Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

Sorry, had family issues to settle this month, so will be resuming the translation next month. In the meantime, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Wishing you all a wonderful end to 2025 and a great 2026 in two more days.

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Chapter 189 – I went to the hero and the lady mage’s house

Together with my girlfriend, Cecilia, and our strongest companion, Raven, who had been on fire since figuring out his life plans, we made our way to Yuuga and Mikana’s love nest. Honestly, I was struggling to keep up with how fast everything seemed to be moving.

Is that what they call the ‘marriage blues’? That feeling that creeps up just before the wedding?

As that thought crossed my mind, I looked up at the house where the two of them were living together. It wasn’t a grand mansion I had imagined – just a simple two-storey house with a modest little garden. It was a bit surprising. Considering how much those two were likely earning, they could easily afford a larger place. But it made sense; neither came from a noble family, so a house like this probably felt more comfortable for them. Regardless of the size, what mattered was that they were happily building a life together.

Raven, standing next to me, seemed even more engrossed, studying the house with a thoughtful expression. Every so often, I’d hear him mutter things like, “I see,” or “Hmm, but still…” I decided to leave him to his musings.

“It’s Cecilia. Mikana, are you home?” [Cecilia]

Cecilia knocked on the door. Moments later, we heard hurried footsteps from inside, and the door swung open.

“Sorry to have you come over… Wait, why are you here? And, Swordsman is here too? What’s going on?” [Mikana]

“Is there a problem? Don’t worry, I’m on your side today.” [Youki]

“I was a bit worried… so I asked to come along with Youki and Cecilia as well.” [Raven]

“Alright, got it. Well, come on in.” [Mikana]

It seemed she wasn’t expecting Raven and me to show up. She looked a bit flustered, perhaps not wanting to dig deeper, quickly composed herself and welcomed us in. I wondered if everything was truly alright as we stepped into their cozy home- their love nest.

Right away, you could see traces of the life they shared; matching pillows on the couch in different colours, two of each dish, and even colour-coordinated pyjamas. The furniture was simple, nothing extravagant or high-end; it was just affordable pieces that suited them.

Meanwhile, Raven was glancing around restlessly, likely still surprised to be in the home of a cohabitating couple. What was he here for anyway?

“Hey, quit staring at everything like that!” [Mikana]

“Oh-ho. So, you’re saying there’s something here you don’t want us to see?” [Youki]

“…Cecilia, I’ll go make some tea. But keep an eye on your pet dog, alright? Make sure he doesn’t start rummaging through the place.” [Mikana]

With that, Mikana disappeared into the kitchen. ‘Pet dog’? Seriously?

“Shall I go ahead and live up to that? I’ll start rummaging around for real.” [Youki]

“No, you shall not.” [Cecilia]

“Thought so.” [Youki]

As expected, I got stopped right away. Not that I was seriously planning to snoop around in the first place. If I were to see something I shouldn’t by accident, it would be bad.

After all, this is a house where a couple lives together. There’s bound to be… something here. And honestly, the possibilities are kind of terrifying.

However, Raven’s curiosity seemed to be getting the better of him today; he couldn’t stop glancing around.

“…Youki, what do you think that is?”[Raven]

Raven pointed towards a half-open door leading to a room. From what we could see, it looked like a bedroom… with only a bed inside. Upon closer inspection, there were two pillows on it. Wait, what?

Raven noticed it too and shot me a look, but even with that reaction, I had no idea how to respond. Cecilia must have caught us staring into the room, as she quietly closed the half-open door.

“Youki-san, Raven-san… let’s not pry too much, alright? Especially you, Raven-san. This isn’t like you.” [Cecilia]

“…My apologies.” [Raven]

It was a rare sight to see Cecilia scolding Raven. I was usually the one on the receiving end. Still, I understood Raven’s curiosity; he seemed especially restless today. Just then, as he reflected on his behaviour, Mikana returned with the tea.

“Thanks for waiting- what’s this now? Why’s Swordsman getting scolded by Cecilia? Aren’t you the one usually messing up?” [Mikana]

“…Raven took the initiative to see something we weren’t meant to see.” [Youki]

“I don’t think there’s anything in this house that should be off-limits, so… what exactly did you two see?” [Mikana]

I hesitated, unsure if I should say anything. Raven had fallen completely silent, almost as if he’d reverted to his old self, and Cecilia also kept quiet. The silence stretched as Mikana waited for an answer. No one said a word.

Suddenly, Raven pulled out his trusty notebook and pen, hastily scribbling a message: ‘Sorry, we looked into your bedroom…’ Wait, seriously!? It was too late now, but Cecilia saw what he wrote, quickly tore off the note, and slipped it into her chest pocket.

“…Raven-san, you’re really out of sorts today, aren’t you?” [Cecilia]

“…It seems so. My apologies, Cecilia.” [Raven]

“Hey, if you’re going to apologize, shouldn’t it be to me?!” [Mikana]

Was this the legendary teamwork of the hero’s party? I felt like I was thrown into an uncharted territory. I’d like to join in, but I decided to just stay quiet and watch.

