The First Letter (47)

The axe blade carved a silver line through the air before burying itself in the object. A crunching sensation reverberated up through my hand as the blade tore into something hard.

Even then, Senior Delphine showed no sign of movement.

There was no need for her to.

My handaxe struck the wineglass she had offered me, rather than Senior Delphine herself.

With a sharp crash, the glass shattered into countless fragments that scattered through the air. It was like snow falling. Then came the sweet fragrance of wine brushing against the tip of my nose.

Wine flowed down like blood. The purple liquid poured out, thoroughly soaking the tabletop before soon flooding across it.

My gaze, which had been fixed on empty space, met Senior Delphine’s. She did not look surprised or flustered. She merely let out a faint laugh.

Her blood-red eyes remained completely at ease. I found that deeply irritating.

“Senior Delphine.”

“Yeah, go on.”...