Kokoro didn’t find his response unusual, and went to fetch her knife to peel the apple. She realized she’d forgotten to bring a cutting board or a plate, so she sliced it on top of the plastic bag.

‘You’re amazing, Kokoro-chan,’ Ureshino said, his eyes lingering on her hands. ‘You’re really great at peeling apples. You’re like my mum.’

Masamune made no comment, but did munch happily on a couple of slices of apple while he continued his video game.

AS LATE AFTERNOON CAME, KOKORO decided to explore the castle.

The absence of a plate for the apple made her think she’d try to locate the kitchen, if there was one. The Wolf Queen had said there was nothing to eat here, but there could still be plates.

The castle was most definitely cavernous, yet not as absurdly vast as those with dungeons she’d seen in video games.

The grand foyer with the staircases and the seven mirrors was situated at one end of the castle. From there extended the long red-carpeted hallway towards their individual rooms. Beyond that was a common area, including the Game Room where they played their video games.

There was a dining room, too, which she had spotted earlier.

She stepped in gingerly and let out a yelp of surprise. Through this particular window she could see outside. The windows elsewhere in the castle were made of frosted glass.

The greenery was clearly visible. A closer look revealed an inner courtyard, and beyond that lay the wing with the staircases and mirrors, forming a U-shape around the courtyard.

Kokoro was dying to venture outside, but there was no handle on the French window to open it. Apparently, the courtyard was just there to be admired. Underneath a cedar tree was a bed of marigolds and salvia in full bloom.

Placed in the centre of the dining room was an extravagantly long table. Kokoro often watched dramas where parents sat at either end of a long table. The dining room also boasted a fireplace, and above it hung an oil painting of a vase filled with flowers.

The room was still, and a cold chill lingered, as though no human presence had been felt in a long while. The table was draped neatly with a spotless tablecloth.

Kokoro spied a door at the opposite end of the dining room. It led directly into the kitchen, which turned out to be even grander than she’d been expecting.

She went over to the sink and tried lifting and lowering the handle on the tap, but no water came out. A mighty stainless-steel fridge stood in the corner, but it proved to be completely empty. She stuck a hand inside to check whether it was on. It was not. The shelves along one wall were filled with white ceramic plates, soup bowls and tea sets, none of which seemed to have ever been touched.