🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 7
“Clarisia, when I tell you not to interfere with my work, that also means don’t meddle at all. Understand?”
Even after solving a problem for him, Demon still treated me like a fly buzzing around.
My husband, seriously!
“Maybe I should go graze on some grass. Four-leaf clovers.”
I sighed and turned toward the door. That was when—
“Instead of interfering… how about cooperating?”
Demon spoke indifferently.
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“Stop digging around behind my back trying to get my attention. If you have an opinion, give it when I ask for it. Understood?”
He disliked my interference, but he seemed to approve of my idea about pickled food. It was as if he had acknowledged me—barely, like a flea’s worth of approval.
“I’ll do that. It would be nice if you asked for my opinions more often. And… I actually have a favor to ask.”
“No.”
Before I could even say what it was, Demon raised a finger and pointed at the door.
That gesture told me to get out. I pretended to look deflated.
“I just wanted to ask you to buy me something small…”
I teared up slightly, fully committing to the role of an unloved wife.
It’s fine. I’ll try again tomorrow. In the end, I’ll get what I want.
Gathering positivity, I turned toward the exit—only for Demon’s voice to follow me.
“Wait.”
Just as I was about to leave, he walked over.
“If your favor is something trivial…”
His expression softened slightly, as if allowing me to speak.
“I want a magic doll.”
“A doll like that? You don’t need to ask me for it.”
It made no sense that the lady of the Middleton estate couldn’t even buy a simple doll.
And after solving a major salt problem, asking for a toy only made me more suspicious.
“I want a magic doll of my own. One that exists nowhere else in the world.”
“Ha. A doll that looks like me?”
What would she even do with that? Beat it up all night? It would just turn to dust.
But I let him misunderstand and smiled brightly.
“Would that be impossible?”
“Of course not. Something like that is easy.”
“Then please take me to where they make them. I want to speak directly with the designer.”
“To the production site?”
Demon’s eyes, which had been relaxed, twisted slightly.
As expected, it was a secret place. Of course it was. A place making magical dolls would definitely involve mana stones.
If my guess was correct, it had to be near a mana stone mine.
Transporting mana stones with magical effects would not be easy, after all.
In other words, I was essentially asking for the location of a mana mine.
“Demon, please don’t refuse. Our wedding anniversary is coming soon.”
“I’m not even sure you actually want a magic doll.”
Suddenly, he reached out and touched my chin.
It was an act meant to probe my thoughts.
My face was lifted, and our eyes met.
His golden eyes, like molten gold, studied me closely.
I focused intensely, trying not to reveal anything, forcing myself to love him in my mind.
I love him. I love Demon more than anything. I would even die for him… no, scratch that last part.
At that moment, the memories of the body’s original owner—Clarisia—flashed through my mind.
The wedding, his stiff expression as he placed the ring on her finger. The overwhelming emotion of entering the Middleton estate after the ceremony. Walking beside him for the first time while touring the territory, the brilliance in his eyes, the wind brushing through his hair, the warm afternoon sunlight.
As those memories passed through me, my chest ached and my eyes grew hot.
His hand on my chin, his gaze, his breath against my face—all of it began to overwhelm me.
My eyelashes trembled, my breathing grew uneven, and Demon quickly pulled away.
He ran a hand through his hair, frowning irritably.
“You mean nothing to me. So why are you….”
He shook his head as if annoyed.
If I were the real Clarisia, I might have said:
“Why do I love you? While other noble ladies attend tea parties, I worked in your estate. Even when I worked hard, I was slapped by Aileen instead of being praised. But every time you saw me, you said, ‘Thank you for your hard work.’”
“Even the thought of seeing you made my mornings joyful as I rushed to the estate.”
“If you hadn’t married me when Federick approached me, I would have become his mistress and been trapped forever.”
“You are my savior. I am always grateful to you. Even if you don’t love me, I am happy just being beside you.”
Those words didn’t leave my mouth—but they were probably heard anyway.
“If what you want is just a magic doll…”
With a bitter smile, Demon turned to Millon by the door.
“Millon. Take the lady to the place where they make magic dolls.”
“Yes, master.”
As a loyal servant, Millon immediately escorted me to the village where the dolls were made.
Just as I expected, it was a remote village near the hidden trading post in the forest.
“Ow… my butt…”
I muttered as I followed Millon, still sore.
The villagers, who normally made a living gathering herbs and mushrooms, were now all working on magic dolls under Demon’s orders.
Inside the village, a newly built house stood out.
“This is the designer’s house. He used to be a painter and sculptor. The master built this place and commissioned him directly.”
“I see. Millon, can I meet him alone? I’m a little embarrassed to explain what I want.”
“As you wish, madam.”
Millon opened the door and stepped back.
Inside, sketches covered the walls, and an elderly man with graying hair was absorbed in drawing.
He didn’t even notice I had entered.
Among the doll sketches, I spotted designs that looked suspiciously like magical swords.
So I was right.
Demon was officially making magic dolls for business, but in reality, he was focusing on creating magical swords.
He needed magical weapons to fight against the Rakton Ducal family and their elite knights.
He intended to form a magical knight corps.
And the one supporting Demon’s plan was none other than Crown Prince Valentine.
Valentine, who had survived assassinations from five princes to become heir, was brilliant—but physically weak and poor with the sword.
Perhaps that was even why he became crown prince.
Rakton likely thought they could control him easily because of his weakness.
But Valentine was no fool.
His goal was to use Rakton, break off his engagement with Aileen, and eventually become a strong emperor.
The problem was that everything was starting to go wrong.
Valentine had begun suffering hallucinations.
And the cause was this magic sword.
I pulled the sketch from the wall. It was designed as a dagger, meant to be carried at all times.
I approached the elderly designer.
“Excuse me. I’m Clarisia, the Countess of Craig. I came on behalf of my husband’s commission.”
“Oh my, such an honored guest in such a humble place…”
“No need for tea. I’ll be quick.”
I showed him the sketch.
“When was this finished?”
“Three days ago.”
“So production has started?”
“Yes, my lord said it was urgent. It’s a special sword, so it takes time. You should receive it next week.”
When completed, Demon would likely gift it to Valentine—hoping he could protect himself, even with magic instead of swordsmanship.
But Valentine would not withstand it.
The sword spoke whenever it emitted dark energy—and its voice resembled the murdered first prince.
Eventually, guilt would drive Valentine into illness.
I could control it.
I knew exactly what kind of cursed thing this sword was.
“I actually came because my husband asked me to check the progress. Can you show me where it’s being made?”
I handed over a gold coin.
“And one more thing. Could you design a magic doll with slightly different proportions? Ideally… a different face.”
I intended to have a doll made resembling Crown Prince Valentine as a gift.
A portrait might exist—but a doll of himself? That would be unique.
My real goal was timing.
When Demon presented the magic sword…
I would appear holding Valentine’s doll.
Just imagining it made my heart race.
“Now then, where should we go first? I’d like to see where the sword is being made.”
At the same time, a royal carriage stopped in front of the Cian trading post warehouse.
“Count Craig. Is it true all the salt has been used up?”
Valentine stepped out, unable to believe it.
“There are a few barrels left, but they will soon be used for pickling cucumbers.”
“Pickling cucumbers? People eat that?”
In the palace, vegetables were usually boiled or roasted to prevent food poisoning.
So the idea of eating pickled raw cucumbers was strange to him.
“How is that even edible?”
“If you use molasses enzymes and vinegar, it becomes a very good ingredient.”
Valentine tilted his head.
“Since when did the Count know so much about cooking?”
“……”
“That idea… it’s your wife’s, isn’t it?”
