Chapter 40

….

‘Companion?’

A companion? Isella?

Well, yes. Isella was undoubtedly a companion.

Even in the game, Adam would occasionally refer to her as such when mentioning her. The system messages, which seemed unaffected by resets, would always label Isella as his companion, even in iterations where she hadn’t officially been one.

So, I could understand it logically.

But that didn’t stop a certain doubt from creeping into my mind.

I couldn’t let it go without asking.

I lifted my head and blurted out the question.

“Warrior, how do you think of me?”

“…Pardon?”

Adam’s surprise was apparent.

His golden eyes darted back and forth, the candlelight reflecting their flickering unease.

In those shaken eyes, I saw myself.

But like a small sailboat battered by a storm, his gaze wavered without rest.

Seeing Adam so uncharacteristically flustered made me feel a tiny, guilty satisfaction—until my mood plummeted just as quickly.

The longer Adam hesitated to answer, the stiffer my expression grew.

If he doesn’t think of me as a companion, I’m going to sulk.

I mean it. I’ll sulk so much that I won’t talk to him for at least an hour.

“….”

I waited, fixing my attention on his lips, hoping for a response. But no matter how pretty they looked, those lips didn’t give me the answer I wanted.

Instead of Adam’s words, something else flooded my vision.

[Your warrior is flustered by your question.]

[Your warrior is trying to understand your intent.]

[Your warrior is confused.]

‘Does it really take this much thought?’

I tried to play it cool, but inwardly, I was shaken.

So much so that I didn’t even notice Adam’s ears turning slightly red.

After an extended silence, Adam finally opened his mouth.

Still lost in my turmoil, I barely registered that he had started to speak.

“I think you’re… a good person.”

“Oh. Okay….”

Not a companion. Not a friend.

Just a “good person”?

I wish the system would kindly prefix my name with “companion” and flash [‘Companion’ Eveline is on your mind.] for him too.

However, the system message remained silent.

Adam, after answering truthfully, couldn’t even meet my eyes, as though he feared his words had hurt me.

I felt a lump rising in my throat at his insensitivity.

We’d already spent months together.

The once-cool weather had turned crisp enough to require a coat when going outside, and the green leaves were now painted in hues of red and yellow.

After all this time, I was still just “a good person” to Adam.

And even that phrase was something he’d carefully considered before saying, to avoid hurting me as much as possible.

“Good person.” Sure, great.

But knowing Adam’s nature, he’d probably call Potato “a good beast,” Ben “a good cook,” and—well, maybe not Abraxas. He didn’t deserve it.

I wanted to shout at him to reconsider his words right then and there.

But, unwilling to lash out at Adam, I bit back my words and clamped my mouth shut.

“Sure,” I muttered, my tone dripping with obvious resentment. Adam must have caught on quickly because he scrambled to add more.

“I’m not used to dealing with people yet. Perhaps not to the extent Eveline thinks, but I truly believe you’re a good person. Really.”

His attempt to explain only made me feel worse, like I was sinking into a bottomless abyss.

I couldn’t even muster the energy to control my expression.

‘So, no matter how hard I try, I can’t even be a friend?’

Yeah, Adam had rejected my offer of friendship when we first met.

It wasn’t me he disliked—it was people in general. Or so I thought.

Yet, somehow, Isella was still considered his “companion.” Even if I blamed it on a system error, it still stung.

A person he couldn’t even remember meeting was a companion.

Then what was I to him?

Just some pet living in the Demon King’s castle?

Was I no better than Ahern’s mocking comparison?

I heard Adam call out to me softly from behind, but I dragged myself out of the room.

It was a conversation that left me wounded.

I swore I’d never ask him how he thought of me again.

* * *

One day, a messenger arrived at the front of the quiet Demon King’s castle, bringing with him a letter that promised to stir up a storm.

Reading the message, Adam accepted it with a calmness that suggested he’d been expecting it.

The servant bowed politely, fulfilling his duty. “Then I’ll take it as confirmation of your attendance.”

“Understood.”

The messenger, still seated on his horse, turned and left.

How rude, looking down at someone from horseback. And judging by his attire, he wasn’t even a proper courier.

It was a blatant disregard for the warrior. Whoever had sent this letter must have really disliked Adam.

From a distance, I sat on the steps of the castle entrance, watching it all unfold.

Potato sat beside me, wagging his tail. Training beasts had been going smoothly thanks to Potato’s help, and Adam no longer needed to use the obedience stone.

Abraxas still lingered in the back of my mind, but since he’d sworn an oath, he wouldn’t dare act recklessly.

I absentmindedly patted Potato’s back a little too forcefully in my irritation.

‘So I’m not even a companion or a friend.’

Adam’s words still echoed in my ears.

It felt like yet another reminder of my lifelong fear of failure—a label I couldn’t seem to shake.

‘But hey, at least I’m a “good person,” right?’

I tried to console myself with that thought.

Adam approached, holding the letter, tearing off the corner of the envelope haphazardly to pull out an invitation.

He crumpled the remaining envelope in one hand and discarded it.

Potato, who had been loitering nearby, batted at the balled-up paper with his paw, chasing it around playfully.

I hesitated before standing and approaching Adam. It had only been two days since I’d resolved not to talk to him out of spite.

Not that I’d actually stuck to that resolution.

Adam must have noticed my subtle avoidance, as he made no effort to approach or speak to me during that time.

That only made me angrier.

If I didn’t go to him, he wouldn’t come to me? Was that the extent of our relationship?

But one morning, I’d found a slice of cake outside my door.

It was undoubtedly Adam’s doing.

So, magnanimously, I decided to forgive him.

Not because of the bribe, of course.

“What’s in the letter?” I asked, feigning indifference.

Adam handed it to me without even reading the contents. “It’s an invitation to attend a hunting tournament. Nothing special, but… it’s annoying to think the Emperor knows my whereabouts so precisely.”

Muttering under his breath, Adam seemed unaware he was speaking aloud.

I pretended not to notice his irritation and kept my eyes on the letter. “It says you can bring one companion. Am I going?”

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. The animals could be dangerous, and there’ll be a lot of people… Plus, since I’ll be hunting, it won’t be very entertaining.”

I threw out the bait, and Adam took it.

Raising my hand dramatically, I declared, “The warrior’s maid can’t possibly miss his participation in a hunting tournament!”

“Is that really your reason? I don’t need you to accompany me; there are plenty of other attendants who can assist.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping into his expression.

I couldn’t control the grin creeping onto my face, my lips betraying my excitement.

“It’s my job to serve by your side at such events!” I stammered, barely catching myself before admitting the truth.

With a sheepish laugh, I masked my real intentions.

‘A new event like this? Of course, I have to attend.’

The thought of the temple quickly doused my enthusiasm, but a hunting tournament meant meeting new people.