Ethan had to make an extra effort to keep his calm in the presence of the young woman. She seemed to take great pleasure in making his task as difficult as possible, being as unbearable as she could. Perhaps he had won the battle regarding her protection, but he knew he was still far from winning the war.

And deep down, he understood her. She was trying to hold on to the slightest bit of choice that still belonged to her. He didn't have that luxury. This whole situation deeply annoyed him. He couldn't even bring himself to hate her for choosing to let him die. If the roles were reversed, he would have made the same decision.

Nevertheless, he had to admit that she had a strong personality, despite her small size and humanity. His inner vila seemed to appreciate that. It had chosen her, after all. Letting himself be tamed was the best way to win his partner. The idea didn't please Ethan, but did he have a choice? The question wasn't even up for debate. And besides... now that he had other battles to fight, the one against himself seemed much less important.

Mia had retreated into silence, perusing her book absentmindedly. It was evident that she wasn't reading a word of what was written. This left him standing next to the young woman, lost in his thoughts. He felt ridiculous. After a few minutes, she looked up with a sigh.

"At least pretend to do something, I don't know, it's awkward... You don't have to stand around like a post all day, you can move elsewhere too," she said, gesturing vaguely towards other seats.

"No," he replied, putting his hands in the pockets of his canvas pants.

It wasn't that he was against the idea, but his vila pushed him to stay close to the human. At least this way, he could pretend to have some peace of mind. A small smirk stretched his lips as he could sense annoyance creeping back into her eyes.

"Fine," she announced after a heavy sigh, slamming the book shut abruptly.

Mia stood up from her seat, determined and fuming, heading for the exit of the library. He followed, positioning himself a few inches behind her. She walked at a brisk pace, but he had no trouble keeping up. When they crossed the entrance hall, a few students moved out of their way upon spotting the vila. He rewarded them with his most threatening look, head held high, and an imposing posture, challenging anyone to mess with him or the human. It wouldn't be enough to deter the fiercest and most vengeful among them, but it was a small pleasure he willingly indulged in.

Mia eventually exited the castle and headed towards the gardens. When she reached the first flowerbeds, she slowed her pace and turned to the young man, pointing her finger at an imaginary spot behind him.

"You can follow me from a few meters behind here. I don't even want to feel your presence, okay?"

"Okay," he conceded, shrugging.

Mia continued her journey among the flowers with a brisk step. Ethan positioned himself as she had asked, keeping a distance. He attempted to appreciate the scenery as well, but the continuous frustrated sighs of the young woman made it difficult. He didn't know if he was annoyed by her feisty attitude or amused by the prospect that he managed to irritate her by his mere existence. Perhaps a bit of both.

They quickly traversed the colorful gardens and reached the edge of the forest. This forest was frequently visited by the school's students when they had some free time, unlike the centaur forest, which was off-limits to anyone not belonging to that species. It stretched for a few kilometers and was dotted with small clearings perfect for outdoor activities, accessible year-round thanks to the mild climate surrounding the castle.

Ethan was used to going there only at night when he could venture without encountering a soul. That was absolutely not the case today.

Mia stopped in front of the first trees of the forest and leaned against the trunk of a tree, her gaze directed toward the last flower beds. With her head against the bark, she closed her eyes for a moment, massaging her temples and exhaling deeply. Two seconds later, she pointed in another direction, this time just a few inches from his current position.

"Sit."

Ethan grumbled but still obeyed the young woman who smirked mockingly.

Does she take me for her dog?

"This isn't going to work. I feel like I'm being followed by a creep. You're not going to follow me all the way to my room, are you?"

"No," he replied with a smile, although his inner vila was shouting the opposite. "Although it would be simpler if you moved into mine."

Ethan chuckled, stifling his laughter with his fist, in response to Mia's utterly outraged expression. He had to behave politely, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease her a little.

"I'd rather die!"

She answered him with slightly less irritation. Perhaps he had managed to lighten the mood a bit.

"You're safe in the infirmary. No one would be crazy enough to try to harm anyone amidst the fairies. They don't fight, but they have eyes everywhere and can turn into real monsters if they sense a threat."

"I'd love to see that," she smiled.

"Trust me, you really don't want to."

And he knew what he was talking about. During his first year at the castle, his presence was unwelcome to some of his fellow students. It still was, but his enemies had learned to be more discreet. Back then, a vila had attacked him in a corridor in their quarters and had fiercely taken him on. After a few broken ribs and a punctured lung on his side, and an unconscious vila on the other, they were forced to report to the infirmary. Lily, Mia's friend, was waiting for them, ready to give them a lecture for fifteen minutes in front of several students. He had never felt so humiliated and intimidated in his life. The memory still made him shiver two years later.

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The fairies could be quite terrifying when they felt it was necessary... They could completely change their appearance, transforming into a horrifying vision, a walking corpse straight out of a nightmare, and their voices became so high-pitched that they induced a persistent migraine. He had no doubt that if they wanted, they could shatter the eardrums of the fiercest creatures. They never attacked, but their long sharp-pointed nails in their harpy form could pierce the heart of any individual. Fortunately for them, the fairies were entirely pacifistic.

"And how are you going to know when I leave the infirmary? As far as you know, I could sneak out of my room at any time, evading your surveillance."

"Only if you want to die. Speaking of which, before you go in, I have something to give you. It's an enchanted correspondence. You write something on yours, and I'll receive your message on mine."

"Yeah, it's a phone, essentially," she said, completely unimpressed.

"A what?"

"A... Never mind, it's a thing from my world."

Ethan didn't press further, not very curious about the subject, and continued as if nothing happened."It's an item worth a small fortune. I advise you not to lose it. You can let me know when you plan to go out. We'll pick you up before you return to the infirmary."

