“That’s not true for this one!”

Asti was surprised by Latifa’s actions and tried to stop her. Takan on her shoulder also fluttered its wings, trying to stop her.

But Latifa opened the large cage, releasing crows and black ravens to the island, asking them for a favor.

“Hey, when you all arrive on the island, make as much noise as possible. You’re smart, so you can do it well.”

The souls of the birds gathered together, forming a large silvery mass. They chirped in agreement and flew towards the island.

Kkaaah!

“Today is a day when I can do anything, Princess.”

Although there was a minor conflict about whether such a big thing could be done, Latifa continued to smile broadly as she unlocked the cage.

‘This is the first time I’ve done something bad in my life. Ruining someone else’s debutante party.’

For the first time doing something bad, her heart surged, and her heartbeat quickened. It wasn’t tension from anxiety but excitement from anticipation.

‘What should I do? This feeling. It might become a habit.’

Like Hades often did, Latifa continued to laugh and, together with Luhan, lifted the drawers stacked below.

Latifa winked at Asti, saying, “Keep it a secret if I did that.”

“Sure! Who asked you? Trust me only!”

Asti sternly warned the maids and guards who were on the boat with her.

“If anyone breathes a word about this, you’ll all be in big trouble! I swear in the name of Basilii!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Looking at the black cloud of birds covering the sky like a dark omen, Takan shouted.

“Latifa! It’s unexpectedly ominous!”

“Yeah, Takan. It’s incredibly ominous.”

Seeing the approaching land, Latifa responded while taking out another large drawer.

“Latifa, I’ll carry this. Give it to me.”

Although Luhan quickly took it from her, Latifa firmly shook her head, biting Luhan.

“No. I’ll do it. They’ve been under my care since they hatched, so they’ll be surprised if someone else approaches.”

When Latifa opened the drawer, black monitor lizards hissed inside.

“Heh! La, Latifa…!”

Although Luhan stepped back in shock, Latifa smiled, finding them cute, and spoke gently.

“Next are you guys. I’ll release you soon, so be patient.”

Black birds, black monitor lizards, and then black snakes.

That’s it.

Tiny black baby crocodiles followed.

The gathering of animals, considered ominous by people, was a collective entity in the sky, covering it like a dark cloud.
The merchants of the Grand Bazaar were clever and quick-witted in their own right, but separate from that, they believed in various guardians, often fervently indulging in small superstitions.

When weaving new threads for the goddess Bestis, who wore clothes resembling a spider, the weavers would always cut about an inch and burn it. Herdsmen would hide a well-ripened apple in the crevices of rocks for the shepherd god Pastor, who took the form of a child.

Though they intellectually understood that such superstitions didn’t actually provide any help, it was already ingrained in their culture. It served as a unifying force for the desert dwellers scattered across the vast desert.

Their inclination to adore and worship Latifa, who was adorned like a goddess, reflected this aspect of their nature.

To them, animals consisting only of black color were entities of ominous significance.

“Hades is truly insane. Giving you such ominous and creepy creatures as your initiation gifts. Ugh!”

Asti puffed up her chubby cheeks, then rushed to Manut, who was conversing near the bow and away from the drawers.

“I can’t fathom Hades’s actions. Using such measures just to separate Amira Shadi, poor Latifa must have suffered a lot.”

Luhan, with an unpleasant expression, couldn’t detach himself from behind Latifa, who was among those animals.

“The more I see them, the more attached I become. Luhan, aren’t they really cute?”

Latifa placed one of the lizards on her palm, petting it, and showed it to Luhan.

“W-Well, they are cute, but…”

Blushing slightly, Luhan scratched the back of his head as Latifa, asking him playfully, approached him.

Observing the terrified Luhan and Asti, Latifa wore a bright smile.

“Hehe. Luhan just needs to go with the flow. I’ll take care of the rest. Okay?”

Thinking about the plan Hades set up, the Latifa who used to scream when she first touched a lizard due to fear, now smiled with a subtle joy that continued to tickle her stomach.

Staring at the island, she eventually succumbed to the delightful feeling and burst into a cheerful laughter, like a child.

The plan itself might have been too childish, but apart from that, it was amusing, and that was what mattered.

“Kyaah!”

The gathered black birds suddenly began attacking people’s heads at the event, or noisily consumed the sweet fruits prepared on the trays.

“The black birds are attacking people, Miss Amira! Seek refuge inside the tent!”

People tried to fend off the birds, waving their hands frantically, but it only agitated them more. Excited birds tore apart flowers and fabrics adorning the venue, emitting sharp cries.

Amira’s maids tried to protect her, but she pushed them away and shouted.

“Oh no! Go away! I was just about to receive a proposal from Hades! Kyaaah!”

A black bird with its talons extended flew over Amira’s face.

Amira struggled, trying to drive it away with the white veil draped over her shoulders, but it was insufficient to block the intruder soaring through the sky.

“Ominous! So ominous! To think such black birds would attack during my initiation gift presentation!”

Hades sighed, almost lamenting the crowd being attacked by the bird swarm. Amid Amira’s chaos, she clung to Hades’s right arm.

“Hades! This is merely because of the fruits left on the ground; the birds are causing a ruckus for that reason! Since we’re near the river, bird swarms are quite common! Don’t worry about it! Let’s continue what we were doing, okay?!”

However, Hades, as if finding it unbelievable, widened his eyes and continued staring at what lay ahead.
Even Amira, who turned her head under Hades’s gaze, couldn’t close her mouth in astonishment.

Not only were there flocks of birds, but somewhere, a swarm of black lizards and black snakes appeared, crawling across the floor like the black patterns embroidered on the carpet. People were fleeing from them.

“Dangerous!”

However, as it was a small island blocked by the river on all sides, there weren’t many places for them to go. The only option was to take refuge on high sofas or inside makeshift tents. Some climbed onto trees.

“Black lizards and black snakes, signs of ominousness! I’ve never seen anything like this before! O guardians, please intervene!”

“There is undoubtedly a sign of misfortune for Shadi! Or perhaps for Caleb! No, maybe both!”

As people gathered and shouted about the ominous signs, Hades, as if he had been waiting, forcefully pulled Amira’s arm, pushing her away.

“That’s right, you! You are the culprit of this ominousness! Amira Shadi!”

At his shout, Amira’s face turned pale.