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

Sagan, an eighteen-year-old youth, looked haggard as he brushed his bangs aside.

His long, unkempt black hair was tied back, and he wore a long robe with a red cloth lining. His silver eyes made his already fierce appearance even more imposing.

Sagan is a magician who holds the title of "Demon King".

And yet, there is something he absolutely must do right now.

"It seems this clue is really hard to find."

In the past, there existed something called the Demon Race. No, they still exist today, just hidden somewhere. A few days ago, Sagan encountered one of these demons.

That was an opponent that Sagan could not handle at all.

But even after facing such an opponent, Sagan is still alive today.

When one raises their right hand, a symbol in the form of writing appears. This is the "Mark of the Demon King." The demons bow down to this "Mark."

—I need to find out exactly what this thing is like.

This power could subjugate demons, yet it was unlike any magical symbol Sagan had ever seen.

He had hoped to find some clues in the legacy of the former Demon King, but the results were not promising.

"call……"

Today, he spent several hours taking books up and down the bookshelf, starting in the morning. For a magician who can freely control his physical energy—even his appetite and sleep—the concept of fatigue should theoretically not exist.

Even if his body doesn't get tired, his mental energy will gradually wear him down. Living like this every day always left him somewhat depressed.

Just as he finished sighing and was about to take a rest, he noticed that the door behind him had quietly opened.

—Nefertari?

That was the name of Sagan's only roommate in the city, her apprentice, her maid, and the girl Sagan loved from the bottom of her heart.

Nefies are a race called elves, known since ancient times as fairies of the northern holy land, possessing distinctive pointed ears. Individuals like Nefies, with white hair, possess even more powerful magic.

Her long hair was tied with a deep red bow, and her small, delicate face was framed by a pair of large, azure eyes. Her slender figure was clad in a pure white apron, paired with a maid's dress, and her feet wore magically enchanted boots that reduced fatigue. This was her usual attire.

Looking out the window, the sun was almost past its zenith. It seemed Neferpitou had come to call him for lunch; perhaps because she saw Sagan facing the bookshelf, she didn't disturb him.

But Sagan sensed that something was quietly approaching from behind.

--Is she trying to scare me?

Due to a certain incident, Neferpitou changed his address to Sagan from "Master" to "Mr. Sagan," and the distance between the two became shorter than before, or rather, they became closer.

She might indeed be joking and scaring Sagan now, and Sagan certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to disturb her rare moment of playfulness.

Come on, let me see what you want to do?

He tried his best to pretend he hadn't noticed, but his heart was pounding with anxiety as he waited. Meanwhile, the culprit who had made the noise behind him quietly reached out his hand.

But—Sagan is a head shorter than Neferpitou, and Sagan is currently on a ladder in order to find the book.

"Guess who I am... Huh? I can't touch me..."

Her outstretched hands only reached Sagan's shoulder height.

Looking back, she saw a girl struggling to stand on tiptoe, but her hands couldn't cover Sagan's face, leaving her at a loss.

She wore a rough collar around her neck.

The collar no longer possesses the power to seal magic as before; instead, it represents a promise made between Sagan and Neferpitou, and is their most important keepsake.

Her perked-up ears turned red all the way to the tips.

"Uh, what should we do in a situation like this...?"

Nefertari said this as if he were at a loss.

Although she appeared expressionless as usual, her lips trembled slightly, and tears even welled up in the corners of her eyes. Moreover, the tips of her ears were trembling slightly, as if unable to bear the weight of shame.

She seemed incredibly shy herself.

—Oh dear, I have no idea what to do!

Sagan longed to pick her up and rub his face against her, but he didn't have the mental strength to do such a thing to the girl he loved.

Neferi clutched her apron tightly, her gaze darting around as she muttered to herself:

"Um, actually, I just thought I could give Mr. Sagan a fright..."

"You startled me, and then what?"

"Huh? Uh, I hadn't thought about what would happen next."

It seems that she did this on a whim.

Seeing Neferpitou's ears twitch slightly as he stammered his reply, Sagan felt an urge to bang his head against the wall.

--So cute, what do you want from me?!

Your cuteness is scary enough, I'm so scared of your cuteness that I want to hug you tight—Sagan wanted to say something like that to her, but she took a few deep breaths first to calm herself down.

