Time flew by, and it was now the day before primordial evil would part ways with them.
Thanks to Jerry’s seasoned caregiving skills, primordial evil had quickly regained stability and no longer showed signs of unease.
With their waist-length hair trimmed neatly and dressed appropriately, primordial evil’s delicate and refined features were finally visible.
The maids of the Howard household, gathered around them, whispered in awe.
“I think this is the prettiest baby I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“Surely, one day, they’ll become the most beautiful person in the empire.”
“How can they look so much like Sir Jerome? But… who could their real mother be?”
As the maids chatted, primordial evil, who had been sleeping soundly in Jerry’s embrace, suddenly opened their eyes.
Their large pupils caught the maids’ attention, and they tilted their heads in curiosity.
“Wait, were the young miss’s eyes always this color?”
“They seem to have turned a bit purplish, don’t they?”
Although their platinum hair and overall appearance remained unchanged, their previously colorless pupils had, at some point, taken on a faint purple hue.
Primordial evil, watching the maids speculate about their mother with a wary gaze, jumped off the bed.
“Ah! Young miss!”
Ignoring the cries of the startled maids, primordial evil darted away, their small figure moving decisively.
Gripping Jerry tightly by the tail, they ran until Jerome and an unfamiliar man came into view, walking side by side down the corridor.
Jerome spoke calmly, but the man responded with a deep sigh and a shake of his head.
“Jerome, no matter how you look at it, smuggling primordial evil out was reckless… If we’re discovered, it’ll be dangerous for both of us.”
“It’s fine. They’re still just a young entity—you know how easy it is to socialize young entities.”
“If it’s so easy, why didn’t you raise them yourself?”
“Well, there are various reasons, but….”
primordial evil clutched Jerry tightly, glaring at the two men with a serious expression.
Their intense gaze seemed to demand a translation, and Jerry reluctantly explained the conversation.
Upon understanding it fully, primordial evil’s eyes widened.
They had thought both Jerome and Jean liked them.
But now, a sudden fear gripped their heart—what if they were cast aside today?
Their anxiety grew, and they bit their lower lip.
Sensing their distress, Jerry nuzzled against their cheek.
“Meow.”
primordial evil’s expression brightened as a memory from the previous night surfaced.
It was a fairy tale Jean had read to them—a story about a frog who gave the princess they loved their most precious treasure.
In return, the princess fell in love with the frog.
Primordial evil thought hard.
“If I give Jean and Jerome something really good, maybe they won’t abandon me.”
What was the best thing they could offer?
Before meeting Jerome and Jean, all primordial evil had was a suffocating darkness—deep, endless, and devoid of light.
In that darkness, a voice had spoken to them: an angry voice, insisting that only by destroying every being in this dimension could peace be achieved.
The mysterious voice had claimed that the core of evil within their chest was the key to salvation.
“If I give this to them, will Jean and Jerome like me?”
primordial evil placed a hand over their beating heart.
Though only a week had passed, in that short time, their once-dark mind had been filled with vivid colors.
They adored the unique hues that Jerome and Jean brought to their world.
They wanted to look like them, eat like them, and think like them.
More than anything, they wanted to be loved by them.
“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be napping right now?”
Startled by the shadow that fell over them, primordial evil looked up.
Jerome stood there, smiling down at them, while the man next to him smirked in amusement.
“So this is the primordial evil? Not what I imagined. Are they trying to mimic humans?”
“Just a guess, but I think they resemble me because I was the first human they saw.”
“Like how predators camouflage themselves to catch prey?”
Primordial evil flinched at the man’s words and raised their head fiercely, wanting to deny it.
But all that came out was a garbled, “Ah, ah,” making them feel even more foolish.
On the verge of tears, their distressed expression made Jerome elbow the man in the ribs.
“Watch your words in front of the kid.”
“Fine. In that case, let’s take them now. It’s better to start training before they act out…”
The man’s face hardened as he reached for primordial evil.
As the large hand came closer, they flinched and, in a sudden burst of defiance, bit the man’s hand.
The man yelped and recoiled, giving primordial evil the chance to bolt down the hallway.
Deep inside their chest, something sticky and warm began to churn.
[Child, they don’t truly want you.]
A shadow rose from the floor, towering over primordial evil.
It spoke with a menacing tone, its presence dark and oppressive.
[You are destined to become the Lord of All Evil. This is not your place. Leave them and come with me. Together, we’ll create a new era—a time of destruction and death…]
The shadow chuckled darkly, revealing jagged, yellow teeth.
[And we’ll resurrect Mephisto.]
The shadow’s hand reached out, but just as it was about to engulf primordial evil, a loud, desperate voice rang out.
“Stop!”
Warmth enveloped them as the black shadow shattered like a fragile sandcastle.
