Chapter 6: The Servant

“THIS will be your room for the time being while you’re staying here in Kuravorn. You won’t be alone because you’ll be sharing it with Sugar, who is one of the fortress servants,” Kelmor said, pointing to a tan-skinned, slant-eyed woman sitting on one of the beds inside the not-so-large room.

There were two small wooden beds inside, along with a little table holding two lit oil lamps. There were no windows, either, which made Lotte grimace slightly.

Well, it felt more like a prison cell in her world than a bedroom.

She nodded. “Thank you, Kelmor.”

“You see? Living here isn’t free. You have to serve His Majesty. And if you have any questions about the fortress or your daily tasks, you can ask Sugar,” he added.

She nodded again. “Understood.”

“That’s all for now. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll take my leave,” he said.

He was just about to leave when she suddenly stopped him, having remembered something important. Kelmor immediately turned to face her.

“How about… How about my clothes?” she asked.

Realization dawned on Kelmor’s face. “Oh, right. I’ll have your clothes sent here. We’ll also need to buy you a few new sets when we go to the capital,” he replied.

Lotte breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Okay, thank you.”

Kelmor finally took his leave, and she was left alone with Sugar in the room.

Lotte immediately sat on the empty bed and smiled at the woman, who had been staring at her as if trying to figure her out or make sense of her presence.

“You’re Sugar, right? I’m Louisette, but you can call me Lotte for short,” she introduced herself, extending her hand toward the woman.

Sugar furrowed her brows as she stared at the outstretched hand.

“W-Why are you doing that?” she asked in confusion, referring to Lotte’s hand.

Only then did Lotte realize what she meant.

“Uhm, this is how we introduce ourselves in my world. You place your right hand against mine, and then we shake hands. We call it a handshake. It means that once you accept my hand, we’ve officially become acquainted—or even friends,” she explained.

Sugar’s face immediately lit up. She slowly raised her hand and placed it in Lotte’s before giving it a gentle shake.

“Nice to meet you, Lotte,” she said with a smile. Then her expression turned curious as she asked, “Is it true that you’re a mortal?”

Lotte nodded without hesitation. Perhaps Sugar was just as curious about her as Lotte was about Sugar and the other creatures in this world.

“How about you? Are you a werewolf, too?” she asked.

Sugar shook her head. “No, I’m a werecat. Well, I’m not as big as the others of my kind, and there’s nothing particularly special about my cat form, either. That’s why I was cast out of my clowder and ended up here in Kuravorn. But honestly, I don’t regret it.”

Lotte furrowed her brows slightly. “Don’t you miss your family?” she asked curiously.

Sugar shook her head once more. “No, because I never really felt like I had a family when I was with my clowder. Here, even though I barely know the people around me, I don’t feel like I’m any different from them, even if technically, I am.”

Lotte couldn’t help but feel touched by her words. She barely knew Sugar, yet she could already sense the sincerity in her voice.

Well, I’m sure I’ll be back with my family in no time. I might as well enjoy my stay in this place while I’m still here.

* * *

The following morning, Sugar woke Lotte up early, telling her it was time for them to start working.

Lotte immediately got out of bed, as she was already accustomed to waking up early. However, something strange caught her attention. Ever since she had become conscious of the things around her, this was the first time she had managed to sleep through the entire night without waking up in the middle of it.

It was unusual, considering how light a sleeper she had always been back on Earth. Even the slightest noise could sometimes disturb her sleep, especially after long shifts at the hospital.

It was only five in the morning when she glanced at the watch on her wrist. Its hands were still moving, something she hadn’t quite gotten used to seeing. She briefly stared at it before following Sugar through the wide hallway, having absolutely no idea where they were headed.

The fortress was already beginning to stir. Unlike the previous day, when the corridors had seemed relatively quiet, several people were now walking in the same direction as them. Some carried baskets, while others wore what appeared to be work clothes. A few even exchanged greetings as they passed one another.

Lotte couldn’t help but look around. The place was considerably busier than she had expected at such an early hour.

“Where are we going?” she asked Sugar, keeping her voice low as they walked.

“We’re going to see Madam Awring. She’s the Keeper of the Hands of this fortress. Everyone has to undergo a daily inspection before heading to their assigned workplaces. She’ll also be the one assigning our tasks for the day,” Sugar whispered in response.

“The Keeper of the Hands?” Lotte repeated, slightly confused by the unfamiliar title.

Sugar nodded. “Yes. She’s in charge of overseeing the fortress servants and making sure everyone does their assigned duties properly. So, just follow her instructions, and don’t cause any trouble.”

Lotte gave her a small nod, trying to remember everything Sugar had told her.

As they continued walking, she began noticing something else.

