The little devil giggled again.
And Camelot realized for the first time that the third party was not needed at all to reveal the face of a mysterious woman.
«So you were the woman with the green lipstick?»
The woman’s smile widened.
«You guessed it quickly.»
«After three chess games, talking paintings, a flying lizard, and the threat of punishment, it would be strange not to guess.»
The demon on her shoulder giggled.
«I like this guy.»
«No one asked you.» the woman replied calmly.
“But I’ll tell you anyway.”
Camelot looked from the imp to the woman.
“Then at least tell me your name.”
She thought for a moment, and then gracefully bowed her head.
“Aphelisa.”
The name sounded unexpectedly soft.
«Aphelisa…» Camelot repeated.
«Good.
Now explain something to me.
Were you really going to kill me?»
Aphelisa laughed.
Quietly.
It’s more like Camelot asked an incredibly funny question.
«Kill you?»
«Exactly.»
«No…»
Camelot frowned.
«But you said yourself that if I lose three games, I will be punished.»
«Of course.»
«And you also said that I could take Aurelius’ place.»
«And that too.»
«Then why are you saying now that you didn’t want to kill me?»
Aphelisa shrugged her shoulders.
«Because I was joking.»
«Are you kidding me?»
«Everyone has their own.»
The little devil raised his little paw.
«I think it’s funny too.»
«You actually laughed when he lost,» Aphelisa remarked.
«That’s exactly why I think so.»
Camelot sighed heavily.
«That’s great.
So I almost died because of your family joke.»
«You couldn’t have died…» Aphelisa said calmly.
«First of all, you are Aurelius’ grandson.
Secondly, I would never let the real heir die in this house.»
Camelot froze.
«The real heir?»
Aphelisa stopped smiling for the first time.
«Aurelius left behind too many unfinished stories.
I was waiting for someone who could get to them.»
She ran her fingers over the imp’s head.
He purred contentedly, as if he were an ordinary pet.
«We were friends…» Aphelisa continued.
«A long time ago.
Even before he became a great artist and the head of this family.»
«Did you meet here?»
«No.» Aphelisa looked towards the window.
«Outside.»
Camelot raised his eyebrows in surprise.
«Outside?»
The room went quiet for a few seconds.
«Me and my little friend.« she nodded at the little demon.
«We didn’t have a home.
There was no money.
There was no one who needed us.»
The demon stopped smiling.
Aphelisa continued:
«One day Aurelius found us.»
«And just took it to himself?»
«Not really.»
There was a warm smile in her voice.
«He bought for us food first.
Then the clothes.
Then he said that if we don’t want to go back outside, we can stay at the manor.«
«And you stayed?»
«We were hungry, stupid, and too proud to admit how much we wanted a real home.»
The little demon muttered softly:
«I especially wanted sweets.»
«You ate three pies on your first night.»
«I was hungry.»
«You were gluttonous.»
«It’s almost the same thing.»
Camelot couldn’t help but chuckle.
Now he was beginning to understand why the two of them got along so well.
«And then what?» he asked.
Aphelisa looked at him.
«And then Aurelius became our friend.»
She touched the wall of the old room with her palm.
«He let us stay.
He taught me magic.
I taught him…» she pointed at the little demon, «Not to set the kitchen on fire every time he gets angry.»
«I’m just an accident.»
«You set her on fire four times.»
«Three.»
«Four!»
The little demon turned away.
«The last one doesn’t count.»
Camelot smiled, but then he became serious again.
«And after Aurelius died, did you stay here?»
Aphelisa nodded.
«Yeah.»
«Why is that?»
The woman looked at him as if the answer was obvious.
«Because I promised.»
She got up from her chair.
The green dress touched the floor slightly.
«Aurelius asked me to look after the estate.
Behind his rooms.
For the secrets of the family.
Behind those doors that shouldn’t open.
And especially for those people who come here with bad intentions.»
Camelot looked at the walls.
«So you’ve been living here all this time?»
«We lived.»
«And no one saw you?»
Aphelisa smiled.
«I can be inconspicuous.»
The little demon immediately added:
«And she can also transform into a brownie.»
Camelot slowly turned towards him.
«A brownie?»
Aphelisa nodded calmly.
The protection of the estate, the supervision of guests, the preservation of old things, sometimes small household miracles.»
She thought about it.
«And I also make sure that the servants don’t forget to close the windows when it rains.»
Camelot looked up at the ceiling.
«So there really was a brownie in this huge estate all this time?»
«Not just a brownie.»
Aphelisa pointed at herself.
«A brownie with good taste.»
Camelot was about to ask the next question, but Aphelisa suddenly sighed.
Her smile turned a little sad.
«There’s one problem though.»
«Which one?»
«When Aurelius died, I fell asleep.»
Camelot blinked.
«Did you fall asleep?»
«Yeah.
For a very long time.»
«For how long?»
Aphelisa thought about it.
«That’s enough.»
«It’s not a unit of measurement.»
«It’s quite enough for a brownie.»
The little demon on her shoulder chuckled softly.
«She slept through most of it.»
«Thanks for clarifying.»
Aphelisa looked at Camelot again.
«I just woke up recently.
When that woman destroyed the wall in your bedroom.»
«Tatiana?»
«That’s the one.»
Aphelisa frowned.
«I felt a violation of the manor’s protection.
The thief destroyed part of the house, tied up one of the heirs and stole it.»
Camelot nodded.
«Adrian.»
«Exactly.»
She crossed her arms over her chest.
«I wanted to step in right away, but first I had to figure out why there were so many new people in the house.»
«And what did you understand?»
«That people have become too noisy.»
Camelot couldn’t help but smile.
«But you could have stopped Tatiana, right?»
«Could…»
«Then why didn’t you stop it?»
Aphelisa fell silent.Her face became completely serious.
«Because I just woke up.»
«…And?»
«I was hungry.»
Camelot stared at her.
«What?»
Aphelisa slowly pointed to an empty table near the armchair.
«After Aurelius died, they stopped bringing me food.»
Camelot frowned.
«Wait a minute.
Are you saying that no one has been feeding the brownie all this time?»
«Exactly!»
She raised her finger indignantly.
«And they stopped bringing alcohol.»
The little demon nodded with a very serious look.
«It was tragic.»
«A real tragedy.» Aphelisa confirmed.