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‘What…?’

I pushed the door open and stepped inside. It wasn’t my imagination. There really was no sign of anyone in the room. The accommodations provided by the Ivory Tower weren’t particularly large, so I could take in the entire space just by standing in place and looking around. There was no way Eugene could be hiding somewhere out of sight.

‘What’s going on…?’

As I stood there puzzled, a strong force suddenly hit me from behind.

“Whoa!”

I tumbled forward onto the floor, and a shadow loomed over me. It was Eugene Kreutz.

‘I didn’t sense anything!’

Even though I had lost my sharp senses from my previous life after becoming a child, I should have at least been able to detect another person’s presence. The fact that I didn’t meant that Eugene had deliberately hidden himself and waited to ambush me. I had no idea how he managed it, but it was impressive.

My heart pounded in my chest, caught off guard by the unexpected situation. Eugene wasn’t the lethargic boy I had seen at the temple. His jet-black hair and pale skin were the same as I remembered, but his eyes were now shining with a startling intensity that made him seem like a completely different person.

Yet, despite being completely overpowered, I didn’t feel any fear. 

‘He’s trembling so much.’

How could I be afraid of someone who was shaking as much as he was? His emerald-green eyes were filled with terror.

“I…”

After staring at me for a long moment, the boy cautiously spoke.

“Did you come… to kill me?”

“What?”

Kill him? The shock of his question left me momentarily speechless, and he seemed to take my silence as confirmation. His eyes grew wet with tears.

“Could you… not kill me?”

“Uh… well…”

“I know I’m dirty… but I’m getting purification rituals every day. They said I’m much cleaner now…”

Tears welled up in his eyes, filling them to the brim like a pool ready to overflow. And soon enough, they did—tears cascaded down his cheeks, some of them even splashing onto my face.

“If you let me live, I’ll eat only a little. I can eat just a tiny bit.”

Hearing that, I noticed how frail and thin he was. His small frame was delicate, almost fragile.

Even though he was sitting on top of me, I could barely feel his weight.

“I’ll… I’ll walk quietly so you don’t notice me, and I’ll breathe as if I were dead. You’ll think I’m already gone.”

His trembling voice and pitiful words left me utterly speechless. What on earth was he talking about? I couldn’t hold back anymore and sat up abruptly. As I did, the boy, who had been crying, toppled backward, and our positions were reversed in an instant.

“Why would I kill you? Do you really think I’m capable of doing something like that? You’re so small!”

I held up my hands for him to see, showing him how soft and harmless they were—like little fluffy marshmallows, undeniably incapable of causing any harm. Eugene looked at my hands, and some of the fear in his eyes faded, replaced by a look of confusion.

“And we met at the temple, remember? Don’t you recall?”

Eugene shook his head vigorously, clearly not remembering at all.

‘Well, he was completely out of it back then.’

I let out a deep sigh and grabbed his hand. His hand was shockingly cold—unusually so for a child, who typically has a higher body temperature. My own hands were always warm.

As I kneaded his cold hand, his shoulders twitched slightly, and his eyes reflected a mixture of confusion and lingering fear.

“Look, I’m really not here to hurt you.”

“…”

“I mean it. There’s nothing scary about this place.”

Even though I reassured him, he still didn’t seem entirely convinced. 

“Ah, jeez.”

Frustrated, I sighed deeply and stood up, still holding onto Eugene’s hand.

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll just have to show you.”

I tugged him up with all my strength, and the boy, still dazed, allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

“Alright, let’s go!”

* * *

With Eugene’s hand firmly in mine, I led him out of the Ivory Tower. It was quiet, with classes in session, and as we stepped outside, the Elpinard estate came into full view, bathed in sunlight. The breeze, the bustling footsteps of the servants, and the flapping wings of birds in the sky created a peaceful atmosphere, accentuated by the gentle background noise.

“Look around. Does this place seem like the den of bad guys who want to harm kids?”

Eugene didn’t respond verbally but continued to survey his surroundings with a dazed expression. He squinted slightly as the bright sunlight hit his eyes.

“We’re not done yet!”

I tugged on Eugene’s hand again and took off running. If he had resisted, there was no way someone as small as me could have pulled him along. But he didn’t resist—he followed me willingly, almost as if he was ready to trust me, if only a little.

Our next destination was my room.

“Lily!”

“Miss, we’ve almost finished moving your things, so you can head to the main building now…” Lily approached me cheerfully but trailed off when she noticed Eugene standing beside me. Her eyes seemed to ask, *Who’s this little one?*

“He’s a friend from the Ivory Tower.”

“You’ve already made a friend?”

“Yes. And he’s hungry.”

“Oh dear, that’s not good.”

Lily looked at Eugene sympathetically. The Ivory Tower did provide meals regularly, but they were served at specific times. Given the current hour, breakfast was long over, and it would be a while before lunch. It was an awkward time to be hungry.

“Did you miss the meal time?”

Lily knelt down to our eye level, her smile warm and reassuring.

“Well, you can eat here then. I’ll get something ready for you both. Just wait a moment.”

“Okay! Lots of tasty food, please!”

“Don’t worry, since this is the first time Miss has brought a friend over, we’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.”

Lily signaled to Rose and Daisy before turning her attention back to me.

“The Sapphire Room is ready. Would you like to have your meal there? You can show your friend your new room.”

“Okay.”

I wasn’t particularly eager to show off the new room, but I thought it would be good for Eugene to see more of the lively estate. So, with Lily leading the way, we moved from the guesthouse to the main building. 

Eugene, still holding my hand, walked alongside me like a wary kitten, keeping his claws metaphorically extended, on high alert.

‘Well, he’s not really that threatening, though.’

Even with his claws out, he was still just a kitten, after all.

“Here we are, the Sapphire Room,” Lily announced as we arrived. The heavy door, similar to the ones I had seen at the Duke’s study and Axel’s room, swung open, and sunlight flooded in, filling the room with a warm, golden glow. As the light settled, the true beauty of the Sapphire Room was revealed—a room bathed in blue, reminiscent of the sea.

‘So, it’s called the Sapphire Room because they used blue everywhere?’

Drawn in by the tranquil blue tones, I stepped inside as if mesmerized. Eugene, still holding my hand, hesitantly followed, keeping pace with me.

“See, I told you, didn’t I? The rooms named after gemstones are actually decorated with those gems,” Lily said, pointing to the wall near the fireplace. “Do you notice how the blue on that wall is slightly different from the blue on the other walls?”

“Yes,” I replied, observing the contrast. The wall she indicated had a clear, transparent blue hue, while the others had a more opaque appearance.

“That’s because that wall is made from real sapphires, carefully crafted and set into the design.”