Evelyn bit down on her lips, saying those words "powerful and reliable pillar" seemed so foolish to her. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself.
Night had fallen—it was time to return to the demon's den.
After spending the entire day talking with her father, she didn't want to leave his side again. But if she wanted him to allow her to come again, she had to go now.
"I'm going to be back soon," she said.
"Just focus on your work and life. As you can see, I'm doing pretty well," her father replied with a reassuring smile.
She sighed and hugged him tightly before stepping away.
Hanna walked her outside. "Did your husband assign those bodyguards for you? He must be very worried about you," she teased with a playful smile.
Evelyn hesitated. "I'm scared… What if I don't get pregnant after three months? What if I fail to mate with him? What if I make a mistake and—" She stopped, her voice faltering.
Hanna smirked. "Just do things your way. Have you forgotten who you are? Or do you need my help? Want me to teach you a few skills?"
"Forget it. I'll do things my way," Evelyn said firmly.
She walked toward the car, and one of the bodyguards opened the door for her. She hesitated before placing her hand on the door frame, turning back.
Hanna grinned and shouted, "Fighting!" as the car drove off, disappearing from her sight.
An hour into the journey, Evelyn was tired of counting trees.
She pulled out her phone and searched: How to seduce your cold husband.
To her surprise, the first step was smile.
She smirked. As if smiling could melt that ice stone.
But now that she thought about it… she hardly ever smiled in front of him. She was always trembling, always on edge.
She took a screenshot of the advice and planned to follow it—starting with step one. If only it actually works on him.
By the time they arrived, it was late at night, and the entire mansion was silent.
The old butler greeted her at the entrance. "Welcome home, young miss," he said with a kind smile.
"Where is your boss? I mean… Car—" she swallowed, struggling to say his name. "Carlos."
"In the study," the butler informed her.
Without another word, she rushed off.
She knocked on the study door but didn't wait for a response before entering.
Carlos's cold gaze instantly made her regret it. The weight of her mistake hit her—she should have waited.
She lowered her head and bowed, her hands trembling slightly. 'Holy Lord, where did all my courage go?'
Steeling herself, she looked up and met his sharp gaze. But… it wasn't as piercing as before. That meant she hadn't made a mistake.
"I'm here to tell you I'm back," she said, finding her voice.
"Mm." That was all he said.
She took a deep breath. "And… to tell you that I'm really grateful. I know this is just a contract, but still… thank you. My father is back to himself, and that means everything to me."
His gaze softened—just a little.
Now was the moment. Time to execute step one.
She smiled. A soft, grateful, and natural smile.
But his reaction didn't change.
Disappointed but not surprised, she bowed and left the study. As expected of an ice stone demon. She had a long road ahead.
Inside the study, Carlos sat in silence.
His fingers tapped idly against the desk, his mind elsewhere.
'Did she always have that beautiful smile?'