Chapter 25 : Reunion

With Lilith’s strong insistence, I decided not to revert my speech or personality back to how it used to be.

Right. It would have been a bit of a waste.
The personality I painstakingly changed while fantasizing about building a family with Caspar next to his corpse – not being able to use it would be a pity.

“Next… Should I buy some clothes first?”

I have plenty of women’s clothes.
Thinking about how Caspar would react upon seeing me dressed up was quite enjoyable.

I even put some rather embarrassing clothes in the closet.
Um, slightly revealing underwear or cosplay outfits.

But surprisingly, I had no men’s clothes.
Since the only clothes Caspar wore in the glass coffin for years were burial shrouds, I completely forgot to consider clothes for him to wear.

Thinking about it now, I felt self-reproach. It was my oversight.

Claiming it was for my husband, yet buying only heaps of clothes for myself and none for him.

The excuse that I couldn’t imagine Caspar in other clothes, or the excuse that any clothes would be fine because I loved any version of Caspar, wouldn’t hold.

To think about how I would appear to him, yet overlook the appearance Caspar might want to show me. This too must be due to my lack of love.

“…Lily. First, go pick out some men’s clothes. I think you’d know better about this sort of thing. I’ll tell you the measurements and types.”

I thought about what clothes would suit Caspar best.

Whoosh.

My face flushed.
Images of Caspar in a black suit, in ordinary clothes, in slightly rugged and masculine clothes flashed through my mind.

My heart pounded as if it would explode.
I must have fallen for Caspar all over again.

…There’s a limit to foolishness. What am I doing, falling for an imaginary Caspar?

“…”

Lilith pretended not to see anything and quietly started cleaning the house.
Until I wrote down the shopping list and Caspar’s body measurements in a notebook.

***

After sending Lilith off and purifying myself with a bath, I fell into serious contemplation.

‘What if Caspar finds Earth clothes strange?’

I was currently wearing only underwear, staring intently at the wardrobe.

The underwear I wore was a white bra and panties with lace.
After much deliberation, I thought something simple would be best.
Similar underwear existed in the Land of Prosperity, so it wouldn’t feel awkward either.

Anyway, choosing the underwear only took 30 minutes, but the next step was the problem.

The difference between the two worlds was relatively more apparent in outerwear.
Wearing a dress would be fine, but it felt like dressing up too much, which I disliked.

More importantly, a dress at home? That’s a bit strange, isn’t it?

Lilith suggested just wearing underwear would be fine, or how about a maid outfit, but I didn’t want to wear such lust-filled clothes for a touching reunion with my husband.

Originally, the one-piece dress I wore at home was the outfit prepared for when Caspar woke up, but thinking about waking him up myself made me want to wear something better.

‘Ugh. A suit fits well and has a different kind of charm, but it’s too masculine. No, maybe it’s actually good because it reminds me of the past…?’

When I first met Caspar, my useless masculinity hadn’t been completely eliminated, so I always kept my hair short and wore suits.
Back then, among the clothes I could wear, that was the most masculine.

Thanks to that, quite a few women followed me around, and I secretly enjoyed it too.

Fortunately, I didn’t mix bodies with women, so I could give Caspar my first time.
Thinking back, it’s a dizzying memory.

When I asked later, Caspar said he liked it because it was boyish, but from my perspective, I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

It felt like immortalizing a deviation from my adolescent years, which wasn’t great.

Also. Before separating from Caspar, I mainly wore the uniform worn by the ruler, but I excluded that too.

The uniform felt out of place to wear at home, and it seemed a bit presumptuous.

…Come to think of it, they’re all androgynous-feeling clothes.

‘Right. Let’s wear completely feminine clothes, not something androgynous.’

In the end, I went back to the one-piece dress I usually wore.
It was light and airy, comfortable enough to wear, and similar to pajamas, so Caspar would feel familiar with it.

After deciding on the clothes, I received Caspar’s clothes and filled the wardrobe.
Of course, organizing and mending them so Caspar could wear them anytime was a given.

Next, with Lilith’s help, I applied very light makeup.
Caspar disliked the smell of powder or any makeup, so I kept it truly minimal.

So that he could take me anytime.

“Alright. Now Lily, you go out and play somewhere for a bit. But don’t cause any trouble.”

