Chapter 85

Chapter 85

“…No.”

A slow denial came from Adam’s lips.

Isella, as if that confirmed her suspicions, bid us farewell and headed toward the back.

“The door’s the other way…”

“I know. But who wants to go down all those stairs one by one? That’s annoying.”

Those stairs were made for going down, though?

“Then why are you heading for the window? The dust isn’t my fault—it’s because someone was supposed to clean it… wait, hold on!”

Before I could stop her, Isella threw open the window and stepped up onto the sill.

She looked like she was going to jump, and as I rushed toward her, she waved.

“Bye-bye.”

And then she jumped.

‘Wait, this is the third floor!’

Ever since our first meeting, I’d learned that Isella just hated taking the long way.

Even if there hadn’t been a fire earlier, I wouldn’t put it past her to leap out of a window with me in her arms.

Still shaken, I turned to talk to Adam about her antics, but when I looked behind me, he was staring at his left hand with a faint, ambiguous smile.

“Hero?”

“She hasn’t changed at all. It’s a bit surprising… and kind of amusing.”

“If you remembered her that well, then why did you pretend not to when she recognized you earlier?”

“I figured even if I said something, she wouldn’t remember.”

I walked over to him, closing the window Isella had left open.

It was something I’d been curious about but couldn’t ask with her still there.

“But… I mean…”

As I approached, Adam seemed lost in thought, reminiscing about the past, but he soon met my eyes.

It felt nice, seeing myself reflected in Adam’s gaze like this. It was an odd sensation. Back when he wouldn’t even look me in the eye before I left for the village, it made me feel so down. But now, he met my eyes steadily and fully.

I didn’t look away. I met his gaze and asked directly,

“What was the gift from the emperor? That’s what made you send me back to the village, right?”

“…Yes.”

Unlike earlier, Adam answered honestly, though a shadow passed over his face.

“Can’t I see it too?”

I looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes.

I felt confident now that Adam wouldn’t push me away. That’s why I could ask something like this.

And he was in a more generous mood lately.

But Adam replied with a troubled look.

“I already burned it.”

“The gift?!”

I gaped at him in shock.

Even if the sender’s name wasn’t explicitly written, Adam must’ve known it was from the emperor.

It probably had the imperial seal on it or something similar.

And yet he burned it? That was… drastic.

“It was a gift, sure… but one meant to wake me up.”

“What was it?”

I thought of the flute Judis forced on me, pretending it was a gift.

If he had already used it, then that meant Judis had played it before, right?

It felt so unpleasant that even after scrubbing it with a handkerchief, I still didn’t want to use it.

Thinking about that, I could understand Adam’s reaction a bit more.

Like father, like son. He probably gave something just as awful.

Adam, without a word, reached out and took my arm.

And then pulled me into his arms.

A heartbeat I couldn’t identify pounded between us.

I unconsciously held my breath with a sharp inhale.

Otherwise, I was sure he’d hear both my breathing and my racing heart far too clearly.

Adam must’ve felt the same.

Holding me in silence, eyes closed and listening to our heartbeats, Adam finally spoke in a low voice.

“It was a doll… that looked like Eve.”

“…?”

In his arms, my eyes widened.

That was… an incredibly unexpected gift.

A doll the emperor personally commissioned, made to look like me?

I couldn’t even picture it clearly. It just made me uncomfortable.

“It was a very detailed doll. If Eve hadn’t been holding it, I would’ve thought it was really her.”

How much can a doll truly resemble a person?

I didn’t think much of it.

Even if it was modeled after a real person, though that was disturbing, it didn’t seem like something that would make Adam go pale and send me away.

But Adam didn’t stop there.

Uncharacteristically, he offered more explanation on his own.

“I was wondering why he called for me during the ball… It must’ve been the doll maker disguised as a servant who said he’d brought you. The doll was wearing the same dress you wore at the ball.”

I remembered the servant who kept glancing at me while sketching something, as if observing the details of my dress.

He must’ve been planning this from the start.

“That man must’ve been watching Iberis ever since the hunting tournament. So…”

Adam shut his mouth tightly as if recalling that time.

Ah, he just ground his teeth. That’s not good for dental health.

I looked up at Adam’s tightly clenched jaw.

Trying to lighten the mood, I offered a comment in a deliberately cheerful tone.

“Hm, a doll that looks just like me? That’s kind of gross.”

“Yes, it is.”

I lifted my head at his easy agreement—and froze.

His expression was still stiff. His already pale, porcelain-like skin looked even more drained.

His grip on my shoulder tightened slightly.

It didn’t hurt.

But as I expected, it didn’t seem like an ordinary doll.

I remembered the glimpse I caught when Adam opened the box that day.

…There was some kind of red dye on it…

Could it have been blood?

I wanted to dismiss it as paranoia, but Adam’s dark expression kept me from saying it out loud.

So instead, I chose to quietly stay in his arms.

Of course, I sat still on the outside, but in my head, I was cursing the emperor nonstop.

Why torment someone who gave up everything—including his life—to kill the Demon King for you?

Just because the hunt is over doesn’t mean you can throw away the hunting dog. The dog might bite your throat. You know the saying—beware of dangerous dogs.

If I kept spiraling into thoughts like that, Adam would probably leave abruptly again thinking it was dangerous.

I grabbed his arm and quickly changed the subject.

“Speaking of the Demon King! I think I heard that the recent fire was related to him. Is that true?”

“No. The fire was started by an old man nearby. I couldn’t punish him because he seemed to know Iberis… but if you want, I’ll go back and make sure he gets what he deserves.”

“Mmm… it’s okay.”

If I really were Iberis, would I have been hurt by what Grandpa Pendel did?

Most likely, more than I ever was.

But more than the wound he caused, what stayed with me was how everyone else stood up for me.

…And Adam, too.

In the real world, no one had ever been on my side.

Not at school, not at work, not even at home… Only those eyes that looked at me like I was useless trash or a failure.

For a moment, I felt a wave of sadness—but those people weren’t here.

“The villagers won’t leave Grandpa Pendel alone! You saw it, right? They were all on my side.”

“If that brings you peace, then that’s all that matters.”

Adam gave a faint smile and nodded.

And so, I returned once again to the Demon King’s castle.

* * *

I had returned to the Demon King’s castle. Though it had only been a few days, stepping onto the floors of the castle again felt like it had been a long time.

“More importantly! Why are you so distant with Lady Isella?”

Now that I saw her again in the light, Isella was an incredible beauty. Even someone as unshakable as Adam would normally turn his head at least once for someone like her. But he barely looked her in the eye, gave half-hearted answers, and even threw in a random threat.

“I have absolutely no interest.”

Strange.

I was sure in another playthrough, they seemed close.

It must’ve been because, in this iteration, he hadn’t taken her as a companion.

Adam made a clearly displeased face the moment I brought up Isella.

“Why don’t you like her?”

“Well…”

Adam trailed off and avoided my eyes.

“…Then what about you, Eve? Do you like Isella?”

He obviously changed the subject.

“Even when you were writing that letter… And besides, Eve, you’ve never even seen her before. Why should I care about Isella?”

“Well… I heard a lot of rumors! She saved me… She’s strong and beautiful, so of course I’d be fond of her!”

“So, Eve, do you like anyone as long as they’re pretty?”

“…Um.”

I should’ve said no—but the words caught in my throat.

‘Saying no would be a lie, but saying yes… Adam looks like he’s about to cry.’

The longer I hesitated to answer, the darker Adam’s expression grew.

And then, in a small voice, he murmured,

“…Do they really have to be pretty?”