AWML 23

Chapter : 23

On the way back home, I looked up at the small house and muttered to myself.

“This house was something I had to be thankful for not too long ago.”
“Thanks to it, I was able to live comfortably.”
“No need to thank me. If you want to show your gratitude, treat me to a delicious meal.”
“Anytime.”

The wind blew. The leaves swayed, and Kaisa’s hair moved with it. I unconsciously reached out to his now longer hair and pushed aside the strands covering his eyes.

“Your hair has grown a lot.”
“That just shows how much time has passed since I came here.”
“……Shall I trim it a little? I can manage some.”

I couldn’t help but notice the strands covering his eyes. I had learned some basic hairdressing skills back when I used to trim Roela’s hair as a child.

“You? Well… let’s eat dinner first.”
“Alright.”

As soon as we entered the house, Kaisa headed straight for the kitchen. He stood in the space connecting the kitchen and living room and said:

“Do not take a single step inside here.”
“……I won’t.”

I crossed my legs as I watched him nod. Wait, is my cooking really that terrible?

After dinner, I moved a chair to the center of the living room. Kaisa gave me a suspicious look. Why didn’t he trust me? How much can I do! Just because I can’t cook, does that mean I’m so unreliable?

Finally, Kaisa couldn’t hold back and asked:

“Are you really capable?”
“I may not cook well, but I can do this!”
“That makes me even more uneasy.”

Kaisa sighed lightly and sat down obediently. He took off his top, and the moment I saw him, I felt my breath catch.

His body was flawless. I felt a sudden embarrassment at my own belly and side fat. Kaisa stretched out and leaned forward slightly, making it easier for me to trim his hair. As I prepared the spray bottle, comb, and scissors, Kaisa looked strangely tense.

“You won’t accidentally cut my ears while trimming, right?”
“Kaisa, do you really not trust me that much?”
“Judging by your cooking skills……”
“What does cooking have to do with cutting hair!”

I pouted and sprayed his hair with water. The wet strands looked darker. As I started combing, the hair felt even softer than I expected. Can a man’s hair really be this smooth? The strands were fine and thick at the same time. The feeling of it between my fingers was so pleasant.

But it was definitely very long. His bangs completely covered his eyes, and the side hair reached over his ears. Still, Kaisa’s good looks made this messy style somehow work.

“How much should I cut?”
“Just enough. Cut it to whatever you think looks good.”
“What does that mean? Be specific.”
“Hmm… I’d rather not have it cover my eyes.”

Of course, that sounded like Kaisa. Even in Luikaron, he always kept his hair short. I took a deep breath, picked up the scissors, and carefully started with his bangs.

Memories from long ago came back to me.

I remembered that I hadn’t only cut Roela’s hair. Far before that, before I became Milena—though the memory was now faint—I had been a hairdresser. Handling hair had been my job, and I had done it countless times. Slowly, I repeated the snips. My hands moved naturally again, as if my old skills had returned with the memory.

Every time the scissors touched, Kaisa’s shoulders tensed slightly.

“Don’t be nervous. I’m only cutting hair.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Liar. Your shoulders are completely stiff.”

Snip, snip. The sound of the scissors echoed softly in the quiet house. Strands of hair fell to the floor.

Kaisa’s forehead began to show, and his thick eyebrows appeared as well. His eyebrows were perfectly shaped. He truly looked like the main male character.

“How’s this so far?”

I wanted to show him in the mirror, but he shook his head.

“I can see it afterward. I trust you.”
“Why suddenly? You doubted me a moment ago.”

Kaisa smiled faintly. I leaned closer to focus, and he slowly closed his eyes. I carefully moved between his legs.

It was completely natural, but for some reason, my cheeks heated. Seeing Kaisa close his eyes and fully trust me felt gentle but also wild. The light revealed the smooth glow of his skin.

It felt primal.

I swallowed nervously and whispered,

“Stay still.”
“I’m not moving.”

I leaned closer. Kaisa’s scent reached me faintly—a mix of soap and his natural smell. Even without expensive perfume, he always smelled good. I continued cutting silently.

“Just a little more patience. Almost done.”

When I whispered that, I noticed Kaisa’s body tense slightly. Somehow, I also felt nervous. I carefully moved out from between his legs and went around. Each time my skirt brushed against him, it made my heart skip. Was cutting hair really supposed to feel like this? I shook my head slightly and moved behind him to trim the back of his neck, which had grown quite long.

“Bend your neck forward.”

Kaisa leaned forward. The nape of his neck shone pale and smooth. Hard to believe he was a knight.

I lifted the scissors and paused for a moment.

“Why?”
“Nothing… I just thought your neck looked beautiful.”
“What?”

Kaisa tried to lift his head, but I quickly pressed it down again.

“Don’t move! I have scissors!”
“What did you just say……”
“Nothing. Stay still.”

My face burned. Why did I say that? I didn’t even realize it. I quickly trimmed the nape of his neck.

“Almost done. Just finishing touches now.”

I raised my voice slightly, trying not to make it obvious.

As I tried to step away, Kaisa grabbed my wrist. I looked down at him in surprise. Surely he wasn’t holding onto me because of what I said? I met his gaze nervously.

“Thank you.”

Kaisa slowly looked up at me. Through his trimmed bangs, his eyes were clear. Sharp but slightly rounded, softening when he smiled. His beautiful, sparkling eyes shone brighter than any gem I had handled.

“Thanks to you, many things have become easier. Not just my hair.”
“What do you mean……”
“When I first came here, I was at a loss. I couldn’t understand the language, I had nothing. Without you, I might have starved already.”

His serious confession made my heart race. Kaisa was still holding my wrist.

“I… I wasn’t afraid either, because I had you. If I were alone, I might have broken down. But now, being together… thanks to you, I could be brave.”

Kaisa’s thumb slowly stroked my wrist. Even the small touch sent shivers down me.

“Milena.”

His voice was lower than usual. I swallowed unconsciously. Our eyes met, and I couldn’t look away.

When Kaisa sighed and let go of my wrist, I felt a little disappointed, even though I had no reason.

Will our daily life continue like this after moving into the new house?

No, I hope it does.

“What are you staring at?”
“Your hair looks great.”

Kaisa looked at me briefly and smiled faintly. I stared at his eyes, the gentle curve of them, as if I were completely captivated.

“Maybe it’s because you cut it.”

Tonight, I had a feeling it would be hard to sleep.

I knew this moment would stay in my mind for a long time.