The question was curious, yet blunt — almost invasive, as if he wished to strip the truth bare without ceremony.
He continued, his tone firm, the weight of the contract subtly resonating in every word:
"Colton… let me remind you. By the terms of our contract, you must answer me truthfully."
He turned his gaze to the sky.
Grey clouds drifted slowly above them as he waited for a reply that made sense.
Colton rubbed his chin thoughtfully before answering, his eyes following the same dull heavens.
"When a contract is made… a demon doesn't just see what's on the outside. We see what's inside as well. I saw your soul — how it tried to slip away from this body, just like the one before you did."
He paused, then raised a finger, pointing directly at Kayden — the gesture itself sharp enough to cut.
"When I told you that you don't belong to this world, that was only part of the truth. The real reason lies in your instability.
If you had summoned me just one week later, everything would've appeared normal — stable. I wouldn't have sensed the fracture at all. The contract would've gone through quietly, without questions."
Kayden listened in silence.
And when he finally spoke, it was with the calm tone of someone who had started to understand.
"So the problem… is simply instability."
Colton nodded in affirmation but fell silent once more. He knew his master wouldn't be satisfied with that answer — the next question was inevitable.
After a brief pause, Kayden continued, narrowing his eyes:
"But I think this contract is incomplete… There's something missing. Something unnatural about it."
A faint smile curved Colton's lips — one that carried both coldness and denial.
"You're just imagining things."
Kayden shook his head, his tone laced with a stubborn certainty.
"This contract… feels hollow. Incomplete. Like it's missing something essential."
He paused for a moment before adding coolly,
"But I won't force you to talk about its details now. Besides, I don't have the strength to compel you anyway."
He fell silent, then leaned forward, his voice gaining a sharpness it hadn't held before.
"Let's review the terms of the contract. Perhaps that'll make a few things clearer to you."
He took a deep breath and began counting the terms on his fingers, his tone heavy with unwavering seriousness.
"First… I asked you to be a loyal companion. Do you understand what that means?"
He didn't give Colton a chance to reply, continuing instead — his voice like an official decree being read aloud to a subordinate.
"To never disappoint me. To never betray me. To never do anything that might irritate or upset me.
To be a worthy companion — someone who shows others that I possess what they cannot… a companion they could only dream of having."
Colton nodded slowly, as if the words were being carved into his chest against his will.
But Kayden didn't stop there. He lifted his second finger.
"Second… you must never lie to me. Never deceive me. Don't even try."
Then came the third finger, and his tone hardened even more.
"Third… you will obey my orders without question. Absolute obedience."
At that, Colton raised his head, his gaze cold and unyielding.
"These aren't the terms of companionship," he said dryly. "They're the terms of servitude."
Kayden let out a soft laugh, waving his hand dismissively as though brushing away the weight of the words.
"No, you're my companion. Don't mix things up. Let me borrow your own words — you're just imagining things, got it?"
Kayden pointed at him firmly.
"A companion is a companion. Why do you insist on calling it slavery? You're exaggerating.
All I ask for is honesty and loyalty, that's all.
Now, you have to blend into this world — learn how to act, how to live among people without drawing suspicion.
Let's start with my brothers first. I don't have many friends, after all."
There was a strange mix of casualness and seriousness in Kaiden's tone, yet his eyes carried a quiet caution.
Colton's expression, however, grew tighter; an uneasy feeling stirred within him, slipping through the cracks of his restraint.
A long silence passed before he finally spoke, his voice calm but weighted.
"But I have one request."
Kayden shifted in his seat slowly, crossing one leg over the other — naturally, too naturally.
It struck him then that the gesture wasn't truly his own, but a leftover habit from the body he now inhabited.
Before the thought could settle, Colton's voice cut through his reflection.
"I want you to teach me everything."
The words were simple, but they fell heavy.
Everything?
Kayden wasn't entirely sure what Colton meant — but that single sentence alone opened doors to places far more dangerous than the contract itself.
