I Was Summoned To Be Sold as a Son-in-Law

26 – The White Stone

“……”

I was silent after hearing all of Betty’s story.

After the final tally, 11 were dead, and it was said that more might soon join that count from the seriously injured.

I was surprised. Not because of the scale of the damage, but at my unexpectedly calm heart.

Feelings of regret and ripples of sadness arose within me, but it wasn’t enough to drown me in grief.

Was it because I didn’t see the scene of the disaster firsthand?

Or because none of my family or acquaintances were victims?

I don’t really know.

It was my first time trying to rescue people in danger with my own hands,

and also my first experience witnessing such people die or get hurt.

Was it the lack of experience that brought me this calmness?

Or, was I by chance a coldhearted person?

I washed my face with both hands.

“Tom…”

Maria looks at me carefully.

Christine also subtly steps away from me.

‘What am I doing?’

It wasn’t like I had dragged them here to tell a weepy melodrama or anything of the sort.

I’m sure they also had their fair share of troubles and loads to take care of.

I smiled subtly at them.

“Thank you for letting me know, Betty. I’m sorry to have bothered the rest of you. You must all have a lot on your plates; please tend to your tasks.”

They all looked visibly relieved.

‘Why are they all so attuned to my every move…’

Were they worried I would make a drastic decision due to my despair?

Their behaviour gave me the feeling of dealing with a moody teenage girl.

‘Ah… Right…’

This is a reverse world after all.

As much as I understand, I wondered if they made these assumptions even after seeing my appearance.

Maria, after a long sigh, gestured to Carol.

“Carol, that thing.”

“Yes”

Carol brought over a small shelf and presented it to me.

“What’s this…?”

“It’s mana potion. Our main healer diagnosed you. You’ve strained your mental energy so much that it has caused damage to your nerves. You have to drink this mana potion periodically until you recover.”

Maria answered on her behalf.

I stared uncomfortably at the blue liquid in the fancy crystal glass.

“This is… mana potion, right?”

Maria gave a reassuring smile.

“I confirmed it myself using empathetic magic. Don’t worry.”

Losing a lifelong companion in a horrifying experience is something I don’t want to deal with again.

-Gulp

After swallowing my dry saliva, I picked up the crystal glass.

I squeezed my eyes shut, and drank in one gulp.

Within seconds, I felt a hazy sensation washing away.

My mind, previously enveloped in a fog-like symptom, was clearing up and becoming sharply distinct.

Even my previously blurred vision was now clear.

Blinking his eyes in an attempt to adjust, Maria offered advice.

“It will feel like you’re all better now. But you need to rest for a few days to fully recover. Please have a good rest, Tom.”

“Big brother, please get better soon!”

Maria tapped Christine’s shoulder and they left the room together.

I looked at Betty.

She was still firmly holding my hand.

“You should rest as well, Betty. You must be exhausted from today.”

From what she had told me, not only had she helped in the search operation for the terrorist but also provided first aid and did an interview as an eyewitness.

Definitely tiring. And I did want to organise my thoughts alone.

“I will rest here. With Tom.”

“Huh? No, that’s a…”

What on earth is she talking about?

Betty tilted her head, seemingly baffled at me instead.

“Why?”

“Ahahahaha… No…”

Is she naive or is this intentional?

If we were alone in the room and she was unconscious next to me, what would happen?

I considered it casually.

Of course, by saying so doesn’t mean I would pounce on her. I’m not that kind of guy who lacks willpower.

That being said, there’s always an uncertainty between men and women.

She seemed to carry some degree of favor towards me.

The problem is we are both aristocrats, neither in a free relationship nor engaged yet.

“Accidents should be prevented beforehand.”

But what should I say? “I’m scared I might accidentally have a relationship with you.”

I can never be so straightforward.

Carol, who hadn’t left yet and was watching Betty, came to my rescue.

“Princess, Sir Thomas is the type that can only get deep rest when he is alone. Thank you for understanding.”

“Ah, I see! I am sorry, I only thought about…”

Betty’s face turned red.

‘Is she feeling embarrassed now?’

Betty gave a nod to Carol.

As if asking why Carol was apologizing to her, Betty let out a sound and then lowered her head again.

“Well, I should get going. Have a good rest, Tom!”

Betty opened the door, took a regretful look back, and left the room.

I watched the still lingering presence.

“Carol, can you leave the room for today? I’d like to be alone and gather my thoughts.”

Carol lowered her head and opened her mouth,

“Understood. However, what do you plan to do with the monster you saved last time?”

‘Monster?’

I racked my brain to remember.

“Oh!”

That round creature?

“Is it still at the mansion?”

“Yes, I have put it in a cage for dogs.”

“Can I see it?”

Honestly, my curiosity for the creature outweighed my desire to rest.

