My wife believes me; how could I be a cuckold?

He originally planned to finish with Eriko first, then get something to eat, and then continue their sweet time together, but who would have thought that Yamada Yuta would suddenly come back?

After Makoto Asano ordered takeout, Lilith also secretly ran out of the system space—if Makoto Asano hadn't deliberately sealed off the system space, she could freely enter and exit and see things outside.

However, after coming out, she didn't make a fuss, nor did she ask Asano Makoto for the last hundred points of pure love he owed her. Instead, she sat quietly next to him, staring intently at the computer screen.

Lilith knew that now was not the time to bring this up. Her master had things to do, and disturbing him at this time would certainly upset him, if not punish him.

Although she can be a bit disrespectful in general, Lilith is still quite sensible when it comes to important matters.

The two then watched the surveillance footage together.

Nothing serious happened; Yuta Yamada was resting on the sofa, while Eriko Miyajima was busy cooking in the kitchen.

Shortly after she finished cooking and put all the dishes on the table, Makoto Asano's takeout arrived.

After he heard the knock on the door and ran to get the takeout, Yuta Yamada and Eriko Miyajima had been eating in silence for a while.

It wasn't exactly silence, as Yuta Yamada kept trying to bring up topics, but Eriko Miyajima didn't seem very interested, just smiling and giving perfunctory replies, making the atmosphere at the table somewhat awkward.

Actually, there had been this feeling between the two of them for a long time.

Since Makoto Asano could see this through the surveillance footage, Yuta Yamada, who was sitting opposite Eriko Miyajima, could naturally see it as well.

However, he did not blame Eriko Miyajima, after all, he knew that the situation had turned out this way because of his own fault.

Thinking about this, he pondered for a moment, then shook his head and suddenly said, "Eriko, would you like some wine?"

Chapter 226 Thank Him Properly (4k)

Yuta Yamada was well aware that the reason the atmosphere between him and Eriko had become so bad was largely due to his past neglect of Eriko.

Because they had been estranged for so long and hadn't had a proper conversation in so long, even if he wanted to talk to Eriko about something now, she seemed unsure how to respond.

Not to mention that he was bad at talking and didn't know how to find topics that would interest Eriko, or what to say to resolve her inner conflict.

So after realizing this, Yuta Yamada decided to have a drink with Eriko, hoping that this would open her up a bit.

The reason why Yuta Yamada suddenly thought of drinking was also because of Eriko. During dinner last night, Eriko Miyajima suggested that she wanted to drink some alcohol, and after drinking, she became much more lively in conversation.

So today, Yuta Yamada also wanted to use this method to get Eriko to talk more and chat with him more, so that he could easily rebuild his relationship with her.

Upon hearing his suggestion, Eriko Miyajima paused for a moment, instinctively preparing to refuse.

However, after thinking it over carefully, she finally nodded and agreed to have a drink with Yamada Yuta.

Although I have already followed Makoto Asano's instructions and decided not to bring up that matter again, and Makoto Asano also said that he would give Yuta Yamada a satisfactory compensation in due course.

However, because of her guilt, Eriko still wanted to make up for everything in other ways, such as drinking with him while he was brooding and listening to him complain. Such small things would be nice, at least they could alleviate her guilt.

So in the end, Eriko Miyajima nodded and agreed to Yuta Yamada's request: "...Okay, I'll go get the sake."

Of course, she didn't intend to get drunk; she just wanted to have a little drink with Yamada Yuta and listen to him vent.

Eriko Miyajima has done this countless times since Yuta Yamada started working there.

Besides, Yamada Yuta has a very low alcohol tolerance, much lower than hers, so naturally he couldn't get her drunk.

However, just as she nodded and was about to get the wine, before she could even get up, Yamada Yuta stood up and ran to the bedroom, saying to her, "No need! I'll get it. You worked hard cooking, just sit here and wait."

Looking at Yuta Yamada's retreating figure, Eriko Miyajima paused for a moment, feeling that he seemed a little different today than before.

