Blink, blink.

Fiache woke from her sleep and stared blankly into space.

Even after lying there for an hour, she couldn’t fall back asleep.

‘I’m bored…’

In the end, Fiache got out of bed and turned on the light.

‘Maybe I should go down to the kitchen. There might be a snack I can bring to the Duchess.’

She couldn’t stop worrying about the Duchess after she’d skipped dinner.

‘Yeah. I’ll bring her a snack and quietly leave it in the Duchess’s bedroom. She’ll be happy!’

Fiache quietly crept downstairs to the kitchen.

“Uh… There’s nothing here.”

The kitchen had been cleaned spotless.

It looked like Head Chef Oliver had already taken away all the leftover food.

‘If only there were some dessert.’

Head Chef Oliver never made anything the Duchess didn’t like.

“Sigh…”

The moment she let out a disappointed sigh—

The kitchen suddenly became brightly lit as Head Chef Oliver walked in.

A basket of fruit hung from one hand while the other scratched at his protruding belly. The moment he spotted Fiache, he frowned.

“Hey! What are you doing here?”

“Eek!”

Head Chef Oliver Oliver was the only servant in the mansion who spoke to Fiache informally.

Whenever the butler was around, he never let it show. But as soon as the butler was out of sight, he openly bullied Fiache.

The other servants all knew Oliver treated Fiache however he pleased, but none of them dared speak up.

That was because, within House Ivrante, Oliver ranked just below the butler among the household staff.

Oliver had never liked children from orphanages.

He was the sort of man who constantly muttered, “Kids without parents are always like this.”

To him, Fiache was nothing less than a thorn in his side.

The very fact that he had to cook for some orphan girl was something he found deeply unpleasant.

Perceptive as she was, Fiache already knew Head Chef Oliver disliked her.

Just hearing his gruff voice was enough to make her shrink into herself.

“M-Mister…”

“I asked what you’re doing sneaking into someone else’s kitchen like a stray cat! What, did you come here to steal something?”

She had only come looking for a snack to bring to the Duchess. Stealing food had never once crossed her mind.

“W-What? N-No! Of course not!”

“If that’s not it, then why’d you sneak in here at this hour?”

“I-I just… I just… I wanted to… to bring something to the Duchess…”

“Don’t you dare use the Duchess as an excuse!”

“I-I’m s-sorry…”

“Don’t tell me dinner wasn’t enough for you? That was food you’d never get to eat in your entire life. You know that, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes… I-I know… I know…”

Already terrified, Fiache could only nod.

If she talked back, Head Chef Oliver would only get angrier.

“And instead of being grateful, you come here to steal?”

“F-Fiache’s not a th-thief! I-I didn’t—”

“What do you mean you’re not? This is exactly why children without parents are no good. They never know how to appreciate what they’re given.”

“…”

“Get out of my kitchen! If I catch you sneaking in here again, I won’t settle it with words next time. Understood?”

“…Yes.”

Behind her, the head chef continued grumbling irritably.

“Tch, this gives me the creeps. Who knows what she touched… I’ll have the others do a thorough cleaning tomorrow.”

Dejected, Fiache left the kitchen.

She felt guilty for causing such a commotion in the middle of the night for no reason.

With her small shoulders slumped, Fiache trudged up the stairs before suddenly coming to a stop.

“Huh?”

The butler was standing in front of the Duchess’s bedroom.

***

I had no idea how much time had passed.

Drugged by the medicine, I drifted in and out of sleep until, at some point, my mind suddenly snapped awake.

‘…What is it?’

Something felt off. A presence strong enough to cut through the haze of the medicine and force me awake.

‘An assassin?’

I focused my senses, but I couldn’t detect any killing intent.

Then again, the medicine might have dulled my perception.

Just then, a faint sound reached my ears. Without moving, I shifted only my eyes.

The wide-open window, propped in place against the wall, was gently swaying.

The ribbon securing it had come loose.

‘So that’s what it was.’

It wasn’t an assassin after all.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I turned my gaze toward the window.

It was dark outside.

‘Has it already passed midnight?’

As I tried to judge the time by the moon, my eyes widened.

I couldn’t feel any pain at all.

It wasn’t that the medicine had merely numbed it—my entire body had healed completely.

