Became The Adopted Daughter Of A Family Of Assassins

Chapter 24

 

“I thought you’d look like a wolf.”

“What’s that sound?”

 

Ian was startled and looked around. But the warehouse was quiet without any signs of life.

 

“But the floor has been restored.”

 

This time, it was a girl’s voice.

 

With the lingering voice in his mind, Ian immediately shifted his gaze to one place. The mirror.

 

He still thought it was pitch black and nothing was reflecting, but it wasn’t. It was within someone’s shadow. Ian looked at the boundary of the shadow that was swaying near the edge of the mirror. It was a perspective looking up from below.

 

The face slightly visible as the owner of the shadow moved resembled a squirrel.

 

The squirrel seemed to be standing on something connected to the mirror.

 

“That squirrel from back then.”

 

A few months ago, it was a squirrel seen in the mirror. After the first sighting, Ian occasionally looked into the mirror with the hope of seeing it again. But he couldn’t see it again.

 

This time, he saw it.

 

Ian felt relieved and approached the mirror. Then he witnessed an unbelievable sight.

 

“Just the restoration ability isn’t enough. How about healing ability? Hypnosis ability is also good. That guy, since he hasn’t appeared for over a week, seems to have fallen asleep again due to the side effects in the human world. To the extent that even the consciousness can’t be pulled out. If there’s a hypnosis ability in that small fragment, he’ll sleep forever-.”

 

“The squirrel is talking.”

 

Oops, Ian was surprised at the words he uttered unintentionally and covered his mouth with his hand. But it was already too late. Whether his voice was heard, it was quiet on the other side of the mirror.

 

“I, I want to go.”

 

He heard the trembling voice of the girl and the sound of footsteps.

 

The squirrel, with its head lowered, glanced down for a moment. Then it shouted towards the girl.

 

“Let’s go together!”

 

“Wait, just a moment…!”

 

The squirrel’s steps moved away from the mirror. Ian hurriedly spoke, but the mirror remained as it was before, showing nothing.

 

Ian clenched his hand in frustration in the air. Only the elusive air slipped through his fingers.

 

“Hey, are you there…?”

 

The girl’s voice echoed from the mirror again, a day later.

 

—

 

A day before Riche spoke to Ian through the mirror.

 

Riche was walking to the study after reading a picture book with Blake, preparing to attend Madame Michelle’s class.

 

Zickbert, who had fully recovered, was following Riche closely.

 

“A kid?”

 

“That’s what they say.”

With Zickbert in mind, Riche conversed with Pythos in her mind. The topic was about what had happened in the library earlier that morning when they went to restore the floor.

 

“There was a kid in the mirror. A kid with eyes resembling that brat.”

 

Pythos puffed up his fur.

 

Riche couldn’t help but tell Pythos that the kid with the golden eyes was the identity of the mirror ghost.

 

“That star? Isn’t it?”

 

“No, if it were him, I would have known as soon as I saw him. I didn’t feel anything. He might just be a kid with golden eyes, but he wasn’t ordinary. So next time, you should have a look. Seems like he’s someone with abilities.”

 

“…,” Riche nodded, but her lips were slightly bitten as if she were tense.

 

Even if Pythos witnessed the kid, the unknown entity in the mirror was equally frightening.

 

Pythos climbed onto Riche’s shoulder.

 

It was a night with a full moon. Having been to the lake, Pythos was full of vigor, releasing the energy accumulated from the previous battle with Hekanka.

 

“But can’t this one talk? You heard him call you ‘Rythiom’ in the infirmary, didn’t you? What if he decides to tell someone?”

 

It was Zickbert walking beside them who spoke.

 

In fact, that part troubled Riche too.

 

Certainly, Hekanka would have overheard their conversation.

 

When asked about that day, Zickbert had no reaction other than emitting a few wolf howls.

 

“Don’t you know what ‘Rythiom’ means when you were young?”

 

Pythos’ words had some merit.

 

Having spent most of her childhood in the form of a wolf, she couldn’t receive education like other noble children.

