“Mm, that won’t do.”
Jerome answered immediately, causing Jean, who had briefly worn a puzzled expression, to frown.
“Why not?”
“Someone’s already expressed interest in taming the primordial evil and turning it into a weapon. I’m just holding onto it temporarily until they come to pick it up.”
“A weapon? That’s just abuse.”
“Darling, a primordial evil isn’t the same as a human child. The temple didn’t issue an extermination order for no reason. If it goes berserk, it can destroy an entire dimension. Proper training is essential.”
Jean hesitated at Jerome’s chilling explanation, his gaze shifting elsewhere.
What he saw was the primordial evil, trembling and crying as it fled from Ellie, who was intentionally puffing herself up and charging at it.
No one would look at that creature and think it was capable of destroying a dimension.
The primordial evil cowered behind Jean, trembling.
Jean stared quietly at the small hands clutching his clothes before lifting the primordial evil into his arms.
It immediately settled comfortably in his embrace, as if it had never been afraid.
Jerome narrowed his eyes at the sight.
“It always bites me, but it sure seems to love you. I guess you’ve got a knack for winning over difficult creatures.”
“When is this person coming to pick it up?”
“In a week.”
“Until then, let it stay with us. It’ll be all alone otherwise, and it seems to trust me. Having someone by its side will make it less lonely.”
The primordial evil flinched but burrowed deeper into Jean’s arms as if it understood the conversation.
Jerome raised an eyebrow at the creature’s eerily human-like demeanor and chuckled.
“You do know that pitiful little thing almost stole your soul, right?”
“Better that than someone who tried to lock me in a subconscious prison during a lovers’ quarrel.”
“Every time you’re at a disadvantage, you bring up the past.”
“Anyway, you’ll be returning to the capital, so I’ll be the one taking care of it.”
“Which is exactly why it can’t stay here. If it goes berserk while I’m gone, there’ll be no way to handle it.”
Jerome’s expression remained neutral as he scooped pudding from the bowl in front of him.
When he held a spoonful to the primordial evil’s mouth, it hesitated before opening its mouth to take the offering.
Its eyes widened in astonishment at the sweet taste, and Jean couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Jerome, watching Jean, spoke again.
“Alright, how about this? It can stay with us for the week.”
“Really?”
“But both of you will stay in the capital with me.”
Jean froze, his gaze snapping to Jerome.
Doubt flickered in his eyes as he studied his husband, but Jerome didn’t falter, calmly feeding the primordial evil another spoonful of pudding.
Jean sighed heavily and relented.
“Just one week.”
“Of course.”
“After that, I’m coming back here.”
“Understood. By the way, since we’re doing this, should we give it a name?”
Jerome poked the primordial evil’s cheek with his finger.
It scowled and bit him almost immediately. Jean, after a moment of contemplation, shook his head.
“No. I won’t name it.”
“Why not?”
“Giving it a name will make it harder to say goodbye.”
Jerome didn’t argue.
The primordial evil wasn’t a normal child; it wouldn’t be able to live like one.
Proper training and discipline were inevitable.
Jean resolved not to grow too attached to the child in his arms and silently hoped that the primordial evil would quickly forget the week they spent together.
Jean gently patted the sleeping creature’s back, his voice tinged with sadness as he murmured, “It’ll be better for it this way.”
The primordial evil didn’t cry or throw a fit when it left Emma’s house. It remained quiet, nestled in Jean’s arms.
Emma, watching the sleeping creature with an expression of wonder, chuckled softly.
“It’s amazing, really. That child used to panic if anyone came near it.”
“I’m sorry for all the trouble we caused.”
“Not at all. We actually enjoyed having it here. Despite being wary of people, it was a gentle child.”
Emma smiled warmly and stroked the sleeping creature’s head.
An awkward silence followed until Emma broke it with a calm voice.
“I wasn’t raised in a loving family. When I adopted Ellie, I worried I wouldn’t know how to show her love.”
“…”
“But humans, even if they don’t know warmth, understand cold. Even if they’ve never received love, they can still give it. That’s what makes us strong.”
Jean’s arms trembled slightly as he held the child closer.
