Having already gone out into the corridor, I voiced a request to Mikael to address me as “you” and by name, without the pretentious “madam”. He immediately nodded eagerly.

“As you wish, Lexi.

With a soft smile, extending his arm bent at the elbow to me, he wanted to lead me further, but I only took three steps forward and stopped, thereby forcing not only the elf to slow down, but also Roxy and Theodore, who were breathing down our necks.

- Something is wrong? Michael raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“At night, there were sounds in front of our door, as if partitions were collapsing here,” I explained, looking...