Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 24

TL: Content Warning. PG 15-ish

“…What is that?”

“W-What’s what?”

“That. That.”

“I, I don’t know!”

It’s your body; if you don’t know, who does?

Embarrassed by the majestic tent that threatened to pierce through his trousers, Zester hurriedly covered himself with the blanket again.

Cassia could instinctively tell that Zester’s strange state was similar to her own. The flushed body, the ragged breathing, the strange mood.

Why was this happening just as they’d laid down to sleep all of a sudden? Were they sick?

Flushed to the point her vision blurred, Cassia struggled to hold on to her senses. She couldn’t understand what had caused this, until her eyes landed on Zester’s gift box on the table.

“B-Baron!”

As the feeling grew stranger, she called Zester and pressed her legs tightly together. Zester, who was also struggling, turned at her rather sharp voice and forcing himself to hold on to his sense, he looked into Cassia’s eyes.

“W-Where did you get that? Did you buy it when you were out today?”

Cassia furrowed her brow, pointing at the chocolate box on the table.

But Zester didn’t respond. More precisely, his mind had gone blank while his body felt incredibly sensitive.

Cassia sat on the bed, just an arm’s reach away. Her face, which had dazzled him from the moment they met, felt even more beautiful than ever. Her blue eyes shone like sapphires on her fair skin and then there was her red lips, calling “Baron”…

Moonlight streamed through the wide windows, soaking into her silver hair and causing it to sparkle.

Cassia’s lips were moving but Zester couldn’t hear her anymore. How could the sight of her soft hair flowing down her fair neck and shoulders be so enticing?

Zester wanted to reach out and touch her badly.

Even on their first night, he had restrained himself with superhuman self-control. The sight of his hands on Cassia’s beautifully sculpted body felt like a shameful impurity. From that day on, the desire to touch and hold her had never gone away but he had always held back.

However…

“…!”

A flash of clarity cut through his hazy, drifting mind. His eyes took in Cassia’s small face and his own hand. His hand, which was unconsciously moved toward Cassia’s neck as if it was ready to grab it. Had he not snapped out of it when he did, it might’ve been too late.

Barely able to catch his breath, Zester clenched his outstretched fingers one by one.

Cassia watched with a nervous expression as Zester, who had come just inches from her nose, clenched his fists and began to tremble.

“…Baron?”

Cassia called him in a small, trembling voice.

Smack!

“Kyaa!”

Before she could stop him, Zester punched himself so hard that his head whipped to the side from the impact. The taste of blood filled his mouth almost immediately.

Cassia gasped, horrified and her hands flew to her mouth in shock.

When Zester turned back, his face was something else. His right cheek was swelling and blood was visible at the corner of his lips.

“Oh gosh, why…”

As Cassia reached out to touch his bleeding lip, Zester’s eyes blazed. If those slender fingers touched his lips now, he wasn’t sure he could hold back.

Smack. Zester swatted Cassia’s hand away with considerable force.

“Please, please leave.”

“…Huh?”

“I-It’s better if you sleep in your room tonight. There’s something wrong with me right now…”

Like a beast barely leashed.

“B-But…”

Cassia bit her lower lip and clutched the blanket over her thighs.

“I can’t feel my legs.”

“H-Huh?”

“There’s something very, very wrong with me too. Where exactly did you get those chocolates?!”

Cassia pointed firmly at the chocolate box. At this point, she was 100% sure. Both she and Zester were in an abnormal state due to drugs.

She hadn’t even refused intercourse, so why would he deliberately drug her? She was dumbfounded but after seeing Zester’s reaction, she realized he hadn’t meant to. He had probably brought it not knowing it was some weird chocolate.

Zester looked blank as Cassia questioned him.

‘The chocolates…why is she asking about…?’

『Lady Fleurette brought this gift to help strengthen your relationship.』

Fleurette Roseline.

Zester was shocked the moment he remembered that woman who had talked about sex education so explicitly that he couldn’t even bring himself to repeat her words aloud. Naturally, such an ‘incredible’ woman would never send an ordinary gift.

‘Was there aphrodisiac in there?!’

Cassia sat in front of him, gasping for breath and brushing her flushed cheek with the back of her hand, as if her fever was rising.

Her face looked pained and exhausted. And Zester, watching that, felt like a beast who wanted to…

‘Get a grip! Please, get a grip!’

Words could not describe what was going through his mind right now as he watched his wife struggling and breathing roughly. Cassia would surely be shocked and horrified is she knew.

“It’s…it’s too hard to get up.”

Cassia was nearly losing her mind under the drug’s effects. She remembered Zester’s sturdy hand reaching for her, and the strangest thought coursed through her mind that she wanted him to touch her. To touch every inch of her heated body…

‘I’m losing my mind!’

No, Zester was the one who was nuts. What in the world had he done?

“I, I know it’s hard but, I…Okay, I-I’ll carry you…”

Carry her? In this state? Could he, who felt like a ferocious beast with a hundred teeth, carry his trembling, small, bird-like wife safely to her room?