My injuries hadn’t been the kind that would recover so easily…

‘Did Fiache heal me?’

I had no idea what had happened. As I stood there blinking in confusion, something out of place caught my eye against the pristine white bedsheets.

A jet-black feather shimmering with a violet sheen.

‘…’

I had turned into a crow again.

‘N-No way?!’

My head went numb, as if someone had struck me from behind.

‘It wasn’t just for one day?!’

I had been certain it would end after yesterday.

Yet, as if mocking that certainty, I had become a crow again tonight.

In that case, I’d have to reconsider my entire assumption that ‘I transform into a phantom beast at midnight on the night of the full moon.’

I sat on the bed in a daze before summoning the water spirit.

‘Undine.’

Why isn’t she coming?

‘Sylph?’

No response.

‘Gnome, Salamander! Somebody, come out!’

None of the spirits answered my call.

My mana wasn’t responding.

‘Then what happened yesterday? They stayed summoned the whole time.’

Granted, I hadn’t been able to use any magic.

‘I should’ve summoned them before turning into a crow! What am I supposed to do now?’

A wave of anxiety suddenly washed over me.

No matter how useless I might be, having the spirits by my side versus not having them was like heaven and earth.

Right now, I was nothing more than a defenseless crow.

The realization left me feeling strangely small.

Even though I knew nothing dangerous was likely to happen immediately.

‘N-No… There’s no reason to panic. It’s not like I’m going to leave the bedroom anyway…’

Forcing myself to calm down, I burrowed beneath the blankets.

That meant the number of days I’d be left completely vulnerable had increased to two.

The problem was, I had a nagging feeling it wouldn’t end there.

Just how many more days would I have to keep living this double life—human by day, phantom beast by night?

There was no way to find out for now, no matter how anxious I felt.

I’d just have to experience it for myself.

‘Ha… This is driving me insane.’

I was absentmindedly tearing at the bedsheet with my beak when I heard hushed voices outside.

“Miss Fiache? Do you have any idea what time it is? Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I-I think… I-I slept t-too much earlier. I-I’m not sleepy.”

Fiache?

“Even so, you mustn’t wander around in the middle of the night. What will you do if the Duchess finds out? Please return to your room. Off you go.”

“W-What about the Duchess?”

“Naturally, the Duchess is asleep. You can see her tomorrow.”

“C-Can I just… take one quick look…?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I-I think… if I s-see the Duchess… Fiache can g-go to sleep…”

Come to think of it, I’d been so busy with the Grand Plaza plans that I hadn’t seen Fiache in quite a while.

She must have missed me terribly for such a timid child to insist like this.

“Miss Fiache.”

The butler called her name in a stern voice.

“U-Um… I-I really can’t? R-Really?”

“…N-No.”

The butler’s voice began to waver ever so slightly.

Honestly, that man was strict as a knife with everyone else, yet inexplicably soft whenever it came to Fiache.

‘Then again… so am I.’

“F-Fiache listens well… a-and eats all her m-meals. I’m… I’m a good girl.”

“I know. I know better than anyone that our young lady is the sweetest, kindest little girl in the whole world.”

“L-Last time… y-you said… g-good children… a-always have something good happen to them.”

“Miss…”

‘It’s over.’

The butler would undoubtedly open the bedroom door for Fiache himself now—and probably even stand guard for her.

He thought I was fast asleep under the effects of the medicine, so he had nothing to worry about.

‘Is this why Adrianne never let Fiache come into her bedroom?’

One crisis after another had cold sweat pouring down my back.

I hurriedly scrambled out from under the blankets and dove beneath the bed.

‘W-What the—?!’

There was far too much space under the bed. It was so high that anyone who came in would end up looking straight at me.

Someone as short as Fiache would spot me without fail.

Under the sofa was too cramped.

When I tried forcing my way underneath, I nearly got my stomach wedged and couldn’t move.

The wardrobe was no good either. I couldn’t pull the handle open with my beak.

“Then you’ll simply look at the Duchess’s face and quietly head back to your room. Promise me.”

“Mm! I promise!”

‘…!’

I dashed frantically around the bedroom floor, desperately searching for somewhere to hide, but in my panic, I couldn’t find a single suitable spot.

Meanwhile, the bedroom doorknob slowly began to turn.

