Chapter 14
As Noah and Regina descended the stairs, the man removed the glasses perched on his head. With the glasses gone, revealing half of his face, a rather handsome visage emerged.
“Noah, it’s been a while. And who’s this charming young lady with you?”
“Hello, I’m Regina Evelyn.”
The Evelyn estate was far from the capital. Regina introduced herself, thinking no one here would recognize her. Noah watched her in silence before turning his head. He didn’t care if Regina’s identity was discovered and had no intention of stopping her.
“Oh, a noble lady. I’m Maverick. What brings you here? Especially with Noah….”
The man with reddish-brown hair and dark eyes introduced himself as Maverick, smiling brightly. However, contrary to his friendly smile, Maverick held a gun in his hand. Noah noticed the veins bulging on Maverick’s hand, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.
“Well, we had some business, so we’re traveling together for a while. Don’t mind us.”
Maverick, who was ready to kill Regina after realizing she wasn’t human, hesitated at Noah’s words. Noah was not one to spare a Black Fairy without reason. He hated Black Fairies as much as, if not more than, Maverick did.
After a moment’s contemplation, Maverick put the gun back on the desk.
“Those glasses, are they a new invention?”
Noah asked, looking at the glasses Maverick held. Somehow, those glasses had allowed Maverick to discern that Regina wasn’t human. Maverick nodded, stroking his new invention.
“Yes, but they’re not perfect yet. They still need some improvements. They’re quite heavy for everyday use.”
“Wow! You’re an inventor? Did you make all these?”
Oblivious to her brush with death, Regina looked up at Maverick with a bright smile. She resembled a rabbit smiling in front of a starving wolf, causing Maverick to wear an awkward expression.
“These things are dangerous. Come over here and stay quiet.”
Noah, frowning with a headache, grabbed Regina by the nape and pulled her closer to him.
“…Noah, are you here for weapons? Can I draw some blood while you’re here? I used up all the samples in my last research.”
“Sure, and show me the new revolver. The one you gave me last time was a break-action, and the barrel was too weak. It broke quickly, so I discarded it.”
“Yes, it’s not good for close combat. But it’s convenient for reloading. It’s a popular model these days.”
Noah took off his coat and sat in the chair Maverick indicated. Regina lost interest in their conversation, not understanding it, and looked around the room filled with unknown machines.
“Noah, I’m going to roll up your sleeve. I don’t want any blood on it.”
“Go ahead.”
When Maverick drew blood from Noah’s arm with a syringe, the small laboratory quickly filled with the smell of his blood. Noah’s usual sweet scent intensified with the smell of blood, becoming almost overwhelming.
Regina covered her mouth with her hand, gagging slightly at the thick, sweet scent.
“Ugh, why are you drawing blood? Are you sick?”
Regina asked, recalling the physician who drew bad blood when she was ill. Noah looked perfectly healthy, so she asked out of curiosity. Maverick answered instead.
“Noah’s blood can kill Black Fairies. My research shows that it’s harmless to humans but deadly to fairies.”
“…I see.”
So this man is a poison mushroom. Regina shuddered and cautiously moved away from Noah. She tried to maintain her composure, but her eyes couldn’t leave Noah’s blood. It was as if she was declaring, “I am a Black Fairy.” Noah sighed.
“I’m making weapons to exterminate Black Fairies with Noah’s blood. These bullets are one example.”
As Noah’s blood filled the vial, Maverick walked to his desk and opened a box, showing Regina the dark red bullets.
“Amazing, there are even weapons! Where I come from, Black Fairies were just myths told to scare children. I didn’t know they actually existed until a few days ago.”
Regina trembled at the sight of the bullets but quickly composed herself, clapping her hands in fake amazement. Her overly enthusiastic tone made Noah cringe.
Maverick glanced at Noah, as if to suggest telling Regina he had figured her out, but Noah shook his head, signaling to leave her alone.
Regina stopped talking when Noah’s blood was fully drawn. Maverick, who had been humoring her, stood up to remove the needle from Noah’s arm, and Regina secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Talking with the smell of Noah’s blood in the air had made her feel nauseous.
“All done. This should be enough for three months of research. Here are the bullets and a new revolver. Will four guns be enough?”
Maverick smiled contentedly, putting the vial of Noah’s blood into a preservation box. Noah rolled down his sleeve and stood up as Maverick handed him a box containing the guns and bullets.
“Sure, but give me one more box of bullets.”
“Alright, but don’t waste them. A lot of your blood is used to make them.”
Having drawn a significant amount of blood, Noah’s already pale face turned even whiter. But Noah didn’t seem to care, ignoring Maverick’s caution as he packed the box into his bag. Maverick didn’t press further.
“Let’s go.”
“See you next time.”
Maverick smiled, saying he wouldn’t be far, and Noah nodded.
“It was nice meeting you, Maverick.”
As Noah climbed the stairs, Regina hurriedly picked up her things, bid Maverick goodbye, and quickly followed Noah.
“Take care, noble lady.”
Maverick watched Regina’s back as she ascended the stairs, wondering why Noah spared her. He didn’t think he would see her again. A Black Fairy that survived without feeding had never existed.
Thinking of the young girl transforming into a ravenous monster made Maverick feel a bit bitter. As Noah and Regina disappeared and the lab fell silent, Maverick approached his desk. Clearing away the clutter, he revealed an old picture frame.
“Paulina…”
The frame held a photo of his wife, smiling brightly. Maverick gazed at it longingly, tracing the photo with his fingers. The memory of her smiling face clashed with the image of her bloodied and weeping.
-Click.
Unable to bear it, Maverick closed the frame. After losing his wife, his life lost its direction. He sat at his desk, focusing on his research once more.
* * *
“Where to now?”
As they left Maverick’s mansion, the bright sunlight shone down. Indeed, that mansion didn’t get sunlight even at noon. Regina squinted against the glare and shaded her eyes with her hand, asking Noah.
“We’re going to the Royal Guard. There’s a place for wanted posters. Didn’t you say the ones who killed you were likely bandits?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Regina nodded, having explained her situation to Noah on the train.
“If we check the posters, we might see the faces of your maid or coachman. It’s worth a look.”
“Thank you so much. Let’s go!”
Regina was surprised that Noah was willing to help her achieve her goal. She looked at him with gratitude, and he smirked, moving forward.
“Don’t thank me. I’m doing this for my own convenience. If you see the ones who killed you and get angry enough to eat them, I won’t have to wait another two weeks for you to change.”
“I won’t eat people!”
“Then you won’t avenge yourself? They killed you.”
“What?”
Regina responded indignantly, but Noah suddenly stopped. He turned to face her with a serious expression, making her step back.
“You think you’re alive because you’re moving? The human you remember is already dead.”
Regina’s purple eyes widened, and he looked down at her with a sneer.
“Can you say the same after seeing them and recalling that memory?”
“…”
Regina was at a loss for words, staring up at him. She couldn’t be sure. She still felt like she was floating, disconnected from reality. Noah’s harsh words were a cold splash of water, making her bow her head.
“Annoying.”
As she fell silent and looked down, Noah frowned and turned away. He found dealing with kids exasperating. Annoyed, he walked ahead, and Regina hurried to follow.
She didn’t know how she would change. Her life had been full of love, always receiving hugs and comfort. She had never truly hated anyone.
Her eyes welled up, but she didn’t want to cry, so she blinked rapidly. As her vision blurred, she quickly followed Noah, swallowing her tears.
She was terrified of how resentment and anger might consume her, so she quickened her pace, almost running to keep up with him.
