episode_0038

[Episode 38] – The time you weren’t there

-Vivian…?

“Ainsel?”

Ainsel’s expression began to brighten as he looked at me in a subdued voice. When I thought that Ainsel had finally regained consciousness, I felt overwhelmed without realizing it.

To be honest, until now, a part of my mind was filled with anxiety about what would happen to Ainsel. You said you trusted me, but what if I can’t help you and something goes wrong in the end? anxiety.

As the anxiety just disappeared, my eyes started to become more and more red without me even realizing it. In order not to be seen crying, I let out a long sigh and looked at Ainsel.

Ainsel looked at me and smiled brightly, as if he was still out of his mind. Are you laughing now? Until now, I thought I was just getting sick of my stomach.

Out of frustration, I swiped down Ainsel’s body, leaving fingerprints all over it. Then, Ainsel let out a small scream.

-Why, why are you like this…!

“Are you laughing?! Do you know how worried I was?! “You spoke as if you trusted me, but then suddenly you didn’t regain consciousness, so I was so worried…!”

It wasn’t until I started rubbing the mirror and making it full of fingerprints that I felt a little better. Ainsel waved his hands as if he couldn’t see clearly and urged me to quickly clean the mirror.

“Really… he asked to see me in his room, but he suddenly lost consciousness. I looked into it after that and he said he didn’t know when he would regain consciousness because of the contract…”

-I’m sorry… I really didn’t know it would happen like that at the time…

“profit! “Don’t make excuses!”

As I applied my fingerprints to Ainsel, who was making excuses irritably, Ainsel’s eyes filled with tears as if he was about to cry. I’m the one who wants to cry, so why are you crying?

After arguing with Ainsel for a few more minutes, I finally wiped the fingerprints off the mirror. Ainsel blinked, as if he could finally see clearly in front of him, and looked at me hesitantly.

“…Still, I’m glad. It was worth it for Fran to treat me.”

-…? Francs? Are you talking about Kirven’s Frankenstein?

“Yes, that’s right. That Frankenstein. “First of all, we should talk while you were gone.”

I began to explain step by step what had happened since Ainsel lost consciousness. When I think about it again, a lot has happened.

“First, after entering the room you opened, I realized that the king had died and that Aurora had become Lyanansi. And with Sylphy’s help, I was able to get out of there.”

Aurora was kicked out with Sylphy’s help.

“And in the end, the king was found dead by Vinchot. Including Aurora’s body. Sylphy said that Aurora was probably dead too. “I haven’t really seen it since then.”

After that, the king and Aurora were found dead.

“And then… we had the king’s funeral.”

It was discovered that the king was dead and a funeral was held.

“After the king died, the council of elders held a meeting to ask what should be done with me, who did not receive the royal family name, and I ended up staying here until the princess’s academy graduation ceremony.”

I had a fight with the council of elders because of my treatment.

“And… to wake you up, I found out that there was a doctor Fran in Kirven who treats fairies and sent a letter. “That’s how Fran came to visit, and she cured you.”

Sylphy brought Franc through a letter sent to Kirven.

“And before Fran came here…”

And, even a story about ‘The Little Mermaid’ by ‘someone.’

When I told him everything I had experienced, Heinsel said nothing and avoided my gaze with an expression that made him look like he was about to cry.

“…It’s not your fault. “Why are you so sad?”

-But… I made a mistake in judgment… so you had a hard time alone…

“…It was difficult. How many times have I asked, ‘What would it have been like if you were here? “Maybe you thought, ‘Couldn’t I have made a slightly different choice?’”

Ainsel’s shoulders trembled at my words.

Does Ainsel think I blame him? I slowly placed my forehead on the surface of the mirror, Ainsel. I felt the touch of a cold mineral, but the area I touched became warm.

“So… if you’re going to do this, next time, don’t do anything weird, like you’re taking responsibility or something. got it? Because I’m having a really hard time. “I get really tired if you don’t help me.”

-I’m sorry…

“I didn’t tell you to apologize. Just say so.”

-…all right. I won’t do that again.

When I lifted my forehead from the mirror, I saw Ainsel crying.

Ainsel, who was crying, made eye contact with me and eventually burst into tears. I pretended to pat Ainsel’s head and smiled bitterly.

*

After Ainsel calmed down to some extent, we talked about many things.

The most intense conversation among them was the moment Aurora’s death was confirmed. Ainsel, who could not say anything about Aurora due to his contract-

-Aurora XXX! XXXX! ah! I feel refreshed inside! You’re finally dead!

By swearing at Aurora, he proved Aurora’s death.

Because it is said that a contract is canceled by the death of the other party. Ainsel, who was under a ‘contract not to harm Aurora’, jumped up and down in joy at the fact that Aurora was dead and that the contract was over.

I don’t know if she died before I knew it, but I was also able to feel a little relieved at Aurora’s ambiguous death. It was as if there was no threat to the princess anymore.

I asked, looking at Ainsel who was jumping up and down with joy.

“If you hate it so much, how on earth did you end up signing a contract?”

-I told you back then. ‘Someone’ stole my body. For a very, very brief moment, I was distracted by the self-immolation. When I came to my senses, I was locked in that room and eventually forced into a contract.

The ‘someone’ that Ainsel was talking about when he was running around saying he was angry.

