“Personal time?”

Kashar, who had buried his face in my neck, lifted his head.

He still smiled, but his eyes narrowed as if he had misheard something.

Ignoring that look as much as possible, I spoke casually.

“Yes. That’s the secret to a long-lasting relationship.”

“Who told you such a thing?”

His red pupils were chillingly cold.

Although his cold face was beautiful, that expression was truly dangerous.

“Say it.”

Rather than waiting for my answer, his long fingers stroked my cheek.

I shivered at the creepy shivers that came when he threatened someone other than me.

“Well, I just heard it somewhere! Well, it’s like the secret to a good relationship, something I saw in a dating guide or something.”

“That.”

Kashar remembered my words and reached out his arms.
As the sofa armrest lifted, a book emerged from within. The title was ‘The Secrets of Successful Dating.’

“What? It was actually a real book?!”

The title was exactly the same, down to a single syllable. Kashar, who was flipping through the book, grumbled discontentedly.

“The author… is still alive.”

At a glance, there was a birth year, but there was no date of death.

To avoid attributing currently existing individuals to death, I changed the subject.

“Have you been busy lately?”

There used to be quite a few times when we were separated, but these days, I was busy seeing his face every day, let alone going out.

He chuckled nonchalantly in response to my question.

“I’ve delegated everything.”

In other words, only the subordinates were dropping like flies.

Suddenly, the image of Kashar’s adjutant, who used to wander like a ghost, crossed my mind.

‘Mikhail, is he okay?’

The Mikhail I met a while ago had dark circles under his eyes.

He seemed busy teaching magic to the children and managing the affairs that his superior had abandoned.

Looking at me, Mikhail pleaded with sorrowful eyes instead of sighing.

“Please ask the lord to grant me some rest.”

“Ah, yes.”

“It’s the first time I’ve been so tired, even more than when I was at the demon tower.”

Mikhail left that one sentence behind and disappeared down the opposite corridor like a ghost.

People were dying, and if he told me this, he must be incredibly tired.

‘Although there are more subordinates, Mikhail is the only one in the ducal mansion.’

Kashar’s adjutants totaled three.

Two of them had undisclosed identities and were solving dark matters under Kashar’s command.

‘I should say a few words for Mikhail’s sake.’

I smoothed my voice and asked softly.

“Nevertheless, aren’t there parts you have to handle personally?”

Otherwise, I had to run errands, ask questions to Hayang, and so on.

The business was running smoothly. The store was mine, but the only things I did were inventory management and confirming incoming funds.

‘Even though my main task these days is to stick with Kashar.’

Recently, since I had been sticking with Kashar so much, Hayang had to pretend to be a bear spirit constantly.

Just then, Kashar patted the head of the bear Hayang hanging on my hip.

“Looks like he likes the bear doll.”

“…Yes, very much.”

It wasn’t scary at all; it was just a bear doll that seemed possessed by an evil spirit. But to please my sister and mother, I had to lie like this.

“Anyway, I used to be busy, but now it seems free.”

I almost succumbed to Kashar’s words.

Quickly returning to the original point, he asked, chin in hand.

“Is a working man your ideal type?”

“Cool, right? Sexy and…?”

Even Kashar looking at documents in the study seemed safe and cool.

‘Glasses would suit him well.’

I daydreamed about Kashar wearing glasses.

“Work, huh? Shall we explore the temple a bit more?”

“I’ve always liked rich salarymen as my ideal type.”

“Is that so? But…”
Kashar scratched his chin as if contemplating.

“Yes. You should go on a date with me.”

“Really? That’s how it is with newlyweds.”

His face relaxed as if satisfied with my answer.

Persuasion had turned into persistence, but I had to find solace in the fact that it didn’t get worse.

‘This is the limit.’

Considering the involvement of the saint, it seemed unwise to push the temple any further.

If things got really complicated, the one suffering the most would be Kashar, who couldn’t break the curse.

“Is it over?”

Kashar, who had been observing my antics all along, sighed with relief.

“It’s cute up to this point, but if you keep doing that, you might become more attached. These days, there’s separation anxiety.”

How much more attached could it get from here? Slightly frightened, I nodded vigorously.

“No, I won’t.”

Mikhail’s face, full of dark circles, flashed before my eyes, but I had to live for myself.

‘I should cook salmon for Mikhail.’

That was the only thing I could do for my adjutant.

While I mourned for Mikhail, he picked up a crumpled newspaper from the table.

“Your name is written quite prominently.”

On the front page, the business I and Kashar had established was introduced in a grand manner.

[Aelisha at the top. A wave of donations. The angelic touch offered by the duke’s fiancée… Hoes, pole-axes, and homes are hugely popular. An indispensable item!] [Aelisha’s glass cleaner. Gaining popularity in high society. Shining glass windows are evidence of donations.]

Fortunately, it was a newspaper dated the day before the announcement of the saint, so it was safe.

The newspaper article was a bit embarrassing, but the business I started had a definite magical effect.

‘Almost half the gauge has been filled.’

I glanced at the pendant.

The jewel in the form of a rod had risen to almost half with a yellowish glow.

“Business is going well because of you.”

“Anything else you need?”

Actually, Kashar’s assistance played a significant role in the rapid development of the business.

If there was anything else needed here…

‘How to stay in this world?’

But it wasn’t something that required his help.

‘Once the gauge fills a bit more, I should be able to find out.’

The reason I expanded the business was also to gather magical power, so there wasn’t much left.

How long had I been nestled in his arms?

The sound of the wall clock chiming to announce the hour echoed.

‘It’s 3 o’clock.’

In 30 minutes, the children would finish studying, and it would be time for snacks.

“Kashar, I’ll quickly go to the kitchen. I want to make some snacks.”

“Let’s go together.”

“To the kitchen?”

As I blinked, he lifted me up.

“Yeah. I want to learn too. About cooking.”

Suddenly, I thought of Michael, who was enthusiastic about cooking.

Every time we had free time, I taught him about Korean cuisine. Even teaching him how to cook ramen made him deeply moved, shedding tears.

‘I hope Michael doesn’t get jealous, right?’

I couldn’t bring myself to ask, thinking he might answer yes.

“Alright. Let’s go down together.”
Nodding my head, I approached the doorway, but his gaze lingered on my neck.

“Why?”

“…Nothing.”

He gestured for me to go out first.

Even as I left, Kashar’s gaze remained fixed on my necklace.