Something about them intrigued me since our first encounter.

Carol returned after only 3 minutes.

In both of her hands, she held a cage that was about 60 centimeters in length, width, and height, and inside was the white creature.

Wait…

“Let me out! I have to go to my master!”

The animal grasped the iron bars of the cage with its short front paws and yelled.

“Uh…?”

I was stupefied, not ever imagining it would speak.

Carol, seemingly understanding my confusion, gave an explanation.

“Some monsters are occasionally highly intelligent. It must have been a slave of the demon race.”

“So its master is a demon?”

That’s when the animal answered in place of Carol.

“My master is a strong, powerful demon!”

It proudly confessed, as if giving a boastful speech.

I was taken aback, observing the defiant creature for myself.

‘Why did I save this thing? Using even precious medicine…’

On reflection, it was peculiar. I wondered, why did I feel such a sudden urge to rescue some unknown life form carelessly sprawled on a road?

I stared at it intently.

It seemed to find my gaze fearful, pulling its front paws from the iron bars of the cage and crouching down in a corner.

Its image was like a giant white go stone.

‘Ah… Baekdol…’

It finally dawned upon me then.

The white puppy that I had raised for around ten years since elementary school.

It was a dog my older brother brought home and named Baekdol because it looked like a white stone when it curled up to rest.

‘I subconsciously recalled that one…’

Though I had cared for the dog for quite some time, I forgot about it and moved on.

The reason being, that dog would bring up my trauma about my missing older brother.

And here was this monster in front of me, dragging up that trauma again.

But, to my surprise, my heart didn’t feel so heavy this time.

‘The pain must have faded by now…’

I looked at the monster and asked,

“Do you want to go back to your master?”

“Of course! But the master is…”

The previously exuberant creature’s sentence trailed off.

“The master? Where are they?”

The creature seemed to recall some painful memory at my question, heaving a sigh before declaring,

“No, no! That’s not possible! My master would never abandon me!”

It then began a vehement denial about having been abandoned.

“It’s not true! I am useful!”

After yelling for a while, it seemed to resign itself.

Tears welled up in its eyes, and its voice grew smaller.

“The truth is, I knew it all along. I was just a nuisance who only consumes food…even my master kept saying so. Males are only good for reproduction…”

“Hmm…”

It seems like the creature’s ‘master’ might have been a female.

“Is this world overrun by demons and matriarchs…?”

“The owner said he would use me as a supplementary bag, but he only filled me with useless stuff… Things I can’t even eat…”

“Huh? Supplementary bag?”

Does he have a pouch on his body like a kangaroo?

“Like this…”

He opened his mouth wide. A mouth that was almost as wide as the diameter of his body.

Inside his mouth, it became a dark abyss, void of any visible red flesh.

“Uh uh?”

“That’s the only trick I have, which is why I was abandoned.”

He closed his mouth and began to silently shed tears from his welled up eyes, tears that looked like chicken droppings.

The sight of him quietly crying was pitifully heartbreaking.

“He’s a demon with a dimensional storage space.”

Carol explained, seemingly careless about whether the demon was crying or not.

Upon hearing about the dimensional storage space, I recalled the magical pouch owned by my elf teacher.

‘It must be one of those.’

How many items could store in a pouch of that size?

I was so envious watching that I wanted one of my own.

But now, before my eyes, there is a living, moving magical pouch.

“Shall I become your new owner?”

I subtly proposed the idea.

“I don’t want to be abandoned anymore. I know I’m useless.”

His wounds seemed quite profound.

“That’s okay. I’m not becoming an owner to receive help.”

Shocked, he opened his mouth. This time, the inside of his red mouth was visible.

“Why would you become an owner for someone who is not helpful!”

‘Is he some sort of soldier?’

Even the structure of his rhetorical questions ending with ‘다’ was rather amusing.

“I’m raising you as a pet, not a slave.”

“Pet… animal?”

He questioned back as if he had heard such a phrase for the first time.

“Sure, it’s totally up to you whether you help me or not. I’ll keep feeding and housing you regardless.”

The Monster’s mouth widened.

“That’s preposterous! Why do you feed someone who offers no help!”

“Because he’s a pet. Of course, I’ll ask for some favors from you. It’s up to you whether you do them or not.”

“I’ll do them! I’ll do whatever you want!”

It seemed that all the little guy needed was a master to follow.

“Fine. From now on, your name shall be Pebble. Please treat me well.”

I stuck my index finger into the cage.

“Mister Thomas!”

Carol exclaimed in alarm, but it was too late.

“Pebble is a beautiful name! I shall serve you with honor, master!”

Pebble rested his two stubby forelegs on my index finger in agreement.

I felt a strange flow of magic between us.

And thus, our contract was formed, between me and the creature of unknown origin, Pebble.