"Alright, let's go now. We don't have anything better to do, and anyway, there's been enough of your presence for today."

Ethan nodded as he stood up. His vila wasn't happy about parting from the young woman, but his mind approved of his decision. The less she left the infirmary, the less babysitting he'd have to do.

He led her through the castle to the vila quarter. This area was smaller than the other wings of the structure since there were far fewer inhabitants, but it was relatively cozy. Magical wall sconces illuminated the small corridor that led to several rooms. At the end of the corridor, there was a small lounge adorned with a few armchairs and sofas, an imposing chandelier, and bear skin rugs. The chandelier wasn't magically powered during the day as small skylights naturally lit the room, giving it a peaceful and intimate ambiance. Nevertheless, despite the pleasant setting, no one used it. The vilas didn't particularly enjoy mingling.

Before he passed through the arch marking the boundary of his quarter, Mia stopped, nervous.

"Maybe I should wait for you here. I don't want to encounter other vilas..."

"So, staying alone in the middle of the corridor seems like a better idea?" he retorted, raising an eyebrow mockingly.

She mumbled something under her breath before resuming following him. He chuckled quietly, convinced he had heard something like "no need to mock me, you big jerk."

When Ethan arrived in front of his room, he unlocked the door and swung it wide open. He had never bothered to lock it, considering that no one would dare to rummage through his belongings, and the most precious items were already sealed in his office. However, the new turn of events had convinced him to be more cautious.

Mia didn't dare to step beyond the doorway, but he didn't take offense. After all, he was still a stranger to her. A stranger who had insulted her during their first encounters and had dragged her into a situation that exceeded her understanding. He couldn't blame her for being completely uncomfortable.

After checking that no one but Mia was looking into his room, he slid his hand into the middle drawer and pushed a small square false ceiling a few centimeters wide and long, using his index finger to retrieve the hidden key. Replacing everything, he heard Mia chuckle behind him.

"Isn't that a bit excessive?" she laughed.

"Until the day it isn't," he smiled.

In a matter of seconds, he retrieved the enchanted correspondence sheets. One of these papers was linked to another parchment, the latter held by his parents. Fortunately, he was prepared and had brought with him two copies in case he needed to communicate with someone else. It's not like his family couldn't afford it.

When his eyes fell on the first paper, his body froze, and his heart chilled. It was the correspondence destined for his mother, and she had left him a message that he deeply dreaded reading.

"What's wrong?" Mia asked, taking a step forward.

Ethan took the time to separate the copies and placed the one he didn't need immediately on his desk. He'd deal with that later. He didn't want to add another worry to the young woman.

"Nothing, just a message from my family," he quickly replied, turning to the blonde and handing her the sheet.

She seemed doubtful but didn't comment, simply taking the object and examining it.

"I don't have anything to write on it."

"Here, I have a spare."

He grabbed his quill and inkwell from his desk and passed them to Mia, who rolled her eyes.

"A quill... Of course."

"What were you expecting?"

"Nothing... nothing," she replied, with a smirk.

Ethan furrowed his brow but let it go once again. He had to remember that she came from a different world, and it might not be similar to his. Something he found difficult to imagine. And he didn't particularly want to imagine it anyway.

"Let's go," he announced, leaving his room and locking it.

He accompanied the young woman in complete silence back to the infirmary. Mia seemed lost in her thoughts, and he was too busy scanning the surroundings and glaring at anyone who dared to cross their path. She waved him a small goodbye gesture and disappeared into the fairy quarters.

His inner vila grumbled as he saw her move away, but he ordered it to be silent. He had to deal with this correspondence as soon as possible, and he needed a clear mind.

Back in his room, he sat down on his chair and picked up the first sheet, scanning it. His mother's elegant calligraphy mirrored her personality: cold, precise, confident. As usual, her words were direct.

« I've heard rumors about you, regarding a human. I hope it's not what I think. You know what will happen otherwise. »

Well, at least she had chosen to question him through correspondence rather than paying him a visit. He could still lie and deny all this, but she'd eventually discover the truth sooner or later. All he could do was buy them some time. Digging into one of his desk drawers, he pulled out a new quill and inkwell.

« Hello, Mother. They are baseless rumors. With the death of the werewolf, emotions are running high, and some have taken it upon themselves to seek revenge and play dirty. »

Ethan sighed, unsatisfied with his response but decided to send it nonetheless. He tapped the tip of his quill on the paper twice, making his message disappear, and remembered that he forgot to explain the gesture to Mia. That's what he promptly did, grabbing the sheet linked to his own and writing a few words.

He smiled as a response appeared on the paper a few seconds later.

« You could have mentioned it earlier. »

« I forgot, I'm not perfect, » he wrote as a reply, expecting her to seize the opportunity to insult him.

« You're right, it's not even close to one of the last words I'd use to describe you. »

« Haha. » He had asked for it.

« I'm going to have a meal in the infirmary and stay there for the rest of the day. No need to take care of me today. Tomorrow at 9:30 in front of the infirmary, OK? »

« OK. »

After checking for any new messages from Mia or his mother, Ethan put away his correspondence and stretched, feeling relieved. He was nervous about waiting for his mother's response, but he preferred to focus on the comfort that the good will the human showed provided.

In the end, it hadn't gone as badly as he feared. They even managed to exchange a few sentences on friendly terms, in a slightly more relaxed atmosphere than their previous confrontations. If their relationship continued to develop positively, perhaps he wouldn't have to die...

She might have a temper, but letting someone die, I don't think she's capable of that...

And he hoped he was right, because deep down, he didn't want to lose his life any more than she did.