The night was deep and still.
In the manor's largest bedroom, an angry demand suddenly rang out.
"Who gave you permission to act on your own?!
"Do you have any idea how much trouble this will cause me? They aren't ordinary people, as insignificant as weeds!"
Nois, the black cat that gave off a faint stench of decay, sat quietly on the table, his amber eyes open as he calmly looked up at his master.
Suddenly, the long whiskers on his right side curled upward, as though he had smiled.
Then he opened his mouth and spoke in a human voice:
"I didn't want this either.
"But that man named Dylan discovered my true form. If I hadn't killed him, do you think letting them leave alive would have kept us out of trouble?"
At those words, some of the anger faded from Falk's face.
He drew a light breath and asked:
"How did he discover you?"
The black cat curled his lip.
"How would I know?
"He was lying motionless in bed, so I thought he was asleep. Who knew he was actually awake? He suddenly opened his eyes just as I was about to feed."
Falk frowned and said displeasedly:
"Even so, you shouldn't have gone after Gavin and the others.
"You should at least have come back to discuss it with me first.
"We could easily have disguised Dylan's death as a murder and picked some scapegoat to give the others and the police an explanation."
The black cat lowered his head and stopped arguing.
Seeing this, Falk fell silent too. He sat back down on the bed, looking hesitant, seemingly weighing how to bring this matter to an end.
After an unknown length of time, he suddenly pressed his lips tightly together and said in a