Chapter 96
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Chapter 96
At the fairy's words, Kieran went rigid.
It had been truly ages since his mind had come to such a complete standstill.
He painted a habitual smile across his face.
And as if nothing were amiss, he smiled and asked in return.
"...Queen?"
The fairy's eyes were pale green.
The color was as tender as a sprouting seedling, yet her gaze was as hard as ancient wood.
"She was meant to ascend to the throne."
The fairy glared at Kieran.
Her voice carried the weight of ages-old resentment.
"Have you humans stolen our queen from us once again? Your greed knows no bounds."
"I see."
I didn't fully understand everything the fairy was saying.
But I quickly grasped what she wanted.
Kieran tilted his head to the side and asked.
"So you intend to drag my child away to the Fairy Kingdom?"
"It is not dragging."
The fairy answered firmly, regarding Kieran with serene eyes.
She whispered as if speaking an absolute truth.
"It is merely a return to her rightful place."
The moment the fairy finished speaking.
Kieran felt a murderous intent so intense it was nearly unbearable.
He had already lost someone precious.
He would not lose anything more.
No one could take Chesa from me.
Not human, nor fairy.
Not even a god.
"...."
I slowly clenched my fists.
The surface of the leather gloves friction against each other, creating a faint sound.
The shadows at my feet trembled faintly.
Kieran struggled to maintain his reason.
He repeatedly reminded himself how valuable and useful this creature before him was, enduring through sheer force of will.
Yet despite his desperate efforts, circumstance refused to cooperate.
The fairy was arrogant and knew her place not.
"Let me meet her."
It was a demand made with such confidence, as though she were simply claiming what was rightfully owed to her.
Kieran's smile deepened.
It was a bright smile, yet those who knew him well would have felt a chill and fled at the sight of it.
Kieran answered with a gentle tone.
"Of course I'll arrange for them to meet."
"...Are you certain?"
"Naturally. They're of the same kind, after all. My child would want to meet their own kin. If the child wishes it, the Fairy Kingdom? Well, I'd be more than willing to send them there whenever they please."
The Fairy's eyes widened.
She hadn't expected Kieran to respond with such goodwill.
The thought that he was a kind human was written plainly across her face.
Perhaps it was because she was born from nature itself.
The unspoiled Fairy was guileless to a fault.
Kieran continued speaking to her with gentleness.
"But before that, there are a few things I'm curious about."
Contrary to his tender voice, an eerie gleam danced in Kieran's eyes.
The more his crimson gaze shimmered with malice, the more the Fairy's eyes lost their light and grew clouded.
Kieran whispered affectionately to her.
"You can answer for me, can't you?"
The Fairy's lips parted.
Yet nothing emerged but trembling silence—no answer came.
It seemed she still lacked sufficient... persuasion.
Kieran snapped his fingers twice—snap, snap.
Shadows stretched into an unnatural shape.
The elongated darkness, serpentine and sinuous, reached down to the Fairy's feet, bound as they were by white chains.
From the shadow rose tendrils of darkness that coiled around the Fairy's legs like black serpents.
The slow, creeping motion was chillingly grotesque.
It was enough to wring screams from anyone, yet the Fairy remained motionless.
She merely stared at Kieran with a vacant expression.
The darkness wove around her with cunning precision, avoiding the chains.
Kieran waited until the darkness had sufficiently consumed her.
And when she reached the point where she could no longer bear silence.
Kieran smiled thinly and asked his question.
"Do you happen to know of a Fairy who resembles my child?"
***
I urged the Twins onward toward the place where the Fairy was imprisoned.
Karha and Ishuel chattered incessantly the entire way they brought Chesa along.
"Little one, aren't you hungry? You just woke up. The stew here is quite good."
"Are your clothes uncomfortable? Should we change them first?"
They were in complete chaos, desperate to keep Chesa from going to where the Fairy was held.
Chesa stubbornly ignored their words.
Then, at one point, she was inevitably caught off guard.
"The puppy is in the other room."
It was because Ishuel had mentioned Hata.
While Chesa was unconscious, Hata had barked and caused such a commotion that they'd locked her away in a separate room.
Chesa quickly urged Ishuel on and hurried to the room where Hata was.
"Woof...!"
