Chapter 10
Fists raised.
I brought them down with a slam.
With a tremendous crash, Iris’s upper body was buried as it broke through the ground.
“What… what is this?! Who is this person? Why are they stuck in the ground like that?”
Lucy’s question, having missed the entire sequence of events, prompted me to hoist the unconscious Iris over my shoulder and explain.
“This is Iris Erlig. My former master.”
“Adam’s… former master…?”
“Yeah. I’ll explain more when we get home.”
Not that there’s much else to explain, really.
Incidentally, and thankfully contrary to concerns, the house itself was unharmed.
The front door lock was broken, and the bed had been split in half, but compared to what I’d expected, this was practically minor damage.
“…Did this person do all this?”
“Probably?”
Of course, from Lucy’s perspective, this must feel like a bolt out of the blue. It’s only natural she’d be upset.
After laying the unconscious Iris on the living room sofa, I tried calming Lucy, who glared daggers at her, by serving her some warm hot chocolate.
“Huh?!”
Iris woke up.
“Hey, Iris. Good to see you again.”
“Adam…? Adam!”
As soon as she regained consciousness, she lunged toward me, but I sidestepped just in time, causing her face to contort into an expression like the world had ended.
It hurt for both of us, but there was nothing I could do.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not your gacha character anymore.”
“There’s no such rule! Why are you avoiding me? Why won’t you stop dodging?! Aren’t you happy to see me, Adam?!”
Happy? No chance.
“I’m incredibly glad to see you safe. Truly. Even during my final battle with the Catastrophe Dragon, you were the one I worried about most.”
“But why?! Why are you rejecting me?”
“Our bond as master and servant ended back then.”
This was something I’d resolved shortly after learning that only a year had passed since my previous disappearance when I was summoned by Lucy. If people like Iris knew I was back, many would come looking for me.
If they intended harm, I could simply fight back—simple enough. But if they came seeking me willingly, I’d have to choose between my old master and my current one.
“You’re joking, right? So you picked *her*, someone you’ve barely known, over me, someone you lived with for years? Is that why you didn’t even bother searching for me after being summoned?”
“Your wording could use some work, but yeah, that’s correct.”
“That’s absurd!”
Of course she was angry. Of course she felt betrayed. I anticipated all of this when I made my choice.
If we couldn’t all coexist happily, then inevitably, everyone would end up unhappy.
“Still, I think we could remain acquaintances and maintain a friendly relationship?”
“No way! I can’t accept Adam not being mine!”
“That’s what I thought you’d say.”
I stood up. As much as I didn’t want things to escalate this far, I needed to be firm for Iris’s sake moving forward.
“Well then, there’s nothing left to say. Please leave.”
At my request to leave, tears welled up in Iris’s eyes.
Clutching her teeth, she glared at me before shouting furiously.
“You idiot! Do you really think you can forget about Adam and go back to living normally if you leave now? If it were possible, I would’ve moved on after Adam disappeared last time! And I wouldn’t have gone crazy pulling gacha nonstop for the past year trying to bring you back! This is impossible! Impossible, I tell you!”
She nailed my inner thoughts so quickly that I was speechless.
Clearly, Iris knows me just as well as I know her.
Wait… What should I do now?
This situation seems pretty dire. I can’t think of any way out of this.
While I stood there dumbfounded, Iris suddenly knelt before Lucy.
“I beg you! Please! I’ll give you anything! Enough money to last generations! Whatever you want, I’ll grant it! Just… please transfer Adam to me!”
“No… I refuse. You need to leave…”
Without hesitation, Lucy rejected her outright and even demanded she leave.
Predictably, Iris exploded in anger.
“You stupid girl! You don’t know anything! Nothing! Do you understand Adam’s power? Do you know what he’s capable of?”
“I… I don’t need to know that. I’ll learn along the way…”
“Wha—!”
What? Since when has Lucy been this articulate?
“And… Are you only trying to reclaim Adam because he’s strong?”
“It’s not that! That’s not what I meant…!”
“It doesn’t matter why… Adam chose me, so Adam belongs to me. You’re just an ex-girlfriend to him…”
Does she even realize what she’s saying?
Regardless of my thoughts, Lucy’s words visibly shook Iris, whose body trembled violently.
I braced myself, expecting Iris might draw her sword against Lucy, but instead, she did something completely unexpected.
“Waaahh… No… He’s mine… He’s always been mine…”
“Iris?”
Is she crying?
Seriously crying?
Is this the same person recently renowned across the empire as “Hwajoong Fungyuel,” famed for her silver tongue?
She wasn’t shedding tears out of emotional upheaval like earlier. Instead, sitting slumped on the floor, Iris began sobbing uncontrollably like a child, tears streaming down her face.
