“……?!”
At the weight of the unfamiliar demon beast that suddenly embraced me, I stiffened like a frozen log. It wasn’t just me who was surprised—the demon beast also flinched and looked at me, then eventually settled quietly in my arms.
Seeing that, Jeffrey muttered lowly.
“It seems to have some level of intelligence. I thought it was a half-witted specimen that only charged recklessly.”
At those words, the demon beast huffed as if snorting derisively.
……Just now, that was really a snort, right? Wondering if Jeffrey heard it, I hurriedly covered it up with a cough.
After hesitating, I hugged the demon beast tightly, and it closed its eyes firmly. Then very quietly, it let out a sigh that seemed mixed with resignation.
“No, why are you sighing?”
As if it wouldn’t listen to my complaints, the demon beast turned its head away sharply, and Jeffrey spread his palm and brought it to the demon beast’s forehead.
“Just think of the image you want. That form will be worn as the demon beast’s outer shell.”
The moment a cluster of light spread from Jeffrey’s hand, I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut at the dazzling light.
By the way, an image that comes to mind. When you’re suddenly told to think of one, it’s harder to come up with anything. In the first place, I had no interest in animals. The most familiar thing would be a puppy?
Then what should I think of? A loyal Doberman? Or a Golden Retriever that follows people well? I had nothing to remember, nothing to think of.
What I eventually forced myself to recall was one puppy I saw at a hair salon before.
The day I’d grown my hair out because the reefer cut was popular at the time, then was forced to get it cut into a three-block cut and was depressed.
That puppy sitting in the chair in front of me was, unlike depressed me, smiling brightly without a care in the world. That smile seemed to say, “Who cares about hair,” and strangely, that image stayed with me for a long time.
A white body with just the ear tips dyed pink…… probably a small Maltese.
When I felt the light gradually fading, I carefully opened my eyes.
A splendid sealing collar was hung around the demon beast’s neck, and soon the light completely lifted, revealing its form.
And.
“……Uh, it’s exactly the same?”
There was no change at all.
It was still the dark red demon beast with small horns on its forehead.
I fiddled with the horns for no reason. At my appearance, Jeffrey blinked for a moment, then soon nodded and said.
“The magic definitely took hold. However, it seems it’s not visible only to you. There are two reasons but…”
Violet eyes looked at me deeply. Then with a meaningful smile, he lightly brushed my cheek.
“It’s probably because you’ve been recognized as the owner.”
“Is that so?”
I deliberately muttered calmly, but inwardly I was suspicious. The demon beast scratched at the collar with its front paw as if annoyed. When I pressed down on its horn, it shook off the back of my hand hard and showed its temper.
“What a foul temper.”
I grumbled and roughly stroked its fur, when Jeffrey suddenly brought his face close.
“If you really can’t believe it.”
“Ugh…!”
Surprised by the close distance, I bit my tongue.
Honestly, I know he’s handsome… but I wish he’d stop shoving his face in mine.
Honestly, if Theorde approached at this distance, my heart would probably drop reflexively because of his sculpture-like face. But not Jeffrey.
He is handsome though. But because of those eyes worn down by the years that I can’t get used to no matter how many times I see them, tension rushed up before any flutter.
When I slowly created distance, Jeffrey smiled as if enjoying himself, not caring about my reaction.
“Let’s go together to the village. It’ll be certain if we see how it appears to others’ eyes.”
“……!”
It wasn’t wrong. If the magic hadn’t fully taken hold, I’d have no excuse if caught later.
But going down to the village with a Grand Mage and dragging along a demon beast? Is he sane?
I’d pass on that level of fame. It’s enough if customers just come to the inn and eat gukbap. Was this how Gilbert felt about not wanting to become famous?
……No, no. Jeffrey’s intentions are too dark from the start.
Look at him now. Isn’t he already fiddling with my cheek?!
“It’s fine.”
I hurriedly said while avoiding his touch. Then Jeffrey tilted his head. Hair brushing my cheek tickled.
“Which one is fine?”
“The magic. It seems to have taken hold well.”
At those words, he shrugged and slowly stepped back. The moment I tried to breathe a sigh of relief, the demon beast in my arms struggled and flailed its front paws. When I hugged it tightly, the demon beast bared its teeth.
Then suddenly its eyes widened roundly, and it let out a pained whimper while curling up its body.
Kiii-ing-!
