Chapter 149

Even after appointing the demons as presidents, my days remained incredibly busy. I was no longer just an ordinary boss; I was trying to become the owner of a stationery empire.

My main job was to keep the new demon presidents from causing trouble. I was also interviewing candidates from the Kinnoa family to act as their assistants, just in case. But more importantly, I was also busy scouting prime locations for new stationery stores in front of the academy and meeting with interior designers to expand our current building.

Standing outside the interview room in the Marquis's mansion, I was deep in thought. Can I really leave Basil in the interview room all by himself?

Basil, acting as an interviewer today, had a more serious expression than anyone else. "Don't worry," he'd said. "I'm a genius at spotting scams, so I'll recognize a fraudster immediately."

A fraudulent genius to spot fraudsters… Is that really the best person for the job? I thought.

"That's true…" I had conceded.

"You need to take a break. You're going to become a skeleton if you keep this up!" Basil's genuine concern was touching. He was right; I had probably lost a few pounds recently.

I washed my face and got into the carriage, trying to recall my schedule for the day. What was it again?

Isaac was already inside. Ah, this is our first time meeting since we decided to officially start dating.

I lifted my chin, trying to look confident, and met his gaze. Isaac greeted me in a low voice, a smile on his lips. "How are you, my love?"

I had been so busy that I'd forgotten about today's date, but Basil and even the butler had insisted I take a break. The reason for their concern was sitting right in front of me.

I grinned and took his hand. "I'm doing well. What about you, Isaac? Let's go to dinner."

Isaac gently squeezed my hand. "If you're tired, you can get some sleep."

Do I really look that exhausted these days? Well, maybe a little. "Wake me up when we arrive, then!" I agreed.

Isaac placed his other hand on my forehead. I closed my eyes as a cool sensation spread across my skin. "Good night," he said softly. His cold touch seemed to soothe my mind and body, like a quiet lullaby.

After a short and pleasant nap, I opened my eyes and looked around. I felt completely refreshed, as if I'd just woken up from a twelve-hour sleep. All the exhaustion and bloodshot eyes were gone, thanks to my new wizard boyfriend.

"Wow. I feel amazing!" I exclaimed.

Isaac smiled at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm glad."

The carriage had already stopped. I looked out the window and saw a modest mansion made of red bricks.

"Shall we go in?" Isaac asked, opening the door.

I stood in front of the mansion, feeling confused. The place seemed deserted. Of course, since Isaac had brought me here, I knew it wasn't a strange or dangerous place.

"Where is this?" I asked.

Isaac paused, choosing his words carefully. "It's… a restaurant?" he said, his tone sounding more like a question than a statement.

Suspicious. I narrowed my eyes. "There's no one here… Did you rent the whole place?"

He simply nodded.

"Alright, let's go!" I said enthusiastically, opening the front door and walking into the wooden-paneled room.

"Sit down, Mel," Isaac said, guiding me to a table. He tapped the surface a few times, and a team of wizards appeared, carrying plates of food. We had a rich mushroom stew, a simple consommé soup, flower-shaped marzipan, and a simple whole roasted pork.

As I was about to dig in, I paused. Normally, the chef would appear to explain the dishes, but here, it was just the two of us.

"Where's the chef?" I asked, a hint of suspicion in my voice.

Isaac smiled lazily and tapped the table again. "I made it myself."

Did I hear that correctly? "You… you cooked this yourself?"

He nodded as if it was no big deal, but I was stunned. Did he make all this food and then use preservation magic? That must have been a lot of work.

I was about to praise him when he spoke in a languid tone. "I think I mentioned it before…"

"Mentioned what?"

He avoided my gaze for a moment. "That I like people who are good at cooking and who are good at being at home."

It was an old conversation that I barely remembered, but he had been thinking about it. I pouted, and he just smiled, resting his chin in his hand. What is this man's weakness?

"Do you like it?" Isaac asked, gently taking my hand.

I looked down at our clasped hands. I'd held his hand many times before, but now that he wasn't saying anything, I felt strangely aware of it. My heart was fluttering at my fingertips.

I nodded, determined to show my appreciation for his thoughtfulness. "I'll eat well!" I said, happily taking a spoonful of the consommé soup. The warm soup made me smile. After trying the different dishes, my eyes widened.

"This is so, so delicious!"

Isaac watched me with a happy smile. The nap I'd taken had put me in the best condition, and I devoured almost all the dishes he had prepared.

Only then did I remember something I wanted to tell him. I put down my spoon. "Oh, I told Dominic about us…" I had almost said "about us being in a relationship," but it felt too strange and embarrassing, so I just trailed off.

Fortunately, Isaac understood. "Was Dominic embarrassed?" he asked.

"He didn't love it, but he didn't hate it either. Oh, I need to tell the children, too!" I had been so busy that I'd forgotten to reply to their daily letters. My heart ached at the thought of the children waiting for my letters every day. A child's day must be so much longer than an adult's, and they must have been bored without me.

As if he could read my mind, Isaac took out a small box from the table. "I think Henry and Carrie have already figured it out."

How? I raised my eyebrows. Dominic has been hanging out with the little wizards a lot lately, so did he tell them?

The box had the names "Carrett" and "Henry" written on it. Did they prepare a gift for us? I opened the coral-colored box, and a small music box began to play a sweet melody. A transparent screen above the music box showed a video of the children.

"Let's throw a party for Mel!"

"How about knitting a nice wizard hat?"

"I'll write a letter as a video artifact!"

The children, who looked even smaller in the video, were huddled together, discussing a party. My heart swelled at the sight of them. They're so cute!

"I'm so excited for the party!" I said, a happy smile on my lips as I closed the box.

That cute gift reminded me of something else. "Come to think of it, Danny gave us a gift, too!" I had seen the baby dragon right after my talk with Dominic.

Danny, who had been playing and bothering the servants, ran up to me and gave me a big hug. "Here's a gift!" he said, placing a necklace around my neck with his soft, peach-like hands. He's so cute.

"Hee-hee, you're so good. This is from Daddy Joe," he said, and then ran off again, his tiny back disappearing quickly.

He told me to wear this necklace every day. I smiled, feeling the warmth of Danny's touch still on the necklace. The thought of his bouncing, blue head made me laugh.

I looked at Isaac with a gentle smile. "I'll give you a necklace the next time we meet."

"Yes, I'll be waiting," he said, his eyes crinkling.

For some reason, this simple conversation felt so meaningful. Today hadn't been filled with grand, special events, but Isaac's cooking and the children's messages had made my heart feel so warm.

"I feel calm for the first time in a long time," I said.

The Pope's presence was a distant worry, a problem I had completely forgotten about on this wonderfully ordinary date.