It's hard to say exactly what's different, but in short, he's acting very strangely today, as if something suddenly went wrong with his brain. Not only did he say he wanted to cook for me because he saw how hard I was working, but he even went to get me some wine.

Could it be that this blockhead suddenly had a breakthrough today?

No, probably not.

After all, he didn't even notice that I wore an outfit I'd never worn before, which shows he still doesn't pay attention to details.

So it seems he really just wanted to check on me on a whim, like how he took a day off to be with me the day after I got sick because he was being lectured by Acheng...

Eriko Miyajima shook her head, dismissing those thoughts.

No matter what, Yamada Yuta is still her boyfriend, and it's never good to think about him behind his back like that.

Meanwhile, in the apartment next door, seeing Eriko Miyajima nod in agreement, Makoto Asano felt a little anxious and even considered whether he should go next door to keep an eye on things.

However, after careful consideration, he gave up on the idea.

Since Eriko promised him she wouldn't tell him, she definitely wouldn't.

She must have had her own reasons for agreeing to drink.

At least he still trusted her a little, so even though he had already stood up halfway and was about to run next door to freeload a meal, he eventually sat back down.

Things went as he had predicted.

After Yuta Yamada brought out two bottles of sake, Eriko Miyajima didn't drink much, only taking small sips every now and then.

Asano Makoto, who had drunk with her before, naturally knew that drinking like that wouldn't get her drunk at all.

Surprisingly, Yuta Yamada, who usually drinks quickly, drank very slowly today, as if he was deliberately trying not to get drunk.

The two continued drinking and eating, with Yamada Yuta occasionally bringing up a couple of topics, just like before.

Perhaps because she had drunk a little alcohol, Eriko Miyajima did talk a bit more, but not by much.

But you can't blame her. She actually wanted to have a good chat with Yuta Yamada, even without drinking, but she really didn't know what to say.

Just now, Yuta Yamada kept complaining about his work, saying how hard and tiring it was.

Even if she wanted to give a serious reply to this topic, she didn't know how to start.

But at this moment, as if suddenly enlightened, Yamada Yuta abruptly changed the subject: "Eriko, what do you think of Asano-kun now? Do you still hate him?"

He already knew the answer to this question, but he still wanted to hear it from Eriko Miyajima.

Upon hearing this question, Eriko Miyajima, who hadn't drunk much to begin with, instantly sobered up.

Not only her, but even Makoto Asano, who was watching the surveillance footage next door and was getting a little bored, couldn't help but become a little nervous.

However, when he thought of the words he had told Eriko before she left, Makoto Asano felt a little more at ease.

As long as Eriko follows his instructions, there shouldn't be any problems.

At this moment, Eriko Miyajima remembered Makoto Asano's advice and asked with a puzzled expression, "Why did you suddenly think of asking this?"

After confirming her separation from Yamada Yuta, although she still felt somewhat guilty towards him, Miyajima Eriko was no longer under as much psychological pressure regarding keeping it from him.

There are definitely still some, and quite a few, but it's nothing compared to the feeling of being so stressed that my heart felt like it was about to burst from the pressure.

Because she had received assurances from Makoto Asano.

Since Makoto Asano said he would resolve everything and promised to give Yuta Yamada a satisfactory compensation.

So naturally, she had to obey Asano Makoto's decision and continue to keep the secret.

After all, if he accidentally let something slip at this point, causing Yamada Yuta to leave early, Asano Makoto might not be able to give Yamada Yuta the compensation.

If that's the case, then she has truly done something wrong again, something that has wronged Yuta Yamada.

On the other side, after hearing her question, Yamada Yuta couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

When he finally decided to ask this question, he thought he would see Eriko looking nervous and stammering, unsure of what to say.

Who would have thought she would appear so composed?

For a fleeting moment, Yuta Yamada even wondered if he might have misunderstood again.

He felt that perhaps nothing had actually happened between Eriko and Makoto Asano, and even the idea that Eriko had developed some feelings for Makoto Asano was just something he had imagined.

