Illyse felt her skin crawl under that gaze. She instinctively wanted to look away but forced herself to meet Eliana’s eyes.
‘I can’t show weakness here, or I’ll be exposed.’
“I…”
However, when she opened her mouth, her mind went blank. All her prepared answers melted like snow under the sun.
“I thought… you…”
“Did you think I was preparing to… do something unsightly, Miss?”
Eliana’s voice was soft, carrying a hint of a question but also an indefinable undertone.
She gently placed the Contract on the table and rested her chin on her hand, looking somewhat dejected.
The air in the small room seemed to freeze…
Illyse’s throat tightened. Looking into those pale gold eyes, she felt as if she were being seen through.
“No, it’s not…”
Illyse lowered her head to defend herself, but her voice was dry and weak.
“I was just… curious, especially since you said you were waiting for gloves.”
“Curiosity is a good thing, Miss.”
Eliana interrupted her. Her tone suddenly shifted back to its usual gentle and submissive manner, even carrying a faint smile. She took a step forward, closing the distance between them.
“However, you must always remember that curiosity killed the cat—”
‘This—this is a warning! It’s an absolute warning! I must have disrupted her plans for her to say something like this!’
Illyse instinctively backed away until her calves hit the edge of the bed. There was no way out.
Today, the scent lingering on Eliana was clean, smelling faintly of soap and sunshine, mixed with a trace of… an ethereal fragrance that was quite captivating.
But in Illyse’s eyes, her current appearance was terrifying!
“Also, Miss, stalking someone is not the behavior of a proper lady.”
Eliana reached out and gently patted the young girl’s head. Her movements were as natural as those of a truly considerate maid.
“If Madam Vanessa found out about this, she would surely punish you severely.”
‘Oh, so she was talking about that.’
Illyse breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
“Well then, Miss, the task Madam assigned has been completed. Let’s say our goodbyes to the director and head home.”
“Mhm.”
Illyse took a deep breath, straightened up, and walked toward the door. Eliana followed behind her, her steps as elegant and steady as ever.
However, just as she was about to step over the threshold, her right foot seemed to catch on something.
“Ah!”
With a short, low cry, Eliana stumbled forward, instinctively using her hands to brace herself against the floor.
She quickly regained her balance and tried to stand up, but her movements appeared slightly unnatural.
“Eliana!”
Illyse instinctively took two steps forward.
By then, the maid had already stood up by leaning against the doorframe. Her back was toward Illyse, her shoulders rising and falling slightly as she seemed to steady her breathing.
But when she retracted her left hand from the ground, Illyse’s pupils suddenly constricted.
That hand, clad in a pure white glove, now had a small patch of startling, wet crimson spreading across the edge of the palm.
The blood quickly soaked through the thin cotton fabric like a quietly blooming red rose.
Red.
It was red blood.
A demon who had not recovered their power was no different from an ordinary person; they both had the same warm, bright red blood.
This realization was like a bolt of lightning, shattering all the terrifying images and invisible pressure Illyse had associated with demons.
‘That’s right. She isn’t an untouchable phantom or a formless nightmare.’
‘She can fall, she can get hurt, and she can bleed—just like me.’
Naturally, that meant she could… A terrifying thought took root in the depths of Illyse’s heart.
‘All I need is a knife, a sword, or even a stray arrow, and I could surely kill Eliana easily.’
‘Why am I even preparing magic? I just need to… I just need to give this demon a push at the critical moment…’
“Are you all right, Miss Eliana!”
The director’s call, as he came running over after hearing the commotion, snapped Illyse back to reality. To avoid revealing her internal turmoil, she also rushed to Eliana’s side.
‘Yes, I just need to wait for the right opportunity. Exactly…’
“Oh! Eliana, are you okay? The injury looks quite serious!”
“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern, Miss. I’ve made a fool of myself. A simple bandage will do.”
The director stepped forward anxiously.
“That won’t do! The wound needs to be disinfected and dressed. I’ll go get the medical kit right now—”
“It really isn’t necessary to go through the trouble. We must head back quickly, or Madam will scold me…”
***
As they stepped out of the orphanage gates, the afternoon sun shone at an angle, stretching their shadows long across the cobblestone path.
Illyse looked at Eliana’s hand. Just as she was about to offer some insincere words of concern, Eliana suddenly turned around with a serious expression.
“Do you know, Miss? You were in great danger today. What would you have done if you encountered a criminal while alone? It is said that a Killer has appeared these past few days, specifically targeting noble ladies who are off on their own.”
Eliana’s eyes held a mix of sternness and sincerity. Even Illyse couldn’t tell at this moment whether she was speaking with malice or genuine goodwill.
“I understand. Thank you, Eliana.”
“…Sigh. Miss, I’m afraid you are going to be punished.”
Illyse was puzzled by this random comment, but she didn’t take it to heart.
‘Punished? I am the daughter of a Duke. Aside from my mother, who would dare punish me?’
—
Nighttime, the Duke’s Mansion.
“Phew, I’m finally back. Today was truly exhausting, both mentally and physically!”
Since they had returned relatively on time, Madam Vanessa hadn’t paid them much attention. Illyse had escaped unscathed and didn’t have to worry about being punished by her.
Giving a long stretch, Illyse hugged her pillow and rolled around on the bed a few times. Without realizing it, she seemed to have adapted to this female body. Even her mannerisms were no different from those of a normal girl.
Illyse naturally didn’t notice this subtle change because the moment she opened her eyes, she began thinking about her future strategies. How could she ensure she wouldn’t be killed?
“Eliana, oh Eliana… Tell me, how should I go about killing you?”
Lying on the bed with her arms pillowed behind her head, the young girl narrowed her eyes as she pondered the question.
A moment later, the bell signaling the Bedtime Prayer rang. Illyse hopped off the bed and was about to go to the bathroom to wash up when something strange out of the corner of her eye caught her attention by the window.
As she moved closer to investigate, the window was suddenly flung open. Then, a hand grabbed her nightgown. This hand was incredibly strong, nearly causing Illyse to stumble and fall out of the window.
While Illyse was still reeling from the shock, a black figure, not particularly tall, pulled on her nightgown and flipped directly through the window.
Before Illyse could scream, the intruder pressed a knuckle against Illyse’s throat. While she was coughing, the figure covered her mouth.
Illyse tried to struggle, but then, a burst of sharp pain radiated directly from her shoulder…