Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 36- Fake Companion

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As my vision blurred, I saw Jerome rise to his feet.

My head drooped like a sick chicken, dropping toward the table.

Just before it hit, a cool hand caught my forehead.

‘This crazy bastard.’

And so, I helplessly fell asleep.

Ever since I was possessed, I had rarely fallen into a deep sleep.

The fear that someone might discover my secret kept me in a state of hypervigilance, even in sleep.

When I did manage to sleep, I often woke up trembling, haunted by nightmares of being beheaded by a guillotine.

Lack of proper rest often left me with a heavy head and blurred vision.

Surviving each day felt like a miracle.

But thanks to Jerome’s mind-control spell, I finally fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a long while.

As I slept, the gentle touch that occasionally brushed my hair and the voice calling my name brought a strange comfort.

It wasn’t calling me with any purpose, but rather, as if savoring the act of saying it.

‘I can’t move.’

Even in my sleep, I could feel Jerome repeatedly taking and releasing my fingers, like he was holding a lump of sugar rather than a hand.

He gripped tightly, as if afraid of crushing it.

Why did it feel like that touch carried a deep sorrow?

‘So that’s why you could endure such pain, Jerome.’

I realized that Jerome always seemed somewhat detached from his own emotions, as if he intentionally distanced himself to avoid getting too hurt when betrayed.

It was as if he was deliberately lightening his feelings, making it easier to discard them, always leaving himself an escape route.

‘Your wounds run much deeper than that.’

It reminded me of how I used to be indifferent to my own suffering.

Back then, even when everyone around me was pale with grief over my father’s sudden death, I alone remained calm.

‘Can I really destroy Mephisto?’

The moment I accepted my sadness, I feared I would become truly pitiful.

So, I didn’t cry much and lived each day as if I were a pale, lifeless corpse.

As these unpleasant memories surfaced, I unconsciously squeezed the hand that was playing with my fingers. I felt Jerome’s fingers freeze for a moment.

‘I couldn’t even save myself. How can I save anyone else?’

Though I’d boasted that I would survive, in reality, I wasn’t confident. I didn’t think I could do it. I grimaced and curled up into myself. The warmth surrounding me quickly dispelled the emptiness.

When I woke up to the sound of birds chirping, the sun was already high in the sky.

Blinking slowly, I took in my surroundings.

The warm sunlight was filling the once-dark library. It seemed the rain had stopped.

Still half-asleep, I was startled by the voice from above my head.

“Did you sleep well, honey?”

Jerome finished speaking and brushed a strand of hair from my cheek.

I froze for a moment, shocked by the strange angle from which he was looking down at me.

The fact that I was nestled so snugly in his arms…

This also meant that there was about an 80% chance that this guy had been feeling me up.

I hurriedly checked my clothes, and Jerome chuckled softly.

When I shot him a look that said, “No way, right? You’re not that much of an animal, are you?”, he shrugged.

“You seemed to be sleeping so soundly, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything.”

“…”

“I had to resist the urge to accidentally kill you about four or five times.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. But thanks to the deep sleep I hadn’t had in a while, my mind, which had been foggy like a mist, began to clear.

I had unintentionally slept like a baby thanks to Jerome’s mind-control magic.

Even so, I didn’t want to keep falling under his spell like this.

“I’m warning you, don’t ever use mind-control magic on me again.”

I snapped coldly as soon as I got a grip on the situation. Jerome replied with a puzzled expression.

“Even when you’re snuggled up to me so cutely like this, you’re making threats…?”

“I’ll add one more thing. Don’t hug me whenever you feel like it, and don’t touch me. I’ll get seriously angry.”

As I tried to get up, a strong arm pulled me back by the waist.

No matter how hard I tried to pry it off, it wouldn’t budge, as if it was made of stone.

Jerome spoke as if my struggling was starting to annoy him.

“Stay still before I get serious.”

“Then at least calm the thing in your pants.”

“That guy’s got a mind of his own, so he doesn’t listen to me. But…”

Jerome paused and looked at me quietly. His next words made me cough awkwardly.

“Just now, something brushed against my thigh.”

An alarm went off in my head. The rational part of my brain screamed and collapsed.

The quick-thinking part declared a strike and held up a picket sign.

The shameless part waved a white flag.

‘Well, of course. I have the same thing as you, after all.’

My face began to redden as Jerome eyed me suspiciously.

I racked my brain, then attempted another escape.

But Jerome, as if he found it ridiculous, pulled me back by the waist.

Worried that we might touch again, I leaned forward and shook my head.

“It’s just your imagination. Nothing brushed against you.”

“No, something definitely did. Hold still, let me take a look.”

“I-I’m a proud noble lady! What do you mean, take a look in broad daylight?!”

I wanted to cry as I insisted I was a noble lady in a tone that was anything but noble.

I stopped hitting Jerome’s arm and my gaze caught on something.

A mountain of books was piled on the table.

“Did you read all these books overnight?”

My voice sounded surprised, and Jerome responded as if it were no big deal.

“Of course.”

“…Did you really read them?”

“Your husband was top of his class at the academy, you know.”

Top of the academy?

Not top of harassment?

Jerome pulled me back onto his lap as I made a sour face.

If he was going to keep this up, I might as well have him tie me up with ropes.

I gave up trying to resist.

Based on my experience as a commercial writer, if I kept resisting, it felt like I’d end up with some humiliating keywords attached to me.

