"Jazaila, my dear why are you not eating your food?"
When I heard father's voice I was quickly brought back to my senses. I sat up straight as I flashed a smile to my father.
"I just remembered something, father"
Trying to make them think that I was fine, I sighed in relief when he nodded slowly as he returned a smile.
Taking a bite of the food before me, I spaced out again... Actually, something has been bothering me since a while ago.
It was somehow a sense or feeling... I don't know if I'm right but it's the same feeling when I was in the castle of the demon prince.
Just what is this feeling?
I first noticed it when I was riding the carriage back to our mansion as all of a sudden, I felt a strange feeling and I can't seem to get it out of my mind.
"Are you sure you are fine, young lady? You have been spacing out since a while ago" Maria asks while she opened the door to my bedroom.
Glancing up at her, I once again flashed a smile letting her know that I am feeling fine.
"If something is wrong, I am always willing to hear your thoughts, young lady"
Her warm smile somehow makes me feel relieved. Maria is a really sweet maid and it made me feel like she's my older sister.
Brushing my hair after she helped me in changing, I glanced at the terrace, the door before it was close and I was thinking that I should open it later since it's quite warm here inside my room.
"Good Night, Young Lady"
"Good Night, Maria"
I muttered while she turned off the lights as she slowly closes the door. Covered in my blanket, I turned to the side looking at the terrace still closed.
I had a fun and tiring day I met my friend, Neci, and not only her but I also met other supporting characters of the novel.
I was not expecting to meet them that fast but thinking back then I had already met the heroine though she didn't saw us, it was only me and Nicholas but when I realized that he was only admiring the relationship of a mother and a daughter, I felt relief.
Should I really be feeling relieved?
But that is not what I'm worried about right now, It's still in my mind... that feeling a while ago.
Argh! This is seriously bothering me!
Pushing the blanket on top of me as I kick myself to get up from bed, I walked to the door that leads to the terrace.
Slowly pushing the door, the bright moon was the first to greet me as the cold breeze embraces my body.
T-Too cold!
Wrapping the white blanket around my shoulders, I breathe in the air trying to calm myself down.
5 years since I've arrived in this world and I still haven't adjusted yet.
It's all still new to me.
From where I was when I opened my eyes...- Remembering that person's face I suddenly sensed something.
I quickly stood straight as my eyes wandered everywhere If there was someone in the area. This is the one... that similar feeling that I felt a while ago.
Gulping in nervousness, I took a step forward to the railings of the terrace.
I can't be mistaken, I think this feeling is from a place that I am very familiar with.
Because I am short, I can't see what or whom Is on the first floor. So, I just clenched my shirt trying to be brave while I stood in place waiting.
Somehow this thing is slowly getting near, I sense it.
I can hear my heartbeat fast when I can sense getting closer and closer.
Now! Let's finally see what this feeling came fro-
*flap *flap
A large head with a short-hooked beak, large eyes set forward, and fluffy plumage that allows for almost noiseless flight.
A black- an owl?!
What is an owl doing here? The owl stayed above the railings of my terrace straightly looking at me like it's staring at a rock.
"(*sigh) So it was nothing?"
Now I'm a bit disappointed at myself for overthinking everything.
"Hello, Mr. Owl you look so cute!"
Smiling at it, I decided to take a step closer to the owl and was about to reach my hands to it, planning to caressed its hair.
When it suddenly took a step to the right that made my hand left hanging in the air.
Did he just avoid me?
Looking back at the owl it still has the same face while looking straight at me.
This owl is maybe an ignorant type?
"Mr. Owl aren't you cute-"
He ignored me again!
I glared at it after he took a step to the left leaving me hanging again.
"Tch, Aren't you a bossy one. I was just being kind and this Mr. Owl ignored me, why even bother coming to my house?"
I muttered lowly, I'm crazy getting mad at an owl who doesn't even know what I am saying.
"Run-Zia Glazu-buowe-kantla (It's Miss, I'm obviously a girl)"
Eyes widened in shock while my mouth hangs wide open, I blinked twice if I heard that clearly.
What The Heck!?
Did an owl just spoke?... On top of that, it's speaking the demon language!
No, I must be dreaming.
Wait, did I fall asleep without myself knowing?
"(*Slap)"
Ouch! That... Hurts?
This isn't a dream.
"Uhm did you just spoke?... Is there someone here that used their voice, like a recording maybe...?"
Looking at every side of the terrace running back and forth searching for a person but I was answered with nothing.
"So, this is real? An owl that spoke is real? It even uses the de-"
"Daughter of The Demon Crown Prince, Jazaila"
What... this owl knows who I am?
"Yes?- Ah, Wait a minute... are you from the demon realm?"
"ZaNTyagurasak - Gukizyukat - gurasa, Bajuktza? (You heard me speaking the demon language a while ago, right?)"
This thing is really bossy, huh?
"Ah, of course, I heard you- W-Wait, then what are you!? And why are you here?"
"How did you know that I am the daughter of the demon crown prince?"