 

Didn’t Madame Michelle say so? The abilities of Serdia’s talents stabilize from about the age of nine, and they start living as humans, relying on what they’ve seen and heard so far for rapid growth.

 

“…,” Riche stopped walking for a moment, lost in thought.

 

Since the wounds she suffered in the forest of demons had healed, Zickbert would soon return to where he originally lived.

 

“Wouldn’t it become natural for us to be together as three like this?”

 

After the incident in the infirmary, there was always at least one guard hidden around Riche. It was Blake’s duty.

 

But no one should interfere in the conversation that was about to happen.

 

Riche, after lowering her presence using Pythos’s cognitive manipulation ability, crouched down in front of Zickbert.

 

“Zickbert.”

 

“…Kong.”

Zickbert, who was wagging his tail, widened his eyes in surprise at the sound calling his name. After a moment of contemplation, he responded in a soft voice.

 

“I know your identity. Don’t you know who I am?”

 

“Oh, direct approach.”

 

Pythos chuckled, seeming to find Riche’s intentions interesting. Was she going to ask directly?

 

Zickbert lowered his tail and flattened his ears as if sensing Riche’s mood.

 

“Do you know?”

 

“Kiyng.”

 

Riche asked Zickbert again, but since she didn’t understand the language of wolves, she could only guess his response from his actions.

 

“Shall I ask by coercion? I’m confident in that.”

 

Pythos pretended to roll up his nonexistent sleeves. Riche put Pythos in her pocket and petted Zickbert’s head.

 

“Zickbert, I consider us friends. So if you happen to know my identity, could you promise not to tell anyone?”

 

“Kong.”

 

Zickbert’s lowered tail wagged. He understood? Unable to discern Zickbert’s thoughts, Riche smiled and nodded.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Riche then resumed walking towards the study to attend classes.

 

After his recovery, Zickbert seemed to wander around alone here and there.

 

He mostly appeared in front of people who knew of his existence, mainly Riche.

 

“Shall we begin the lesson?”

 

Once again, before Madame Michelle entered the study, Zickbert disappeared somewhere.

 

Riche thought he would naturally appear after the class ended.

 

“Huh?”

 

After Michelle left and Riche finished organizing the textbooks, she opened the door and stepped into the corridor, only to find it empty.

 

“Where did he go?”

 

Pythos also looked around. Zickbert, who should have been there, was nowhere to be seen.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Could he be scared because of what we talked about earlier? You didn’t want to be discovered as Rythiom either. Maybe he didn’t want to be found out as Zickbert.”

 

“…Did it sound like a threat?”

 

That wasn’t the intention.

 

She just found it strange to ask Zickbert not to tell anyone about her secret. After all, she had confessed to knowing Zickbert’s identity first.

 

Where on earth did he go? Riche walked down the corridor, lost in worry.

 

“Don’t worry too much, Contractor. If he ran away like that, he probably doesn’t have the nerve to reveal your identity.”

 

“More than that… I think I scared Zickbert.”

 

Thunk.

 

Someone grabbed Riche’s arm as she walked.

Riche was taken aback when she looked to her side and saw a boy dressed in the attire of the guards.

 

Despite rolling up the sleeves and hem of the clothes, he was taller than Riche. He had a similar build to Deon.

 

“Who…?”

 

Riche asked in a startled voice, but soon recognized the boy’s identity.

 

A familiar black aura swirled around his chest.

 

“… ”

 

Zickbert’s human form. Riche was surprised, but she didn’t show it.

 

It was strange to instantly recognize the boy she was seeing for the first time as Zickbert.

 

Since she hadn’t yet told Zickbert that she was Rythiom, it was best to be cautious.

 

Instead, she quietly used cognitive manipulation around her, making her presence faint so that no one could overhear their conversation.

 

“Who are you? Your hair color is similar to a wolf’s?”

 

“It’s Zickbert.”

 

“What? He’s quite handsome?”

