The late night was heavy and deep.
Again, it was that familiar yet unfamiliar path.
Celia used a great deal of effort to hoist the man onto her back from the ground.
She was wearing a cute, petite Lolita-style dress, her small leather shoes stepping on the earthy, stony ground.
Each step left a clear footprint on the earth.
The man's arms were draped haphazardly over her shoulders, his warm breath puffing against the nape of her neck, mixed with the strong scent of alcohol.
With their size difference, at first glance, it looked like a little white rabbit strenuously carrying a gray wolf.
"So heavy..."
...
...
...
Fortunately, the journey wasn't too long.
Even weighed down by such a solidly built man, Celia only had to struggle for about five minutes before finally reaching the place.
She carefully helped the utterly drunk and disoriented man onto the stone steps at the entrance.
But he sat swaying unsteadily, so Celia had to use her strength to stabilize him, letting him lean barely against the wall.
"Awooo—"
As night fell, the howls of wolves could always be heard outside.
Celia shivered, her gaze sweeping over the half-open wooden door leading into the darkness outside.
A sense of unease persisted in her heart.
Logically, the wolf tribe was relatively close to the elves, but Celia was particularly wary of them.
She had been teased by elders in the clan more than once about this.
She was just about to step into the courtyard to shut the door properly when her wrist was suddenly grabbed by a strong hand, rooting her to the spot.
He mumbled incoherently, "Hey, my cute little rabbit, planning to run away?"
You lunatic!!!
Celia pressed her lips together and gently pulled her hand back.
Her steps hurried, she rushed over in a few quick strides and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Then, like a startled rabbit, she quickly ran back, finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
Her anxious heart finally settled.
Turning on the living room light, the man's drunken, flushed, and pitiful state was fully revealed.
In all her time with Liam, Celia had never seen him in such a state.
Right now...
Celia stood still for a moment, her lips slightly parted, taking in the scene before her.
It felt somewhat familiar.
Like...
A husband, drunk after a gathering with friends, brought home in a sorry state by his friends, and the virtuous wife, upon seeing him, her gaze gradually softens.
Could Celia be the virtuous wife in that story now?
Her current task must be to help her beloved husband take off his clothes, gently guide him to bed, and take care of him tenderly?
No...
As she thought about it, a shy blush rose on Celia's delicate little face, and she unconsciously rubbed her legs together.
She used to be a boy and had no experience being a virtuous wife...
Moreover, in their daily life, Liam was always the dominant one.
No matter what, she needed his permission.
She had always been like a little rabbit kept and doted on by a big gray wolf inside the house.
Now, the little rabbit wasn't being teased; instead, she had to take care of the big gray wolf.
Taking care of him...
She didn't know how!
What should she do?
...
It took a great deal of effort.
Celia finally managed to get the man to the incubation room.
Taken care of!
She helped the man take off his stained trousers and outer coat.
Now he only had a thin shirt left on his upper body.
Although the process was still somewhat embarrassing, Celia was already used to it.
Sometimes, Liam wouldn't take off his own clothes, just so he could make her, his wife, do it for him... He was definitely a bit twisted.
Liam across from her was sleeping deeply, occasionally letting out heavy, low groans from his throat.
Celia held the two babies protectively in her arms, keeping a full body's width of distance from him.
To be honest, this scene was quite rare between the two of them.
Besides... every night before sleep, Liam would always, with a certain roughness, nibble on her all over, then tightly bind this soft little rabbit in his embrace to sleep.
Celia was already petite, and when Liam held her as they slept, she truly resembled a doll resting docilely in his embrace.
Most of the time, it was Liam who would directly pull Celia into his embrace, rather than Celia actively seeking it.
But...
Celia wore the pink bunny pajamas Liam had given her, the chill night air seeping persistently through the fabric.
As the cold crept into her limbs, she felt an inexplicable sense of something missing.
No sense of security...
Yes, what was missing was probably a sense of security, right?
Her clear eyes lowered slightly, carrying threads of loss and longing.
Her small body curled up into a ball.
His broad chest, and the body heat she could faintly sense even across the distance, became the sole focus of her gaze.
—She really wanted to nestle into Liam's arms and sleep.
This thought constantly lingered in her heart.
She craved it.
Just then, Liam turned over, the bedding rustling with the movement.
In a deep voice that, to Celia who was already a little girl, sounded very appealing, he murmured, "Celia..."
"Why... no cry... already filled..."
"Seems... husband's strength..."
So scary!
As expected.
Holding her breath and lying still for a moment longer,Celia could no longer bear the emptiness around her.
Tears of self-pity squeezed from the corners of her eyes.
No longer hesitating, she hugged the two eggs, and her small frame finally slowly inched over.
She quietly nestled under the covers, pulled out the man's arm resting at his side to use as a pillow, and placed her small hand on his warm, firm chest.
Through the thin pajamas, she could vividly feel the man's body heat.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, it was warmer than usual.
The man was lying on his back, not tightly wrapping her in his arms like he usually did.
It wasn't like hugging a plush toy.
She couldn't fully absorb the warmth from him.
There was too much emptiness.
The gnawing void within her was so vast that she could only burrow fiercely against his chest, like a sulking kitten, fidgeting restlessly yet finding no solace.
Suddenly.
"H-Husband?"
Celia gasped softly, her whole body stiffening like a rod.
Just moments ago, she had been using this man as a 'power bank' to snuggle against, but now he had turned towards her.
The arm she was using as a pillow was pulled out.
Whether he was conscious or not, the man pulled her into his embrace with an undeniable strength.
His movements were just as rough as before.
Her slender little body was firmly locked against his chest by his broad arms, leaving not a sliver of space between them.
Suffocating.
Her arm was pinned awkwardly, hurting faintly.
The babies... were also squeezed away.
"So soft."
The man spoke unexpectedly.
The man spoke without warning, his voice vibrating against her ear.
"My wife is really so soft."
Celia stiffened even more.
His head buried in the crook of her neck, she asked in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, timidly, "H-Husband... are you awake?"
"Can't even lie still while sleeping, fidgeting all over me. Is your backside itching for a spanking?"