“By the way, what kind of business are you preparing?”

Arasila looked at him with a face full of curiosity.

Earlier, she had to pretend not to know in front of Lucas, but now that they were alone, it seemed okay to ask.

Demian answered simply.

“It’s a transportation business.”

“Oh, really?”

Arasila’s eyes lit up. Actually, if he was preparing a similar kind of business, she was thinking of proposing a partnership.

The magic airship business would create a new mode of transportation, so it could certainly play a role in the transportation industry.

“Demian, then would you like to partner with me?”

At Arasila’s question, Demian raised one eyebrow in a puzzled reaction.

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“I’m also preparing a business venture, you see.”

Arasila calmly explained about the magic airship business. Demian’s expression was hard to read as he listened attentively to her words.

Even after she finished explaining, Demian didn’t immediately open his mouth.

In fact, her proposal was very tempting. However, since a partnership could harm both parties if decided carelessly, he was showing a cautious attitude.

‘I should ask for detailed documents about the business first.’

Just hearing Arasila’s words was too general to know exactly what the magic airship business was.

As Demian raised his head to speak about this, he was startled. She was leaning forward, staring at him intently.

Her eyes, sparkling like stars as Lucas had said, gazed steadily at Demian.

After meeting that gaze for quite a while, Demian slowly opened his lips.

“…Do you have something like a business plan?”

“Of course.”

“Then, please show it to me. I’ll need to know roughly what kind of business it is to make a decision.”

As soon as they arrived home, Arasila handed over the investment plan that her juniors had prepared to Demian.

“Take your time reading it and think it over carefully. I guarantee, there’s no business plan as novel and innovative as this one.”

As she retreated to the bedroom, Demian, left alone in the study, sat on the sofa and opened the plan.

As he read through the contents inside, his posture, which had been deeply buried in the sofa, gradually changed. His back straightened, and his upper body leaned forward.

‘Not only will this help achieve my goals, but its commercial value is also enormous.’

Magic airships could be used not only for transportation but also for tourism and travel purposes.

The fact that they could go anywhere as long as there was a wide field to land was a great advantage.

After reading the last page and closing the plan, he let out a laugh. How does Arasila always manage to offer what he needs when he needs it?

It was an amazingly perfect timing. He wondered if there had ever been such a person in his life before.

In fact, the reason Demian wanted the transportation business was related to the Vandermir Duke’s family.

In the duchy, they were exerting influence by controlling the surrounding passageways and restricting nearby territories from freely coming and going.

Demian was trying to start a new transportation business to recruit the surrounding territories in order to reduce that influence.

However, he was at a loss, unable to find a new means of transportation. And now Arasila had brought the magic airship business that could be the solution.

Having made up his mind, Demian gave the answer he couldn’t give the day before as soon as he saw Arasila the next morning.

“I’d like to partner with you as well, madam.”

Arasila smiled brightly, even though her expression suggested she had expected this.

“Great. It will be a choice you won’t regret. I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, likewise. Do you have any other plans for this afternoon? If not, let’s meet and draft the business contract.”

“Alright. Then I’ll clear my afternoon schedule. Let’s meet at home.”

As a couple who even made their marriage strictly by contract, their attitude was swift and precise.

After roughly setting the time and place, the two dispersed to their respective workplaces. Their steps were very light.

“Kids, I found an investor!”

Arasila exclaimed excitedly as she flung open the door of the laboratory.

At those words, Rudi, who had poked his head out from above the high stack of books on the desk, sparkled his eyes.

“Gasp, is that true?”

“Yes, I told you to just trust me.”

“Wow, as expected of you, senior!”

To have really solved the investment problem that had been giving the three of them headaches.

Sally gave a thumbs up and clapped her hands. Rudi, too, stood next to her with an admiring face and joined in.

“The captain of our lab!”

“A true leader!”

“Our respected chief!”

“A genuine conductor!”

The two alternately threw out one phrase each, cupping their hands to their mouths. Arasila spread her arms wide, thoroughly enjoying the shower of praise and applause.

“But who’s the investor?”

“My husband.”

“Ah, your husband… What?!”

Sally and Rudi were shocked, stopping mid-clap. They never dreamed that their senior’s husband would suddenly appear as an investor.

“Y-your husband is investing…?”

“Yes, we’re going to meet later to draft a partnership agreement. Don’t worry and just trust me, I won’t let it be disadvantageous to us at all.”

Arasila patted her chest, showing confidence.

