New World with Four Husbands-Chapter 148: A grey sky

The sky is oddly grey today.

Coco stood by the window, gazing at the morning sky, her eyes drinking in the breathtaking sight.

The sun was rising just above the horizon, casting the sky in a beautiful array of colors; pinks, golds, and blues meshed together— casting a soft, warm glow over the village below.

Although, despite the sky being a stunning mixture of pinks, blues, and oranges, the colors blend together in a magnetizing painting, Coco could only stare blankly with her heart feeling empty.

It was a moment of peace and tranquility, a reminder that she must start her day with her usual routine of taking a bath, taking her packed meals from the pub’s kitchen, and going on her merry way out to the forest.

However, the woman merely stood there, her gaze fixed on the sky as she watched the sun’s morning rays slowly chase away the stars.

She usually starts her day as soon as she wakes up, not wanting to dwell too much on her thoughts that she keeps pushing away out of fear of being numb— the mere thought of her mother and sisters waiting at home makes her feel empty.

She watched silently as a bird perched on a tree branch in front of the window, carrying something on its beak and jumping towards its nest.

A couple of small heads poked out of the nest, reaching out for the adult bird’s beak eagerly.

The sight of them made Coco blink, the three little birds on the nest reminding her of herself and her sisters waiting for their mother to get back from work.

"Snap out of it." Coco mumbled to herself as she shook her head to get rid of the thoughts.

Her heart ached and she knew that she can’t feel like that, she already died— such thoughts and feelings would only drag her down.

"Better to start taking a bath." The green eyed woman mumbled to herself, grabbing her clothes, towel, and soap from the table before making her way out of her room.

She descended the stairs, once she reached the first floor, she immediately turned right to get to the bathroom.

She went inside and didn’t waste time cleaning herself.

She made sure to scrub her skin with enough pressure to get rid of the dead skins that may be lingering and basked in peace in the water, humming softly to herself to get herself out of the gutter.

When she was done, she left the bathroom with damp hair, a damp towel over her shoulders, and wet clothes on her arms.

She felt refreshed, but the feeling was still there.

She went back to her room and placed the wet clothes on the hanger that Mrs. Tani gave her, then she hung the clothes by the window so the sunlight would hit the fabric once it was high up in the sky.

Wordlessly, she picked up the fairy off the bed and placed her inside of her robe’s pocket, ensuring Lala’s safety and comfortability.

After making sure that the sleeping fairy was comfortable in her pocket, she picked up the basket from the foot of the bed and slipped the leather straps on her shoulders, before adjusting the tightness of it.

Once she was comfortable with the straps, she took a look around the room, her eyes scanning everything to see if there was something she forgot to do.

When she was sure that she did everything, she exited her room and stored the key in her personal inventory, not wanting to lose it.

She went down the stairs once more, the sole of her worn out shoes quiet against the surface.

Coco walked through the doorway, walking inside of the pub and her eyes immediately catching Joachim walking out of the kitchen, the sound of the wooden door’s hinges creaking echoing throughout the space.

"Coco." Joachim’s gaze met hers, a large smile spreading on his face as he made a turn and quickly approached her.

When he rounded the counter, her eyes landed on the bag he was carrying which she could tell where the packed meals were secured inside.

"I was about to leave this to Ruby." Joachim said as he slowly came to a stop in front of her, "It was a good thing that I decided to come out here instead of going straight to the front desk."

"I thought I had to take it from the chef." Coco mumbled, her voice monotone and her expression blank.

She can’t force a smile on her face and it was making her frustrated with herself, but she can’t fake a happy face in front of Joachim— she promised to be true to him after all.

Joachim’s smile dropped as soon as he heard Coco’s words, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion and worry.

"Ah.. No, no, you don’t have to come inside here just to take it from the chef anymore.." Joachim informed her, his eyes shifting from Coco’s eyes to her body, her shoulders seemingly stiff, then down to her hands that were clutching the hem of her robe.

His eyes snapped back to Coco’s face and the smile returned to his lips, "Don’t overwork yourself too much today, okay? Come back safe and sound."

Joachim was quick to bid her a farewell and pushed her out of the inn, his voice dripping with urgency.

He was acting strange and Coco noticed, but she didn’t have the energy to speak so she didn’t ask him what was wrong and went on her merry way instead.

As she walked towards the gate of the village, her eyes snapped up to look at the sky.

Just like what she concluded the moment she woke up and gazed out of the window, the sky seemed oddly grey for her eyes.

She walked out of the village with her grip tight on the bag and a heavy yet somehow, empty heart.

The only thing in her mind was how badly she wanted to see her family.