The crackling of firewood filled the place, and the quiet warmth brought a sense of life.
"Is he human?" the little girl asked, staring at Adrian's face.
"Of course he is, Lily," the older boy replied impatiently.
"Is he dead?" the youngest child asked curiously.
"He's alive, Bill," Lily replied with a smile.
Suddenly, Adrian sat up, gasping in panic.
"Kyaah! You scared us, stranger!" Lily screamed in fright as she hugged Bill.
"Is he really human? I'm scared, Liiiily!" Bill cried, clinging to Lily as he began to cry.
Adrian looked around, trying to make sense of the situation. He held his head in his palm, attempting to suppress his headache.
The older boy, Leo, approached and said, "Looks like you had a terrible nightmare. Anyway, you need to rest a little because you have a very high fever."
Adrian looked at Leo and asked in a broken voice, "Where… am I?"
Leo answered, "You're in our house now. I found you unconscious near our home while returning from the market, so I brought you inside."
Adrian spoke with difficulty. "I see… Thank you, anyway."
The little girl, Lily, asked gently and curiously, "What's your name, handsome stranger?"
Bill asked in astonishment and curiosity, "And why are your eyes different colors?"
Adrian thought that he shouldn't reveal his real name, so he answered in a quiet voice, "Ah, my name is Ray… As for my eye, I suffered a severe blow, which turned it red. It was originally blue."
Bill replied, "Heeey, I see."
Lily shouted in annoyance, "Bill, he's making fun of you! Do you actually believe him?"
Adrian smiled tiredly as he watched the children's commotion, then asked, "What about you?"
Lily spoke up. "I'm Lily, and I'm ten years old. This is my little brother, Bill. He's six. And this is our older brother, Leo. He's seventeen."
Adrian nodded and asked, "Do you live alone? What about your parents?"
Leo answered with cold sarcasm, "We're not blood siblings, and we don't have parents. So, to us, family means being together."
Lily continued with a smile, "That's right! We're a family, and we live happily together."
"We're a family! Yeah!" Bill echoed with a smile.
Adrian patted Bill on the head, smiling.
Lily stood up and said, "Ray, you must be hungry. Let's eat together, okay?"
Bill stood up too and echoed after Lily, "Let's eat!"
Adrian slowly rose to his feet and said, "Then I'll help you…"
"Put the plates on the table, then," Leo said.
"All right…"
Adrian placed the plates on the table while Lily distributed the bread and Leo took care of serving the food into the bowls.
They all sat down and began eating. Bill picked up his spoon and took a bite, then smiled with overwhelming joy. "This is so delicious! Big Brother, thank you!"
Leo simply smiled calmly as he watched Bill enjoy the food.
Lily smiled and asked Leo, "Where did you get the ingredients this time?"
Leo answered while eating his bread, "They fell off one of the carriages."
Adrian's eyes widened slightly. He set his spoon aside and looked at Leo questioningly. "Does that mean they're stolen?"
Leo answered in an even tone, "Yes. What's wrong with that?"
Adrian clenched his fist and spoke in a slightly sharp tone. "What do you mean, what's wrong with that? Do you think stealing is normal?"
Everyone stopped eating.
Lily smiled nervously, trying to ease the tension. "Haha… It's fine. The carriage dropped them on the road, so I don't think that counts as stealing… does it?"
Adrian sighed with a frown. "Fine… Whatever. I'll be leaving now anyway."
He stood up and said, "Leo, Lily, and Bill… Thank you for helping me. I hope you have happy lives."
Lily quickly stood up, looking worried. "R-Ray! You're still sick, so—"
Adrian interrupted her calmly. "I have work I need to finish. Thank you for your concern, Lily."
At that moment… someone knocked loudly on the door, and everyone turned toward it.
Leo said firmly, "It's okay. I'll get it."
Leo stood up and opened the door—only to find a man in his twenties standing before him, speaking loudly with a voice full of panic.
"Leo!! I came to tell you that the epidemic has already reached this area! Be careful with your food, and wash it thoroughly… I heard the epidemic spreads through food!"
Everyone froze—except Adrian. Fear was clearly written across their faces.
