Betrayed, I Knocked Demon Lord's Door - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

The slightly surreal month of October had quietly come to an end…
And Caitlyn's cozy, shut-in lifestyle was now officially a thing of the past.
The main culprit behind this rapid shift? Caitlyn, currently curled up on the couch, hugging her bare legs to her chest, casting a glance at the man on the other end who was casually munching on a bag of cucumber-flavoured chips.
Honestly... if you'd told her a few months ago that she'd end up living with someone after retiring—a man, no less—she would've laughed you out the room. And not just any man. Leon. Her former rival.
"Want some?" Leon noticed her stare and, ever generous, held the bag out toward her.
Caitlyn wrinkled her nose and, without hesitation, snatched the bag from his hand, hugging it to her chest like a territorial squirrel and digging in.
Leon's eyes widened in disbelief. "You selfish thief! I was being nice and offering to share!"
"You bought them with my money."
"Wha—what about my salary?"
"It doesn't come in until the eighth. Today's only the first. Face it—you're still a broke freeloader living under someone else's roof."
Leon let out a disgruntled huff, shuffled a little closer, and sneakily grabbed another chip from the bag.
"Just wait. Once I get paid, I'm buying a hundred bags of these!"
"How childish. Only kids think like that. Besides, your next paycheck's already spoken for—repairs to the school desk, your rent, food expenses… and a few other odds and ends."
"Wait, what? How much will I even have left?"
"You'll still owe me," Caitlyn replied breezily, tactfully omitting the fact that part of the "repairs" involved her smashing the desk and scuffing up the floor—and quietly using his salary to cover the costs.
Leon stared blankly for a moment, then sighed.
Oh well... The money went straight into her account anyway. He hadn't even set up a bank card yet. His salary was automatically deposited into her account.
And honestly? He didn't mind.
There was something… oddly comforting about it. Like a domestic arrangement. A subtle, couple-like dynamic. Wife handled the money. Husband just handed it over.
Caitlyn, for her part, completely ignored the subtle looks he was shooting her. Or rather, avoided them—out of mild guilt for sneakily spending his wages without telling him. She didn't quite have the nerve to make eye contact just yet.
There were only a few chips left. Just enough to satisfy a craving.
At times like this, Leon was actually kind of useful.
Before, she always struggled to finish snacks like this in one go. Leave them out too long, and they'd go stale.
But now? Problem solved. If she didn't feel like finishing them, she just tossed them to Leon. If she wanted more, she could just steal them right back. Zero waste, maximum convenience. Perfect system.
"I'm heading out to buy groceries. You coming?"
"Groceries? What for?" Caitlyn gave him a puzzled look.
"To cook," Leon replied, lips pursed in determination.
"You can cook?"
"Not yet—but I can learn! We've got a perfectly good kitchen sitting there collecting dust. If I master cooking, we'll save a ton on food. And I'll be able to make whatever we want, whenever we want!"
"Leon, I hate to break it to you, but reality hits hard…" Caitlyn sighed. "Have you even tried cooking before?"
She had. A few times. And after a couple of chaotic attempts, she'd quietly abandoned the idea altogether.
Cooking wasn't impossible, sure—but for someone with zero experience and no one to teach them? It was harder than it looked.
"I've tried once or twice…" Leon admitted, clearing his throat. "It wasn't amazing, but hey—practice makes perfect, right? Just give me a little time. Once I get good, you'll have to pay me a cooking fee! No free meals."
Caitlyn scoffed. "Make something edible first, then we'll talk."
"Just watch me!"
"I'll be waiting."
The two of them locked eyes, tension sparking between them like rivals squaring off. Then…
"So, are we going shopping or not?"
"What are you, a kid? Need an adult to go with you just to buy groceries?"
"Forget it, I'll go alone."
Leon shrugged, grabbed the keys off the shoe cabinet, and headed for the door.
Honestly, going solo wasn't so bad—at least he could enjoy a nice, guilt-free joyride.
But the moment he stepped outside, an invisible force yanked him back—hard!
Bang! The door slammed shut. Leon turned, blinking in confusion.
"I thought you weren't coming?"
"When did I ever say that?"
Caitlyn gave a soft huff and headed toward the bedroom.
"I'm just changing clothes."
"Ugh… moody woman," Leon muttered under his breath.
Caitlyn froze and shot him a deadpan look over her shoulder.
"I meant… the beautiful and gracious Lady Caitlyn." Leon gave a toothy grin.
He thought, 'What else can I do? Sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and play along.'
Caitlyn narrowed her eyes and slammed the bedroom door behind her.
Leon straddled his little scooter and gave the key a couple of twists, ready to unleash the motor—when he felt a sharp tug at the back of his neck, like fate itself reminding him who was really in charge. He sighed and tamped down the urge to speed off.
He thought, 'No choice—God knows what Caitlyn would do if I tried to zip away again. She might actually bite me.
'Then again… if it's just a bite, maybe that's not so bad.
'But those ear-yanks? Brutal. Even my thick skin can't handle that kind of pain.'
Caitlyn lightly held onto the edge of his jacket as they sped along. Leon kept the scooter at top legal speed, the breeze brushing against them with a cool, brisk bite.
"So, what are you planning to cook?" she asked.
"Pasta," he replied without hesitation as he parked the scooter.
Then he glanced at her. "Want me to carry you down?"
"Get lost."
She cursed at him—and somehow, he kind of liked it. Leon grinned.
Every time he joked about her height, she always snapped.
"How about smashed potato?"
Caitlyn slid off the scooter. Leon reached out to help, but she smacked his hand away.
"Well, at least you know not to attempt anything too complicated right off the bat."
"Alright then, I'll make steak too!" Leon tilted his head, already getting carried away with the idea. "Wait—do we even have any ingredients at home?"
"Nope. There's some pasta left… though they're probably expired."
"Well…" Leon glanced down at his small scooter. Sure, it had power—but it was tiny.
Which, honestly, was part of why he bought it.
Why? Because with a scooter that small, the two of them would have to sit close.
"We'll just buy less," he said.
The "market" turned out to be a big, modern grocery store stocked with fresh produce.
As they walked in, a couple walked past them—arms linked, shopping bags in hand, glowing with domestic bliss.
Leon glanced their way—and got caught.
The couple smiled politely, then looked over at Caitlyn beside him.
Leon stroked his chin, then turned to look at Caitlyn too.
"What are you staring at!" she snapped.
She thought, 'As if I'd ever link arms with you.'
Leon, completely unfazed, held out a hand. "Just hold my sleeve. The place is big—I don't want you getting lost."
"You seriously think I'm a kid, don't you!"
Caitlyn huffed and stomped off ahead.
Leon shook his head and followed behind.
He thought, 'This girl… never listens. Sooner or later, I am going to teach her a lesson. Just like in a final boss battle—smack her butt and put her in her place.'