27. Pandora's Box (4)
27. Pandora's Box (4)
[Episode 27] - Pandora's Box (4)
After finishing my talk with the princess and returning to my room, I looked at Ainsel's original body, which I had hung back on the wall earlier. I was worried about Ainsel, who still hadn't shown any reaction since we left the room.
'...She clearly said that just the clone would be fine.'
I let out a small sigh and looked at the mirror that had been Ainsel's clone in my room. Just like the earring, the dust that used to be the mirror was piled messily on the floor.
...Come to think of it, what on earth was reflected in the mirror when the King touched Ainsel? It was as if Ainsel was showing the King scenes like someone's past or their happiest moments.
Just like the King had touched Ainsel, I spread my palm and stroked Ainsel's original body. However, the mirror showed no reaction, reflecting only me standing in front of it like an ordinary mirror.
"Haa... what should I do?"
I was at a loss, not knowing what to do about Ainsel. As I kept sighing, Silphy, who had been fluttering about, landed on my shoulder, crossed her legs, and rested her chin on her hand.
I stroked the head of Silphy, who was sitting on my shoulder, and asked. I thought that perhaps Silphy, being a fairy herself, might know why Ainsel had ended up like this.
"Silphy, do you happen to know why Ainsel is like this?"
-Of course, I know.
"Then-"
When I turned my head to look at Silphy, she looked at me with eyes that seemed to want something. Ah, come to think of it, fairies don't help witches without a price.
As I had learned from Ainsel, I gathered my magic and formed it into the shape of a round candy. When I handed it to Silphy, she held the candy, which was as big as her upper body, and beamed a smile.
-Hehe, yes, this is it. When you ask a fairy for a favor, you must always prepare a price. Like this magic, or something fairies like.
Silphy, who licked the large candy made of magic with her tongue, cupped her cheek with one hand, looking ecstatic as if it were sweet. Then she flew up slightly and approached Ainsel.
-The reason Ainsel is like this is because of the 'Rebound' of the contract. It's like a punishment given to fairies or witches who cannot fulfill a contract.
"So it really was because of the contract..."
-For instance, it's the same right now. If I didn't tell you anything even after receiving the candy from you, baby, I would receive a 'Rebound' just like Ainsel. Though the content would be a little different.
Silphy, who was busily licking the large candy while explaining, came up to me and looked at me. Then, she let out a very small sigh and climbed back onto my shoulder.
-In cases like this, she would normally come to her senses on her own after some time, but I don't know when that will be. The time fairies feel is different from humans, so there's a possibility she might open her eyes only after you, baby, have died.
For a moment, my heart sank.
I felt like I understood why Ainsel had tried so hard not to talk about the First Queen. Ainsel must have known that if she lost consciousness due to a 'Rebound,' she wouldn't know when she would wake up.
Suddenly, I remembered what Ainsel had said before entering the room.
"...Are you really okay?"
-...Yes, I'm okay. And, I have you, don't I?
...I couldn't just stay still like this.
I had to do something to help Ainsel regain consciousness. Ainsel had trusted me and taken responsibility. So, just as much as Ainsel had trusted me, I had to do something for Ainsel.
I made another large magic candy and handed it to Silphy. Silphy nodded her head vigorously as if she knew what I was going to ask, then flew up with the candy and looked at me.
-There are two ways to fix Ainsel.
Silphy glanced over at Ainsel and let out a small sigh. Then she looked back at me and continued her story.
-The first is the 'death' of the other party. If the rag doll that made the contract with Ainsel dies, Ainsel will probably open her eyes slowly, though it will take time.
The phrase "though it will take time" felt uncomfortable, like a fish bone stuck in my throat. Since they said the time for fairies and humans is different, no one knew how long that would be.
And, a rag doll? Come to think of it, Silphy had called Aurora a 'rag doll stitched together with the corpse of a Leanan Sidhe' in that room.
"A rag doll?"