Leo replied seriously, "All right, Max. We'll be careful."
Max nodded quickly. "Yeah… I'll leave now. I have to inform the others."
Leo said before closing the door, "All right. Take care of yourself."
He closed the door, then turned back toward them.
Lily clutched her dress, trembling, and asked with extreme anxiety, "Big Brother… Are we going to die too?"
Bill began crying. "I don't want to die, Lily…"
Leo shouted tensely, "Hey! Nobody's going to die! All we have to do is inspect our food from now on!"
Adrian asked with concern, "Leo… Can you explain what's happening?"
Leo returned to his chair and sat down, then began explaining in a calm, cold voice.
"It started when an old woman in the neighboring district died. At first, it seemed like an ordinary case, but a week later, strange symptoms began appearing among the people. First: a fever lasting an entire day… Then strange lines appear on the body… Then their eyes turn white, and they lose their sight… After that, they die. Throughout the entire process, the infected person coughs up blood."
Adrian froze in astonishment.
"Then… why aren't they looking for a cure?"
Leo laughed with heavy sarcasm. "A cure? Can you cure someone whose pulse is perfectly normal?"
Adrian's expression hardened. "What?"
Leo continued coldly, "Yes. All the examinations show that the body… is completely healthy. No illness, no abnormalities. As though it were… a curse."
Leo rested his elbow on the table and spoke with bitter sarcasm. "Hah… And there's something else. When an infected person dies… their corpse disappears."
Adrian stared at him in shock. "Disappears? How?!"
Leo answered, "I don't know exactly… but they say the body glows with a magical radiance… then scatters into particles… and vanishes completely."
Adrian asked curiously, "But I don't understand… What does the epidemic have to do with the old woman? I mean, many people die every day, so why would she be the cause?"
Leo answered, "Because that old woman was using forbidden magic. Although she belonged to Section Zero, she was desperate to learn magic like the nobles. She spent ten years studying forbidden techniques… but she always failed to perform them successfully.
But one day… a black-and-red beam emerged from her house. When it disappeared, the people went to check on her and found her corpse."
Suddenly… a strange voice rang through the place.
"What a strange story… and a fascinating one."
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice and found a beautiful girl standing behind them, smiling.
Leo shouted angrily, "Who are you?! How did you get in here?!"
The girl smiled cheerfully and waved her hand. "Don't be afraid. I'm not a thief. I came in just before you closed the door a little while ago."
Leo stood up, furious. "What are you saying…?!"
The girl stood in front of Adrian and bent down to look directly into his eyes, whispering softly, "So beautiful… You have such beautiful eyes."
Adrian remained frozen in place, muttering inwardly, This aura… Why does it remind me of that demon, Asura? It's incredibly powerful… but unlike his, her aura doesn't seem evil.
The girl straightened up and introduced herself. "My name is Lucia Bristan, and I'm sixteen years old. What about you?"
Adrian slowly stood up and spoke calmly. "I… My name is Ray, and I'm sixteen as well."
Leo stepped forward irritably. "Hey, can either of you hear me?"
He looked at Lucia and said sharply, "You, little thief! Why did you enter our house without permission?"
Lucia replied with a broad smile, "I was walking down the street, but then I caught sight of a handsome face… so I couldn't help coming in. I'm truly sorry."
Lily asked curiously, "Miss… Are you a noble?"
Lucia took a strand of her hair between her fingers and answered confidently, "Yes, I am."
Leo asked sharply, "If you are… then why did you come to this poor neighborhood?"
Lucia answered with a cold expression, "I'm investigating this strange epidemic."
Then she turned toward Adrian and stared at him. "You're not a commoner, Red-Eyed One… Who the hell are you? And why are you lying about your identity?"
Silence fell over the place, and everyone turned their attention toward Adrian. Leo, Lily, and Bill looked at him with concern and confusion, while Lucia stared at him sharply, waiting for an answer that would brook no evasion.
Adrian's gaze lowered for a moment before he slowly raised his head… His face was so cold that Lily felt a shiver run down her spine, while Bill hid behind his sister.
His red eye glowed with a dangerous gleam, as though an invisible spark had ignited deep within it.