“Wh-what’s wrong?!”
Flustered, I reflexively held the demon beast a bit away. I wondered if it got shocked out of nowhere. Actually, I almost dropped it from surprise, but it was trembling badly and whimpering so pitifully that I ended up holding it more firmly in my arms.
Jeffrey still answered calmly.
“A beast that defies its owner should learn its lesson. Especially if it’s a demon beast, shouldn’t the intensity be a bit stronger? I simply cast a spell so that a light electric shock goes through when it resists.”
“……”
What, so in the end it’s a restraining collar.
The demon beast seemed to think the same, glaring at Jeffrey with wide eyes. Then he smiled as if seeing an interesting toy.
“What will you do. It’s a demon beast that rolled into your hands.”
……What am I supposed to do with this thing?
While racking my brain, puppies tied up at countryside homes suddenly came to mind.
“Well, an inn guard?”
It needs to earn its keep. At my words, Jeffrey made a surprised face, then soon grinned.
“You’ll need a rope to tie it up too. If you want, I’ll give you a sturdy one.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just accept the sentiment.”
What is he trying to give me now? I’m scared he might shove something that would seal it in the inn forever. Aren’t those usually the types that are sealed for a thousand years and later become evil spirits? That’s a cliché, isn’t it?
…No, wait, this thing is already a demon beast to begin with. Does it matter?
Anyway, I hurriedly shook my head to decline.
And I became newly certain. Jeffrey has a nasty personality. No, rather than nasty, he was dangerously biased to one side.
In the original work too, his disposition was always described strangely.
Hysterically sensitive yet simultaneously fatally captivating. Right now, his attitude is refined because it’s before his condition worsened, but the instability underlying that was already sufficiently revealed.
I hugged the still-suffering demon beast hard, then glanced at Jeffrey and asked.
“Is your shoulder alright?”
At those words, Jeffrey narrowed his eyes and felt his shoulder with his fingertips. Soon, as if touching a blood-soaked wound, he frowned and let out a low groan.
“It hurts.”
Isn’t that a lie? Of course, when you recognize a wound again, the pain revives, but…… to my eyes, it somehow looked like acting.
When I looked at him very suspiciously, he let out a low laugh.
“How unfair. I showed kindness even to the demon beast that charged at me, and today I shared new knowledge with you. Yet you still don’t seem to trust me in the end.”
……When you say it like that, doesn’t it make me look too bad? I couldn’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling, but eventually I quietly nodded.
That was the moment. Jeffrey suddenly grabbed and pulled my hand.
“…What?!”
The demon beast I’d been holding in my arms slid down smoothly. While I hurriedly caught it with my other hand, his hand wrapped around mine. Just like that, he firmly intertwined our fingers and pulled me into his embrace.
“Let’s make this today’s payment.”
“What? What… urk?!”
The words I couldn’t finish were instantly swallowed. The moment Jeffrey’s other hand cupped the back of my head, I was so surprised that I ended up dropping the demon beast. Thud-! The demon beast fell to the floor.
A short scream of “Kyah!” scattered, but before I could ask if it was okay, there was a smooch sound of wet flesh touching and a soft sensation touched my lips.
“……?!”
In front of me, stupidly clutching my lips, unable to understand the situation, Jeffrey curved his eyes thinly and whispered.
“Today I received payment befitting that.”
Violet eyes meeting closely glinted secretly.
“Then, I’ll see you next week.”
Then he placed 1 Gold on the table and calmly left through the door.
“…What…?”
Did what just happened really happen?
I fumbled at my lips with still-trembling fingertips and let out a dumbfounded voice.
What remained after Jeffrey left was the sensation still lingering warmly on my lips. Because that warmth stayed like proof that what just happened was neither a dream nor a mistake, I couldn’t deny it.
What came out of my mouth at the end of floundering in such confusion was an absurd acceptance I squeezed out while forcing myself to be consoled.
“Right, that can happen.”
When Lionel threw 1 Gold and extended his toes—precisely when he told me to kiss his foot—didn’t I also drool and go for it?
So this time too… I can rationalize it as just business acumen, right?
That can happen. I’m telling you it can happen.
…But no matter how much I repeated it, my head was terribly confused.
Why? Because I also know it’s seriously wrong.
Payment received was a kiss? Then what’s next? Won’t that turn into a kiss, and eventually won’t I cross a river I can’t return from?
