New World with Four Husbands
Chapter 261: A confusion over breakfast

Chapter 261: A confusion over breakfast

"I’m going with Alithe to go back to the main city."

Coco informed Zaque and Quizen about her departure, her voice calm and matter-of-fact.

"I’ll be leaving the village tomorrow afternoon," She announced, not looking up from her meal, her words hanging in the air, the weight of them settling heavily on both Zaque and Quizen.

Their expressions turned serious, the carefree atmosphere suddenly shattered by the news.

The tension seemed to thicken, their gazes fixed on Coco’s face, searching for any sign of her joking, but Coco’s face remained blank, her expression betraying nothing as she continued to eat her meal, seemingly unfazed by their reaction.

Coco already knows that Zaque and Quizen react differently to her decision so she didn’t feel surprised to see the blue haired mediator’s face twisting into a frown.

"So soon?" Quizen asked, his words cutting through the tension as if it was a sharp knife, the disbelief and disdain clear in the tone of his voice, "You literally told us just three or four days ago that you’re planning to go to the city, but now you’re telling me that you’re leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes." Coco answered, her tone flat and serious.

"Unbelievable." Quizen hissed, clutching his utensils a little too tight, and frowned deeply, "And you’re not planning to bring Zaque with you?"

"Ah, no, he’s coming with me." Coco rebuked Quizen’s question, pausing mid bite, "I received a mission and that mission requires me to bring him along with me so even if I don’t want to, I have no choice."

"Mission?" Zaque echoed the out of context word, "What mission?"

"A mission is a mission." Coco answered his question in a blunt way before pushing the spoon inside her mouth, chewing the rice and the meat of the flying pig together.

"That only made it more confusing." Quizen mumbled, pushing a few rice around his plate, "I realized just now that you have been keeping a lot of things to yourself and refuse to tell us.."

The last sentence was said under his breath, his voice was too quiet for it to be considered as a whisper.

"It’s fine if it’s confusing." Coco said after she finished chewing, "I don’t want to put any more burden on you or any of the mediators. You suffered enough and already have too much on your plate."

Zaque tensed upon hearing Coco’s words, his expression hardening slightly.

He hated the insinuation that she was a burden, that she was adding to their burdens, because she’s far from that— she’s far from a burden for him, and she will never be a burden for him, that much is what he can tell.

"You’re not a burden," Zaque said firmly, his voice gruff with displeasure, "We’ve been through worse so we can handle it."

Coco raised an eyebrow at his words, unsure why he was so defensive nor where that defensiveness came from.

She was not trying to imply that she was a burden, she just didn’t want to add her problems to their already existing ones.

She wanted to handle her problems on her own, to prevent them from affecting anyone else because it’s hers for a reason, and her problem? It’s hers to solve, no one else.

"I never said I was a burden," Coco replied, her tone cool and even. "I just don’t want to add to your problems."

Zaque’s expression softened, feeling slightly ashamed that he got riled up from misunderstanding Coco’s words, but now, he knew exactly what she meant, the subtle implication behind her words clear to him.

She’s amazing. Zaque thought, his heart skipping a beat as he stared at Coco’s eyes.

"Still, you’re never going to be a burden." Zaque echoed his earlier words, his eyes gentle, but sad. "I care about you— we care about you, and we want to help you. We’re your husbands. Your problems are our problems."

Now, just because Zaque changed his term mid sentence doesn’t mean that Coco didn’t catch it.

She’s already aware that Zaque has feelings for her and by his words, maybe the others are feeling the same way, if not, probably much less romantic than Zaque’s feeling— friend, perhaps? Acquaintances? A decent stranger?

Coco doesn’t know, but with what she got from Zaque, at least the four husbands had acknowledged her hard work.

All the days of her going out and in the village with monster carcasses on her shoulders and basket filled with fruits just to earn money are now flashing in her mind, making her shoulders sag.

It felt rewarding somehow.

To know that her hard work wasn’t fruitless.

"My problems are my problems." Coco cleared her throat and corrected Zaque’s last sentence, "I never let other people help to solve my problem, except for my family and friends."

Zaque’s heart dropped to his stomach, the implications of her words piercing through his chest.

Quizen, on the other hand, frowned at her words, a deep scowl crossing his face.

At first, he was as confused as Zaque, offended even, wondering why she was making things so complicated, but now she’s trying to say that they are not family? Not on his watch.

"Why are you saying it like that?" He asked, his voice tight with controlled frustration. "We’re family— matter of fact, I’m your husband, and a husband is counted as family, right? Then what do families do? They help each other out."

Coco blinked, confused as to what was going on, wondering why Quizen and Zaque looked like they were hurt.

She said nothing wrong, that much is obvious, but the hurtful frown on Zaque’s face spoke volumes, and the offended scowl on Quizen told her a lot.

".. Yes." Coco mumbled, more like a question than an answer, unsure of what to say.

"Then, what is this mission you speak of? Is it straining? Mentally exhausting? Confidential? Did you get hired with someone of high status?"

Coco was already confused enough as is, so the question threw her off even more.