Chapter 12: Endearment

The next day, Valerian made me hyperventilate as soon as he showed up at the door, just as I was about to plan to abscond from him.

"How did you know that I am in this room?" I asked, frowning. I couldn't stop my heart from beating so fast since I had been thinking about him for the whole night while crying silently.

"Asking your innkeeper is a great help." He wriggled his eyebrows.

I almost slapped myself for the obvious question I asked him. "Of course, the innkeeper..." I rolled my eyes while he was following me when we were outside my inn.

"Let's grab some breakfast," he said.

I glanced at him. I wanted to refuse him, but I felt he would pester me until I agreed. "Fine. Lead the way." This was really my karma that my attitude was like Valerian's before.

He had a sheepish smile. "That is good to hear then. Please follow me, my lady." He gestured his hand as if he was an escort or what.

I only nodded and silently followed him. I silently adored his well-chiseled back. How I wanted to caress my hand on his back. I remembered that I used to scratch them whenever we were lovemaking.

I bit my lower lip from that carnal memory that I managed to remember that part where he was my first.

"Why is your face red?"

I flinched when I almost collided with Valerian. It was good that I quickly noticed that his chest almost hit my face.

"What are you thinking?" He arched his eyebrow.

"It's none of your business!" I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "So, are we going to eat or should I just leave you here? I still have something to do."

Valerian grinned. "Aren't we ill-tempered today, my lady?" He gestured his hand to a certain restaurant. "Shall we?"

I looked at him in disbelief. "We are wearing a commoner's clothing. We will not be entertained by the receptionist there." I arched my eyebrow.

Didn't he understand that commoners couldn't afford to go here? I mean... Only nobles or people who were wealthy enough came and ate here.

Valerian was about to speak again, but I chimed in. "Let's go somewhere else. I am tired of the nobles' food." I dragged him along with me.

"Is this why you prefer dining in a tavern than in an expensive restaurant?"

"Yes." I glanced at him. "Because I can eat whatever I want when I am in a tavern. Plus, even the meal there is cheap, it tastes quality."

I used to eat commoner's food because of my mission to stay low so I couldn't be detected. I was lowering my profile so no one would see me from going here and there. It was easier to hide in poor rural areas than in urban ones.

"Well, then, will you guide this clueless man to a certain tavern? I can eat anything. I am not a picky eater."

I scoffed. "You're allergic to seafood, remember?" I shook my head, not believing that Valerian would dare to lie to me.

The last time I saw him saying that he struggled to breathe while eating the shrimp I offered. I didn't know that he was allergic, but I was so worried that he was almost out of breath when I saw his state. Even though he knew he was allergic, he still ate it to his heart's content just to make me happy.

Never again. I would never do that again to endanger his life.

Before we could march into the tavern I chose, Valerian suddenly pulled me to face him. "How did you know that I have allergies to seafood?"

I stiffened at my ground, realizing too late that I had revealed information I was not supposed to say at this time.

"Is it?" I chuckled nervously. "So, I guess it right that you are allergic to seafood?" I looked at him as if what I said was something funny.

He creased his forehead. "You... are trying to guess?"

I nodded, managing my emotions that I must feign ignorance. "So... I guess it's right with how you sound." There was a sly smile stretched out on my lips.

Please buy my words... Valerian, honeydew, please buy my words...

I kept chanting them in my head as he still had this suspicion written on his handsome face. I mentally castigated myself since it was my fault that the things I knew about him slipped from my mouth.

"Alright." He released my arm.

I felt disappointed when he did that. I wanted to hold hands with him even though I pretended I did not like having his hand over mine.

I cleared my throat to hide my disappointment. "Let's go, slowpoke." I went inside without waiting for him as I could feel my palms sweaty right now. I was certain that my heart couldn't stop beating so fast since I was careless.

I was the one who ordered our meal there. When our order arrived, I thought it wouldn't be to his liking.

Since at this moment, Valerian should be grossed out by this kind of meal cooked by a commoner. The meal served was dry wheat bread, beans, bacon, and mashed potato. He had a high-class sense of taste, so it took him a long moment before he came to like the food—

"W-Wait..." My jaw dropped when Valerian ate them without saying a word. "Aren't you grossed out by the food?"

"What do you mean?" Valerian asked as he kept eating. "It is to my liking if you are going to ask." He winked at me and ate as if he hadn't eaten for a week.

I just sat there, looking at him in shock. Why... Why was his attitude changed in my second life? Valerian was not supposed to be like this. He must not suppose to like this food! How come? How come he had come to like it?

"Domi, you should eat."

I held my breath when he spoke. "W-What did you just call me?"

Valerian slightly tilted his head. "Domi. In short, for Dominixe. Don't you like it?"

"N-No..."

"Then what? You do not like that I am calling you that?"

"I am not complaining." I gulped, feeling my chest tighten. "In my household, I was being called that name as my nickname..." You also used to call me that in my previous life, Valerian. I wanted to say.

I looked at my meal, suddenly not having an appetite. But I needed to finish eating here before I went to the temple later. I needed the assistance of the divine priest.

"Oh, is it?" I looked up at him and saw that he had an interesting smile on his lips. "I just thought now that I should have an endearment when I call you."

"Huh?" I looked at him in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about? Endearment? We are not even couples yet." This man... I could tell that he was the death of me. "And I did not even utter that I am accepting this mate bond we have, Valerian." It felt ticklish that I could finally utter his name.

He shrugged. "We are going there anyway, so why not think about it now?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose just by hearing those words. Stubborn... Quite stubborn... "Then, what did you think of right now?" I tried to get along with this nonsensical topic. Though I already expected that he wouldn't think of 'honeydew' as an endearment since I was the one who thought of that name.

Honeydew, as an endearment, was to tease Valerian. But he had come to love it and kept calling me that since he learned it.

Valerian hummed and stroked his chin. "How about..." I confidently smirked, not sure what he would utter this time. I hoped that something was hilarious since I knew he liked to jest. I would simply laugh at it the moment he uttered just one word of it. "Well, I think... I should call you 'honeydew' this time."

I laughed. As expected... He uttered something funny. "Honeydew... That is hilarious. Honeydew is—Wait. What did you say? Honeydew?" My heart started to race so fast.

"Yes." He softened. "You are my honeydew from now on, Dominixe." He took my hand and brought it to his lips. "This time, I promise you will never experience hardships, honeydew. Remember that."