‘I’ll be lucky if I don’t pin her down on the bed…’

Zester was overcome with guilt, unable to do anything. He’d brought his unsuspecting wife to his room and unknowingly gave her drugs, claiming it was a fit.

“I’m sorry. I’ve committed a terrible sin.”

Zester dropped to his knees on the bed and bowed his head to the mattress. His forehead brushed against her knee, and even that contact made his body shudder.

That scent, whenever he was near her, something about her fragrance clung to his nose. Even digging his nails into his palm didn’t calm the storm in his body.

“The truth is, Lady Roseline visited the castle earlier today and left this as a gift…”

He hated the way he sounded, as if making excuses just to avoid her hate. But he had no choice. It was better than letting her think he’d drugged her on purpose.

Zester’s confession made Cassia’s mind spin. If he says Miss Roseline, then it was that courtesan who came to the castle a while ago and sure enough, these chocolates were exactly the drugged kind that she suspected.

“W-What do we do?”

Zester looked up, almost in tears.

This damned husband of hers. If only she had the strength, she really wanted to smack him on the head right now. But her body felt limp like water-soaked cotton and her thoughts were clouded with strange desires.

Cassia collapsed onto her side.

“C-Cassia!”

“…Haah…”

“W-What do we do? Is there something I can do?!”

“What do you think?!”

She never imagined that her first marital relationship with her husband after returning back in time would be like this.

From start to finish, there wasn’t a single thing about this man that she liked.

Despite her annoyance, her hand moved on its own. Reaching up, she touched his blood-stained lips and Zester stiffened.

“Thankfully, we’re married. Imagine if we shared these with strangers.”

“W-What?”

“That would’ve been a disaster…”

Cassia shook her head and glanced at the very obvious bulge in Zester’s trousers.

“A disaster?! If…If that happened…”

“…”

“I would’ve cut this off!”

The determination in his voice made Cassia burst into laughter. Zester’s guilt-filled heart calmed down a little at Cassia’s somewhat gentle reaction.

Yes, if this had been the worst-case scenario Cassia envisioned, he would’ve cut it off without a second thought. But that wasn’t the case now. He and Cassia were clearly married. So, so…

Zester swallowed hard and looked down at Cassia, whose eyes were now half-open, his lips trembling.

“Can, can I…”

“…”

“Can I kiss you?”

Cassia felt her mind clearing for just a moment.

A kiss, he says. The act of biting each other’s lip and sharing saliva…had they ever done that before?

I’m curious. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Cassia reached out and grabbed Zester’s night robe by the collar.

Unprepared, Zester stumbled forward, and their lips crashed together.

Eyes wide, Zester froze, unable to adapt to the warmth on his lips. Then Cassia’s hot tongue brushed against his lips and his frozen sanity vanished.

He pushed his tongue into her parted lips, more aggressive than he had meant to be. At the same time, he threw off his shirt which was suffocating his heated body. Then clinging to the last shred of sanity, he pulled away and asked.

“Cassia.”

“…Hm?”

Her voice carried a hint of irritation.

“Could I…could I…”

He wanted to ask, ‘Could I dare to touch you?’ but Cassia was faster. Her slender, fair hand stroked Zester’s firm chest.

He gasped audibly.

“You can. You can do anything you want.”

Right now, she had no other way to control this strange feeling, like her body wasn’t her own.

From then on, Zester and Cassia abandoned any attempt to get a hold their senses. From then on, neither of them tried to recover their reason. Their movements, endlessly clumsy and crude, became intertwined, and grew more intense.

They had each eaten just one chocolate.

Whether it was due to the drug’s effects or pent-up desire, it wasn’t until dawn’s gray light filtered through the window that Zester finally calmed down

His body was soaked in sweat, but it felt strangely comfortable. He stared blankly at Cassia’s back while she slept quietly, not sure if this was a dream or not. If it was, he hoped it wouldn’t end.

He was very worried because he knew how disappointed she had been after their first time. But…but this time, he got a feeling from Cassia that made him not know how to react. It this really was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

『I never thought it could, could feel like this.』

『Hm? What do you mean?』

『Ngh…I mean, it feels good. This.』

Slap!

Zester felt the sting after slapping his cheeks and realized this wasn’t a dream.

He was a little worried that he had gotten too excited and exhausting Cassia more than necessary and he felt a little sorry for going so hard that she fell into such a deep sleep.

But it felt good. Unbelievably good. From the start to finish, Zester was overwhelmed with emotion.

Staring at her fair, exposed back, Zester carefully pulled the blanket over her. He hugged her from behind as her body curled up from the draft but unlike before, his heart didn’t feel heavy.

He had always hesitated, thinking he wasn’t worthy to touch his precious wife.

『Thankfully, we’re married.』

Yes, they were husband and wife.

Zester hesitated slightly, then he pressed a soft kiss on Cassia’s fair, round shoulder.

“I…”

It was something that felt very embarrassing to say out loud but he couldn’t stop himself.

“…I like you. So much…”

His chest felt tight.

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