Slowly stepping out of the dungeon and pushing the door open, the silver-haired girl leisurely felt the cool breeze outside.
The stench of blood no longer lingered at her nose, as if everything that had just happened was merely a fleeting cloud, now dissipated into the past.
Her delicate hand brushed past the stray hair by her ear, her profile slightly flushed as she wiped the sweat from her snowy forehead.
Her other small hand tightly gripped Hakimi’s paw, holding it firmly as if afraid he’d slip away if she let go.
His hand was rough, not as smooth as she’d imagined, but instead bore the marks of weathered hardship and rigorous training.
“Sig, what’s next…?”
“Ha, ha, ha.”
Coming to his senses, Sig frowned at the situation and what had just transpired, his mood souring instantly.
He was ready to enter full-on bristling mode, like a Hakimi in a stress response.
Growling defiantly, he let out an authoritative sound.
A Sigma man would never fall into a woman’s trap.
He’d been careless just now, failing to dodge.
Careless.
He kept signaling the woman beside him to let go of his hand, and she, reading the room, released it.
The ambiguous atmosphere abruptly ended.
In this state, Sig was still too sensitive, too quick to bristle.
He’d actually been pretty nice just moments ago.
A slight smirk curled at the corner of his mouth, as if he were the victor.
“Got it. So, where to next?”
Compared to the earlier situation, the dynamic between them had flipped.
Quickly sensing something was off, Sig smoothed down his ruffled fur.
He was still hung up on what had just happened, unwilling to change the subject.
This was just the beginning.
Jerk.
No matter what, he needed an explanation.
What was that about?
Kissing him?
That was his first kiss, damn it!
His purity, ruined by this woman.
It was supposed to be saved for his future wife—whoever she might be.
Whoever you are, I’m sorry…
“Where to? Nowhere. Let’s talk, Emilia. What you did was really unexpected. Even I didn’t see it coming. You just kissed me right in front of your little boyfriend. You… ugh, you used to be a guy, didn’t you? Don’t you feel any repulsion? Or even a little weird?”
Why didn’t he feel repulsed or disgusted?
Probably because the girl before him no longer had any trace of masculinity in her features or personality.
Treating her entirely as a woman posed no issue.
Besides, she was exactly his type—gorgeous and easy to get along with.
But he felt uneasy.
Her past betrayal was etched deep in his heart, and her romantic history?
Probably toyed with by Gerald until she was broken.
Thinking about these things sobered him up somewhat.
For some reason, his heart felt heavy, like he was holding in a stifled breath.
Taking her on?
No way.
Not in this lifetime.
Hakimi would rather starve or jump off a cliff than take her on.
Absolutely not.
“About just now… I don’t mind, but it was indeed my fault. I’ll let you know next time. Sorry, Sig.”
“Fine, your attitude’s decent… No, wait, it’s not fine! Do you know how much that hurt a virgin like me? That was my first kiss! I won’t make you compensate me since you can’t anyway, but at least give me a reason. Why? Was it to piss off your little boyfriend? What a novel approach. Guess I’m the spice in your love story now.”
His tone started calm but grew hostile as he considered the possibility, his eyes and expression tinged with anger.
Facing the stormy Sig, she didn’t panic.
She stepped back a few paces, stretched lazily, and casually showed off the graceful curves of her body.
A faint smile.
“No such thing, Sig. I promise. If you need compensation…”
Her delicate hand softly touched her cherry lips, recalling the moment.
She hadn’t expected herself to be so bold, but it was the only way to make her stance clear.
She’d only do that for Sig.
“Look, it was my first kiss too. Doesn’t that balance it out? Besides, my goal was clear just now—to draw a line with Gerald, to make him stop harboring unrealistic fantasies, and to better achieve my goal of becoming your wife.”
“What? Are you crazy, or am I?”
Sig clearly didn’t believe her.
He felt like his head was spinning, laughing in disbelief.
He held his forehead expressionlessly, sighed, and contemplated life.
After a moment of silence, he continued heavily.
He’d come to test Emilia and calm his heart.
Now, he’d botched it.
Not only did he fail to achieve his goal, but his heart was even more unsettled.
Talk about losing the wife and the army.
“My wife? My standards? I’m a hundred points, you’re zero. No, I’m ninety now, thanks to you stealing my first kiss. Forget it, I don’t want to talk about this. It’s annoying. Let’s grab some food and head back to the Demon King’s Castle. Don’t let it happen again.”
He waved his hand, signaling the end of the conversation, with no intention of pursuing it further.
What’s the point of pursuing it?
Make her pay him back with a kiss?
He didn’t head straight back because his mouth was craving something.
The empire had some good food to try.
As if reading his mind, Emilia spoke up, guessing his thoughts.
She didn’t press the issue since he wasn’t willing to talk, but she’d definitely work toward her goal of becoming his wife.
“Alright, let’s go. I know a good, cheap place in the empire…”
Her small hand instinctively reached for her plain little satchel, only to find it empty—not a single coin.
Sig had confiscated everything.
Her tone carried a hint of embarrassment.
“Uh, Sig, could you treat me? I’m broke.”
“…Oh, like that, huh? No problem. As long as your mind doesn’t slip, there’s always a way. You could always wash dishes somewhere to pay it off. Just make sure to return to the Demon King’s Castle after. Kidding—here, take it, take it all.”
Sig generously tossed out a thousand gold coins, his face stern and impartial.
Only after she took them did he speak slowly.
“This is your salary for a year. I’m hiring you at the empire’s highest rate, paid in advance. If it’s not enough, you can get more—up to a hundred years in advance, but no more. Why? Because that’s probably how long you’ll live, which means you’ll work for me until you drop.”
“Got it. I’m happy to do it.”
She didn’t refuse.
Being too polite could backfire, and while money wasn’t everything, it was absolutely necessary.
She didn’t even take his threat seriously…
Working for him her whole life?
That was a reward, no question.
The coins felt heavy in her hand, a familiar sensation.
She carefully tucked them away, with no intention of spending recklessly.
As a wife, she’d manage her husband’s finances wisely.