-You know, that woman who strangled you, baby. What else would you call that thing, which has its own soul forcibly stitched onto the corpse of a Leanan Sidhe, if not a rag doll? It's all rotting away anyway, so it will die on its own before long, so the first method seems good too.
"W-wait a minute, what? It will die on its own? Forcibly stitched souls?"
As I kept asking questions, Silphy made a sullen face as if annoyed. But, although I had let it slide back then because I was out of it, I couldn't now. I needed an explanation of what on earth that meant.
This time, I made two magic candies and held them out to Silphy. Then, Silphy glared at me with an even more sullen expression.
"...One more?"
-...Two more.
It was my first time using this much magic, so I felt dizzy, but I gathered as much magic as I could in my body and created two more large, round candies.
Seeing the four candies in my palm, Silphy giggled, did a somersault in the air, and sat right between the candies on my palm.
-First, to explain the rag doll, that woman isn't a fairy to begin with. She's like an 'Artificial Fairy' created by someone's bad taste. Since she's a being with a human soul stitched onto the corpse of a Leanan Sidhe, I called her a rag doll.
...Aurora had mentioned a third party back then, saying "as someone said." Could it be that someone taught Aurora about fairies? And that someone made Aurora into a rag doll?
As I was lost in thought, Silphy, who was on my palm, squeezed one of my fingers tightly. The moment I felt the texture, temperature, and scent of Silphy's fingers, she continued her story.
-Back then, you couldn't touch that woman, right? That's the difference between a fairy and a ghost. A witch can touch a fairy, but cannot touch a ghost, which is a spiritual being.
So that's why I couldn't grab Aurora's arm even though I was flailing my hands back then. Now that I understood the situation, I nodded automatically.
-And such 'ambiguous beings' don't live long anyway. She probably survived on blood and vital energy through the Leanan Sidhe's 'feeding method,' but that will soon come to an end too.
Tsk tsk, Silphy clicked her tongue, licked the large candy, and sighed.
-In the first place, the very words 'becoming one' must have been a trick by someone malicious. That if you gather blood and vital energy in one place, you become one? What a ridiculous notion.
"......So you mean there was never a way for them to become one in the first place?"
Silphy let out a dry laugh at my question.
-The Leanan Sidhe's feeding method is just 'eating.' Just as you, baby, eat when you're hungry, the Leanan Sidhe also swallows blood and vital energy from the prey she gave talent to when she's hungry. It's just a simple 'meal,' and it has no meaning beyond that.
"Then, what happens to the soul in the corpse after the Leanan Sidhe's meal is finished...?"
Silphy, who had brushed herself off and stood up, flew back into the sky and started circling around me. She even added a 'blech' retching gesture as if she had said something she didn't even want to put into words.
-The Grim Reaper will drag it to the underworld. There is absolutely no way it will be with the rag doll.
I frowned at that story. That meant there was never any chance for them to be 'together' as Aurora had said. She was just played for a fool, deceived by someone's sweet lies.
When I made an annoyed expression, Silphy stroked my furrowed brow as if telling me not to make that face. Gently stroking it to smooth out my furrowed brow, Silphy smiled brightly.
-Now, for the second way to fix Ainsel.
Silphy fluttered up, flew to my vanity, and threw open the drawer. Silphy, who had gone inside the drawer, took out a letter from deep inside and handed it to me.
It was the 'Coven's Invitation' that the white owl had given me back then.
-I've heard that there is a 'doctor' in the 'Coven' who treats fairies. I've never met them, but other fairies have bragged to me about going there to treat their injuries.
"A witch... working as a doctor who treats fairies?"
Up until now, my image of a witch had been solidified as a wicked witch like 'Vivian.' But to think a witch is working as a 'doctor' treating fairies.
Could it be, is there really such a thing as a good witch?
-The name of that witch is...
I pricked up my ears and focused on Silphy's words.
If a truly good witch really existed, I wanted to meet them at least once. However, upon hearing the witch's name, I couldn't help but widen my eyes in surprise.
-'Frankenstein.'
