episode_0007

[Episode 7] – A World with Fairies

After possessing Vivian’s body, this was the first time I had ventured outside the castle. Every day, I could only wander within the castle, and even then, only on the same floor.

No one particularly stopped me from going elsewhere. But since there was no reason or excuse to move to another place, I wandered only on the floor where my room was located.

Even just wandering the corridors felt burdensome with maids following me…

So, the only way for me to explore outside was to look out through the window. The lush garden directly below the window.

As I set foot there for the first time, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the sight of the lush garden in full bloom as seen through Vivian’s eyes.

While admiring the blooming roses, Ellie, who was with me, pointed at the roses with her hand and called out to me in a bright, sunny voice.

“Look at this, Your Majesty! The roses are already like this!”

“…Yes, they are beautiful.”

Certainly, they were beautiful, but…

Rather than the roses, something above them caught my eye. Did Ellie know? That above those roses, there was ‘something’ using the petals as a blanket, lying there with just a thumb-sized ‘something.’

As I absentmindedly gazed at the ‘something,’ Einsel, who was on my earring, cleared his throat and began to explain about the ‘something.’

-That’s a fairy called “Silphy.” They carry the wind or are like the wind itself. Don’t be too fond just because they look cute. You know, their hearts are as fickle as the wind, so they lose interest in the blink of an eye. So never get attached!

“That, a fairy..?”

When Ellie poked the rose, the fairy, who seemed annoyed, furrowed its brow as if it were lying on a bed, spread its wing-like covers, and flew away to another rose.

Starting with that fairy, the fairies around us seemed to notice our presence. As I stood still, the fairies fluttered around me as if singing a song.

-It’s Vivian!

‘Baba Yaga’ is Vivian!

‘Baba Yaga…?’

Isn’t Baba Yaga that witch from the fairy tales? The one who used to come out in folktales and comics?

It was a term I knew well, often appearing in subcultures like novels or comics. Typically, someone named “Baba Yaga” was either a “witch” or a name commonly used for a villain.

“Vivian heard the witch’s voice even from the fairies?”

As a fairy gently settled on my shoulder, Einsel, who was on my earring, scolded the fairy with a loud voice, making the fairy flutter away.

“Don’t come close to Vivian! You troublemaker!”

“Einsel is here too?”

“There’s even an Einsel who fell for Baba Yaga’s trick?”

“Ugh…!”

Though not visible, Einsel’s face was surely blushing. The fairies, finding Einsel’s reaction amusing, giggled and fluttered around Einsel.

“Silly~ Falling for a silly witch, silly fairy~”

“You can’t even hit a mirror, can you? Silly~”

“Silly~ Silly~”

“Ugh!! Annoying!! Vivian!! Please chase them away!”

Unintentionally, I chuckled at the sight of the fairies bickering. Following Einsel’s request, I waved my hand to shoo the fairies away, but Einsel, still upset, grumbled.

While the other fairies laughed and disappeared seeing Einsel getting angry, one fairy sitting on my shoulder didn’t fly away like the others.

It looked a bit different from ordinary “sylphs.” It was larger and had a motherly, kind expression. As I glanced at it, the fairy chuckled softly in my ear.

“So, you’ve been wrapped in Baba Yaga’s aura.”

I flinched.

The gentle whisper made my shoulders tremble.

“Don’t be surprised. I’m just here to watch, following the ‘rumors’ like the wind.”

“Hey!! Get off Vivian’s shoulder!”

“Yes, now that I see you closely, I understand. As rumored, in the end, Baba Yaga is dead.”

The fairy, with a kind smile while stroking my cheek, seemed to see right through me, penetrating deep into my innermost being.

What on earth? Is this what fairies are supposed to be like?

…That’s truly a stupid way to die. Everyone tried to stop that “ritual.” There was no way a flawed ritual from the start could have succeeded.

The fairy let out a bitter smile as if to say, “A flawed ritual from the start?” Well, considering the failures in the original work, maybe there was an issue with the ritual itself.

As I walked through the garden with Ellie, lost in thought, Ainsel, not pleased with the fairy sitting on my shoulder, growled at her. “Will you stop it?! Why do you keep clinging to Vivian?!”

“You’re still quick to anger when it comes to what’s yours, Ainsel. How about being a bit more gracious? Currently, ‘Vivian’ belongs to no one.”

“You, you..!!”

For a moment, the indulgent expression of the fairy seemed to turn into a pure, childlike smile. Stretching as if enjoying teasing Ainsel, the smirking fairy let out a refreshing sigh.

“I’ll leave for now. Call me whenever you need. Unlike that stubborn mirror over there, I’ll grant you some freedom to boss me around.”

“Why?”

I murmured softly to Ellie, barely audible, filled with genuine curiosity. It didn’t make sense for a fairy I’d just met today to suddenly help me. Was it because of some connection between Vivian and me?

Just as I entertained that thought.

Tap.

The fairy grinned at my question and lightly kissed my cheek. The sensation of the fairy’s lips felt like cool droplets touching my skin.

“You, youuuu!!”

Astonished, Ainsel let out a loud gasp while watching.

“The magic of witches is sweet to us. Especially Baba Yaga’s magic has a more potent flavor than other witches’. In return, we fairies assist the witches.”

“Hey!!! Stop ignoring me all the time!!!”

“Even her eccentric personality disappeared… If that’s not a reason to help, then what is?”

With the final words, the fairy, who had been giggling, spread her dragonfly-like wings and soared high into the sky. Watching the fairy disappear in the blink of an eye, I found myself unconsciously stroking the cheek that her lips had touched earlier.