“Huh? B-But I wanted to watch too… Ah, understood. Master.”

It was an important moment.
I didn’t want another woman beside me.
I might show a private side of myself.

Click.

After Lilith closed the door and left, I quietly took deep breaths, preparing my heart to welcome my husband.

‘…Body is clean. Makeup is done. Clothes are wrinkle-free.’

The house was sparkling clean from the recent cleaning.
Meals weren’t set out beforehand, but preparations were complete to serve within 30 minutes if Caspar requested.

Alright. Now… All preparations are truly finished.

I slowly walked towards Caspar, who lay still, quietly sleeping.

Now. It was time to wake my lover.

***

My heart pounds.

Caspar’s bare face captured my gaze more than ever before.

Sleeping peacefully with a comfortable expression, he looked incredibly handsome.

-Poke.

I gently touched him with my finger, my body trembling slightly from the transgression of carelessly touching my husband’s body, and slowly placed my hand on his flesh.

Caspar’s body was incredibly robust, developing no bedsores even after lying down for a long time, so there was no need for me to attend to it separately.

Meaning, except for when I dared to touch his body parts to comfort myself before, this was the first time I was touching Caspar.

“Hooo. Heh. Hooo…”

Taking deep breaths, I slowly traced my hand up his arm.
My soul felt like it would leave me at the touch of the firm male body, and the rustling sound of the clothes stimulated my ears.

“…Caspar. Wake up.”

You’ve slept too long.

Preparing a light joke, I stepped back slightly and tidied my descended hair.

Hoping that the first face he saw upon waking would be beautiful.

.
.
.

And.

Caspar slowly sat up.

“Haaam…”

As if waking from a long sleep.
My beloved lover, rubbing his eyes nonchalantly as if nothing had happened, woke up and…

Stared intently at me, then slowly blinked.

As if trying to fully capture me in his eyes.

“Ah…”

-Drip, drip.

I definitely had words planned.
I thought I would greet you with a bright smile, asking if you woke up well, as if nothing happened.

I thought it would be okay because I had replayed it countless times in my head.
Now that the hard times were over, my heart wouldn’t waver.

I was wrong.

“…Agathe?”

I saw you looking around with dazed eyes, expressing unfamiliarity.

Caspar looked down at the burial shroud he was wearing, tilted his head, and even showed wariness upon seeing the unfamiliar house scenery.

Yes. That… was truly. A vibrant appearance.
Just like before, as if nothing had happened, my lover, nothing more, nothing less.

Because I was happy about that. So happy, so unbelievable.

Tears.

Tears were streaming down like crazy.

“Ah… Heu. Heuk. Ca-Caspar.”

I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t be like this.
Surely, I promised to only show you my beautiful side.

“Hm? Huh? Why, why are you crying. Agathe.”

Caspar smiled and wiped away my tears.
He must have felt awkward waking up in an unfamiliar environment, but more than that, Caspar prioritized me before him.

Because I even missed such trivial habits of yours, I couldn’t hold back anymore.

Like that, forgetting everything I had planned, I laughed and cried foolishly, embracing him.

Holding his body tightly so he couldn’t leave me again, burying my face in his chest so he wouldn’t see my flowing tears.

“Ugh. Hu. Missed, you. Really. Caspar. Love you. Huu. S-Sorry. Sorry.”

Though I had just resolved not to show an unsightly appearance, swirling emotions burst out of my mouth, flowing out as fragmented words.

My lips, finally finding use upon meeting my lover, couldn’t form sentences, only repeatedly expressing apologies, confessions, and longing.

“It’s okay. Agathe. I don’t know what happened… but. Yeah. Everything will be okay.”

Yes. You’re right, Caspar.
Now that you’re here, everything became okay.
Like magic.

But, more than expected.

More than the best possible future I endlessly yearned for amidst sorrow.

More than those days when you and I first met, which I endlessly recalled in dreams.

This present reality is insanely happy.

To the point of being utterly unbelievable.

“Right. Yes. So, I’m happy. Thank you. Thank you… Truly.”

Saying so, I slowly looked up at Caspar.

And offering my lips to my lover’s, I whispered to him.

Thank you for returning to my side.

And……

I love you.