Primordial evil turned slowly, dazed, to see Jean holding them tightly, his face pale and his expression grim.
Tears welled in primordial evil’s eyes as they realized Jean was angry with them.
“I… I don’t want to go…” the primordial evil whimpered.
“….”
“Don’t abandon me…”
Jean froze, his hand halting mid-pat on their back.
Jerome, who had rushed over, looked at Jean in surprise.
Jean gazed at primordial evil’s tear-streaked face before finally speaking.
“Jerome, we need to talk.”
✽ ✽ ✽
Jean had called Jerome aside for a serious conversation, earnestly trying to persuade him.
He explained in detail just how dangerous it would be for the primordial evil to grow up as nothing more than a weapon of war, deprived of affection.
He even pointed out that Jerome himself had fared far worse when he was locked up in the underground prison.
Jerome listened quietly to Jean’s argument, his gaze falling on the sleeping face of the primordial evil, who had cried himself into exhaustion.
He began to think that, perhaps, training wasn’t the solution to controlling the boy after all.
As he stepped outside into the garden to smoke with a companion, the other man let out a dry chuckle.
“You’re not seriously planning to raise that thing, are you?”
“What other choice do I have?”
“What?”
“Cheryl, I’m actually a coward.”
Jerome’s unexpected admission made Cheryl narrow her eyes.
Crushing his cigarette underfoot, Jerome continued.
“Maybe that’s why… I’ve always been uneasy about letting someone into my life. Maybe scared is the better word. Once I let someone in, I feel like I’ll have to take responsibility for them to the end.”
“…So that’s why you wanted to send him to me?”
“But after meeting Jean, it doesn’t feel as hard anymore.”
“…”
“Why is that, I wonder? My wife… he makes what’s always been hard for me seem easy.”
Jerome’s friend scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
Watching Cheryl cross her arms with a long sigh, Jerome smiled faintly.
With a click of his tongue, Cheryl finally spoke.
“Even so, you’ve got to train him.”
“Well, how about this then? Like going to school—he can train, but we’ll be the parents.”
“And I’m supposed to be the teacher?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how I saved your life ten years ago.”
Jerome playfully bumped Cheryl’s shoulder, who scowled but eventually gave a reluctant nod.
When Jerome cheered, Cheryl muttered something about being fed up and started to walk off but paused mid-step.
“Jerome.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you happy?”
“What’s with the cheesy question all of a sudden?”
Jerome chuckled, incredulous.
Cheryl’s expression was unreadable as she replied.
“You once said, when you were drunk, that you didn’t know what happiness was. That you thought you could endure being unhappy because you’d never known anything else.”
“…”
“That stuck with me. I’ve been wondering ever since if you’ve found it—happiness, I mean.”
Jerome groaned softly, hands clasped behind his back. He must have said that during his most cynical days.
Happiness, huh?
He had certainly thought that way back then.
Cheryl waited silently, his gaze steady, until Jerome finally spoke in a voice devoid of jest.
“Yes, I’m happy.”
“…”
“Until I see your scruffy beard, that is. Why are you even growing that? It’s awful—shave it. These days, even men need to groom themselves to be loved.”
“Shut up.”
With a grumble, Cheryl left the garden.
Jerome waved at her retreating figure before turning at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Jean, looking pale and weary, extended a hand.
“Let me have a cigarette.”
“No way. I’m quitting after this one.”
“Why?”
“Smoking in a house with a child isn’t right.”
Jean flinched at Jerome’s response, leaning back against the wall.
The clear sky was dotted with an odd little sunshower, the rain falling in scattered droplets.
Listening to the patter of rain, Jean spoke calmly.
“Now that we’ve decided to live together, I want to give him a name.”
“…”
“I’ve thought of many, but… I keep coming back to one.”
Their gazes met in the empty air.
After a moment of silence, Jerome smiled softly.
Jean leaned his head against Jerome’s shoulder, murmuring anxiously.
“What if he hates the name and runs away? What if he grows up bitter and ends up in jail because of it?”
“Dark thoughts. But since there’s a chance, I’ll set aside bail money, just in case.”
“Don’t say things like that.”
“And besides, Chloe wouldn’t do that.”
Jerome wrapped an arm around Jean’s shoulder, his words leaving Jean momentarily speechless.
“Because he’ll be our child.”
Jean’s eyes wavered as he looked at Jerome.
A sudden premonition struck him—this was the beginning of a new story.
He knew he would not only be a character in this tale but also its most devoted reader.
Smiling silently, Jean let Jerome kiss him gently.
The sunshower cleared, leaving a vibrant rainbow in its wake.
Warm sunlight bathed the rain-soaked flowers in the garden, as if nature itself were celebrating the start of this new chapter.
