When McClart suggested a trip to the village, Vienny froze in surprise before nodding enthusiastically, her face lighting up with excitement.

Lately, her expression had often been clouded with gloom, so her sudden brightness was a welcome sight. Seeing her cheerful for once filled McClart with a quiet sense of pride; he was truly glad he’d followed Moiria’s advice. With that, he boarded the carriage in high spirits.

What he overlooked, however, was that others had eyes, too. What appeared beautiful to him would inevitably be noticed by others as well.

“Need a chimney sweep?”

“Sir, would you like a shoe shine?”

“Fresh, plump ducks for sale!”

The village market turned out to be surprisingly large for such a small town. It also happened to be market day, and the streets were filled with an unusually large crowd and a constant hum of activity.

McClart, walking a bit ahead, glanced back at Vienny, who was wide-eyed and captivated by the sights around her. His gaze then shifted to their surroundings with a hint of disapproval.

He noticed a few young men sneaking glances at Vienny, only to quickly avert their eyes when they met his cold, steely stare. His expression grew even frostier.

One reason he had chosen this area was precisely its remoteness, with almost no connections to neighboring towns. They needed to stay out of harm’s way, so he had selected a distant, secluded place where news from Tempe or Chiron rarely traveled.

This remoteness allowed them a rare, casual outing, but it also meant that the villagers, who had no reason to fear him, were openly curious.

Through Corinne or Hans, he had started a rumour that the lord of the manor was a sickly, ill-tempered loner, hoping to ward off unwanted attention. But it seemed that people were far more drawn to the beauty before them than to any dark gossip.

Suppressing his simmering irritation, McClart clenched his jaw. If he’d known it would be like this, he would have brought her out in a full mask, not just a hood.

To make matters worse, Vienny had pushed back her hood to get a better view, leaving her face completely exposed. He’d wanted her to enjoy the view, but if he’d anticipated all the unwanted stares, he’d have chosen another way.

“Beautiful lady! Check out these lamps!”

Someone suddenly called, stepping directly into Vienny’s path.

Distracted by the sights, Vienny hadn’t noticed the man until the last moment and nearly collided with him. As she stumbled in surprise, McClart, who was close behind, immediately caught her, steadying her with his arm. He shot a piercing glare at the overly eager merchant who had jumped out so suddenly.

The merchant, who had been flushed with excitement, froze in terror upon noticing McClart and paled as he stepped back.

“Oh! M-my apologies…”

He stammered, inching back toward his stall. Vienny, however, glanced at the display, letting out a small, intrigued sound before slipping from McClart’s hold and approaching the lamp stand. The merchant, still wary of McClart’s glare, greeted her nervously.

“Oh, welcome, miss. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before. Are you perhaps from the house on the seaside hill…?”

Clearing his throat nervously, he quickly added.

“We have the finest lamps in the village right here.”

Though visibly nervous, he managed to gather his merchant’s instincts, arranging a variety of lamps for display.

Vienny examined the lamps with interest and asked cautiously.

“Is this truly the most beautiful lamp in the village?”

Standing just behind her, McClart observed as the merchant’s expression grew dazed, almost foolish—it was clear he had made direct eye contact with Vienny.

“Please wait just a moment, miss! I’ll fetch the masterpiece of our shop—a creation of a lifetime!”

The merchant made this bold declaration and dashed off somewhere. Macclat clicked his tongue in annoyance, watching him disappear.

Though Vienny denied it, McClart was convinced her red eyes had a bewitching power over people. How else could a single glance turn someone into such a bumbling fool?

Even Corinne, who worked at the mansion, would often look at Vienny with admiration, and passersby couldn’t help but steal glances at her despite McClart’s intimidating presence.

If only the power of the Great Witch had disappeared along with that enchanting red glow in her eyes.

As he debated whether to buy something to cover her face, Vienny suddenly turned to him, her voice a bit louder than usual.

“This lamp has a carved bird on it!”

She pointed to a lamp intricately decorated with a crow. Her red eyes sparkled with excitement, and in that moment McClart fully understood the merchant’s earlier dazed reaction.

“If you want it, then buy it.”

Or perhaps he should just buy the entire display, he thought. But before he could act on the idea, Vienny’s expression softened, and she stepped back, returning to her usual calm demeanor.

“It’s not really necessary, so I’m fine.”

She said, shaking her head before McClart could protest. Without giving him a chance to respond, she had already shifted her attention to another stall.

It was clear that she was interested in the lamp, but she had stepped back with a calm expression. McClart found this odd, but he followed her in silence as she continued to browse. Vienny stopped at several stalls, eyeing certain items each time, but never once suggesting they buy anything.