The moment she opened the door and stepped inside, Hata threw herself at her, tears streaming down her face.
While they had their joyful reunion, the Twins exchanged a few words indifferently beside them.
"Do dogs normally cry?"
"I'm not sure. I've never paid attention to dogs before."
In any case, the Twins were satisfied with how effectively the puppy had served their purpose of delaying Chesa.
Chesa cradled Hata in her arms and set out to find the Fairy again.
After wandering round and round through the modest Inn, going this way and that, dragging out the time, she finally arrived.
The Twins finally brought Chesa to the room where the Fairy was supposedly held.
The place where the Fairy was imprisoned was a room located on the highest floor of the Inn.
I saw Kieran just closing the door and stepping out.
His face was paler than usual.
He had exerted his power excessively.
The moment Chesa confirmed Kieran's condition, she became anxious.
'Did he kill the Fairy...?'
Kieran was more than capable of doing such a thing.
She could only hope the Fairy hadn't said something to displease him.
'But Kieran would need the Fairy's information too. So he probably didn't kill her.'
As she worried, Kieran noticed Chesa.
His eyes widened.
"Chesa...!"
Kieran rushed over and scooped Chesa up, puppy and all.
He pressed a kiss to her round forehead.
"You're awake now? You slept for so long that Father was very worried."
Even though he had witnessed everything—Chesa using the Fairy's power.
Kieran's demeanor hadn't changed in the slightest.
If anything, he seemed even more affectionate than usual.
"I'm perfectly fine! Nothing hurts at all."
She reassured him by touching her nose to his, letting him know she was unharmed, and then broached the matter at hand.
"I want to talk to the Fairy."
"...Father is disappointed."
Kieran asked with his eyebrows drooping sadly.
"Do you like Father more, or the Fairy?"
"...."
I never thought I'd hear such a childish question.
As I stared at Kieran in disbelief for asking something so infantile, I felt eyes upon me.
Karha and Ishuel were watching with barely concealed anticipation.
It was as though their gazes were saying they'd ask the same question next.
"The Fairy is just someone I'm curious about and want to meet."
After navigating the crisis with an appropriate response, I muttered dejectedly.
"There's no helping it if I don't meet them...."
I could feel the three men exchanging quick glances without even looking.
The Twins' gaze seemed to ask plainly whether the Fairy was still alive.
The men of House Basilian only united so perfectly in moments like these.
After reaching an agreement with the Twins, Kieran tapped my forehead lightly and asked.
"Then shall we go in together?"
Wanting some independent time alone, I made a reluctant expression.
At that, Kieran's voice turned deliberately stern.
"That creature nearly got you hurt. How could I let you go in alone?"
It was an attitude that would not yield under any circumstances.
Faced with such firmness, I nodded in agreement.
Besides, I had already confirmed the Fairy's location.
If I couldn't have a satisfying conversation now, I could always return secretly later to ask questions.
For now, I decided to obey Kieran's wishes without complaint.
"Understood. I'll go with Father."
Unaware of my true intentions, Kieran's face brightened.
After entrusting Hata to the Twins, I entered the room where the Fairy was confined alongside Kieran.
"...."
I had to restrain myself from letting out a hollow laugh.
The Fairy hung limply from the chains of condemnation, their eyes glazed and vacant.
The moment I saw the Fairy's vacant expression, I understood their condition immediately.
'Kieran has tampered with their mind.'
No wonder they agreed so readily to meet....
There was truly no letting my guard down.
But there was one thing Kieran had not anticipated.
That I could restore even a maddening Fairy to sanity.
Had it been a human, breaking free from Kieran's dark magic would have been difficult.
But I was no human—I was a Fairy.
Just as I had restored the shattered Illusion Realm to its original state, I sensed I could undo this mental manipulation as well.
"The Fairy seems tired... It's quiet now, isn't it?"
I brushed past Kieran's shameless pretense and drew closer to Chesa.
Reaching out, I cradled her cheek in my palm and pressed my forehead against hers.
In that instant, flowers bloomed around Chesa.
The hazy glimmer in the Fairy's eyes sharpened into focus.
She trembled delicately, her voice emerging as a whisper.
"Your Majesty..."
Kieran's smirk faded into an expressionless mask.
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