Then, he cleared his throat and said:

"Hmm, is dinner ready, Neferi?"

"Yes, lunch is ready, Mr. Sagan."

So, the two of them, their faces flushed, left the library together.

If we were to say that the scene was as usual, it would indeed be no different from any other day.

◇

The restaurant in the city is a large room that can accommodate a banquet table for twenty people.

A deep red carpet lay underfoot, complemented by a luxurious chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Actually, there was a fireplace along the wall, which would come in handy when the weather got colder.

A month ago, this place was a space covered in cobwebs, littered with skeletons, corpses, and instruments of torture; now it's spotless and pristine. All thanks to Nefi's efforts in tidying it up.

"This place is really different from before."

Sagan blurted it out without thinking, and Nefertori nodded shyly.

"After all, this is the place where Mr. Sagan dine."

"Uh, um... but it must have been hard for you to do all this by yourself, right?"

"No...it's just that there are still many rooms in the city that haven't been cleaned yet."

Those were more like garbage dumps than rooms.

Except when there are heavy objects that Sagan helps carry, Nefi is basically responsible for managing the entire city by herself. In addition, she also has to prepare three meals a day, so her burden is quite heavy.

—It would be great if I could prepare a magical servant for her or something…

Hiring other people wouldn't be a bad idea, but Sagan currently prefers to enjoy their time alone together. However, magic involving summoning magical servants is not within his area of ​​expertise.

Sagan looked troubled and sat down in his seat.

On the dining table covered with a snow-white tablecloth, a meal for two was already laid out, and next to it was a cart with a soup pot and other items.

Upon looking at the table, Sagan let out a sigh.

—Nefi has learned to cook even more dishes now.

Several of the dishes were ones that Sagan had never seen before.

After Sagan took his seat, Neferi slowly began to explain:

"Today's bread is whole wheat cream rolls, and the appetizer is a salad of tomatoes and green vegetables, served with Caesar dressing and cheese powder."

Tomatoes were Neferpitou's favorite. Seeing her ears twitching triumphantly, it was clear this was her proud creation.

As an aside, Caesar is actually the name of an ancient magician. Besides being immortal, he was also a magician with an extreme obsession with taste. It is said that he laid the foundation for modern cuisine.

Then, Neferpitou explained as he poured the soup into the soup bowls:

"The soup is oatmeal chicken broth, and the main course is pan-fried lamb chops. Please enjoy both together."

As they talked, Nefi placed a soup dish full of broth in front of Sagan, its rich aroma filling his nostrils. Then, the main meat dish for the day was also placed before him.

Normally, all the dishes would have been served by now, but Neferpitou then brought out a large bowl filled with ice.

Finally, there's pudding for dessert.

"Pudding, what's that?"

For Sagan, that was an unfamiliar dish name.

"It's a dessert made with eggs and fresh cream, taught to me by Miss Manila. It... tastes sweet and delicious."

Neferpitou spoke with a blush on her face and a delighted expression, which made Sagan blush as well.

"Oh, I see... But then again, why is it that shop assistant again? She's not going to say anything weird to you again, is she?"

Neferpitou nodded calmly, placing his hand on his chest as he replied:

"It's alright, she just had me wear some slightly revealing clothes."

"Why does this sound so problematic to me?"

"...? Only Miss Manila was with me when I put this on, so it should be fine, right?"

"I don't think that's the problem..."

This girl still lacks the ability to be wary of others.

—Never mind, I shouldn't have to worry about that woman anyway.

When Nephi was in danger, Manila disregarded her own safety and followed her to the enemy magician's lair. She would never do anything to harm Nephi.

Besides, Sagan didn't really want to gossip about her beloved's interpersonal relationships.

Despite her lingering doubts, Sagan allowed Nefi to sit down first.

"Alright, let's start eating."

"Yes."

Nefi nodded and sat down next to Sagan.

Although she was dressed as a servant, Sagan did not treat her as a servant or slave, and the two always dined together like this.

The moment the freshly baked bread enters your mouth, the aroma of whole wheat combined with the cream melts in your mouth, and as soon as you swallow it, your mouth starts to water.