Although slightly dazed, the two juniors decided to quietly follow along. Arasila was always a senior who never disappointed them.

After that, Arasila, who had been diligently designing the structure of the airship with her juniors, left work early when it was time and returned home.

Demian, who had arrived first, was waiting for her in the study with a preliminary contract.

“For now, I’ve drafted some clauses that I think we should discuss. Let’s take a close look and discuss in detail.”

“Alright.”

Arasila calmly read the preliminary contract Demian handed over. It detailed everything from the business share ratio to the division of roles.

The first item of discussion for the two was, of course, about the business shares.

“After we each state our opinions on how to divide the shares, we can come to an agreement…”

“Make it 50-50, no matter what.”

Arasila cut off Demian’s words and spoke firmly. There was a strong will that suggested she wouldn’t accept any objections.

Demian silently looked at her for a moment. Honestly, it was an unexpected assertion, as he thought she would demand a higher share.

“Why must it be 50-50?”

“So it doesn’t get complicated when we divorce.”

Demian paused at the unexpected answer. Arasila, who didn’t see Demian’s reaction as she was examining the preliminary contract, added:

“Considering how many couples can’t divorce because their assets are entangled, isn’t it better for us to split cleanly? We’re going to part ways anyway.”

Although there was nothing wrong with her words from beginning to end, Demian felt somewhat strange.

Is this how all relationships with a predetermined end are?

The fact that whatever you do, you have to move considering that you will part ways in the future, seemed like nothing special yet left a strange bitter taste.

“I’m also planning to invest some of my personal assets, so it’s not bad to take half the shares each. Instead, considering the conceptualization costs, Demian should bear a bit more of the actual amount.”

“…Alright. Let’s do that.”

The two adjusted the clauses and modified the conditions to ensure that losses and gains fell similarly on both sides, just as when drafting a prenuptial agreement.

They decided that Demian would be in charge of business promotion and finance, while Arasila would handle development and planning.

The preliminary contract completed in this way was then reorganized into a formal contract by Demian’s aide, Colin, who brought it back.

The two stamped their seals on the second contract between them. Thus, the couple’s joint business took its first step.

With the full-scale development of the airship underway, Arasila’s laboratory entered overtime mode.

They created a tool that could attach and detach levitation stones to the airship, mounting them on the external bottom, and during landing, they would be removed one by one to slowly lower the hull.

Fortunately, the levitation stones were improved magic stones that didn’t require separate use of magical power, making them relatively easy to manage and control.

Next, they carefully designed how to make the airship move as desired after lifting it with the levitation stones.

Inspired by birds, they conceived the design of the airship in a winged form, attaching two propellers to each wing.

And they decided to insert magic stones with much more concentrated magical power than usual as fuel to keep the propellers constantly rotating.

Since levitation stones were simply magic stones that lifted objects into the air, another power source was needed to move forward.

Buying land in the outskirts of the capital to build an airship hangar, Arasila spent time so busy she could barely catch a breath.

Even after returning home from work, she extended her work until dawn, but she was fine with it as she was the type of person who felt more alive when working with all her heart and soul.

Today too, as Arasila was examining documents she had brought home, she suddenly got up and went to find Demian’s study.

After knocking and waiting, Demian appeared in a rather comfortable attire, also working overtime like her.

“What’s the matter?”

“Demian, this is a list of detailed shape candidates for the airship. See which ones look good to you.”

Demian carefully examined the several sheets of paper Arasila handed him.

“I think these two look good.”

“Alright, I’ll take that into consideration.”

Arasila took the papers back from Demian and returned to her room to continue her overtime work.

After some time passed like this, this time Demian came to meet her in the bedroom.

“I’ve sorted out some nobles who showed interest in the magic airship business and might be worth cooperating with. Let’s take a look.”

“Hmm, it seems there’s no one I’ve heard bad rumors about, so it looks fine.”

Satisfied with the answer, Demian withdrew.

Thus, days repeated where they went back and forth between the bedroom and study to ask for or confirm each other’s opinions.

Naturally, it began to feel inefficient and troublesome to keep going back and forth like this.

But without a suitable solution, they were quietly enduring the inconvenience when Demian suddenly said at the breakfast table:

“I’ve ordered a desk.”

“What?”

“I’ll put it in my study for your exclusive use, so let’s work together at home from now on.”

Arasila’s eyes, which had been half-closed due to the sleepiness that was washing over her after working until dawn, opened wide.