“I told you not to call me! They’re like the wind anyway, they won’t remember this promise, will they?! Don’t expect me to come to your aid?!”

Is this my fault?

I only said a word or two..?

Honestly, I didn’t understand half of the conversation between the fairies, yet Ainsel somehow started to press me.

It’s really unfair…

As I half-listened to Ainsel’s grumbling with one ear and let it out the other, Elly, who was holding an umbrella next to me, gasped and swallowed hard.

Turning my head to look at Elly, she was staring at something with a surprised expression. Following her gaze naturally led mine to the edge of the garden.

“Oh.”

Under a large tree, someone was there.

Resting on the tree roots, a child covered only by a large book as a blanket was deeply asleep, so deeply that no one would notice even if someone carried them away.

In an instant, the scene from when I first possessed someone flashed through my mind.

An innocent child holding a white lily in front of me in a painful situation where my throat and lungs felt like they were tearing apart, wearing a black dress. It seemed familiar, and now I was sure.

“Princess…”

How could I not recognize the face I had seen hundreds of times in the game? Seeing the princess’s face, my heart inexplicably began to beat faster.

“Should I approach the princess closely?”

“No, as a ‘witch,’ is it okay for me to approach the princess?”

“If I approach the princess, what will happen to the original story?”

“If I interfere with the princess, will she die not because of the game but because of me?”

“But, this isn’t a game, it’s reality.”

Thump, thump, thump.

Thoughts swirled in my head, a complete mess. The prospect of seeing the princess in person made me suddenly fearful and anxious. Why? Because at this moment, I was the “witch” who had relentlessly killed the princess in the game.

In truth, it wasn’t something I hadn’t considered. Somehow, being intertwined with the princess in this body was inevitable. However, I feared that if I got involved with the princess, things might progress according to the “original” story, and I might end up killing her as events unfolded. That was what I feared most after possessing this body.

I was afraid to meet the princess. So, rather than getting involved with her, I chose not to involve her in the options to thwart this situation. Convincing the council seemed much easier than getting entangled with the princess, and pleading with His Majesty, a recluse, not to divorce.

“Let’s ignore it.”

For now, let’s just ignore it.

After all, it was certain that I would eventually meet her if I lived here. So, for now, I resolved to escape.

“…Elli, stop—”

As I turned my head to return to my room, once again, the princess appeared at the edge of my sight. Perhaps due to the sunlight, she looked scrunched up, sleeping peacefully.

“…Bring the parasol here.”

“Wow, Your Majesty?”

“Quickly.”

Yes, leave the parasol here. It would have been fine to ask Elli, but I thought that seeing the princess’s face up close might somewhat calm this restless heart, so I picked up the parasol.

At least I needed to know the princess’s face clearly. That way, I wouldn’t have these thoughts when I met her later. I felt it was necessary to become somewhat accustomed to the princess’s face.

Quietly, so as not to wake the princess with the sound of stepping on the grass, I slowly moved closer. With each step toward the princess, the sound of my heartbeat seemed to grow louder.

…Honestly, I don’t know what to do, even if someone catches me.

And so, slowly, I was able to approach the tree under which the princess slept. Gently lowering my head to look at her, the princess, squinting due to the sunlight, made whimpering sounds.

Her appearance was quite adorable, and inexplicably, a smile crept onto my face.

Vivian, why is she so jealous that she’s trying to kill this young princess? No matter how much I think about it, “Vivian” was someone I simply couldn’t understand.

I placed a parasol on the ground to prevent the sun from touching the princess’s body, and her deeply creased face gradually began to relax.

Even though I had come to her side, she remained deeply asleep, which was quite surprising. Before I knew it, I found myself squatting by the sleeping princess, admiring her peaceful slumber.

As I gazed at the princess’s face intently, Einsel asked, looking puzzled, “Why is the princess sleeping here?”

“…..?”

Indeed, why is the princess sleeping in a place like this? Seeing the large book used as a blanket, I wondered if she had fallen asleep while reading in the warm sunlight.

“Even so, shouldn’t there be at least one maid around?” I turned my head to look around, just in case there might be a maid nearby. However, apart from me, Einsel, and the sleeping princess, there was no one else around.

“Einsel? Where is the princess’s maid?”

Just as I was about to ask Einsel about the whereabouts of the princess’s maid, suddenly! The princess and I locked eyes as she abruptly opened hers. She opened them so wide that I was momentarily startled and almost fell backward, nearly hitting my rear.

As our eyes met, the princess blinked rapidly, inexplicably not averting her gaze from me. It felt like the tense moment when wild animals meet each other’s eyes, both unable to move due to the tension.

“……”

“……”

And then, 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds passed—breaking the silence was none other than the princess herself.

“Ahh!”

The princess, who had been using the large book as a cover, lifted it above her head and threw it at me. The book was so large that it didn’t seem like she threw it, but rather let it drop to the ground with a thud.

After throwing the book to the ground, the princess swiftly turned her body and began running toward the opposite thicket. I was certain she would disappear into the bushes in an instant, but…

Thud-!

“Oh! Ahh!”

The princess tripped over the tree roots she had been using as a pillow and fell forward. Not a graceful tumble, just a thud.

“Ow, that hurts…”

It wasn’t a hard fall, but her small palm and knee got scratched on the rocks, and blood started to seep out. I regretted not just asking Ellie for help when I saw the injury.

“Ugh… ugh…”

She tried not to cry, but seeing the blood on her palm made her burst into loud sobs.

Was this our first meeting, mine and the princess’s? No, it was our second meeting since the funeral parlor. In my ears, I could hear Ainsel’s sigh, while a startled Ellie tried to comfort the wailing princess…

It was such a bewildering encounter.