Aleena just stares at me blankly as I explain everything that happened at Lilith’s house. Her face shows no emotion.

We sit across from each other at the dining table. She has been staring at me in silence for about two minutes, and it already feels like an eternity.

She suddenly lets out a sigh.

"I knew from the start that woman was no good, from the very first day I saw her. I knew she had some hidden agenda. So you want to marry her because she and Lilith promised to share everything, and you agreed to marry them both? Isn’t that depraved? And if you aren’t a skirt-chasing pervert, why would you even agree to something like that? I can’t fathom how wrong and depraved this is!" Aleena slams her hand on the table and starts hurling abusive words at me.

They aren’t the kind that would actually make a man mad. Instead, I find it funny—she calls me a pervert, skirt-chaser, man-whore, degenerate, and throws in some Elvish cuss words too.

I just stare at her without saying a word. After she finishes lashing out, she gets tired, angrily grabs her phone, dials Lilith’s number, and storms toward her room. Just before she disappears, I hear her launch into a heated argument with Lilith over the phone.

Once she’s completely out of sight, I let out a sigh, gather the dirty dishes, and take them to the kitchen.

After that, I check all the doors, then head to my room. With a small thud, I jump onto my bed.

I didn’t really expect things to turn out like this. I had never seen Aleena get so angry and worked up before. Still, it’s probably good for her to let off some steam.

I glance at the empty space beside me. Normally, Aleena would be lying here wearing only a panty, snuggling close, our skin rubbing against each other all night.

But after what happened, I guess she won’t be sleeping here tonight. Sucks.

Suddenly, a notification flashes before my eyes.

[You Have Successfully Finalized Your Contract With XXXXX]

It’s the unread one from earlier. Just as I’m about to dismiss it, something in the top-left corner catches my eye. There’s a small icon indicating something is downloading.

I click on it.

[THE SYSTEM AI IS UPGRADING. UPGRADE WILL BE COMPLETED IN TWO DAYS.]

My eyes widen. I try to find more details, but there’s nothing. The upgrade bar looks static, moving painfully slow. I attempt to use the AI, but it doesn’t respond.

For some reason, I can’t help feeling excited. This upgrade is going to be something really good once it’s done.

A small sound suddenly makes me jerk. I look toward the door and see a petite figure enter. She’s wearing only a black panty and clutching a small pillow to her chest as she walks over and climbs onto the bed.

She snuggles into my arms, rests her head on my bare chest, and slings one leg between mine, her thigh pressing against my groin.

"Are you calm now? Did you and Lilith have a big fight over the phone?" I ask. She lifts her head and looks at me with an adorable pout.

Oh my goodness. This elf is fucking cute.

"You jerk. Why do you even have to keep marrying more women?"

I pause for a second before replying. "I promise not to marry any more women. But I can’t promise not to have mistresses. My goal will literally require me to have a lot of women in my life, but I promise—no more marriages," I say with a straight face.

"Waaah~ just kill me already. How did I even fall for a pervert like you?" Aleena fakes crying, burying her head in my chest.

I stroke her hair gently. "I remember the day you bought me at the auction house. When you brought me home, you never treated me like a slave. Even when I told you to break the slave contract and that I’d refund your money, you did it without hesitation. And when I paid you back, you used it to restock the household items."

"That’s why I love you, Aleena. You have a special place in my heart. You were the very first woman who brought light into the darkness of my world. Thank you for coming into my life," I say in a soft, emotional voice.

I mean every word, but I sugarcoat it so smoothly that even Oscar winners couldn’t pull it off better, hehe.

Soon enough, Aleena starts sobbing for real and pours her heart out.

"I love you too, Jacob~"

__________________________________

The next morning, I wake up to sunlight hitting my eyes. As usual, Aleena is already gone from the bed.

She always wakes up early to cook for me. It honestly hurts a little every time, because she doesn’t just make simple food—she prepares a whole variety every morning that covers breakfast and lunch, then still cooks dinner later.

I feel bad knowing how much work she already has, yet she still does all this. I really need to get a maid soon.

Suddenly, my eyes widen as an idea hits me, and a smile curls on my lips.

Time to pay back the favor.

I get up and head to the dining room. Just as I expected, the timing is perfect—it matches exactly when I usually come out. It’s like she knows precisely when I eat. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The table is already set, and the food is still piping hot, steam rising beautifully.

Aleena hugs me the moment she sees me. We kiss passionately for about five minutes before pulling apart, both our faces flushed and warm. This is how we tease the boundaries of our restraint every day, always nearly crossing the line we aren’t supposed to cross yet.

After that, we sit down and start eating. Then I finally ask her.

"Honey, what do you think about hiring a maid?"

Aleena pauses, looking at me with slightly shaking hands.

"D-Don’t you like my cooking?"

I quickly take her hand. "No, no. It’s not that. I love your cooking, but I think the stress is too much for you. You already have so much work, yet you still cook, clean, and do laundry every single day. It makes me feel bad. If we can afford a maid, why not get one?"

As I speak, her tensed shoulders relax and a small smile appears on her face.

"Fine, hiring a maid sounds like a good idea... but I don’t want a slave. We promised each other we wouldn’t own any," Aleena says seriously.

I nod. "I have a woman in mind. She treated me kindly back at the slave house. She’s still a slave, so I want to buy her and free her as payback. If she has nowhere to go, I’ll hire her as a maid and pay her well. If she doesn’t want to stay, that’s fine. I’ll just post an ad at the Adventurers Guild," I say, and Aleena nods.

Soon after we finish eating, a car horn sounds outside. Aleena furrows her eyebrows.

"That woman is here."