“…Right. Mikana, should I send you some sort of celebratory gift?” [Raven]

“What kind of ‘celebration’ are you even talking about? How did you reach that conclusion from just seeing the bedroom? Swordsman, maybe you’re the one who should get a congratulatory gift. Must be nice to be surrounded by lovely ladies on both sides.” [Mikana]

Raven was genuinely being himself, but it seemed Mikana had taken it the wrong way. She was likely referring to Shike-chan and Happiness. Information seemed to travel fast. Regardless, that incident was already resolved, so Raven wasn’t the one at fault.

“…Mikana, the flower I hold dear is in only one hand. Even if it’s painful for someone who cared for me, my feelings remain unwavering.” [Raven]

“Ugh… you’ve really changed, haven’t you? You weren’t the kind of guy to say things like that before. Cecilia, what’s gotten into him?” [Mikana]

“Mikana, Raven-san has found someone – someone who, to him, is just as special as Hero-sama is to you.” [Cecilia]

There was no better way to explain it. Raven, too, looked unfazed, without a hint of redness on his face. He seemed to be maturing day by day.

“…Alright, I get it, Swordsman. And fine, you saw the bedroom, so there’s no point denying it now. But don’t dig any deeper, alright? I’m sure you understand. When you’re in a relationship, there are always one or two things you don’t want others poking into.” [Mikana]

“…Yeah, I’d have to agree.” [Raven]

“I don’t have anything like that.” [Cecilia]

Hold on, Cecilia… What are you saying?

Mikana, Raven, and I turned to stare at Cecilia in shock.

“Wait a second, Cecilia… That’s gotta be a lie, right? Look at him – this guy! He’d definitely caused all sorts of trouble. There has to be at least one thing you’d rather not share because of him!” [Mikana]

“Hey, hold on! What do you think I am!?” [Youki]

“Don’t underestimate my information network. I know all about your weird comments, your strangely high skill level, and your wide network of connections. Along with that, I’m well aware of the countless problematic behaviours you’ve displayed. You’ve even made Cecilia genuinely angry before, haven’t you?” [Mikana]

“…I’m sorry.” [Youki]

There was some truth in her words, so I couldn’t refute them. I was probably destined to be the eternally problematic, edgy guy.

“…Cecilia, are you sure there’s really nothing you’d be uncomfortable if people found out about you with Youki?” [Raven]

“Yes. Youki-san and I have a perfectly normal relationship. Isn’t that right, Youki-san?” [Cecilia]

“Uh, yeah… That’s right…” [Youki]

I couldn’t help but give her the answer she wanted when she flashed me that natural smile. Besides, it was true – our relationship was perfectly clean.

“I see. That’s how it is, huh? Youki…” [Raven]

Why was Raven giving me that strange look? I didn’t remember doing anything wrong.

Mikana leaned in and began whispering to Cecilia.

“You know, you should have at least one secret with your partner. Having something that’s just between the two of you is something to treasure. I bet even Swordsman has things he wouldn’t want others to know.” [Mikana]

Is that really the case? Even though Raven confides in me a lot, there are still things I don’t know?

Mikana must have secrets with Yuuga that she didn’t share with anyone else. She wouldn’t be lecturing us like this otherwise.

A secret that only Cecilia and I share, huh? No… we don’t have anything like that. Quite a few people already know I’m a demon, after all.

“Mikana, is something wrong?” [Youki]

“No, it’s nothing… Just… make sure to stay on top of things.”[Mikana]

She murmured the last part as a quiet warning. I thought I was keeping things under control, but I guess I had caused trouble recently due to my own obliviousness. Cecilia and I had talked things through to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.

A secret, huh? Maybe that’s something to keep in mind for the future.

“…So, to sum it up, we’ll pretend we didn’t see anything, right?” [Youki]

“Yes! Don’t overthink it!” [Mikana]

“Hey, Cecilia, at the orphanage you volunteer at, there are toddlers, right?” [Youki]

“Yes, there are… but, why?” [Cecilia]

“Well, I thought Mikana could practice holding and soothing them while there’s a chance – ouch!” [Youki]

Both Cecilia and Mikana delivered swift chops to my head.

“How did you come to that!?” [Mikana]

“Exactly, Youki-san. It’s too soon for Mikana.” [Cecilia]

“Eh? Wait, Cecilia, what do you mean by too soon?” [Mikana]

“Isn’t it obvious? Mikana should first learn about the stages of pregnancy. It might be beneficial if Hero-sama helps you study, too, so he can assist you as needed. Since I don’t know all the details, we could ask Sophia-san, who has experience with childbirth, to guide you…” [Cecilia]

Mikana’s face was gradually turning red, but Cecilia showed no signs of stopping her explanation. She wasn’t doing it intentionally. It was simply her nature.

This wasn’t exactly a topic Raven and I could keep up with… Wait, is Raven taking notes? He actually seems interested. And Mikana looks surprisingly enthusiastic, too?

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