The Acolyte of Spirits and Curses

"...I was overthinking," she muttered into his shoulder.

Klein’s hand settled on her back, and Orpheus’s fingers curled lightly into his clothes as she continued.

"Earlier I told you that if you kept teasing me, there would be no sex for the rest of the day. I only said it because I was flustered. I didn’t mean it seriously."

"But after that you just... started cultivating. You were completely focused, and the longer I watched you, the more I started thinking that maybe you took it seriously and you are upset."

Her face remained buried against him, "I kept telling myself it was nothing. But the thought wouldn’t leave... So I sat here overthinking all of it like a fool."

Klein exhaled a quiet breath and patted her head "So that’s what it was."

Orpheus gave a small, reluctant nod against his chest.

"...Yes. That is what it was."

Klein gently stroked along her spine "You really overthink a lot," he murmured quietly as his fingers moved up to brush lightly through her hair, smoothing the strands that had fallen out of place.

Orpheus tightened her hold on him just a little and let out an embarrassed breath, clearly aware of how ridiculous it must have sounded when she said it out loud.

"...I know. But you just... stopped and went straight to cultivating like nothing happened. Anyone would think something was wrong."

Klein let out a faint chuckle "Sorry, dear. I am going to enter a tower, so I have to prepare myself... that’s why I immediately began cultivating."

"I was not ignoring you."

Orpheus went still for a moment at that, clearly not having considered it from that angle, and then slowly lifted her head just enough to look up at him.

"...That’s it?"

"That’s it," he replied without hesitation.

The tension in her eyes eased, and a faint flush crept up to her cheeks again as the realization settled in.

"...So you weren’t upset?" she asked, just to be sure.

"Why would I be upset at my beautiful wife?"

Orpheus lowered her gaze, her lashes trembling faintly as she let out a soft breath, "I was really overthinking it..."

"I-I am sorry... it’s just... this is all new to me."

Her voice wavered and her thoughts stumbled over each other as she tried to explain something she herself barely understood.

"I... before... everything was simple,"

"I just lived here... in this place... taking care of spirits, watching others form contracts, observing how they grew, how they changed..."

"I didn’t have to think about anything else. I didn’t have to question what I felt or why I felt it. There was no... confusion."

Her lips pressed together faintly "I just... existed."

"But now..." she lifted her gaze just a little "...now I have you."

"And Irakiel... and I..." she hesitated again.

Her hand moved slightly, resting more naturally against him now.

"When I’m with you, it feels... right,"

"But at the same time, it’s overwhelming. My heart reacts before my mind does..."

A faint flush crept onto her face again, "And when something changes, even something small like earlier... I don’t know how to handle it," she admitted honestly.

"So I start overthinking and imagine things. I make it bigger than it is."

Her voice softened further, "I’m not used to... wanting someone’s attention like this," she said, her fingers curling lightly into his shirt.

"I’m not used to feeling disappointed when I don’t get it."

"...I’m still getting used to being... like this, belonging to someone."

She finally looked up at him properly, "So... if I act strange sometimes... please forgive me."

Klein didn’t interrupt her while she spoke.

He simply listened, his hand resting steadily against her back as he took in every word she struggled to express.

His voice softened "You’re just not used to having something to lose."

Klein tilted his head slightly, his cheek brushing lightly against her hair as he spoke "Before, nothing mattered enough for you to overthink it. No expectations, no attachments, no one to disappoint... so everything felt simple."

"Now it’s different."

"...You have something you care about," he added.

"And when you care about something, you start wondering if you’re doing things right, if the other person feels the same, if you said something wrong, if you should’ve done something differently..."

A faint breath left his lips "...It’s normal."

Orpheus stayed still for a moment after that, letting his words settle into her heart.

"...Normal..." she repeated softly.

Klein hummed lightly "You’re not strange for feeling like this."

His hand slid down from her hair to her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze "You’re just inexperienced."

"...Hey," she muttered faintly, though there was no real bite in it and a small smile touched his lips.

He leaned down slightly and pressed another soft kiss against her lips, "So let me say this again, I didn’t start cultivating because I was upset."

"I started because if I don’t keep progressing, I’ll fall behind."

"And also because you told me not to touch you."

Her face flushed instantly "I-I didn’t mean it like that-"

"I know."

He cut her off before she could spiral again and muttered in a teasing tone "But you still said it."

Orpheus buried her face back into his chest immediately, "Gosh...You’re insufferable, Husband. Stop teasing me."

After a few seconds, she shifted slightly "...So..."

Klein raised a brow faintly "So?"

"...You’re not going back to cultivating right now, are you?"

A faint smile appeared on his lips "...Depends."

Her grip tightened again, "On what?"

His hand moved back to her waist, pulling her just slightly closer, and his voice lowered just enough to make her heart skip again.

"On whether my wife still plans to enforce that rule."

She shook her head "...That rule was temporary. And poorly thought out."

With a pause, she muttered "In fact... I would prefer if you didn’t cultivate right now."

After hearing this, how could he control himself anymore

He moved in one smooth motion and pushed her back onto the bed before following her down until his body covered hers.

His hands went straight to the front of her green robes.

The fabric was already loose, and it took almost no effort to pull the sash free and open the front.

The soft material slid off her shoulders and down her arms, exposing the smooth pale skin of her collarbones, the elegant line of her neck, and the full, soft curves of her breasts.

The robes pooled around her waist, leaving her upper body bare under the gentle light of the Spirit Realm.

Her gaze softened in affection, and she opened her arms "Don’t hold back, husband."

---

Morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a pale glow across the room and settling gently over the tangled mess of sheets and bodies on the bed.

Klein was still asleep with his face pressed between the soft, warm weight of her breasts.

Every slow breath he took made his face sink a little deeper into the soft flesh of her chest.

Orpheus was already awake for some time.

’He must be tired...’ she thought.

Every now and then she would gently pat the back of his head.

Klein made a small, unconscious sound in his sleep and pressed his face even more firmly between her breasts, as if seeking more of her warmth.

Orpheus’s heart felt strangely full at the sight.

The weight of his body against hers and the way his arm tightened slightly around her waist even in sleep... it all felt deeply precious.

A quiet, almost shy thought crossed her mind as she looked down at him.

...My husband.

But then her smile froze, and she panicked "E-Elfaria?"

"Husband... wake up, Elfaria just entered the Spirit Realm."

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