Kayden raised an eyebrow, looking at him with quiet surprise.
"Why? Aren't you the teacher here?"
Colton moved his hands slowly, searching for the right words.
"Teach me everything… about this world, and yours as well."
Kayden studied his face for a moment, rubbing his temple as a dull headache began to press behind his eyes.
'He's persistent…' he thought coldly, before asking aloud,
"And why should I teach you?"
Colton lowered his gaze, his tone soft — almost a confession.
"I've learned everything there is to learn in the demon realm.
But ever since it was sealed… there's nothing left.
Compared to you humans, I'm ignorant."
His words didn't seem to capture what he truly meant, so he adjusted his posture and spoke more firmly.
"Our knowledge has run dry… it ended, at least for me.
That's why I want to learn your history — to understand everything clearly, from a hundred to five hundred years back."
Kayden's eyes fixed on him, surprise breaking through his composure.
"Since that time… your realm was sealed?"
"Yes," Colton replied simply — the word dropped like a wall of silence between them.
"And the only way out," he added after a pause, "is through summoning."
"Let me think."
Kayden stood up suddenly, an urge to move running through him.
He walked toward the balcony and gazed out at the garden, dimly lit and vast.
He's really rich… the thought slipped through his mind as he took in the size of the place.
Near the balcony stood a massive tree, its branches stretching high into the night.
He'd rarely paid it any attention before, but now a strange urge rose within him — to climb down, to use it in a way he never had.
Colton noticed the movement and rose as well, his tone cautious.
"Where are you going? Won't that draw suspicion from others?"
Kayden gave a small smile, shaking his head — a trace of irony in his voice.
"Maybe. The man who owned this body shut himself away for an entire month. But sometimes he would sneak out at night but … He tried to take his own life before choosing isolation instead."
He turned slowly, his tone softening.
"So I can simply say… I was putting myself back together, regaining my strength. It's… a kind of escape."
' Oh… so it's a brave escape? 'Colton wondered, eyes gleaming faintly, as if storing that thought away.
Kayden smiled faintly, then spoke more firmly.
"I'll teach you. And in doing so, I'll learn a lot myself.
I'll bring books here too. It's an exchange of benefits… that's only fair."
His calm resolve seemed to ease something in Colton; his expression grew more composed as Kayden lifted his gaze to the sky again.
"Colton," he said quietly, "you're my companion. You'll have my trust. You won't disappoint me — will you?"
Colton's voice was soft but carried a strange gravity.
"I have no wish to disappoint someone who came from another world.
And by the contract, I could never harm you. You'll be my master… and I'll be as a ring upon your hand."
Kaiden rose slowly and approached the great tree by the balcony.
He gripped the rough trunk and began to climb down carefully, landing in the garden with steady steps.
The cold morning air filled his chest with a faint sense of relief, as if walking through the vast garden could dissolve the weight pressing on his heart.
He walked along the stone path until he spotted five swings lined up, and a few benches scattered around as if waiting for someone to fill them with laughter.
For a moment, Kayden felt an aching desire to sit there forever—away from contracts and secrets.
He slowly approached one of the swings, but froze.
Something round was curled up on the bench, covered with a thick coat.
The figure suddenly stirred, pushing the coat aside to reveal a familiar face—half-drowned in sleep. It was Henry.
Kaiden stopped, staring for a long moment before speaking with simple calm,
"You'll catch a cold."
Henry lifted his heavy-lidded eyes, his voice hoarse, as if he'd just woken from a deep, weighted dream.
"You… left your solitude? Weren't you planning to become a monk?"
"No?" Kayden replied automatically, without thinking, while his brother—still lost between sleep and chill—barely distinguished dream from waking.
Henry muttered as he lay back down,
"I'll tell Mother…"
Yet his body didn't move. He simply surrendered to sleep again, as if nothing in the world mattered.
