Maria could barely stand as she reached her room. Every muscle in her body protested with a deep exhaustion—her arms felt as heavy as if she had been carrying sacks of wheat for hours.

  'Curse you, Hugo…', Maria thought in frustration.

  Maria had no idea what on earth had happened there, but when she arrived, all the books were off their shelves, piled on the floor in utter chaos. On top of that, some old volumes had bent pages, while others looked as if they’d been carelessly tossed about, their covers damaged.

  'Did I let some animal in?', she wondered silently, since Hugo hadn’t explained anything to her—he had only ordered her to fix it, and, resigned, she had done so.

  If it weren’t for the library golem, she probably would have remained there, but even so, once she finally finished the job—and with her stomach growling from hunger—she hurried to the dining room. However…

  The kitchen was already closed.

  So, Maria had to make do with the only thing left on the dining table: a plate with cold bread, goat cheese, and a thick barley soup with chunks of turnip and carrot. The soup was nearly cold, with a thin layer of hardened fat on the surface, but Maria didn’t complain. She ate quietly and slowly, not giving the flavor too much thought.

  By the time she finished, her only priority was sleep.

  'Let’s stop overthinking things…', Maria thought as she tried not to dwell on it any further.

  The light from the candle she had left burning before leaving barely illuminated the small space. The room was simple: a bed with a thin mattress, a small table with an iron candelabrum, and a wooden trunk at the foot of the bed where she kept her clothes. In one corner, a small shelf held a few old books, most of them borrowed from the very library she had just tidied up.

  Maria rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, feeling her body cry out for immediate rest. She barely had the strength to take off her shoes before dragging herself to the bed and collapsing onto the mattress.

  "Finally…," Maria whispered in relief, burying her face in the pillow.

  But just as her body began to relax, a cold, feminine voice sliced through the silence like a knife.

  "Maria."

  Maria froze completely. A chill ran down her spine, and her breath caught for an instant. Her fingers tensed on the fabric of the blanket.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  She wasn’t alone.

  With her pulse racing, she slowly turned her head and saw a figure standing near the door.

  Esmeria.

  Although Esmeria had once again taken on the form of Aria, some part of Maria knew this wasn’t the real one.

  Maria swallowed hard, her throat dry from the shock.

  "What… what do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her composure, though her voice betrayed a hint of nervousness.

  Esmeria didn’t reply immediately. She simply observed Maria, unmoving, as if she were assessing her.

  The silence stretched on, and Maria could feel the tension building in the air.

  Finally, Esmeria stepped forward and extended her hand.

  "Take this."

  Maria lowered her gaze and saw what the woman was offering: a pair of small red earrings, with a strange golden symbol engraved on their surface.

  The human frowned in uncertainty.

  "What…?"

  Maria looked up to ask, but before she could finish her sentence, Esmeria interrupted her with a firm tone.

  "Elizabeth and I will be away for five days. We won’t be able to keep an eye on Miss Aria during that time. Make sure she wears these earrings."

  Esmeria’s tone brooked no argument. Maria eyed the earrings warily before carefully accepting them. They were light, but cold to the touch—as if they had been forged from a metal that never absorbed warmth.

  "What are they for?" she asked, frowning.

  Esmeria didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes studied Maria once more, as if deciding how much to reveal.

  Finally, her lips curled into an almost imperceptible line.

  "None of your business. Just make sure she wears them."

  A slight shiver ran over Maria’s skin at the curt reply.

  "I don’t like working with humans," Esmeria continued, in her usual cold manner, "but I trust you to take good care of Miss Aria while we’re gone."

  Maria had to make an effort not to grimace. It didn’t sit well with her that Esmeria spoke as if Maria needed her approval. But… she couldn’t deny that her priority was Aria.

  So, with a soft sigh, she nodded.

  "I’ll do my best."

  Esmeria didn’t reply immediately. She seemed satisfied with the answer, but instead of leaving right away, she lingered in silence for a few more seconds, as if contemplating something.

  Then, in a low voice, she added:

  "If you run into any trouble with other humans… let me know."

  Maria frowned.

  "What?"

  But Esmeria was already turning toward the door.

  "Just remember my words."

  And with that, she disappeared into the dark corridor.

  Maria remained in her room, holding the earrings in her palm, her mind swirling with questions.

  What did that mean?

  However, her body was too exhausted to keep thinking about it. Her thoughts grew heavy, and as soon as she lay back down, sleep overtook her immediately.

  ◇◆◇

  Dawn brought with it a thunderous shout.

  "MARIA!"

  The sound echoed throughout the mansion, shaking the young woman from her deep slumber.

  She woke with a start, sitting upright abruptly with her eyes still half-closed.

  "Wha–what…?"

  Her heart pounded, and her mind was still foggy from sleep. But it didn’t take long for her to realize who had shouted.

  Hugo.

  She let out a long sigh, rubbing her face with both hands.

  "Damn it… already this early?"

  She wished she could stay in bed for a few more minutes, but she knew that if she dawdled too long, Hugo would come in person… and that would be even worse.

  So, with resignation, she hurriedly got up to get ready.

  Whatever else it might be, it seemed her morning had already started with trouble.