As the Demon King, I have married a slave elf. How should I express my love?

But Sagan had no recollection of it and stared at him in bewilderment.

"It must have been more than a year ago. Our carriage was robbed that time, and you saved me and my daughter. Although we were so scared that we ran away, you weren't angry and let us go. Please forgive us for this."

It seems that among the scoundrels I had previously wiped out based on mere dislike, there was the magician villain who had robbed them. In the end, I indirectly saved him and his daughter—it turns out he's already of childbearing age.

Sagan had no intention of doing anyone a favor, but he didn't plan to accept money either, which would be a small boost to his own finances. He then put the silver coins back into his pocket.

"If you don't want to accept it, then I'll keep it. But you should forget about this kind of trivial matter as soon as possible. I don't even remember it myself."

After saying that, Sagan felt that he was just making excuses to save money, but the knifemaker laughed.

"I will never forget this. If there's anything I can help you with in the future, please feel free to come anytime."

So, with the blacksmith watching them go, Sagan and Nefertari left the blacksmith's shop.

--What day is it today?

Everyone around me was so friendly it gave me goosebumps. I never imagined that having Neferpitou by my side would bring such a stark contrast.

Sagan did not find it.

That face, which once hated everything in the world, now displays such a warm expression.

◇

Afterwards, the two did some shopping, and by the time they finished, the sun was beginning to set.

Judging from the time constraints, it would be difficult for Neferpitou to prepare dinner before they had time to return to the city. Sagan and his companion chose a small restaurant and went inside.

Because of the inconvenient timing, there were only a few customers in the shop, about ten in total, including Sagan. The wooden floorboards creaked as the shop assistants walked by, and the ceiling was open and reached all the way to the roof, with oil lamps hanging from the beams casting a dim light on each table.

Although the menu was a mystery to him—the names of the dishes were unknown territory for Sagan—he ordered something that looked like meat, something that looked like a salad, and bread.

He doesn't usually eat vegetables, but he couldn't imagine Nefi eating only meat, so he ordered a salad just in case.

While waiting for the food to be served, he noticed Neferpitou staring at him, as if she wanted to say something.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just..."

After stammering for a while, Neferpitou finally touched his collar.

"Excuse me, Master, would you like to remove this collar from me?"

"Hmm? Oh, come to think of it, I haven't mentioned it yet. Yes, that's what I was planning to do."

It seems that her previous ambiguous statement has left her still unsure of what she wants to do.

But now, being asked in person made Sagan feel embarrassed for some reason, and her reply sounded indifferent, rather than a definite and reassuring response like "Of course!"

Neferi seemed to be struggling with something, opening and closing his mouth several times, but he couldn't get any words out.

Nevertheless, the girl dressed as a maid finally made up her mind and said:

"If I didn't have the collar, I might run away. Haven't you thought about that?"

Neferpitou is an elf, and a white-haired one at that, with exceptionally high magical power. If she were freed from the collar, she should be able to perform even magic tricks.

And this collar is also proof that she belongs to Sagan.

However, Sagan had just tried to ask the blacksmith to help her remove the collar.

—Well, of course she couldn't possibly not care about something like that.

Not only her, but Sagan also assessed these risks.

If the girl he bought with a million gold coins were to run away in a few moments, it would be an incredibly stupid joke, and he, as a man and as a magician, would lose all face.

Moreover, such a thing could actually happen. After all, Neferpitou is different from Sagan; there's no need to consider anything for him.

That being said, even if she really did run away and never return—

Even if things really turned out that way, he still wanted to give her her freedom.

Sagan could not possibly explain this sentiment in words.

Therefore, in the end, the following words still came out:

"Hmph, it's not like it can be solved immediately anyway. No need to have any futile expectations."

My head started hurting again.

Why is my mouth so awkward? I can't even say something as simple as, "But I just want to help you untie your collar."

—Perhaps it's just because deep down I still hope she can stay by my side.

That's why they said things like, "Don't have any expectations."

But to say that is an overstatement, the word "futile" is clearly an exaggeration.

He wondered if there were any magic books out there that said "how to talk to girls." At this point, even being scammed didn't matter; Sagan desperately wanted someone to teach him this.