Because Eriko's current open and honest demeanor doesn't seem like she's fallen for Asano at all.

However, now that the question had been asked, he naturally couldn't take it back.

So after thinking for a moment, he made up an excuse and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to ask. After all, Asano-kun is our landlord and lives next door. We often greet each other, so it's very important to maintain a good relationship. It also concerns whether we can continue to live here."

With that, Yuta Yamada sighed and continued, "Actually, it only dawned on me today after Asano-kun told me that the reason our rent is so low is because he wanted to hire someone to help with cleaning. In the end... I feel a little bad for him."

He didn't finish his sentence, because his words carried a hint of blaming Eriko Miyajima, though that wasn't his intention.

Eriko Miyajima fell silent after hearing these words, because she thought the same thing.

So, after thinking for a moment about Yamada Yuta's question, she began to answer very seriously, following Asano Makoto's instructions: "If Yuta asks this question, don't lie, just give an objective evaluation."

"Now... I definitely don't hate him as much as before. In fact, our relationship is much better than before."

"As for what kind of person he really is... Yuta, didn't you know better than me? Otherwise, you wouldn't have told me to get along with him, and you wouldn't have argued with me about it..."

At this point, Eriko Miyajima paused slightly, as if to add evidence, and then said again, "But you're right, he really is a good person. He not only took care of me when I was sick twice, but also often brought us things. He has never blamed me for not being able to clean because I had something to do."

"At least in the few times I've met him, he hasn't mentioned anything about rent, nor has he shown any intention of raising it. The reason he asked me to clean today is because... well, his house is really too dirty to live in."

When she got to the last part, perhaps remembering the mess she had made of Makoto Asano's room, Eriko Miyajima blushed slightly and hesitated for a moment before finishing her sentence.

After hearing her words, Yamada Yuta remained silent for a long time before sighing and saying, "Looking at it this way, we really have received a lot of help from Asano-kun..."

Actually, Yuta Yamada's original plan was to ask this question and get Eriko Miyajima's answer, and then tell her not to get so close to Makoto Asano anymore, and just to maintain a relatively good relationship.

However, after hearing her answer, Yamada Yuta felt even more grateful and guilty towards Asano Makoto, and for a moment he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Furthermore, Eriko's candid responses and objective evaluations when answering questions made him even more convinced that he might have truly misunderstood everything from beginning to end.

There should be nothing between Makoto Asano and Eriko, and Eriko has no feelings for Makoto Asano; she's just overthinking things.

If that's the case, it does seem to be true. After all, I just made up so many things in my head because of a single sentence I uttered in my sleep.

Thinking of this, Yamada Yuta immediately realized his mistake and decided not to bring up the intimate relationship between the two anymore. Instead, he said, "When I have time in a few days, I'll invite Asano-kun to our house for a meal. Eriko, you can cook some good dishes, and I'll buy some good wine. You can also ask him what he likes, and I'll buy some snacks and small gifts. We must thank him properly this time."

Eriko Miyajima did not refute his suggestion, but simply nodded silently, just like the old Eriko who never refuted any of Yuta Yamada's decisions.

After finishing this topic, perhaps because he felt somewhat guilty towards Makoto Asano, Yuta Yamada didn't look for another topic for a while.

Eriko Miyajima naturally wouldn't say anything.

She and Yuta Yamada have nothing left to say to each other now.

Because her life was almost entirely filled with Asano Makoto's shadow, it was difficult to find anything without Asano Makoto's presence. Therefore, not wanting Yamada Yuta to notice anything amiss, she naturally wouldn't say anything.

Then, the two people at the table suddenly fell silent.

After a while, and after drinking some solitary wine, Yamada Yuta's mind finally began to stir again.

He looked at Eriko Miyajima sitting across from him, quietly eating her meal, and wondered how he could bring up the matter.

Although he has realized his mistake and decided to stop being so suspicious and instead give Asano Makoto and Eriko more trust.