It was her. That beast in human form. The energy thief.
"Brat, if you stare too long, you'll go blind," the old lady's voice snapped him back to reality, shattering his dazed expression.
Reynor blinked rapidly, forcing a grin that looked more like a grimace. "Ah… haha, welcome. I'm Reynor Wood. Nice to, uh… have a new neighbor."
"Good. Help her settle in," the landlady said before Reynor could think of an excuse to flee.
June, smiling ever so sweetly, opened the pouch. Reynor's heart sank the moment he recognized it. He had given it to her earlier that day.
She plucked out a coin and pressed it into the old woman's palm. "Here. For the rent."
The old lady's eyes widened. "A gold coin? Child, that's too much!"
A single gold coin equaled a hundred silver and rent here was only ten silver a month.
"Keep it as advance payment," June said lightly, as if tossing away fortunes was nothing. "I might stay here for a while."
The landlady tilted her head, still frowning. "If you had that kind of money, why not rent somewhere better? Plenty of fine inns and spacious houses in the central district."
June's gaze flicked toward Reynor, her lips curving into a sly smile. "I don't like crowded places. I'm sure your tenant here understands."
The old lady, satisfied enough, tucked the coin away and shuffled down the stairs, muttering about "eccentric young people."
And just like that, the two of them were left standing in the corridor.
Reynor's forced smile didn't falter, but inside, he was screaming. Of all the rotten luck… I literally funded my own torment!
…
Reynor worked quickly, brushing dust from the shelves and windows, helping her tidy the little space.
He noticed a neat bundle of folded clothes stacked by the corner, new, clean fabric that she must have bought earlier. Somehow, the sight of it unsettled him more than the bloodstains he'd seen the night before. Just how long was she planned on staying?
When the room looked halfway decent, he clapped his hands and edged toward the door.
"Well then, Miss June, I'll be off. You're all settled now." He forced a polite smile, though he wanted to escape quickly.
Back in his own room, the meal he had abandoned earlier sat on the table, gone cold. He reheated it with a snap, the magical stove sparking to life, and sat down eagerly.
Just as he raised the first bite to his lips, a sharp knock knock rattled his door.
"What now…?" he muttered under his breath, dragging himself to the entrance.
When he opened it, June stood there, calm as if she had every right to, except now she was dressed in a flowing white dress.
Reynor's smile twitched into place. "What is it, Miss June?"
"I'm hungry," she said simply. "I didn't bring anything to eat."
Her eyes flicked past him, drawn to the aroma wafting from the table.
"You join me." Seeing her expression, he reluctantly let her in.
They sat across from each other, plates filled. June ate with surprising eagerness, savoring each bite.
"Did you cook this yourself?" she asked between mouthfuls.
"I'm the only one here, so yes," Reynor replied dryly.
A small smile curved her lips. "A beast who knows how to cook… how rare."
Reynor's spoon froze halfway to his mouth.
"Miss, again, I am a human," he said, his tone exasperated.
June laughed softly, a sound that made his skin crawl with both irritation and unease.
As the two of them finished eating, Reynor asked. "Miss… how long are you actually planning on living here?"
"Until I fully recover, maybe. I'll need a lot of energy. It might take a while." She replied.
He forced a laugh. "You're not worried people will find out about you if you stay too long?"
June tilted her head, a playful gleam in her eye.
"They won't. But if you ever snitch to a hunter…" She leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper that brushed against his ear. "…I'll cut off your manhood before I leave."
Reynor nearly toppled out of his chair. He nodded so fast his neck almost snapped. "Understood. I'll be the most loyal, tight-lipped neighbor in the city!"
Satisfied, June rose gracefully and left for her own room. Reynor immediately locked the door, threw the bolt twice, and even dragged a chair in front of it for good measure.
He muttered while setting his so-called protective charms on the frame, "Not taking any chances with that energy stealing beast living next door…"
Only after all that did he collapse onto his bed with a long sigh of relief.
"I don't think my days will be peaceful anymore…" he groaned, pulling the blanket over his head.
Sleep came quickly, but when morning arrived, so did the familiar weight in his body.
He sat up groggily, clutching his pounding head. His limbs felt weak, drained to the bone.
"What… happened? I'm sure I ate last night…" His bleary eyes darted around, and then landed on a figure sitting cross-legged on the floor beside him.
It was June.
Eyes closed, hands resting on her knees, her entire posture radiated calm meditation.
Reynor's face paled. "Y-You again… this energy thief…"
His eyes widened further as panic set in. "Wait a minute, how did you even get in here?"
He twisted toward the door. Still locked. Chair still in place. Protective charms unbroken.
June opened her eyes slowly, as if she had been waiting for him to wake. "You're up."
"How did you get in here?!" he asked.
She raised one delicate finger and pointed at the window.
Reynor turned around. The shutters hung wide open, the morning breeze drifting through.
This woman just… jumps between windows? Like a cat burglar from hell?
He resisted the urge to scream, reminding himself she could slap him into the afterlife if he annoyed her. Instead, he asked stiffly, "Did you… steal my energy again?"
"after all," June smiled faintly. "You recover very fast. And you have a very pure energy, despite only being awakened rank."