By the time Shade and Miss Danist returned to the Accordion Hotel, the glow of twilight had already fallen upon the walls of the Golden Music Hall, making the clover-petal-shaped square shine with golden splendor as well.
Since that door could not be turned into a toy, Shade used an illusion to hide it before quickly bringing it up to the third floor.
The witch should have been in her own room at the moment, so after placing the door in Miss Danist's room, Shade went alone to knock on the door of Room 321, where Miss Winslet was staying.
The young Witch Apprentice was not there, and the curtains in the suite's living room had not been drawn. The brilliant sunset poured in through the windows, illuminating the floor, the black piano beside the window, and the plump round-faced owl and orange-and-white cat cuddled together on the sill.
"Hm?"
Shade froze for a moment, then immediately closed the door again from outside. He stood in the corridor, blinked at the door, and then opened Room 321 once more.
He really had been mistaken because the sunset was too bright. In truth, Mia was lying on the windowsill with her tail hanging down, watching the Sun outside, while the owl stood beside her with its eyes closed, resting. Owls slept standing up.
"What was that about opening the door and closing it again?"
With a flutter of wings, Miss Winslet flew down from the windowsill and appeared amid grayish-white mist.
She was wearing a pale blue evening gown, and her neatly arranged hair, woven into an intricate style, was adorned with a full set of silver ornaments.
As she spoke, she spun around on the spot in high spirits.
Then, smiling beneath the sunset, she asked Shade, "Well? What do