Master, May I Suck It Up?

39

A cold breeze continued to blow over the past few days. Benji was still sweet, handsome, and sly, but how could she describe it? There's an ambiguous awkwardness. Wasn't he strangely distant and less clingy? He didn't even rush in first, nor did he push her to the point of fainting. Yes, a number of things had declined.

'It's frustrating.'

The sun was bright and strong, but somehow Elise felt as unpleasant as if a damp duvet covered her during the rainy season.

However, it also became difficult to ask why or what the problem was. Benji smiled with affection, gently kissed her, and spoke in a soft tone as he had always done. Dozens of times a day, Elise asked if he was uncomfortable, even bringing things he liked, but on the surface, he remained unchanged, even showing the same affection as before.

'But it's oddly unpleasant.'

She opened a book she wasn't even going to read and stole glances at Benji. A sigh leaked out; this vague suffocating air was too much for Elise to ignore. So he asked what was going on:

"Is something troubling you?"

His voice that promptly inquired after her small sigh was infinitely tender. Oddly enough, that made her even more annoyed.

"No."

She wanted to yell immediately: 'It's you! You!' But Elise swallowed her impulse and shook her head. Then, upon seeing Benji grin as if he was relieved and continuing to do what he was doing before, she grinded her teeth so hard her jaw was about to crack.

'That's it! That needlessly cool attitude.'

The cause of her chagrin and emotional turmoil became clear. Typically, no matter how small it was, he would run straight up to Elise and ask what the problem was and why— as if the world would collapse— even offering, 'Master, would you like to touch my hair?'

No matter how much she had reprimanded him for offering—how could he cease so abruptly, and what did it mean?

Come to think of it—he went out more often these days. There were many excuses. We're out of fruit. I'll buy dinner.

It was annoying. Usually, numerous errands were completed in one outing, but he did them one by one instead of all at once.

Elise frowned as Benji bit into a fresh apple that he had bought this morning.

'Something is going on.'

It was the same this morning. Usually, Elise was unaware because she often overslept, but there was no warmth beside her in the bed at dawn when she happened to wake up. She waited with open eyes just in case, but only when the sun was high in the sky did he come back.

He bought back bread and apples for breakfast.

Even if he had baked the bread himself and picked apples from the orchard, he wouldn't have taken so long. Was there any store open at dawn in the first place? Elise's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Whether he didn't understand the expression on Elise's face or whether he knew and pretended not to know, Benji, who had cleaned up, was getting ready to go out as usual.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get lunch. Didn't you say stew was delicious back then? It might take a long time to even get your favorite dessert. Anyway, I'll be back by lunchtime."

"I see."

Was this the same person that had refused to leave her side even for a bath? Now he could not wait to go out. Elise couldn't even scoff because the change was so amazingly drastic—first, he went out in the morning and did not come back until lunch, and now he found something else to busy him for a long time in town.

"Then, I'll be back."

Despite her clipped reply, Benji ignored it, kissed her like a sweet lover, and bided her farewell. As soon as he stepped out of the door, Elise puffed her cheeks in anger and quietly followed him.

'I need to know what the hell you are doing.'

Elise followed him with a persistent gaze. She kept her distance so as not to be noticed and followed Benji's back as he stepped away from the crow. She was enchanted involuntarily.

'Benji—my Benji. My beautiful Benji.'

Even though he was far away, he looked great because he was one or two heads taller than others. But, no, regardless of his height, he didn't look like he was in the same league as ordinary people.

Unlike when he was in her annex, his neatly swept up hair revealed his straight forehead and well-honed, blade-like nose. The thick eyebrows and deep eyes shone brightly even from afar. Now, because he was wearing clothes that fit him, his figure shined through and earned admiration. His lightly tanned skin matched the warm sunlight of Faustino, and his strong muscles moving beneath the cloth were subtly showing off their existence.

'Why are you so unnecessarily handsome? Ugh, useless.'

Elise, who noticed the surroundings after completing her appraisal to her satisfaction, suddenly became displeased. It was because of all the stares on Benji.

'Indeed, people can't help but look. He's dashing.'

Everyone that walked past Benji looked back. Some stole glances, others grinned, and a couple even stared openly in disbelief. Most eyes contained the regard for appreciating an outstanding work of art, but some of them looked at Benji's body with the same eyes as Elise's. Those eyes were greedy, as if they wanted to jump into his broad chest at any moment and swallow him whole. She narrowed her forehead with a frown.

But Benji was unfazed, as if it was something he was used to, and seemed absorbed in getting to his destination. Even at the blushing faces and the gazes of approaching women, he didn't spare a single glance and just passed by with a blank expression. Seeing the womens' disappointment, Elise smiled.

'Aim for his next life. Because in this life he is mine.'

Those people would never know for the rest of their lives: How this seemingly indifferent man fell apart in front of her— how he groans and how he begs. And how good he is.

Elise's heart filled with secret pride.

But her satisfaction did not last long.

'Look at this—this femme fatale fire fox!'

A woman with long, orange hair came from a distance, sticking out her inflated breasts. She approached him with a smile and skillfully rubbed her body against his as she spoke to him. It wasn't something she had done just once or twice.