Flap!

I beat my wings in a panic and shot out through the window.

I didn’t even know how I’d managed to fly.

By the time I came to my senses, I was already outside.

‘Huff… Huff…’

From inside my bedroom, I could hear Fiache’s voice.

“Y-Your Grace? W-Where… w-where are you?”

“What do you mean? She was just in bed… W-Wait! Where did she go?”

“U-Um… M-Maybe she went out into the garden.”

“That’s impossible. The Duchess isn’t in any condition to go for a walk.”

“B-But… she’s not in the bedroom…”

“This won’t do. We have to find her immediately. Miss Fiache, please step outside.”

‘No! Please don’t find me!’

Lights sprang to life throughout the manor.

Moments later, the estate erupted into a flurry of commotion.

The butler had roused every servant who had been asleep.

“Split into groups of three and search for Master! I’ll remain in Master’s bedroom. If you notice anything even slightly suspicious, report to me immediately! Stay focused and search every corner of the estate!”

‘Oh, no…’

I’d been planning to sneak back into my bedroom once everything had quieted down.

The second flaw of having such a perfect butler was that his loyalty bordered on excessive.

Holding back tears, I looked toward the dark forest.

‘That’s the only place a crow wouldn’t seem out of place.’

The moment I made up my mind, I beat my wings with all my strength.

‘Oh! I’m flying! I’m flying!’

The excitement of finally getting the hang of it lasted only a moment.

A few seconds later, I nosedived straight into the ground.

No matter how many times I tried again, the result was always the same.

The moment I reached a certain height, my wings refused to flap.

They would simply lock up, afraid of flying too high again like yesterday.

‘A crow with a fear of flying. That’s a new one…’

Maybe if I kept practicing through gritted teeth, I’d eventually get over it.

Though tomorrow I’d probably pay for it with another round of muscle soreness from hell.

With no other choice, I alternated between short bursts of flight and hopping along on both feet.

The forest was pitch-black.

The dense canopy blocked even the faintest sliver of moonlight.

If it weren’t for a crow’s eyesight, I wouldn’t have dared venture inside.

I looked around, searching for somewhere to spend the night.

Before long, I spotted an abandoned nest in a nearby tree.

‘I should be able to make it up there.’

I was hopping toward the tree when I suddenly felt a piercing gaze on the back of my head.

My animal instincts whispered a warning.

Killing intent.

I froze and slowly turned around.

Near a towering tree on the opposite side, a pair of bright yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.

‘An… owl?’

The owl watched me silently with eyes the size of fists.

There was no mistaking that look.

It was the gaze of a predator sizing up its prey.

My feathers puffed up instinctively, and my whole body stiffened.

No matter how hard I tried not to be afraid, my body refused to cooperate.

‘I think I’ve heard this before… Owls are a crow’s natural enemy…’

The feathers on my tail shot straight up.

‘H-Hmph! A natural enemy? So what? I only look like a crow. I’m actually human!’

Summoning every ounce of determination, I forced myself to overcome the instinct ingrained in my blood.

I spread my wings as wide as I could and threw open my beak in the fiercest threat display I could manage.

“Caw! Caw!”

‘Well? Pretty scary, right? Not bad, huh?’

For a brief moment, the owl narrowed its eyes.

Then it launched itself into the air.

Only after it had disappeared did the branch it had been perched on begin to sway.

‘It wasn’t after me?’

Unlike me, the owl neither let out a screech nor puffed itself up to appear threatening.

It simply watched me for a moment before gliding away.

‘Heh… I made a fool of myself for nothing.’

Feeling a little embarrassed, I slowly closed my beak.

Then I heard it.

A strange, hissing sound.

The instant it reached my ears, I spread my wings and sprang away.

At the same time, the owl’s hooked talons grazed my back.

It hadn’t backed off.

It had begun the hunt.

Having missed its first strike, the owl climbed smoothly into the air before diving straight at me from its highest point.

The moment I saw all eight talons spread wide, I knew.

If those claws caught me, there would be no escape.

‘You think you can hunt me? I’m no ordinary beast—I’m a demon’s phantom beast!’

My crimson eyes flashed as I spread my wings.

Then, kicking off the ground, I launched myself into the air.

“Caw!”