"Eek!"
At that moment—
A massive ring of fire appeared in the night sky. People below mistook it for fireworks and erupted in delighted screams and cheers.
Mia felt her body being lifted by strong arms.
It was Leca.
He picked her up and leapt into the fiery ring suspended in midair.
In the blink of an eye, they landed in the royal garden.
Teleportation.
Leca gently set Mia down on the grass and inspected her wings with care.
"The vein near the edge is slightly torn."
"I knew it. That guy was pulling way too hard."
"Phew…"
Leca sighed, then summoned something from thin air and applied it to the tear.
Just like he had treated Mithys that night after the club incident.
Déjà vu. Truly.
"Lady Mia."
"Y-Yes?"
"Please don't put me in a situation where I need to teleport again. The commoners of Sibareth don't take kindly to those with magical powers."
"…Okay. I'm sorry."
Mia, feeling sheepish, fished out the Tiger's Eye stone she'd been carrying.
"I'm supposed to keep this with me at all times for it to work, right? But changing clothes every day makes it hard…"
Leca took the stone, muttered an incantation—
And with a puff, a creature appeared midair.
It looked like something straight out of a fantasy movie—a dwarf, with stubby legs, piercing eyes, and a bushy, stiff black beard.
"Make this into a necklace. Immediately."
The dwarf vanished with the stone and returned ten minutes later with a beautifully beaded necklace. The Tiger's Eye orb was now strung with several smaller gems—like a rosary.
"…Allow me to put it on for you."
Leca gently swept Mia's hair aside and fastened the necklace around her neck.
Her heart fluttered again.
It felt like receiving jewelry from a lover.
She blushed.
"Wow… thank you!"
Leca smiled as he watched her admire it in the mirror.
"If you're unable to sleep, I'd be happy to stay by your side until you do."
Startled, Mia waved her hands frantically.
"No way! That's not necessary. You've had a long day because of me. You should rest."
"But I cannot sleep if Lady Mia is awake."
His beautiful dark eyes stared into hers.
Her heart skipped again.
Is he really a fire spirit? Or a giant puppy spirit?
"In that case… could you show me your room?"
"My… room?"
"Yeah."
Leca hesitated for a moment, looking slightly flustered, but then nodded. Mia, excited, followed him.
His room was spacious but sparse. Surprisingly plain for someone of his rank.
Weapons and armor adorned the walls. Besides the bed, wardrobe, table, and sofa, there was little else.
But one thing stood out. A fireplace blazing despite the warm weather.
"Isn't it hot? Why the fire?"
"Because fire is my very essence."
Mia did feel warm, but Leca seemed unfazed. The crackling flames brought a strange sense of calm.
But then—she noticed something odd. There was movement within the fire.
Crackle… crackle… crackle.
The sound grew louder, the figure inside growing clearer.
Was she imagining it?
No. It was real.
A shape emerged in the flames. A face. A beak—like a bird's. And wings.
"L-Leca! Look! There's something moving inside the fire!"
"Hmm? Ah… that must be a phoenix. What could it want at this hour?"
Even as they spoke, the bird grew in size—Until it became as large as an eagle and stepped out of the fire.
Its entire body blazed with flames. With a flap of its fiery wings, the room filled with heat.
"This is the phoenix—the highest-ranking spirit of fire. Also called the Firebird."
Sweat poured down Mia's back. But Leca remained calm.
"What brings you here?"
—I bring a message.
"A message? From whom?"
Mithys was recovering, thanks to the molefolk's dedicated care.
One of them asked,
"You're really not going back?"
"Not right now. Maybe if she becomes queen."
"You think she will?"
"Why not? She seems decent at magic. Probably inherited some of my ability. Ho ho ho!"
"But seriously… who do you think tried to kill you, Mithys?"
At that, Mithys frowned.
"No idea. I've never made enemies in my life."
"Could it be someone who didn't want you as queen?"
"I… never thought about that. Could it be?"
"If so, isn't that girl in danger too?"
At those words, Mithys pulled her blanket up.
That meant: I don't want to talk about it anymore.
"Don't jump to conclusions. We don't know anything yet. Anyway, bring me a pen and paper. I need to write to Leca."
Dear Leca,
Sorry I haven't written sooner. Are you well? Is Mia doing alright?
I've been thinking a lot about our conversation.
You said she's doing surprisingly well for a human.
That's good news.
As you know, I have no intention of returning to Sibareth.
I'm praying here that Mia successfully completes the rite and becomes queen.
I heard she said she wants to go back? You handled it well.
If we forbid her outright, she'd rebel—distracting her with a "trip" was a good idea.
Please keep a close eye on her.
We've worked too hard to place her there. If she backs out now, we're all in trouble.
Even if she does become queen, keep watching her.
We don't know when she might try to leave again.
That's why binding her as your master was a brilliant move.
No matter where she goes, you'll be able to follow.
Take care of yourself. Watch over Mia.
I'm doing fine here. I'll visit when things settle down.
Write soon.
—Mithys
The phoenix spoke.
—Mithys.
Mia's eyes widened in shock.
Mithys?
But Leca looked unsurprised.
"Mithys? She's alive?!"
"…Yes. Lady Mithys is alive."
He blinked casually. Mia was stunned by how nonchalant he sounded.
"You told me you couldn't reach her. That was a lie?"
"She only wrote to me two days ago. I didn't know before that."
"And you replied?"
"Yes."
"So this is her response?"
"Correct."
"Open it. Right now. In front of me."
Leca hesitated.
"She asked me to keep the contents private."
"I'm your master, aren't I? That means you follow my orders."
Mia spoke firmly. Leca reluctantly opened the letter. The phoenix had already vanished.
Mia read the letter slowly. As her eyes moved across the page, her heart twisted.
So Leca knew everything. From the start, he and Mithys planned this together.
"You knew from the beginning, didn't you? That the two of you would send me to Sibareth?"
"That's not true. I only learned about her plan in her last letter."
"Really?"
"Truly. Spirits cannot lie."
His voice trembled slightly. But Mia couldn't believe it. Mithys had lied—said she'd send her back after six months with pay.
All a setup to trap her as queen.
And Leca? He must be lying too. If he knew all along and agreed with Mithys, everything makes sense.
Binding her with a spirit pact instead of simply escorting her? Suspicious from the start.
"You followed me everywhere because Mithys told you to. To make sure I wouldn't escape Sibareth."
He must've felt like a warden watching a prisoner. And there she was—letting her heart race at every kind gesture.
She felt humiliated. Angry. tear welled up.
But she blinked them away. She wouldn't cry in front of him.
Still, Leca's eyes trembled too.
"You misunderstand. I truly worried for you…"
"So that's why you told me study magic. In case I couldn't pass the rite and mess up your little plan."
"…"
"You're probably going to report this to her tonight, right? 'She tried to escape, but I stopped her.' Mission accomplished."
"That's not what I—"
"Shut up! You, Mithys, Sibareth—I hate all of you!
I was an idiot to fall for this scam. But I won't live according to your plans anymore.Watch me disappear."
Mia stormed out, slamming the door behind her. She ran blindly into the night.
The moon had vanished behind clouds. Only patches of darkness lit her way.
A lone bat flew overhead.
A shiver ran down her spine. But she couldn't stay in that wretched palace.
Couldn't stand to be near that hypocrite Leca for another second.
She made up her mind. Spreading her wings, she soared over the towering palace walls—into the night.