I quickly backed away when I saw it raises its wings then all of a sudden a black smoke appears, I tried to clearly see through the black smoke but I failed that made me closed my eyes.
When I felt the smoke slowly vanished, I opened my eyes when I saw a tall feminine figure in front of me.
Short neck-length raven hair, greyish eyes that glisten through her bangs staring straight poker face at me, wearing a black short dress, I thought it was a cape, in another angle I also thought it was a nightgown and I noticed an owl-like ear above her hair, over-all she kind of looks like a high school girl.
S-She looks cute by the way.
So, she transformed herself into an owl?...
H-How did she do that?! Are all the demons able to do that?
"So, you are a girl..."
"That's your comment?"
Oh, she speaks human language.
"So, you are a demon"
"I am"
It is been so long since I have seen and talked to demons.
"Uhm, what is your purpose in seeing me? You even bother in coming here to the human realm, I heard you say my father's title a while ago"
A demon owl-shifter suddenly appeared in front of me, I wonder what really is her purpose? This all means that she was the one I sensed a while ago in the carriage so, she has been following me.
Now, I'm getting even more nervous besides my father and the maids, I have no idea what other demons are like.
What I know now is that I can't trust any of them that quickly.
You won't know what's hidden behind them.
Waiting for her answer, I suspiciously looked at her.
Well, she does not look like someone who'll have the intention to kill me, and once again she looks cute, she even looks younger than what I look like in my past life.
"The demon crown prince, your father has sent me a letter back in the demon realm"
"My father?!"
"Yes, He sent me a letter asking me for a favor to go to you"
Father sent her to me?... Just what is he doing in the demon realm now? I can't get a hold of any news about him I mean I haven't seen or met a demon here in the human realm so it's explainable why I literally don't know what's going on there.
"I-Is my father doing fine?"
Asking her with concern she looked at me as she shooked her head "no"
I miss him, my real father.
"He did not state in the letter about him but he only stated that he wants me to- no more like he ordered me to be your pet"
Saying those words seriously with a poker face, I don't know if she's joking or what.
Pet?! Did dad just seriously order a demon to be my pet?
And I can see that this girl hated the idea by looking at her expression.
"Pfft-"
Oh no, I can't help but laugh
I mean p-pet? Like a dog or cat? Am I gonna treat her as a pet?
Seriously, even in a letter dad still can't get that humor out of him.
"Haha, Haah Ha-..."
I stopped myself when I saw she still looked at me with a poker face not even changing an expression.
I cleared my throat in embarrassment as I stood still while I looked down.
"Sorry..."
"Uhuh, you better be"
Yes, ma'am.
"Now, back to what I was saying... the demon prince stated that I'll be your pet because 'us' demons are not allowed here in the human realm"
"And as you saw a while ago, I am an owl-shifter I can be your pet as an owl but what he really meant for me to be a pet is that I'll be your guardian, one of your kind to protect you"
"One of my kind?"
Oops, I blurted that out loud.
I flinched when I saw her glaring at me, she looks so scary when she glares at me like that.
"Don't tell me you completely forgot that you are a part of our kind, demons"
I gulped in nervousness when I heard her voice went deep and strict.
"N-No, how could I ever. I am always aware that I am a demon that was sent here in the human realm by my father"
I felt relief when she nodded to my answer.
(*sigh) that was close.
Oh, I just noticed she didn't tell me her name yet.
"U-Uhmm, Miss. what is your name? and what is your relationship with my father?"
"The name is Eira Lilyth, and my relationship with the demon prince?"
She quickly looked at the moon, which made me curious as to why she did that, she seems like she's thinking about it no more like she's not sure.
Are they somehow related?
"We are not related... hmm, a friend?"
Friend?
"Is that so? it sounds like you are unsure of your answer"
"I was just joking"
Oh.
Wait-
Did she just say she's joking?
My eyes widened when she suddenly giggled but with the same poker face, just her hand covered her mouth.
Is she really joking? I did not know that she was joking she had this serious face when she was telling me she's my father's friend.
I flinched when she stopped laughing as I noticed she stares at me.
Ah, she said she was joking! I should laugh... right?
"ah-Hahaha So, you were just joking gosh that was funny"
Wait a minute, I sounded awkward just now.
"Back on what I was saying I am your father's childhood friend"
"My father's childhood friend? If that's the case how many years are you apart?"
She looks so young to be my father's friend, my dad looked like he's in his middle twenties while she's like in her teens – 18 based on my preferences.
"200 years"
WHAT?!
"2-200 years?!"
"Yeah, is it so shocking for you?"
Of course, it is! I didn't even know what's my father's age is and you're telling me that you, his childhood friend are 200 years apart?!
This is unbelievable, how the heck do they look so young?
"Uhm, C-Can I ask how old my father is?"
"The Demon Crown Prince? This year he'll turn a thousand and four hundred-one."
My mouth quickly hangs wide open to what I am hearing right now. So, this girl in front of me is a thousand and two hundred years old?
