At first, I saw nothing.

But then—

Creak…

The wardrobe door trembled, moving just slightly, as if something inside was pushing from within.

Every instinct in me went on alert.

Something was moving in the corner of the room.

At first, I thought it was just a trick of the light—maybe a piece of cloth swaying in the draft. But when I looked closer, I saw it.

Something small… and alive.

'Could that be…?'

I approached cautiously, my footsteps slow and deliberate. The air felt heavy, filled with the faint scent of damp wood and dust.

When I finally crouched down and got a good look, I realized what it was.

A tiny creature with delicate, transparent wings was trembling faintly on the floor. Its round, balloon-like body shimmered softly under the lamplight, almost like it was made of glass.

I reached out carefully, cupping it in my hands. It was warm to the touch—lighter than air, fragile as if a single breath could make it vanish.

"Oh my," Anna whispered, eyes widening in surprise. "What is that?"

I glanced at her through the narrow slit in my helmet. "A Faeru."

"Faeru…?" she repeated, as if the name alone felt foreign on her tongue.

I nodded. "They're the ones living here."

She blinked, clearly confused.

"The crying you heard at night," I continued, "the strange shadows moving around this place—all of it was because of them."

Anna leaned forward slightly, curiosity replacing her earlier unease. The Faeru fluttered its wings weakly, letting out a soft, chiming sound—like a faint whisper of wind.

"They're not monsters," I said quietly. "You could call them… spirits, maybe. They like dark, damp places, and they avoid people whenever they can."

Anna's gaze softened. "So they were hiding here because they were afraid of us."

"Exactly."

The Faeru wriggled gently in my hand, its body glowing faintly with a soft blue hue.

"They're not dangerous," I added. "Unless someone attacks them first."

Anna smiled faintly, watching the little creature with quiet wonder. "It's beautiful."

For a brief moment, the tension in the room faded away. The eerie mansion didn't feel quite as haunting anymore.

The little Faeru let out a soft squeak, trembling slightly in my palm.

Its tiny, round body quivered like jelly, and the faint glow from its wings pulsed in rhythm with its heartbeat. The creature was clearly terrified—but to anyone watching, it probably just looked adorable.

Anna's eyes, which had been distant and weary just moments ago, suddenly brightened with curiosity.

She leaned closer, her expression softening in a way I hadn't seen before.

"...It's so small," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Peeyu," the Faeru squeaked again as Anna gently poked its belly with her finger. The sound it made was like air escaping a balloon—quiet, pitiful, and oddly endearing.

"C-cute…" she breathed, eyes sparkling.

For a fleeting moment, all traces of fear vanished from her face. The tension in her shoulders melted away, replaced by the pure, innocent fascination of someone seeing a fairy for the first time.

Watching her like that, it was hard to believe she was the same princess who had just survived an assassination attempt.

The Faeru wriggled in my hand again, wings fluttering weakly.

Anna giggled softly, completely captivated.

It was almost… peaceful.

Almost.

BANG!

The calm shattered in an instant.

The door burst open with a deafening crash, wood splintering and scattering across the floor.

"PRINCESS!!!"

A furious voice roared through the mansion, echoing off the cracked walls.

Anna flinched, her hand freezing mid-motion as the Faeru squeaked in alarm and darted into my sleeve.

My eyes narrowed. That voice—I'd heard it before.

The sound of those footsteps, that sharp, commanding tone… I didn't need to see his face to know who it was.

The man who had attacked the academy.

The one behind all of this chaos.

The man with the red wolf tattoo.

And now, it seemed he had tracked us all the way here.

I clenched my jaw, feeling the faint hum of mana stir beneath my skin.

He's really persistent.

I have to admit, though—his tenacity is impressive. Most people would've run the moment they realized they were outmatched. But not him. He's still standing there, glaring daggers through the shadows like he's ready to take on the world.

"Are we going to fight?" Anna asked suddenly.

A faint glimmer of fighting spirit flickered in her eyes. Her fingers twitched as faint sparks of mana began to gather around them. She was ready to unleash her magic at a moment's notice.

However—

"…No."

I shook my head slowly.

There was no need to make the first move. Not yet.

This place wasn't chosen at random. The reason I brought her here wasn't just because it was an old, forgotten mansion far from prying eyes. There was another reason.

A small, almost inaudible sound echoed through the air.

Peeyu.

Then again.

Peeyu, Peeyu.

The faint cries multiplied, bouncing softly through the shadows.

Anna's head turned slightly. The man across from us froze mid-step, his expression twisting in confusion.

"W-What the hell is that sound?" he muttered, glancing around nervously.

And then—

The air shifted.

From the cracks in the walls, the corners of the ceiling, and even from beneath the dusty floorboards—dark shapes began to emerge one by one.

Faerus.

Hundreds of them.

Their gleaming red eyes lit up the gloom as they slithered, crawled, and scuttled into view, surrounding the intruder from every direction. The sound of their movements filled the air—wet, clicking, and uncomfortably close.

The man's breathing hitched. His bravado cracked in an instant as he realized just how many there were.

Too many.

Even I couldn't count them all.

Standing silently beside Anna, I couldn't help but smile faintly beneath my helmet.

You really shouldn't have come here, I thought, watching the color drain from the man's face.

You've just poked the sleeping lion's whiskers, my friend. And now… you're about to find out why that's a mistake.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.