Kaiden stood there for a moment, trying to make sense of what had just happened, then guessed, with quiet certainty,
'He must've spent the night studying in the library and came back late. Ended up sleeping here.'
He turned toward the veranda and called softly,
"Colton, bring a blanket."
Colton didn't take long. He came quickly, handed it over, and Kaiden returned to the bench, draping the blanket carefully over Henry's body—covering his head with gentle precision.
But then, his nose caught a sharp scent that made him frown.
"He reeks of alcohol…" he muttered under his breath, tone edged with mild irritation. Turning away, he walked back to his room in brisk, silent steps.
'Someone must've finished their graduation project and held a celebration. Henry probably attended. But… when will he finish his own thesis? He's falling behind. That's unlike him…'
The thought spilled through Ren Yuan's mind like old memories stirring awake.
'Henry always succeeds. But this time… he's stumbling. He must be lonely.'
Kayden felt that climbing the tree had been far easier than getting down, but exhaustion left no room for thought. The moment his body touched the bed, sleep claimed him instantly.
As for Colton, he shifted his form into a small black bird and perched beside his master, watching in silence—like a shadow that never departs.
The next morning, Ren Yuan woke up and looked at himself in the mirror.
Kayden wasn't ugly—he was, in fact, quite handsome.
Ren Yuan examined himself in wonder. He wasn't short; he estimated his height to be around one meter ninety. His jawline was sharp, his features well-proportioned.
His eyes hadn't changed much from his previous life—still brown, though now slightly brighter. They were somewhat narrow, framed by dark circles from sleepless nights.
"I'm Kayden now… the fourth son of the Bryce family," he sighed softly, then murmured,
"Kayden Bryce… studied biology and astronomy."
He dressed in his suit and went downstairs for breakfast, the warm scent of food wrapping around him.
He found his mother seated at the table, her shoulders slightly slumped, her eyes heavy with an old weariness.
He greeted her quietly and sat down. The food tasted better than he'd remembered—comfortingly warm.
"Are you all right?" Mrs. Bryce asked softly. Her tone carried something between concern and resignation, as if she hadn't expected a reassuring answer in years.
Truthfully, she was surprised to see him. She hadn't thought he'd leave his isolation after a whole month.
Kaiden lifted his gaze, studied her for a long moment, then replied gently,
"In truth… I'm trying. But I think… I'm fine."
Breakfast ended, and he was about to stand when his mother's voice stopped him.
"Kaiden, come with me. We have to thank your father."
He froze. His eyes locked onto hers with cautious puzzlement.
"Why?"
Mrs. Bryce resumed her conversation with Father Chase.
"Mom, I'll step outside for a bit…" Kayden said, ready to leave—trying not to upset Colton any further for staying too long in the church.
But the priest's voice stopped him.
"Kayden, you're a reasonable young man now. There's something very important I need to tell you. Just promise me you won't get angry."
"I promise." Kayden replied, mentally preparing himself for the worst.
'What now? Oh, you deceitful man… what did you do this time?'
Father Chase clasped his hands together and began,
"As you know, there are strict regulations regarding suicide attempts. The first time, we arrange rehabilitation sessions. But the second… we're required to report it to the authorities. Because at that point, the person is considered unstable."
He sighed, glancing toward Kayden.
"But I didn't do that. I couldn't. I didn't want you to suffer more—or to burden your parents with greater worry."
"So… what did you do?" Kayden asked curiously.
The priest lowered his voice.
"I reached out to some friends in another division of the authorities. Asked them to disregard the report. Your mother handled the rest."
Mrs. Bryce chuckled softly.
"I bribed him."
"Mom… we're in a church!" Kayden's tone went stiff.
"Oh, right—I forgot. But yes, I bribed him. That's why nothing serious happened. You were simply monitored for a while."
"Perhaps you should visit them and ask to end the surveillance soon," Father Chase said, scribbling an address and a short note, then handing it to Kayden.
After that, Kayden didn't say much. He noticed that the man sitting alone earlier had already left.