PAHKE 15

Chapter 15

A hidden room in the Marquis Verto’s estate.

“Our faces… the humans who saw them.”

Taro, in the shape of a bird, was circling above a pile of dazzling treasure, muttering with a serious expression.

“We… we can’t leave a single one alive. If His Majesty finds out about this, Witte and I will….”

“Why are you talking to yourself like that?”

At the sudden gentle voice, Taro jerked, and the pile of gold coins he was standing on slid and clattered down in a cascade.

Taro, who had been deadly serious until now, turned toward the owner of the voice.

“You bastard! Where have you been h-hiding all this time!”

“Hiding? That’s rude. I’ve been working hard for you.”

Lucian smiled brightly, completely unbothered. Seeing that face, Taro’s feathers bristled.

“Shut up! You went to the imperial palace to satisfy your own greed, and now you say it was for me? Even a passing dog would laugh at that!”

Taro flapped his wings and shouted.

Lucian only looked at him with a mildly regretful expression.

“You’ve gotten a bit more temperamental since I last saw you. Is it because I haven’t played with you lately?”

“Th-that mouth…!”

Taro was about to explode again, but suddenly lost strength and gave up on being angry.

He had realized once again—this was not someone he could talk sense into.

People like this are best ignored.

With that thought, Taro turned away and began pacing over the gold again, lost in thought.

“So then.”

“Don’t talk to me!”

“My cute little fairy, what kind of problem has you so worried?”

“I-I said it’s none of your business!”

“Don’t be like that. We’re friends.”

Taro clearly intended to ignore Lucian, but the constant chattering beside him made it impossible to think of anything else.

“What is it? Hmm?”

That persistent bastard.

Lucian Verto was the kind of man who, once he took interest in someone, would torment them until they were exhausted.

Taro finally gave in and spoke.

“There is a human I must deal with quietly.”

“Deal with? You mean kill them?”

“Yes. I’m thinking about how to handle those humans.”

“That’s your problem?”

Lucian tilted his head.

He knew that for Taro, killing a few humans was not difficult.

“It’s easy for you, isn’t it?”

“There is someone interfering with my work. I must eliminate them without being discovered. My head feels like it’s going to sh-shatter, so stop bothering me and leave!”

As he spoke, Taro slapped his own head repeatedly with his wing.

Lucian let out a sympathetic sigh.

“Hmm. You really can’t function without me, can you?”

“What did you say?”

“I’m just worried. With such a poor head, you might get scammed somewhere.”

“W-what?!”

“I hope that doesn’t happen, Taro. If it does, I’d be so sad as your friend.”

He means he’d be embarrassed, not sad!

Taro flailed in outrage at Lucian’s teasing.

“I-I’ve had enough! Today I will take your head—!”

Just as murderous intent flared in his eyes—

“How about luring them out?”

Lucian’s words made Taro freeze.

His raised wing slowly lowered.

“What… did you say?”

“Do you remember that storybook I gave you?”

He was probably talking about the book Lucian had once given him after asking about a word’s meaning.

It had been a ridiculously childish book.

Taro crossed his arms and turned his head away.

“Hmph! Why would I, the great fairy of wealth, read such a—childish book!”

Despite his words, Lucian recalled how Taro had secretly read it with great interest and smiled faintly.

“In that book, a boy uses a flute to lure people. You can do the same. Bring them somewhere quiet, where you can deal with them unnoticed.”

“You….”

Taro stared at Lucian, mouth slightly open in admiration.

“You’re more clever than I thought! Luring… yes, luring! Something that human would like….”

Something suddenly flashed through his mind.

Under that human’s bed.

There had been a scent there that Taro knew very well.

“Yes… that was it. If I steal that… then….”

“You look happier. Do you already know something that person would like?”

“Of course! I, the fairy of wealth, would never not know! That human is full of greed. Their obsession with money is almost demonic.”

“Demonic? You mean like you?”

“Exactly, like me—wait, who are you calling demonic?! I am a great fairy!”

“I’m joking. Just a joke.”

“Tch. Useless humor.”

Taro turned away.

Then, as if remembering something, he glanced back.

Lucian looked like he was already losing interest, preparing to leave.

“By the way.”

“Hmm?”

“You haven’t been going to see that human lately.”

It was Lucian who had first led Taro to Witte and that human.

If he hadn’t followed Lucian to the Red Thread Information Guild, he wouldn’t even know where Witte was.

Nor would he have known that foolish Witte had been exposed.

“Who?”

“That one. The one you called the ‘toy shop owner.’”

Lucian furrowed his brows as if trying to remember.

“Ah… that.”

“That.” The way he referred to a person like an object—he had the nerve to call Taro demonic.

Taro was speechless.

“You finally remember? You were obsessed with that human, like a child who found a new toy.”

Lucian only smiled smoothly.

“That’s old news. Something more interesting came up.”

“…You really are missing screws.”

Lucian waved lightly and left the room.

* * *

Creeeeak—

Rustle rustle… thud!

“Ugh….”

“……”

What is this.

I stared up at the ceiling uneasily.

I had been sleeping peacefully—until I heard strange noises from under my bed.

My heart started pounding wildly.

I swallowed quietly.

The room outside was deathly silent.

Witte and Adriel clearly didn’t know what was happening.

That alone told me this wasn’t an ordinary thief.

I didn’t know how they found out about my treasure… but—

Lying in bed, I slowly reached out into the dark and grabbed a weapon.

How dare they touch my things…

A glass of water on the nightstand was within reach.

I grabbed it tightly.

I won’t forgive this.

Just as I slowly sat up—

Rustle… click.

“…Huh?”

FLASH!

“AAAAAAHHH!!”

“…?!”

A piercing scream echoed, and a bright blue light instantly filled the room.

I scrambled back, pressing myself against the wall.

At the same time, the door burst open.

“What happened, master!”

“My lady…!”

Witte and Adriel rushed in.

Their eyes slowly moved toward the bed.

Toward the source of the strange blue light.

“Can you stand?”

In the blink of an eye, Adriel stepped to my bedside and held out his hand.

He seemed to think the light was dangerous.

I quickly grabbed his hand and stood up. The moment I left the bed, I let go and ran to the door.

“…Sir knight?”

Adriel froze in the same position, as if he had been left behind mid-motion.

“A….”

He seemed to come back to his senses, slowly curling his hand into a fist.

What is wrong with him?

While I was distracted by Adriel—

“Kikik. Wake up, you idiot Taro.”

Who?

Witte’s cheerful laughter rang in my ear.

I turned my head.

Witte was poking something blackened and scorched, laughing.

“Got knocked out by the master? Kikik. You shouldn’t have snuck into her room.”

Wait. That’s Taro?

I blinked in shock.

His size was the same as the bird form.

But his body was completely blackened, like it had been burned, and his face was scarred.

Come to think of it… Witte’s true form is a skeleton. Then is this Taro’s real form too?

“Ugh… Witte….”

“Are you dying, Taro? Or already dead? Kikik.”

“S-stop talking nonsense and r-run…”

I was about to ask what on earth he was doing in my room when Adriel spoke.

“We should leave here.”

I looked around again.

Blue light still leaked faintly from under the bed.

What is that?

“Yes… let’s go outside first.”

“Run away, Witte. That is the Necklace of Oberon.”

“…A necklace?”