I thought that perhaps the ‘someone’ who turned Aurora into Lyanansi, controlled the Little Mermaid, and stole Ainsel’s body was all the same person.

Who on earth could it be?

Why do people who are obsessed with love turn into other ‘fairies’ and create a terrible ending?

The Little Mermaid also said that the last person discovered was not a ‘mermaid’ but a different ‘fairy’.

Whether that ‘someone’ was a fairy or a human, there was no doubt that they were making it into a different being, a ‘fairy’.

I don’t know why, but it seemed to only reach out and harm people who were obsessed with ‘love’.

“…Well, since Kirven takes care of it, wouldn’t it be caught soon? Fran also said he didn’t need my help. “I’m sure it will take care of itself.”

-…Now that I think about it, why do you call that person Fran?

“That’s right, Fran told me to call you that. And, he seems closer to the princess than to me. But what if we practice dancing together every day? At first, the princess hated Franc very much…”

Every time he talked about Fran and the princess, Heinsel’s complexion became increasingly pale. Ainsel, who was seething at the loss of the princess’s friend position, asked to go to the princess right away, but-

“Calm down… it’s already time for the princess to go to bed. So, let’s wake up tomorrow morning and go right away. “I’m sure the princess will like it too.”

-Is that so…? Isn’t it too late…? Now, if you like that witch more than me…

“I said that wouldn’t happen. Don’t worry too much… Oh right, now that I think about it, what about the earrings?”

Although it is impossible to carry the main unit, and it is certainly heavy, it is much more comfortable to carry the Ainsel on your ear.

Originally, I was going to wear it as a necklace, but if I made it as a necklace, Ainsel’s gaze would be uncomfortable because of my breasts, so I had no choice but to wear it on my ears.

Ainsel told me not to worry and that there was a small box under the bed and told me to open it. I bent down and looked under the bed, and there was a really small box, so I took it out and opened it.

Inside the box were many mirror earrings. The decorations were slightly different, but when I picked up a small earring that could fit Ainsel, he smiled brightly and called me.

-I always leave replacement earrings here. Just hold it and come closer to me.

“like this?”

As I approached Ainsel’s body with the earring, a small image of Ainsel began to appear in the mirror attached to the earring. Is this a way to create an alter ego? I put my earrings on my ears and checked them.

-Ha… this stable eye level. It feels like it’s been a really long time.

“My ears hurt, probably because I haven’t worn earrings in a while.”

When I spoke in a giggling and grumpy tone, Ainsel also giggled and laughed. As I walked around the room with the Ainsel on my ear, I realized that the earrings were the most familiar and nice.

I stroked the angel in my ear and whispered in a low voice, feeling familiar for the first time in a long time. Rejoicing over Ainsel’s recovery.

“Welcome, Ainsel.”

-I’m back. Vivian.

*

-princess!!!!!

“Ainsel!!!!!”

Wow!

As soon as she was informed that Ainsel had regained consciousness, the princess hugged the earring containing Ainsel. The princess rubbed her cheek in the mirror to tell whether it was a dream or reality.

When I realized that this was reality, I looked at Ainsel with tears in my eyes and smiled brightly. He said he was really fortunate and that he really missed it while he was gone.

Then Ainsel also cried loudly and shed tears like the princess. He said he felt the same way and wanted to see the princess. He said he was sorry. Ugh.

‘It’s nice to see…’

It was nice to see the princess running around holding a mirror and rejoicing at Ainsel’s return. As I was looking at that scene, Fran came to my side and was looking at me intently.

He still had an expressionless expression, but perhaps because we spent some time together, I was able to learn a little bit how to read Fran’s facial expressions. Fran’s expression now was one of regret.

“Are you afraid of falling out with the princess?”

Fran shook his head in response to my question.

“no. My work here is now complete. “I will return to my home as quickly as possible.”

“already? Can’t we at least go see the princess’s ball? “The princess would want that too.”

“that-”

The moment Fran was about to say something, the princess grabbed Fran’s sleeve and raised her head to look at Fran. He looked up at Fran with sad deer-like eyes, as if asking where he was going and telling him not to go.

“Go already?”

“…no. “I will go back after watching the princess’s ball.”

“Ehehe.”

The princess smiled brightly, holding a franc in one hand and an angel in the other. Are you happy that you have two friends? The princess began to introduce each other to Fran and Ainsel.

“This is Ainsel! “It’s my friend, the Mirror Fairy!”

“…Nice to meet you. Ainsel.”

“This is my friend Fran! “They say it’s an android!”

-…nice to meet you. Frankenstein.

…Does the princess know that among those three, she is the only one who really smiles?

In contrast to the brightly smiling princess, Fran still had an expressionless expression, and Ainsel looked shaken.

As I was looking at these three beautiful people-

The Queen Mother’s maid knocked on the door.

“Please come in.”

“Her Royal Highness, the Queen Mother said, ‘When will you come looking for me? He says, ‘If I don’t come by today, I’ll see you at the prom.’”

“ah.”

“And… this is my personal opinion, but I think Her Majesty the Queen will not be angry even if she visits Her Majesty the Queen today…”

When the Queen Mother’s maid looked at me with truly worried eyes, it occurred to me.

He promised the Queen Mother that he would decide on the princess’s name and tell her within two weeks.

And, as of yesterday, the promised date has passed.

‘…a big problem.’