Chapter 62

His movements were slow, deliberately unhurried.

Eveline held her breath and watched him.

Adam’s hand reached her fragile neck. The touch was so cold that it sent shivers down her spine, making her instinctively shrink away.

But something felt off.

So, she didn’t avoid his touch.

And at that moment, his hand grazed the holy relic.

Crackle—!

A powerful shockwave erupted, strong enough for even Eveline to feel.

Adam’s hand was forcefully repelled by the impact.

For a split second, his focus returned.

As she met his clear golden eyes, realization dawned.

‘Just now… weren’t Adam’s eyes red?’

But before she could process that thought, Adam clamped a hand over his mouth and hurriedly fled the room.

Still in a daze, Eveline stared after him. A gust of wind blew in through the open door, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She ran after him.

“Adam!”

Outside, the late-autumn rain was pouring down in torrents.

For days, this rain had shrouded the Demon King’s castle in gloom.

Where could he have gone in this weather? It was impossible not to worry.

Eveline searched for any trace of him.

But Adam was nowhere to be found—not even a footprint left behind.

Had he really gone outside the castle in this storm?

Then, in the shadowed corner of the castle, something dark moved.

It was Potato—the beast they had brought inside to shelter from the rain.

Eveline slowly lowered her gaze to meet the creature’s glowing red eyes.

“…Potato. Did you see the warrior?”

“……”

Potato crouched low to the ground, ears flattened, scanning the surroundings with wary eyes.

At the faintest noise, its ears twitched, as if bracing for something.

Its pupils had dilated—Potato was afraid.

As she gently stroked its head to soothe it, the hesitant creature finally spoke.

“Now… is not a good time to meet the warrior.”

It had been a long time since she had heard Potato’s voice.

Since he loved to act spoiled around her, this was only the second time she had heard him speak properly.

For him to open his mouth only to issue a warning—it meant Adam was in a truly dangerous state.

‘Why?’

Potato had specifically told her to stay away from the warrior.

If there was anything in this castle that could scare Potato, it would only be Adam.

But until now, Potato had never shown fear toward him.

Even when the warrior was at his worst, Potato had always remained calm, knowing Adam would never harm him.

But now, he was terrified of something.

“Did you see the warrior?”

“……”

“You did.”

“……”

Even when asked again, Potato kept his mouth shut.

But silence could be an answer, too.

“Can you at least tell me where he went? I’ll just look from a distance… I’m worried about him.”

Potato closed his eyes for a moment before rising to his feet.

Then, without a word, he took the lead.

Boom!

Lightning flashed outside, and the following thunderclap rumbled across the sky.

Eveline flinched at the sudden noise, and Potato rubbed against her leg in reassurance. His warm fur tickled her skin.

“Thank you, Potato.”

She reached out and stroked his back.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one on edge—Potato’s tense muscles gradually relaxed under her touch.

Then, with newfound determination, he stepped outside.

Even as the rain poured and lightning crackled in the distance, he paid no mind.

Eveline quickly grabbed an umbrella and followed.

Worried that Potato might get wet, she tried to shield him with the umbrella.

But the creature, seemingly irritated, bolted right out of its cover.

“Wait—!”

Dashing ahead, Potato stopped at a spot and peered downward.

‘This place…’

It was the entrance to an underground passage connected to the Demon King’s castle.

There was something beneath the castle.

Eveline hadn’t realized it before, but Ben had once knocked on the floor and pointed out that it sounded hollow underneath.

But Abraxas had vehemently objected, insisting there was nothing down there and warning her not to even think about going. Since it didn’t seem important at the time, she had pushed it to the back of her mind.

Now that she was here, she found a small glass window allowing a view inside.

Peering through, she saw a statue—a small stone figure, shaped in the image of a god.

And before it, Adam knelt.

Inside, Adam was crying.

She had assumed he must have been drenched from the rain, but his clothes and hair were completely dry.

At first, she thought she had imagined it. His expression was unnervingly serene.

If not for the twin trails of tears slipping silently down his cheeks, she might have thought nothing of it and simply returned to her room.

But the sight rooted her to the ground, as if a nail had been driven through her feet.

It felt like she was staring directly at someone’s deepest, most forbidden pain.

She knew she should turn away, pretend she hadn’t seen anything—but she couldn’t.

Even when she felt Potato’s gaze on her, she didn’t look away.

Adam’s face twisted in anguish, his lips parting as he shouted something.

But the relentless rain drowned out his voice.

Was he calling out words he had longed to say?

Was he screaming in grief?

Did he want to weep, or was he voicing his resentment?

She couldn’t understand.

Her fingers, which had been absently fiddling with the holy relic, slowly fell away.

There was no way she could approach him and ask.

So instead, Eveline slid down against the wall and sat quietly.

Her clothes grew damp, but she remained still.

The chill quickly crept into her body, but then Potato rested his chin on her drawn-up knees.

His casual, shameless action made her let out a small, amused laugh.

She sat there for a long time.

Because she knew—

How unbearably lonely it was to cry alone.

And so, Eveline couldn’t bring herself to leave.

* * *

She had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep, likely because of what she had seen until dawn.

Through the slightly open window, the sound of rain mixed with the distant neighing of a horse.

‘What’s that sound?’

Lighting a candle, she peered outside.

A lone figure stood in the dim shadow of the early morning.

‘Warrior?’

It was unmistakably Adam, standing in the downpour, cloaked in a black robe.

He was calming a restless horse.

Throwing a shawl over her shoulders, she quickly descended the stairs.

“Warrior!”

“…Ah, Eve. You haven’t slept?”

She had called out just as Adam was about to depart.

Seeing her step outside without an umbrella, he looked momentarily flustered before removing his robe and draping it over her head.

In an instant, his clothes and hair began to soak through.

She tried to return the robe, but he secured it tightly so she couldn’t untie it.

“The rain is heavy. Don’t get drenched—go back inside.”

Adam spoke as if he had no intention of turning back.

Was this truly so urgent that he had to leave at such an hour?

But the rain had been pouring since the evening, making the ground muddy and treacherous.

If his horse’s hooves got stuck in the sludge and he fell, there would be no one around at this hour to help him.

As strong as Adam was, he was still human—and powerless before the forces of nature.

She quickly moved to stop him.

Whatever it was, she would at least delay his departure until the rain let up.

The sight of raindrops slipping down his chin reminded her of the way he had wept just hours ago, making her resolve even stronger.

But she couldn’t bring herself to ask about it.

“Warrior, where exactly are you going at this hour?”

“It’s better if you don’t know. Don’t worry and get some sleep, Eve. I’ll be back before sunrise.”

“…….”

Once again, he was drawing a line.

Adam was generally gentle with her, but he never tolerated people overstepping boundaries.

Rather than pushing him too far, it was better to take a step back this time.

“Alright. Travel safely.”

He always acted like a docile lamb on the surface, but who knew what was really going through his mind?

So, she decided to use her cheat key.

After seeing him off, she quickly made her way to the second-floor hallway, where she had a clear view of the forest in front of the Demon King’s castle.

‘This can’t be helped.’

Synchronization initiated.

Your strongest thoughts will be delivered as a divine oracle.

‘Spit it out, warrior! Where exactly are you going?’