No one knew how much time had passed.
The silver-haired half-elf beauty was completely out of strength.
Her face was flushed as she panted softly, curled up against Hayashi Maki's chest. There was a shy sweetness to her, and a glint of dependence flickered in her violet eyes.
After learning something new, the pure, innocent half-elf girl had grown.
With her cheek resting against the man's broad chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat, Emilia felt an overwhelming sense of safety.
Hayashi Maki naturally held her slender waist with one arm, while his other hand gently stroked her silver hair. He lowered his head and lightly kissed her forehead.
"Lia, you did great."
Emilia's cheeks burned. She glanced up at him, then quickly looked away again, mumbling under her breath.
"You're so mean, Maki…"
He was way too practiced.
Hayashi Maki laughed. "I'm just teaching my Lia. Growth comes with the territory."
He hugged her a little closer, savoring the smooth warmth of her skin, deeply satisfied.
The silver-haired half-elf girl was finally his.
Emilia gave a small nod and replied softly, "I understand… so, Maki… I'm yours now, right?"
"Of course." Breathing in her alluring scent, Hayashi Maki declared possessively,
"Lia is mine. From now on, you're only mine."
"I'll protect you, help you achieve your dreams, and keep your smile safe."
"Thank you." Emilia's gratitude was genuine. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest again, clinging to him.
When even Puck had left her—when she'd failed the Sanctuary trial and started doubting herself, on the verge of breaking—this man had stayed by her side the entire time.
He protected her, comforted her, and gave her the strength to move forward. He gave her answers when she felt lost.
Now that she belonged to him—body and heart, closer than ever—she couldn't help but act spoiled around him.
And Hayashi Maki loved how dependent she was.
Men had their vanity, after all.
Holding such a beautiful, pure-hearted silver-haired girl in his arms—having her rely on him, come close to him—filled him with instinctive satisfaction.
Demons were greedy by nature.
And what Hayashi Maki wanted most was exactly this: to hold her tight, never letting go.
After using magic to clean up and changing the bedsheets, Hayashi Maki pulled Emilia into his arms again and fell asleep with her.
Feeling her softness against him, he glanced at his Demon Panel.
Now that he had Emilia, the contract had been completed—she had officially become one of his retinue.
Naturally, a new reward appeared.
[Congratulations. You have contracted the silver-haired half-elf Emilia. You have obtained a special item: Witch's Heart.]
Hayashi Maki immediately checked the details.
[Witch's Heart: A special item formed from the wish of the silver-haired half-elf who loves you and depends on you. Emilia longs for your gentleness and wants to stay by your side forever.]
[However, Emilia's unique nature means that in the future she will absorb the Witch Factors of other witches and become the frenzied Witch of Envy. This power can stabilize the Witch of Envy's madness and restore her to sanity.]
Warmth spread through Hayashi Maki's chest.
As a demon, he didn't have wings.
Because his retinue were his wings.
During the contracting process, what his companions desired most would take shape—becoming special abilities, turning into his skills.
Emilia's longing… he'd received it, clearly and completely.
The next morning, Hayashi Maki was awakened by a mischievous maid.
When he opened his eyes, Ram stood at the bedside with a deeply aggrieved expression. Behind her back she was hiding a feather.
Clearly, she'd been tickling his nose with it to wake him up.
"Good morning, you shameless, womanizing pervert."
"Morning, my adorable maid."
Hayashi Maki greeted her cheerfully, not offended by the title at all.
Ram glanced at Emilia in his arms—her cheeks rosy, her sleeping face soft—and something sour tugged at her heart. She forced her voice cold.
"Hmph. Get up already, you lazy, womanizing pervert."
Hayashi Maki sighed. This girl really did keep upgrading his nicknames.
So she was jealous.
Without saying more, he simply used an unseen force to pull her closer—then leaned in and kissed her quickly.
"Mm—?!"
Ram's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to kiss her while he was still holding Emilia.
Her cheeks turned red in an instant, and her gaze went hazy.
"You… you bad man… so sneaky, using that again…"
"Mm…"
By the time Emilia woke up, Ram was standing to the side with a bright red face—proper and upright again.
A neatly prepared set of clothes lay nearby.
"Ah… Ram… um, morning."
Emilia stole a shy glance at Hayashi Maki, her expression soft and embarrassed.
She already knew about Ram and Hayashi Maki.
"Good morning, Emilia-sama. Which outfit would you like today?"
"Um… the white dress, please."
With Ram and Rem attending to her, Emilia got dressed, and a new day began.
At first, Emilia still wasn't used to being waited on by Ram—but she adjusted quickly.
Because she was Hayashi Maki's now.
They weren't officially married yet, but a wedding felt inevitable.
Emilia had already started thinking of herself as Hayashi Maki's fiancée, so she'd naturally grown closer to Ram as well.
And Ram, for her part, served Emilia proactively to keep their relationship smooth.
Before, Emilia might have been her superior in name, but Ram had primarily served Roswaal.
Now, Ram belonged fully to Hayashi Maki—so of course she would please the lady of the house and fulfill her duties as a maid.
One thing was worth noting:
After Hayashi Maki's "lesson" the night before, Emilia's control improved dramatically.
The manor, which had been wrapped in frost, gradually warmed back up, returning to a normal temperature.
After breakfast, Emilia hugged Hayashi Maki, lingered with him for a moment, then headed off with determined eyes to do her morning practice.
Her "morning practice" was communicating with lesser spirits to sharpen her control over mana.
Emilia was becoming more and more captivating.
She still acted spoiled sometimes—but she had a goal now, and she moved toward it with steady resolve.
What she wanted was simple: become stronger, and bring Puck back.
As long as Hayashi Maki was beside her, it felt like she had endless courage.
While Hayashi Maki admired the women in the house, Echidna sat off to the side calmly drinking tea, reading through a spellbook.
Liliana, meanwhile, was chatting with Beatrice and Ryuzu—three little girls deep in some lively discussion. They seemed to be getting along well.
As for Aqua… she'd drunk too much the night before. She was still asleep, and hadn't even gotten up for breakfast.
Just as Hayashi Maki was enjoying the peaceful scene, Rem approached with a letter in hand.
"Hayashi Maki-sama, you have a letter. It's from Anastasia-sama."