“U-Um… Excuse me…?”
“He’s mine! Mine!”
Even Lucy seemed flustered by this turn of events. Whether she hadn’t anticipated it or was moved by seeing an adult woman break down like this, it was clear she found the situation awkward.
“A-Anyway, even if you cry, I can’t give up Adam…”
Her sobs grew louder.
“Adam! Do something!”
What am I supposed to do? I’m just as baffled as anyone here. Seeing Iris lose all composure and dissolve into tears like this is unprecedented, even from her childhood.
Before I could lean in to comfort her, Lucy urgently grabbed my arm.
“What are you doing?”
“You told me to do something…”
“That doesn’t mean you should go THAT far!”
Without my comforting embrace, Iris’s cries escalated until she nearly fainted.
And then, she collapsed again.
“…”
“…”
We exchanged silent glances as Iris softly gasped and toppled over onto the floor.
—
When Iris woke up again, it was nighttime.
Pushing aside the blanket, she noticed Adam lying beside her, with Lucy cuddled up close on the other side.
For a moment, she entertained the thought of killing them both but decided against it—it would only provoke Adam’s intervention anyway.
Instead, she gently reached out and stroked Adam’s hair.
Quietly. Carefully. Lovingly.
‘Ah, still…’
She was happy. Just knowing he was alive and nearby was enough.
His presence gave her restless heart peace after a year of uncertainty.
‘I knew it all along. Knew it but pretended otherwise.’
Adam wasn’t under anyone’s spell or deceived. He was merely following the rules he set for himself.
‘Wasn’t it Lucy? Sorry to you too, kid.’
Though Iris’s possessiveness rivaled hers, Lucy didn’t seem particularly bad otherwise.
Maybe deep down, Iris had subconsciously recognized Lucy wasn’t truly a threat, which made her self-deception even worse.
‘Well, it’s been nice meeting you, at least.’
There was no point lingering in life anymore. Adam had chosen someone else. Living held no meaning for Iris now.
She planned to die quietly, away from everyone, ensuring she wouldn’t burden Adam further.
As she turned to leave, Adam spoke.
“Where are you going?”
Caught off guard, Iris turned around, scratching her cheek sheepishly.
“I was just leaving. Did I wake you? Sorry about that. Also, sorry for the nasty things I said earlier. Truly, I mean it.”
“…”
“Don’t worry. We won’t meet again. You two enjoy your happiness together.”
Her voice caught in her throat mid-sentence, but Iris managed to finish speaking despite the lump forming in her throat.
Lucy stared at her silently for a moment before bluntly asking,
“Are you planning to kill yourself?”
“What?!”
“The look in your eyes—I’ve seen it plenty in Slumga. The vacant stare people get right before they take their own lives.”
Iris froze, mouth agape like a fish out of water.
Caught off-guard yet again, unsure whether to deny or confirm, she stood frozen.
“You’re pathetic.”
“Eh? What’s pathetic?”
“You were extremely important to Adam. Your death by your own hand will leave a wound that I can’t heal, even if it takes his whole life.”
For the second time, Iris was struck speechless.
“I… I…”
“Stop pretending you can sneak off and die without Adam noticing.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?!”
There was no reclaiming him. Neither could she linger in his memory forever through death.
Stripped of all options, Iris lashed out in frustration.
Lucy sighed deeply before replying,
“As much as I hate it—and I really, REALLY hate it—you can live with us.”
“Huh?”
“Just so we’re clear, Adam isn’t negotiable. Any private moments between the two of you are forbidden. No cuddling, no kissing—nothing. You’re just here to watch.”
That would likely be its own kind of hell.
But Iris accepted it willingly.
“…Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I’m only doing this because I don’t want Adam holding onto you forever.”
“Still… Thank you.”
“…”
Without responding, Lucy burrowed deeper under the covers and clung tightly to Adam.
Iris lay down next to Adam as well.
Suddenly remembering something, she asked,
“So, does your stuttering around Adam happen only on purpose?”
“I hate you.”
The sharp-tongued Lucy and the newly radiant Iris.
Between them, Adam, who had been feigning sleep while internally sighing in relief, remained blissfully unaware—or so he hoped.
Thus began the unconventional cohabitation of three.
—
The orb spun, its light reflecting in a dazzling array of colors.
A shimmering indigo emerged—a color I’d never seen throughout my life, neither in my human days nor as a gacha character.
The crystal ball tumbled out with a gentle rolling sound.
The merchant overseeing the market lottery shook his bell.
“Winner! Congratulations! You’ve won our grand prize: a staycation at the Ardeo Aqua Hot Spring Resort!”
My luck rating is F.
Which is why I know for certain…
“This absolutely cannot end well!”