 

Pythos muttered uninterestedly. He thought the boy would look like a wolf, but he just looked human.

 

The boy had a silent and handsome demeanor.

 

Brown skin, firmly shut lips, straight nose, calm eyes without double eyelids.

 

His eyes, resembling the sound of rustling leaves, looked at Riche.

 

“Are we… friends?”

 

Zickbert asked in a calm tone.

 

It seemed like he wasn’t accustomed to speaking aloud, as he spoke in short phrases.

 

“…Zickbert?”

 

Riche asked deliberately to confirm. Zickbert nodded silently.

 

Riche pretended to be surprised, as if she had just recognized Zickbert. Although it was obvious, neither Zickbert nor Riche felt awkward due to their dullness in that regard.

 

“Now I understand why Deon called you guys kin,” Pythos teased.

 

Ignoring Pythos’s comments, Riche replied, “Yes, we’re friends.”

 

Zickbert’s mouth, which had been closed in a straight line, lifted slightly at Riche’s words.

 

“Friends.” That word seemed to instill trust.

 

In a slow and steady tone, Zickbert spoke to Riche.

 

“I can’t stay long. Not used to it.”

 

“You can’t stay long in this form? Do you prefer the wolf form?”

 

Riche asked, and Zickbert nodded. Then he explained his purpose for coming to Riche in his human form.

 

“I won’t tell because we’re friends. What I’ve seen, heard, and know…”

 

Riche and Zickbert’s eyes met. Unlike Zickbert’s unwavering green eyes, Riche’s silver eyes showed tension.

 

She found herself in a situation similar to revealing to another talent that she was Rythiom for the first time.

 

Anxiety. If Zickbert knew, would the Duke of Sardia know? And if he did, would eventually the Duke of Gerwer know too?

 

Honestly, what she feared the most was Blake and Deon finding out.

 

“You’ve deceived me all this time.”

“…This is why I dislike humans.”

 

Even though they knew she was hiding the fact that she was Rythiom, would the two of them still consider her family?

 

Sardia’s talents were sensitive. Zickbert, who noticed Riche’s quickened breath and slightly elevated body temperature, spoke up.

 

“I can swear.”

 

With straight and honest eyes, Zickbert stared at Riche as if etching her image into his mind.

 

He must have sensed her tension.

 

“Sorry. It’s not that I didn’t trust you… Zickbert, then will you make a promise with me?”

 

“Promise. Yes.”

 

He nodded earnestly, not knowing what the promise was about.

 

For a moment, Riche recalled Zickbert’s behavior when he was in his wolf form and found herself reaching out to pat him on the head unconsciously.

 

“Oops.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Realizing her actions, she stopped her hand.

 

Zickbert, who seemed to be about to nuzzle her hand, tilted his head instead.

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

Even though he was a year younger, he was still the heir to the Sardia Duchy. Riche thought it might be uncomfortable for him to be petted like this.

 

Rather than stopping, Zickbert brought his head closer to Riche’s palm, as if asking her to continue.

 

Closing her eyes slightly and making a growling sound, just like when he was a wolf, Zickbert looked so much like he did in his wolf form that Riche couldn’t help but laugh.

 

In the softened atmosphere, Riche brought up the topic of their promise.

 

“Since we’re friends, let’s promise to keep each other’s secrets from now on.”

 

“Yes. For life?”

 

“For life.”

 

“Okay.”

 

It felt like an invisible tail was wagging behind Zickbert.

 

“By the way, where did you get the clothes?”

 

“I borrowed them.”

 

“And the words?”

 

Zickbert shook his head. Then, he turned to go outside to return the clothes.

 

[Feeling relieved?]

 

‘Yes.’

 

Riche had a strong feeling that Zickbert wouldn’t speak about it.

 

As Riche walked through the corridor again, she suddenly felt something and turned around to start running.

 

[Why, why are you doing this? …Dammit. Run! Contractor!]

 

Pythos, bewildered by Riche’s behavior, also quickly changed his stance.