of a child. Do you understand? It''s just that unsettling feeling one gets when encountering a dwarf!

"This fearless girl immediately recoiled, growing more and more uneasy. Even the silhouette of that ancient castle in the night now appeared eerie to her eyes.

"For several consecutive nights, as she passed by, she would see that peculiar boy. It seemed as though he never slept at night, standing there motionless on the terrace like a pensive sculpture.

"Perplexed, she went to inquire with the people around her the following day while working in the fields: ''Has Monsieur the Comte taken in a small child?'' But everyone claimed to have never seen such a child before. Reluctant to reveal her secret love affair, she fabricated a story, saying she had spotted the boy on the terrace during the daytime. Upon hearing her description of the boy, people all believed that she must have been mistaken. If there truly was such a conspicuous young master, it didn''t make sense for him to remain unseen for such a long time.

"That night, as she returned from her rendezvous, she made a conscious effort to avoid glancing towards the direction of the castle. However, at that moment, she heard a long sigh, hauntingly carried on the silent night breeze, almost whispering in her ear. It bore the tone of a child, yet the air was entirely not something a kid of that age would produce.

"Trepidation seized her as she timidly lifted her gaze and locked eyes with those bluish-tinged pupils. Those eyes seemed to burn with anger, scorching on a ghastly pallid fa