When he opened his eyes again, Shiomi saw Morgan's face hovering above him.
Honestly, it was the first time he'd ever seen Morgan look so terrifying—it almost shocked him upright out of bed.
Assuming he could still move, that is.
As his awareness slowly returned, Shiomi realized something was wrong.
His entire body felt foreign, as if it didn't belong to him. He couldn't move at all—not even turn his head.
"…So you're finally awake."
Morgan's expression felt oddly familiar.
Then it came back to him—back in Uruk, he'd once been unconscious for ten days. Morgan had worn the same expression back then.
"Just curious… how long was I out this time?" Shiomi asked.
"A month," Morgan replied, pulling her face back slightly.
She was seated at the edge of the bed, turning slightly to gently stroke his face.
"You weren't staring at me that whole time, were you? That must've been exhausting," Shiomi said quietly.
Morgan lowered her gaze and gave a faint smile. "I just sensed that my husband was about to wake up. I didn't want to miss the moment, so I leaned in for a closer look. Seems my intuition was right."
"Hmm… but I really can't move at all. Did you cast some kind of Magecraft on me?" Shiomi asked.
"If I had a spell strong enough to restrain you, I'd have used it long ago. You think I'd wait until now?" Morgan's fingers brushed against his lips. "You should know why your body is like this."
Divine punishment.
He'd burned through the gods' gifts recklessly, and though the divine retribution hadn't reduced him to ashes, the fact he was merely left in this state was already a miracle upon miracles.
"Still… I'm just glad I'm alive," Shiomi said with a faint smile.
At that, Morgan reached beneath the pillow, supporting his neck and lower back. She gently lifted him, cradling him with one arm, and adjusted the pillows with the other so he could sit more comfortably against the headboard.
"But now you're unbearably weak. Without someone to protect you, even a child could take your life." Her tone was both helpless and understanding.
The battle in the Temple of Time had been the only method—aside from the original plan—that could defeat Beast I, the Demon King Goetia, without anyone having to die.
Of course, if Shiomi hadn't been a special being possessing the Authority of Life, he would've died the moment he used the first ring, unable to withstand the divine punishment.
"Yeah," Shiomi murmured.
He could feel it—his body was nearly ruined.
His Magic Circuits no longer functioned. His limbs refused to move.
Only his mouth still worked, but even then, he couldn't raise his voice.
In a way, although they had secured victory in the Human Order Incineration crisis, the cost had been tremendous.
"Now that I'm weak and hideous, I guess I'm no longer fit to be your husband," Shiomi joked dryly.
Morgan leaned in close, staring straight into his eyes. "I have no problem with weak or hideous things—especially not when it's my husband. In fact, it kind of excites me."
"Uh…"
Before Shiomi could reply, Morgan forcefully kissed him.
It was a bold, dominating kiss—like he was just a toy in her hands. But behind the teasing was something raw and urgent, an emotion she could barely keep contained.
He wanted to hold her, to ease the burden she'd carried alone for the past month, but he couldn't even move a finger.
After a long, intense kiss, Morgan finally let him go, visibly satisfied.
"…At least let me rinse my mouth first," Shiomi muttered.
"Don't you feel it? I was the one who cleaned you up this morning." Morgan adjusted the front of his clothes, her fingertips brushing casually across his collarbone. "A little thing like that doesn't matter."
"You… took care of me?" Shiomi asked, surprised.
Up until now, he'd never really needed her to. Morgan had looked after children before, but taking care of an unconscious adult was a different matter altogether.
"Don't look so shocked. Before I became Queen, I was just an ordinary fairy. I traveled for over a thousand years—taking care of myself is second nature." Morgan looked quite proud. "Taking care of you was nothing."
"Fair enough. We have been living together for years," Shiomi admitted.
He realized he sometimes unconsciously overlooked things—like how Morgan wasn't some fragile noble who couldn't even handle caring for one person.
"But it's not that warm in Chaldea, and you've been unconscious the whole time. So, baths have been once a week at most." Morgan pinched his chin. "I only had the chance to 'serve' you once. It wasn't enough."
"Seriously, what's with that word—'serve'?" Shiomi groaned. "And I've been in a coma. How was I even bathed? Did you wipe me down with a damp towel or something—?"
"I put you in the tub," Morgan said matter-of-factly.
"You weren't afraid I'd drown?!" Shiomi panicked.
Morgan grinned. "Relax. I was in there with you. You weren't going to sink."
"…I get the feeling you really enjoyed this," Shiomi muttered.
"I did. I've never seen you this helpless before." Morgan lifted his hand and laced her fingers with his. "You were like a delicate little doll."
"Please stop. I'm starting to get scared," Shiomi said, trying to match her teasing tone with a mock shiver.
"Well? Can you feel it?" Morgan asked.
She meant the warmth of their palms pressed together.
"I can't feel anything," Shiomi replied apologetically.
"As expected." Morgan didn't seem frustrated. She gently channeled mana through their joined hands, guiding it into his Magic Circuits.
Shiomi found the sensation oddly vivid. It was as if he could see her mana flowing through him, yet couldn't feel anything beyond that.
"How is it?" he asked.
"When we brought you back from the Temple of Time, your body was essentially ruined. But now, not only has your body recovered, even the burned-out Magic Circuits have begun to regenerate," Morgan said, smiling faintly, tears threatening to form in her eyes. "You really are impossible to kill."
"But I still can't do anything. I can't even hold you to make you feel safe," Shiomi whispered.
Morgan pulled him into her arms, gently stroking his back.
"Then let me be the one to hold you, my husband."
At that moment, the room's automatic door suddenly opened.
"…Tenkei, you're awake?" Artoria nearly dropped the clothes she was carrying.
"Sensei's awake?!"
Olga Marie squeezed past her in a rush.
Gray, Ritsuka, and Mash peeked in right after. They'd all come together to visit Shiomi.
Shiomi, however, caught the faintest click of Morgan's tongue—barely audible, only meant for him.
…Yeah, maybe best not to comment on that.
...
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