As a result, Neferi nodded with satisfaction.

"Yes."

Sagan felt troubled again, realizing he had said something too harsh to the girl in front of him.

However, this distress only lasted a short while, and the meal was served shortly afterward.

The dishes were unlike anything he had ever seen before, yet they were something he had dreamed of before. He had long forgotten when he last used a knife and fork, but at least he still remembered how to use them.

Sagan started cutting the meat, while Neferi just stared blankly at the dish.

"What's wrong? Can't you use a spoon and fork?"

He had heard that the Far Eastern countries used small sticks called "chopsticks" to eat, so the elves living in the northern countries far from human settlements probably did not use knives and forks either.

But when Sagan asked her a question, Nefertari shook his head.

"No, that's not the case..."

"Then hurry up and eat. You can't possibly not be hungry, can you?"

Although he spoke so coldly again, it seemed that Nefi had gotten used to it, and just looked at him strangely, without the timidity she had shown before.

Or rather, I should have considered her earlier.

As a magician, Sagan can use magic to alleviate his hunger, but Neferpitou's magic is sealed by a collar, and he doesn't look like a person with physical strength. In addition, he has only eaten jerky and milk since morning, which can hardly be called a proper meal.

As if affirming Sagan's words, Neferpitou's stomach made a cute rumbling sound, and her pointed ears then turned slightly red.

"Excuse me, may I really eat with you?"

"...? Is there a reason why it's not allowed?"

Or perhaps, these dishes are just as crude?

However, her reaction this time was different from that morning.

Then, almost unconsciously, he remembered what had happened to her.

"...Or is this your first time dining like this?"

Nefertari nodded.

—Oh, I see… Neferpitou is the same way…

Sagan now seemed to finally understand why he had become so obsessed with her after only one glance.

Because she is the same kind of person as me.

Just like that version of myself back then, powerless, homeless, and in despair of the whole world.

Therefore, Sagan then casually replied to her:

"Then you don't need to think too much, because I'm in a similar situation to you. Just start eating what you want. In this place, you don't need to be polite to anyone."

"But……"

"Just eat it. Even though this is just a small shop, it's still much better than the dried meat I had this morning."

After Sagan finished speaking, he put a piece of meat into his mouth, but he couldn't taste anything.

—Could she be listless because of the collar incident? Also, what's the proper way to invite someone to dinner?

Such doubts and anxieties made him completely unwilling to savor the food.

Neferpitou clenched her small hand and brought it to her lips, her eyes seeming to droop slightly. Whether it was an illusion or not, she looked like she was smiling.

Then, she put her hands together and picked up the fork.

"start."

She started by eating the cherry tomatoes, trying to pick them up with a fork, but the process was not smooth and the tomatoes slipped to the side.

Neferpitou's expression remained unchanged, but the tips of her pointed ears began to blush. It seemed that was her way of showing shyness.

"...!"

Whether she sensed Sagan's gaze or not, Nefi shuddered and this time picked up a spoon. She used the bowl-shaped indentation to scoop up the tomato before bringing it to her pink lips.

"...?"

The tomato swirling on her tongue left Nefi utterly bewildered. Perhaps it was because she couldn't taste anything at all.

--You can't taste anything by licking it; you have to bite it!

He wanted to offer advice, but he wasn't sure he could say anything considerate. Besides, Nefi would probably only feel embarrassed after being spoken to like that.

Just as he was silently cheering and waiting in his heart, Nefi finally put a cherry tomato in his mouth.

With a soft "plop" sound, as if something had been flattened, Neferpitou's eyes widened.

"W-How is it...?"

She couldn't answer right away, so she just chewed silently and nodded, her snow-white hair falling to her chest.

"It tastes delicious...I think."

But after she finished speaking, she realized that she hadn't expressed herself clearly enough, so she shook her head.

"Because this is my first time eating it."

Looking back, when she said she was willing to cook by herself, she also said that she would only "follow what others have done." So, in the environment she lived in before, she probably didn't have many opportunities to eat normal food.

While such a situation was heartbreaking, it also brought Sagan a sense of kinship and familiarity, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.