice echoed through the room as he called out. "Come in."

Almost immediately, the sound of the door creaking open filled the air, the wooden surface slowly swinging inward to reveal a woman.

The woman stepped further into the room, the sound of her footsteps soft and gentle against the floorboards.

"Good noon, everyone." She began, a polite smile on her face. "I was told to let you know that the second stage is about to start and was advised for the examinee to step into the guild's changing room to change into their gear."

The announcement filled the room, her gaze sweeping the space and taking in the three of them, before lowering her head in a slight bow.

The second stage was about to begin. Coco thought, the time for words and banter coming to an end, and stood up from the couch, her gaze fixed on the woman.

"Can you please lead me there?" She asked.