New World with Four Husbands-Chapter 593: A reflection in the bath

Coco padded into Zaque’s bathroom, her shoulders slouched as she moved on autopilot.

She came to a pause by the tub, staring down at her reflection in the water’s surface and saw her hair was a mess of tangled locks, eyes heavy with sleep.

She looked.. Smaller, somehow, standing there in one of Zaque’s oversize sleep shirts, vulnerable in a way she never was in the past.

Slowly, Coco reached for the hem of the shirt, but her fingers hesitated, trembling a little.

She doesn’t feel like taking a bath, or moving, at all, but to motivate herself, even just for a little, she needed to take the first step and clean herself up.

Coco swallowed hard, forcing her hands to move— peeling the oversized shirt off with stiff fingers.

She didn’t know who had changed her clothes for her while she was asleep.. But the thought of it made warmth bloom in her chest despite everything.

She stepped into the tub, letting hot water rise around trembling legs.

The heat seeped into sore muscles— not just from hunting too hard yesterday, but from days of pushing herself a little too much finally cracking open.

Coco submerged herself completely, letting the hot water swallow her— her black hair fanning out like ink in the bath.

She held her breath until her lungs burned, then surfaced with a quiet gasp.

Water dripped from her lashes as she stared down at herself again, the way it rippled around trembling limbs and pale skin, the way her reflection wavered.. Fractured by steam and the droplets of water.

She just watched.

Coco was so lost in her reflection, staring at the distorted image like it held answers to her questions regarding her sisters, that she didn’t hear Zaque slip into the bathroom.

Only when his shadow fell across her did she flinch and snap her attention to him.

Zaque stood there, worry etched into every line of his face, clothes pressed tightly against him from rushing back after making that cocoa.

His eyes roamed over Coco’s pale form, the way water clung to trembling skin, as if afraid one wrong move might shatter whatever fragile peace she had found here.

".. You okay?" He asked quietly, voice rough with concern, but careful not to push too hard.

Zaque had carried a towel with him inside the bathroom and set it down by the sink, hanging it neatly for later.

His eyebrows were furrowed, gaze focused on her as he took note of how frightened she looked when she snapped her attention to him. "You have been here so long that the cocoa is now cold."

And then, almost a plea, though the words were a statement. "Let me bathe you. Let me take care of you."

Coco’s eyes flickered away from him to look at herself in the water and stared, then she brought her gaze back to him, to the towel, then back to her own reflection again.

She didn’t protest, but she didn’t answer either.

Zaque crouched by the tub, his gaze fixed on her face. "Use your words, Coco.. Just like you would tell me, Heiren, Quizen, and Alhai.. And Kairo. "

Coco held his gaze, eyes flicking from the towel to his face again, then she sighed, her words were barely audible over the sound of rippling water. "Okay."

Zaque’s lips curled into a smile as he leaned forward, letting his lips brush against her forehead.

"Thank you." He murmured before he turned and moved to grab the soap from a small shelf beside the sink.

In the meantime, Coco took the opportunity to gaze at her reflection again— a silent, haunted study of her own tired face as she watched the steam curl around her, wrapping her in a shroud of warmth.

Coco let out a heavy breath, her mind blank, as Zaque silently stepped up to the edge of the tub and soaked a washcloth into the warm water.

He lathered it with the jasmine-scented soap that he knew Coco loved.

He paused for a moment, watching the tension clung into her body, with the way her shoulders were held tight even though she had agreed to let him bathe her.

Zaque cleared his throat, the sound breaking through Coco’s thoughts like a lifeline.

"I’m going to bathe you now." He spoke softly, holding up the soap-lathered washcloth. "Tell me if I put too much pressure, okay?"

Coco nodded, her eyes meeting his for the barest moment before drifting away again.

The tension in her shoulders was still visible, but she seemed calmer now, aware of his presence, his touch, so he proceeded to bathe her.

He focused on every detail— the gentle pressure of the washcloth, the way the jasmine soap lathered over her skin, the way the bubbles scattered on her limbs.

He was meticulous, careful not to miss an inch, especially her hands, which were still rough with the dirt and grime from the hunt the day before.

His eyes would flicker to her face every so often, checking if she was alright, if the pressure was too much even though he had been deliberately gentle from scrubbing the dirt off her.

Coco barely felt the soft pressure of the washcloth over her skin and it made her realize something.

Zaque was afraid to be rough with her, even though she was stronger than he is.

To him, she was precious.

The realization was a sudden warmth that chased away some of the chill in her chest, and a small, soft smile tugged at her lips.

She may be the strongest of them all, but to Zaque— to the four of them, maybe five..

She was simply their beloved wife.

"I really love you, Zaque."

Zaque’s hands froze on the washcloth, surprise flickering across his face as her words caught his attention.

A simple sentence, a simple declaration, but the sound of it, and the warmth in her eyes as she looked at him.

It sent a wave of emotions crashing over him.