Chapter 46: The Workaholic’s Return

They both truly got into the carriage and returned home, and the servants were quite shocked to see their mistress bring their master back like that.

After all, Wade Nairt was a workaholic, rarely seen, with no time day or night, and he seldom returned home.

Though he would always claim, ‘There’s nothing much happening usually,’ whenever someone inquired about his work, he was also the one so busy he was almost never seen.

Due to a recent craze for hero novels, his servants often teased their master, wondering if he was busy being some ‘friendly neighborhood savior of the world.’ Each time, however, Wade would awkwardly shake his head in denial.

This time, it was truly unprecedented.

For three consecutive days, Wade had returned home early, and each time, Lamia Talia was by his side.

Could Lamia be some goddess of overtime, who, finally understanding Wade’s plight, had rewarded him with a wife?

After all, Wade had always claimed his busy schedule prevented him from marrying and having children.

Now, he not only seemed less preoccupied, but the wife by his side was also exceptionally beautiful.

“This must be a divine blessing!”

The servants, who cared deeply for him, watched with immense satisfaction as their master finally embraced a happy life.

While marveling at the perfect match between Wade and Lamia, they also admired the delightful scene of happiness unfolding before them, offering praises to the gods from their quiet corners.

“Haha, of course, it’s a blessing from the gods! It couldn’t possibly be a wicked demon’s plot to turn Wade into a decadent man who skips work just to pursue romance, could it? Haha, what kind of benevolent plot involves sending a wife? So it must be the gods’ reward to Wade!”

The young butler nearby, eyes twinkling, joined the maids in their chatter.

“Judging by their affection, it won’t be long before they have children, and then the mansion will surely become lively!”

“Oh, with their level of affection, perhaps even one child won’t be enough!”

The maids and the butler in the corner chatted away animatedly.

Their lively conversation only ceased once Wade and Lamia had disembarked from the carriage and arrived in the main hall, at which point they went to attend to their master and mistress.

Upon returning home, Wade handed the lunchbox he had been cradling to a servant, requesting assistance with its cleaning.

The lunchbox, once in his hands, seemed to stick to him.

He internally grumbled, ‘Why did I idly take this thing?’ yet he never let go of it the entire journey.

He didn’t even release his grip to place it on the carriage seat, as if it were a sacred mission.

Only upon reaching home did his ‘mission’ conclude.

After safely delivering the lunchbox he had guarded all the way to a maid, he let out a sigh of relief and glanced at Lamia beside him.

‘Ah, she doesn’t seem nervous at all… No, no, why am I nervous? What am I even nervous about!’

He already had an excuse for accepting Lamia.

His grandfather, the former Pope, had told him that being with Lamia was an act of saving humanity.

Therefore… theoretically, interacting with Lamia shouldn’t carry much psychological burden.

Alright… alright.

He would just treat it as a convenient excuse.

“Well, didn’t I tell you? I’d bring him home with me.”

Upon returning home, Lamia cheerfully walked over to the old maid standing nearby.

This was the same old maid she had spoken with earlier, who had also contributed to preparing Wade’s lunch.

“Oh, thank you, Madam… Now our master will finally have time to rest.”

The old maid looked at Lamia and Wade, who had returned together, with deep satisfaction.

As one of the longest-serving elders in the household, she had watched Wade grow from a young man under twenty into a mature man nearing thirty.

Given their age difference, she undoubtedly regarded him as her own child.

It was truly heartbreaking to see her ‘child’ constantly busy, unable to break free, rushing home to eat a few bites before disappearing to unknown tasks once more.

Fortunately, there was hope now.

With such a virtuous wife brought home, their master’s future life was surely destined for greater happiness.

“Madam, we just assumed you would be back this afternoon, so we prepared hot water for you. Would you like to bathe now?”

Indeed, Wade had enjoyed a refreshing bath yesterday.

However, after Lamia returned, she simply ate, then sought a hug from Wade, chatted briefly with a neighbor and two old friends, and then started eating again.

Thus, the entire day had passed.

This afternoon, thinking Lamia had nothing pressing, they assumed she would take a bath.

After all, noblewomen adored bathing, often wishing to spend the entire day submerged in tubs filled with rose petals.

But—the Demon King had no such habit.

What need did someone clad entirely in armor have for a bath?

‘Would she have to detach her head and cradle it to scrub it with a brush?’

“…Pfft…”

Lamia’s puzzled thoughts, of course, echoed in Wade’s mind.

He had witnessed her in her form as the Demon King—a ‘living armor’ type of monster, entirely black, with dark magic emanating from her joints.

She appeared as a towering, formidable humanoid creature, and even after countless duels, a certain tension still gripped him each time he watched the Demon King approach with steady steps, exhaling black mist.

However, the moment he imagined her detaching that helmet-like head and cradling it for cleaning, all sense of oppression vanished completely.

Instead, it made Wade burst out laughing.

“Hm? Wh—”

“—Go take a bath.”

Just as Lamia turned, a hint of confusion in her gaze, to look at Wade who had laughed, he was already by her side, gently pushing her shoulder.

“Bathing is also a form of relaxation and rest. Go on.”

From their last brief mental exchange alone, Wade had learned the importance of the word ‘rest.’

Though he wasn’t sure why, Lamia seemed particularly concerned with the concept of ‘rest.’

Thus, Wade deliberately emphasized the word, using it to cover his somewhat suspicious laughter from moments before.

“Rest…? Hmph, that sounds good.”

As expected, upon hearing mention of rest, Lamia’s attention immediately fixated on it.

She glanced at the maid who had offered the suggestion and nodded.

“Alright, then I’ll take a bath. Please lead the way.”

“Very well, please follow me.”

Watching the maid lead Lamia to the bathroom, Wade breathed a sigh of relief.

Hewas glad his laughter hadn’t been scrutinized; it had only been a few days, and her mind-reading was already making him lose his composure.

He wondered what other strange thoughts she would come up with in time.

‘…He even found her somewhat cute…’

‘—Hmph, he was thinking such nonsense again.’

Being kind to her was acceptable; after all, it was part of the plan.

However, he couldn’t allow himself to develop genuine affection within this facade of married life.

Regardless, she was the Demon King, and as a human, he needed to secure a safe retreat for himself.

This ‘less-than-immersed’ affection… that was precisely his escape route.