The magical communication device was out of order, so there was no way to contact the County of Galaton for the time being. But there were other ways. Merchant caravans traveling between regions occasionally passed through Nagu Town, and the merchants carried letters with them. So I paid five copper coins and asked a caravan to deliver Maeve’s handwritten letter to Gallaton Count’s Castle.

Still, I figured the letter wouldn’t arrive until next spring at the earliest.

Following the old tradition of digging deep and stockpiling grain, I’d made sure we had plenty of food at home. But with Maeve to feed as well, our supplies might not be enough. So I told the town mayor about her, but to my surprise, the old man just shook his head.

“If you’re not a resident of this town, it’s hard to get any help,” he said. “Elsa, you should settle here as soon as possible.”

Ha! That old geezer was actually trying to use this to pressure me.

So I ran after the caravan at the town gate and bought a huge amount of food all at once. Then I lugged the bags and bundles back home. When the mayor saw me carrying all that by myself, his jaw dropped. After that, I spent half the day sorting the medicinal herbs I’d gathered earlier and arranging them on the shelves, making my laboratory look like it was actually being used. I could’ve kept all the herbs in my item box, but an empty workshop would only make people suspicious.

And so Maeve temporarily came to live in my house. Mrs. Rand next door gave her a few things to wear for the winter. Maeve thanked her, but I could tell she didn’t like the simple, even somewhat tattered clothes. She seemed very good at hiding what she really thought. I figured that might have something to do with the environment she’d grown up in.

Aside from pestering me every morning as soon as she got up, Maeve didn’t seem to do anything out of line.

Day by day, time passed, and winter arrived. Blizzards swept through the region around Nagu Town almost every week, and the thick snow cut off the roads. The nearby villages had to rely on carrier pigeons to stay in touch. It worried me a little. If they were attacked, those villages would be left isolated, with no one to help them.

I was worried the vampires might target other villages, too, but there was nothing I could do about it.

I put those pointless worries aside and decided to get to work. Just as I was about to start making potions, a blue shadow silently appeared behind me. By the time I noticed, Pandora was standing in front of the shelves, gazing at the bottles and jars. I’d once ordered her not to appear in front of me without warning, but ever since Maeve moved in, she seemed to have taken to appearing without a sound, then vanishing just as quietly.

“Pandora,” I asked without turning around, “what are you doing?”

“Observing.” She looked at me, her watery blue eyes dull and lifeless. “If you extract the active ingredients from these plants, you can make medicine. I find this process… very interesting.”

I’d been leaving her on her own for so long that I couldn’t help feeling guilty, as though I owed her an apology.

“Would you like to watch me extract the active ingredients?”

“Yes.”

Under Pandora’s lifeless gaze, I activated the alchemy process. My magic brought the alchemical array on the workbench to life, and it began to glow red. Amid the dancing arcs of electricity, thirty-six bottles of basic healing potion took shape, glass bottles and all, arranged in an impressive formation with red sparks still flickering over them.

“That’s incredible. Is this ‘magic’?”

Pandora’s words surprised me. I’d thought she’d always be the sort who seemed untouched by worldly concerns, but it turned out she was pretty expressive. Still, after that brief moment of surprise, Pandora’s face quickly went blank again. She watched coldly as I put the potions into my item box, then suddenly lost interest in alchemy and turned away, melting into thin air.

I didn’t know how different a machine spirit was from an AI, but she seemed more complex, more rational, and more emotional than I’d imagined—not just a cold tactical support system built for battle.

So from now on, I’d treat her a little better.

“Pandora.”

“What is your command, my lord?”

At my call, she appeared again at once. Behind her lifeless gaze, there seemed to be a trace of anticipation.

“Cancel my previous order. As long as you don’t interrupt my work or rest, you can appear whenever and wherever you like.”

I gave her an apologetic smile, but Pandora’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m sorry.” I looked away a little. “When I first met you, I… I didn’t know what to do. But I’m all right now. Anyway, I’m sorry.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

Her reaction was even calmer than I’d expected. She bowed to me, then stood behind me and watched me work.

To be honest, there wasn’t much to look at when an Alchemist worked. But a beautiful girl Alchemist was another matter. I glanced at the nearby window. On the glass, covered in snowflakes and frost, I saw the reflection of a fair figure: a silver-haired, red-eyed girl watching me with a hint of curiosity. She wore a very plain dress with a canvas apron over it. The tips of her silver hair just barely revealed her pointed ears. In a few years, that budding beauty might make half the world jealous and drive the other half wild. That girl was me—the beautiful vampire girl I’d become after reincarnating into this world. As for what I’d looked like before, I could barely remember anymore. In just half a year, I’d forgotten so much. My memories of my past life were fading, and my original personality was quietly changing to match this body.

I was scared…

Scared that one day, the person I used to be would disappear completely.

“Is something wrong, my lord?”

“No, it’s nothing.” I shook my head, chasing the jumble of thoughts from my mind. “No point worrying about things like that. Work happily, live happily.”

With that in mind, I started making intermediate healing potions. I soon finished the amount I’d promised the Commercial Association for this month.

Maybe because I was so caught up thinking about Pandora and myself, I didn’t notice that Maeve was secretly watching me work from outside the half-closed door. Her big, bright blue eyes were filled with shock.

“So that’s… ancient alchemy?”

She murmured in amazement. While I tidied up the workbench, she quietly returned to the living room and sat at the wooden table by the window, pretending to be bored as she watched the snow falling outside.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Maeve,” I called from the laboratory, poking my head out. “Could you see who it is?”

“Sure.”

Maeve opened the door. To my surprise, Faenda was standing outside.

“Elsa, we’ve got a serious problem!” he shouted. “Luka—Luka’s badly hurt, and a basic healing potion isn’t working. Do you have anything stronger?”

What? Luka was hurt! Without a second thought, I grabbed an advanced healing potion from the shelf, threw on my coat, and hurried out with Faenda.