Within the manor, Etris tilted her head as she watched a group of bedraggled chicks on the ground, flapping their wings and moving their little legs, yet only able to spin in circles where they stood. Their eyes held the despair and terror unique to humans, and from their chirps, one could faintly make out several strange syllables resembling the Western Continent's common tongue.
"So when a human soul is sent into the body of another creature, it can't properly control its new body."
Etris squatted down, picked up a chick, and examined it for a while. Then, with a crack, she snapped its neck. "Send these chicks to the kitchen. Stew one into soup every day. When Father returns, serve it to him to nourish his body."
Several maids were already trembling all over in terror. Just moments ago, Etris had forcibly driven the souls of those who had invaded the manor into the chicks' bodies. The despairing curses and shrill cries those souls had made had frightened the maids into wetting themselves on the spot.
Now, hearing Etris give such wicked and bizarre orders, the maids felt as though they had seen the Devil Master himself. Their minds blank, they could only nod repeatedly as they picked up the chicks one by one, shut them in cages, and sent them to the kitchen.
Etris turned to look at the sky beyond the window, where a wisp of cloud drifted slowly past. Suddenly, she frowned and murmured to herself, "This is the residence Father prepared for me. Father hasn't returned, yet enemies have come. Why is that? Father said he would be back soon, so why hasn't he come back even now?"
Slowly walking to the window, Etris's pupils abruptly widened until they nearly filled her entire eye sockets.