I couldn’t shake off the shock of the fraudulent property.

I drank soju to fall asleep. With Hayang sitting next to me at the mart.

‘Since it’s a dream, there’s no hangover.’

Though I seemed to have drunk about three bottles yesterday, my head didn’t hurt.

The memory of pouring out my feelings to Hayang, who despised my drunken self, came back vividly.

‘Right. This is reality.’

On the third day of staying at the castle.

Today again, I was facing the beauty of the Demon King’s castle.

‘My eyes are in pain.’

The appearance that I couldn’t get used to no matter how much I looked at it was refreshingly novel.

“……It’ll be okay if I go to the kitchen.”

I rubbed my eyes forcefully and headed to the kitchen.

Today was the second day since starting the project to restore Kashar’s appetite.

“Miss Eileen, welcome!”

Everyone in the kitchen welcomed me. Especially the trust the head chef showed me was sky-high.

“What are your plans for today?”

“Oh, I’m still thinking about it. But.”

Before cooking, something strongly caught my eye.

“What’s that?”

“Ah. It’s something Mine who works in the hall brought. She said the butler sent it, apparently it’s a wooden ornament.”

It was a grotesque sculpture that looked like the tree trunk was screaming.

At that moment, my patience hit rock bottom.

‘I can’t take it anymore.’

“……I need to go somewhere for a bit.”

“Pardon? Miss Eileen?”

“I’ll be right back!”

I ended up rushing out of the kitchen.

The person I needed to find was Dracu.

Though I asked around here and there since he had a lot to do as a butler, when I actually went, he wasn’t there.

Moreover.

‘Why is everyone avoiding me?’

The Mines, that is.

While it wasn’t difficult to talk to the human servants even if it was awkward, the Mines ran away before I could even call out to them.

“What’s wrong?”

As I was sighing quietly, I saw blue hair in front of me.

“Eshtra!”

“Miss Hallen?”

She was one of the two Mines who didn’t avoid me.

“Do you know where the butler is?”

“If you mean Mr. Dracu… he was in the corridor behind Miss Hallen.”

They say it’s darkest under the lamp. I had failed to find him right under my nose.

“Thank you, Eshtra!”

Thinking I shouldn’t miss him, I turned around immediately, but then I regretted it.

‘I should have asked why the Mines are avoiding me.’

But since I had already missed the chance, I decided to catch the more important target.

As I really turned the corner, I saw Dracu.

‘As expected.’

He was standing by the window, drinking HaruX vegetable juice that he had squeezed himself.

It was the moment my prediction that he would be drinking red juice in some corner came true.

‘Even though it doesn’t suit his body.’

I wish he would at least change the color of the drink.

Then at least it wouldn’t look like blood when he vomits.

‘But even green vomit is a bit……’

Suddenly, I thought of a fountain spewing green water.

‘That’s Dracu’s taste too.’

Somehow, beyond the racial aesthetics of being a Mine, the castle was overflowing with the butler’s personal tastes.

“Keu, this taste!”

Dracu downing the vegetable juice looked like a scene from a commercial.

I approached Dracu, who was looking regretfully at the empty container.

“Hello, Mr. Butler.”

“Ah, Miss Eileen!”

Dracu greeted me cheerfully. But his expression soon changed to concern.

“I heard you were looking for me. Is there anything uncomfortable about your stay?”

“It’s not that. I have something I want to give you.”

“To me?”

“Do you like savory vegetarian food too?”

“Huh? Yes, I do like it, but……”

If so, that was fortunate.

I held out what I had prepared in front of Dracu, who had a puzzled look.

“This is……”

Dracu opened the box lid.

Inside were.

100% domestic chickpea sesame soy milk.

It was full of snacks made from protein-rich soy meat and black beans.

All were carefully selected from the dream mart.

“Vegetables are good, but they don’t suit a Mine’s body. I thought you might need protein… that is, a meat substitute, so I brought these.”

If he at least matched the minimum protein his body needed, he probably wouldn’t throw up the vegetable juice.

‘It’s fortunate I had a vegan friend.’

When I was in college, I had a friend who was vegetarian due to her constitution.

‘Chickpeas and sesame seeds contain a lot of protein.’

I never thought the information I picked up then would be useful now.

“If you like them, I’ll teach you how to make them.”

Although they came in packages, in fact, the ingredients could be easily obtained in this world too.

If made directly, the taste might be a bit inferior, but that would differ from person to person.

‘At least one of these should suit his taste.’

As I gestured for him to try one, Dracu picked up a glass bottle of soy milk with trembling hands.

Pop.

With the sound of the lid opening, the dark-colored soy milk was sucked into his throat.

When he swallowed one sip, Dracu’s eyes opened wide.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

In an instant, the glass bottle was emptied.

Just as I was about to ask him with a bright face.

“Does it suit your……”

Before I could finish speaking, a bag was torn open. It was black bean chips.

The well-fried, crispy black beans were crushed and swallowed in Dracu’s mouth.

‘……Seems he likes everything. I worried for nothing.’

Even the soy meat that needed to be cooked disappeared all at once where he stood.

Should I call it a meal befitting the warrior race of Mines?

After watching for a while without being able to speak, he emptied all the boxes.

“……Huh! What have I done!”

Dracu was greatly surprised, as if he had come to his senses when only trash remained.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“……It’s the first time I’ve tasted such extreme savoriness. How can it taste like this….. Moreover, my body doesn’t reject it.”

He muttered as if amazed.

It was worth raiding the organic corner of the mart.

‘Of course.’

There’s no dark energy here, and all he consumes is vegetable juice.

