Chapter 62: The Investigation of the Invisible Snack Thief
Chapter 62: The Investigation of the Invisible Snack Thief
Elyn’s POV
"Is there any probability that there is a Syrenthis in the castle that may actually like me?" I asked them.
"They are very selective about people they like. They prefer individuals who are scary and have demonic aura—much like the king does. And um..." Morthen cleared his throat. "...you have it too, my lady."
I frowned and pointed at myself. "I have demonic energy? Me?" I asked, genuinely unable to believe what he had just said.
"Yes, my lady," he and Rin said at the same time.
"You are very scary. I daresay you’re scarier than Versha and me," Rin added, nodding as though she was reporting the weather.
I stared at her, then slowly turned to Vaelory—who suddenly became very invested in examining her nails. Just...wow. My self-esteem wasn’t sure whether to be offended or empowered.
"Okay, let’s say I’m scary and have demonic energy," I said flatly. "I’m also a human."
"And that’s exactly why the Syrenthis wouldn’t approach you," Morthen replied. "They do not like humans at all. They would rather eat humans than even play with them."
"So if it’s not a Syrenthis, and it’s neither of you in the room, then that means there is something else in the castle stealing snacks," I concluded.
They all nodded, solemn as statues.
I pushed myself up from the chair—and all three of them scrambled to the window like I’d just announced I was going to explode. They pressed themselves against the wall as though it offered divine protection.
It’s not like I was going to hit them. Or throw them. Or vaporize them. Honestly...I was not that angry. It was a snack after all. Just some snacks that had this calm energy whenever I ate them.
I rolled my eyes and headed for the door. "Come with me. We are going to the kitchens. If there’s a place where there are always sweets and snacks, it would be the kitchen."
When I opened the door, Naviel and Ignivar—who had been waiting—immediately stepped aside, giving me a wide berth like I was some volatile magical experiment.
I narrowed my eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Um...making sure we stay alive?" Ignivar said.
Naviel nodded vigorously.
I exhaled and rolled my eyes, annoyed. "Whatever. I’m done for today. You guys can go. I’ll meet with Zorathys later and try to come up with a solution for the introduction."
They nodded and bowed deeply—but still didn’t move. They remained standing as though waiting for me to vanish completely from their line of sight before relaxing.
"I’m not that fucking scary," I muttered under my breath and headed down the hallway.
The castle was its usual labyrinthine self—dark corners, shifting shadows, faint whispers of ancient wards. The corridors grew warmer as I approached the kitchens, the familiar smell of spices and baked things drifting through the air.
The kitchen was bustling, as always. Heat, noise, clattering pots—comfortably chaotic. Kethra saw me instantly.
"My lady," she greeted with a bow, her copper hair sparking faintly from the oven-light. "I didn’t expect to see you back so soon."
"Yeah, me neither," I said, handing her the box. "I loved the snacks, and they did help calm me down—but apparently something else loves them too."
She shook the box lightly—then stared at it, startled. "It’s finished."
"Yes. This morning it felt lighter, but I didn’t think much of it. And now? It’s empty. I know I didn’t finish it."
Kethra chuckled, taking the box. "We’ll fill it up for you."
"Thank you," I said. "But that’s not the only reason I came."
"Oh?" she asked, passing the box to one of the workers.
"I’m told there’s a demon who loves sweets. I was wondering if you’ve ever dealt with something like that."
Kethra laughed. "Oh, the Syrenthis?"
"Yes."
"We were victims about five hundred years ago," she said, her tone half amused, half traumatized. "I submitted a petition to the king, but as usual, we never received a reply. So we took matters into our own hands. We made sure that any sweets we prepared—or anything remotely sweet—were eaten immediately."
"And that got rid of them?" I asked.
"Yes. They’re beautiful creatures, but disastrous. They can smell sweets from miles away, and while they steal discreetly, they always leave traces. At one point, they almost set the kitchen on fire—twice. Another time they nearly flooded the place. Everything went into chaos."
"What are the chances one is in the castle walls now?" I asked.
Kethra waved her hand dismissively. "Zero. If one were here, we would know instantly. Wherever your snacks were kept would be a disaster. They can’t sit still when eating sweets—they transform in and out. Sometimes their tongues, sometimes their heads or legs. There’s no way one is here."
Everyone—without exception—had said the same thing.
Which left me with exactly zero leads.
"Could there be something else then?" I asked. "Any other demon that likes sweet foods?"
"I’m not sure," she admitted. "I once heard succubi and incubi like sweets, but not food-related sweets—more like sweet people, if you understand what I mean." She gave me a look.
I nodded. "Right. They’re out."
"Gargoyles prefer fruit but barely remember to eat. Raven demons prefer shiny objects and don’t eat at all. No, I don’t know of any species that craves sweets like the Syrenthis. But individual preference is possible. Maybe some demon simply likes them."
Before I could respond, Morthen spoke behind me.
"My lady."
"Yes?"
"How about we set a trap for this thief?"
Rin snapped her fingers. "I second that. I don’t want to be accused of stealing again. I love my life too much, and I want to see more people cower when my lady speaks."
I ignored her.
"I agree with the...moth," Vaelory said, folding her arms.
I turned to them, a small smile tugging at my lips. "That’s not a bad idea at all."
Whatever was stealing my snacks was going to be in a whole lot of trouble soon.