Opening my eyes to the sunlight, I could feel Sarah's legs and arms wrapped around my body like a log.
And, ugh, is that drool? Yikes. I gently push her face away from me and stand up.
You may wonder why a grown-ass man like me is sleeping with an already adult woman who calls herself my "daughter."
Well, it's mostly due to the trauma of losing her parents. She doesn't want to lose me too, and I feel she might have yandere tendencies.
But that's for another time. I walk to the bathroom, straightening my posture.
You see, this body already went through intense training, burned to the bones. It affected me at first, but I got used to it.
Washing my face with cold water, I finally wake up from my sleepiness.
If I remember correctly, today's the day Emilia comes back, isn't it?
I couldn't help but say this with a joyful voice. She was the most helpful person I met after coming here.
Plus, her and I being from another world helped us connect faster, not sure if that's good or bad.
Fun fact: the Earth Emilia came from isn't the same as mine.
I walk to my closet and put on my formal suit, a black long coat with red patterns along the edges.
Minimal but effective. I nod to myself and walk downstairs.
I couldn't even take three steps before a maid came running toward me, asking if she could help.
I cringe internally while keeping a smile on my face. I know I'm a noble and it's their duty to tend to me,
but I've said many times it's okay, I can handle the small daily things myself.
Well, it's partially my fault. The previous owner of this body was strict and didn't allow nonsense.
So with me doing a full 180° personality shift and treating them kindly… I might've developed a bit of Stockholm syndrome in them.
Maybe it's also because I apologized to them, which is apparently, an unprecedented act for a noble toward commoners.
"But…" I glance at her. "You could prepare breakfast, that would be a big help."
I could see her face brighten in real time. She nodded energetically and rushed to the kitchen, swaying her hips in exaggerated motions.
I shook my head, trying to divert the blood flow from that region.
I'd really have to give her a lesson about that later.
Surprisingly, in just ten minutes, breakfast was ready, if you can call ten dishes with different styles a "breakfast."
I ate it all using quick, efficient movements while keeping noble etiquette.
Even so, I could sense the gazes of several maids watching me from the corner.
I swear I heard one of them wishes she is the breakfast with me eating her!
As always, I ignored them and walked outside to the garden.
Lately, I'd picked up a new hobby, gardening.
It's really fulfilling to see your plants grow.
After about an hour, I heard rushed footsteps approaching.
Turning my head, I saw Emilia running toward me, then suddenly throwing herself at me!
I instinctively caught her midair and looked at her questioningly.
"Well, that's one way to say hello," I said, holding her by the waist. She really did have a narrow one, I'll give her that.
"It's been a long time, Mason," she said in an overly sweet voice. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck, closing the space between us.
In response, I pulled her tightly into a hug. Like some great men said: "the best defense is offense."
She was surprised but didn't back off. Our faces got closer, almost to a kiss, until a maid interrupted us at the last moment.
I stepped back. I still had an image to maintain around my employees, and I should hold Emilia back a little too.
She looked like she was ready to kill the maid. I needed to diffuse the situation fast, but how?
Well, we're already going to be a couple soon, so I whispered in her ear,
"Dear, don't take it to heart. You'll soon become the woman of this household."
Let's see how this works out.
I looked at her face and saw her stoic expression melt into a mix of emotions,
before settling into a small smile with closed eyes.
For some reason, I felt danger, then I felt her hand wrapping around my arm.
Well, it's understandable. I basically confirmed our relationship with this, but… her reaction is weird.
Then suddenly, I heard a loud shout from upstairs. I lifted my head following the sound, only to see half-awake Sarah, worn only her night pajama, looking down on both of us from the balcony.
It's that woman again, isn't it? Her eyes dead fixed on Emilia, more precisely on the place we are holding hands.
"Wait, Sar-" before I finished my words, I felt Emilia's hand squeeze my hand gently. Then she said,
"It's ok, Mason. It's my job as her new mom to make her accept me." For some reason, I gulped and felt every fiber in my body shiver.
Especially on the "accept me" part, she made a strong emphasis on it.