I absolutely didn’t want that.

“It’s a legend about Mephisto. Read it.”

While I struggled to keep my sanity, Jerome handed me a book, already opened to a page.

I took it reluctantly, but as I read, my expression grew serious.

The book depicted the great great demon Mephisto in a terrifying form.

Next to the illustration, densely written text explained in detail.

“great demon Mephisto, he was a plague and a calamity, moving from star to star and leaving only destruction in his wake. Wherever Mephisto went, life turned to ashes, and the earth and sea withered, losing all vitality.”

As I turned the page, there was an image of Maya standing alone with a bow, blocking Mephisto’s path.

Maya’s determined back reflected a strong will.

A pocket watch hung around Maya’s neck caught my attention.

“The ancient god Maya sealed Mephisto at the cost of her eternal rest, but she knew that Mephisto would one day threaten humanity again. So she devised a way to pass her power on to the human children she loved.”

“The next part is in Old Tongue, so you can’t read it. Skip ahead to this section.”

Amid the confusing Old Tongue, Jerome pointed out a specific paragraph with his finger. I quietly read the paragraph he indicated.

“That’s why the ancient god Maya split her power and embedded it into stones. She entrusted these five stones to five divine beasts to guard them. It’s said that they will protect Maya’s power for their entire lives until Maya’s incarnation finds them again someday.”

Unfortunately, that was the end of what was written in the book.

As I was deep in thought, Jerome hugged me tightly from behind, rubbing his cheek against mine.

I frowned at his affectionate gesture.

“How can you read so clearly and cutely?”

“…”

“Chloe will definitely be a genius, just like her mom.”

Ignoring Jerome’s rambling, I examined the illustration in the book again.

Though some details were omitted, it was definitely Maya’s pocket watch depicted in the book.

“I see. Now I understand.”

I took out the pocket watch hanging around my neck and examined it again.

I pressed a small, raised notch on the rim, and the middle part opened to reveal a hidden compartment.

Just as the old text described, there were five slots where Stones could be placed. I continued with a serious expression.

“The reason I couldn’t completely destroy Mephisto is because Maya’s power is divided. If I gather the Stones guarded by the divine beasts, I’ll be able to fully use Maya’s power. Right?”

“Exactly.”

“But divine beasts don’t reveal themselves easily. The chances of a human encountering a divine beast are extremely low, so how are we supposed to…”

It wasn’t as if I could embark on a national expedition in search of divine beasts, and even if I did find them, I doubted they would hand over the Stones willingly.

As I was lost in thought, someone suddenly burst into the library.

“Master, there you are! Clever old Bear has brought you some refreshments…”

Come to think of it, Bermut was also one of those hard-to-find divine beasts.

Just as I was relieved to have found at least one of them, the tray clattered to the floor, and Bear’s expression turned to shock.

Trembling violently, Bear pointed at Jerome.

“You, you fiend… You’re Mephisto’s hound! Get away from my master this instant, you filthy hound of Mephisto!”

Bear’s tail puffed up as he hissed angrily.

It seemed his disguise had worn off due to his overwhelming rage. But it was understandable.

Bermut had witnessed Jerome slaughter the priests, and with Mephisto sealed within him, the two were a disastrous match.

Jerome simply looked at Bermut and smiled brightly.

“Jeanne, who’s this little guy with the poor disguise?”

“It’s a long story…”

“Poor disguise? You dare call my disguise poor? Draw your sword, hound! I will slay Mephisto with my own hands right here!”

Jerome’s expression suddenly became serious. I was nervous, wondering if they were really about to start a fight here. Just as I was bracing myself, Jerome, who had been silent for a while, spoke.

“I was just starting to feel a bit peckish. Can I eat that one?”

It seemed he had a habit of wanting to put anything strange-looking in his mouth.

I sighed and got up from Jerome’s lap.

I couldn’t let them fight in a room filled with priceless old books.

“No, you can’t. And Bermut, watch your mouth. Jerome sealed Mephisto inside himself to protect people. If you think about it, Jerome is a victim too.”

At my defense of Jerome, Bermut’s face turned sour, and he shook his head vehemently.

“No! I cannot understand your choice, Master! Why are you with Mephisto’s hound? What if you end up like those priests, killed by him?”

“What did you bring?”

“Oh, this snack is called ‘Rakmolli,’ a treat that’s only distributed in the Northern Territory. It’s known for its cloud-like texture that melts in your mouth, leaving a fruity aftertaste that’s simply exquisite…”

I picked up a piece of the Rakmolli that had fallen to the ground and popped it into my mouth.

The intense sweetness hit me instantly, jolting me awake. It tasted similar to a Korean snack called kkultarae.

‘This is really delicious. I’ve never had anything like this before.’

It was so good that the word “heavenly” didn’t feel like an exaggeration.

Seeing how much I was enjoying it, Bermut puffed up with pride, as if he’d never been angry in the first place. I broke off half of the Rakmolli and handed it to Jerome.

“Jerome, you should try this too. You said you were hungry.”

“Sure.”

Jerome nodded obediently and then suddenly grabbed my chin.

Without hesitation, he kissed me.

The Rakmolli I was holding fell to the ground as his tongue entered my mouth.

The strange sensation made the hairs on my head stand on end.

Bermut, who had been watching in a daze, clenched his fists and rushed over.

“Get away from my master, right now!”

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