Dracu, who thought meat was the only solution, kept insisting. But protein could be found in things other than meat.

‘It’s not necessarily something that can only be solved by consuming meat.’

After all, what Dracu’s Mine body wanted was just protein, regardless of everything else.

‘Where else was protein high again?’

As I was pondering, I heard a despairing voice.

“I should have eaten it sparingly.”

“I didn’t know you’d like it this much. I should have brought more.”

“Is it alright to give me such precious things? You’re even going to teach me how to make them.”

It didn’t seem like something to be this moved about, but.

‘The more he likes it, the better.’

It’s not like I gave it for free.

I hid my intentions and smiled.

“We can’t have you collapsing all the time.”

Ah, but this was sincere too.

At this rate, his body would definitely get worse, and the only option left for a meat-refusing Mine would be to return to Barahan.

“I’m truly touched. How can I repay this kindness……”

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

“Just say the word! I’ll help with anything within my power.”

This was exactly the answer I had been waiting for.

I asked again, hiding my excited voice.

“Really?”

“Yes! Of course.”

Got it.

“Then……”

After dragging out my words, I brought up the main point.

“You’ll have to help me completely overhaul the castle.”

After pondering for the past few days, I decided this castle needed a new remodeling.

‘I acknowledge cultural differences, but Louis and Evan are human.’

On the second day, I only thought about redecorating.

What really made me decide was seeing the children’s toys.

‘How are you supposed to play with a jar containing a three-eyed lizard……?’

And what about the stuffed lion head standing like a lollipop?

This series of items were found in the children’s toy box.

‘I should have searched everything on the first day.’

Only the things Kashar had touched were normal, but deeper inside was filled with the Mine’s heartfelt intentions.

‘I’m grateful and sorry, but this doesn’t seem right.’

With monster statues and garden shaped like graves, there’s no way to play around.

‘He definitely said I could do as I pleased.’

I had already obtained the castle owner’s consent.

I decided to turn the Demon King’s castle into a place where people could live.

“That… that.”

Dracu’s pupils shook, as if my words were shocking.

But I had no intention of backing down.

“The young princes are still young. It’ll be hard for them to adapt when they grow up and return to the imperial palace.”

Dracu, who hesitated at my words, nodded after a moment.

“……Well, that’s true. This is Rihart, and they are human after all.”

Dracu, who soon agreed, declared.

“I’ll help wholeheartedly. How do you plan to change it?”

“I got permission from the butler, and now I’m going to talk to Kashar.”

I was planning to challenge him to a duel as the nanny of the young princes and his fake lover.

“I see. Are you going right now?”

“Yes. We should strike while the iron is hot.”

I wished I had a voice recorder, which was regrettable.

“Then I’ll take you there. He should be in his office around this time.”

“Thank you, Mr. Butler.”

I was worried about getting lost, so this was perfect.

‘I heard from Eshtra, but it’s quite spacious.’

Ruben Castle was built with the main building in the center embracing the central garden, and the west and east wings on either side connected to each other.

‘If it’s the office, is it in the west wing?’

That’s where the largest library in the castle was.

I walked down the corridor side by side with Dracu. Dracu seemed a bit gloomy at the reality of having to change the castle he had decorated so well.

Seeing him like that made me feel a bit sorry, so I had to offer some consolation.

“I’ll bring the one you enjoyed the most tomorrow.”

“Then I’d like to request more of those black bean snacks!”

“In exchange, could you retrieve the ornament sent to the kitchen?”

“……Yes, let’s take that back too.”

End of negotiation. As we were walking towards the west wing.

Suddenly a question came to mind.

“By the way, Mr. Butler. How did you end up coming to Rihart?”

“Ah, come to think of it, you haven’t heard anything, have you.”

That’s right.

Not only did that Kashar show fraudulent property, he didn’t even tell me about the castle’s residents.

“Yes. He’s such a secretive person…… Plus, I didn’t expect to see Mines in Rihart.”

Mines had a very aggressive yet closed tendency, and did not leave their territory while serving their king.

“We have been serving the Duke since before this castle was built.”

Then it means they had formed a relationship even before Kashar received his duke title.

“Was it perhaps from the war?”

“That’s right. You have good intuition. We were mercenaries belonging to the Allied Nations.”

“Mercenaries?”

I opened my eyes wide at Dracu’s words.

The war in which Kashar participated as the discarded crown prince was a fight against the Allied Nations led by Bladis.

Rebon, one of the Allied Nations, was located geographically close to Barahan, and it was said that Mines could be seen rarely in Rebon.

“At first we met as enemies, but we couldn’t dare to stand against him.”

Mines who left Barahan were treated as outcasts.

These originally unusual beings decided to serve Kashar as their master, captivated by his strength.

“It’s not just the Mines. All the servants working in this castle are people who were caught up in the war.”

Although he returned after receiving his duke title, no one was willing to serve someone rumored to be a madman.

These people, made up of former prisoners of war and orphans, were all indebted to Kashar. Although they were not relatively free to go outside, they were living in satisfaction.

‘So that’s why.’

This was the reason why everyone wanted to help Kashar.

I let out a sigh of relief.

‘Whew, thank goodness.’

I could only feel at ease after listening to Dracu’s explanation to the end.

‘I was worried he might already be preparing for the Demon King position.’

There was only one reason Kashar wanted to become the Demon King. It was only for the continental war.

I really wanted to decline things like mass killings happening.

“Here we are.”

The place where Dracu stopped was in front of a large door.

I carefully knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

A low voice was heard.

I carefully opened the door and entered.

Sunlight streamed through the large window of the office. Kashar was standing there.