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

Do you like the moon?

"……have no idea."

Sagan's question made Nefi shake his head with a troubled expression.

"Otherwise, what's the point of this action?"

"……have no idea."

This time, aside from not knowing, she seemed unable to answer anything.

However, in Neferpitou's eyes when he gazed at the moon, one could see a kind of melancholy, like homesickness.

For some reason, Sagan also stretched out her hands like her.

"We can't catch anything."

"...That's right."

Sagan's earnest response left her utterly embarrassed.

Why is it that at times like these, I always manage to say nothing of substance?

Then, Neferpitou murmured:

"Excuse me, may I use this room?"

This should be the first time Neferi has taken the initiative to make a request.

However, Sagan looked around the room with a worried expression.

Although those frightening things have long been swept away, even the window glass has been destroyed, making it hardly a habitable space.

—But if you use magic to repair it, you'll restore the guillotine and all that stuff there too.

It seems that cleaning and repairs will have to rely on manpower.

"You're not considering other, more affordable rooms..."

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing that all the rooms here were probably more or less the same; even if there were no torture devices, they were filled with eerie magic props. Ultimately, what room wouldn't be suitable for a girl?

Sagan hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Are you really going to stay here?"

"Yes. After all, this is the room you prepared for me, Master."

Simply throwing out an attack spell that turned everything to ashes shouldn't be considered preparation...

But whether other rooms would be better was a big question mark, so Sagan finally agreed.

"Very well, then you may use this place as you see fit."

He inadvertently spoke in a rather exaggerated manner, but Neferpitou bowed and replied:

"Thank you, my master."

For some reason, this sentence evokes a certain kind of emotion in people.

Neferi looked at him, puzzled.

"Excuse me, is there a problem?"

"...It's nothing, it's just that it's been a long time since anyone has said that to me."

Sagan would occasionally let those who strayed into the castle go, but his appearance certainly didn't suggest a kind person. Most people would immediately turn tail and run, and no one ever thanked him.

Neferi was not surprised by his reaction; instead, he nodded as if he had just realized something.

"Actually, it's been a long time since I've said something like that to anyone."

"Right……"

Will there come a day when I can become someone who knows how to say "thank you" to others?

The two could hardly be said to have resolved their differences, but Sagan was genuinely relieved to see that she could finally talk to him normally.

And so, the two spent their first day.

◇

The next morning.

Although Neferi got a room on the top floor, it wasn't a place to sleep, so the two of them slept in the Throne Room that night.

—That's what they say, but Sagan didn't sleep a wink all night.

Not only yesterday, but the day before yesterday he didn't sleep either. He thought he would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but the thought of Neferpitou beside him made him clear-headed again. However, he didn't dare to make any advances, and he was also afraid that she would hate him because of it, so he did nothing.

In contrast, Neferi seemed to be exhausted. As soon as she lay down on the carpet, she curled up and fell into a deep sleep.

That was one of the reasons Sagan couldn't sleep. It was an impossible task for him to face that completely unguarded sleeping position without overthinking.

At night, he saw that Neferi seemed cold, so he took off his cloak to use as a blanket, but it seemed wrong to do so. The thought of the delicate girl covering herself with his cloak made his heart beat faster for some reason.

I tossed and turned all night, and before I knew it, dawn had broken.

Now, his stomach was making an embarrassing rumbling sound.

"...Let's get something to eat first."

Sagan went down to the underground and took out two servings of dried meat and milk from the warehouse. Although she didn't know when Neferi would wake up, Sagan still prepared breakfast for her so that she would have something to eat as soon as she woke up.

Upon returning to the throne room, Neferpitou was already awake and kneeling in anticipation. The cloak that had served as a blanket the previous night was now neatly folded, so much so that one hesitated to put it back on.

Are you awake?

"Yes. Good morning, my master."

Sagan almost couldn't help but smile.

—She said good morning to me.

He also planned to greet her, but suddenly became troubled, unable to think of how to respond when others said good morning to him.

Should I reply with "Good morning" like she does? Or should I reply with "Good afternoon" or something like that? Wishing her a nice day... that's a bit of a tangent.

Thinking back, he realized he hadn't received such greetings from others in many years.

During the time that Sagan was suffering from a headache, Neferi just stared at him blankly.

He cleared his throat.

"I brought some food, so please eat it."

After saying that, he couldn't help but hate himself.

—What's wrong with me? I don't even know how to say hello...

When did I become such a terrible person?

...Upon closer reflection, perhaps it was something we were born with.

Although Nefi looked at Sagan's dejected expression with curiosity, he obediently accepted the jerky and the cup of milk that had been poured, just as he had asked.

"Thank you, my master."

"……Um."

Just as he was feeling down because of his own incompetence, Neferi was diligently looking up at Sagan.

"My master."

"What's up?"

"What should I do next?"

"Hmm, let me think..."

Even after a whole night, he still couldn't think of anything he could ask Neferpitou to do for him.

Should we make her responsible for cleaning?

But just yesterday, one room was opened, and it was already in such a terrible state. There are nearly fifty such rooms in the castle, and none of them have ever been cleaned. This task is clearly not something one person can handle alone, but given the girl's obedient nature, she might actually clean it until it's spotless if Sagan gives the order.

Besides, putting everything else aside, Sagan never cared about aesthetics, so it's really unreasonable to send her to do such a menial task.

But then, what kind of work should we assign her?

—After all, if she had nothing to do, she would probably be restless...

People have been indoctrinating the girl, saying she is a sacrifice, an animal used in experiments.

If the man who buys her wants her to stay obediently and do nothing, it would probably only make her feel uncomfortable.

But Sagan, who was humming softly, still couldn't come up with an answer, so he simply put the milk on the ground and started gnawing on some jerky.

Seeing him eat, Neferi looked surprised and said:

"Master, do you eat the same thing?"

"...? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just..."

She seemed hesitant to speak, her gaze darting around in mid-air.

"Speak freely, I won't get angry."

As Sagan finished speaking to her, he cursed himself inwardly for not being able to speak more kindly.

Neferi, though unfazed, then said something that seemed difficult to say:

"We are fortunate enough to have something to eat; but it seems incredible that you, Master, are eating the same thing..."

She did her best to turn her questions into words, in her own way.

Sagan crossed his arms and fell into thought.

What part of Neferpitou was so incredible?

Now, all I see is milk poured into dirty cups and dried meat that has been stored away for who knows how long.

--Hmm? Now that you mention it, I think I saw some people eating these things on the street yesterday.

I remember now. The slaves I saw in Chirnnoind were eating the same things.

When I first saw them on the street, I just felt sorry for them, but when I thought about it carefully, I realized that what they were eating was almost the same as what I'm eating now.