Several of the people passing by were stealing glances at her. Some even turned their heads to get a better look, while others whispered among themselves as she walked past.

Their curious stares made her increasingly uncomfortable.

She couldn’t entirely blame them, though. After all, she was probably the only human—or mortal, as they called it—in the entire fortress. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

She instinctively moved a little closer to Sugar, hoping that staying beside someone familiar would make her feel less out of place.

For now, all she could do was keep her head down, follow the rules, and try not to attract any more attention than she already had. After all, she was still a stranger in a world that wasn’t hers.

They eventually arrived at an enormous hall filled with people standing in several orderly lines. The room was much larger than Lotte had expected, and judging by the number of people gathered there, it seemed that nearly everyone working in the fortress had come for the morning inspection.

If she hadn’t known that she was in Satheli Kalone, she would have easily mistaken everyone in the room for ordinary humans. They all looked just like people she would normally encounter back on Earth. There were no obvious signs of their supernatural nature, and no one had any unusual features that would immediately distinguish them from humans.

Who would have thought that every single one of them was a shapeshifter?

Lotte quietly observed the people around her, wondering what kinds of creatures they were. Some looked young, while others appeared to be much older. They wore different types of clothing, but most seemed to be dressed according to their respective duties within the fortress.

At the center of the hall stood a woman with white hair and slightly wrinkled skin. Judging by her appearance, Lotte estimated that she was probably in her fifties.

The woman stood with her back straight, her expression stern as she surveyed the crowd before her. Despite her age, there was something authoritative about her presence that made everyone seem reluctant to make even the slightest noise.

“Listen up, everyone!” Her sharp voice echoed throughout the otherwise silent hall, immediately drawing everyone’s attention toward her.

“As you may know, I was away from Kuravorn for a week, and fortunately, none of you did anything foolish enough to incur His Majesty’s wrath in my absence,” she began, her sharp gaze sweeping across the room. “I expect things to remain that way now that I’m back. I don’t want to hear any complaints about unfinished duties, missing supplies, or servants neglecting their responsibilities. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Madam Awring!” everyone answered in unison.

“Good. Now, before we proceed with today’s assignments, I want to remind everyone that His Majesty’s orders are not suggestions. If he asks for something to be done, you see to it that it gets done. I don’t care how difficult the task may be or how inconvenient the timing is. You find a way to accomplish it.”

She paused, allowing her words to sink in.

“Another thing. I’ve heard rumors about certain individuals wandering into restricted areas without permission. Let me make this perfectly clear: no servant is allowed to enter His Majesty’s private quarters, study, or any other restricted section of the fortress unless explicitly instructed to do so. Anyone caught violating this rule will be dealt with accordingly.”

Lotte instinctively swallowed.

“Now, I want everyone to return to their assigned duties promptly after the inspection. We have a great deal of work to finish before the day ends, and I won’t tolerate anyone slacking off. Those who have complaints may bring them to me after the assignments. Not during working hours.”

Madam Awring clasped her hands behind her back and took another moment to survey the crowd.

“That’s all. Let us begin the inspection. Those whose names are called will step forward. The rest of you will remain in your respective lines until instructed otherwise.”

With that, the hall gradually filled with the sound of people responding to their names as the morning inspection began.

A few minutes later, Sugar’s name was called, prompting her to step forward and collect a piece of paper containing her assigned task for the day.

Sugar returned to the line with a smile stretching from ear to ear. “Thank goodness I’m not the one assigned to clean that place,” she said, showing Lotte the paper.

“Fortress living room,” Lotte read aloud before looking up at her. “Which place are you talking about?”

Sugar leaned closer to her. “His Maje—”

“Louisette Whitmore.”

Sugar didn’t get to finish what she was about to say because Lotte’s name was called. She immediately straightened up, becoming alert.

She could feel everyone’s eyes following her as she made her way toward the table where Madam Awring was seated. The older woman was also watching her with a scrutinizing gaze.

“So, you’re the mortal everyone’s been talking about,” Madam Awring remarked, nodding her head as she examined Lotte. “Just because you’re different from the other creatures here doesn’t mean you should expect to be treated specially, Ms. Whitmore. I hope I won’t hear any complaints from you,” she added before handing her a white piece of paper.

“Thank you so much, Madam. And yes, I don’t expect any special treatment here at all,” Lotte replied politely before turning around to read her assignment.

“What did you get?” Sugar asked, still looking excited.

Lotte immediately showed her the piece of paper she had received, causing the color to drain from Sugar’s face.

“Are you okay?” Lotte asked, noticing her sudden change in expression.

Sugar shook her head and closed her eyes as if bracing herself for something terrible. “There’s no way you’re going to survive in His Majesty’s private execution chamber, Lotte.”