This is making me dizzy.
"(*sigh) I t-think I can understand that part already"
I don't!
"So, your highness, do you have any other questions you want to ask me?"
It's kind of awkward hearing her say 'your highness' to me.
"Eira, how come you don't have horns but owl-shaped ears?"
I've been wanting to ask her this when I saw her transformation a while ago, I was really wondering why she doesn't have horns.
Reaching her owl-shaped ears she touched them as then they suddenly vanished and were quickly replaced by thorns.
T-That was quick!
"Whenever I shift into an owl after I went back to normal, it takes time to change them back to the way they are"
Oh, so that's how it works.
"Then, can you only shift into an owl?"
She shook her head 'no'.
"I can shift into an owl, a cat, and an ordinary human"
Woah, she can do all of that?
Wait, but why didn't she just shift into a cat? It's easier to come here if she'll turn into a cat.
"An owl is originally the animal I can quickly shift to and is what I have gotten used to, turning into a cat is only for important purposes whenever I turn into one, I still can't control it and I often became aggressive and for the human form, the only thing I do is to vanish my horns"
Right, like what my father did to me when he brought me here.
"Then, why didn't you shift into your human form? It's much easier for you to find me"
"It's not that easy, there are requirements for a demon to be able to live in the human realm and you need the permission of the demon king and humans are curious species it will not be long once they know that certain person is a demon"
She sternly stated as I noticed her slowly walking to my room.
"Now, that you know those things about me will you accept me as your pet/guardian, your highness?"
I still am not sure that I should trust her, but my father was the one himself to ask her to protect me, so I should trust whom my father trusted.
Slowly, I nodded which made me see a glimpse of her lips raised into a small smile.
Opening the door, she then observed the whole room.
"I have another question that I wanted to ask you"
I stated as she looked back at me when she sat at a chair.
"Go ahead"
"Do all the demons shift into humans?"
It made me curious if a demon was hiding in a form of a human or just in its original form, I heard of a rumor that from a faraway kingdom, a demon was roaming around killing innocent peoples.
"Not all"
"Those who can shift into a human are only the ones that the demon king agreed to, royalty are exceptions since they are already born with great power and can shift into a human quickly"
Royalty...
"You have powers too, right? Other than shifting?"
She looked at me in curiosity as she then avoided my eyes and nodded.
When I saw her nodded I Immediately smiled.
Maybe in this way, I'll know how father did the trick that he did when we came to the human realm, I thought in the first place that it was magic.
But somehow, I think the demons have power beyond magic.
"I can sense an aura or I can read one in one's place and it will tell me what will happen in the next day but not quite I can only tell what a person will feel in the future's event"
My eyes widened in interest.
Woah, she can do that?
"Then, can you tell me what will happen tomorrow?"
I sat in my bed while I got interested in asking her when I saw her closed her eyes as she took a long breath, I then saw her scrunching her nose as she slowly nodded.
"The whole day tomorrow..."
"Yes?"
I replied in excitement.
"You'll be annoyed by what will happen"
...
Glaring at the wall, I scratched my neck when once again I witnessed the maids stressing over what I'll be wearing today.
Isn't today just a normal day?
"Maria, why are all of you in such a hurry? And you are all making me dizzy from going through one place to another aren't I just going to meet my teacher? I've seen him for two years now"
"Why is today different?"
"I am sorry young lady, but I was ordered by the duke to not tell you anything and just get you dressed in a fast way"
I sighed in defeat as I took a glance at Eira who is in her cage in her owl form, I was able to have permission from father to keep the owl last night that's why she's already here in my room.
I stared at her saying 'Is this what you meant yesterday?'
I saw her brushed her shoulder that made me rolled my eyes.
She's been quiet since what she said last night and it's making me even more curious now that I have seen the maid act like this early in the morning.
Dressed in a blue and white dress with my hair just normally left straight, I am now walking with father and mother to the main door of the mansion welcoming my teacher.
Why are they making a fuss welcoming my teacher whom I saw for two years already this isn't what they did in the past year.
"Lift your head up, alright my dear? Put on a smile when you welcome your teacher"
Why though?
I just nodded in reply to mother's words as we wait as the doors slowly opened when-
"Good Morning, Duke and Duchess Clentaz"
A familiar small figure appears in front of me, a smirk of happiness when it saw my face as it slowly smiles... more like faking it.
Red... Red hair!
"Jazaila, Good Morning"
It's like I've become deaf not noticing that my teacher was already greeting me, I was still in great shock to see the person beside him.
'Not expecting to see me am I right?'
He has that expression on his face.
I flinched when I felt the dress of my mother brushed upon my shoulder as my eyes widened when she quickly did a curtsey as I turned my gaze to father when he also did the same thing.
"It's a pleasure to have you here, Third Prince of Zentya Kingdom"
He smiled at both of them and then he showed a smile that made me annoyed.
Now, I know what Eira meant last night.
J-Just what is this red-haired brat doing here?
_______