episode_0027

[Episode 27] – Pandora’s Box (4)

After finishing my conversation with the princess and returning to my room, I looked at the original body of Ainsel that I had hung on the wall earlier. Ainsel, who had not responded since leaving the room, was a source of concern.

“…She said it would be fine even with just a doppelganger.”

I sighed softly and gazed at the mirror that had originally been in my room, which had served as Ainsel’s doppelganger. Like the earrings, the dust that had been the mirror was now piled messily on the floor.

Come to think of it, what exactly had been reflected in the mirror when the king touched Ainsel? It seemed as though Ainsel was projecting such scenes to the king, much like reflecting a person’s past or moments of happiness.

Just as the king had touched Ainsel, I swept my hand over Ainsel’s original body. However, the mirror simply reflected me standing in front of it, unresponsive and ordinary.

“Sigh… What should I do?”

I felt lost, not knowing how to handle Ainsel. As I continued to sigh, Sylphy, who had been fluttering around, landed on my shoulder, crossed her legs, and rested her chin on her hand.

I gently stroked Sylphy’s head with my finger and asked, wondering if, being a fellow fairy, she might know why Ainsel was behaving this way.

“Sylphy, do you happen to know why Ainsel is acting like this?”

– Well, I do know.

“In that case—”

When I turned my head to look at Sylphy, she gazed at me as if expecting something. Oh, come to think of it, fairies don’t help witches without receiving something in return.

Following Ainsel’s teachings, I gathered magic and formed it into a round candy shape. Then, handing it to Sylphy, she grasped the candy in her hand and chuckled softly.

– Hehe, here it is. When asking a fairy for something, always prepare a payment. Something like this magic or something that fairies like.

Sylphy, with a large candy made of magic, licked it with her tongue, wearing an ecstatic expression, then covered her cheek with one hand. Afterward, she floated up slightly and approached Ainsel.

에인셀’s situation is due to what’s called a “rebound” in the contract. It’s like a punishment for fairies or witches who fail to fulfill their contracts.

“So it was because of the contract after all…”

For instance, even now, if I were to receive candy from the child and say nothing about it, I would receive a ‘rebound’ similar to 에인셀’s. The details might be different, though.

Fispy, who had been earnestly explaining the large candy, came over to me and looked at me. Then, she let out a small sigh and climbed back onto my shoulder.

In cases like this, normally one would regain consciousness as time passes, but I don’t know when that will be. Fairies perceive time differently from humans, so there’s a possibility that the child might open their eyes after I die.

Suddenly, I felt a lump in my chest.

It seemed like 에인셀 tried so hard not to talk too much about the First Queen for that reason. When losing consciousness due to the “rebound,” 에인셀 must have known that she wouldn’t know when she’d wake up.

Suddenly, the words 에인셀 said before entering the room came to mind.

“…Are you really okay?”

“…Yes, I’m fine. And, I have you, don’t I?”

…I couldn’t just stay still like this.

I had to find a way to help 에인셀 regain consciousness. 에인셀 trusted me and took responsibility, so I had to do something for her as much as she trusted me.

I made another large magic candy and handed it to Fispy. As if knowing what I was asking for, Fispy nodded vigorously and flew, holding the candy, looking at me.

“There are two ways to fix 에인셀.”

Fispy glanced at 에인셀 and let out a small sigh. Then she looked back at me and continued.

“The first is the ‘death’ of the doll that placed the contract on 에인셀. If the rag doll that contracted with 에인셀 dies, she will probably slowly open her eyes, although it may take some time.”

“It might take some time,” those words felt uncomfortable, like a fishbone stuck in my throat. They had said that the time for fairies and humans was different, so no one knew how long that time would be.

And a patchwork doll? Come to think of it, Sylphy called Aurora ‘a patchwork doll with Ryansi’s body and her own soul forcibly stitched together.’

“A patchwork doll?”

-Isn’t that what she is? That woman who strangled the child. Calling her a patchwork doll, what else would you call her? Anyway, she’ll rot and die soon enough, so the first method seems fine too.

“Wait, what? Rot and die on her own? Forcibly stitching souls together?”

As I kept questioning, Sylphy made an annoyed expression. But back then, I was too distracted to pursue it further; now was different. I needed an explanation for what all this meant.

This time, I conjured two magic candies and offered them to Sylphy. In response, Sylphy gave me an even more annoyed look.

“…One more?”

-…Make it two more.

Using this much magic at once was disorienting, but I gathered as much energy as I could and fashioned two more candies into large almond shapes. Looking at the four candies in my palm, Sylphy smirked, did a little spin in the air, and then settled between the candies in my hand.

“First, about the patchwork doll, that woman wasn’t originally a fairy. She’s more like a ‘man-made fairy’ created out of someone’s twisted hobby. She’s called a patchwork doll because she’s a being with Ryansi’s body and a human soul stitched together.”

…Aurora mentioned ‘someone’s words’ back then. Was there someone who informed Aurora about fairies? And did that someone turn Aurora into a patchwork doll? Lost in thought, Sylphy grabbed one of my fingers. As I felt Sylphy’s touch, temperature, scent, and various other sensations, Sylphy continued the story.

At that time, the boy couldn’t touch that woman, right? That’s the difference between fairies and ghosts. Witches can touch fairies, but they can’t touch spiritual beings like ghosts.

So at that time, even if he reached out his hand, he couldn’t grab Aurora’s arm. Now, understanding the situation, his head nodded automatically.

And those “ambiguous beings” can’t live long anyway. They might have prolonged their lives with Lyanthi’s “feeding method,” using blood and vitality, but that will soon come to an end.

