The witch Ritesha was the most popular figure in the underworld.
Because of that, there were always plenty of nuisances pestering her.
The man who had just barged in was one of those who had once relentlessly pursued her.
‘Was his name Morgan?’
He had been particularly persistent, so she had given him a little lesson.
Ever since then, he would run for his life the moment he even saw Ritesha’s shadow.
‘But what is this bastard doing here?’
While Chesha was momentarily dumbfounded, Morgan stared at her with a dazed expression.
“She looks just like Ritesha…?”
As he scrutinized Chesha over and over, she rolled her eyes, feigning ignorance.
Morgan hesitated, seemingly torn, but he must have been short on time because, in the end, he stuffed Chesha into a large bag.
Then, in a hurry, he left the room.
Now bound tightly and trapped in complete darkness, Chesha lightly furrowed her brows.
Flap—
A small butterfly appeared.
As the butterfly clung to the bag, the previously obscured view suddenly became clear.
Still inside the bag, Chesha quietly observed the outside world.
The Count Basilian’s bedroom was located at the very top of the castle.
Morgan, clutching the bag, headed straight downstairs.
He passed by several servants, but none of them seemed to notice him.
‘He must have used an underworld magic potion.’
At this point, she was getting a little curious.
Why was he doing something this insane?
‘Well, let’s see where this goes.’
Chesha leisurely continued to watch the situation unfold.
Sweating profusely, Morgan walked briskly and somehow managed to reach the first floor.
From there, he headed straight to the backyard.
A cart filled with flowers was parked there.
Next to the cart, a man with an eyepatch was anxiously pacing.
When he spotted Morgan, he hurriedly approached.
Morgan opened the bag to show him what was inside.
“This is it…?”
The one-eyed man scrutinized Chesha with a doubtful look.
Hanging limp inside the bag, Chesha gazed back at him with a calm expression.
“I thought it’d be something incredible, considering Count Basilian scoured every orphanage to find this child… But it’s just a little brat, isn’t it?”
The one-eyed man’s thick eyebrows furrowed deeply.
He murmured as if uncertain.
“Still, she does resemble someone…”
At that, Morgan eagerly chimed in.
“Doesn’t she look like Ritesha?”
“Oh, you’re right. She does look like that witch. The eye color is different, though.”
The one-eyed man widened his remaining eye before suddenly bursting into laughter.
“This is great. The higher-ups will love it. It’s perfect!”
Morgan cast a brief, uneasy glance at Chesha but quickly urged the man.
“You’ve checked the goods, now pay up.”
Ignoring him, the one-eyed man pulled Chesha out of the bag and hid her within the pile of flowers on the cart.
“Not a single coin until we’re completely out of the Black Forest.”
“Damn it…! Then let’s get the hell out of this cursed castle.”
Morgan spat on the ground and muttered under his breath.
“This place gives me the creeps.”
“That’s true.”
The one-eyed man glanced up at the Serpent’s Castle and muttered.
“I don’t know what’s so special about the Basilians that we’re being ordered to kidnap a kid…”
Among the three great noble houses of the Phalen Empire, the Basilian household had always seemed to lag behind.
There was the Duke of Yvroyel, an imperial branch family known for their precious lineage of mages.
There was the Marquis of Nemea, who, with their powerful knightly order, held the military authority of the empire in their grip.
But the Count of Basilian had nothing.
While the other families made waves throughout the empire, Basilian merely existed—like a snake swimming beneath the surface.
Yet despite their seemingly insignificant presence, the Phalen Empire’s imperial family never underestimated the Basilians.
Neither did the Yvroyel nor the Nemea families.
The Basilians were always acknowledged as one of the three great families.
Other noble houses had no choice but to show them respect as well.
Still, there was always an undercurrent of condescension toward them.
The same was true among the underworld’s residents.
Most viewed the Basilian family as gloomy, isolated nobility.
Only Chesha, who had spent a long time investigating the three great families, had sensed something suspicious and decided to dig deeper.
‘Who ordered this kidnapping?’
Just as she was wondering if she could glean any more information from their conversation—
A light, airy voice interrupted.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.”
Morgan and the one-eyed man flinched and snapped their heads toward the voice.
The speaker was a young boy, holding a large parasol.
His platinum-blond hair, tied in a single low ponytail, reached his chest.
His long, thick lashes drooped over his downward-slanting eyes, giving him a delicate appearance.
