Waking up, the world hadn't reverted to its original state. Erina Nakiri opened her eyes and still saw the wedding photo. The unfamiliar surroundings and social circle kept her restless. Before, the first thing she would see upon waking was Hisako Arato. Now, the unfamiliarity and her lack of sleep left Erina feeling mentally drained.
However, Rina, still sleeping beside her, brushing against her nose, provided a rare sense of security.
Time to get up and make breakfast, Erina thought.
The clock in the villa's main hall showed 7 AM. She had already prepared breakfast in the kitchen, yet Renz hadn't emerged from his room. There was no sign of him. Suddenly, a knock came from the front door.
"Good morning, Mrs. Nakiri."
Outside stood an older woman with faint wrinkles on her cheeks. Her voice was gentle, and her tone familiar—possibly a known acquaintance. Yet, Erina couldn't find any information about her in her memory.
Someone I meet in the future, then? she wondered.
"Auntie Asakawa, are you here to do housework?" Rina rubbed her eyes and walked out of the bedroom, awakened by her mother's movement. The little one skillfully made her way to the fridge, ready to grab some snacks.
Housework? If she were a relative, surely Erina would know her. She must be hired help, Erina concluded.
"Rina, you're such a good girl," Auntie Asakawa said with a smile. Then a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes as she turned to Erina. "Mrs. Nakiri, if there are any hard-to-clean spots, please don't hesitate to tell me."
Erina frowned slightly and glanced at the time. Something felt off. Even if she was hired help, she had arrived too early. But the timing wasn't the issue—getting her to leave was more important. Erina didn't know this Ms. Asakawa at all. What if she noticed something strange?
"You've come a bit early today," Erina said, intending it as a subtle hint for her to go.
However, the woman didn't catch the hint. Instead, she thought Erina was simply curious. Ms. Asakawa sighed faintly.
"Mrs. Nakiri, I truly envy you."
What's going on? Erina was confused. The conversation had suddenly veered into a blind spot. Why is she envying me? Because of money? What is there to envy?
"My good-for-nothing husband got roaring drunk last night and crawled home. This morning, he started a huge fight with me over something trivial—he didn't like the breakfast I made. I can't stand being there even a minute longer. The air smells foul," Ms. Asakawa said helplessly. "So I decided to come to work early."
Erina was even more bewildered. This was completely outside her realm of experience.
From the second-floor stairwell, Renz saw an unfamiliar woman chatting with Erina. He hadn't intended to greet anyone, especially since things between him and Erina were still strained. He wasn't the type for affectionate morning greetings.
But with an outsider present, they still needed to maintain their public image from ten years in the future—to at least appear like a loving couple in front of the children.
"Erina, good morning," Renz said, waving.
Hearing his proactive greeting, Erina remembered their earlier agreement: to fulfill their parental roles and keep up appearances until Rina and Haruna grew up.
"Ze, good morning," she replied with a smile. The term "Ze" still felt awkward, but she said it quickly enough that most wouldn't notice.
Ms. Asakawa's eyes shimmered with admiration. "Mrs. Nakiri, how do you and your husband maintain such an unchanging relationship?" she asked, clearly envious.
Erina wanted to cry. How am I supposed to answer that?!
What relationship? What unchanging love? I don't understand!
"Erina, Erina, what's for breakfast today?" Renz saw her standing by the door like she was being punished. He rushed over to help relieve some pressure.
He could tell at a glance that Erina was a "blockhead" who didn't even know how to change the topic.
The moment she heard the question about food, Erina became energized. Cooking was her domain!
"How about risotto? It's easy to digest in the morning and very nutritious," she said. "Rina also likes sweet things, and a lightly sweet risotto is healthy and not too heavy."
"Then we'll listen to you—risotto it is," Renz said with a smile. "I'll go brush my teeth first."
As someone with no dating experience, Renz found this all quite overwhelming. Keeping up the image of a loving couple was hard.
How do other couples manage to say those kinds of things so naturally? He just wanted to brush his teeth and reset.
"Erina, go prep in the kitchen," he said before leaving, giving her a graceful reason to exit. He wondered if she'd catch his unspoken cue.
Erina didn't miss it. "Ms. Asakawa, please just help us wipe down the glass and floors here," she said, pointing to a few spots. Then she added, "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I'll make some porridge for you too."
"Oh, that's too kind. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Mrs. Nakiri."
Ms. Asakawa's gaze softened further with admiration. She couldn't help comparing Erina's married life to her own. Her heart ached. The contrast was too painful.
Just a normal breakfast… yet look at them. They greeted each other politely, the husband doted on his daughter, and the child was so well-mannered. Mr. Nakiri even seemed adorable.
Forget about being married seven or eight years—they looked like newlyweds.
Comparisons are infuriating! Why is my husband so awful compared to Mr. Nakiri?!
In the kitchen, Erina let out a long sigh. She had faced a huge problem first thing in the morning—but thankfully, it had been solvable.
She thought back to how she had just called him "Renz." Her head felt slightly fuzzy.
Dealing with just one familiar housekeeper is already so hard. How will I handle my own relatives later? Like… my grandfather, Senzaemon Nakiri.
Renz thought life was hard.
Erina thought life was unbearably hard.
Not only did she have to raise children, but she also had to keep up the act of being in a loving relationship.
She was going insane.
---Support with power stones