Chapter 52
Alnazir let out a scoffing laugh when Fay finally turned to him, only now that she needed him. Flustered, Fay hardened her expression and sharply ordered him to come over.
When he still didn’t move, she changed tactics. Making sure Virelda wouldn’t notice, she put on a pitiful expression and held out her hand.
“Come here.”
Please, just this once!
Alnazir caught the silent words forming on her lips. He tried to ignore her, but those eyes—on the verge of tears—finally made him surrender completely. With a quiet sigh, he walked over and took her hand.
“See?”
Fay beamed as if she’d never looked close to crying at all. Her confidence made Virelda frown as she glanced back and forth between Fay and Alnazir.
“See what, exactly?”
“He came the moment I called him. See how well my summon follows my commands?”
‘Commands?’
The word grated. Alnazir let out a mocking snort and tried to pull his hand away, but Fay held on tightly.
“Fay… I’m not sure I understand what’s happening here,”
Virelda said, trailing off as she shot Zynie a questioning look, silently asking if she understood.
Zynie was just as confused. From the way the conversation was going, it sounded like Fay was calling that man her invoked—which made absolutely no sense. He looked human in every possible way.
“Don’t tell me… that man is your invoked?”
Surely not. Fay couldn’t be stupid enough to mistake a human man for a summon.
Carefully, Virelda voiced the question. To her shock, Fay nodded.
“I get why you’re surprised. I thought he was just a person at first too. But look, he can grow tentacles from his hands.”
Fay proudly spread Alnazir’s hand for them to see.
Nothing happened.
Just a perfectly ordinary palm.
“Alnazir, show them your tentacles. Just for a moment.”
She poked his side insistently. Alnazir tilted his head with an innocent, utterly shameless expression, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.
His betrayal only made things worse.
Virelda. Zynie. Even Old Man Bilter, who had been pretending not to watch from behind. All of them looked at Fay with the same pitying gaze.
They had clearly concluded she was a witch who’d been fooled by a man and now sincerely believed he was her invoked.
“Fay… I’m sorry I accused you of being a witch who couldn’t even control an invoked.”
Virelda said at last—actually apologizing. She assumed her own anger and pressure had clouded Fay’s judgment and led her to make a terrible mistake.
Frustrated, Fay turned to Zynie for help. Zynie flinched in surprise, then quickly looked away. A human summon was simply too far beyond common sense for her to defend.
“It’s because of how he looks, right?”
Trying to stay calm, Fay nodded.
“Alnazir, just for a second, go back to your original form!”
Thinking maybe it was her tone, she added in a tiny whisper,
“Please… just change back.”
“Hm?”
Alnazir tilted his head again, feigning confusion.
That was when Fay realized he was doing it on purpose. She grabbed his arm and shook it, demanding he stop pretending. Only for Virelda to step in and hold her back.
“That’s enough, Fay. This is getting embarrassing to watch.”
“I’m not lying! I don’t know why he’s suddenly acting like this—but Alnazir!”
“I know you’re not lying. You’re just… very naïve.”
“I said I’m not!”
No matter how much she protested, there was no way to prove the truth on the spot.
In the end, Fay was branded—by all three of them—as a foolish witch who’d been deceived by a man.
* * *
By the time the logs were cut to size and the collapsed wall repaired, it was already nearing sunset before Fay could finally return home.
What exhausted her more than the labor itself was the pitying look Bilter had given her the entire time.
“It was such a tiring day. Because of someone.”
Fay shot Alnazir with a glare sharp enough to cut stone.
He still looked completely clueless.
“Why?”
“You have the nerve to ask why?! You made me look like an idiot in front of my friends!”
Only then did Alnazir openly admit he’d done it on purpose.
“If you’d asked nicely, maybe. But I don’t really feel like obeying commands.”
“So you embarrassed me on purpose? In front of everyone?”
His brazen attitude made her furious. She stomped around the house while changing clothes, washing up, making dinner, cleaning, and preparing for bed—never once stopping the angry thumping of her feet.
Alnazir watched her with slightly narrowed eyes, saying nothing.
He waited for the right moment. Then, the moment she finally lay down on the bed, he moved.
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