Chapter 86

The rear grounds resembled a secluded forest path more than a proper garden, winding along the lake’s edge. Behind the residence, a meticulously kept lawn stretched effortlessly into the untamed woodland, erasing any clear boundary between cultivation and wilderness. Since the lord claimed ownership of most of the forest, the household regarded the entire expanse as an extension of their private domain.

Beyond the manicured lawn, the path plunged into dense vegetation hugging the shoreline. In pitch darkness, the forest might have been a place of menace, yet just as the lord had promised, clusters of fireflies emerged like living lanterns to soften the night. As Isaac and the others walked deeper into the woods, the path felt neither bleak nor intimidating. Pinpricks of yellow and white light flickered like stars between the foliage, their reflections shimmering faintly on the lake’s surface. A deep, clean forest fragrance wrapped around them, and the trees themselves seemed asleep, steeped in a heavy, serene stillness.

Though autumn had advanced, the woods still carried a fragrant vitality. Isaac found himself marveling that a midnight forest could feel so gentle; the lord had not exaggerated. It would be hard to imagine a lovelier place for a late-night stroll.

Exhaling the breath he had been unconsciously holding, Isaac lowered his gaze from the starry canopy above. Far ahead, a man and a woman walked together in slow rhythm, their forms slipping in and out of sight behind the shifting brush—Grace and Kaiyan.

Isaac lingered far behind, performing his unspoken duty as a guard. In truth, he was merely watching. Several members of the lord’s security team were already stationed discreetly throughout the area, leaving him no real reason to believe Kaiyan needed protection. The prince hardly required a guard at all.

At first, Isaac had followed only a few paces behind, but the lord had signaled for him to hang back further. He obliged. The terrain was far from open, and the dense woods repeatedly stole the pair from view. From the lord and his daughter’s perspective, that privacy was likely perfect for their purposes. Indeed, a forest at midnight was exactly the kind of setting where courtship between a man and a woman could blossom quickly.

Isaac lowered his head, feeling a weight settle in his chest.

A black, furry tail flicked against his ankle.

「What a handsome couple. But honestly, isn’t the man a bit too good-looking for her?」

「Maybe she’s wealthy.」

「No. I can tell by his face. He might look pretty, but he knows how to fight. He seems indifferent, maybe bored with everything around him, but I bet he has a nasty temper. If he were displeased, he might even strike a woman.」

「That poor girl. She’s walking straight into a fire with kindling tied to her back.」

Are you all a pack of gossiping village matrons?

More importantly, the cats barely reach my knees. With the thick vegetation around us, the path should block their view entirely, yet they speak as if they can see the couple perfectly.

Isaac swatted the tail tapping his leg. “You little beasts. Be quiet.”

「Goodness! He’s worn a miserable look all this time, and now he scolds us? Why that glare?」

「He doesn’t like us, does he?」

「How could anyone dislike us? We are pureblood witches, lovely and beautiful. No one could resist us unless their heart was hopelessly warped.」

Isaac stared down at the chattering cats and released a long, weary sigh. “Yes, how very fortunate for you. It must be wonderful to be purebloods. But are half-breeds common? Do witches and humans often pair together?”

I have never met another half-breed. He had met witches, yes, but never one like himself. Surely others existed somewhere, but he had never heard of them.

The cats perked up, ears twitching.

「Not particularly common, are they?」

「Why would any witch willingly have a child with a human unless she were truly peculiar? A witch’s child is sturdier, lives longer, and wields magic far better.」

「Humans are only good for draining vitality now and then, but they make terrible mates.」

「Exactly. He’s still a virgin, maybe that’s why he doesn’t understand, but witches are far, far, far more suited to carnal pleasure than humans.」

「Once in a great while, strange witches like Callie fool around with humans, but even then, they almost never have children.」

“No, children aren’t really what I’m asking about…” Isaac’s words trailed off. His shoulders slumped. Why does it even matter? Witches belonged with witches. Humans with humans. That was the most natural way—the one that fit best.

I am getting depressed again.

Isaac crouched down with a sigh. The cats rolled their eyes and stretched their necks, trying to lift their faces to his. They still were too short, so one planted its front paws on his knee and started babbling.

「Still, witches are less hostile toward other races than humans are.」

「So hurry up, find the tinderbox, and come with us to the Land of the New Moon.」

“…Would that be better?” Isaac whispered, half of him entirely sincere. Maybe I really should abandon all my pain and regret in the human world and cross over. Maybe I could forget this aching in my chest. For a moment, he wished it were true. He buried his face against his knees.