"......What?"
The 'Frankenstein' I know?
*
Inside the room where the King was secluded, Aurora was preparing her final meal.
Saying that the time for the final meal had finally come, Aurora even hummed as she stroked the neck of the King, who was possessing her corpse. Now, if she sank her fangs here one last time and drank the blood.
-Haa... finally, we can be together. Your Majesty.
Aurora didn't delay any longer.
Opening her large mouth, she bared her fangs and sank her teeth into the neck of the King who was possessing her corpse. The skin didn't pierce, but for some reason, blood was sucked up through her teeth.
Cold, tasteless blood and cold vital energy that felt devoid of any passion. It was a tasteless and disgusting meal, but Aurora sucked even harder, not wanting to leave even a single drop.
Every time she swallowed blood, her body trembled. The corpse, which was growing colder and colder until it couldn't get any colder, raised a trembling hand and tried to stroke Aurora's face.
Ah, finally.
Finally, Your Majesty is looking at me.
Aurora swallowed the blood, overcome with emotion. Now, one mouthful. If she swallowed just the last mouthful, it would be the same as draining all the blood and vital energy from this corpse.
The moment she had her mouth full of blood and vital energy, she pleaded in a cracked voice. In her final moment, she whispered as if leaving a will, like someone who knew they were going to die.
"I can't... see... Aurora..."
Gulp.
Aurora swallowed the last of the vital energy she had in her mouth and looked down at the corpse, which had closed its eyes helplessly. Now, rejoicing in the moment of becoming one with His Majesty as 'that person' had said, Aurora shed tears.
However.
-Your Majesty...?
Even as time passed, no voice was heard. His Majesty's warmth, gaze, and voice were no longer heard. Aurora looked down at her own corpse lying on the floor.
Aurora even felt her own body melting away. The arm that had been stroking the corpse rotted and crumbled, suddenly falling to the floor with a thud.
-Huh...? Why...?
The rotting parts of her body increased as time passed. After her arm fell off, this time her toes crumbled and fell off as if collapsing. Thinking that something was wrong, Aurora cried out for His Majesty.
-Your Majesty...! Your Majesty...! Where are you! Your Majesty...!
If 'that person' was right, His Majesty should definitely be by my side. Surely, 'that person' had said it. If I drank all of His Majesty's blood, His Majesty and I could live happily in 'Fairyland' forever.
-Why, no! This isn't it! Your Majesty!! Your Majesty!!!
Both hands had already fallen off, and her legs were crushed, leaving only her left foot. Cracks began to appear on her body, and she could no longer fly in the sky, so she had to crawl on the ground.
-Ah, no...! This isn't what I wanted...! You said it! That we would truly become one...! You were the one who said you supported our love!
Aurora, who had crawled on the floor to her own corpse, wailed. She rolled on the floor, sobbing that this wasn't it, that this was a lie.
-Everything that helped me until now was you... But why... why are you doing this... I, I... just... just with His Majesty, just the two of us...
Aurora, crawling on the ground like a caterpillar, raised her head and wailed. Feeling her body rotting and crumbling, Aurora curled up on top of her own corpse.
-Your Majesty, Your Majesty... P-please open your eyes. Please, I-
Clack, her jaw fell off in the middle of speaking. Aurora just shed tears at the fact that she could no longer call the person she loved. Her jaw fell off, and the root of her tongue was pulled out.
Crumbling and crumbling.
The last person Aurora, who was becoming particles, thought of was not the person she loved or the person she hated, but the figure of 'that person' who had helped and deceived her.
A woman with black hair as dark as the night sky, like her own.
A woman with eyes as deep and dark as an abyss and as red as blood.
What on earth did she do wrong to deserve this treatment?
Aurora couldn't understand it at all, so she just shed tears.
Thus, Aurora, whose whole body had rotted and crumbled, died while wailing about her beloved His Majesty and her own injustice in her fading consciousness.
There was no one alive in the room anymore.
Just two corpses remained in the room.