Tsk tsk, the cold touch of irony clicked against a large candy before exhaling a sigh.

Originally, the phrase “becoming one” itself must have been deceived by someone malicious. Mixing blood and vitality makes them become one? It’s not even funny.

“…Was there never a way for them to become one from the start?” I asked, and Felfi let out a bitter laugh in response.

Lyanthi’s feeding method is simply “feeding.” Just as the boy eats when hungry, Lyanthi simply swallows blood and vitality from the talented when hungry. It’s just a simple “meal,” nothing more, nothing less.

“So, what happens to the soul in the body after Lyanthi’s meal is over…?” Felfi, who had risen and was circling around me again, seemed to make a retching motion as if to say she didn’t want to say the words. The fake retching was an added touch.

They’ll be taken to the afterlife by the reaper. They definitely won’t have anything to do with being a rag doll.

I frowned at the story. So, as Aurora said, there would never be a chance for them to ‘be together’ forever. I had been played, falling for someone’s sweet lies.

Seeing my annoyed expression, Felfi gently smoothed out the furrowed brow as if to say not to make such a face. Gently smoothing out the furrowed brow, Felfi grinned.

“Well then, it’s the second way to fix Ainsel.”

Felfi fluttered over to my dressing table, opening a drawer. From deep within the drawer, Felfi pulled out a letter and handed it to me.

At that moment, the white owl handed over the “Coven’s Invitation.”

– I heard that in ‘Coven,’ there is a ‘doctor’ who treats fairies. I’ve never met her, but other fairies have boasted to me about going there and having their injuries treated.

“A witch… working as a doctor for fairies?”

Until now, the image of a witch to me has been solidified as a wicked witch like ‘Vivian.’ But a witch working as a ‘doctor’ for fairies?

Could it be that there really exists such a thing as a kind witch?

-The name of that witch is…

I listened intently, focusing on Sylphy’s words.

If there really is such a thing as a kind witch, I wanted to meet her at least once. But when I heard the name of that witch, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise.

-“Frankenstein,” they say.

“…What?”

The ‘Frankenstein’ that I know?

*

In the chamber where the king lay, Aurora was preparing the final meal.

Finally, the time for the last supper had arrived, and Aurora, humming a tune, wiped the king’s neck, possessed by her own corpse. Once she pierced his skin here for the last time and drew blood…

– Ah… finally, we can be together. Your Majesty.

Aurora did not hesitate any longer.

She opened her large mouth, positioned her fangs against the king’s neck, possessed by her own corpse, and drove them in. Though the skin didn’t break, somehow the blood rose up through the teeth.

Cold, tasteless blood and a passion that felt absent—a cold vitality. It was an unpleasant and repulsive meal, yet Aurora sucked even harder, hoping to leave behind a single drop.

With each swallow of blood, her body trembled more. The corpse, growing colder to the point of being unable to get any colder, raised a trembling hand to gently stroke Aurora’s face.

Ah, finally.

Finally, Your Majesty, you are seeing me.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Aurora swallowed the blood. Now, just one sip. If she swallowed the last sip, it would be no different from sucking all the blood and vitality from this corpse.

With blood and vitality filling her mouth, she pleaded with a cracked voice. In her final moments, as if leaving a testament knowing she would die, she whispered, “Can’t see… Aurora…”

Gulp.

Aurora swallowed the last breath filling her mouth, then weakly closed her eyes, gazing at her lifeless body. Now, she shed tears of joy, anticipating the moment when she would become one with “him,” just as he had promised.

However.

– Him…?

As time passed, no sound reached her ears. His warmth, gaze, and voice were gone. Aurora looked down at her fallen body.

She even felt her body melting away. Her arm, once caressing her corpse, decayed and suddenly fell to the ground.

– Why…? How…?

The decaying parts of her body expanded over time. After her arm fell, now her toes crumbled and dropped as if collapsing. Thinking something was wrong, Aurora cried out for him.

– Him…! Where are you! Him…!

According to “him,” he should have been by her side. He had said that if he sucked all her blood, both of them could live happily in “Fairyland” forever.

– No, this can’t be! Him!

Her hands had already fallen, and only her left foot remained, her leg contorted. Her body began to petrify, unable to fly in the sky anymore, forced to crawl on the ground.

– No, this isn’t what I wanted…! You said we would truly become one…! You supported our love!

Approaching her own corpse on the ground, Aurora wailed, rolling and crying out that this was not true, it was a lie.

– You were the one who helped me all this time… Why… why are you doing this… I just… just wanted to be with you… alone…

Like a caterpillar crawling on the ground, Aurora lifted her head and let out a wail. Sensing her body decaying and rotting, she huddled over her own corpse.

“Your Highness, please… Please open your eyes. Please, I beg of you—”

Suddenly, in the midst of speaking, her jaw fell off. Realizing that she could no longer call out to the person she loved, Aurora simply shed tears. Her jaw fell away, and the roots of her tongue were pulled out.

Withering away, disintegrating.

As Aurora faded into particles, the last image that crossed her mind was not of the person she loved or hated, but of “that person” who had deceived and betrayed her, with dark black hair like the night sky and deep, dark, blood-red eyes.

A woman with depths as profound and dark as an abyss and eyes as crimson as blood.

What had she done wrong to deserve such a fate?

Aurora, unable to comprehend, simply wept.

In this state of decay, she cried out her love for her Highness and her own injustice until she died, her consciousness fading away. There was no one left alive in the room.

Only two bodies remained within the chamber.