After being jolted awake by the Bear Angel's nightmare, Iver saw that the sky outside had already begun to lighten. He simply decided not to go back to sleep.
He changed out of his pajamas and put on a shirt with a sleeveless wool sweater over it, then left the bedroom and wandered aimlessly through the Silver and Tin Palace. The Flame Butterfly rested peacefully on Iver's shoulder, resembling a candle flame in the still-dim corridor.
As he walked, Iver vaguely heard piano music flowing like a spring.
Following the sound, he discovered that it was coming from Isabel's bedroom.
He smiled and nodded at the two Queen Guards stationed outside the door, then gently knocked.
Although the two elves were Pope Guards, they looked like beautiful young women in their twenties. They seemed much livelier than Oswald's group of Elf Butlers.
While standing guard outside Isabel's door, they had looked solemn to the point of seeming sacred. But when they saw Iver approach and knock, they could not help smiling and instantly shattered the heavy, solemn atmosphere. Their postures relaxed as well.
Compared to those rigid and composed Elf Butlers, they looked more like female university students who had only just graduated. Though they were probably about the same age as Ligeia, they possessed a purity and naivety that suggested they had yet to experience society.
As the piano music inside stopped, Isabel's puzzled voice came from within. "Iver?"
"Oh my..."
"Her Majesty guessed it."
They lowered their voices and teasingly began to cheer him on.
Iver ignored them. He only smiled and raised one finger to his lips, then cleared his throat. "It's me."
Before Isabel could respond, Iver directly pushed open the door.
There were also two Pope Guards quietly standing in the corners of Isabel's room.