His features were as lovely as a summer breeze, and his slender figure gave him an androgynous look.
Even his outfit was adorned with lace and frills, unlike typical men’s clothing—at first glance, he could easily be mistaken for a girl.
However, the moment the rugged men laid eyes on him, they froze like mice before a snake.
Because of his crimson-red eyes.
The boy was the youngest of the Basilian family—Ishuel Basilian.
“Can’t you hear me?”
Ishuel tilted his head and smiled.
“Are you deaf?”
At his cold words, Morgan and the one-eyed man snapped to their senses belatedly.
Morgan gave a servile smile and responded.
“Y-yes! Young master, we’re here to deliver flowers. If you need anything, please let us know.”
“Hmm, shut up.”
“…Excuse me?”
Ishuel frowned.
His gaze seemed to be laced with insults, as if he were looking at something filthy and vulgar.
The one-eyed man broke out in a cold sweat and quickly spoke.
“Of course! We’ll shut up! If you need any flowers, just let us know.”
Instead of answering, the boy lightly stepped toward the flower cart.
Morgan and the one-eyed man exchanged glances in haste.
Their hands subtly moved toward the daggers hidden in their coats.
Their bloodshot eyes trembled with tension as they watched the boy.
But Ishuel paid them no mind. His slender fingers carefully sifted through the flowers.
Among the blooms, Chesha lay hidden, watching Ishuel through the petals.
Their eyes met.
Ishuel’s eyes widened slightly.
The boy remained silent for a moment before murmuring as if he had seen something fascinating.
“You’re pretty.”
Ishuel stared intently at Chesha, who was covered in petals, and spoke again.
“It’s my first time seeing something as pretty as me.”
Chesha was momentarily taken aback by his narcissistic remark.
Of course, Chesha was a fairy who lived by her own beauty as well, but…
‘This kid might be worse than me.’
Even Chesha had never met someone like this before.
As she quietly admired him, Ishuel examined her closely.
“How strange… You’re not even crying.”
His smooth, glassy pink nails crushed a petal.
A short chuckle escaped him.
“Or are you just a fool?”
This bastard.
Chesha flared up but chose not to retort.
Ishuel tilted his head in thought for a moment before stepping away without hesitation.
“I’ll wait a little longer.”
His plump lips curled into a crooked smile.
“Until you beg for your life, crying.”
With light steps, Ishuel walked away.
Watching the boy’s retreating figure, Chesha fully understood what Kierne had meant.
‘He’s completely insane…’
At this level, he was a top-class lunatic, even in the underworld.
Once Ishuel disappeared, Morgan and the one-eyed man let out the breath they had been holding.
“Hoo, damn it, let’s get out of here quickly!”
“Yeah, we need to leave right now. The third young master seems willing to overlook us this time.”
The one-eyed man hurriedly climbed onto the driver’s seat and let out a chuckle.
“Well, I suppose he wouldn’t be too happy about a new sibling sharing his inheritance.”
Chesha silently agreed.
‘But I’m just temporary.’
Even the inexplicable affection Kierne was showing her now was only for a purpose.
She knew all too well that it would eventually vanish like foam on water.
Suddenly, she recalled the lullaby he had sung.
In the deep hours of the night, when everyone else was asleep.
A drowsy voice humming a completely off-tune lullaby.
‘That, too, will end up meaningless.’
For some reason, she suddenly felt unpleasant.
“…….”
Chesha curled her small body even tighter.
Meanwhile, the carriage sped away recklessly.
It jolted violently as it raced forward in a desperate hurry, scattering the flowers inside.
But no one cared.
Their only thought was to escape the Serpent’s Castle and the Black Forest as quickly as possible.
Buried in flowers, Chesha’s eyes dimmed.
‘This is boring.’
She was just about to decide to return to the castle when—
Crash!
With an earsplitting noise, the wildly racing carriage suddenly slammed to a stop, as if it had crashed into a massive boulder.
A horrendous scream erupted.
“Aaaargh!”
Amidst the deafening chaos, a clear voice cut through.
“Still not crying?”
The flowers loaded onto the carriage shot up into the air.
The darkened view instantly brightened.
Chesha’s eyes widened.
Between the scattering petals, a boy descended slowly onto the wagon, holding a parasol.
Ishuel, tossing away his bloodstained gloves, smirked.
“When will you cry, little sister?”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
I like him already. 😂