#29

“What’s that?”

“Interesting.”

Zerakiel smirked, causing Chichi to shudder slightly.

“Can’t you stop finding me interesting?”

Her grumbling voice carried a hint of irritation. Every time Zerakiel mentioned something was interesting, Chichi reacted this way, but she never seemed to blame herself for her amusing actions.

Footsteps approaching from afar caught their attention. It seemed the commotion had drawn the servants of Hebel. If they stayed here, it was sure to cause more trouble.

Zerakiel quickly scooped Chichi up and spoke to Hiscleif.

“I’ll leave the aftermath to you.”

“What?”

“That’s your specialty, isn’t it?”

Zerakiel hadn’t forgotten Hiscleif blocking his way to protect Chichi, and now he was making sure Hiscleif dealt with the aftermath as he carried Chichi away.

Surprisingly, Ivan, Zerakiel’s subordinate, had long since fled. More accurately, he had gone to fetch someone who could intervene between the two.

“What?”

Hiscleif stared incredulously at the spot where Zerakiel and Chichi had disappeared.

Zerakiel hadn’t let him exchange a word with Chichi, then left all the annoying tasks to him.

“Ah.”

Something caught Hiscleif’s eye. It was the yellow hat Chichi had been wearing earlier, found behind the well.

Just as Hiscleif picked up the hat, a servant of Hebel arrived, staring in astonishment at the flood around the well.

“What in the world…”

But their shock quickly turned to reverence.

“O great divine beast! The holy water has erupted again!”

Seeing the servant suddenly bowing to the well, Hiscleif decided to quietly slip away. It seemed they would interpret the event in their own way, so he decided to leave before things got more complicated.

Hebel later held a thanksgiving ceremony for the guardian deity, celebrating the day as a miracle where the dried-up well overflowed once again.

* * *

“Now, explain.”

As soon as they arrived back at their quarters, Zerakiel barred anyone from entering. I tried to evade his persistent gaze as I made an excuse.

“I was just thirsty and wanted to drink some water.”

“You went all the way to the distant plaza for that?”

“I got thirsty while taking a walk.”

“You’ll have to come up with a more believable excuse if you want me to pretend to believe you.”

Zerakiel clearly didn’t buy it. There was no way he wouldn’t notice the change in my pheromones, given how perceptive he was.

I had hoped to get through this without anyone noticing, but it seemed I had failed. I decided to reveal part of the truth to get through this crisis.

“I swallowed a strange orb in the well, and this happened.”

“Swallowed an orb?”

“Yes.”

“Spit it out.”

At that moment, Zerakiel lifted me from behind and pressed on my stomach. It happened so quickly that I let out a groan.

“How could you recklessly swallow anything like that?”

He seemed to think I had foolishly swallowed something dangerous. He pressed on my stomach with such force that I couldn’t help but let out a pained sound.

“Ugh! Wait, stop!”

“Don’t eat just anything you find in Hebel. Now spit it out.”

Zerakiel’s face was serious as he continued pumping my stomach.

At this rate, I might end up vomiting all my organs along with the pearl!

Desperate to stop him, I quickly tried to calm him down.

“Please, Zerakiel!”

Suddenly, Zerakiel froze. His body stiffened as if he had malfunctioned, and he asked in a daze.

“What did you just say?”

“How can you just squeeze like that?”

I almost threw up!

I didn’t need to extract the orb from my stomach now that I had contracted with Tabby. Keeping it inside was safer than wearing it as a necklace like Ella did in the original story.

“Damn it!”

I wiggled out of Zerakiel’s grip and turned around to give him a piece of my mind, but I was stunned when I saw him.

Why is his face so red?

His ears were bright red as if they were about to burst. His face looked strangely dazed.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Say what you just said again.”

“Damn it?”

“No, before that.”

“Uh… Zerakiel?”

When I muttered his name again, unsure of what he was referring to, his eyes lit up.

“Yes, that.”

His golden eyes glinted coldly like a predator’s. I shuddered and murmured.

“…You’re not mad because I called you by your name, are you?”

“Do I look like that kind of guy?”

I nodded without hesitation.

Zerakiel’s face scrunched up in frustration. After a moment, he muttered softly, almost inaudibly.

“You called my name for the first time.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, you did. You never called me by my name before.”

Zerakiel seemed to be muttering as if this had been a long-standing grievance. He even covered his mouth with the back of his hand, looking embarrassed.

Now that I thought about it, I had called Merina and Ivan by their names, but I didn’t recall ever calling him by his name.

It wasn’t intentional, but it seemed to have bothered Zerakiel.

Zerakiel frowned and muttered.

“I thought you were uncomfortable with me.”

“Well…”

We weren’t exactly close, but it wasn’t that I didn’t call him by his name because I felt uncomfortable.

It was just that Zerakiel had a way of getting too close too quickly, and I was wary of getting used to being around him.

On the other hand, I had also worried about whether it was appropriate for a pet to call its master by name.

After all, Zerakiel and I were still in a master-pet relationship.

I rolled my eyes, recalling what Ivan had hinted at before, and mumbled an excuse.

“Ivan told me that you once beat up a noble’s child for calling you by your name without permission.”

“You believe everything Ivan says?”

No.

But Ayla had confirmed it. Zerakiel often found trivial reasons to cause trouble.

I said innocently.

“But Ayla said it was true.”

“Tch.”

Zerakiel, at a loss for words, clenched his jaw and replied irritably.

“Do you think you’re the same as that kid?”

That meant he thought I was incomparable to the kid he beat up.

Well, look at that?

He was surprisingly cute in his own way.

Zerakiel frowned, looking like he had heard something unpleasant. For some reason, seeing that made me feel a bit better. It seemed like he regarded me quite fondly.

Feeling a strange sense of affection, I said something I didn’t mean.

“Well, I am your pet.”

Come to think of it, it was true. Being a pet was closer than being a noble.

That thought grounded me.

I needed to stay composed in the black lion’s den. That’s how I would secure my future.

I raised my guard again. It was my way of protecting myself.

Then Zerakiel spoke.

“That’s not the only reason.”

“Then what is?”

Is there another reason?

I looked at him with wide eyes, and Zerakiel’s lips moved slightly.

“Well…”

He couldn’t seem to articulate the reason, which suggested that was all there was to it.

As expected.

Zerakiel didn’t think of me as a friend. He just gave me special treatment as a pet.

But that was fine. For now, I needed to maintain a good relationship with him to ensure my safety.

I pushed away the slight disappointment and asked.

“So, can I call you by your name freely?”

Even if I call you, will you not hit me?

Zerakiel sighed deeply at my playful addition.

“I think I’m the one who’s been getting hit.”