Dawn light already shone over the courtyard of Russell Manor. Before the smoking bonfire, the Old Witch glanced at Shade again.
"Very good. Young man, rest assured, I'm a very open-minded person. I won't go spreading stories about you and Galina."
She winked at Shade.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but from the corner of his eye, Shade seemed to see Sister Devlin, who had always been expressionless, curl her lips into a smile. But when he looked carefully, her fair face beneath the silver crown-shaped blindfold remained expressionless.
After the excitement faded, exhaustion surged into Shade's heart. He had fought evil spirits throughout the night, broken into the Land of Death, used the Mystic Lock, and had even attended an evil god's banquet. Though he could still endure the physical exhaustion, the mental fatigue was no longer under his control.
Now that he had finished telling his story, he could only bid farewell to the witches and Sister Devlin for the moment, arranging a time for his next visit. After making sure no one was following him, he climbed Sikar Mountain from its foot, found the Abandoned Tower in the forest, and returned home.
"Oh, Shade!"
He had only just returned from the basement to the 1st Floor when someone opened the door to 6 Saint Derain Square from outside with a key.
It was Luvia. Carrying a metal lunchbox, she stared in shock as Shade emerged from the basement.
Footsteps also sounded from upstairs, but Luvia still shut the door without hesitation, placed the lunchbox atop the shoe cabinet, and opened her arms to embrace him.
"Shade!"
Dorothy and Little Mia came down the stairs together. Luvia abruptly released Shade, then pushed him away, her face slightly flushed as she went to pick up the lunchbox again. Thus,