171: The Poor Woman

In her first dream life, Eriri lived quite happily.

This happiness wasn't just a feeling; it was an accurate conclusion she reached by comparing her own situation with the outside world.

In her dream life, as she approached her thirties, she noticed that many of her female friends increasingly complained about their husbands.

The reasons for their complaints varied. 

Some were about husbands who became absorbed in hobbies like model-making, fishing, photography, or golf, leading them to neglect their families. That was a relatively mild situation.

Others were far worse, involving inappropriate relationships at dubious clubs or office affairs, with their husbands often staying out late for days on end.

Looking at her friends, who wore expressions of frustration, and reflecting on her own husband's behavior over the years, she felt a deep sense of pride and happiness.

From their early days of dating to their marriage, her husband had always been passionate about her. 

Even during her pregnancy, when she felt less feminine due to her changing body, she could still feel his intense desire for her whenever he held her at night. 

That had never changed.

She had never experienced the kind of dissatisfaction her friends talked about—the feeling of being unfulfilled, where not doing anything seemed better than being caught in limbo.

After all, she was always the one to call for a break, needing a timeout to regain her strength before they could continue their activities.

Even when she pushed herself to the limit, exploring new ways to please him, she could still sense that her husband was not completely satisfied during their tender moments afterward.

This realization made her feel incredibly guilty for a long time, as she believed she hadn't fully satisfied her husband or fulfilled her duties as a wife.

Because of this, when the second dream reached its mid-point and she saw Utaha enter the scene, she did feel some resistance, but it wasn't as strong as she had imagined.

Although it was embarrassing to admit, she actually thought that if someone else could help share the burden, it would relieve her pressure and make things much easier for her.

The ultimate experience was wonderful, and no woman would dislike it, but if it happened every day—

On her husband's workdays, there would be one encounter before he left in the morning and another before bedtime. 

On weekends, she would add a session during nap time, plus extra moments in the kitchen or bathtub when the kids were at their grandparents'.

If it happened too often, her body couldn't handle it, and even the most wonderful things could become a burden.

As a result, when she went to buy baby supplies too frequently, the cashier started to look at her with a more knowing gaze.

For most women, their menstrual period is quite bothersome, but for her, it was a rare break.

Thus, during the early to mid-phase of the second dream, her initial resistance to Utaha gradually faded away as time went on.

Their relationship grew more harmonious with age and maturity, resulting in only occasional playful arguments.

After that dream life, they woke up with a sense of camaraderie, leading to their secret alliance later on.

In reality, everything was going smoothly until tonight.

It was a little after eight in the evening, and they had finished a delicious dinner that had been served over half an hour ago.

Eriri forgot how she felt when she left the restaurant or how she had suggested to Chisato that they stay here for the night and return in the morning.

Now, she lay on the hotel bed, hugging a pillow and giggling, rolling around for over ten minutes.

It wasn't until Utaha, standing by the window with a gloomy presence, let out a noticeable huff that Eriri finally realized—oh, she almost forgot there was someone else feeling neglected nearby.

She wiped the smile off her face, took several deep breaths to calm her excitement, and walked over to Utaha.

Looking at Utaha's expressionless face made Eriri think of the word "loser," and she felt a strange sympathy for this usually arrogant woman.

"Um… you really don't need to be so troubled. Things like this always have a beginning and an end. You'll get what you want soon enough," she said.

Utaha didn't reply; she merely turned her head and gave Eriri a cold look before gazing out the window again.

It was an extremely disappointing night for her.

All the plans she had carefully prepared had fallen apart.

The hotel had many facilities, and she had done her homework before coming. 

She had originally planned to invite him for a walk in the garden after dinner to deepen their connection.

Considering he was balancing school with work, she had intended to show her appreciation for his hard work, and then suggest they go to a private sauna or hot spring to relax.

She even thought of a way to send Eriri away so she could enter his room, dim the lights, and chat about anything, letting time slip away until it got late. 

At that point, she could flirt a little, showcasing her beautiful figure, and in such a private setting, anything could happen.

However, Utaha wasn't a goddess; her plans didn't have any magical power to control reality as she wished.

To make matters worse, something completely unexpected happened.

Why did he kiss Eriri just because of what she said?

Utaha found herself questioning her place in Chisato's heart again, feeling it was far less significant than Eriri's.

Yes… After all, in the dream, she was the one who had caused his life to be so chaotic and unfulfilled.

Watching Utaha remain silent made Eriri feel even more sympathy for her.

She reflected on herself, realizing that when they formed their alliance, she was the one who proposed not to sneak away, yet she was the one who broke that promise.

Not only that, but when everything happened, she had responded without even thinking.

Eriri blushed as she realized this.

No, she couldn't think about it; just thinking made her excited again.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, feeling guilty, she turned to her ally and proposed, "Um… this was really my fault. Why don't you go find Chisato? I won't interrupt you two."

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