On the couch sat a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her thirties, a book resting in her hand.
Her light blonde hair was tied into a long braid, and she wore an elegant black dress that hugged her soft breasts and slender waist.
But what truly stood out were her eyes. A strip of black cloth covered them.
Yet rather than diminishing her beauty, it only enhanced it.
"Master... did you call for me?" Kyle asked.
The blind woman lifted her gaze toward him. "Kyle... did you catch the Wendigo?"
Kyle smiled. "Yeah. It almost got away from me, but I managed to kill it in the end."
She nodded, a faint smile forming on her lips. "Well done..."
She closed her book and placed it on the table in front of her, then gestured toward a chair.
"Sit. There's something I want to discuss with you."
Kyle took a seat and narrowed his eyes slightly at the serious expression on his Master's face.
"Is it about them?" he said.
The blind woman remained silent for a few moments before letting out a quiet sigh.
"Yes... They will come soon... I already told you we can't escape."
Kyle's eyes darkened. "So we have no choice but to fight."
"Don't worry. As long as there isn't more than one Tower among them, I can handle them... Darian will take some time to come, maybe tomorrow."
Kyle nodded and fell into thought.
The blind woman didn't interrupt him. She knew he preferred to analyze things thoroughly, preparing for the worst-case scenarios.
And what was the worst possibility right now?
That they would find a way inside before Darian... and worse, if two or more Towers were among them.
The blind woman frowned slightly.
She wasn't as strong as she used to be. There was a high chance she wouldn't be able to protect the kids.
That was why—despite not wanting to—she had no choice.
"Kyle..."
"Hm?" Kyle lifted his head, refocusing on her.
The blind woman took a deep breath, then spoke calmly.
"You... aren't from this world, right?"
Kyle froze.
The words echoed in his ears, striking him harder than any blow. His greatest secret in this world... had just been spoken.
His heartbeats quickened, and his eyes widened a little. Despite that, he forced himself not to show it on his face.
"What do you mean, Master?"
His tone remained steady, his eyes locked onto her—while his mind raced.
`How does she know?! How much does she know? Is there some kind of method to detect people from other worlds? No... is she even sure?`
He tried to read her expression for any hint that might help him, but her calm face didn't tell him anything.
The blind woman remained silent for a few moments longer, watching him as he teetered on the edge of exploding from overthinking.
Then she spoke again.
"Doesn't matter... I want you to protect the kids if anything happens."
"Of course. I would do that even if you didn't ask."
The blind woman let out a quiet breath.
"Good... that's all. You may go."
Kyle nodded, standing up and leaving the library as if nothing had happened.
He walked through the mansion's corridors, his gaze drifting over the paintings along the walls. They were beautiful... but not to him, not right now.
His movements and expression remained completely natural as he walked—until he reached the door to his room.
He entered and carefully closed it behind him.
The room was large, like something meant for a noble... Well, most rooms in this mansion were.
Kyle walked to his bed and sat down quietly, resting his elbows on his thighs as he clasped his hands together.
He remained like that for several minutes. Until a thought surfaced.
`Should I kill her?`
He considered it briefly—then quickly shook his head.
`No. That's stupid... She's far stronger than me. And she had helped me a lot... but how THE HELL did she find out?!`
The fact that he had been transported to this world wasn't something trivial. It was extremely dangerous. He could think of a hundred ways he could die if that truth came out.
The simplest one—being accused of heresy by the Church and hunted down.
Kyle exhaled.
`How she found out doesn't matter right now... What matters is why she told me.`
His master didn't seem like someone who would use such a secret to threaten him.
But she had asked him to protect the kids if something happened.
`Does she just want me to protect them?` Kyle frowned slightly. `But there was no need to bring up my secret like that... does she see me heartless?`
Well... that might not be entirely wrong. But he certainly wouldn't ignore the kids if they were in danger.
Kyle continued thinking for a while.
In the end, he let out a breath and stood up, walking toward a large mirror in the corner.
He looked at his reflection.
"I've changed a lot since I first came here..." he muttered.
His current appearance was completely different.
His black eyes had turned permanently crimson—even when he wasn't using his skill, though they still glowed when activated.
His messy black hair had become softer, slightly longer. It wasn't styled, yet it still looked effortlessly refined.
But the most shocking change was his face.
Even with a hundred surgeries, he could never have become what he is now.
He was strikingly handsome—sharp, wolf-like eyes, a sculpted nose, a defined jawline, and flawless pale skin.
Kyle stared into his crimson eyes for a moment.
`Maybe I slipped somewhere... something that gave it away.`
The chances were low—but he wanted to be sure.
A faint crimson glow flickered in his eyes as he issued a command to himself.
"In my sleep... remember everything that has happened since I came to this realm."
The command sank deep into his mind, and the crimson glow slowly faded.
Then Kyle turned, walked to his bed, and lay down. After a while, his breathing steadied, and he fell asleep.