Jerome, emerging with their bags, noticed the serious atmosphere and asked, “What’s going on?”
“We were just talking.”
“About heading back to the capital?”
“Yes. And you know what’ll happen if Luke discovers this child, right? With his divine power, he’ll immediately realize what it is.”
Luke. A familiar name Jean had tried to forget.
Fear flickered across his face at the mention of it, quickly followed by memories of Carlisle, who had confessed his feelings before Jean left.
“Don’t think I’ve given up on you.”
Though the memory-erasure spell should have wiped Jean from Carlisle’s mind, Jean couldn’t afford to be careless.
He had remembered Jerome against all odds, after all.
Anxiety gnawed at him as he bit his lip, haunted by the possessive voice echoing in his mind.
“I’m only catching my breath.”
✽ ✽ ✽
On the way back to their estate, Jean suggested stopping at the market to buy new clothes and toys for the primordial evil.
Its current clothes were too shabby, and Jean thought a comfort item might help soothe its frequent anxiety.
Jerome, arms laden with shopping bags, collapsed into a café chair with a sigh.
“We could’ve just bought this in the capital.”
“It’s a long journey to the capital. It’d be cruel to leave it in those old clothes.”
“Still, clothes really do make a difference.”
The primordial evil, now dressed in neat clothes instead of its ragged ones, still looked bewildered.
Its gaze fixated on something before it suddenly reached out, grabbing a centipede and trying to stuff it into its mouth.
“No!”
Jean’s sharp voice startled the creature, causing it to drop the centipede.
It looked at Jean with teary eyes, then buried its face in its arms on the table.
“Don’t be so harsh, darling. Eating poisonous centipedes as a child is normal.”
“Don’t act like you only did that as a kid. You ate them as an adult, too!”
Feigning ignorance, Jerome offered the primordial evil a teddy bear-shaped cookie.
It hesitated before grabbing the cookie with both hands.
As it took a bite, its eyes lit up again, prompting a laugh from both Jerome and Jean.
It was the first peaceful moment the two had shared in a long time.
After a moment’s thought, Jean asked, “Speaking of which, how’s Carlisle doing these days?”
Jerome sipped his milk tea before setting the cup down.
Without a word, he responded with a subtle expression.
Sighing at Jerome’s silence, Jean brushed the crumbs off the corner of the primordial evil’s mouth and added softly.
“I was just worried, that’s all. If we ran into each other in the capital, it could get awkward.”
“Don’t worry. It’s clear he doesn’t remember the parts involving you at all.”
“You’ve tested it already?”
“How could I have gotten you if I weren’t that thorough?”
At Jerome’s confident reply, Jean let out a belated sigh of relief.
The fact that he remembered nothing about Jean was oddly both disappointing and reassuring.
With their original purpose of shopping completed, they were just about to head home when rain suddenly began pouring down from the once-cloudy sky.
Jerome, gazing out the window, stood up.
“Stay here. I’ll fetch the carriage.”
Jean obediently nodded. If he were alone, he might have simply endured the rain, but the presence of the child changed the situation.
The primordial evil, drowsy from a full stomach, tugged at Jean’s arm as if asking to be held. Jean picked up the child and held him close.
‘He just looks like an ordinary child like this.’
The soft chime of the doorbell echoed as the cafeteria door opened.
Jean glanced up, and the sight of the face that entered made his blood run cold.
Luke, who had been conversing with the cafeteria owner, slowly turned his gaze toward Jean.
The temple knights accompanying Luke began to approach Jean’s table.
Emma’s words suddenly came to mind.
*”The moment Luke finds out about that child, it’s over. Unlike others, Luke, with his strong divine power, will instantly recognize that the child is a primordial evil.”
Under Luke’s piercing gaze, Jean felt his mind go blank.
At this rate, Luke would discover the truth and take the child away.
The primordial evil, sensing Jean’s trembling hands, slowly opened his eyes.
There was no point speculating why Luke was here.
‘What do I do now?’
The only thing Jean could focus on was surviving this moment.
A temple knight approached the table and cast a curious glance at the child in Jean’s arms before speaking in a cold voice.
“Excuse me, but may I verify your identity?”