Memorising every item she seemed to be drawn to, McClart couldn’t understand her reluctance to make a purchase. Deciding he’d better ask, he was about to call out to her when she suddenly quickened her pace towards something that had caught her eye.

“Welcome! This is the exotic animal stall!”

Vienny’s attention was fixed on a bird—a small parrot in a cage, with a red body and wings of bright yellow and blue, topped with a plume resembling a little crown.

“You have a good eye! That one’s a parrot we caught just yesterday! If you buy it, we’ll include its first wing clip free of charge!”

“Wing clip?”

“They trim the flight feathers on both wings!”

Beside him, McClart noticed Vienny’s eyes widen in shock.

“You… cut their feathers?”

“If you plan to keep it, you’ll need regular wing clipping; otherwise, it might fly away. It could even injure itself by flying around and bumping into things!”

Though the merchant was addressing Vienny, his words seemed to resonate more with McClart. He stared at the cage before her, watching the small parrot gaze back at Vienny with its dark eyes, occasionally fluttering its wings. The cage seemed too cramped, barely allowing the bird to spread its wings fully.

Vienny’s gaze lingered on the cage, her expression unreadable. McClart studied her face, trying to decipher her thoughts.

“What’s the point of a bird that can’t fly?”

With a tone as if explaining to a child, the merchant replied.

“Since it’s now a pet, trimming its feathers gives it meaning in its new role.”

At that, McClart instinctively intervened, stepping closer.

“There’s something interesting over there as well.”

He said, gently wrapping an arm around her to guide her toward another stall. But to his surprise, Vienny resisted, looking up at him with a hint of resolve.

“Um…”

She hesitated, then asked softly.

“Can’t I buy this bird?”

Could she be feeling sympathy for it?

Though he felt a slight unease, McClart found himself nodding before he’d fully considered it. In truth, he couldn’t refuse her—this was the first time since they’d arrived in the village that Vienny had shown a genuine desire to buy something.

Seeing McClart’s approval, the merchant brightened and moved to open the birdcage.

“Excellent choice, miss. I’ll take care of the wing cl—”

“No need to cut its feathers.”

Vienny interjected.

“Pardon?”

“Just give it to me as it is.”

The merchant looked puzzled but could see she was firm in her decision. She even declined the leash he offered to control the bird.

With a reluctant expression, he rattled off several warnings about not being responsible if the bird escaped. Only after Vienny confirmed multiple times that she understood did he finally hand over the parrot.

Vienny carefully cradled the cage in her arms, the parrot nestled calmly inside with its wings folded. Despite the strain showing in her arms, she insisted on carrying it herself, refusing McClart’s offer to help. His irritation grew.

The bird’s vibrant feathers caught his eye, nagging at him, and the merchant’s warning about it potentially escaping lingered in his mind.

Finally, unable to hold back, McClart spoke up.

“With its wings intact…”

McClart said, watching the birdcage as they walked.

Vienny, who had been a step ahead, turned back to look at him.

“It could escape at any time.”

“It won’t try to escape.”

Vienny replied with quiet confidence.

Her denial was calm yet firm, and she met McClart’s doubtful gaze with a steady, resolute look.

“Inquisitor, it won’t try to escape.”

Whether she was speaking of the parrot or of herself was uncertain. McClart could only hope, with a surprising sense of vulnerability, that she meant herself.

A heavy weight seemed to settle in his chest, pressing uncomfortably, and he looked away, his tone gruff as he finally spoke.

“Let’s head back.”

He took the lead, walking ahead.

* * *

Corinne couldn’t help but ask why she’d gone to the trouble of buying a bird, pointing out that animals naturally flocked to her whenever she sat in the garden. Still, she was clearly fascinated, marveling repeatedly at the parrot’s vibrant feathers.

When she asked where she planned to keep the cage, Vienny surprised her by saying she intended to get rid of it. She tilted her head, puzzled.

Without further explanation, Vienny carried the cage out to the garden and set it on the outdoor table. She sat down, gazing at the cage, but didn’t open the door right away.

The merchant had said that pet parrots were only useful when their wings were clipped—because they were pets. So, did that mean a bird that could fly freely was somehow useless?

Vienny bit her lip thoughtfully. There had been no real reason to buy the parrot. As Corinne had pointed out, she only had to sit quietly in the garden or nearby woods, and various animals would approach her on their own.

Most of these creatures were wild, and she had never felt compelled to take one in. If she really wanted a bird, she could have just waited and taken one from the flock that often gathered around her.