A soft tail brushed the back of his hand in a gesture that almost felt comforting.

「Do not regret it so deeply. Everything in the world passes.」

「Even when the pain feels unbearable, time keeps moving.」

「So stop hurting and come to the Land of the New Moon. It will treat you far better than the human world.」

「Even if you are a half-breed, you are an exceptionally delicious one.」

「Tsk, tsk. Even among purebloods, your flavor is rare. Excellent prey.」

“You little monsters!” They always ruined the moment just when they started to sound meaningful. The cats even started drooling. Isaac grabbed each by the scruff and shook them.

「Eek! We came all this way for your sake, and now you try to shake us like rags?」

「We could have stayed home, but we traveled this far because of you. Ungrateful!」

“Who asked you to come? Staying away would help me more! And who told you to race through the banquet hall earlier? Do you know how badly you scared me?”

「You asked us to help you! You clung to us and begged, and now you pretend otherwise?」

“When did I do that?”

「You asked us to let you meet a dream demon!」

Isaac froze. Still holding the dangling cats, he glanced between them. Only then did he realize the third cat was missing.

“A dream demon? Right… I do need to meet one. Does one live nearby?”

「Of course. The third went to fetch her.」

「She locked the door and refused to come, so it might take some time.」

So that was why they had looked so smug while tearing through the banquet hall. Isaac set the two back on the ground. They huffed and began licking their fur as though deeply insulted. When he reached down to stroke their heads, they glared with huge eyes but didn’t move away.

“A dream demon… Yes. I need to meet one.” That was what mattered most now. He recalled the terrified face of that young man, the one that had withered in moments. Next time, it could be a young girl. A mother. Even an infant. Isaac shook his head, drawing a deep breath. He had to do whatever it took. His worry now was whether even a dream demon could teach him to drain human vitality.

「Don’t worry. You’ve lived too long as a human, so you’re hopelessly dull as a witch. However, consuming human vitality is the most fundamental skill. You can’t be completely incapable.」

「Once you learn it, you’ll master it quickly. Dream demons are born for that purpose, so she can teach you effortlessly.」

Isaac rested his chin in one hand, eyeing the two cats. “A dream demon… They are monsters that hide in human dreams and steal vitality, right? But they have physical bodies after all?”

「It depends. Most lack bodies and inhabit other creatures, usually small, agile ones. Once they grow old enough, they can inhabit humans. After more time, they might develop fully human forms and live while pretending to be people.」

「So a dream demon that lives as a human is the oldest and most capable kind.」

「Therefore, you should be grateful to us.」

Their logic twisted itself into a familiar absurdity. Isaac realized what they meant.

“So the dream demon the third went to fetch looks human?” It wasn’t crucial, but facing a human form would be easier than looking at something grotesque. He was nodding when one cat casually said,

「You already saw her earlier.」

His nod froze. Isaac blinked. “…What?”

「You saw her earlier. You even spoke with her.」

「Oh, did you already ask her? Then maybe there was no reason to fetch her.」

The cats started chattering to each other again. Isaac stared, blank. “When did I…?”

He was just pointing to himself in confusion when a loud rustle rose from the brush behind him. Isaac turned toward the sound.

Roar!

The first thing he saw was a massive black tiger nearly as large as a house—the third. Isaac had seen the creature often enough that he should have grown accustomed to it, yet having those huge, round eyes appear directly before his face still made him start and take a step backward.

Only then did he notice the corpse dangling from the tiger’s jaws. No, it only looked like a corpse. The tiger seemed pleased by Isaac’s startled expression and bared its teeth in a wicked grin. It gave a long roar, and the person in its mouth dropped heavily to the ground.

“Ah!” The shriek belonged to a woman. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. She immediately scrambled upright and retreated on the ground. She was petite. Her bare feet looked pale and soft beneath what appeared to be nightclothes, making her seem rather young.

“I told you no. I don’t want anything to do with him.” She complained irritably and glanced toward Isaac. Her eyes appeared through the disheveled hair scattered over her face, revealing neat, lovely features.

Elli.

Isaac’s lips moved, but no sound emerged. He could only blink at the petite young woman crouched before him, glaring in obvious displeasure. She seemed to have refused to come until the tiger seized her and dragged her here by force.

The instant she regained her balance, she quickly looked around. Her anxious gaze swept over Isaac and the cats, then lifted beyond the brush. It stopped upon the backs of Grace and Kaiyan standing side by side near the distant lakeshore. After confirming their location, her shoulders, which had been hunched like those of a frightened cat, relaxed slightly. Apparently, those two had been the reason for her vigilance and fear.