Something was slowly welling up from the shadows spreading beneath Iver.
It was a woman sitting with her legs crossed, exuding the imposing air of a Queen reclining at an angle upon a throne.
This was also a form Miss Shadow Demon had never shown Iver before--
She had long, straight hair as black as a patch of shadow, the strands merging into a single mass. The outer layer was pure black, while the inner layer was a dark red like fresh blood.
She wore no glasses, yet her murky jade-green eyes made her look even more like a lone wolf than Miss Bayard.
Aside from that, her appearance was exactly the same as Miss Bayard's. Even their apparent ages were identical.
After appearing, Miss Shadow Demon let out a deep sigh, though no one knew what exactly she was worrying over.
She first turned around and carefully fastened the open clothes over Iver's chest one button at a time. Then she extended her slender yet powerful fingers and straightened Iver's collar. Only after making Iver's clothes neat again, which had become somewhat wrinkled from being held in Miss Bayard's arms, did she embrace Iver and turn around in an unhurried manner.
She and No. 14 both had black hair and jade-green eyes, and their features were somewhat similar as well. At this moment, with the two of them embracing, they looked like an elder sister holding her younger sister.
The bats scattered along the Shadow Threads merely rustled, making no other reaction.
As if they had been stunned into silence.
"What is it, Miss Bayard?"
Miss Shadow Demon wore a mocking smile. "Cat got your tongue after seeing me?"
Her left hand, which was wrapped around Iver, was already supporting her chin, while the side of her thumb idly